Technical data

Startup and Operation
5.3 Calling the Help Functions
Programming with STEP 7
Manual, 05/2010, A5E02789666-01 117
5.3 Calling the Help Functions
Online Help
The online help system provides you with information at the point where you can use it most
efficiently. You can use the online help to access information quickly and directly without having to
search through manuals. You will find the following types of information in the online help:
• Contents: offers a number of different ways of displaying help information
• Context-sensitive Help (F1 key): with the F1 key you access information on the object you
just selected with the mouse or on the active dialog box or window
• Introduction: gives a brief introduction to the use, the main features, and the functional scope
of an application
• Getting Started: summarizes the basic steps you need to execute to get started with the
application
• Using Help: provides a description of ways of finding specific information in the online help
• About: provides information on the current version of the application
Via the Help menu you can also access topics which relate to the current dialog situation from
every window.
Calling the Online Help
You can call the online help in one of the following ways:
• Select a menu command in the Help menu in the menu bar.
• Click the "Help" button in a dialog box. You are then shown help on this dialog box.
• Position the cursor in a window or dialog box on the topic you need help with and press the F1
key or select the menu command Help > Context-sensitive Help.
• Use the question mark cursor in Windows.
The last three of these ways of accessing the online help are known as context-sensitive help.
Calling the Quick Help
A quick help on buttons in the toolbar is displayed when you position the cursor on a button and
leave it there for a moment.