Technical data

Customizing the Operating System
5.6 Customizing the Help Message Database
Thereafter, if Help Message cannot translate a status code and the
SYS$LIBRARY:MSGHLP$MESSAGE_SECTION.EXE image exists, Help
Message activates it and searches all message section files to which it points.
The impact on Help Message search time depends upon the number of files
searched.
2. Use the following command as many times as you want to add
pointer modules for any other specific message section files
to SYS$LIBRARY:MSGHLP$MESSAGE_SECTIONS.OLB and
MSGHLP$MESSAGE_SECTIONS.EXE:
HELP/MESSAGE/SECTION_FILE=file-name.EXE
The default file specification is SYS$MESSAGE:.EXE.
3. Review the contents of the resulting
SYS$LIBRARY:MSGHLP$MESSAGE_SECTIONS.OLB file:
$ LIBRARY/LIST MSGHLP$MESSAGE_SECTIONS.OLB
The names of the modules in the .OLB file are derived from strings specified
in the /SECTION_FILE qualifier.
Help Message can search a maximum of 42 message section files. Files are
searched in this order:
• The last file activated by a SET MESSAGE command (if any).
• The message section files that Help Message is linked with before it is
shipped:
SYSMSG.EXE
SYSMGTMSG.EXE
CLIUTLMSG.EXE
PRGMSG.EXE
• Any message section files explicitly linked with MSGHLP$MAIN.EXE or
with any shareable image that MSGHLP$MAIN.EXE references.
• Any nonduplicate message section files linked with
SYS$LIBRARY:MSGHLP$MESSAGE_SECTIONS.EXE.
Message section files are searched in the order in which they are listed
in the .OLB file. (Order is alphabetical.) If the total count of message
section files exceeds 42, message section files listed near the end of the
.OLB file might not be searched.
4. If you want, remove any references to message section files in the .OLB file
to control which 42 message section files are included in the Help Message
search. You might delete a file that you rarely use earlier in the alphabet to
ensure that a file later in the alphabet is among the 42 files searched. For
example, to delete the NCP (Network Control Program) messages from the
.OLB file, use this command:
$ LIBRARY/DELETE=NETWRKMSG SYS$LIBRARY:MSGHLP$MESSAGE_SECTIONS.OLB
If you delete a module from the .OLB file, you must execute the
HELP/MESSAGE command with the /SECTION_FILE qualifier to generate
an updated .EXE file. The qualifier argument can specify either a new file or
a file that is already listed in the .OLB file.
Customizing the Operating System 5–27