When does help broswer appear vs. documentation?

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Mon, 02/23/2015 - 09:11 am

Sometimes when I right click on a defined function in a procedure, like "make", and then select Help for make, I go directly to the documentation. And sometimes, although I don't feel I've changed anything, I get the Help Browser. I immensely prefer the documentation, since what I usually need is specifications for a flag or something. How can I insure that it's the documentation, not the help browser, which appears?
On Windows, if the command in question is documented for an XOP, the help browser will appear.

--Jim Prouty
Software Engineer, WaveMetrics, Inc.

February 23, 2015 at 10:39 am - Permalink

Quote:
On Windows, if the command in question is documented for an XOP, the help browser will appear.

Macintosh too.




Quote:
How can I insure that it's the documentation, not the help browser, which appears?


To open the help file for an external operation or function, execute:
DisplayHelpTopic "<name>"

February 23, 2015 at 10:53 am - Permalink

I tried it for the "make" command. Shouldn't a help file (not the help browser) open when I select Help for make? I'm using a Macintosh.

Any ideas why the help browser is showing up?

February 23, 2015 at 11:20 am - Permalink

Just realized, I had closed the Igor Reference.ihf. So when I select "Help for make" it is taking me to the Help Browser, instead of opening a new Igor Reference.ihf.

Can I make "open new Igor Reference.ihf if not already open" default?

February 23, 2015 at 11:22 am - Permalink

Quote:
Can I make "open new Igor Reference.ihf if not already open" default?


No. I recommend that you leave the Igor Reference file open.

Note that clicking the close box on a help file hides the file. To close it you have to option-click or alt-click the close box.

February 23, 2015 at 01:14 pm - Permalink

It would not be practical; that means it would take a very long time for any incorrectly typed command to be reported as incorrect if we each time searched for inadvertently-closed help files.

"Hide Window" is your friend.

--Jim Prouty
Software Engineer, WaveMetrics, Inc.

February 23, 2015 at 01:35 pm - Permalink