Professional Soft Collection 1.02/Professional Soft Collection 1.02.iso/winutils/amish-ut.zip/README.TXT

Text File | 1991-11-05 | 23KB | 552 lines

     Welcome to the Amish System Utilities for Windows
--------------------------------------------------------------

  This README.TXT file contains the full documentation for the Amish
  System Utilities.  Please read this file in its entirety.  If you
  have futher questions, please don't hesitate to call the numbers
  listed below for free technical support.

Amish Software
1325 Mills St. # 1B
Menlo Park, Calif.  94025
USA

Voice:    415-323-4627
Fax:      [phone]
Orders:   800-26-AMISH

EMAIL:    CompuServe: 72711,2507


             Amish System Utilities Registration Form

To register your software, please fill out this form and mail to the
address below.  We will keep you informed of future products and
upgrades.

Name and Title: ____________________________________________________

Company: ___________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________

City, State, ZIP: __________________________________________________

Country: ___________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________    Fax: ___________________________

Please mail or fax the above form, along with any comments to the
address above.


AMISH SYSTEM UTILITIES for WINDOWS
Amish Bundling version

Thank you for purchasing a quality Borland product.  Included with your
package is a free copy of the Amish System Utilities for Windows, whose
retail value is $69.95.  This package includes two useful utilities
that will make using Microsoft Windows faster and easier--Amish Launch
and Amish Desk.



                         USING AMISH SYSTEM UTILITIES

Table of Contents

1.  Installation
2.  Amish Launch
3.  Amish Desk

-----------------
1.  INSTALLATION
-----------------

To install Amish System Utilities on your hard disk,

  1. Start Windows.
  2. Insert the Amish System Utilities disk in your floppy drive.
  3. From the Program Manager, choose File Run.
  4. Type A:INSTALL (or B:INSTALL if you're using drive B) and press
     Enter.
  5. Follow the prompts to complete installation.


----------------
2. AMISH LAUNCH
----------------

Amish Launch will change the way you work with Windows.  Amish Launch
is a shell for Windows that lets you quickly switch between programs
and run programs without using the Program Manager.  You can define
"hotkeys" that let you quickly run programs from the keyboard.  Access
the Amish Launch menu any time by pressing Ctrl Alt L, or by clicking
anywhere on the desktop.  You can customize the menu, which supports
five levels of cascading submenus.  Use the Configure Amish Launch menu
command to customize the menu to your liking.

2.a. Configuring Amish Launch
==============================

Amish Launch creates a default configuration the first time you use
it.  The configuration file is called LAUNCH.INI.

The Configure Amish Launch command on the Amish Launch menu displays
the Launch Setup dialog box, in which you can:

  - Change the mouse button or hotkey that displays the Amish Launch
    menu
  - Select whether the Amish Launch icon appears
  - Specify whether Amish Launch is loaded manually, automatically, or
    acts as a Windows shell
  - Customize the Amish Launch menu
  - Create a Startup list of programs to run whenever you load Windows

After making changes to the Launch Setup dialog box, choose Exit to put
away the box, or Reload Launch to reload Amish Launch with the new
settings in effect.

Changing the Mouse Button or Hotkey
------------------------------------

To change the default mouse button, just click the choice you want under
Mouse.  To change the hotkey that displays the Amish Launch menu, type it
in the Hotkey box.  Amish Launch supports Ctrl, Alt, and Shift, as well
as all the function keys (F1 through F12).  It's a good idea to avoid
specifying a hotkey another program already uses.

Hiding or Displaying the Icon
------------------------------

To specify whether the Amish Launch icon appears or is hidden, choose
the appropriate option under Icon.

Amish Launch Load Options
--------------------------

There are three load options available in the Installation section:
Not Installed, Load with Windows, and Windows Shell.

  - The default is Not Installed.  Amish Launch will not load itself
    with Windows.  You must start Amish Launch from the Program Manager
    or File Manager.

  - If you want Amish Launch to load automatically when you start
    Windows, choose Load with Windows.  This installs Amish Launch in
    WIN.INI's LOAD= or RUN= line.

  - Choose Windows Shell to replace the Program Manager with Amish
    Launch as the Windows shell.  We feel that this is the most efficient
    way to run Windows.  If you wish to continue using Program Manager,
    you can add it to Amish Launch's "Startup" list (covered below) or
    add it to the Amish Launch menu.  (The file name for Program Manager
    is PROGMAN.EXE.)  Note that Amish Launch must be the Windows shell
    before it can load the programs listed in the Startup list.


Customizing the Amish Launch Menu
----------------------------------

When you choose Menu from the Configure Amish Launch dialog box, you get
the Menu dialog box, which contains nine buttons:

  - New Item displays a dialog box where you supply specifications for
    a new menu item.

