Previous: Help with HTML Documentation, Up: Online Help

4.3.2 Help with Source

For routines which are not documented in an HTML manual (for example personal or library routines), the source code itself is used as help text. If the requested information can be found in a (more or less) standard DocLib file header, IDLWAVE shows the header (scrolling down to a keyword, if appropriate). Otherwise the routine definition statement (pro/function) is shown. The doclib header sections which are searched for include ‘NAME’ and ‘KEYWORDS’. Localization support can be added by customizing the idlwave-help-doclib-name and idlwave-help-doclib-keyword variables.

Help is also available for class structure tags (self.TAG), and generic structure tags, if structure tag completion is enabled (see Structure Tag Completion). This is implemented by visiting the tag within the class or structure definition source itself. Help is not available on built-in system class tags.

The help window is normally displayed in the same frame, but can be popped-up in a separate frame. The following commands can be used to navigate inside the help system for source files:

<SPACE> Scroll forward one page.
<RET> Scroll forward one line.
<DEL> Scroll back one page.
h Jump to DocLib Header of the routine whose source is displayed as help.
H Jump to the first DocLib Header in the file.
. (Dot) Jump back and forth between the routine definition (the pro/function statement) and the description of the help item in the DocLib header.
F Fontify the buffer like source code. See the variable idlwave-help-fontify-source-code.
q Kill the help window.
— User Option: idlwave-help-use-dedicated-frame (nil)

Non-nil means use a separate frame for Online Help if possible.

— User Option: idlwave-help-frame-parameters

The frame parameters for the special Online Help frame.

— User Option: idlwave-max-popup-menu-items (20)

Maximum number of items per pane in pop-up menus.

— User Option: idlwave-extra-help-function

Function to call for help if the normal help fails.

— User Option: idlwave-help-fontify-source-code (nil)

Non-nil means fontify source code displayed as help.

— User Option: idlwave-help-source-try-header (t)

Non-nil means try to find help in routine header when displaying source file.

— User Option: idlwave-help-doclib-name ("name")

The case-insensitive heading word in doclib headers to locate the name section. Can be a regexp, e.g. "\\(name\\|nom\\)".

— User Option: idlwave-help-doclib-keyword ("KEYWORD")

The case-insensitive heading word in doclib headers to locate the keywords section. Can be a regexp.