Help files are user editable (assuming security write privileges are set appropriately) ASCII text files which give brief descriptions about the use of each program (The example here is for plotgraph). Appropriate sections of this file are displayed in the pop-up dialog when a particular topic is requested. The help file plotgraph is located at:

$UNCERT/help/plotgraph.help

If the user (or administrator) wishes to modify the help file there are three basic components to utilize. There is a separator comment line between topics (not required), the topic identifier (these are hard coded and cannot be edited, deleted, or added to without modifying the source code), and the topic help text.

A comment line starts with a "!" in the first column of the line. In the file, comment lines can be placed anywhere. Note though, that they will not be displayed in the help pop-up dialog.

Topic identifiers have "::" in the first two columns of the line and are immediately followed by the topic identifier. These lines cannot be modified or deleted, and adding new identifiers will do nothing unless the source code is modified and recompiled.

The topic help is any text following the topic identifier and the next topic identifier (Commented lines are ignored).

NOTE: Currently the help text can be composed of a maximum to 200 lines, and each line cannot be more then 1024 characters.

Below is an abbreviated copy of plotgraph's help file. Two section topics are included: PLOTGRAPH and menu.

Abbreviated plotgraph.help Help File:

!------------------------------------------------------------------------
::PLOTGRAPH
GRAPH
By:   Bill Wingle
Date: December 15, 1991

This program is used to draw X-Y graphs.

Syntax: plotgraph	[-axes #] [-esp #] [-exceed #] [-help] [-labelsize #] [-lpc #] 
	[-lpd] [-lpf " "] [-lph #] [-lpq " "] [-lpr] [-ls #] [-md #] [-ms #]  
[-mx #.#] [-my #.#] [-prf " "] [-pslabelsize #.#] [-pstitlesize #.#] 
[-rfh #] [-ro #] [-sttl " "] [-titlesize #] [-tt #] [-ttl " "] 
	[-xc #] [-xfmt " "] [-xlabel " "] [-xMt #.#] [-xmax #.#] [-xmin #.#] 
[-xmt #] [-xy #.#] [-yc #] [-yfmt " "] [-ylabel " "] [-yMt #.#] 
	[-ymax #.#] [-ymin #.#] [-ymt #] [-ys #.#] [filename]
	Meaning of flag symbols:
		#	= integer
		#.#	= float  
		" "	= character string.  

		NOTES:	1).  All parameters in [] brackets are optional. 
				2).  Quotes must be used around character strings.
				3).  Filename, if given, must be listed last.

		If no entry is required for flag, flag command executed.
Flag Definitions:

	-axes	= graph axes types	
			0	= Normal
			1	= Log-X
			2	= Log-Y
			3	= Log-Log
			4	= Probability	default = 0
	-esp	= exageration scale priority	default = 0
	-exceed	= exceedence on nonexceedence switch
			0	= Exceedence
			1	= Nonexceedence	default = 0

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