Re: [Gnucap-devel] Fwd: Gnucap Comprehensive Help System Implementation Details

[Felix Salfelder]

On Wed, Jun 04, 2014 at 11:21:59AM +0200, Rishabh Yadav wrote:

> 1.User should have the source file of a plugin to get the help manual of
> that plugin.

no. just store the extra/extended manual in texinfo format, then look it
up there. e.g. (after installation) from
/usr/share/gnucap/doc/texinfo.whatever. don't access the C++ source code
at runtime. 

something like this might make sense. (similar for other base classes).

COMPONENT::help(cmd) {
        print synopsis (device name, ports etc.);
        if cmd.umatch("extended"){ // or any other keyword?
                if (lookup texinfo){
                        print it.
                } else {
                        print no extended manual available
                }
        } else {
                if (lookup texinfo){
                        tell user how to get it.
                } else {
                        print no help avaiable
                }
        }
}

(custom plugins that are not part of gnucap should carry their full
documentation, and so do not fallback to a texinfo manual).

hth
felix