Help Search Path

The help search path directs the desktop to search specified locations for files containing help information that will be registered on your system.

Default Help Search Path

The default help search path includes personal, system-wide, and built-in locations. The default language is C.

Personal location--HomeDirectory/.dt/help

System-wide location--/etc/dt/appconfig/help/language

Built-in location--/usr/dt/appconfig/help/language

How the Application Search Path Affects the Help Search Path

When a location is added to the application search path, the appropriate help subdirectory is automatically added to the help search path (see "How the Application Search Path Affects the Database, Icon, and Help Search Paths").

For example, if the application server hosta: is added to the application search path, the directory hosta:/etc/dt/appconfig/help/language is automatically added to the help search path.

Help Search Path Environment Variables

The help search path is assembled from the built-in locations and the following input variables:

DTSPSYSHELP--system-wide help search path input variable

DTSPUSERHELP--personal help search path input variable

Use these input variables to specify locations outside the application search path.

The assembled database search path is specified by the output variable DTHELPSEARCHPATH.

Syntax for the Help Search Path Input Variables

The syntax for the variables DTSPSYSHELP and DTSPUSERHELP is:

VARIABLE=location [,location...]

where location can have the syntax:

/path--specifies a directory on the local (session server) system. Use this syntax to add a local directory.

To specify a location on another system, use its network file name--for example, /nfs/servera/projects/help.

How the Help Search Path Is Assembled

The value of the help search path (DTHELPSEARCHPATH) is created by assembling the following locations, listed in order of precedence:

Locations specified using the DTSPUSERHELP variable
Locations derived from the DTSPUSERAPPHOSTS variable
The default personal location: HomeDirectory/.dt/help
The default location: /etc/dt/appconfig/help/language
Locations specified using the DTSPSYSHELP variable
Locations derived from the DTSPSYSAPPHOSTS variable
/usr/dt/appconfig/help/language

Localized Search Paths

The output variables include entries for both localized and default (C) locations.

For example, the default application search path is:

HomeDirectory/.dt/appmanager
 /etc/dt/appconfig/appmanager/language
 /etc/dt/appconfig/appmanager/C
 /usr/dt/appconfig/appmanager/language
 /usr/dt/appconfig/appmanager/C

where language is the value of the LANG environment variable.

For each scope (system-wide and built-in), the language-specific location has precedence over the default location.


9. Desktop Search Paths Icon Search Path How the Icon Search Path Is Assembled