The  HELP  command  invokes  the  VAX/VMS  HELP  Facility  to  display
 information about a VMS command or topic.  In response to the "Topic?"
 prompt, you can:

    o Type  the  name of the command  or topic for which you need help.

    o Type  INSTRUCTIONS  for more detailed  instructions on how to use
      HELP.

    o Type  HINTS  if you are not  sure of the  name  of the command or
      topic for which you need help.

    o Type a question mark (?) to redisplay the most recently requested
      text.

    o Press the RETURN key one or more times to exit from HELP.

 You  can  abbreviate any  topic name, although ambiguous abbreviations
 result in all matches being displayed.

Additional information available:

ParametersCommand QualifiersExamples

 keyword ...

  Specifies one or more keywords that refer to the topic  or  subtopic
  on  which  you  want  information  from a HELP library.  Information
  within HELP libraries is arranged in  a  hierarchical  manner.   The
  levels are:

  1.  None---If you do not specify a keyword, HELP describes the  HELP
      command  and  lists  the  topics that are documented in the root
      library.  Each item in the list is a keyword in the first  level
      of the hierarchy.

  2.  Topic-name---If you specify a keyword by naming  a  topic,  HELP
      describes  the  topic  as  it  is  documented in either the root
      library or one of the other enabled default libraries.  Keywords
      for additional information available on this topic are listed.

  3.  Topic-name subtopic---If you  specify  a  subtopic  following  a
      topic, HELP provides a description of the specified subtopic.

  4.  @file-spec followed by any of the above---If you specify a  HELP
      library  to replace the current root library, HELP searches that
      library for a description of the topic  or  subtopic  specified.
      The  file  specification  must  take  the  same form as the file
      specification included  with  the  /LIBRARY  command  qualifier.
      However,  if  the  specified  library is an enabled user-defined
      default library, the file specification can  be  abbreviated  to
      any  unique  leading substring of that default library's logical
      name translation.

  If you use an asterisk in place of any  keyword,  the  HELP  command
  displays  all  information  available at the level that the asterisk
  replaces.  For example, HELP COPY * displays all the subtopics under
  the topic COPY.

  If you use an ellipsis immediately after any primary  keyword,  HELP
  displays  all  the  information  on  the  specified  topic  and  all
  subtopics of  that  topic.   For  example,  HELP  COPY...   displays
  information  on  the  COPY  topic  as well as information on all the
  subtopics under COPY.

  You can use percent signs and asterisks in the keyword  as  wildcard
  characters.

Additional information available:

/INSTRUCTIONS/LIBLIST/LIBRARY/OUTPUT/PAGE/PROMPT
/USERLIBRARY

 /INSTRUCTIONS (default)
 /NOINSTRUCTIONS

  Controls whether the HELP command displays information on how to use
  the  HELP facility.  By default, the HELP command display includes a
  description of the facility and the format, along with the  list  of
  topics.   If you specify /NOINSTRUCTIONS, only the list of topics is
  displayed.

 /LIBLIST (default)
 /NOLIBLIST

  Controls whether a  list  of  additional  HELP  libraries  available
  default HELP libraries is output at the topic level.

 /LIBRARY=file-spec
 /NOLIBRARY

  Controls whether an alternate HELP library is used in place  of  the
  default system library, SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.HLB.  The specified library
  is used  as  the  main  HELP  library,  and  is  searched  for  HELP
  information  before  any  user-defined  default  HELP  libraries are
  checked.

  If you omit the device and directory specification, the  default  is
  SYS$HELP,  the  logical  name  of  the  location  of the system HELP
  libraries.  The default file type is HLB.

  The /NOLIBRARY qualifier is used to exclude the default HELP library
  from the library search order.

 /OUTPUT[=file-spec]
 /NOOUTPUT

  Controls where the output of the command is sent.   If  you  do  not
  enter  the  qualifier,  or  if  you  enter  /OUTPUT  without  a file
  specification, the output is sent to  the  current  process  default
  output stream or device, identified by the logical name SYS$OUTPUT.

  If you enter /OUTPUT with a partial file specification (for example,
  /OUTPUT=[JONES]),  HELP is the default file name and LIS the default
  file type.  If you enter a file specification, it  may  not  include
  any wildcard characters.

  If you enter /NOOUTPUT, output is suppressed.

 /PAGE (default)
 /NOPAGE

  Controls whether output to the screen stops after each  screen  full
  ("page") of information is displayed.

  If you specify  /NOPAGE,  output  continues  until  the  information
  display ends or until you manually control the scrolling.

 /PROMPT (default)
 /NOPROMPT

  Controls whether HELP initiates  an  interactive  session  once  the
  initial  HELP request has been processed.  If you specify /NOPROMPT,
  HELP returns you to the  DCL  command  level  after  displaying  the
  requested information.

  If /PROMPT is in effect, one of four different prompts is displayed,
  requesting you to specify a particular HELP topic or subtopic.  Each
  prompt represents  a  different  level  in  the  hierarchy  of  HELP
  information.  The four prompt levels are:

  1.  Topic?---The root library is the main library and  you  are  not
      currently examining HELP for a particular topic.

