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SETUP.DOC
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1993-11-11
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SETUP.DOC
IconDOS is configured using simple DOS batch files. IconDOS can be
thought of as providing a graphical front end to a batch file. There
are 2 options available for creating the batch file:
OPTION 1:
Build a batch file for each icon. The name of the batch file becomes
the command string for the icon. Use IconEDIT to actually attach the
command string to the icon. See ICONEDIT.DOC for more details.
As it's final act, the batch file must return to the IconDOS directory,
restart IconDOS and reload your menu. Otherwise, you will be left
staring at the DOS prompt.
OPTION 2:
Use a single batch file to run all the software for all the icons in a
menu. This option is less wasteful of disk space. The provided example
menu, DEMO.MNU, illustrates this approach. In the example, RUN.BAT
executes all commands. Each icon in DEMO.MNU calls RUN.BAT and passes a
parameter. RUN.BAT uses the parameter to decide which set of commands
need to be executed. See DEMO.MNU, RUN.BAT and RUN.DOC for examples and
further info. As it's final act, the batch file must return to the
IconDOS directory, restart IconDOS and re-load your menu. Otherwise,
you will be left staring at the DOS prompt.
The Golden Rule
However you choose to structure your batch file(s) to run your software,
the final step in the batch file(s) must be to return to the directory
where IconDOS is installed, restart IconDOS and reload your menu. This
is the Golden Rule for configuring IconDOS batch files.
IconDOS does not execute your batch file, DOS does. When the user
clicks an icon, IconDOS merely passes the icon's command string to DOS.
IconDOS then ends and DOS picks up the command and executes it just as
if had been manually typed from the keyboard. IconDOS is dead and
completely gone from your computer's memory at this point. This method
of operation eliminates any possibility of interrupt conflicts that can
sometimes occur with menu systems which remain in memory as a TSR. At
the same time, it also guarantees that all DOS memory will be available
to your application software.
The only drawback to the IconDOS modus operandi is that either you or
your batch file must restart IconDOS each time after all other tasks
have beem completed. This is a small price to pay for the guarantee
that your software will always work the same as if you were to manually
run it from the DOS command line. In our opinion, this is the best
possible way for a DOS menu system to operate.
Batch File Tips
DOS and the lowly DOS batch language are capable of much more than most
people realize. For those interested in learning more about batch file
programming, I recommend a book titled "Supercharging MS DOS" by Van
Wolverton, published by MicroSoft Press.
One such unusual capability is dialing the phone. If you have a Hayes
compatible modem installed, it is faily simple to use it to dial
grandma's house. Simply create a batch file called GRANDMA.BAT which
contains the following line:
echo ATDT 9338910>COM1
Of course you must substitute Grandma's number instead of 9338910 and
you must substitute your modem's port if it is not COM1. Be sure to
pick up the phone receiver that is attached to your modem once the modem
starts dialing. Otherwise, most modems will hang up the line after it
has finished dialing the number.
Once you can create a batch file to dial one number, it is fairly simple
to create a batch file phone book which can dial a whole list of
numbers. Taking it one step further, it is also fairly easy to set up
an IconDOS icon to execute this batch file and dial any specific number,
all with the click of a mouse button.