# Difference between Helpmap and Helproutine?

**URL:** <https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/difference-between-helpmap-and-helproutine/60801>\
**Category:** Forum\
**Tags:** Adabas-Natural, Natural, Natural-on-Mainframes\
**Created:** [April 10, 2006, 10:22am UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/difference-between-helpmap-and-helproutine/60801 "2006-04-10T10:22:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rahul\_mf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@rahul\_mf](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/rahul_mf)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 10:22am UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/difference-between-helpmap-and-helproutine/60801/1 "2006-04-10T10:22:58Z")

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Hi ,  
This is a basic one…as I am new to Natural/ADABAS.

What is the difference between Helpmap and Helproutine in Natural?

Rahul

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**Author:** ![Venkatesan\_Devaraj1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/848f3c/32.png) [@Venkatesan\_Devaraj1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Venkatesan_Devaraj1)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/difference-between-helpmap-and-helproutine/60801/2 "2006-04-10T23:20:48Z")

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Please check the documentation section using below software ag site and you would get all the information. If you have still any question then shout back,

[http://developer.softwareag.com/ets/docu/natural/Nat414mf/print/pg.pdf](http://developer.softwareag.com/ets/docu/natural/Nat414mf/print/pg.pdf)

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**Author:** ![Daniel\_Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@Daniel\_Wilson](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Daniel_Wilson)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/difference-between-helpmap-and-helproutine/60801/3 "2006-04-10T23:34:10Z")

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It seem like it would be easier to just answer the question…

Anyway, a Help Map is just a map that you edit using the map editor. It usually doesn’t have much logic associated with it, its usually just text. A helproutine is a type of subprogram that you edit using the program editor. It usually includes logic to display the help, like reading a list of values for display in the help window.

So, if you just want to display static help text, use a help map. If you need to do database IO to display some values in the help, use a helproutine.

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**Author:** ![rahul\_mf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@rahul\_mf](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/rahul_mf)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 10:53am UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/difference-between-helpmap-and-helproutine/60801/4 "2006-04-11T10:53:55Z")

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Thanks Daniel for clearing the picture.

Thanks to you 2 Venkatesan for sending the link.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/difference-between-helpmap-and-helproutine/60801/5 "2021-04-02T14:40:34Z")

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