Category : Files from Magazines
Archive   : WDJUL92.ZIP
Filename : 3N07025A

'**************************************************************
'***** *****
'*** Fast Indexed Help November 1991 ***
'* Program: HELP.BAS *
'* *
'* Copyright (C) 1990, 1991 George R. Toft *
'* 92-902 Welo St, #94 *
'* Makakilo, HI 96707 *
'* Original creation date: March 1990 *
'* Reduced to minimum size: November 1991 *
'*** ***
'***** *****
'**************************************************************

'============== Type Declaration Section ==============
DEFINT A-Z

'============== Procedure Declaration Section =========
DECLARE SUB Display (MasterHelpText$, RecordNum AS INTEGER)
DECLARE SUB GetEnter ()
DECLARE SUB GetMasterHelpText (Record AS INTEGER, MasterHelpText
AS STRING)
DECLARE SUB HelpMain (MasterHelpText$, Index AS INTEGER)
DECLARE SUB IINC (Argument AS INTEGER)

'============== Execution Section =====================
' This is the minimum program to retrieve help records.
' There is minimal processing performed on the data, it is
' simply retrieved and displayed.

FOR RecordToGet = 10 TO 1 STEP -1
HelpMain MasterHelpText$, RecordToGet
Display MasterHelpText$, RecordToGet
NEXT RecordToGet
CLS
END

SUB Display (MasterHelpText$, RecordNum AS INTEGER)
CLS
PRINT "Help record number"; RecordNum
PRINT "
PRINT MasterHelpText$
GetEnter
END SUB' Display

SUB GetEnter
PRINT
PRINT TAB(34); "Press [Enter]";
DO WHILE INKEY$ <> CHR$(13): LOOP
END SUB' GetEnter

DEFSNG H
SUB GetMasterHelpText (Record AS INTEGER, MasterHelpText AS
STRING)
' This routine looks up the location of MasterHelpText in
' HELP.IDX, then retrieves it from HELP.TXT.

' use index to look up help location
OPEN "HELP.IDX" FOR RANDOM AS 1 LEN = 5
FIELD #1, 5 AS CountField$
GET #1, Record
HelpStart = CVS(CountField$)
GET #1, Record + 1
HelpEnd = CVS(CountField$) - 2' Remove CR+LF at end
CLOSE 1

' Retrieve the MasterHelpText
SELECT CASE HelpStart
CASE IS = 1
OPEN "HELP.TXT" FOR RANDOM AS 1 LEN = HelpEnd
FIELD #1, (HelpEnd - HelpStart) AS FieldLine$
GET #1, 1
MasterHelpText = FieldLine$
CLOSE 1
CASE IS <= 1000
OPEN "HELP.TXT" FOR RANDOM AS 1 LEN = HelpEnd
FIELD #1, HelpStart AS Trash$, (HelpEnd - HelpStart) AS
FieldLine$
GET #1, 1
MasterHelpText = FieldLine$
CLOSE 1
CASE ELSE
RecordToGet = HelpStart \ 1000 + 1
HelpStart = HelpStart - (RecordToGet - 1) * 1000!
HelpEnd = HelpEnd - (RecordToGet - 1) * 1000!
IF HelpEnd > 1000 THEN ' Text crosses record boundary
OPEN "HELP.TXT" FOR RANDOM AS 1 LEN = 1000
' get first piece of MasterHelpText
FIELD #1, HelpStart AS Trash$, (1000! - HelpStart)
AS FieldLine$
GET #1, RecordToGet
MasterHelpText = FieldLine$
' get middle pieces
FIELD #1, 1000 AS FieldLine$
FOR i = 1 TO HelpEnd \ 1000 - 1
IINC RecordToGet
GET #1, RecordToGet
MasterHelpText = MasterHelpText + FieldLine$
NEXT i
' get last piece
FIELD #1, (HelpEnd MOD 1000) AS FieldLine$
GET #1, RecordToGet + 1
MasterHelpText = MasterHelpText + FieldLine$
CLOSE 1
ELSE
OPEN "HELP.TXT" FOR RANDOM AS 1 LEN = 1000
FIELD #1, HelpStart AS Trash$, (HelpEnd - HelpStart)
AS FieldLine$

GET #1, RecordToGet
MasterHelpText = FieldLine$
CLOSE 1
END IF
END SELECT
END SUB' GetMasterHelpText

DEFINT H
SUB HelpMain (MasterHelpText$, Index AS INTEGER)
' load in help pages
' A sequential file is used to allow for a variable
' length record. The record is terminated with a .

GetMasterHelpText Index, MasterHelpText$

' clear up free string space
Temp! = FRE("")
END SUB' HelpMain

SUB IINC (Argument AS INTEGER)
Argument = Argument + 1
END SUB' IINC