help

Scilab Function
Last update : 25/04/2007

help - on-line help command

### Calling Sequence

  `help(key)`
  `help`

### Parameters

- `key` : character string. Gives the help page to be found

### Description

`help` without argument displays the hypertext page containing the list of help chapters.

`help(key)` displays the Scilab help file associated with the given `key` . If no help file is found, `help(key)` automatically call `apropos(key)` .

Scilab includes its own simple browser written in TCL/TK. It is possible to choose an other one. The global variable `%browsehelp` contains a string defining which browser must be used: its value may be changed (or redefined in your startup files : SCIHOME/.scilab or SCIHOME/scilab.ini). Note that when you enter an `help` command while `%browsehelp` contains the empty matrix `[]` then the different browser choice possibilities are displayed (so that you can enter the 2 instructions: `global %browsehelp; %browsehelp=[]` for changing of browser !). As generally different browsers have differents calling sequences, if your favorite one is not in the list you may have to adapt the `browsehelp` scilab which can be found in `SCI/macros/util/browsehelp.sci` .

See `man` for more explanation on how to write new help pages .

### See Also

`apropos` , `man` ,