Generating and opening external help for blocks

Generating the external block help

Neuron recommends to generate an external block help only after the block interface has been finalized.

How to generate the external help for a block by using Neuron Power Engineer:

  1. In the project explorer, expand the object in which the block has been declared.

  2. Open the context menu for the displayed sub-level item (= the created block).

  3. Select the command Edit Help.

  4. In the opened file, add the requested texts.
    (info) This file is a Textile file. Information and examples for the possible syntax in Textile is specified under: https://textile-lang.com – This website also provides the possibility to immediately test your texts in the Textile syntax.
    The file already contains automatically generated pieces of information, such as the POU name and a table with the in-/outputs. Do not delete or change these generated pieces because they will be automatically generated again, when you select the command Edit Help anew.

  5. Save the modified file.

  6. If required (e.g. a function block or a function), create the block image for the help as follows:

    1. Open the interface editor for the object.

    2. In the interface editor, press Ctrl+Shift+P.

    3. Close the interface editor again.

  7. Open the context menu for the displayed sub-level item again and select the command Generate Help.
    Result: The files for the HTML help (incl. the block image) are located in the folder .olh. This folder is located in parallel to the object and is not visible within the project explorer by default.

Observe the following:

  • If you do change the block interface after you have generated the block help (e.g. rename the block or you create new in-/outputs), you have to perform some steps so that the files for the HTML help are updated. Details: see "Updating the help files in case of subsequent changes of the base element"

  • It is possible to generate the block help in German and in English. In this case, best practice is as follows:

    1. First, create the block help in one language (e.g. in English), as described above.

    2. Exit Neuron Power Engineer

    3. Change the language of the user interface.

    4. Start Neuron Power Engineer in the other language.

    5. Now, create the block help in second language (e.g. in German), as described above.

  • It is also possible to generate help for →interfaces. Subsequently, all instructions are analogously valid for the interface.

Alternative: You are also able to generate the external block help on your own by using your favorite tools to generate/edit the HTML-files. Neuron Power Engineer just requires the appropriate HTML file in the corresponding folder. See "Ablage der Hilfedateien" for details on this.

Opening the external block help

How to open the HTML help for your own blocks in Neuron Power Engineer:

  • by using the command Show Help within the project explorer

    1. Expand the object displayed in the project explorer.

    2. Open the context menu for the displayed sub-level item (= the created block).

    3. Select the command Show Help.

  • by using the F1-key in the appropriate editor

    • within the ST-editor: Position the text cursor on a call of a function or on a declaration of a function block and press the F1-key.
      In order to display the help for a block declared in the ST-code: Position the text cursor on the appropriate lines with the declaration (e.g. FUNCTION_BLOCK name1 and END_FUNCTION_BLOCK) and press the F1-key.

    • within the FBD-editor: Select the call of a function or of a function block and press the F1-key.
      In order to display the help for the block currently opened: Select none of the elements within the FBD-editor and press the F1-key.

Filing of the help files

The files for the HTML files must be located either within the folder olh or within the folder .olh. Both folders must be located in parallel to the block for which the help files are destined. By default, the folder olh is visible within the project explorer but the folder .olh is not.

The name of a HTML help file for a block must be as follows:

Condition

within the German Neuron Power Engineer version

within the English Neuron Power Engineer version

The block is declared within a →namespace.

namespace_name.block_name.DE.html

namespace_name.block_name.EN.html

The block is not declared within a namespace.

block_name.DE.html

block_name.EN.html

Examples:

  • For the function block F1 declared within the namespace N1, the help file is: N1.FB1.EN.html

  • For the function block F2 declared without a namespace, the help file is: FB2.EN.html

Overview on the search scope

The following overview illustrates where and in which order Neuron Power Engineer is searching for the help file regarding the block MyBlock that has been declared in the namespace my.blocks.

The token XX in the graphic is replaced by the language identifier DE or EN that is used for the search. First, Neuron Power Engineer searches for the help file in the language for which Neuron Power Engineer has been started. If no help file is found, the search process starts again for English help files.

 

 

If Neuron Power Engineer does not find any help file at all, the following message is output within the Error Log view: No help content for "Name" available.

Filing of the help files within custom libraries

If you are creating a custom library with blocks and you want to include the help files for the blocks within this library as well, mind that the help files must be filed within the library as described above for successfully opening the block help. See "Example: Creating library with blocks incl. help files" for more information.