  2.  [library-spec] Topic?---The root library is a library other than
      the  main library and you are not currently examining HELP for a
      particular topic.

  3.  [keyword] subtopic?---The root library is the main  library  and
      you  are currently examining HELP for a particular topic (and/or
      subtopic).

  4.  A combination of 2 and 3.

  When you encounter one of these prompts, you can enter  any  one  of
  the responses described below:


  Response            Action in the Current Prompt Environment


  keyword[...]        (1,2) Searches all  enabled  libraries  for  the
                      keyword.    (3,4)   Searches   additional   HELP
                      libraries  for   the   current   topic   (and/or
                      subtopic) for the keyword.

  @file-spec          (1,2) Same as above,  except  that  the  library
  keyword[...]        specified by @file-spec is now the  rootlibrary.
                      If  the  specified  library does not exist, HELP
                      treats @file-spec as a  normal  keyword.   (3,4)
                      Same  as  above,  treats  @file-spec as a normal
                      keyword.

  ?                   (1,2) Displays a list of topics available in the
                      root   library.   (3,4)  Displays  the  list  of
                      subtopics   of   the   current   topic   (and/or
                      subtopics) for which HELP exists.

  <RET>               (1) Exits from HELP.  (2) Changes  root  library
                      to  main  library.  (3,4) Prompts for a topic or
                      subtopic at the next higher level.

  <CTRL/Z>            (1,2,3,4) Exits from HELP.

 /USERLIBRARY=(table[,...])
 /NOUSERLIBRARY

  Controls whether HELP  searches  one  or  more  user-specified  root
  libraries after it has searched the root HELP library.

  When you specify  the  /USERLIBRARY  qualifier,  HELP  searches  the
  process,  group, and system logical name tables for logical names of
  the form:  HLP$LIBRARY, HLP$LIBRARY_1, HLP$LIBRARY_2, and so on,  to
  find  the  file  specifications of any user-defined libraries.  When
  HELP searches for information on a given topic, it proceeds  in  the
  following search order:  root library, main library (if not the same
  as the root library), process  libraries,  group  libraries,  system
  libraries,  and root library.  If the search fails, the root library
  is searched a second time so that the context  is  returned  to  the
  root library from which the search was initiated.

  If you specify only one table for HELP to search, you can  omit  the
  parentheses.   You  can  specify  any  of  the  following  tables or
  keywords:

  ALL      HELP searches the process, group, and system  logical  name
           tables for user-defined library definitions.

  NONE     HELP does not search any of the logical name tables.   This
           specification is the same as /NOUSERLIBRARY.

  PROCESS  HELP  searches  the  process   logical   name   table   for
           user-defined library definitions.

  GROUP    HELP searches the group logical name table for user-defined
           library definitions.

  SYSTEM   HELP  searches  the   system   logical   name   table   for
           user-defined library definitions.

  By default, if you omit the qualifier, /USERLIBRARY=ALL is assumed.

  1.   $ HELP

       HELP
         .
         .  (HELP message text and list of topics)
         .
       Topic?

  Issuing the  HELP  command  without  any  qualifiers  or  parameters
  produces  a  display of the HELP topics available from the root HELP
  library, SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.HLB.

  If you type one of the listed  topics  in  response  to  the  Topic?
  prompt,  HELP  displays  information  about that topic and a list of
  subtopics (if there are any).  If one or more subtopics exist,  HELP
  will prompt you for a subtopic.
       Topic? ASSIGN
       ASSIGN
         .
         .  (HELP message text and subtopics)
         .
       ASSIGN Subtopic?

  If you type a subtopic name, HELP displays  information  about  that
  subtopic:
       ASSIGN Subtopic? Name
       ASSIGN
         Name
         .
         .  (HELP message text and subtopics, if any)
         .
       ASSIGN Subtopic?

  If one or more sub-subtopics exist,  HELP  will  prompt  you  for  a
  sub-subtopic;  otherwise, as in the above example, the facility will
  prompt you for another subtopic  of  the  topic  you  are  currently
  inspecting.

  Typing a question mark will redisplay the HELP message  and  options
  at  your  current level.  Pressing RETURN will either:  (1) move you
  back to the previous HELP level if you are in a subtopic  level,  or
  (2)  terminate  HELP if you are at the first level.  Pressing CTRL/Z
  terminates HELP at any level.

  2.   $ HELP FILL

       Sorry, no documentation on FILL

       Additional information available:
        .
        .  (list of first-level topics )
        .
       Topic? @EDTHELP FILL
       FILL
        .
        .  (FILL HELP message)
        .

       @EDTHELP Topic?

  When you issue a request for HELP on a topic  that  is  not  in  the
  default  HELP  library, you can instruct HELP to search another HELP
  library for the  topic.   In  this  example,  entering  the  command
  @EDTHELP   FILL   instructs   HELP   to   search  the  HELP  library
  SYS$HELP:EDTHELP.HLB for information on FILL, an EDT editor command.
  HELP  displays  the  message  and prompts you for another EDT editor
  topic.