═══ 1. Introduction: ═══ Auto Launch is a Program Launch Scheduling system for OS/2 V2.1 and Warp. Auto Launch maintains a database of Launch requests. Launch requests specify the details of a Launch Request. They include the Launch Program and its Argument. The Launch Time and ReSchedule options and other Launch Request options can be specified. Auto Launch does not allow you to specify complex dependencies between Launch Requests. If Auto Launch were running on an operating system other than OS/2 this might be considered a short coming. With the features of OS/2, Auto Launch is able to be a simple and powerful system. If you have program dependencies, you should build a Rexx command program to control the processing. With Rexx you can run a program, test for its successful completion, or for the existence of newly created files and run the next appropriate program. Test the Rexx variable RC (Return Code) after running a program to see if the program ran successfully. Use the SysFileTree function to get information about files. See the Rexx Information book in the Information folder for more information about Rexx. See Disclaimer. See Registration. Please see Contacting the Author. Please see Auto Launch Product Location for information on where to find Auto Launch. Please see Known Problems for information about odd Auto Launch behavior. Auto Launch allows you to use Drag & Drop where ever it can. For example, to set a program name, Drag & Drop a program Icon to the Program field. A word of warning about Drag & Drop. If you move the mouse quickly, after starting a Drag operation, OS/2 may decide the mouse pointer is over an item above or below the item you intend to drag. This can lead to the Drag & Drop operation being preformed on the wrong item. You should pay close attention to the warning messages. ═══ 2. Disclaimer: ═══ Keystone Software Corp. makes no representation or warranty with respect to the adequacy of this program or the documentation which describes it for any specific purpose, or with respect to its adequacy to produce any particular result. In no event shall Keystone Software Corp., its employees, its contractors, the authors of the program and documentation, or Watcom (Watcom International Corporation and all of its subsidiaries) be liable for special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, losses, costs, charges, claims, demands or claim for lost profits, fees or expenses of any nature or kind. ═══ 3. Known Problems: ═══ Sometimes there are problems with Auto Launch that have their root cause in Watcom's VXRexx (the tool I use to build Auto Launch) or in IBM's OS/2 Warp. Since Warp comes in many flavors (Connect & Server versions) and FixPacks are available, bugs can exist in some versions and not others. I try my best to code around these problems but that isn't always possible. This section briefly describes the Known Problems and what you might be able to do about them. Please feel free to Contact Me for additional help or if your problem isn't listed here. Sometimes an error message is displayed when OS/2 is shutdown and Auto Launch is still running. I have been able to reduce the frequency of this problem but not completely eliminate it. It has no harmful effect other that the annoyance of having to respond to the message. Users with FixPack 17 applied often can't get to the Auto Launch Information and Registration windows (the z-order problem, Warp loses the window). This makes it difficult to enter the Registration information. I believe there is a correction for this in FixPack 22 and Warp v4 (Merlin). Please Contact Me for an alternative means of entering your Registration-Code. Warp Connect & Server seem to have a problem posting "Change" events for Spin-Buttons. A fix is expected in FixPack 23. IBM doesn't make all FixPacks available to the general public. Since FixPack 22 is generally available, 23 probably won't be. You may have to look around for FixPack 23 or ask IBM about it or just the Spin-Button fix. Auto Launch uses Spin-Buttons in a few different places, the circumvention depends upon which Spin-Button is being changed. I have added some code to relieve this problem but the code may not cover every case. Thank you very much for your patiences with these problems. ═══ 4. Launch Request Container: ═══ The Launch Request Container displays the pending Launch Requests and optionally the processed requests. ═══ 5. Launch Requests: ═══ The Launch Requests menu item contains options to maintain Launch Requests in the Launch Request Container. Use Create New to Create a New Launch Request. Use Replicate Selected to Create a New Launch Request from a copy of an existing Launch Request. Use Edit/View to Edit or View an existing Launch Request. Use Refresh to Refresh the contents of the Launch Request Container. Set Display History Records to Display processed Launch Requests in the Launch Request Container. Use Delete Selected to Delete the selected Launch Requests from the Launch Request Container. Use Delete Processed to Delete Processed Launch Requests from the Launch Request Container. Select Restart Launch Processing to Restart the Processing of Launch Requests if it has been Suspended. Select Suspend Launch Processing to Suspend the Processing of Launch Requests while you Edit Launch Requests if you need to. ═══ 5.1. Create New: ═══ Use Create New under Launch Requests menu item to Create a New Launch Request. The Launch Detail window