Submitted-by: ucbvax!ihnp4!stag!trb (Todd Burkey)
Posting-number: Volume 1, Issue 59
Archive-name: readme12

The following is the source code and executable for a README
application that implements my new POPHELP mechanism. Full source
code is included for README (MW C) and it runs in both Medium Res
(RGB) and High Res (mono). A menu configuration file that describes
POPHELP is also included (and automatically presented to the user
when they run README.PRG).

The program is self documenting (it would be silly if it wasn't).
My primary goal in writing the POPHELP routines was to beef up
HDSCAN's interactive help and to lay the groundwork for full popup
menu control for users of HDSCAN. It ended up to be such short and
simple code that I decided to put it out for others to use, add to
their own programs, or simply learn some coding techniques from.
The code has been implemented in the next version of HDSCAN (took
about 2 hours to integrate it) and does tend to snaz up your application
some.  One of the local developers has even created a README pophelp
configuration file for Mark Johnson C. Enjoy.

Some features of POPHELP:
  1) External Help file driven (think of it as a help resource file).
     Can also be fully integrated into the application code.
  2) Allows context sensitive help applications to be easily written.
  3) Users can wander through the help popups via arrow keys or the
     mouse.
  4) The popups are very fast and consist of selectable and
     non-selectable text in shadowed popup boxes.
  5) The implementor can vary screen color from popup to popup.
  6) External files can be 'fed' into a popup menu (saving on memory
     for little used/accessed help topics).
Some features of README:
  1) Originally intended as a test vehicle for checking out the
     POPHELP routines, I actually am using README to replace my README
     files for HDSCAN and DISKSCAN. Much cleaner user interface.
  2) Allows a user defined 'front page' from which the HELP key can be
     pressed to allow a user to 'learn' about an application in a
     logical fashion.

   -Todd Burkey     "A member of STdNET - The ST developers' Network"
    trb@stag.UUCP

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