# New (and short lived) texthelp atoms module

**URL:** <https://scilab.discourse.group/t/new-and-short-lived-texthelp-atoms-module/1069>\
**Category:** Atoms packages\
**Created:** [October 23, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://scilab.discourse.group/t/new-and-short-lived-texthelp-atoms-module/1069 "2025-10-23T13:49:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mottelet](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/scilab.discourse.group/mottelet/32/13_2.png) [@mottelet](https://scilab.discourse.group/u/mottelet)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://scilab.discourse.group/t/new-and-short-lived-texthelp-atoms-module/1069/1 "2025-10-23T13:49:14Z")

</div>

Hello,

You may have noticed that in the new release of Scilab the `help` command disappeared in favor of `doc`. In fact Scilab users have been warned about `help` deprecation during the last 6 month and should have started to use the new command. However, if you are (as I am) a long-time user of Scilab you often still type `help` instead of `doc` and find annoying the error message. Of course this will be fixed in the next minor version (2026.1.0) but in the meantime, I decided to release a module  
implementing a pure text `help` command displaying only the Syntax and  
Arguments sections (and advising the user to use `doc` if further information is needed). Of course, the lifetime of this module shouldn’t exceed 6 month… Just type

```auto
atomsSystemUpdate
atomsInstall texthelp

```

Here is the output of `help ode`:

```auto
--> help ode

   ode: ordinary differential equation solver

   Syntax:
   
   y = ode(y0, t0, t, f)
   [y, w, iw] = ode([type,] y0, t0, t [,rtol [,atol]], f [,jac] [,w, iw])
   [y, rd, w, iw] = ode("root", y0, t0, t [,rtol [,atol]], f [,jac], ng, g [,w, iw])
   y = ode("discrete", y0, t0, t, f)

   Arguments:

      y0 : a real vector or matrix: initial state, at t0.

      t0 : a real scalar, the initial time.

       t : a real vector, the times at which the solution is computed.

       f : an external function (Scilab function, list or string), computes the
           value of f(t, y). It is the right hand side of the differential
           equation. See f description section for more details.

    type : a string, the solver to use. The available solvers are "adams", "stiff",
           "rk", "rkf", "fix", "discrete" and "root".

    rtol : relative tolerance on the final solution y (decimal numbers). If each is
           a single value, it applies to each component of y. Otherwise, it must be
           a vector of same size as size(y), and is applied element-wise to y.

    atol : absolute tolerance on the final solution y (decimal numbers). If each is
           a single value, it applies to each component of y. Otherwise, it must be
           a vector of same size as size(y), and is applied element-wise to y.

     jac : an external function (a Scilab fuction, list or string), computes the
           Jacobian of the function f(t, y). See jacobian description section for
           more details.

      ng : an integer, number of components of g function

       g : an external function (a Scilab fuction, list or string) with the syntax 
           g(t, y), returns a vector of size ng. Each component defines a surface.
           Used ONLY with "root" solver. See ode_root help page.

       y : a real vector or matrix. The solution.

      rd : a vector available ONLY with "root" solver. See ode_root help page.

   w, iw : real vectors. (INPUT/OUTPUT). See ode() optional output.

   See also: odeoptions, ode_optional_output, ode_root, ode_discrete, dae, odedc, csim, ltitr, rtitr, intg

   Type "doc ode" to open the ode reference page

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![QwillDune](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/scilab.discourse.group/qwilldune/32/152_2.png) [@QwillDune](https://scilab.discourse.group/u/QwillDune)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://scilab.discourse.group/t/new-and-short-lived-texthelp-atoms-module/1069/2 "2025-10-28T19:02:08Z")

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Hello,

I could be wrong but can we create an alias like:

> → help = doc
> 
> help = function
> 
> = help(varargin)

Seems to work … for me at least

then we can add that in the scilab.start

Too simple ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mottelet](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/scilab.discourse.group/mottelet/32/13_2.png) [@mottelet](https://scilab.discourse.group/u/mottelet)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://scilab.discourse.group/t/new-and-short-lived-texthelp-atoms-module/1069/3 "2025-10-28T20:52:49Z")

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You are completely right (but this redefinition won’t survive a clear). However, a pure text version help system is necessary for the Scilab Jupyter kernel, as long as the html version of the help pages are not displayed within Jupyter (I hope they will soon). So, in the meantime, this small module will be useful, at least for my students.

S.