### 5.1.49 help

`Syntax:`
  `help;`
  `help` topic `;`
`Type:`
  none
`Purpose:`
  displays online help information for `topic` using the currently set help browser. If no `topic` is given, the title page of the manual is displayed.

`Note:`
  - `?` may be used instead of `help`.

  - `topic` can be an index entry of the SINGULAR manual or the name of a (loaded) procedure which has a help section.
  - `topic` may contain wildcard characters (i.e., `*` characters).
  - If a (possibly "wildcarded") `topic` cannot be found (or uniquely matched) a warning is displayed and no help information is provided.
  - If `topic` is the name of a (loaded) procedure whose help section has changed w.r.t. the help available in the manual then, instead of displaying the respective help section of the manual in the help browser, the "newer" help section of the procedure is simply printed to the terminal.

  - The browser in which the help information is displayed can be either set with the command-line option `--browser=<browser>` (see Command line options), or with the command `system("--browser", "<browser>")`. Use the command `system("browsers");` for a list of all available browsers. See The online help system, for more details about help browsers.

`Example:`

      help;      // display title page of manual
      help ring; // display help for 'ring'
      ?ringe;    // equivalent to 'help ringe;'
      ==> // ** No help for topic 'ringe' (not even for '*ringe*')
      ==> // ** Try '?;'       for general help
      ==> // ** or  '?Index;'  for all available help topics
      ?ring*;
      ==> //  ** No unique help for 'ring*'
      ==> //  ** Try one of
      ==> ?Rings and orderings; ?Rings and standard bases; ?ring;
      ==> ?ring declarations; ?ring operations; ?ring related functions;
      ==> ?ring.lib; ?ring_lib; ?ringtensor; ?ringweights;
      help Rings and orderings;
      help standard.lib;  // displays help for library 'standard.lib'

See Command line options; Libraries; Procedure definition; The online help system; system.

User manual for Singular version 4-0-3, 2016, generated by texi2html.