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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > Application Help Menus less useful in OSX

Application Help Menus less useful in OSX
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spiznet
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May 27, 2003, 01:53 PM
 
Sorry, I just noticed this:

OSX finder makes all windows disappear except for the current App.

So: in an application, when you go for the Help menu, it comes up as browser html (in IE), making the Application windows you were having problems with disappear.

Thanks, Apple!
     
teszeract
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May 27, 2003, 04:18 PM
 
yeah. help will insist in coming up in IE (from Photosop e.g.) in spite of default brwoser being Safari or Camino or anything but IE. And then you click "Don't remind be about Default Browser sh*t" and it will ask you the next time AGAIN!
     
Brass
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May 27, 2003, 09:34 PM
 
Originally posted by teszeract:
yeah. help will insist in coming up in IE (from Photosop e.g.) in spite of default brwoser being Safari or Camino or anything but IE. And then you click "Don't remind be about Default Browser sh*t" and it will ask you the next time AGAIN!
Find a photoshop help file. Select it. Choose "Get Info" from the Finder's "File" menu (COMMAND-I). Chow the Open With panel. Choose your preferred browser. Choose change all.

Done.
     
Brass
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May 27, 2003, 09:36 PM
 
Originally posted by spiznet:
Sorry, I just noticed this:

OSX finder makes all windows disappear except for the current App.

So: in an application, when you go for the Help menu, it comes up as browser html (in IE), making the Application windows you were having problems with disappear.

Thanks, Apple!
I have read this post about 10 times, and I still have no idea what it means. I guess I need to go back to school and take some english classes.
     
moonmonkey
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May 28, 2003, 01:52 AM
 
Originally posted by Brass:
I have read this post about 10 times, and I still have no idea what it means. I guess I need to go back to school and take some english classes.
I think he's leaning on the option key.
     
voodoo
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May 28, 2003, 02:00 AM
 
Originally posted by spiznet:
Sorry, I just noticed this:

OSX finder makes all windows disappear except for the current App.

So: in an application, when you go for the Help menu, it comes up as browser html (in IE), making the Application windows you were having problems with disappear.

Thanks, Apple!
??? explain
I could take Sean Connery in a fight... I could definitely take him.
     
Fotek2001
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May 28, 2003, 12:12 PM
 
I think he means that opening help from any application in Mac OS X launches a separate application (Help Viewer). This means that as you read the help, the application menu of the original program disappears making it hard to refer back to.

A better solution would be to have help in a floating window that keeps everything else from the application you need help with in view.
     
spiznet  (op)
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May 28, 2003, 05:46 PM
 
Sorry for the confusing message: Let me try again:

1) OSX Finder behavior closes all open windows except the one's from the *currently active* application. (Well, it doesn't close them, it just renders them invisible)

2) A truly brilliant idea hit on several years ago by the software manufacturers was to have "on-line" manuals, tutorials, help, etc. They implemented this thru a browser (doesn't matter which one), but the help files were all local to your hard drive. It just uses HTML, etc, that the browser can read. This works great in OS9 or Win XP.

3) Unfortunately: when you attempt to get Help on a feature of one of your programs, and you have to enter what OSX considers ANOTHER program (the browser) to get it.

The original program's windows all disappear, including the graphics, menus, palettes, etc. , making it hard to refer back to your problem.


>>I think he means that opening help from any application in Mac OS X launches a separate application (Help Viewer). This means that as you read the help, the application menu of the original program disappears making it hard to refer back to.
A better solution would be to have help in a floating window that keeps everything else from the application you need help with in view.

Exactly.

>>>>Sorry, I just noticed this:
OSX finder makes all windows disappear except for the current App.
So: in an application, when you go for the Help menu, it comes up as browser html (in IE), making the Application windows you were having problems with disappear.
Thanks, Apple!
     
alex_kac
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May 28, 2003, 06:04 PM
 
Originally posted by spiznet:
Sorry for the confusing message: Let me try again:

1) OSX Finder behavior closes all open windows except the one's from the *currently active* application. (Well, it doesn't close them, it just renders them invisible)

2) A truly brilliant idea hit on several years ago by the software manufacturers was to have "on-line" manuals, tutorials, help, etc. They implemented this thru a browser (doesn't matter which one), but the help files were all local to your hard drive. It just uses HTML, etc, that the browser can read. This works great in OS9 or Win XP.

3) Unfortunately: when you attempt to get Help on a feature of one of your programs, and you have to enter what OSX considers ANOTHER program (the browser) to get it.

The original program's windows all disappear, including the graphics, menus, palettes, etc. , making it hard to refer back to your problem.


>>I think he means that opening help from any application in Mac OS X launches a separate application (Help Viewer). This means that as you read the help, the application menu of the original program disappears making it hard to refer back to.
A better solution would be to have help in a floating window that keeps everything else from the application you need help with in view.

Exactly.

>>>>Sorry, I just noticed this:
OSX finder makes all windows disappear except for the current App.
So: in an application, when you go for the Help menu, it comes up as browser html (in IE), making the Application windows you were having problems with disappear.
Thanks, Apple!

Funny. This doesn't happen to me at all. I NEVER see this. Maybe you have Lightswitch installed and setup to do this (its a third party app that changes how OS X deals with windows).

When I go to Help in any application - it just loads as a separate window. All my other apps windows are unaffected completely. Well...except for the floaters like in Photoshop.
     
Brass
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May 28, 2003, 06:37 PM
 
Originally posted by spiznet:
Sorry for the confusing message: Let me try again:

1) OSX Finder behavior closes all open windows except the one's from the *currently active* application. (Well, it doesn't close them, it just renders them invisible)
I can't replicate this behaviour. For me, If I have any Finder windows open, and I open Help, the Finder windows all stay open and visible.

Same with other applications.

The only exception is that pallettes in some applications will hide (eg, GraphicsConverter), but all their main windows will still remain open.
     
spiznet  (op)
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May 29, 2003, 10:38 AM
 
Ok, I have gone back to OS9 as well as OSX to find out why I got this impression...

My mistake!

After checking Adobe, Macromedia & Microsoft applications, I see that the palettes and tools (support windows) vanish in a similar way in both OS'es (when activating another app). The document windows remain visible in both OS'es.

Nevermind.
     
   
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