  - New Submenu adds an item that leads to another menu.

  - New Separator draws a line above the highlighted menu item. Lines
    usually separate groups of related commands.

  - Cut removes the highlighted item and stores it in a paste buffer.

  - Paste inserts the contents of the paste buffer above the highlighted
    menu item.

  - Parent and Submenu are available only when applicable to the
    highlighted menu item. Use these buttons to move between menu levels.

  - OK commits the changes you made in the menu dialog box and closes it.


Creating and Editing Menu Items

Editing a menu item is simple.  You need to enter only two items: the
text that appears on the menu and a command to execute when the item
is chosen.

To edit or create a menu item, choose the Edit or New Item button in
the Menu dialog box, then supply the specifications.  The following
sections explain each part of the dialog box.


The Menu Text

The menu text is the text that appears on the menu.  Just type the
text you want.  To make a character "hot" (so that pressing that
character chooses the command--an alternative to using the arrow
keys), precede the character with an ampersand (&).  The hot character
appears underlined in the menu.  For example, if you enter "Exit
&Windows", the W will be underlined, and pressing W with the menu
displayed chooses the command.

The Command

The Command section includes the name of the program that performs the
operation (including the path, if the program lies in a directory
other than the default working directory).  Commands can include
arguments to programs;  for example, D:\TOOLS\ZIP -p -r *.*.  Type the
command just as you would on the DOS command line.

Amish Launch understands the WIN.INI extensions, so you can launch
data files from the menu, too.  For example, you could put WIN.INI in
the Command section.  This applies uniformly to the Command sections
of the Menu, Startup, and Run dialog boxes.

Amish Launch supports eight special built-in commands for the Command
section.  If you've used earlier versions of Amish Launch, you may
remember putting these commands in the Menu Text section.  They have
been moved to the Command section so you can customize the menu text.

NOTE:  Don't forget to enclose the commands in parentheses.

  --------------------------------------------------------
  Command      Action
  --------------------------------------------------------
  (About)      Displays the About box, which contains free
                 memory and system resource statistics.
  (Run)        Displays the Run box (see section 2.b).
  (Arrange)    Arranges the icons on your desktop.
  (Cascade)    Cascades the windows on your desktop.
  (Tile)       Tiles the windows on your desktop.
  (Close)      Exits Amish Launch.
  (ExitWin)    Displays an Exit Windows box.
  (ExitWin2)   Exits Windows (without confirmation).
  --------------------------------------------------------

The Working Directory

This setting is optional.  Amish Launch changes to this directory
before executing the command.  Some programs (fortunately not many)
expect to be executed from their own directory--they won't find their
configuration or data files if they are run from another directory.
Toolbook is an example of such a program.

If you get this message when you try to Launch a program...

"Cannot find XXXXXX.DLL, insert in drive A"

...you need to specify the working directory (the directory that
contains the program you wish to execute).

The Working Directory option can also be handy if you keep your data
files in one directory and the program in another.  For example, you
could specify C:\WORD\WINWORD.EXE as the command and D:\REPORTS as the
working directory.


Hotkeys

The Hotkey box lets you assign hotkeys to menu items. To specify a
hotkey, just type it in the box, with a space between each key; for
example, Shift Alt H.

Amish Launch supports Ctrl, Alt, and Shift, as well as all the function
keys (F1 through F12).  Again, it's a good idea to avoid specifying a
hotkey another program already uses.

Here are the default hotkeys in Amish Launch:

  -------------------------------------------
  Key          Action
  -------------------------------------------
  Ctrl Alt L   Displays the Amish Launch menu
  Ctrl Alt R   Displays the Run box
  Ctrl Alt C   Invokes Calculator
  Ctrl Alt N   Invokes Notepad
  Ctrl Alt T   Invokes Terminal
  Ctrl Alt W   Invokes Write
  Ctrl Alt P   Invokes Paint
  Ctrl Alt X   Exits Windows
  -------------------------------------------

Once you're familiar with the hotkeys, you may find that you rarely
even see the Amish Launch menu.  Starting programs under Windows
couldn't be faster!


Display Options

The Display Options section of the Menu dialog box lets you specify
how the program appears.  You can specify location and size, and have
the program display minimized, maximized, normal, or even hidden.  (Be
careful when selecting hidden, as you won't be able to see your
window!  This option is useful for small programs that require no
input and exit quickly.)

NOTE:  To select a specific size and location, we recommend using the
Easy Sizing button rather than entering the screen coordinates by
hand.


Creating a Startup List
------------------------

Programs listed in the Amish Launch Startup list run automatically
when you load Windows--if the Installation option in the Launch Setup
dialog box is set to Windows Shell.

