Media Share 9/MEDIASHARE_09.ISO/comm/esccmm10.zip/README.CMM

Text File | 1993-04-04 | 15KB | 347 lines

                           CMMenu system interface

        CMMenu - (see - em - enu) and CMMcust (see - em - cust) by
        Chris Mann of 1:157/100.30

     INDEX

        1.0  ... INDEX
        1.1  ... DEFINITION
        1.2  ... PURPOSE
        1.4  ... CLOSER LOOK
          a. ... HELP
          b. ... MOUSE CONTROL
          c. ... THE MENUS
          d. ... FUNCTION KEYS
          e. ... USER DEFINED PROGRAMS
          f. ... SEARCH STRINGS
          g. ... CLOCK
          h. ... COLOR SETUP
          i. ... CALENDAR
          j. ... SYSTEM INFO
          k. ... SCREEN BLANK
          l. ... CMB
          m. ... DESQview SETUP

     DEFINITION:

        The program CMMenu provides a pull down, mousable menu system.
        Interfaced through a simple or complex dos batch file which
        accepts errorlevel exits produce by user choice per menu item
        selection.

        CMMcust customizes CMMenu to the end user's preference.
        CMB is a file browsing utility

     PURPOSE:

        Menuize an application, a series of applications or an entire
        system.

     A CLOSER LOOK:

        The CMMenu program is an elaborate, configurable, customizable
        menu which exits with an errorlevel ascending from low to high.
        The first item in the CMMenu is the letter A. A = errorlevel 2,
        B = errorlevel 3 etc. In other words, errorlevel exits can be
        defined starting from 2 through 37. Additionally function keys
        F3 through F10 can be assigned to errorlevel exits 38 through
        45 respectively.

        If you are NOT using CMMenu with ESC you must know enough about
        dos batch files to create them and understand how errorlevel
        exits work. An errorlevel isn't an error at all. It is a value
        which is passed from a program to a specific memory location.
        This value (0 - 255) can be read by the command processor
        (command.com) and handled according to a high level language
        common to dos called BATCH. The batch language is very limited
        but is perhaps the easiest of all interpretive languages.

        Error levels are interpreted from highest to lowest. When
        declaring them within your batch file you must present an
        option to be performed on the highest numeric value before
        a lower one. Otherwise the lower value will be accepted and
        processed first. In otherwords there is a fall through factor.
        Once the errorlevel is caught, the command processor proceeds
        to the next line of instruction. If that line processes a
        lesser errorlevel value, it will be executed unless you send
        the command  processor to another line using a goto [label]
        statement. Please refer to some dos batch guide for more
        information on how batch files function. Looking at the
        MAIL.BAT will give you some clue as to how this works.

     Help function (hypertext) F1 for CMMenu and CMB (online help)

        This document will not go into great detail concerning the
        operation of CMMenu because there is extensive help (F1)
        built into the program itself. Help uses hypertext logic to
        move you through the topics. CMB (a file browser) also has
        online help from the F1 key.

        Before any menu boxes have been opened, pressing F1 or
        clicking for help will present you with the choice to
        view customizing options or the help INDEX. The first is
        to help you along with the customizing program CMMcust and
        the second will give you the following list of selections.

        Once CMMenu is up press F1 to see a list of help.

        Using Help . . . . . . . . . . . . <0
        CMMenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <1
        Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . <2
        Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <3
        Mouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <4
        Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <5
        Shelling to DOS. . . . . . . . . . <6
        Errorlevels. . . . . . . . . . . . <7
        User Defined Programs. . . . . . . <8
        Customizing. . . . . . . . . . . . <9
        Calendar, Disk, Mem, Scrn Blanker. <10
        General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . <11
        Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <12

        If a menu selection box has been opened and F1 is pressed, or
        the mouse button has been clicked you will be presented with
        help for the particular feature which was highlighted.

        Help is available as long as you are at the menu interface.
        Color Help is available when you are in the CMMenu customizing
        program which will be explained later.

        When you run CMMenu you will see the menu bar similar to this.

