Marc's Place

1 HELP
 The   HELP   command   invokes   the  HELP  Facility  to  display
 information about a command or topic.  In response to the "Topic?"
 prompt, you can:

    o Type  the  name of the command  or topic for which you need help.

    o Type  INSTRUCTIONS  for more detailed  instructions on how to use
      HELP.

    o Type  HINTS  if you are not  sure of the  name  of the command or
      topic for which you need help.

    o Type HELP/MESSAGE for help with the HELP/MESSAGE command.

    o Type a question mark (?) to redisplay the most recently requested
      text.

    o Press the Return key one or more times to exit from HELP.

 You  can  abbreviate any  topic name, although ambiguous abbreviations
 result in all matches being displayed.


2 Parameters

 keyword ...

  Specifies one or more keywords that refer to the topic  or  subtopic
  on  which  you  want  information  from a HELP library.  Information
  within HELP libraries is arranged in  a  hierarchical  manner.   The
  levels are:

  1.  None---If you do not specify a keyword, HELP describes the  HELP
      command  and  lists  the  topics that are documented in the root
      library.  Each item in the list is a keyword in the first  level
      of the hierarchy.

  2.  Topic-name---If you specify a keyword by naming  a  topic,  HELP
      describes  the  topic  as  it  is  documented in either the root
      library or one of the other enabled default libraries.  Keywords
      for additional information available on this topic are listed.

  3.  Topic-name subtopic---If you  specify  a  subtopic  following  a
      topic, HELP provides a description of the specified subtopic.

  4.  @file-spec followed by any of the above---If you specify a  HELP
      library  to replace the current root library, HELP searches that
      library for a description of the topic  or  subtopic  specified.
      The  file  specification  must  take  the  same form as the file
      specification included  with  the  /LIBRARY  command  qualifier.
      However,  if  the  specified  library is an enabled user-defined
      default library, the file specification can  be  abbreviated  to
      any  unique  leading substring of that default library's logical
      name translation.

  If you use an asterisk in place of any  keyword,  the  HELP  command
  displays  all  information  available at the level that the asterisk
  replaces.  For example, HELP COPY * displays all the subtopics under
  the topic COPY.

  If you use an ellipsis immediately after any primary  keyword,  HELP
  displays  all  the  information  on  the  specified  topic  and  all
  subtopics of  that  topic.   For  example,  HELP  COPY...   displays
  information  on  the  COPY  topic  as well as information on all the
  subtopics under COPY.

  You can use percent signs and asterisks in the keyword  as  wildcard
  characters.

2  /INSTRUCTIONS

 /INSTRUCTIONS (default)
 /NOINSTRUCTIONS

  Controls whether the HELP command displays information on how to use
  the  HELP facility.  By default, the HELP command display includes a
  description of the facility and the format, along with the  list  of
  topics.   If you specify /NOINSTRUCTIONS, only the list of topics is
  displayed.

2  /LIBLIST

 /LIBLIST (default)
 /NOLIBLIST

  Displays auxiliary help libraries, where applicable. See text under topic
  /USERLIBRARY for more information.

2  /LIBRARY
   /LIBRARY=file-spec
   /NOLIBRARY

  Controls whether an alternate HELP library is used in place  of  the
  default system library, SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.HLB.  The specified library
  is used  as  the  main  HELP  library,  and  is  searched  for  HELP
  information  before  any  user-defined  default  HELP  libraries are
  checked.

  If you omit the device and directory specification, the  default  is
  SYS$HELP,  the  logical  name  of  the  location  of the system HELP
  libraries.  The default file type is HLB.

  The /NOLIBRARY qualifier is used to exclude the default HELP library
  from the library search order.

2  /MESSAGE

   Displays descriptions of system messages.

   Format

     HELP/MESSAGE  [/qualifier [...]] [search-string]
 

3  Parameter
 

search-string

   Specifies a message identifier or one or more words from a
   message's text. By default, HELP/MESSAGE displays a description
   of the message produced by the last executed command (that is,
   the message corresponding to the value currently stored in the
   CLI symbol $STATUS).

   The Help Message utility (MSGHLP) operates using the following
   conventions:

   o  Words containing fewer than three alphanumeric characters are 
      ignored.

   o  Words can be specified in any order.

      You can minimize search time by specifying the most unusual
      word first.

   o  Nonalphanumeric characters are ignored in the search.
      Exceptions are the percent sign (%) and hyphen (-) when 
      they prefix a message. Therefore, you can paste a full
      message into the search string, provided you include these
      special characters and delete any variables (such as file 
      names) that were inserted into the message.

