Topic++

Topic++ is a tool for dealing with application related documents. It can be used to provide RichText resources for applications (including help), to prepare printed manuals and also to document code. Most documents you have encountered when dealing with U++ were created and managed using Topic++ (including the website).

Topic++ topics are parts of packages. They are logically divided in several groups - some group names are standardizes, "src" should contain code-reference, "srcdoc" is for other code-related documents, "app" are document resources for applications.

U++ library is capable of including topics into target executable and exploiting them in user code. To see how this can be done, see "Topic" reference example.

Description of Topic++ window

A    List of packages. Each package has its document resources.

B    List of topic groups. Documents are divided into groups.

C    List of topics in current group.

D    Topic title. This can be used when using document resource.

E    Hyperlink. It can link to other topics or to external sources (http:// ....).

F    Label - code reference. This field connects actual paragraph with some source code element.

G    This icon can be used to insert code elements into topic.

H    Topic text.

Using Topic++ to create code reference

Topic++ is directly connected with Assist++ system to create and provide documentation of code elements. Each paragraph of topic can be connected with one code element using the paragraph label (F in Topic++ window description). This label contains unique code element signature - this way the paragraph can be connect with unambiguous code element.

To document the code element, press icon (or hit Insert key). Topic++ will bring the code browser dialog:

Use the "Query" button to setup the selection of code elements you are interested in. Select elements you want to document by clicking on them (you can select more than one using Shift key) and press "OK":

Topic++ inserts skeletons for documenting chosen code elements and binds them to the code via paragraph labels. All you have to do now is to fill in the description of elements and parameters.

In order to detect problems with documentation, you can use two tools. Query in code browser dialog can be setup to display undocumented elements. "Find broken references" operation - or Ctrl+F3 -  searches through current group topic and detects any broken code references in paragraph labels.