code: def getHelpFileAsString(taskname,taskpath):
      
      #get the local library directory where the code is stored
      pathsplit=os.path.split(taskpath) # taskpath should be task's __file__
      if taskname.find('.') > -1: # if taskname is given as package.taskname...
          helpname=taskname.split(".")[1]    # taskname should be __taskname__ from task's module
      else:
          helpname = taskname
      localdir = pathsplit[0]
      if localdir == '':
         localdir = '.'
      helpfile=rglob(localdir,helpname+".help")[0]
  
      if os.access(helpfile,os.R_OK):
          fh=open(helpfile,'r')
          ss=fh.readlines()
          fh.close()
          helpString=""
          for line in ss:
              helpString+=line
      else:
          helpString= ''
  
      return helpString
docs: This functions will return useful help as a string read from a file
      in the task's installed directory called "<module>.help".
  
      If no such file can be found, it will simply return an empty string.
  
      Notes
      -----
      The location of the actual help file will be found under the task's
      installed directory using 'irafutils.rglob' to search all sub-dirs to
      find the file. This allows the help file to be either in the tasks
      installed directory or in any sub-directory, such as a "help/" directory.
  
      Parameters
      ----------
      taskname: string
          Value of `__taskname__` for a module/task
  
      taskpath: string
          Value of `__file__` for an installed module which defines the task
  
      Returns
      -------
      helpString: string
          multi-line string read from the file '<taskname>.help'