      If Help Message fails to find a pasted message in the database,
      submit the command again and omit the leading special character,
      facility, and severity. Some common messages are documented as
      "shared" messages rather than facility-specific messages.

   o  Help Message matches all words that begin with the characters
      specified in the search string. Use /WORD_MATCH=WHOLE_WORD to
      specify that only whole words be matched.
 

3  Qualifiers
 

/BRIEF

   Outputs the message text only.
 

/DELETE

   /DELETE=filename.MSGHLP

   Deletes all messages contained in the specified .MSGHLP file from
   whichever of the following files is found first:

   o  A .MSGHLP$DATA file specified with the /LIBRARY qualifier

   o  The first .MSGHLP$DATA file in a search path specified by the
      /LIBRARY qualifier

   o  SYS$HELP:MSGHLP$LIBRARY.MSGHLP$DATA (the default .MSGHLP$DATA file)

   o  The first .MSGHLP$DATA file in the default search path
      (defined by logical name MSGHLP$LIBRARY)

   You must have write access to Digital-supplied .MSGHLP$DATA files
   to delete messages from the Digital-supplied database.

                                  NOTE

      If you create a .MSGHLP file by specifying a search string,
      check the output .MSGHLP file to be sure the search did
      not pick up any unexpected messages that you do not want to
      delete from the database. Edit any such messages out of the
      .MSGHLP file before you perform the delete operation.
 

/EXTRACT

   /EXTRACT=filename.MSGHLP

   Extracts messages from the database and generates a .MSGHLP file
   that can be edited, if desired, and used as input for /INSERT and
   /DELETE operations. /EXTRACT retrieves data from a .MSGHLP$DATA
   file or logical search path specified by /LIBRARY or, by default, 
   from files in the search path defined by logical name MSGHLP$LIBRARY. 
   When /EXTRACT is not specified, Help Message produces output in 
   standard text format by default (see /OUTPUT).
 

/FACILITY

   /FACILITY=?
   /FACILITY=(facility-name [,...])
   /FACILITY=ALL

   Specifies which facilities in the database are to be searched 
   for a match.

   Enter /FACILITY=? to output a list of all facilities in the
   default database or in a database specified by /LIBRARY.

   To narrow your search, specify one or more facility names
   with /FACILITY. (Multiple facilities must be enclosed in
   parentheses and be separated by commas.) Help Message then
   outputs only matching messages produced by the specified 
   facility or facilities.

   Specify /FACILITY=ALL to output messages for all facilities
   in the database. /FACILITY=ALL is the default unless another
   facility is implied; for example, specifying /STATUS or
   defaulting to the value of the CLI symbol $STATUS automatically
   identifies a specific facility. Similarly, cutting and pasting
   a message that includes a facility name invalidates use of the
   /FACILITY qualifier.
 

/FULL

   /FULL (default)

   Outputs the complete message description, including message
   text, facility name, explanation, user action, and user-supplied
   comment, if any.
 

/INSERT

   /INSERT=filename.MSGHLP
   /INSERT=TT:

   Updates the first of the following files to be found with new or changed
   information from the specified .MSGHLP file, or, if TT: is specified, 
   with the data entered immediately at the terminal:

   o  A .MSGHLP$DATA file specified with the /LIBRARY qualifier

   o  The first .MSGHLP$DATA file in a search path specified by the
      /LIBRARY qualifier

   o  The first .MSGHLP$DATA file in the default search path
      (defined by logical name MSGHLP$LIBRARY)

   o  SYS$HELP:MSGHLP$LIBRARY.MSGHLP$DATA (the default MSGHLP$DATA file)

   You must have write access for the Digital-supplied .MSGHLP$DATA
   files to insert data into these files. User-supplied data is
   identified by change bars in Help Message output.
 

/LIBRARY

   /LIBRARY=disk:[directory]filename.MSGHLP$DATA
   /LIBRARY=disk:[directory]
   /LIBRARY=logical-name

   Defines the messages database for the current command to be
   a particular .MSGHLP$DATA file, all the .MSGHLP$DATA files in 
   a specified directory, or all the files in a search path defined 
   by a logical name.

   For most operations, the default database is either
   SYS$HELP:MSGHLP$LIBRARY.MSGHLP$DATA or a search path
   of .MSGHLP$DATA files defined by logical name MSGHLP$LIBRARY.