will open where you can enter the Launch Request information. ═══ 5.2. Replicate Selected: ═══ Use Replicate Selected under Launch Requests menu item to Create a New Launch Request from a copy of an existing Launch Request. The Launch Detail window will open where you can edit the Launch Request information. Please note that Auto Launch will allow you to create identical Launch Requests, so be careful! ═══ 5.3. Edit/View: ═══ Use Edit/View under Launch Requests menu item to Edit an unprocessed Launch Request or View a processed request. The Launch Detail window will open where you can Edit/View Launch Request information. ═══ 5.4. Refresh: ═══ Use Refresh under Launch Requests menu item to Refresh the contents of the Launch Request Container. ═══ 5.5. Display History Records: ═══ Set Display History Records under Launch Requests menu item to see processed Launch Requests in the Launch Request Container. ═══ 5.6. Delete Selected: ═══ Use Delete Selected under Launch Requests menu item to Delete the selected Launch Requests from the Launch Request Container. ═══ 5.7. Delete Processed: ═══ Use Delete Processed under Launch Requests menu item to Delete Processed Launch Requests from the Launch Request Container. You can Delete All Processed Launch Requests or those that are over 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 or 30 days old. Deleting Processed Launch Requests does not delete pending Launch Requests that have been ReScheduled from Processed Launch Requests. ═══ 5.8. Restart Launch Processing: ═══ Select Restart Launch Processing under Launch Requests menu item to Restart the processing of Launch Requests. See Suspend Launch Processing for more information. ═══ 5.9. Suspend Launch Processing: ═══ Select Suspend Launch Processing under Launch Requests menu item to Suspend the processing of Launch Requests. If for some reason you need to Edit/View Launch Requests without Auto Launch processing Requests, select this option. If you are unable to select this option, stop Auto Launch by whatever means you can. Start Auto Launch from an OS/2 Window with Suspend as a parameter, "ALaunch Suspend". This will start Auto Launch in Suspend mode and allow you to Edit Launch Requests. You can then Restart Auto Launch when you are done. ═══ 6. View: ═══ The View menu item contains options to View Launch Requests in the Launch Request Container. Select Detail to View the Details of Launch Requests. Select Icon for the Icon View of Launch Requests. ═══ 6.1. Detail: ═══ Select Detail under View menu item. View the Details of Launch Requests. ═══ 6.2. Edit/View: ═══ Select Icon under View menu item for the Icon View of Launch Requests. ═══ 6.3. View Auto Launch Book: ═══ The OS/2 "View" program is called to display the Auto Launch documentation. It is the same information that is available under "Help" but the View program allows you to read it from beginning to end more easily. ═══ 7. Launch Detail: ═══ Enter/Edit/View the Details of a Launch Request in this window. This data entry window allows the specification of the Launch Program and its Argument. The Launch Time and ReSchedule options are set in this window. Set other Launch Request options from this window. ═══ 7.1. Program: ═══ The Program field is the full path name of the program or command file to Launch. Enter the full path name or Drag & Drop a program Icon to set the Program field. Or use the Find button to the program to Launch. ═══ 7.2. Program Icon: ═══ The Program Icon is the Icon of the Program or command file to Launch. Drag & Drop a program Icon here to set the Program field. ═══ 7.3. Find Button: ═══ The Program Find Button helps you find the Program or command file to Launch. Press the Find Button and select the Program or Drag & Drop a program Icon here to set the Program field. ═══ 7.4. Argument: ═══ The Argument field is the Argument to be passed to the program or command file to Launch. ═══ 7.5. Start Parameters: ═══ Auto Launch uses the OS/2 Start Command to Launch programs. Auto Launch constructs the Start Command from the Program and Argument and Start Parameters fields. Auto Launch includes the Start Command Parameters you enter in the Start Parameters field. Use Start Command Parameters with care, inconsistent parameters can cause the Launch to fail. Use the Radio buttons and Check boxes to aid in entering Start Command Parameters or enter them yourself in the entry field. Generally you will not need to enter any Start Command Parameters beyond the defaults. This is particularly true if you use Rexx programs to control the work. The OS/2 "Exit" command will close the window when you are done, so you won't need any Start Parameters to do that. If however you have special needs, this is the place to enter them. See Start in Command Reference for more information about the OS/2 Start Command and its Parameters. The Show Launch Command Button opens a display window showing the Auto Launch constructed OS/2 Start Command as it would be executed by Auto Launch at Launch Time. You can Run the command to see how it will perform. You can change the command, for testing, but the changes are NOT reflected back to the Launch Detail window. Only Run the command if it is safe to do so. Click on OK to return to the Launch Detail window. Remember to update the Start Parameters field with any changes. ═══ 7.6. Launch Status: ═══ The Status of this Launch Request. ═══ 7.7. Launch Time: ═══ Enter the Date and Time the program or