        ╓──────────────────────────< esc = quit >─────────────────────────╖
        ║ Mailer Menu   1 - Utilities    2 - Utilities   Squish Maint.    ║
        ╙────────────────────────< f2 = dos shell >───────────────────────╜

        As you can see, there are 4 menu SECTIONS denoted by four menu
        bar labels. Each section will pull down with the ENTER key or
        mouse button to reveal up to a ten selectable items.

     Mouse control - F1 (4)

        See this help for a full description on the mouse control
        features.

        There are some short cuts for the mouse.
        By moving the mouse cursor to the red diamond in the upper left
        corner (help screen) and clicking the left button you will be
        moved to the previous linked (hypertext) help screen. Press the
        left button and you exit help altogether.

        Pressing both buttons will bring you to the index no matter
        where you are in help.

        Click the left button twice for help. Once to select the
        highlighted item and once to open the window.

        The right button always closes a window.

     The Menus

        All four SECTION names can be customized by the CMMcust program.
        You can provide a name for each SECTION up to 15 characters and
        define each section's selection tokens.  You may use letters,
        numbers and any printable characters.

        ╓──────────────────────────────< e
        ║ Mailer Menu     1 - Utilitie
        ╙────────────────────────────< f2

           ╓────────────────────────╖
           ║  A  Msgs Read/Write    ║
           ║  B  Poll Boss          ║
           ║  C  Toss Mail In       ║
           ║  D  AutoAdd New Areas  ║
           ║  E  Wimm Mail Search   ║
           ║  F  ESC Editor Mode    ║
           ║  G  Poll Timer         ║
           ║  H  Poll Maker         ║
           ║  I  Pack Mail To Go    ║
           ║  J  Bink/Unattended    ║
           ╙────────────────────────╜

        You can name each item selector any printable key in any order.
        You can describe each function with anything which will fit in
        the 20 spaces allotted by invoking CMMcust and altering the
        interface.

     Function keys (defining)

        Function keys F3 - F10 are definable if the underlying batch
        file will catch errorlevels ending at 45 and starting at 38.

        Here's a simple batch file using CMMenu and the function key
        10. By calling it FUNC10.BAT, placing it and CMMenu.exe in
        the same directory and typing FUNC10 at the dos prompt you'll
        see the CMMenu interface. If you press F10 you will see one
        message. Any other key will produce another.

     @echo off
     CMMenu
     if not errorlevel 45 goto wrongkey
     echo CMMenu and F10 demo
     echo FUNCTION KEY 10!
     goto rightkey
     :wrongkey
     echo Some key other than F10 has been pressed!
     :rightkey
     pause

        All the menu items are called in like manner. The errorlevels
        progress from 2 through 37 for the normal selections from the
        four menu sections. The first 3 sections allow 10 definitions.
        Section one starts with errorlevel exit 2 and ends with 11.
        Section two starts with 12 and ends with 21. Section three
        begins with 22 and ends with 31. The last section allows for
        the errorlevel exits from 32 through 37. As stated before, 38
        through 45 are reserved for function keys F3 through F10.

     User defined programs F1 (8)

        Now might be a good time to run CMMcust in order to give you
        a better panorama of its potential. If you are using ESC with
        CMMenu it might be a good idea to inspect what is there
        rather than altering anything until you have a handle on how
        your mailer setup and the underlying MAIL.BAT function.

        You may declare and define 4 external programs from CMMcust.

        Assuming you are operating CMMenu with the ESC setup, move
        the menu bar selector to  2 - Utilities. Press enter or the
        left mouse button and select item B - CMMenu Customizer.

        Page down until you see "User Defined Program Descriptions".
        Cursor down until you are on item 37. Now type something
        like "ESC Color Settings". You can push any extra letter off
        the end with your space bar or use your delete key. You can
        then move to the line where you see "Pro. 1:".
        Type "Escutil -c" (don't type the quotes) and press ENTER.
        Now press your Esc key to quit and save your changes.

