format text help pages Windows

Dear list,

Could someone enlighten me a bit on the
exact format used for text help pages
as I see them on Windows in the help/
folders of (compiled) package roots.

When opening an example of these files
in a text editor (?Bessel in GNU emacs),
the file is displayed as follows:


_^HB_^He_^Hs_^Hs_^He_^Hl_^H _^HF_^Hu_^Hn_^Hc_^Ht_^Hi_^Ho_^Hn_^Hs

Bessel                 package:base                 R Documentation

_^HB_^He_^Hs_^Hs_^He_^Hl_^H _^HF_^Hu_^Hn_^Hc_^Ht_^Hi_^Ho_^Hn_^Hs


_^HD_^He_^Hs_^Hc_^Hr_^Hi_^Hp_^Ht_^Hi_^Ho_^Hn:


      Bessel Functions of integer and fractional order, of first and
      second kind, J(nu) and Y(nu), and Modified Bessel functions (of
      first and third kind), I(nu) and K(nu).

[....]

How should other applications handle these files ? Running Rterm as
a console within eclipse, e.g., now displays ^H as small rectangles
and leaves the underscores while R itself (Rgui to be precise) and
ESS nicely display help pages with some formatting (color code for
Rgui and underlining in an ESS help buffer).

Many thanks in advance,
Tobias

Tobias Verbeke - Consultant
Business & Decision Benelux
Rue de la r?volution 8
1000 Brussels - BELGIUM

+32 499 36 33 15
tobias.verbeke at businessdecision.com