command file is to be Launched. Click with the right mouse button to open the Date and Time window that will aid in the entry of the Date and Time. ═══ 7.8. Processed: ═══ The Date and Time the Launch Request was processed. A Launch Request is considered Processed if it was successfully Launched or not. ═══ 7.9. Late Launch Option: ═══ The Late Launch Options specify what to do if the Auto Launch system is not running when a Launch Request should have run. Auto Launch will run a Launch Request if the system becomes available within one half hour of the requested Launch Time. The options are to "Run anyway", "Run if same day", "Run if within 1 hour" or "Don't Run". The options that Launch the program late must be used with care. Requests with short ReSchedule times can result in Launching multiple invocations of the same program. ═══ 7.10. ReSchedule Type: ═══ The ReSchedule Type options define the ReScheduling of the Launch Request. When the Launch Request is processed, it is ReScheduled to Launch again in the future. The request is ReScheduled whether the Launch succeeds or not. The ReSchedule options are "Don't", "In x Minutes", "In x Hours", "In x Days", "In x Weeks", "In x Months" and "On Last Day of Month". A one time only Launch Request has a ReSchedule Type of "Don't". To ReSchedule the Launch Request again in minutes, hours, days, weeks or months enter a value in the Period field. To have the request Launch on the last day of each month select that option. Be careful using the "In x Minutes" option with a small number of minutes. Take special care using this option with the Late Launch Option of "Run anyway" as this may cause your system to be flooded with multiple invocations of the program if your system is down for a while. See ReSchedule Limit for information about limiting the number of time a Launch Request is ReScheduled. ═══ 7.11. Period: ═══ The Period field specifies the number of minutes, hours, days, weeks or months used with the ReSchedule Type option. ═══ 7.12. ReSchedule Limit: ═══ The ReSchedule Limit Check Box and field specify the number of times the Launch Request is to be ReScheduled. The ReSchedule Limit has no meaning if the ReSchedule Type option is "Don't". For other values of the ReSchedule Type option if the Limit Check Box in not checked the there is no Limit. If checked and the Limit value is "Null", there is no Limit. The Limit value is the number of times to ReSchedule. The value is tested before ReScheduling, if it is greater-than one (1) the Launch Request is ReScheduled and the value is decremented by one (1). If the Limit value is zero (0) the Launch Request is not ReScheduled. See ReSchedule Type option, for more information on ReScheduling Launch Requests. ═══ 7.13. Retain Days: ═══ The Retain Days field specifies the number of days to Retain (keep) processed Launch Requests. Processed Launch Requests are kept in the Auto Launch database for the number of days specified in the Retain Days field. A large Retain Days value will cause processed requests to build up in the database. Auto Launch deletes old requests every hour. A request with a Retain Days value of zero (0) will remain in the database for up to one (1) hour, if Auto Launch is up and processing. Requests with a ReSchedule Type of "In x Minutes" and a small Period should have a Retain Days value of zero (0) or one (1), so as not to keep too many records in the database. ═══ 7.14. OK Button: ═══ The OK Button accepts the new or updated Launch Request. ═══ 7.15. Cancel Button: ═══ The Cancel Button Cancels the new entry of or updates to the Launch Request. ═══ 8. Date and Time: ═══ Use this window to enter a Date and if requested a Time. Use the spin buttons to select the year and month. Use the push buttons to select the day. If a time is requested, use the spin buttons to select the hour and minute. Click on OK to return the selected date and time or Cancel to exit without setting a date and time. ═══ 9. Settings: ═══ Select Settings to open the Settings notebook. The View Page contains View options and the Start Minimized option. ═══ 10. View Page: ═══ On the View Page of the Settings notebook you can select the View option for the Launch Request container to Icon or Detail. You can also select to display processed (History) records. You can also choose to have Auto Launch start itself Minimized. Close the Settings notebook to save the settings. ═══ 10.1. Start Minimized: ═══ You can also choose to have Auto Launch start itself Minimized. Once you have your Launch Requests defined you won't need to interact with the Auto Launch system. You can check this setting to have Auto Launch minimize itself when ever it starts. You will most likely have it started from its shadow in the StartUp folder. Closing the Settings notebook saves all your settings in ALaunch.Ini, this file is read when Auto Launch is started and sets Auto Launch with your settings. ═══ 11. Registration: ═══ Auto Launch is sold as Shareware: "Try before you buy". If you like Auto Launch and haven't registered and paid for your copy, you should do so. You have 30 days to try Auto Launch after which you should register or stop using it. You will have another 30 days after sending your registration fee, to allow time to receive and enter your registration code, after which Auto Launch may stop working, undo your settings or just continue to remind you to register. The registration fee is $30.00 U.S. for check and credit card