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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!seismo!mcvax!frankk
From: frankk@cwi.nl (Frank Kuiper)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Finder improvements
Message-ID: <323@sering.cwi.nl>
Date: Thu, 13-Aug-87 05:05:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: sering.323
Posted: Thu Aug 13 05:05:27 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Aug-87 07:26:47 EDT
References: <19906@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <4524@nsc.nsc.com> <6798@dartvax.UUCP> <711@csun.UUCP> <5839@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Reply-To: frankk@mcvax.cwi.nl (Frank Kuiper)
Distribution: world
Organization: CWI, Amsterdam
Lines: 39
Keywords: Finder unix

In article <5839@ut-ngp.UUCP> jcc@ut-ngp.UUCP (j. chris cooley) writes:
   >In article <711@csun.UUCP>, dlt@csun.UUCP (Dave Thompson) writes:
   >> I think the idea of a help window in the finder (perhaps somewhat akin to
   >> Excel's) would be a great addition.  That really shouldn't add much code
   >
   >Yes!  A help function is definitely needed!  Then again, so is the "read
   >text only"  And one for PICT files, too.  I suggest that a text file

Why not try to generalize this?

Suppose there was a DA that could read help files. This DA could 
search a "Help Folder" for available files. This way, you can read the
help information of any program, while working in any other program.
To make things even more simpler, we could set the format for these help
files as being text-only.
The only feature that the Help DA would need then, is a method to search 
the helpfile for keywords. One would specify the keyword, and the Help DA
would display the area were that keyword is used. Than the user can
scroll in the window to read that part or search for something else.
To avoid having to find your way in the helpfile, the first page
of the Help-file should list the (unique) keywords on which the 
user can search.

The DA is no problem. Either it already exists or one only has to
add the search feature. As this DA will only be used for reading
help/text files, no additional write, replace or format features
have to be added.

Because everyone can supply text files, anyone can make helpfiles
for whatever program. Everyone can customize their own helpfiles.

Anyone who is willing to tell me why this is or is not a good idee, 
is invited to do so.

-- 
                                                                      ___   
Frank Kuiper, CWI, Amsterdam.                                    _][__| |
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