Implementing Your Application › UIM Help Text › UIM Panel Groups

UIM Panel Groups

CA 2E generation optionally supports UIM help. CA 2E creates the help text with control codes (tags) into a source member to be compiled into an object. This object is called a panel group (*PNLGRP). Each panel group contains help panels called help modules. If you generate UIM help, you must install the panel group, with the display and function, for production.

Before generating and compiling UIM help text for the first time, you must execute the YCVTCNDVAL command. This process will update the Y2USRMSG message file with the UIM message IDs that are used in the generated source.

Note: Because UIM is a tag-based language, do not start a line of narrative text with a period (.). The compiler will assume it is part of a tag and the compile will fail with error CPD5B41 - Control word is missing.

The help modules are referenced in the DDS display file source, using the HLPPNLGRP keyword. These are associated with specific areas on the panel using the HLPARA keyword.

When end users request help:

• i OS automatically selects and displays the appropriate help module, dependent on the cursor location.
• i OS support allows for automatic selection of an appropriate window size, shape, and location for the help, and automatically reformats the help text to fit.
• End users can access all help modules enabled for a format, either at the record or file level.
• Additional facilities are available, such as printing help text and accessing help for help.

Additional UIM tags are available for your use, including:

• Hypertext links to other panel groups by selection of specific fields on a panel
• Indexed lookup by word or synonym
• Display attributes, headings, and column and list numbering
• Import of modules from other panel groups at execution time

For more information on tailoring your help using additional UIM tags, refer to IBM's Application System/400 Guide to Programming Displays.

Note: If you have Text Management (TM) help text that you have modified outside of CA 2E, you can convert it to UIM help text by using the Convert Help Text to UIM Panel (YCVTTMUIM) command. You can then use the resulting panel group with existing functions without the need to generate again.

For more information on the YCVTTMUIM command, refer to the CA 2E Command Reference Guide.