DB2 Server for VSE & VM: Interactive SQL Guide and Reference

HELP



>>-HELP----+------------+--------------------------------------><
           +-CONTENTs---+
           '-topic_name-'

This ISQL command retrieves online HELP information. This online HELP information is for ISQL users who need quick reference information at their display for:

SQL statements
ISQL commands
Messages, codes, and SQLSTATEs.
Note:The online HELP information is not serviced by the IBM Support Center. The information is extracted from this book, and from the DB2 Server for VSE Messages and Codes and DB2 Server for VM Messages and Codes manuals. Use the readers' comment form in the back of these books to express concerns and comments on this information.

You can view this information in the language of your choice if your site chose to install different language versions of the online HELP information. See the SET command later in this chapter for more information on setting the language of your choice.

Online HELP information is stored as a table. After you retrieve a topic, you can use any of the ISQL display commands, or PF keys that provide display commands, to assist in viewing the text. You can also type SQL statements or ISQL commands at this time. You can format retrieved topics with the ISQL FORMAT command and print them with the ISQL PRINT command. A top title is provided for printed topics.

CONTENTs
displays the available online topics and the correct names to use in retrieving specific topics.

topic_name
is the name of the topic to be retrieved. It can be one or more words and can be placed within quotation marks. Most topic_names are either a statement name (such as SELECT or INSERT), a message number (such as ARI7399I or ARI7307A), a message code (such as -205 or 100), or an SQLSTATE (such as SQLSTATE 01512). For example, to retrieve online HELP information for the UPDATE statement, type: 
   help update

If the HELP command is issued with no parameters, a description of how to use the HELP command is returned along with a list of the available topics. The HELP command without additional parameters can be invoked by pressing PF1 (or PF13). Because you can reset your PF keys, you can assign the HELP function to any PF key. The default function key is PF1 (or PF13).

You can type SQL statements while the online HELP information is displayed.

[ Top of Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Table of Contents | Index ]