To create a Startup List,

  1. Choose Startup from the Launch Setup menu bar.

  2. In the Command box, enter the command that runs the program you
     want to add to the list. Follow the guidelines given in the
     previous section, "Customizing the Amish Launch Menu."

  3. If necessary, specify the directory containing the program.
     Again, follow the guidelines in the previous section.

  4. Specify any display options--see the previous section.

  5. Choose OK.


2.b. The Run Box
=================

The Amish Launch Run box can launch both programs and data files.
Amish Launch will even search your PATH (and the Windows directories)
for the program or data file--you don't need to specify the location.
Amish Launch supports the Extensions section of WIN.INI.  If you enter
README.TXT in the Run box, Amish Launch will start Notepad and open the
file README.TXT.

You enter commands in the Run box just as you would enter them on the
DOS command line.  The Run box keeps track of the most recent
commands, up to 25.  Use the arrow keys to scroll through past
commands or click the down-arrow button to display a list.

The Run box supports multiple wildcards.  For example, you can enter
*.TXT *.DOC.


2.c. Configuration Tips for Advanced and Network Users
=======================================================

Setting the MenuShowDelay and MenuHideDelay settings to 0 (zero) gives
submenus a more responsive feel.  These are Windows settings, not
Amish Launch settings, and go in the WIN.INI Windows section.
Experiment with these settings to find what's most comfortable for
you.

You can put the configuration file (LAUNCH.INI) in the Windows directory
rather than the Amish Launch directory if you prefer.  This way, you
can put Amish Launch in a network subdirectory that everyone shares.
Each user's configuration file and Run history can be stored in his or
her own Windows directory.  The Run history is automatically saved in
the same directory as LAUNCH.INI.


2.d. More Information
======================

Amish Launch requires only 11-18K of RAM while running, whereas the
Program Manager can take up as much as 80K of RAM.  In addition,
Amish Launch uses less of your precious system resources than the
Program Manager; and regardless of how much memory you have,
system resources will often be depleted before memory.  The exact
amounts of memory and system resources Amish Launch uses depends on
the size of the menu, storage for the Run history, and the options
selected.

Amish Launch is written in a combination of 286 assembler and C.  The
majority of Amish Launch is assembler, to keep the program size and
run-time memory requirements to a minimum.  The majority of Configure
Launch is C.  Borland's language tools were used to create Amish
Launch.

-----------------------------------------
3. Amish Desk
   Virtual Desktop for Microsoft Windows
-----------------------------------------

One of the best things about using Windows is that you can run several
programs at once.  Unfortunately, to fit more than one of your
favorite applications onscreen, you must either keep one application
large and minimize the others or you must keep each application's
window small (and often less functional).  To effectively use Windows'
multi-tasking ability, you must be satisfied to work on your
application inside a small window or you must learn to juggle icons.
Until now.  Amish Desk is the solution to this problem, and we think
you're going to like the freedom it provides.

Imagine that your monitor is much bigger--three times wider and three
times taller!  While it would give you the extra space you need to
properly organize your applications (up to NINE full-size
applications!), it would be a bit overwhelming.  Now imagine that the
front of that monitor is covered with a large piece of cardboard.  The
cardboard covers the entire screen (and most of that overwhelming
data!), except there's one hole in the cardboard the size of a normal
monitor.  That hole lets you view one (normal-sized) monitor's worth
of data.  You can easily move the hole to let you see any of the other
eight screens.  You have the best of both worlds: a large workspace on
which to organize your applications, and a way to separate what you
want to look at from the other applications onscreen.  Amish Desk
gives you this ability.


3.a. Running Amish Desk
========================

You can set up your "virtual" desktop to be up to eight screens wide
and eight screens tall.  We'll call each of these screens a "virtual
screen." For example, a virtual desktop configured to three screens
wide and three screens tall gives us nine virtual screens. Each virtual
screen represents a different monitor-sized view of the virtual desktop.
The "window boxes" are the rectangles on Amish Desk outlined in a solid
line. The window boxes represent open windows in the corresponding
area of the desktop.

NOTE:  The best way to understand how Amish Desk works is to
experiment with it.

Once Amish Desk is running, you can use the right mouse button to
select which virtual screen to look at.  Amish Desk appears either as
an icon or as a normal-size application (called map mode); you can
select virtual screens in either mode.  A snap-to grid can be turned on
and off.  Depending on whether the grid is on or off, Amish Desk
looks and works two different ways.  If the grid is on, there is a
limited number of virtual screens you can look at.  Think of having nine
monitors in a square arrangement, but only being able to turn on one at
a time.  The grid appears as dashed lines (both in map mode and icon
mode). If the grid is off, there is one window box on the Amish Desk and
no dashed lines visible. The window box can be moved much like
the cardboard in the preceding analogy--you can place the window
box (the "hole" in the cardboard) anywhere on the virtual desktop.  Move
the window box by clicking the right mouse button and dragging or by
simply clicking where the center of the monitor-sized view of the desktop
is to be.

