                 Norton Guides Additional Information


This file contains information that was too recent to include in the
manual.  The file contains information on these topics:


      TOPIC                              WHO SHOULD READ IT
-----------------------------------------------------------------

OS/2 Version of the Norton Guides        Everybody who has OS/2

A new feature in the Guides              Everybody
(Gray + and - keys)

Notes on Using the Guides                Everybody

Running the Guides with                  Superkey Version 1.16A
Superkey Version 1.16A                   users

Some additional information on           Only those creating their
creating your own databases.             own databases, or reading
                                         the tutorial on creating
                                         databases.


OS/2 QUICK SUMMARY

    This disk includes a new program, ngp.exe, which is the protected-mode
    version of the Norton Guides engine.  The original ng.exe is still
    supplied, and runs both under DOS 2 and 3, and in the DOS Compatibility
    Box of OS/2.

    The new versions of ngc.exe and ngml.exe on this disk run under both
    OS/2 and DOS.


STARTING THE NORTON GUIDES IN OS/2 PROTECTED MODE

    Install the Norton Guides protected mode program, ngp.exe, in the same
    directory as your Guides databases. To start the Norton Guides in
    protected mode, switch to the directory that has your databases, and at
    the OS/2 command prompt type:

             detach ngp

    (Alternatively, if ngp.exe is not in the same directory as your
    databases, you can first switch to the directory with your databases,
    and type the full pathname of ngp.exe. For example, if ngp is in the
    directory \wherever\it\is, type:  detach \wherever\it\is\ngp.)

    This will run ngp as a "global" pop-up program, available by pressing
    Shift-F1 from within any OS/2 screen group. (Technically speaking, this
    runs ngp as a global device monitor.) You will need to un-pop the
    Guides before you can switch to another screen group. (See Technical
    Information, below, for a way to leave the Guides up when switching
    screen groups.)

    If you want to use the Guides from within the DOS Compatibility Box,
    you must run ng.exe separately, from the DOS Compatibility Box prompt.

    Note that ngp can pop-up over graphics screens with no problem.
    (ng.exe, running in DOS, cannot.)

    The Norton Guides demo will run only in the DOS Compatibility Box.


OPTIONAL OS/2 TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

    The versions of both ngc.exe and ngml.exe (the Norton Guides Compiler
    and the Norton Guides Menu Linker) supplied on this disk are "family
    applications;" they can be run either in the DOS Compatibility Box or
    in protected mode.


  Stand-alone Mode:

    In OS/2, the Norton Guides pass-through mode has been replaced by
    stand-alone mode (just to confuse you with subtle differences).  Stand-
    alone mode starts ngp.exe as an application; when you exit ngp (via F10
    or Esc), the process is terminated. When you run ngp in stand-alone
    mode, you can hot-key to another screen group, or the session manager,
    while the Guides are still popped up.

    To start the Guides in stand-alone mode, switch to the desired screen
    group, and at the OS/2 command prompt type:

         [C:\]ngp /s

    Although this will start the Guides as an application in stand-alone
    mode, it will not appear in the session manager menu. If you want the
    Guides to appear in the session manager menu, select "Add a Program
    Title" from the session manager's Update menu, and type the following
    magic incantation:


          Program Title  . . . . [Whatever Title You Want     ]

          Program Pathname . . . [cmd.exe                     >

          Program Parameters . . [/c \thepath\ngp.exe /s      >


    The program title (in this case, "Whatever Title You Want") can be any
    text you want.

    The "Program Pathname" will always be "cmd.exe" (!), the OS/2 version
    of DOS's command.com. Since cmd.exe's directory should always be in the
    path, you shouldn't need to specify the full path.

    In the third line, program parameters, the "/c" tells OS/2 to run a
    program; "\thepath\ngp.exe" is the program name. The "/s" switch tells
    ngp to run in stand-alone mode. (If you try this without the "/s"
    switch, ngp will run just fine--but you won't be able to do anything
    else in that screen group, and you'll have to exit ngp before switching
    to another screen group.)

    When ngp is run in stand-alone mode, you can view a database different
    than the one loaded in the globally-run ngp.  And while you can run ngp
    in global mode only once, you can run it in stand-alone mode in as many
    screen groups as you desire.

  Notes:

    Don't type just "ngp" at the command prompt. And don't try detaching
    ngp in stand-alone mode. In other words, don't type:

         [c:\]ngp                      No, no, no.
         [c:\]detach ngp /s            Don't do this either.

    Neither one will hurt anything, but typing the first line will "use up"
    a screen group; type "detach ngp" instead. And in the second case,
    you'll run ngp, but you'll never be able to pop it up or see its
    output. (The ghost of ngp ...)  All you'll do is consume memory.

    Unlike the DOS version, ngp.exe has no way of finding databases in the
    current directory. ("Current directory" for detached programs is always
    the directory that was current when you typed "detach ng", and it
    therefore never changes.)


A NEW FEATURE:  Gray plus and minus keys

    A new feature has been added to the Guides since the manual was
    written:  the gray plus and minus keys.  Any time you are viewing a
    long entry, you can press the gray plus key to move immediately to the
    next long entry, or the gray minus key to move to the previous long
    entry.  (This is a shortcut for pressing Esc, down arrow, Enter.)


NOTES ON USING THE GUIDES

    If when popping up the Guides you ever get a message that the database
    can't be loaded, or is not a valid database, simply reload the database
    using the Options-Database menu.  (This is only likely to happen if
    you're moving databases from one directory to another.)

    If you want the Guides to pop up away from the cursor, you must turn
    "Auto lookup" on (using the Options menu).  With Auto Lookup off, the
    Guides will not pop up away from the cursor.

    If you want to change the hot key before installing the Guides, you can
    run the guides as an application by typing "ng test.ng".  The Guides
    will start immediately and you can then change and save the setup
    options.

    The Guides may beep when you try to pop up the Guides when some
    graphics boards are in text mode.  If you have this problem, use the
    "/notest" switch to disable the hardware test for graphics mode.  You
    can abbreviate "/notest" to "/n".

RUNNING THE GUIDES WITH SUPERKEY, VERSION 1.16A

    If you are using Superkey Version 1.16A (and possibly later versions),
    you should load the Guides AFTER you load Superkey.  Loading the Guides
    after Superkey will not affect the way Superkey or the Guides works.
    (If you load the Guides before loading Superkey Version 1.16A, you will
    not be able to pop up the Guides.)



SOME NOTES TO THOSE OF YOU CREATING YOUR OWN DATABASES

    For those of you creating your own databases (or just reading the
    tutorial on creating databases in the manual), we have found three
    items of which you should be aware.  (If you do not intend to create
    your own databases, or read the tutorial in the manual on creating
    databases, you can skip this section.)

    1.)  If the Guides compiler or linker can't find the target of a
         !seealso command, it will normally issue a warning message. If,
         however, the problem !seealso is part of a file that contains only
         a single long description, the !seealso message won't be issued.
         (The seealso reference will be displayed in the seealso window,
         but selecting it won't take you anywhere.) Because of this, on
         page 24 of the tutorial, you will not get the warning message the
         tutorial expects. You can simply ignore the missing message and
         continue with the tutorial.

    2.)  If you use tabs when writing short entries, they won't always be
         expanded properly, so the text on your screen might not line up as
         you expect.  If this happens, replace the tabs with spaces.

    3.)  You can include a double quote in the text of a !seealso reference
         by surrounding the entire reference with single quotes, instead of
         double quotes:

                 !seealso: 'This is a ref with a " mark in it'


    Your database diskette might contain a file called READ.ME.  If so, be
    sure to read it; it contains important information on installing the
    database.

