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STAT.DOC
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1991-05-13
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************************************************************************
Statline Version 1.0 May 1991
========================================================================
James Bell 4511 Sherwood Trace Gainesville, FL 32605 (904) 372-3695
************************************************************************
Introduction
Statline is a small utility for the Windows 3.0 environment. Statline
gives you the mode, day, date, time and amount of memory free all
at once.
With Statline you can also launch other Windows applications, keep
a small notepad, close other windows with one click of the mouse,
and exit Windows quickly.
Statline is also light on your resources, when loaded it uses under
20k and is updated about every 10 seconds.
Experienced Windows users can probably just skim this manual and
figure out most of Statline in a few moments using the help display.
Installing Statline
Statline was written to be included on the "load=" line of your WIN.INI
file, but you can just as easily add it to a group in Program Manager
and click on it whenever you like.
If you'd like Statline to be loaded whenever you start Windows:
1. Copy the STAT.EXE file to your Windows directory.
2. Use Notepad to edit you WIN.INI file as follows:
a. Look for the section at the top entitled "[windows]".
b. Find the "load=" line and add "STAT.EXE" to the end of it,
so it reads "load=STAT.EXE".
c. Save the WIN.INI file.
3. You're all set, the next time you start windows Statline will
be loaded.
If you'd prefer to have Statline in one of Program Manager's groups:
1. Copy the STAT.EXE file to your Windows directory.
2. Click on the Program Manager group you'd like Statline to be in.
3. Select "File" then "New..." from the menu, click OK for a new
program item.
4. Give the Command Line as "STAT.EXE", click OK, and you're done.
Using Statline
The Statline display looks something like this:
--------------------------------------------------------------
| '386 Fri Mar 5 12:34 am 7.08 megs [] [] [] [] |
--------------------------------------------------------------
└─────────────────────────────────────┘ └────────────┘
Display Area Function Boxes
The Display Area
****************
As you can see, the Windows mode in this example is '386 Enhanced.
You may also see STND or REAL depending on the mode you use.
The day of the week, date and time are also displayed.
The amount of free memory is last. Note that this amount may
differ from the one reported by Program Manager (Statline's
should be slightly less). EMS (expanded) memory isn't included.
This display is updated every 10 seconds, or when you click the
left mouse button on the display area.
Function Boxes
**************
The System Box
══════════════
At the far right of the Statline display are four boxes, the
first is the System Box, click here to do one of the following:
1. ABOUT - Find out more about Statline.
2. EXIT STATLINE - Close the Statline window.
3. EXIT WINDOWS - Quickly end your Windows session.
4. CANCEL - Cancel the System Box.
5. HELP - Display a help screen.
The Minipad Box
═══════════════
The box left of center gives you a small (about 700 characters)
notepad for notes or whatever. You can cut and copy to the
Windows clipboard, as well as paste from it. Minipad won't let
you paste an area of text larger than its window though.
The contents of the Minipad are NOT saved when you exit Windows,
though this is a possibility for future versions of Statline.
The Quick Run Box
═════════════════
The right-middle box is the Quick Run box, from here you can
quickly run any Windows application simply by double-clicking
on its EXE file. I do not recommend running DOS applications
or non-EXE files with Quick Run.
The Quick Run feature comes in handy for trying out new programs
(e.g. new downloads) without having to install them, or run File
Manager.
In future versions Quick Run will probably also be able to copy,
delete, and move files.
The Skull and Crossbones Box
════════════════════════════
When you click here your cursor will change into a little skull
and crossbones. Now you are in "Point and Close" mode, when you
click with the left mouse button on a window or icon, Statline
will attempt to close down that window. You can use this to shut
down several applications quickly and easily.
You turn off "Point and Close" mode by either clicking with the
right mouse button, or by clicking the left button anywhere on
the Statline Window.
A Few Tips and Notes
********************
1. You can immediately update Statline's display by clicking on
the window with the left button.
2. You can terminate Statline quickly by double clicking the right
mouse button on the Statline window.
3. Currently, Statline is fixed in the lower right corner, I'm
working on making it a moveable window.
4. The Help screen may take a second to load its display. If
you're doing high-speed (9600+ baud) communications at the time,
you might miss a few bits.
5. If you scroll the Quick Run file list all the way down, you
can then click on the [..] or [dir-name] boxes to change
directories.
6. You can't close a DOS window with the "Point and Close"
feature, sorry. Windows just won't allow it.
7. Windows also won't let you end the session with a DOS window
open.
8. You can terminate the Program Manager without exiting Windows
by using the "Point and Close" feature. If you do this by
accident, you can also start Program Manager back up with the
Quick Run feature (Run PROGMAN.EXE in the Windows directory).
9. Don't attempt to "Point and Close" a dialog box, most programs
don't take kindly to this.
10. If you get down to less than about 150k free, Statline's help
bitmap won't load.
About Statline
Statline was created the old fashioned (read: "hard") way with
"C" and the SDK. This original release took about 2 weeks and
is a few hundred lines long.
Statline is my favorite type of program to write, because I wrote
it partially for myself, so even if everyone hates it, I'll use it.
How and Why Should I Register?
Other than to relieve YOUR CONSCIENCE...
1. It's cheap! For $10 I'll send you the latest version of Statline
PLUS a copy of whatever is in the works at the time.
2. Updates, Statline can and will be improved, you'll be notified when
major revisions are made and I'll send you an update for only $5.
3. You can keep a great mind like mine in college where it belongs!
4. You'll sleep MUCH better once that check's in the mail.
So just print out the ORDER.FRM file, fill out a check with lots of
zeros on it, and mail it to me. If the ORDER.FRM file is missing,
or if you have questions/comments/suggestions, you can reach me at:
James Bell
4511 Sherwood Trace
Gainesville, FL 32605
(904) 372-3695
I also read the Fido-net and Rime Windows and Windows-Programming
conferences.
Please be sure to include an extra $2 for postage if you live outside
the US. And be sure your check or money order is in US dollars.
About Me
I'm a CIS major at the University of Florida (I graduate in Spring
of '92, Hire me!). I also wrote the "I" series of icon tools (IEdit,
IInject, IFix, etc.) for creating, and working with Windows icons.
I've also written a stand-alone version of the Quick Run feature, and
a program called Work Groups, to let you start several programs at
once with a single mouse click. In the future Work Groups may be
an integrated feature of Statline.
Thanks for trying Statline!
James Bell 5/12/91
P.S. Windows is TM Microsoft Corp.