Differences between .HLP and .INF Files

┌────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┬────────────────────┐
│                    │Help Libraries                │Online Documents    │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│IPFC Command Syntax │IPFC filename                 │IPFC filename.INF -i│
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│Compiled File       │.HLP                          │.INF                │
│Extensions          │                              │                    │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│Environment         │                              │BOOKSHELF= defines  │
│Variables Used by   │                              │the location of .INF│
│the VIEW Program    │                              │files               │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│Environment         │HELP= defines the location of │                    │
│Variables Used by   │.HLP libraries.               │                    │
│Help Manager for    │                              │                    │
│Help Windows        │                              │                    │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│Cause of Interface  │An application user's request │Entering the file   │
│Display             │for help.                     │name as a parameter │
│                    │                              │to the VIEW utility.│
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│Initial Size of Main│35% of screen (default)       │85% of screen       │
│Window              │                              │(default)           │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│Initial Contents of │Response to help request      │Contents window     │
│Main Window         │                              │(default)           │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│Main Window Title   │Defined by the programmer in  │Defined by the      │
│                    │the HELPINIT structure.       │:title. tag, which  │
│                    │                              │is placed on the    │
│                    │                              │line following the  │
│                    │                              │:userdoc. tag.      │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│External Links (see │.HLP files can link to other  │.INF files can link │
│global attribute of │.HLP files and to .INF files  │only to other .INF  │
│heading tag and     │by launching VIEW.            │files.              │
│database attribute  │                              │                    │
│of :link. tag.)     │                              │                    │
├────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│To View Concatenated│Specify a string of .HLP files│Set an environment  │
│Files               │in the HELPINIT structure or  │variable equal to a │
│                    │send the                      │string of .INF file │
│                    │HM_SET_HELP_LIBRARY_NAMES     │names.              │
│                    │message.                      │                    │
└────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┴────────────────────┘

Note: Defaults may be overridden by objects that are displayed in application-controlled windows.