        You have just created a program description and call up for
        a program. You will then be placed in the same spot you left
        from. Open up the last selection from the menu bar titled
        "Squish Maint.". You will see a selection defined exactly as
        you created it in the CMMenu Customizer. Cursor down and
        select the item. You should see the Esc color selection
        utility for the Quick Menus. This doesn't apply to CMMenu
        but provides an easy and reliable example of how to produce
        any type of program call up for anything you wish to add to
        the menu interface. You can go back into the Customizer and
        remove the definition and call up. You can define the other
        three if you wish. You can run CMMcust alone at the dos
        prompt by simply typing CMMCUST.

     Search string - F1 help (4) Customizing

        You can have CMMenu search for any file on your system and
        alert you if it is found each time you invoke the menu.
        In this example we'll run MAIL.BAT which in turn starts the
        CMMenu interface.

        The primary reason for this is to let you know when you have
        a file (mail perhaps) in your mailer's inbound file area. The
        function isn't limited to that and we'll use an example which
        will likely work even if you don't have mail in your inbound.

        Once again choose item B (CMMenu Customizer) from the third
        menu. Page down to the box which contains;

        "This is the search string area."

        Your cursor will be on the line which reads "Srch. 1:".
        Type  "Esc.doc" (without the quotes) and cursor down to the
        line which displays "String 1:"
        Type  "Be sure to read the ESC docs!" (without the quotes) and
        press ENTER. Press Esc to save and quit and you will be back
        in the CMMenu at the last item you selected. Providing you
        have ESC.DOC in the current directory you will be greeted with
        the reminder you wrote yourself. Keep in mind that you may
        specify a complete drive and filepath associated with the file
        and that you can use wild cards (* or ?) in the string search.

     Clock - turning it off for a multitasker

        CMMenu has some other conveniences. One of which is a clock
        display if you want it. This is toggled off or on again with
        item B from the the third menu (CMMenu Customizer) by paging
        down to the line which reads "Toggle Clock on/off". Move
        over with your cursor key where you can toggle the online help
        function.

     Colorsetup - F1 (12) Colors

        While you're in the vicinity you can select the menu colors
        with the many combinations just past the options described
        in the paragraph above. Navigate with your cursor keys and
        change the numbers to your liking. Once you have made a
        change be sure to press ENTER or move to another line before
        pressing Esc. Otherwise the change(s) will not be registered
        and that change will not take effect.

        Background character - The default is character 177 (decimal).
        The background is the pattern upon which the menus are laid.
        Although the background is quite nice you might want to give
        it a personal touch. Filling the background with the the
        letter 'A' for instance, would require you to change the 177
        to 65.

     Calendar -  F1 (10) - Calendar function

        Hold the control key and press C to reveal an online calendar.
        Page Down and Page Up keys switch months. Control Page Down
        and Control Page up switch years. The cursor keys move you
        about the days within each month. If you want to see what
        day your birthday will fall upon in any year, select the
        month, cursor to the day of your birth, hold the Control key
        and press the page up and page down keys.

     System info - F1 (10) - Disk / Memory stats

        Hold the control key and press A.

     Screen Blank - F1 (10) - Blank the screen

        Hold the control key and press B.
        Your screen will be cleared until you press another key.
        The screen blanker only works while you are at the CMMenu
        interface. External programs are not affected.

     CMB - file browser

        CMB has been included. If you choose CMMenu as your menu
        interface CMB will be called upon rather than Vern Buerg's
        LIST program. CMB is freeware with no quest for donations.
        It works well enough with ESC that it has been included for
        the functions required.

     Using CMMenu with other batch files

        You have seen the batch file for using the F10 key. You can
        reconfigure CMMenu to your liking and use any batch file
        which can process errorlevels 2 through 45 to create a menu
        interface for any system which can be controlled through a
        batch file. All that is required is a more than rudimentary
        knowledge of the batch language, a text editor and computer.

     DESQview SETUP

        Use direct screen writes for optimum speed.
        DON'T use virtualized text/graphics

        recommended DESQview setup

        Writes text directly to screen.......: [Y]
        Displays graphics information........: [N]
        Virtualize text/graphics (Y,N,T).....: [N]
        Uses serial ports (Y,N,1,2)..........: [?] - your comm port
        Requires floppy diskette.............: [N]


        The program names and documentation were produced by
        Glen Gilbert of 1:157/534

     End of CMMenu documentation