\documentstyle[a4,12pt]{article}
\begin{document}
\author{APM Manual pages}
\title{The APM Help system}
\maketitle
\parskip .1 in
\setcounter{secnumdepth}{10}
\parindent 0in

\section{Preamble}
APM HELP provides basic on-line documentation about the APM system.
Type \hspace{ 0.2 in} $<$carriage-return$>$ for more information on how to use HELP.

\section{Using HELP}

HELP information is organised in numbered sections presented as a data "tree".
Each section (node) on the tree may branch out into a number of subsections thus
section 3 may have subsections 3.1, 3.2 etc. These may have sub-sub-sections
3.1.1, 3.1.2 and so on. A section may run to more than one screenful so a page
number may be appended (e.g. 3.1.2/4).

Each file may also have a file "Header" which will be displayed if no section is
specified. It represents the "root" of the tree and may be reached at any time
by typing the $<$HOME$>$ cursor or requesting section 0.

You may move up or down the tree by using the cursor keys plus a few other
commands (detailed below). You can go directly to a section or page by quoting
its section number (displayed at the top right-hand corner of the screen)
or by searching the tree for a match to part or all of the frame title (the text
above the horizontal line).

Type $<$carriage-return$>$ for the next page


Parameters:

You may call HELP with one or two optional parameters. The general form is

HELP [$<$topic$>$][,$<$text$>$] \hspace{ 0.3 in} ( [,$<$,$>$,] are meta-characters not part of the call)

$<$topic$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} should be one of the topics listed in the top-level directory (see
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} below). Only the most general topics within HELP are accessible in
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} this way. You will probably have to enter HELP and search
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} under one or more general topics in turn.
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} If $<$topic$>$ is omitted an index of general topics will be displayed
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} and you will be invited to select one.

$<$text$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} If this optional parameter is included, HELP will search for $<$text$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} first among the page titles and if that fails it will scan the text
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} and produce a list of matches.

The commands available to you are:

$<$Carriage-Return$>$
or $<$DOWN cursor$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} Move to the next page. This will be the next page in a
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} section or if you are at the end of a section, the next
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} section.

-
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} Move to the previous page. This is the previous page in a
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} section or if you are at the start of a section, the last
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} page of the previous section.

$<$HOME cursor key$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} Go to the top of the file. HELP information is orgainsed in
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} files, with the start of a tree at the start of each file.
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} You will usually but not necessarily enter the tree at the
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} top, so HOME may take you back beyond your starting point.

$<$UP cursor key$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} Go up one level. If you are in a subsection, this command
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} will take you to the start of the parent section. If you are
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} at the top of the file it will take you into the top level
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} index (see below).

$<$m.n$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} Go to section $<$m.n$>$

$<$topic$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} locate topic. HELP will search the current file for this
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} topic. HELP will first search the page titles and if this
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} fails will search the text and produce a concordance. If you
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} want to force HELP to perform the text search, enclose
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} $<$topic$>$ in single quotes.

Q or QUIT
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} Leave Help

?
\\ \hspace*{ 1.3 in} Obtain a brief summary of HELP commands.


The HELP information resides in a set of files in directory VIEW:. Each file
appears to the user as a tree but there is also a "top-level" index which helps
you identify which file you require. This index is displayed if HELP is called
with no parameters or if you move UP beyond the top of your current file. There
is not room to put all the possible topics of interest in the top-level index
so you may have to adopt a two-stage search as follows:

Type HELP with no parameters (or type $<$HOME$>$ then $<$UP$>$ from within HELP). If
your topic is in the top index, go there. If not, choose a likely topic from
the list (HELP DOCUMENTS gives some help here) and use its index or search
the file for what you want. \hspace{ 0.2 in} Some material is documented on hard copy only
(or not at all!). HELP DOCINDEX gives some indication as to where this can be
found.

HELP SUMMARY gives you a list of the titles of help pages and is intended as a
quick reference to the HELP database. Don't get confused between the sections
within SUMMARY and the sections themselves.

