DP4 provides four editors. This section describes three of them:
The DP4 Text Editor is not intended to be a fully featured word processor; it has no facilities for searching and replacing text or spell checking. The DP4 Text Editor is useful for examining files produced by DP4, displaying boxes and interpreting colours using the DP4 conventions. It may be useful when you are using DP4 in an unfamiliar environment, perhaps visiting a client's site, and it is the only editor you have or the only one you know how to use. Similar editing facilities are built into the DP4 Table Plan program, and into QAB program documentation, so you will probably become want to become familiar with it at some point. There is also a similar file viewing program called VIEW, which is especially useful for examining file output from other DP4 utilities.
The DP4 Map Editor is invoked automatically at various points in QA Build or can be invoked explicitly like any other DP4 utility. It allows you to create screen and print formats rapidly. These are stored locally on the database in objects, called maps, which can be accessed by any DP4 application. The Map Editor for version 4.5xx is completely different from the one in 4.6xx.
The DP4 Help Editor is used to create windows of help information for every point of data entry within applications. All the help messages are invoked by a single keystroke or they can be displayed all the time. This is particularly useful for training new staff and introducing new products. The Help Editor is a cut down version of the Map Editor. It can be used to create help messages while the program is actually running. Run time help editing has always been available in 4.5xx releases, but is only available in 4.6xx releases from release 4.621. The AUTHOR program can be used to configure whether or not this facility is enabled. If it is enabled the help editor is usually invoked by pressing <Ctrl+O>. Depending on your userdata.sys settings you may also be able to invoke it with F9.
Refer to Editing a Menu Page for details on the Menu Editor.