The last question is for StataCorp, but the change from
.hlp to .sthlp should be at most a minor inconvenience.
Kit Baum and I have already discussed this off-list
and he has undertaken to copy any .sthlp files to .hlp
equivalents in respect of new packages on SSC that
would work in earlier versions of Stata.
So suppose I write a package that includes .sthlp
files because I am writing within Stata 10, but
that package would work in Stata 8 or 9. Then the package
on SSC will include .hlp as well as .sthlp. We
speculate that Stata 8 or 9 will just ignore any
.sthlp files in a package. (Or any earlier Stata,
for that matter.)
This of course is SSC alone and does not
affect other arrangements. What we do with regard
to Stata Journal-published programs will need
to be discussed. What people do with regards to
programs publicly available from their own websites
is for them but I expect most if not all authors
will happily provide .hlp equivalents if they can
remember to do so.
I speculate further that Stata 10 will read .hlp
files as if they were .sthlp. If this were not
so, the effect would be to break the help on many user-written
packages. It is just that the standard extension
is now .sthlp, partly to ease email transfer.
At worst, you will have to rename .sthlp files
yourself. If anyone finds this beyond their computer
skills, Statalist will no doubt hear about it.
Nick
[email protected]
Fred Wolfe
> There is another issue that might be of some importance to some of us
> us. Often on the list we see new programs that are usable in older
> versions of Stata. However, the new help file extension will not work
> with older versions. Is it possible for Stata Corp to add the ability
> to read .sthlp help files to the final version of Stata 9?
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