Hard copy of HELP information can be obtained only by listing the appropriate
file to the printer. It will contain tree directives but will otherwise be
perfectly readable. The current filename is usually printed at the top right
hand corner of each frame, in square brackets.

\section{Preparing material for HELP}
Material for inclusion in HELP should be ASCII text with a maximum width of 80
characters. The data may be structured in sections as follows:

\hspace*{ 0.3 in} !$<$TOPIC \hspace{ 0.3 in} Starts a new section or subsection
\\ \hspace*{ 0.3 in} !$>$ \hspace{ 0.7 in} Terminates it.

These directives should start at the beginning of a line.
All text to the right of the !$<$ command will be taken to be the section title.
Text to the right of the !$>$ is ignored. I suggest authors place their initials
and a date here.
Sections may be nested to any reasonable depth. Text in front of the first
section marker will be displayed on the screen when the file is entered from the
top (The file "Header"). This may be addressed as section 0.

\hspace*{ 0.3 in} !PAGE \hspace{ 0.5 in} forces a new page (screenful) to be thrown at that point.


Material for inclusion in HELP may be examined by calling HELP with the full
filename (you must specify a directory or HELP will look in VIEW:). Once the
material is ready for inclusion it should be transferered to the VIEW: directory
and an entry made in the HELP index file 0INDEX. Entries are displayed on the
screen in the order they appear in the file so new entries should be included
in their correct alphabetical order. Entries take the form..

$<$Topic$>$ \hspace{ 0.5 in} $<$Filename$>$ \hspace{ 0.6 in} $<$Section$>$

$<$Topic$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} describes the material being included. Only topics in the index may
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} be accessed by calling HELP $<$topic$>$ or through the Topic: prompt.

$<$Filename$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} indicates which file should be loaded. If $<$Filename$>$ is omitted
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} VIEW:$<$Topic$>$ will be taken by default. $<$Filename$>$ need not be in
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} VIEW:. \hspace{ 0.2 in} $<$Filename$>$ MUST be specified if $<$Section$>$ is specified.

$<$Section$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} indicates which Section in $<$Filename$>$ should be displayed. If
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} $<$Section$>$ is omitted the file Header will be displayed and the user
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} prompted for a section. \hspace{ 0.2 in} If $<$Section$>$ is 0 then the file will be
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} searched for a match to $<$Topic$>$. \hspace{ 0.2 in} HELP can be speeded up
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} considerably by specifying sections explicitly but at the expense
\\ \hspace*{ 0.5 in} of having to change the index if new sections are added.

\section{Reporting Errors and Omissions}
APM documentation is currently under review so constructive comments and
observations are very welcome. Specific problems with the HELP utility should
be reported to JHB, as should errors and omissions in the documentation. HELP
records details of failed attempts to locate topics and the record is examined
periodically and the index updated.

\section{Examples}

HELP
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} Simplest form of command. HELP will then guide you
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} through the database.

HELP LASER
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} Takes you directly to the section on the LASER command.

HELP QUOTE
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} Won't help you - QUOTE is too specific a topic. You'll
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} have to do a HELP APM then HELP QUOTE.

HELP
\\ $<$carriage-return$>$
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} Takes you into the APM file (by default)

HELP JIM:INFO
\\ \hspace*{ 0.7 in} Looks at a user HELP-format file.

\section{Hard Copy}

There is no "print" command built into HELP or VIEW.

These utilities use an index file VIEW:0INDEX which crossreferences subject
headings by the files they appear in. You can then locate the appropriate
files and print them (nasty, isn't it?!)

LaTeX and LAYOUT versions of some of these documents exist in the directory
MANUAL:.

You can usually prepare LaTeX source from a VIEW: file with the utility
MANUAL:VTOT.

There's no index yet though there will be once I get organised...

\vspace{.75in} view:help printed on 15/02/89 at 21.51

\newpage
\tableofcontents
\end{document}
