Display Help (QUHDSPH) API
Required Parameter Group:
1 | Help identifier array | Input | Char(*) |
2 | Number of help identifiers | Input | Binary(4) |
3 | Help type | Input | Array(2) of Binary(4) |
4 | Full display title | Input | Char(55) |
5 | Qualified search index object name | Input | Char(20) |
6 | Display type | Input | Char(1) |
7 | Upper-left corner | Input | Array(2) of Binary(4) |
8 | Lower-right corner | Input | Array(2) of Binary(4) |
9 | Cursor location | Input | Array(2) of Binary(4) |
10 | Error code | I/O | Char(*) |
Optional Parameter Group:
11 | Help bookshelf name | Input | Char(8) |
12 | Border attribute | Input | Array(2) of Char(1) |
13 | Border characters | Input | Array(8) of Char(1) |
Default Public Authority: *USE
Threadsafe: No
The Display Help (QUHDSPH) API displays help information. The help can be either contextual or extended. It can be formatted as a full display or in a window.
Contextual help provides information about a single item, such as the field on which the user's cursor is positioned when help is requested. Extended help provides help for all the items on the display; it contains all contextual help items and can contain additional information as well. A window is an area on the display that is treated as a separate display. Windows have visible boundaries and appear to overlay the display from which they are requested.
You can use the QUHDSPH API to handle Help key processing in applications written in data description specifications (DDS) or user-defined data streams (UDDS). You do not need it to handle help requests in applications that use record-level DDS display files with DDS help keywords to present panels because the DDS help keywords handle all help requests.
You do not need to use this API to display help for applications written using panel groups to present panels, because the UIM handles all help requests.
Authorities and Locks
- Library Authority
- *READ
- Search Index Object Authority
- *USE
- Search Index Object Library Authority
- *READ
- Search Index Object Lock
- *SHRRD
- Panel Group Authority
- *USE
- Panel Group Lock
- *SHRRD
Required Parameter Group
- Help identifier array
- INPUT; CHAR(*)
An array of the help identifiers to display. The list can contain up to 2000 items. Each item has two parts:
- Qualified help panel group name
- CHAR(20)
The panel group (*PNLGRP) object that contains the help module to display, and the library in which it is located. (A panel group is an object with an object type of *PNLGRP. It contains display panels, print panels, or help modules.)
The first 10 characters contain the panel group object name, and the second 10 characters contain the library name. You can use these special values for the library name:
*CURLIB The job's current library *LIBL The library list
- Help module name
- CHAR(32)
The name specified on the NAME attribute of a :HELP. tag in the panel group object. The name must be specified using uppercase, alphabetic characters.
- Number of help identifiers
- INPUT; BINARY(4)
The number of help identifiers in the help identifier array parameter. The number must be between 1 and 2000.
- Help type
- INPUT; ARRAY(2) of BINARY(4)
Whether this is a request to display extended or contextual help, and which help identifiers to display for the latter. For contextual help, only a subset of the help identifiers in the help identifier array parameter is initially displayed, and a function key is enabled to display extended help. Extended help includes all help identifiers in the help identifier array parameter, including those used in contextual help.
This parameter is a 2-element array of BINARY(4) values. Both elements are used as indexes into the help identifier array. The array elements are:
- The first help identifier to display for contextual help. The value must be greater than or equal to 1, and less than or equal to the number of help identifiers in the help identifier array.
- The last help identifier to display for contextual help. The value must be greater than or equal to the value specified in the first element of this parameter, and less than or equal to the number of help identifiers in the help identifier array.
To display extended help, set the value of the first array element to 1 and the value of the second array element to the value specified in the number of help identifiers parameter.
- Full display title
- INPUT; CHAR(55)
The default title to use if the help is shown in a full display and if no title is found in the help panel group object.
- Qualified search index object name
- INPUT; CHAR(20)
The search index (*SCHIDX) object that can be accessed from the help display, and the library in which it is located. The first 10 characters contain the search index object name, and the second 10 characters contain the library name.
You can use the following special value for this parameter:
*NONE The search index function is not made available for this help request. The library name must be blank. You can use the following special values for the library name:
*CURLIB The job's current library *LIBL The library list Note: The qualified search index object name must be *NONE if the help bookshelf name is something other than *NONE.
- Display type
- INPUT; CHAR(1)
Whether the help information is displayed in a full screen or a window. You must use one of the following values:
Y The help is displayed in a full screen. N The help can be displayed in a window, depending on the user option (USROPT) value of the user profile.
