Copyright: Copyright ® 1996 Text Tiles Software


  Tyler Table of Contents

Tyler Overview

How to Use Tyler

The Five Step Test

Programs Tyler Works With

Tyler Menu

Unable to Launch Associated Program Dialog

Associations List Dialog

Add/Edit Association Dialog

Registration

Copyright and Trademarks


Tyler Overview

Tyler is a utility designed to improve your productivity by organizing windows more logically both in screen position and placement within the Windows task list.  With Tyler you can make better use of programs such as Word Pad, Paint, Explorer and even internet browser programs such as Netscape Navigator.

Tyler encourages the concept of keeping multiple instances of the same program open at once.  With simple applications such as Word Pad,  Paint and Explorer, this helps facilitate the exchange of information from one document to another.  For example, you can move files from one location to another by dragging and dropping from one Explorer program to another, or you can copy portions of a document from one Word Pad window to another document in another Word Pad window.

Tyler improves the way you work with multiple instances of the same program in the following ways:

1.  As you switch from one program to another, all windows of the same group stay together.  For example, if you task switch from a Paint window over to an Explorer window,  all other Explorer windows surface.

2.  The tile functions of Tyler arrange all instances of the same program with respect to one another, so windows of the same group don't overlap.  This maximizes the window surface of each program instance and allows you to drag and drop from one window to another without the widows competing for screen space.  For example,  if a Word Pad window is on top and you choose the option Tile Group Horizontally all Word Pad windows tile in a horizontal fashion, allowing you to easily copy contents of one document into another.

3.  With the New Window feature of Tyler, you can quickly bring up a new instance of  the current program.

4.  Tyler allows you to minimize all active windows, so you can quickly access items on your desktop.  After minimizing all windows, you can quickly restore the windows to their original positions with the Undo Minimize All feature.

See Also:

The Five Step Test


How to Use Tyler

Tyler was designed to work with Windows 95.  With Tyler installed and running, you will find the Tyler icon on the Windows 95 Shell Tray, most often at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen beside the system clock:

Click on the Tyler icon to access the Tyler menu:

It is recommended that Tyler reside in your StartUp group, so that the program is always active and accessible each time you go into Windows.

See Also:

The Five Step Test

Tyler Menu

Programs Tyler Works With

Tyler Overview


The Five Step Test

To help you decide if Tyler is useful to you, try this simple five step test demonstrating the Tyler feature set:

1.  Launch the Explorer application as you normally would.

2. Click on New Window from the Tyler menu.  The Tyler menu is found by clicking on the Tyler [image] icon on the Shell Tray of the Windows 95 Task Bar.  This is found most often at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen beside the system clock.  When you select New Window, a new instance of the Explorer program immediately appears.

3.  Click on the Tyler menu option Tile Group Horizontally.  Both Explorer windows tile in a horizontal  fashion, making it easier for you to copy files by dragging and dropping from one Explorer window to another.

4. 	Switch over to another non-Explorer program and switch back to one of the Explorer programs again.  Notice that both Explorer windows surface together as if they are both bonded together as one program.

5. 	Click on Minimize All from the Tyler menu.  This minimizes all windows, providing quick access to your desktop.  When you are finished with your desktop click on Undo Minimize All to restore all windows to their original position.


Programs Tyler Works With

Windows Programs:

Tyler enhances the document driven concepts of Window 95 where the focus is on documents rather than programs.   In a document driven operating system, Single Document Interface (SDI) programs are common.  Programs such as WordPad, Media Player, Paint, Notepad and Sound Recorder are good examples of SDI programs because only one document appears in each instance of these programs at a given time.  Tyler was designed to work primarily with SDI programs such as these, organizing these programs more efficiently on your desktop.

Internet Browsers:

The internet is quickly moving in an object oriented direction where SDI programs are commonplace.   Netscape Navigator and Microsofts Internet Explorer are two SDI internet browsers well suited for Tyler's abilities. Tyler can quickly bring up new instances of your browser program and can help you manage the resulting windows on your desktop.  This can be useful when you wish to view two different sites on the internet at once or when you wish to perform multiple searches from different search engines at once.

Utilities:

With the New Window feature and tiling capabilities of Tyler, Windows Explorer behaves more like its predecessor, File Manager.  With Tyler present, it is easier to copy files from one directory to another simply by dragging and dropping from one Explorer window to another.

You may find Tyler useful with many other utilities too.  Using the My Computer utility (found on the desktop), you will naturally open several windows representing various file folders.  Managing these windows as you task switch from one program to another is easier with Tyler because Tyler keeps these windows all together in the task list.


Tyler Menu

Use the Tyler menu as described below:

New Window	This option creates a new instance of the top most program.  For example, if Word Pad is the top most window, selecting this menu option brings up a new instance of the Word Pad program.  If  the current program is not defined in the associations list, selecting this item brings up the Unable to Launch Associated Program dialog requesting the necessary information.  See Unable to Launch Associated Program Dialog.

Cascade Group	Tiles all programs that match the top most window in a cascade fashion, exposing all titles of each window in the group.

Tile Group Horizontally	Horizontally tiles all program that match the top most window.  For example, if the Explorer window is on top, selecting this option brings all other Explorer programs to the foreground and neatly tiles them together in a horizontal fashion.