   For /DELETE and /INSERT operations, the default database is
   either SYS$HELP:MSGHLP$LIBRARY.MSGHLP$DATA or the first
   file in a search path defined by logical name MSGHLP$LIBRARY.
 

/OUTPUT

   /OUTPUT=filespec

   Writes output to the specified file. By default, Help Message
   writes output to SYS$OUTPUT, which is normally the terminal.
 

/PAGE

   /PAGE (default for screen display)
   /NOPAGE

   Displays terminal output one screen at a time. The page length
   is automatically set to 1 line less than the value specified
   by SET TERMINAL/PAGE. (Use of /PAGE is incompatible with
   /OUTPUT=filespec.)
 

/SECTION_FILE

   /SECTION_FILE=*
   /SECTION_FILE=file-spec

   Identifies the specified message section file to the system so
   that Help Message can interpret the $STATUS values for the
   messages in that file. The default file specification is 
   SYS$MESSAGE:.EXE. Specifying /SECTION_FILE=* automatically 
   includes all OpenVMS-supplied message section files. 

                                  NOTE

      The results of using this qualifier are entirely independent
      from those created by the SET MESSAGE command.  The Help 
      Message utility and Message utility do not interact. You must 
      separately code each utility to obtain the results you want.
 

/SORT

   /SORT
   /NOSORT (default)

   Sorts output in alphabetical order. If a sort fails, retry the 
   operation using the /WORK_FILES qualifier.
 

/STATUS

   /STATUS=status-code
   /STATUS='symbol'
   /STATUS='$STATUS' (default)

   Outputs the message corresponding to the specified status code.
   You can specify the status code with a decimal or hexadecimal
   number or a symbol enclosed in apostrophes.

   If a HELP/MESSAGE command does not include a search string, Help
   Message by default outputs the message corresponding to the CLI
   symbol $STATUS; that is, Help Message displays information on how
   the last executed command completed.

   You cannot specify a search string or /FACILITY with /STATUS.
   /FACILITY is also illegal if you omit the search string and
   default to /STATUS='$STATUS'.
 

/WORD_MATCH

   /WORD_MATCH=INITIAL_SUBSTRING (default)
   /WORD_MATCH=WHOLE_WORD

   /WORD_MATCH=INITIAL_SUBSTRING matches all words that begin with
   a word specified in the search string. The search string can
   contain multiple words to be matched. Only messages that match
   every word in the search string (in any order) are output.

   /WORD_MATCH=WHOLE_WORD matches whole words only and refines your
   search to the exact words specified. For example, an exact search
   on ACC screens out dozens of other messages containing words that
   begin with the letters ACC.
 

/WORK_FILES

   /WORK_FILES=nn
   /WORK_FILES=0 (default if qualifier is omitted)
   /WORK_FILES=2 (default if qualifier is entered with no value)

   Specifies that work files are to be used if the /SORT qualifier
   is specified. You can specify a value from 0 to 10 for nn. This
   qualifier has no effect if /SORT is not specified. 


3  Examples

  1. $ SHOW DEVICE KUDOS 
     %SYSTEM-W-NOSUCHDEV, no such device available
     $ HELP/MESSAGE
     
     The first command creates an error. The default HELP/MESSAGE 
     command (with no qualifiers) displays a description of the 
     SYSTEM facility message NOSUCHDEV.

  2. $ HELP/MESSAGE ACCVIO
     $ HELP/MESSAGE/BRIEF ACCVIO
     $ HELP/MESSAGE/FACILITY=SYSTEM ACCVIO
     $ HELP/MESSAGE VIRTUAL ACCESS
     $ HELP/MESSAGE/STATUS=12
     $ HELP/MESSAGE/STATUS=%XC

     These commands demonstrate how you can use various qualifiers
     to access and display the ACCVIO message (sometimes several!)
     in different formats.

  3. $ HELP/MESSAGE/BRIEF ACC
     $ HELP/MESSAGE/BRIEF/WORD_MATCH=WHOLE_WORD ACC

     In the first command, Help Message by default matches dozens of
     words beginning with the string "ACC." The /WORD_MATCH=WHOLE_WORD
     qualifier dramatically refines the search to match the exact word 
     only.

  4. $ HELP/MESSAGE/FACILITY=(BACKUP,SHARED)/SORT/OUTPUT=MESSAGES.TXT

     This command selects all messages issued by the BACKUP
     facility and those messages documented as "Shared by several
     facilities," alphabetizes them, and outputs them to a printable
     file called MESSAGES.TXT.

     By selecting the messages you want and directing them to a
     file, you can create and print your own customized messages
     documentation.

