AppSetup Index
AppSetup 4.0

by

NEVERnever Software

What is AppSetup?

New in AppSetup 4.0?

AppSetup Functions?

In Main Window

In System Window

In Shell Window

In Sound Window

History?

UserWare?

Contact?


What?
What is AppSetup?

AppSetup is a standalone setup program for AppBar. It is an easy way to edit the APPBAR.INI file which contains all the settings for AppBar. You can launch AppSetup from AppBar and restart AppBar after exiting AppBar to use new settings for AppBar.


New?

In AppSetup 4.0 the following things are new,

- Implemented the of use of Ctl3d.dll.

- Added a help system.

- Added Shell and About dialogwindows.

- Shell dialog window includes editwindows for the load= & run= lines of win.ini.

-	Fixed a bug, it is now possible to uninstall AppBar as shell. (by unchecking the AppBar is Shell checkbox)

-	Added a "No Sound" option for each program to prevent AppBar to play the ProgramStart sound when the program is launched or when a file is dropped on it's button.


Functions?

The AppSetup functions provide an easy way to set the setting of the APPBAR.INI file, and thus an easy way to manipulate to behaviour of AppBar. (Between brackets are the discussed lines in APPBAR.INI)

Main Window ([Buttons] section in APPBAR.INI)

IconBar

The IconBar with five icons and a scrollbar are used to select the current icon. The background of the current icon is made black. With the scrollbar and by clicking on an icon you can change the current selection. Only the settings of the current icon can be changed.

Program XX (ProgramXX=)

This edit window specifies the name of the file which will be launched from AppBar when its button is pushed. The specified name doesn't have to be an executable: if it isn't, the associated executable will be launched with the given file as parameter.

Parameters XX (ParamsXX=)

This edit window specifies the parameters given to ProgramXX when it is launched from AppBar. The parameters XX will only be used when Program XX is an executable.

Working Directory XX (DirXX=)

This edit window specifies the directory to which the current directory is changed before launching Program XX.

Icon XX (IconNameXX= & IconNumberXX=)

This edit window specifies the name of the file from which the icon is loaded that is displayed by AppBar. With the << and >> buttons beneath the edit window it is possible to walk through a resource file when it contains multiple icons. The name of the icon file is saved at the IconNameXX= line, the number of the selected icon at the IconNumberXX= line.

ShowMode (ShowModeXX =)

The four radio buttons Normal/Maximised/Minimised/MaximumSize specify how a program is launched from AppBar. It can be launched Normal, Full Screen, iconised or a size that fits the  maximum space left by AppBar. In the last case you will have both your program and AppBar visible at the same time, without one overlapping the other. These settings are saved to the ShowModeXX line as 0 (Normal), 1 (Maximised), 2 (Minimised), or 3 (MaximumSize).

ButtonLook (ButtonLookXX=)

With this checkbox it is possible to specify whether or not AppBar should display a blank button behind the specified IconXX.

Close Program (CloseXX=)

With this checkbox it is possible to specify if the closing function of AppBar should work for this program. If checked, AppBar will display a greyed button over the specified button when the program is launched from AppBar. After pressing the greyed button, the program will be closed. This function is ignored for DOS applications.

No Sound (NoSoundXX=)

With this checkbox it is possible to specify if the ProgramStart sound has to be played when this program is launched, or the a file is dropped on it's button. This option is useful if you want to use the ProgramStart sound for most of the programs but not for program which themselves play a sound on startup. (for example AppPlay, which just plays a wave file which is dropped on it's icon)

Save

This button saves all changes made with AppSetup to APPBAR.INI.

Exit

This button will close AppSetup. If settings are changed or when the save button is pushed, an Exit dialogue box is shown, asking to save changes and to restart AppBar. Pressing OK will save the changes and will restart AppBar when the Restart checkbox is checked. Pressing No will skip both and close AppSetup.

Browse

With the Browse option it is possible to browse a Program file, Working Directory or Icon file, depending on which edit window has the focus. After browsing a Program, this file will also be inserted as the icon file.

Insert

This button inserts a empty button field at the current icon field. Note that the settings of the last button are lost.

Delete

This button deletes the settings of the current icon, and moves all following button settings one up. An empty button is inserted at the bottom.

MoveUp/MoveDown

These buttons move the current icon one place up or down.


System ( [System] section in APPBAR.INI)

Left (Left=)

This statement specifies where the left side of AppBar is put on the screen. If the default value -1 is specified, AppBar will be placed at the right side of the screen, with the right side of AppBar at the right end of the screen.

Top (Top=)

This statement specifies where the top side of AppBar is put on the screen. If the default value -1 is specified, AppBar will be placed at the top of the screen.

Buttons (Buttons=)

This specifies the number of program buttons that is displayed by AppBar. The maximum number of buttons that can be placed on AppBar is 48. Note that you can have set up more buttons with AppSetup that you will see on AppBar; increase the number of Buttons= in this case.

Columns (Columns=)

This specifies the number of vertical columns that AppBar will display. See the AppBar helpfile for detailed information on this setting.

Border (Border=)

This specifies the size of the border that AppBar will draw around it's buttons. The border size is specified in number of pixels, and can range from 3 to 15. If zero is specified no border will be drawn.

Stay in Front (StayInFront=)

This specifies whether or not AppBar should always be on top.

CloseAll (CloseAll=)

This option is a leftover from earlier versions of AppBar, but it still exists for compatibility and because it is still useful. When it is not checked it turns off the close function for all buttons, and thereby overruling the CloseXX= settings. If it is checked, the use of the close function is determined by the CloseXX= settings.

