Renzo Comolli had an interesting wish list.
The obvious problem with wishlists is that
their union is huge and their intersection
possibly empty!
I want to comment on just one of Renzo's wishes.
> 13. the possibility of adding your own notes to the help files
Two basic points:
!!! This is perfectly possible already.
!!! There are BIG pitfalls, probably obvious, but worth
strong emphasis.
Suppose I call up help on -foobar-
. findfile foobar.hlp
will tell me where foobar.hlp is, and
. doedit `r(fn)'
will take me straight in. You can do this
in _one_ with -fedit- from SSC:
. fedit foobar.hlp
and if you prefer to use your own favourite text
editor, you can do that instead. Whatever, you
can make changes if you wish and save the file,
so long as you have write permission in that
directory or foler.
HOWEVER,
1. if you mess up that file, you will need to
reinstall, or live with a damaged file.
2. if Stata updates, that file is more difficult
to access.
3. unless you know some SMCL, you could mess up
how the file looks in the View window.
I am pretty clear that there will be an Official
Line on official Stata .hlp files:
Even if you know exactly what you are
doing, don't edit the official help files.
If you do, accept any consequences as all
your fault. You have been warned. Fingers
off the machinery!
Perhaps what Renzo really has in mind is making
_copies_ of existing help files. This could be a
good idea. I would recommend some convention, such as
copying foobar.hlp to my_foobar.hlp, making sure
that you use names not used by official Stata.
Make sure that help file is on your -adopath-.
Your own versions of help files could have all
sorts of applications, from adding _extras_
to a leaner help files, cutting out options
you never use, etc.
If you do this, it's worth investing a little
time in learning the rudiments of SMCL (SMCL
Makes Cooler Logs) -- irrespective of whether
you are, or intend to be, a Stata programmer.
[U] 21.11.6 is a good start. See the canonical
indents in examplehelpfile.hlp, and note that
there _really_ is an examplehelpfile.hlp on
your system -- -findfile- will tell you where,
so that you can use it as a template for
creating help files afresh.
Nick
[email protected]
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