NOTE: If the snap-to grid is on, you can override it by holding the
Shift key down as you click the right mouse button and drag to a
new spot.

You can navigate around Amish Desk using the cursor keys,
including Home, End, PageUp, and PageDown for diagonal movement.


Map Mode vs. Icon Mode
-----------------------

Amish Desk indicates the content and layout of your virtual desktop in
both map mode and icon mode.  Map mode has additional features not
accessible in icon mode.  For instance, you can make an application
active by double-clicking the window box that represents the application.
You can restore an icon by double-clicking a box that represents an
icon in Amish Desk.  Moving a box in Amish Desk moves the corresponding
application on the virtual desktop.


3.b. Menu Operations and Options
=================================

The menu operations can be found on the System menu.  To access
the System menu, click once on the icon or, in map mode, either click
the bar in the top left corner or press Alt Spacebar.  The last three menu
choices of the System menu are Amish Desk options; the first seven are
available in most Windows applications.


Amish Desk Options
-------------------

Choosing Set Options from the System menu displays a dialog box with
the following options:

  - Keep Window at Front tells Amish Desk to keep its icon or map display
    on top of any window you open.  This is useful if you are switching
    between virtual screens often.

  - Snap Desktop to Grid divides the virtual desktop into normal-monitor-
    sized cells for viewing.  For example, if your virtual desktop is three
    screens wide and three screens high, you can choose to view an area
    represented by any of those nine virtual screens.  Clicking the right
    mouse button in a cell on the map or icon displays the part of the desktop
    represented by one of those nine screens. By turning this option off, you
    can look at any monitor-sized section of your desktop.

    NOTE:  If this option is on, you can override the grid by pressing the
    Shift key down as you click the right mouse button and drag to a new
    spot.

  - Track Active Window, when on, moves your position on the virtual
    desktop (the screen you see) to give the best view of the newly selected
    window when you change the active window with Alt Esc or Alt Tab.

  - Update Desktop Map updates the Amish Desk map of the desktop
    every second.  Normally this is fine, as you can see windows appearing
    as they are created.  On some slower systems this may cause delays
    or slow response, so you can turn this feature off.  If you do, the map
    display updates only when you click on Amish Desk.

  - Snap Application Window to Grid If determines how close a window
    box must be to the grid so that it's pulled to the grid.  When moving
    application windows around on the Amish Desk map, you may want them
    to be aligned on the grid (if the grid is enabled).  The value here
    defines how close (in pixels on the map display) the top left corner
    of the application window has to be to a grid point (the corner of a
    virtual screen) for the window to be snapped to that grid point. This
    option works only if you have Snap Desktop to Grid enabled.  To turn
    off this feature, give a distance value of 0 pixels.

  - Virtual Desktop Size determines how big Amish Desk makes your
    array of available virtual screens.  Remember, they all have to show
    on the icon.

  - Display Application Windows Using determines how Amish Desk
    displays windows on its map. There are three choices:

    - Just the Title Bar displays the text from each window's title along the
       top of the window box.
    - The Application's Icon displays the application's icon in the center
      of the window box.
    - Both the Title Bar and the Icon displays combination of both of the
      above options.

  - On Closing Amish Desk determines what Amish Desk does with all
    the windows on the virtual desktop when you close it.  Remember
    that Windows can't deal with such a large desktop, so Amish Desk
    must return things to a format that Windows can handle.  There are
    four options:

    - Scale Desktop to Screen  moves all windows onto the screen, giving
      them a position that roughly denotes where each one's upper left
      corner was on the virtual desktop.
    - Cascade All Windows moves all windows onto the screen, offsetting
      each one a little to the right and down from the previous window.
    - Tile All Windows moves all windows onto the screen and arranges
      them so that they're roughly equal in size and cover the entire screen.
    - Do Nothing leaves all windows in their current positions.  The windows
      won't be lost, but you'll need to use Windows' Task Manager (press
      Alt Esc) to access them.

All option settings are saved in a file called AMDESK.INI in the Windows
directory.  Also saved are the window position and whether Amish Desk was
minimized. The items are saved every time you click OK.

You can add Amish Desk to the Amish Launch menu.  If you do this when
Amish Desk is already running, attempting to re-run it just activates the
existing Amish Desk display.




(c) 1991 Amish Software

The photograph used in the Amish Desk About box is by Bill Coleman
who has been photographing the Amish for 15 years.  He can be
reached at 301 South Garner Ave., State College, PA  16801, (814)
238-8495.
-------------------END OF README.TXT-----------------