  5. $ HELP/MESSAGE/EXTRACT=BADMESSAGE.MSGHLP BADMESSAGE

     $ HELP/MESSAGE/DELETE=BADMESSAGE.MSGHLP-
     _$ /LIBRARY=SYS$LOGIN:MYMESSAGES.MSGHLP$DATA

     $ CONVERT SYS$LOGIN:MYMESSAGES.MSGHLP$DATA-
     _SYS$LOGIN:MYMESSAGES.MSGHLP$DATA

     $ PURGE SYS$LOGIN:MYMESSAGES.MSGHLP$DATA
     $ HELP/MESSAGE/INSERT=BADMESSAGE.MSGHLP

     The first command in this sequence extracts the hypothetical
     message BADMESSAGE from the default database and outputs it to
     file BADMESSAGE.MSGHLP.

     The second command uses the BADMESSAGE.MSGHLP file to delete
     the BADMESSAGE description from the MYMESSAGES.MSGHLP$DATA file
     specified by the /LIBRARY qualifier.

     The next two commands compress the MYMESSAGES.MSGHLP$DATA file
     to save disk space after the deletion.

     The last command uses the BADMESSAGE.MSGHLP file (possibly
     an edited version at a later time) to insert the BADMESSAGE
     message into the default .MSGHLP$DATA file.

  6. $ HELP/MESSAGE/EXTRACT=NOSNO.MSGHLP NOSNO
     $ EDIT/EDT NOSNO.MSGHLP

     1NOSNO, can't ski; no snow
     2XCSKI, XCSKI Program
     3Your attempt to ski failed because there is no snow.
     4Wait until there is snow and attempt the operation again.
     5If you don't want to wait, go to a location where there is
     5snow and ski there.
     5
     5Or, try ice skating instead!
     [EXIT]

     $ HELP/MESSAGE/INSERT=NOSNO.MSGHLP

     This command sequence shows how users with write access to
     Digital-supplied .MSGHLP$DATA files can add a comment to a
     Digital-supplied message.

     The first command extracts hypothetical message NOSNO to file
     NOSNO.MSGHLP. The second command edits the .MSGHLP file to add
     a comment at the end of the message. Each comment line, even
     blank lines, includes a "5" prefix. The next command updates
     the database by using NOSNO.MSGHLP to insert the updated
     message into the default .MSGHLP$DATA file.



2  /OUTPUT
   /OUTPUT[=file-spec]
   /NOOUTPUT

  Controls where the output of the command is sent.   If  you  do  not
  enter  the  qualifier,  or  if  you  enter  /OUTPUT  without  a file
  specification, the output is sent to  the  current  process  default
  output stream or device, identified by the logical name SYS$OUTPUT.

  If you enter /OUTPUT with a partial file specification (for example,
  /OUTPUT=[JONES]),  HELP is the default file name and LIS the default
  file type.  If you enter a file specification, it  may  not  include
  any wildcard characters.

  If you enter /NOOUTPUT, output is suppressed.

2  /PAGE

   /PAGE (default)
   /NOPAGE
  
  Controls whether output to the screen stops after each  screen  full
  ("page") of information is displayed.

  If you specify  /NOPAGE,  output  continues  until  the  information
  display ends or until you manually control the scrolling.

2  /PROMPT

   /PROMPT (default)
   /NOPROMPT

  Controls whether HELP initiates  an  interactive  session  once  the
  initial  HELP request has been processed.  If you specify /NOPROMPT,
  HELP returns you to the  DCL  command  level  after  displaying  the
  requested information.

  If /PROMPT is in effect, one of four different prompts is displayed,
  requesting you to specify a particular HELP topic or subtopic.  Each
  prompt represents  a  different  level  in  the  hierarchy  of  HELP
  information.  The four prompt levels are:

  1.  Topic?---The root library is the main library and  you  are  not
      currently examining HELP for a particular topic.

  2.  [library-spec] Topic?---The root library is a library other than
      the  main library and you are not currently examining HELP for a
      particular topic.

  3.  [keyword] subtopic?---The root library is the main  library  and
      you  are currently examining HELP for a particular topic (and/or
      subtopic).

  4.  A combination of 2 and 3.

  When you encounter one of these prompts, you can enter  any  one  of
  the responses described below:


  Response            Action in the Current Prompt Environment


  keyword[...]        (1,2) Searches all  enabled  libraries  for  the
                      keyword.    (3,4)   Searches   additional   HELP
                      libraries  for   the   current   topic   (and/or
                      subtopic) for the keyword.

