Available only on Sun 386i systems running a SunOS 4.0.x release or earlier. Not a SunOS 4.1 release feature.
help_open is used to cause a running help_viewer.1 to open a file. filename is typically the name of a help_viewer file. A call is made to help_viewer using the same RPC mechanism as is used by Spot Help.
If filename is relative, help_viewer looks for it relative to the default help directory (as defined in the user's .defaults database). Otherwise, help_viewer treats filename as an absolute pathname.
If the RPC call to help_viewer fails, help_open attempts to spawn help_viewer, with filename as a command line argument. If the -a command line option was given, then filename is first converted to an absolute pathname, as described in OPTIONS, below.
In the first example, help_viewer opens the file help/Help_Basics. This file is located relative to the default help directory (as defined in the user's .defaults database). If the default help directory is set to /vol/help/language/USA-English, this is /vol/help/language/USA-English/help/Help_Basics.
example% help_open help/Help_Basics example%
The second example is the same as the first, but it opens Help_Basics to page 3.
example% help_open ``help/Help_Basics 3'' example%
In the next example, help_viewer opens somefile using the absolute pathname, /home/mtravis/somefile.
example% help_open /home/mtravis/somefile example%
In the last example, help_viewer opens /home/ahinkle/anotherfile.
example% cd /home/ahinkle example% help_open -a anotherfile example%
Sun386i User's Guide
Sun386i Developer's Guide
Created by unroff & hp-tools. © somebody (See intro for details). All Rights Reserved. Last modified 11/5/97