Instructions for use of the files in this zip file: First of all, this is a very basic design. I developed this menu a long time ago before I really knew a lot about ToolBook. If I had to reconstruct it today, I probably could not. All I know is that it works, and that I can add to it. The information the menu actually gives me is the topic that the student chooses from the main menu page. The scripts only work to keep time if I go from page 1 to any other page. That is why some buttons only give the user access to another button on another page that then runs a book. Advantage here also is to provide some instructions. Take a look mainly at the book script, page script, and button scripts. There are obviously some hidden text fields that are used for storing the information gathered by the scripts. There are probably many ways of doing this and doing it in a more streamlined manner! Files included in menu.zip: 1. menu.txt This file 2. pccmenu.csv The text file where the data is stored 3. timber1.tbk Notes: 1. I have created a runtime directory called tbook. That is where the runtime files are located. I have then created a subdirectory called timber where the files timber1.tbk and pccmenu.csv are located along with all of my chemistry books. The biology books are pathed to a different location as well as the DOS apps that I run from this interface. Check all scripts and note that if you make changes to this structure those scripts should be altered to show new paths. This is of primary importance for the pccmenu.csv file that collects the data. 2. You could add a hidden field to store systime but note that it is set to seconds to allow me to subtract two numbers for the time on task field. I guess this could be changed back somewhere along the way. 3. If you press NO to my copyright notice, and then get locked up,which is the point, there is a small hidden text field in the upper right corner that removes the pirate symbol if you doubleclick the right mouse button. This negative feedback has not intimidated too many people but at least is a way of letting the students know this is a serious thing. I actually have a log file there called badboy.csv that collects the names, provided they are legitimate names of those that are playing around with me. I then play around with those people just to let them know I am watching what is going on. 4. Note some lines in book script that have --- in front of them. At the final edit of your file you could remove the --- and save the book. This then eliminates a lot of keystroke combinations from your users. It also locks you out of author mode, so in case you did not know this, you can break into the book script or any other script by holding down both shift keys while the script is running. Just do this in the first 3 or 4 seconds of opening the book with toolbook.exe, exit the debugger and you are back in the book. There is also a bug in this if you run the program. Just rem out the line where the bug occurs, save the script, do not save the book, and do a CTRL-X to exit the book. If you don't want any headaches, just ignore this part of the book script. It's good for me because I don't want the students to learn any keystroke combinations such as the CTRL-L and CTRL-R arrows since this would then screw up the record keeping. 5. An added feature on pages that only have 1 option is a page script that sends the program back to page 1 after a certain amount of time. This is for some of my students that don't quite do a good job of reading the prompts on the screen. Otherwise Joe User who can't read would get credit for 4 hours for doing a quiz pak when all he did was give me his name, go the the page with the quiz pak button, maybe do 5 minutes of it, decide that this is not his thing, exit quiz pak, and walk out of the lab. You can change the time to fit your needs. 6. Also related to this is that I have set the page script for menu page to not store information for anyone who just goes to another page and back without really doing anything. This is set to 5 seconds. You could change this. I just got a lot of useless data before I added this option. 7. All books have been pathed to run with tbook.exe in the c:\tbook directory. 8. No exit button. I don't even want my students to know that Windows exits. I have created an icon to run the main menu book, then placed that icon in the STARTUP program group. I then place win command in autoexec.bat so that when the machine is turned on, the menu comes up. A bright student could figure this out or might know about CTRL-ESC to get the Task Manager. You could change your shell to tbook.exe instead of progman.exe. This requires changing the system.ini file in your windows directory. Don't do this if the computers are used for anything else. However you could still use ToolBook as a front end for any other windows or DOS apps using run commands. You will always go back to the menu page. 9. This books works on 640x480x256. If you have a higher screen resolution, then you need to delete the line in the book script that changes the boundaries of the main window. I really like this for my lab because I don't want my students to push the minimize button or move the window. All of my toolbook books are set up this way. Good luck and hope you find some use for this. You may email me at tomhall@delphi.com for comments. As stated earlier, I could not rebuild this if I had too but will try to advise on changes that you could make. ONE FINAL NOTE: I am in the process of rewriting my book "Utilizing ToolBook to Develop Multimedia Presentations" to fit the new vesion of ToolBook. There will be 2 versions, one to go with ToolBook 3.0 and another to go with Multimedia ToolBook 3.0. The first version will have an floppy disk for applications while the second will have a CD-ROM with all files from the first version plus multimedia applications. I will be soliciting applications over the next few months so if you are interested in sharing samples of your work with the rest of the world let me know. I will have you sign a permission form allowing me to distribute your work. I will advise you to create a title screen, giving yourself credit, while I will also place a short bio in the text. In the application section of the book I will include any written information you wish to include as far as what you did, why, how, and who is using the application. This I will do with an email interview with you. The book will be available Fall of 1995. I am interested in any curriculum area with any type of multimedia you have incorporated.