  @file-spec          (1,2) Same as above,  except  that  the  library
  keyword[...]        specified by @file-spec is now the  rootlibrary.
                      If  the  specified  library does not exist, HELP
                      treats @file-spec as a  normal  keyword.   (3,4)
                      Same  as  above,  treats  @file-spec as a normal
                      keyword.

  ?                   (1,2) Displays a list of topics available in the
                      root   library.   (3,4)  Displays  the  list  of
                      subtopics   of   the   current   topic   (and/or
                      subtopics) for which HELP exists.

  <RET>               (1) Exits from HELP.  (2) Changes  root  library
                      to  main  library.  (3,4) Prompts for a topic or
                      subtopic at the next higher level.

  <Ctrl/Z>            (1,2,3,4) Exits from HELP.

2  /USERLIBRARY
   /USERLIBRARY=(table[,...])
   /NOUSERLIBRARY

  Controls whether HELP  searches  one  or  more  user-specified  root
  libraries after it has searched the root HELP library.

  When you specify  the  /USERLIBRARY  qualifier,  HELP  searches  the
  process,  group, and system logical name tables for logical names of
  the form:  HLP$LIBRARY, HLP$LIBRARY_1, HLP$LIBRARY_2, and so on,  to
  find  the  file  specifications of any user-defined libraries.  When
  HELP searches for information on a given topic, it proceeds  in  the
  following search order:  root library, main library (if not the same
  as the root library), process  libraries,  group  libraries,  system
  libraries,  and root library.  If the search fails, the root library
  is searched a second time so that the context  is  returned  to  the
  root library from which the search was initiated.

  If you specify only one table for HELP to search, you can  omit  the
  parentheses.   You  can  specify  any  of  the  following  tables or
  keywords:

  ALL      HELP searches the process, group, and system  logical  name
           tables for user-defined library definitions.

  NONE     HELP does not search any of the logical name tables.   This
           specification is the same as /NOUSERLIBRARY.

  PROCESS  HELP  searches  the  process   logical   name   table   for
           user-defined library definitions.

  GROUP    HELP searches the group logical name table for user-defined
           library definitions.

  SYSTEM   HELP  searches  the   system   logical   name   table   for
           user-defined library definitions.

  By default, if you omit the qualifier, /USERLIBRARY=ALL is assumed.

2 Examples

  1.   $ HELP

       HELP
         .
         .  (HELP message text and list of topics)
         .
       Topic?

  Issuing the  HELP  command  without  any  qualifiers  or  parameters
  produces  a  display of the HELP topics available from the root HELP
  library, SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.HLB.

  If you type one of the listed  topics  in  response  to  the  Topic?
  prompt,  HELP  displays  information  about that topic and a list of
  subtopics (if there are any).  If one or more subtopics exist,  HELP
  will prompt you for a subtopic.
       Topic? ASSIGN
       ASSIGN
         .
         .  (HELP message text and subtopics)
         .
       ASSIGN Subtopic?

  If you type a subtopic name, HELP displays  information  about  that
  subtopic:
       ASSIGN Subtopic? Name
       ASSIGN
         Name
         .
         .  (HELP message text and subtopics, if any)
         .
       ASSIGN Subtopic?

  If one or more sub-subtopics exist,  HELP  will  prompt  you  for  a
  sub-subtopic;  otherwise, as in the above example, the facility will
  prompt you for another subtopic  of  the  topic  you  are  currently
  inspecting.

  Typing a question mark will redisplay the HELP message  and  options
  at  your  current level.  Pressing the Return key will either:  (1) move you
  back to the previous HELP level if you are in a subtopic  level,  or
  (2)  terminate  HELP if you are at the first level.  Pressing Ctrl/Z
  terminates HELP at any level.

  2.   $ HELP FILL 

       Sorry, no documentation on FILL

       Additional information available:
        .
        .  (list of first-level topics )
        .
       Topic? @EDTHELP FILL
       FILL
        .
        .  (FILL HELP message)
        .

       @EDTHELP Topic?

  When you issue a request for HELP on a topic  that  is  not  in  the
  default  HELP  library, you can instruct HELP to search another HELP
  library for the  topic.   In  this  example,  entering  the  command
  @EDTHELP   FILL   instructs   HELP   to   search  the  HELP  library
  SYS$HELP:EDTHELP.HLB for information on FILL, an EDT editor command.
  HELP  displays  the  message  and prompts you for another EDT editor
  topic.
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