- Upper-left corner
- INPUT; ARRAY(2) of BINARY(4)
The upper-left corner of the area on the display for which help is requested. If the help is displayed in a window, the window is adjacent to the area identified, if possible. The array elements are:
- The row number of the upper-left corner
- The column number of the upper-left corner
- Lower-right corner
- INPUT; ARRAY(2) of BINARY(4)
The lower-right corner of the area on the display for which help is requested. If the help is displayed in a window, the window is adjacent to the area identified, if possible. The array elements are:
- The row number of the lower-right corner
- The column number of the lower-right corner
- Cursor location
- INPUT; ARRAY(2) of BINARY(4)
The position of the cursor when help is requested. If the help is displayed in a window, this cursor position is used by the UIM to decide the position and size of the window. The array elements are the row number of the cursor position and the column number of the cursor position.
- Error code
- I/O; CHAR(*)
The structure in which to return error information. For the format of the structure, see Error code parameter.
Optional Parameter Group
- Help bookshelf name
- INPUT; CHAR(8)
This parameter is no longer supported and any value entered will be ignored.
- Border attribute
- INPUT; ARRAY(2) of CHAR(1)
The border attributes of the pop-up window in which the help may be displayed. The two array elements are:
- The border attribute for a monochrome display. The default for a monochrome display is normal.
- The border attribute for a color display. The default for a color display is blue.
Hex Value Color Display Monochrome Display X'01' Green Normal X'02' Green
ReverseReverse Image X'03' White High Intensity X'04' Green
ReverseHigh Intensity Reverse X'05' Green
UnderscoreUnderscore X'06' Green Underscore
ReverseUnderscore
ReverseX'07' White
UnderscoreHigh Intensity
UnderscoreX'08' Nondisplay Nondisplay X'09' Red Blink X'0A' Red
ReverseBlink
ReverseX'0B' Red
BlinkBlink
High IntensityX'0C' Red
Blink
ReverseBlink
High Intensity
ReverseX'0D' Red
UnderscoreBlink
UnderscoreX'0E' Red
Underscore
ReverseBlink
Underscore
ReverseX'0F' Red
Blink
UnderscoreBlink
Underscore
High IntensityX'10' Turquoise
Column SeparatorColumn Separator X'11' Turquoise
Column Separator
Reverse ImageColumn Separator
Reverse ImageX'12' Yellow
Column SeparatorColumn Separator
High IntensityX'13' Yellow
Column Separator
Reverse ImageColumn Separator
High Intensity
Reverse ImageX'14' Turquoise
Column Separator
UnderscoreColumn Separator
UnderscoreX'15' Turquoise
Column Separator
Reverse Image
UnderscoreColumn Separator
Reverse Image
UnderscoreX'16' Yellow
Column Separator
UnderscoreColumn Separator
UnderscoreX'17' Pink Blink
Column SeparatorX'18' Pink
Reverse ImageBlink
Column Separator
Reverse ImageX'19' Blue Blink
Column Separator
High IntensityX'1A' Blue
Reverse ImageBlink
Column Separator
High Intensity
Reverse ImageX'1B' Pink
UnderscoreBlink
Column Separator
UnderscoreX'1C' Pink
Reverse Image
UnderscoreBlink
Column Separator
Reverse Image
UnderscoreX'1D' Blue
UnderscoreBlink
Column Separator
High Intensity
Underscore
- Border characters
- INPUT; ARRAY(8) of CHAR(1)
The border characters that define the pop-up window in which the help may be displayed. The eight array characters are:
- The character to define the top left corner.
- The character to define the top margin.
- The character to define the top right corner.
- The character to define the left margin.
- The character to define the right margin.
- The character to define the bottom left corner.
- The character to define the bottom margin.
- The character to define the bottom right corner.
The help window would look like this:
12222222222223 4 5 4 5 4 5 67777777777778
When using the default values, the border would look like this:
.............. : : : : : : :............:
Error Messages
Message ID | Error Message Text |
---|---|
CPF3C90 E | Literal value cannot be changed. |
CPF6A24 E | Parameter &1 not passed correctly. |
CPF6A25 E | Return code length of &1 not valid. |
CPF6Exx E | All CPF6Exx messages could be signalled. xx is from 01 to FF. |
CPF9872 E | Program or service program &1 in library &2 ended. Reason code &3. |
API introduced: V2R1
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