\HeaderA{help.start}{Hypertext Documentation}{help.start}
\keyword{documentation}{help.start}
\begin{Description}\relax
Start the hypertext (currently HTML) version of \R's online
documentation.
\end{Description}
\begin{Usage}
\begin{verbatim}
help.start(gui = "irrelevant", browser = getOption("browser"),
           remote = NULL, searchEngine = FALSE)
\end{verbatim}
\end{Usage}
\begin{Arguments}
\begin{ldescription}
\item[\code{gui}] just for compatibility with S-PLUS.
\item[\code{browser}] the name of the program to be used as hypertext
browser. It should be in the \env{PATH}, or a full path specified.
Alternatively, it can be a function which will be called with an
URL as its only argument.

\item[\code{remote}] A character giving a valid URL for the
\file{\var{\LinkA{R\_HOME}{R.Rul.HOME}}} directory on a remote location.
\item[\code{searchEngine}] logical: if true go directly to the search engine
page.  A workaround for some Firefox 3 versions (see \sQuote{Notes}).
\end{ldescription}
\end{Arguments}
\begin{Details}\relax
All the packages in the known library trees are linked to directory
\file{.R} in the per-session temporary directory.  The links are
re-made each time \code{\LinkA{make.packages.html}{make.packages.html}} or \code{help.start}
is run, which should be done after packages are installed, updated or
removed.

A side effect is to set \code{options(htmlhelp = TRUE)} so that future
help requests (by default) are sent to the browser.

If the browser named by the \code{browser} argument is different from
the default browser as specified by \code{options("browser")}, the
default is changed to the given browser so that it gets used for all
future help requests.  (This only holds when \code{browser} is a name,
not a function.)
\end{Details}
\begin{Note}\relax
There is a Java-based search facility available from the HTML page
that \code{help.start} brings up.  Should this not work, please
consult the \sQuote{R Installation and Administration} manual which is
linked from that page.

Note to users of Firefox 3.0 to 3.0.6: the search results have links
that are resolved incorrectly by that browser if starting from the
normal HTML index page.  The workaround is to start with
\code{help.start(searchEngine = TRUE)}.  This was fixed in Firefox 3.0.7.
\end{Note}
\begin{SeeAlso}\relax
\code{\LinkA{help}{help}()} for on- and off-line help in ASCII/Editor or
PostScript format.

\code{\LinkA{browseURL}{browseURL}} for how the help file is displayed.

\code{\LinkA{RSiteSearch}{RSiteSearch}} to access an on-line search of \R{} resources.
\end{SeeAlso}
\begin{Examples}
\begin{ExampleCode}
## Not run: 
help.start()
## End(Not run)\end{ExampleCode}
\end{Examples}

