HELP System

Name

HELP -- Help system.

Description

Basic syntax help for most commands is built into XRPi, and is available using the query (?) command, e.g. "? N" displays the syntax of the NODES command.

More detailed help is implemented as separate files in the HELP directory, allowing you to customise it and add extra help topics as desired. Each topic occupies a separate file, with the filename the same as the topic name.

The "H *" command displays a sorted directory of all the files ending in .HLP.

The help files don't occupy much space, but you may choose to omit some or all of them if you are running a system with limited storage.

In addition to the HELP system, sysops will find more detailed information in the built-in sysop manual using the MAN command.

Files

Help files are normal text files, with the extension changed to ".HLP". They may be created and edited using any text editor. For example you might create a file called CLUBS.HLP, detailing all the local radio clubs. "H CLUBS" or "HELP CLUBS" would then display that file.

The help files are located in the HELP directory, which is located under the directory containing XRPi. Try to keep the filenames concise, as it saves excessive typing. The longer the filename, the more likely it is that a user will mis-spell it.

Help file names must always be UPPER CASE, otherwise they will show in the list but won't be accessible.

The HELP command and its argument however are NOT case sensitive.

Within the .HLP files, lines beginning with a semicolon ';' are not displayed to users, so you can use them for comments, such as file modification details.

History

The help system originated long ago on DOS XRouter, and in those days there was only limited association between filename extensions and programs. I.e. in most cases, the extension itself had no real meaning, other than to serve as a reminder to humans what the file contained.

This is why XRouter help files had the extension ".HLP", to distinguish them from ".MAN" (manual), ".SYS" (system), .CFG (configuration) and so on. In those days, most programs could view and edit a text file, no matter what the extension.

Unfortunately, Windows assumes that a file with the extension ".HLP" is a Windows help file, and that ".SYS" is a Windows system file. If you double click these files on Windows, it complains that the format is wrong.

Luckily Linux takes no notice of the extension, so XRPi continues to use the traditional XRouter file names.

See also

HELP(1) -- User Help Command.
INFO(1) -- INFO Command.
INFO(9) -- INFO System.
MAN(1) -- Online Sysop's Manual.
HELPWINS -- Sysop's Help Windows.