PRB: Some PWB Key Reassignments Do Not Work in Help Windows (75170)

SYMPTOMS

Assigning functions to certain keys and attempting to invoke those functions while a Help window is active does not work as expected in the Programmer's WorkBench (PWB) versions 1.0 and 1.1. If any other window is active, the functions are invoked as expected by the assigned keystrokes.

CAUSE

Some keys have fixed meanings that override any user assignments while inside the PWB help system. These keys and their Help system functionality are as follows:

      Key(s)                       Functionality
      ------                       -------------

      TAB                          Next Hyperlink

      SHIFT+TAB                    Previous Hyperlink

      SPACEBAR, ENTER,             Activate current hyperlink
      numeric keypad ENTER         (includes shifted versions of these
      (NUMENTER)                   keys)

      <character>                  Go to next link beginning with
                                   <character>

      SHIFT+<chararcter>           Go to previous link beginning with
                                   <character>

      ESC                          Cancel Help

RESOLUTION

Since the above keystrokes have predefined meanings in the Help window, any functions needed in a Help window should be assigned to other keys, or the default keystrokes should be used while the Help window is active.

MORE INFORMATION

PWB allows user assignment of all keys. For example, the "arg" function is assigned to ALT+A by default, but it could also be assigned to the ENTER key on the numeric keypad (NUMENTER) by placing the following line under the [PWB] tagged section of the TOOLS.INI file:

   arg:NumEnter

If you make this assignment and activate a PWB Help window, NUMENTER will not perform the arg function (though ALT+A still will). In fact, if a hyperlink button is highlighted, the NUMENTER key will execute the link as if the ENTER key had been pressed, since that is the NUMENTER functionality in a Help Window. Pressing NUMENTER while any other window is active will invoke the arg function.