payments and $36.00 when paying through CompuServe SWReg ID: 5896. Checks must be drawn on U.S. banks and payable in the U.S.A. Credit card sales are through EDI Tech. You can bring up the Registration menu by pressing {Ctrl}R while the Auto Launch window has the focus or by selecting "Registration" from the context menu. You can bring up the context menu by clicking on the window with the mouse button #2 or pressing {Shift}F10 while the Auto Launch window has the focus. If you pay by credit card, you can send the registration information by e-mail. See: Contacting the Author. Also see how to put the registration information in the clipboard, below. Fill in the requested information and print the registration form if you wish to mail it with your check or credit card information. Please contact Louis LaBrunda with any questions or for volume discount information. You can find the latest version of Auto Launch in the IBM OS/2 Users Forum (Go OS2USER) on CompuServe. Your registration code will work with all V1.x versions. Be sure to enter your name the way you wish it to be displayed in the Information window. Your name is used in the Registration-Code verification process. Your name and Registration-Code are linked and must by entered in the Registration window for your copy of Auto Launch to be considered Registered. Your address is necessary for us to return your Registration-Code by Mail. Your Comments are also welcome. Clicking on "Create/Print Form" will create the file "RegForm.Txt" and open a Printer List window. The contents of the registration form are also placed in the clipboard. You can print the form by selecting a printer and clicking on "Print". You can also exit without printing the form and send the "RegForm.Txt" via e-mail or print it in any way you choose. If you use CIM for OS/2 or some other CompuServe or e-mail interface, the registration form image can be inserted from the clipboard into an e-mail message. If you choose not to register Auto Launch and wish to remove it from your system, just delete the Auto Launch folder, and the folder that VRObj.DLL is stored in probably C:\VXRexx. If you have VXRexx or any other product of Keystone Software Corp. or of others that use VRObj.DLL, don't delete that folder or the directory in which VRObj.DLL is stored. You can also delete the Auto Launch Desktop Object. Since Auto Launch is sold as shareware it may be distributed by anyone as long as it is complete and no more than a reasonable media fee is charged. See Disclaimer. ═══ 12. Contacting the Author: ═══ You can reach Louis LaBrunda and Keystone Software Corp. at: Louis LaBrunda Keystone Software Corp. P.O. Box 265 Liberty Corner, NJ 07938-0265 Voice: 908-647-5905 CompuServe: 71604,1662 Internet: 71604.1662@compuserve.com HomePage: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Louis_LaBrunda Please contact us about your OS/2 consulting and software needs. ═══ 13. Product Location: ═══ Auto Launch can be found on the Keystone Software Corp. HomePage: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Louis_LaBrunda It can also be found in the IBM OS/2 User Forum on CompuServe (GO OS2USER), and other Forums. Search for ALnch* to find the latest version. KSC products can also be found on many BBS's and FTP sites. Keystone is working on a new larger Web site that will contain more of its products and be capable of FTP transfers. ═══ 14. Desktop Object: ═══ This Menu option will create a Desktop Program Object you can use to start the Auto Launch program. It may also create a shadow in the StartUp folder, that causes Auto Launch to be started by OS/2 when it boots. The Install process creates the same objects, but if they have somehow been lost or corrupted, this option will recreate them for you. ═══ 15. Watcom's VRObj.DLL: ═══ Auto Launch requires Watcom's VXRexx VRObj.DLL runtime library, version 2.1 patch level "D". It can be found as VRObj21D.Zip on BBS's, FTP sites, in the IBM OS/2 User Forum on CompuServe and on the KSC WEB page. See: Contacting the Author and Product Location. If you already have this or a later version of VRObj.DLL you don't need to get it again. You may have other programs that use VRObj.DLL, if so, you may have more than one copy of the file. You only need the latest version and having older versions can cause problems. When starting, Auto Launch or one of your other programs may complain about the version of VRObj.DLL running and ask if it should continue. If you get this message, you probably have an old version around somewhere. If you allow the program to continue, it may run just fine, or it may behave in an odd manner, or not run at all. DLLs are shared in memory by programs written to use them. If an old program runs and causes an old version of a DLL to be loaded it will run properly. Subsequently loaded programs that require a newer version will not cause the newer version of the DLL to replace the older version in memory; the older version of the DLL may not be able to support the newer program properly. You can use the OS/2 "Find" tool on the LaunchPad or "Seek and Scan Files" from the Productivity folder to locate all the copies of VRObj.DLL. Be careful and only delete the older versions. Auto Launch puts VRObj.DLL in the C:\VXRexx folder or where ever you chose at installation time. This folder or a folder where you keep DLLs is a good place to keep it. The folder name should be in the "LibPath" statement in your "ConFig.SYS" file.