Describe HelpURL

HelpURL shows how to

1. add URLs to an about box
2. create a dynamic help book from HTML

This works best with Newt's Cape installed on NOS 2.0 (though it will also work on 1.x).

Develop an About Box with URLs

1. Use the protoAboutText object
2. Modify text, viewFont, etc. as appropriate.
3. Text slot can contain simple HREF expressions only (see example). (For 1.x compatibility, use short lines with no wrapping.)
4. This is processed at compile-time

Use the About Box

1. Users should install URLcop and/or Newt's Cape
2. User taps on a URL in your About box
3. It dispatches according to protocol types registered with URLcop; or, if just Newt's Cape is installed:
   • http: -- sends document (from NIE or WebMail) to current "htmlApp" or "helperApp"
   • mailto: -- generates Outbox message based on last mail transport
   • news: -- dispatches to Newt's Paper

Develop a Help Book with URLs

1. Create helpText (like this)
2. Set helpISBN slot (see afterScript for automatic substitution)
3. Copy DoInfoHelp method to your app's infoButton
4. install Newt's Cape
5. select Help in your application (possibly making modifications iteratively)
6. optionally, Save the help book using Newt's Cape; upload and distribute with your application

Use the Help Book

1. User installs either
   • your saved help book
   • Newt's Cape
2. Selects your i:Help button
3. Help book opens (or Newt's Cape processes HTML to create help book dynamically)
4. URLs to regular books and to web pages should work (links within help books might not work).

Understand the Code

Prerequisites: familiarity with both NewtonScript and HTML.

To customize appearance, modify the Tag Prefs in Newt's Cape, or you can add document-specific style preferences -- see the Newt's Cape documentation for further details.

Distribute HelpURL

HelpURL is freeware, and may be distributed freely as long as all of the files are included and unmodified. You are free to make modifications for your own use. I would appreciate your references to the Newt's Cape URL: http://www.netaxs.com/~weyer/newton/newtscape.html

© Copyright 1996, S. Weyer. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Contact Author

Steve Weyer
17 Timber Knoll Drive
Washington Crossing, PA 18977-1052
Internet: weyer@netaxs.com
America Online: SteveWeyer
Compuserve: 74603,2051
Greg Simon -- Newt's Cape co-developer
http://www.netaxs.com/~weyer/newton/releases.html

Gaia Home page -- info about intranet wireless handheld solutions
(re-using Newt's Cape technology).