Using KwikINF

KwikINF is installed as a program object in the OS/2 Toolkit Information folder. You start KwikINF by double-clicking on the KwikINF object or by entering KwikINF from the command line of an OS/2 Window. You can start KwikINF automatically when you start OS/2 by placing a shadow of the KwikINF object in the Startup folder in the OS/2 System folder on the desktop. You shadow an object by pressing CTRL + SHIFT while dragging the object.

KwikINF installs a PM system hook to monitor keystrokes in PM sessions and OS/2 character device monitors to monitor keystrokes in OS/2 full-screen sessions. KwikINF will install only one copy of the hook and monitors, even if you attempt to re-start KwikINF.

When KwikINF has been started, you can initiate searches for text strings in online documents of choice by pressing a user-selectable hot key.

Note: You cannot initiate searches for text strings in online documents from DOS or WIN-OS/2 sessions.

Until you configure KwikINF, your KwikINF hot key is ALT+Q. You configure KwikINF by pressing your KwikINF hot key and then pressing the Configure push button to open the Configure KwikINF window.

Note: When you start KwikINF by double-clicking on the KwikINF object in the Toolkit Information folder, a message box tells you what hot key opens the KwikINF window. This technique can also be used to determine what your current KwikINF hot key is, after KwikINF has been started.

How you initiate a search for information in online documents is dependent on where you are on the desktop when you press the KwikINF hot key:

From an OS/2 full-screen session, a PM VIO or AVIO window, or PM MLE: position the cursor on the string you want to search for and press the KwikINF hot key. KwikINF retrieves the word at the cursor. If you have configured KwikINF to display the KwikINF window when the KwikINF hot key is pressed, KwikINF automatically places the retrieved word in the Search String entry field of the KwikINF window. When you press the Search push button or Enter, KwikINF displays the information. If you have configured KwikINF to bypass the KwikINF window when the KwikINF hot key is pressed, KwikINF automatically displays the information.
If no word is under the cursor, the previous Search String is used. If no previous Search String exists, KwikINF displays the Contents of the Default volume to search.
From a graphic-text PM window: press the KwikINF hot key, then type the string you want to search for in the Search String entry field of the KwikINF window. The KwikINF text-retrieval feature is not available from graphic-text PM windows.

The online document where KwikINF looks for the text string is selected from the Volume to Search list box by KwikINF or by you. To open the online document to the panel that contains the information, press the Search push button or press Enter.

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