Tile Group Vertically 	Vertically tiles all program that match the top most window.  For example, if the Paint window is on top, selecting this option brings all other Paint applications to the foreground and neatly tiles them together in a vertical fashion.

Minimize Group	This option minimizes all windows that match the top most window.

Undo Minimize Group	Restores all windows to their original position before the last Minimize Group.

Minimize All	This option minimizes all windows, giving you quick access to your desktop.

Undo Minimize All	Restores all windows to their original positions before the last Minimize All.

Activate Group Bond	With this option selected, as you task switch to a new program, all matching programs surface with it.   For example, when you click on an Explorer window in the background, not only does that window surface, but all other Explorer programs surface too.

Associations List	An association is a link between a window class (a group name) and a program.  Associations tell Tyler what program to run when the New Window option is selected.  When you click on the New Window option, Tyler gets the class name of the top most window, looks up the class name in the associations list and runs the corresponding program.  The Associations List option allows advanced users to edit the associations list.  See Associations List Dialog.

Register	You may use Tyler free for the first 30 days, but you must purchase the registered version after 30 days.  This option tells you how to purchase a registered copy of Tyler.  See Registration.

Help 	Brings up the program help.

About Tyler	Gives version number and other general information.

Exit Tyler	Select this option to inactivate and exit Tyler.


Unable to Launch Associated Program Dialog

An association is a link between a window group name (window class) and a program.  When the New Window menu item is selected, Tyler gets the window class name of the top most window, finds its association in the associations list, then launches the appropriate program.

Tyler comes configured with a standard associations list which has a number of pre-defined associations.

You must configure Tyler to recognize other programs not found in the pre-defined list.  When you choose New Window from the Tyler menu and the Unable to Launch Associated Program dialog appears, this means you don't have a program associated with the top window.

To establish an association, use the field of this dialog box as described below:

Program Path and Name	Enter the full path and file name of the program used to launch the current top most window.

Arguments	Some programs allow you to pass an argument such as a file name, telling the program what document to open first.  Enter such optional parameters here.

Start In Directory	This optional field tells Tyler which directory should be the current directory when the program is launched.

Top Window Group Name	This tells you the class name of the top window.  The program name you specify will be associated with this name.

Top Window Caption	This tells you the caption of the top window so you are sure to create an association for the right window.

OK	When you click this button Tyler attempts to launch the specified program.

Cancel	Click this button to close the dialog without taking any action.

Browse	This feature lets you fill in the Program Path and Name field by first allowing you to browse through your file directory structure to find the appropriate program.

Once youve entered the necessary information and press OK, Tyler retains this information for the next time you choose New Window.


Associations List Dialog

The Associations List dialog appears when you choose the Associations List menu item.  This is a feature for advanced users who want to make more programs available for the New Window option.

Use the features of this dialog box as described below:

Associations	This is a list of class names showing all the associations established so far.

Close	Closes the dialog box.

Add	Allows you to add a new association to the list.  See Add/Edit Association Dialog.

Edit	Allows you to edit the currently selected association.  See Add/Edit Association Dialog.

Delete	Allows you to delete the currently selected association.

Associated Program	Shows the program name associated with the selected window class name.

Arguments	Shows the arguments passed when Tyler launches the current program.

Start In Directory	Shows the directory Tyler sets as default when the current program is launched.


 Add/Edit Association Dialog

The Add/Edit New Association dialog appears when you choose Add or Edit from the Associations List dialog.  This dialog box allows you to add or edit an association.  Use the fields of this dialog as described below:

Window Group Name	Enter the class name of the window for which the association is to be established.

Program Path and Name	Enter the full path and file name of the program to be associated with the specified window class (group name).

Arguments	Some programs allow you to pass an argument such as a file name, telling the program what document to open first.  Enter such optional parameters here.

Start In Directory	This optional field tells Tyler which directory should be the current directory when the program is launched.

OK	Click this button to save the changes you've made to this association.

Cancel	Click this button to close the dialog without taking any action.

Browse	This feature lets you fill in the Program Path and Name field by first allowing you to browse through your file directory structure to find the appropriate program.


 Registration

This is a shareware version of Tyler which you may use free of charge for the first 30 days.  If you would like to continue using Tyler after 30 days you must purchase the registered version.

To order the registered version of Tyler print (File|Print Topic) the following form, fill in the necessary information and mail it to the address below along with a check or money order.

Mail to:

Text Tiles Software

1780 West 9000 South Suite 141

West Jordan, Ut.

84088

Make checks payable to Text Tiles Software.


Copyright and Trademarks

The exclusive copyright for this software is held by Text Tiles Software, and the following restrictions apply to anyone wishing to distribute or sell copies.  This is not free software, and should not be represented as such.

No one may distribute or sell this software for profit or otherwise without a prior written agreement with Text Tiles Software.  Such agreements generally incur a fee or royalty payment, and are required for inclusion in a commercial software package or on a CD-ROM (or any other medium) created for distributing or selling as a shareware collection.

Note:  Windows 95, and Internet Explorer are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.  Word Pad, Paint, Explorer, Media Player, Notepad, Sound Recorder and My Computer are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.  Netscape Navigator is a registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation.  Other product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.