KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q66307: Accessing Online Help for C and Assembly Topics with Same Name

Article: Q66307
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 2.01 2.51
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | S_QUICKASM | mspl13_c
Last Modified: 23-OCT-1990

QuickC with QuickAssembler versions 2.01 and 2.51 include online help
for both C and Assembly topics. The Microsoft Advisor searches for C
topics in the help file, QC.HLP, and for Assembly topics in QA.HLP.
The manner in which the Advisor searches for topics is governed by the
Language and Smart Help settings in the Display box under the Options
menu.

The following three possible Language settings determine the search
order through the help files:

   If Language Is:      Then:
   ---------------      -----

   C                    QC.HLP is searched first, then QA.HLP.

   Assembler            QA.HLP is searched first, then QC.HLP.

   Auto                 The file extension of the current file determines
                        the search order. If it is not .ASM, the C
                        defaults are used.

Smart Help causes the Advisor to be insensitive to the presence or
absence of leading underscores. For example, with Smart Help on,
_dos_findfirst and dos_findfirst will bring up the same topic, while
no help will be displayed on dos_findfirst with Smart Help turned off.
In addition, Smart Help makes the search case insensitive.

With the possible combinations of Language and Smart Help settings,
attempting to access the online help system for topics defined in both
C and Assembly may result in receiving help for only one language. For
example, with the Language set to C and Smart Help activated, the
following table shows a few instances where seeking help on certain
Assembly topics results in help for the corresponding C topics:

   Assembly Help Desired     C Help Actually Received
   ---------------------     ------------------------

      .EXIT                       exit()
      SEGMENT                     _segment
      IF                          if
      IFNDEF                      #ifndef
      INCLUDE                     #include

The solution to this problem is changing the search order of the help
files by changing the Language setting or forcing the search to be
case sensitive by disabling Smart Help.

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.