This chapter is a reference to the InfoSearch controls. It contains the following sections:
The main window (Figure 2-1) is what you first see when you launch InfoSearch. It consists of the following four sections:
“Menu Bar,” which contains the “Session Menu,” “View Menu,” “Go Menu,” and “Help Menu” menus
“Server Pane,” which contains a text field, and buttons that allow you to select which host you wish to use as your InfoSearch server.
“Button Bar,” which contains buttons that allow you to move forward or back a page, reload whatever page you are on, or stop loading a page
“Home Page” which contains the “InfoSearch Home Link,” “Help Button,” “Feedback Button,” and “Server Identifier”; as well as the “Online Books,” “Man Pages,” and “Release Notes” site buttons, and “Search Button” and Search Text Field
The Menu bar contains the following options:
The Session menu contains the following options:
Print: prints the loaded document
Find: locates and highlights every instance of a specified word within that document (this only works when you are viewing a document)
New Window: allows you to keep a selected page open while you continue your search (see “New Windows” for more information)
Edit Server List: launches the Edit Server List dialog box, which allows you to remove selected servers from your list (see “Deleting a Server” for more information)
Exit: ends the current InfoSearch session.
The View menu contains the View Source option, which allows you to see the source (HTML) code of any page you are on.
The Go menu contains the following commands which are also represented on the “Button Bar” (see Figure 2-2):
Back: returns to the previous page of your current search
Forward: forwards you to the page you were previously on
Reload Document: reloads the current page
Stop Loading: halts a current search, so that you can begin another search or exit
The Help menu contains the following default options:
Click for Help: gives you a context-sensitive floating question mark, allowing you to click wherever you want for more details on a particular area or button
Overview: takes you to the Overview of InfoSearch page
Contents/Search: enables you to conduct a search by typing a word or phrase into the Contents/Search text field located in the lower left corner of the Help Viewer window
Keyboard Shortcuts: takes you to the InfoSearch keyboard shortcuts page
Product Information: tells you copyright details and the version of InfoSearch you are using
Except for Product Information, all these options only operate after the Help Viewer has been launched.
The Server pane contains the following items:
InfoSearch Server text field: displays the host system that is currently being used as your information server, or allows you to add any system by typing its path here (see “Adding a Server” for more information)
Recycle button: allows you to select another server from your existing server list
Open Location button: activates the loading of a server from the path typed in the InfoSearch Server text field. Hitting the Enter key gives the same result
The Button bar contains the following buttons that represent the same commands found under the “Go Menu” menu:
Back: returns to the previous page of your current search
Forward: forwards you to the page you were previously on
Reload Document: reloads the current page
Stop Loading: halts a current search, so that you can begin another search or exit
The forward and back direction buttons are only active if they are a solid black color. If they are grayed out, it indicates that you do not have the option of moving in that direction (see Figure 2-2).
The Home page is where you begin your search or browse. See “Searching”or “Browsing” for more details. You can return to the Home page any time by clicking the InfoSearch Home Link (see Figure 2-1).
The Home page contains the search area consisting of a search text field, and all the buttons necessary to begin viewing documents in any of the three sites—“Online Books,” “Man Pages,” and “Release Notes.” The Home page also contains quick-help instructions on how to use InfoSearch.
As soon as you begin a search the Home page becomes the “Results Page” with the search results and search links. However, the search area containing the search text field and various buttons continues to be available in the top half of the page.
The results page contains the results of your last search selection. A percentage is given for each document listed, which refers to the frequency that the search word appears within each document.
If there are too many search results, the results can be narrowed down by going to the InfoSearch Home page, then clicking on a the link for either Books, Man pages, or Release notes before starting the search.
Hyperlinks created at the bottom of the page allow you to see the next (or previous) set of search results that match your query (see Figure 2-3).
You can change your search at any time by typing a word in the search text field and selecting to either limit the search to your current document site—“Online Books,” “Man Pages,” or “Release Notes”—or search the entire InfoSearch site.
The last level possible in the search results page is when you are within the chapter or page of that document. At this point, the search buttons disappear. However, when searching within online books, the search buttons are replaced by blue back and forward arrow buttons which allow you to navigate within the online book. Man pages and release notes do not offer any navigational buttons.
The InfoSearch Home link (see Figure 2-1) returns you to the InfoSearch Home page at any time. This is a fast way to begin a new search.
