Welcome to your comprehensive guide to using the Help feature in PrimerPro! Whether you’re new to this software or looking to maximize your efficiency, this guide will take you through the essentials in a clear and friendly manner.

Overview

Using the “Help” feature in PrimerPro, you can:

  • Navigate the Help Window to find, resize, reformat, copy, and print Help topics.
  • Search for information using both basic and advanced techniques.
  • Learn shortcuts to manage the Help tabs and the Help window efficiently.

Note: If you are new to using Help, we suggest starting with Learning About Help Windows.

Learning About Help Windows

Understanding the Help Window will enable you to:

  • Grasp the different Help window panes.
  • Find a Help topic.
  • Create a list of favorite Help topics.
  • Use tips to find information using Help.
  • Customize the Help window.
  • Copy a Help topic.
  • Print the current Help topic.

Understanding Help Window Panes

The Help window consists of a toolbar and two panes:

  1. Help Toolbar: Located below the Help window title bar.
  2. Navigation Pane: Found on the left, it includes four tabs:
    • Contents Tab: Browse through an expandable list of all topics.
    • Index Tab: Type a word or scroll through a list of index entries.
    • Search Tab: Search for words or phrases in all Help files.
    • Favorites Tab: Create and manage a list of favorite Help topics.
  3. Topic Pane: Displays the selected Help topic on the right.

Note: Knowing these panes will help you quickly locate the information you need.

Finding a Help Topic

To find a Help topic, follow these steps in the Navigation Pane:

Using the Contents Tab

  1. Click the Contents Tab.
  2. Browse through the expandable list of all topics.

Using the Index Tab

  1. Click the Index Tab.
  2. Type a word or scroll through the list.
  3. Double-click an index word.
    • If only one Help topic is indexed, it will appear in the Topic Pane.
    • If multiple topics are indexed, the “Topics Found” window will appear. Select the desired topic and click Display.

Using the Search Tab

  1. Click the Search Tab.
  2. Type the word or phrase in the search box.
  3. Click List Topics.
  4. Double-click the desired topic.

Note: For detailed instructions on using the Search Tab, see the Search for Information Overview.

Tips on Finding Information Using Help

  • Click blue, underlined text to link to another topic or webpage.
  • Click links under “Related Topics” at the end of each Help topic to view related information.
  • Press F1 to see if a word or phrase in a topic is in the index.
  • Add frequently used topics to your favorites.
  • Print the current Help topic by right-clicking in the Content or Topic pane and selecting Print.

Note: You can also use toolbar buttons to find topics.

Customizing the Help Window

You can easily adjust the Help Window’s size, position, and format:

  • Resize the Navigation or Topic Pane: Drag the divider between the two panes.
  • Resize the Entire Help Window: Drag any corner.
  • Adjust Height or Width: Drag the top, bottom, left, or right edge.
  • Reposition the Help Window: Drag the title bar to a new position.

Additional customization options include:

  • Hiding or showing the Navigation pane.
  • Changing the font size or style of a topic (Note: Changes also affect Internet Explorer).

Creating a List of Favorite Help Topics

  1. Locate the Help topic you want to mark as a favorite.
  2. Click the Favorites Tab.
  3. Click Add.

Helpful Tips:

  • To return to a favorite topic, click the Favorites Tab, select the topic, and click Display.
  • To rename a favorite topic, select it, type a new name, and press Enter.
  • To remove a favorite topic, select it and click Remove.

Working with Topics Using the Toolbar Buttons

Use the toolbar buttons to manage Help topics:

  • Hide/Show: Hide or show the Navigation pane.
  • Back: Go to the previous topic.
  • Forward: Go to the next topic.
  • Refresh: Reload the selected topic.
  • Home: Go to the Help Home page.
  • Print: Print the Topic pane.

Shortcuts Overview

Keyboard shortcuts can make navigating the Help window faster:

Shortcuts for the Help Window

  • Close the Help Window: Alt+F4
  • Switch between windows: Alt+Tab
  • Move back to the previous topic: Alt+Left Arrow
  • Move forward to the next topic: Alt+Right Arrow
  • Refresh the topic: F5
  • Scroll through a topic: Up/Down Arrow or Page Up/Page Down
  • Switch between panes: F6

Use these shortcuts to quickly manage the Help window and enhance your efficiency.

Search for Information Overview

Searching for information can be done using simple or advanced search techniques:

Basic Search

  1. Click the Search Tab.
  2. Type the words or phrases.
  3. Click List Topics.
  4. Click the desired topic and then Display.

Note: The search terms will be highlighted. Click Refresh to clear the highlighting.

Advanced Search

  1. Click the Search Tab.
  2. Type the words or phrases.
  3. Use nested expressions or boolean operators for complex searches.
  4. Click List Topics.
  5. Sort and select the desired topic, then click Display.

Note: For more on advanced search, see Search Using Boolean Operators and Search Using Nested Expressions.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now have the tools to effectively use the Help feature in PrimerPro. Remember, using the Help function can save you time and make your work more efficient. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to refer back to this guide or explore the related topics.

By mastering these features, you’ll be well-equipped to overcome linguistic barriers and empower your community through efficient use of PrimerPro. Happy helping!