DoubleClick (DoubleClick=)

With this option it is possible to specify how the AppBar buttons should respond to clicks of the left mouse button. If this option is not specified, (single click mode) AppBar will respond in the following way to clicks with the left mouse button:

MOUSE_CLICK:	launch program, if NOTALIVE

 	bring to from, if still ALIVE

MOUSE_DOUBLECLICK: 	kill program if ALIVE

In double click mode, AppBar will respond in this way on left mouse button clicks:

MOUSE_CLICK:	bring to from, if still ALIVE

MOUSE_DOUBLECLICK: 	launch program, if NOTALIVE

kill program if ALIVE

(The system buttons from the first button only work with single clicks.)

KeyBoard Interface:

AppBar 4.0 has a simple keyboard interface:

ESCAPE:	   	toggles between keyboard interface on/off

ENTER:	   	is MOUSE_CLICK on current button

DELETE:	   	is MOUSE_DOUBLECLICK on current button

UP ARROW:	move current button 1 up

DOWN ARROW: 	move current button 1 down

BigButtons (BigButtons=)

With this option it is possible to specify if the AppBar should display it's buttons with the size of an icon (32x32 pixels), or bigger at the size of 38x38 pixels. If this option is specified AppBar will still use the specified icons for it's buttons, but will display a bigger background button underneath it.

Default

This button will set default settings to the edit windows and checkboxes.

Browse

With this button it is possible to select multiple group files for the ShellGroups edit window.


Shell
Shell ([shell] section in APPBAR.INI)

ShellGroups (ShellGroups=)

With this edit window the names of the groupfiles can be specified which will be executed when AppBar is shell. Multiple filenames must be separated by a single space.

Use AppBar as Shell

This checkbox will be checked when AppBar is already shell. When it is not, and the checkbox is checked when pressing OK, an edit window is shown which will give a path to APPBAR.EXE. This path can be saved at the Shell= line in SYSTEM.INI. If this is saved, a second dialogue box will ask to restart windows, to get AppBar launched as shell. If AppBar was already the Shell and this checkbox is uncheck, AppSetup will deinstall AppBar as shell.

Run&Load

With these two editwindows one can change the settings of the run= & load= lines in win.ini. These lines are used to specify which programs has to be launched at Windows startup.


Sound ( [Sounds] section in APPBAR.INI)

Events

The Sound dialogue window contains six edit windows to specify *.WAV files for the following six AppBar events: AppBar Start, AppBar Exit, Program Start, Program Exit, Windows Exit, Drop File and Error Messages. The contents of each edit window will be saved in the corresponding line in APPBAR.INI.

Sounddirectory (SoundDirectory=)

This setting specifies the default directory for the Browse function.

Enable AppBar Sounds(SoundEnable=)

If this checkbox is checked AppBar will play the specified sounds on the corresponding events.

Test

With this button it is possible to play the current selected sound file.

Browse

With this button wave files can be browsed for the current selected event.

None

This button will put a default value <none> in the current selected event, meaning that AppBar should not play a sound on that event.


History?

1.0	initial release

1.0.1	added initialisation window; improved IniSave().

 	1.0.2	added browse function (only for Windows 3.1); added StartupInitalisation;

    	Improved ExitDlgBox; improved redrawing icons and whole window;

 	changed .INI file (read and write).

1.1

Ported source to Windows 3.1. Made it STRICT and MACRO API compatible. Uses ExtractIcon and DrawIcon to load and display icons. Optimised IniRead() and IniSave(). Added IconNumber and ButtonLook options. Added Directory Browse to InitDlg and StartDir. Improved InitEndDlg. Changed SystemDlg's look. Added Sound Dlg. Fixed an annoying bug, when AppSetup was launched from AppBar. Fixed some little bugs. Got wrong hDC after receiving WM_PAINT message. Improved looks main Window.

2.0

Changed Button placement. Add Insert/Delete/MoveUp/MoveDown buttons. Max Apps = 48. Add Params Edit Window. Changed look of Edit window slightly. Made edit windows and static texts higher. Add 5th icon. add maximum size option. Made Drag&Drop aware. Fixed problem with browse programs and max columns. Fixed problems with saving new settings in the Delete/Insert/MoveUp/MoveDown and parameter edit Window functions. And also in the LoadExeIcon(). Exit/No will not restart AppBar. If Save button is pushed, Exit Window is shown. Make AppBar shell, will now give full path to AppBar if it can find AppBar, else just APPBAR.EXE in a edit window. Fixed problem with Delete().

  4.0

Implemented use of Ctl3d.dll. Added Shell and About dialogwindows. Added browse to save shelldialog. Added load=&run= lines to shellDialog. Added Help. Fixed bug, now possible to uninstall AppBar as shell. Added No Sound for each program option. Removed QuickExit option, this is now implemented in AppExit. Increased size of the textstring of the radiobuttons (Normal-Max Size). Solved some problems with the NoSound CheckBox.    Changed save method: now all buttonssettings are saved, not just the buttons of which the properties are changed. Made use of APPLIB.DLL library.


UserWare?

AppSetup is a part of the AppBar Package. The AppBar Software is UserWare, no registration, no nothing, just a program to increase the joy of using Windows.


Contact?

geert@ph.tn.tudelft.nl,

and if you want to drink a (Hoegaarden) Beer with me:

Geert van Kempen,

E. du Perronlaan 140,

2624 NA, Delft,

Holland

(You pay the first one, Okay?).

NEVERnever Software 1993.


AppBar is an iconbased program launcher, which will show a ButtonBar of icons somewhere on the screen. AppBar is able to launch a program, bring it to front, and to kill it. It also has special functions to work as Windows Shell.