Clicking the Help button (see Figure 2-1) launches the InfoSearch quick-help which tells you about the different search syntaxes you can use, and gives you an illustration and description of the three document types—“Online Books,” “Man Pages,” or “Release Notes.”
Clicking the Feedback button (see Figure 2-1) gives you a Compose Mail Message window, which allows you to email your comments about InfoSearch. Type your message and when you are ready to send your message click “OK”. Click “Cancel” if you no longer wish to send your message.
The Server Identifier (see Figure 2-1) gives you the URL (HTML) address of the server InfoSearch is currently accessing.
You must click the Search button to start a search after typing a word into the Search Text Field (see Figure 2-1).
The online books site contains three bookshelves—SGI Admin, SGI Developer, and SGI End-User. All online documentation is divided among these three bookshelves, which describe the audience of the books contained within them.
Each online books bookshelf lists the documents in alphabetical order, and also has links to each alphabetical section from the top of the results page.
When you view a chapter of an online book, the search buttons are replaced by blue back and forward arrow buttons which allow you to navigate within that document. At this level, you also have the option of creating “New Windows.” See Table 1-1 to identify the Online Books icon.
The man pages site contains nine bookshelves—User Commands, System Calls, Subroutines, File Formats, Miscellaneous, Games and Demos, Special Files, Device Drivers and System Administration. Each man page is presented in it's typical layout, with the addition of a “See Also” section at the bottom of the page that has hyperlinks to related manual pages.
Each man page bookshelf lists the documents in alphabetical order, and also has links to each alphabetical section from the top of the results page. See Table 1-1 to identify the Man Pages icon.
The release notes are all viewable in alphabetical order from the first Release Notes results page. They are not organized into different bookshelves. The top of the results page has links to each alphabetical section. See Table 1-1 to identify the Release Notes icon.
The Information Viewer Window appears when you either
click Session > New Window within a document, or
click the New Window icon at the end of each document link following an online search (see Figure 2-3).
The Information Viewer Window (see Figure 2-4) consists of the following three sections:
“Information Viewer Menu Bar” which contains the “Document Menu,” “View Menu,” “Go Menu,” and “Help Menu” menus
“Information Viewer Button Bar” which contains buttons that allow you to page forward or back, reload whatever page you are on, or stop loading a page
“Information Viewer Results Page” which contains the “Help Button,” “Feedback Button,” and “InfoSearch Home Link,” and displays the contents of the document just selected from the main results page.
The viewer Menu bar contains the following options:
The viewer Document menu contains the following items:
Print: prints the contents of the current page
Find: locates and highlights every instance of a specified word within that document, but only works when you are inside a document
Close: closes the viewer window
The viewer View menu contains the View Source option, which allows you to see the source (HTML) code of any page you are on.
The viewer Go menu contains the following commands which are also represented on the “Information Viewer Button Bar” (see Figure 2-2):
Back: returns to the previous page of your current search
Forward: forwards you to the page you were previously on
Reload Document: reloads the current page
Stop Loading: halts a current search, so that you can begin another search or exit
The viewer Button bar perform the same functions—back, forward, reload and stop—as their related buttons from the Main Window “Button Bar” (see Figure 2-2). They also represent the same commands found under the Viewer “Go Menu” menu:
The direction buttons are only active if they are a solid black color. If they are grayed out, it means that you do not have the option of moving in that direction. (see Figure 2-2).
The viewer Results page launches when you either click Session > New Window, or click the window icon at the end of the document link in the “Results Page” (see Figure 2-3). You can browse the current document in the Information Viewer window, separate from your search in the Main window. It is a useful way of viewing a document during your search without losing your place in the main window.
You can click the New Window icon when you are looking at a document and want to save the page you are viewing, at the same time as continuing your search in the InfoSearch main window.
Click Session > New Window. The resulting viewer window shows the same page that you are currently viewing in the “Main Window Controls,” but maintains that page when you continue searching in the main window. You can launch multiple New Windows, but having too many open can slow down your system.
Table 2-1 contains the following keyboard shortcuts for InfoSearch:
Keys | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+Q | Quits the InfoSearch session |
Ctrl+P | Prints the current page |
Ctrl+W | Closes the Information Viewer window |
Alt+Left Arrow | Back to previous page |
Alt+Right Arrow | Forward to next page |
<Esc> | Stops the current page from loading |