+area, or in the tooltip window.
+
+If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is a function, that
+function is called with three arguments, @var{window}, @var{object} and
+@var{position} and should return a help string or @var{nil} for
+none. The first argument, @var{window} is the window in which
+the help was found. The second, @var{object}, is the buffer, overlay or
+string which had the @code{help-echo} property. The @var{position}
+argument is as follows:
+
+@itemize @bullet{}
+@item
+If @var{object} is a buffer, @var{pos} is the position in the buffer
+where the @code{help-echo} text property was found.
+@item
+If @var{object} is an overlay, that overlay has a @code{help-echo}
+property, and @var{pos} is the position in the overlay's buffer under
+the mouse.
+@item
+If @var{object} is a string (an overlay string or a string displayed
+with the @code{display} property), @var{pos} is the position in that
+string under the mouse.
+@end itemize
+
+If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is neither a function nor
+a string, it is evaluated to obtain a help string.
+
+You can alter the way help text is displayed by setting the variable
+@code{show-help-function} (@pxref{Help display}).
+
+This feature is used in the mode line and for other active text. It is
+available starting in Emacs 21.