Help

Use the help command to display information about commands, options, and messages.

Tip: If you use the help command on the initial command line, no server contact is made and no password is needed.
AIX operating systemsHP-UX operating systemsLinux operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsMac OS X operating systemsWindows operating systems

Supported Clients

This command is valid for all clients.

Syntax

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>>-Help--+--------------------------------+--------------------><
         +-command-name [subcommand-name]-+   
         +-option-name--------------------+   
         +-TOC-section-number-------------+   
         '-[ANS]message-number------------'   

Entering the help command with no arguments causes help to display the complete table of contents. Either with the initial command or when HELP displays a prompt, you can enter the following parameters.

Parameters

command-name [subcommand-name]
Specifies a command name and, optionally, a subcommand name or their abbreviation, for example: backup image, or b i. In that case, the combination must be unique. Non-unique abbreviations result in the display of the first section of the entire help file that matches the abbreviation. This parameter is optional.
option-name
Specifies the name of an option, for example: domain or do. This parameter is optional.
TOC-section-number
Specifies a table of contents section number, for example: 1.5.3. This parameter is optional.
[ANS]message-number
Specifies a message number with or without its prefix, for example: ans1036 or 1036. This parameter is optional. The severity code is never necessary. Entering ans1036E results in a not-found response.
Important: If you enter arguments that do not fit these descriptions, you may get unexpected results (or no results) to be displayed. If you enter more than two arguments, your help request is rejected. Where a command name and an option name are the same, for example: incremental (command) and incremental (option), you can get help on the option by entering its table-of-contents section number.

The requested help text is displayed in one or more sections, depending on the number of display lines that are available in your command window. When enough lines are displayed to fill the display space, or when the end of the requested help text is displayed, you see a prompt along with instructions for what can be entered at that prompt. To continue displaying text for your current selection, press enter or type the 'd' key to scroll down. To scroll up in the current selection, press the 'u' key and press Enter. Other choices might be presented, so read the prompt instructions.

Proper display of the help text requires a usable display width of 72 characters. A display width fewer than 72 characters causes sentences that are 72 characters wide to wrap to the next line. This can cause the displayed help text to begin somewhere within the section rather than at the beginning. The undisplayed lines can be viewed by using the scrolling function of the terminal to move up.

Examples

Task
Display the table of contents of the help topics.

Command: dsmc help

Task
Display the information in help topic 2.1.2

Command: dsmc help 2.1.2

Task
Display help information on the archive command.

Command: dsmc help archive

Task
Display help information on message ANS1036.

Command: dsmc help 1036

Command: dsmc help ANS1036