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Aporia(tm) User Manual
Version 1.4
Copyright 1989, 1990 NewTools, Inc. All rights reserved.
NewTools, Inc.
PO Box 3269
Church Street Station
New York, NY 10008-3269
(718) 789-5980
CONTENTS
CONTENTS..................................................ii
WARRANTY..................................................v
LICENSE...................................................v
REGISTRATION..............................................vi
SUPPORT...................................................vi
DISTRIBUTION .............................................vii
TRADEMARKS................................................viii
1. Chapter 1: Introduction................................1
1.1 The Concepts Behind Aporia........................1
1.2 User Created Tools................................2
1.2.1 Tools are Attached to Files.................2
1.2.2 You Design Your Own Tools...................3
1.3 Overview of the Basic Tools.......................3
1.3.1 Desk Tool...................................3
1.3.2 Directory Tool .............................3
1.3.3 Tree Tool...................................4
1.3.4 Options Tool ...............................4
1.3.5 Copy Tool...................................4
1.3.6 Trash Tool..................................4
1.3.7 Size Tool...................................5
1.3.8 Hide Tool...................................5
1.3.9 Help Tool...................................5
1.3.10 Notes Tool.................................5
2. Chapter 2: Installation................................6
2.1 System Requirements...............................6
2.2 Installing Aporia On Your System..................6
2.2.1 Using Aporia As The Windows Shell...........7
2.2.2 Creating Tools From Program Manager Setup...8
3. Chapter 3: Getting Started, a Tutorial.................9
3.1 Running Aporia....................................9
3.2 Using Tools.......................................10
3.2.1 Moving Tools................................10
3.2.2 Running Tools...............................11
3.2.3 Getting Help On Using Tools.................11
3.3 Creating Tools....................................12
3.3.1 The Tree Tool...............................12
3.3.2 Creating User Tools.........................12
3.3.3 Creating Directory Tools....................13
3.3.4 Using the Copy Tool.........................14
3.4 Using Your Tools..................................14
3.4.1 Running Programs............................14
3.4.2 Running Files...............................14
3.5 Organizing Your Work..............................15
3.5.1 Using Desk Tools............................15
3.5.2 Hide a Desk's Contents......................16
Aporia User Manual ii
3.6 Customizing Tools.................................16
3.6.1 Using the Options Tool......................16
3.6.2 Using the Size Tool.........................18
3.7 Managing Your Files and Directories...............19
3.7.1 Managing Directories........................19
3.7.2 Managing Files..............................20
3.8 Summary...........................................22
4. Chapter 4: Aporia Reference............................23
4.1 Creating Tools....................................23
4.1.1 From a Directory Window.....................23
4.1.2 With the Copy Tool..........................24
4.1.3 Creating Directory Tools....................24
4.2 Running Tools.....................................24
4.2.1 Double-clicking Tools ......................24
4.2.2 Dragging One Tool onto Another..............24
4.2.3 Dragging a File onto a Tool.................25
4.3 Managing Your Tools...............................25
4.3.1 Moving Tools on the Screen..................25
4.3.2 Moving Groups of Tools......................25
4.3.3 Stacking Tools..............................26
4.3.4 Canceling Moves.............................26
4.3.5 Getting Information About a Tool............26
4.3.6 The Aporia Menu.............................26
4.4 The Desk Tool.....................................28
4.4.1 Storing Tools...............................28
4.4.2 Hiding and Displaying a Desk's Contents.....28
4.4.3 Moving Desks................................29
4.4.4 Running Desks...............................29
4.4.5 Removing a Desk.............................29
4.5 The Trash Tool....................................29
4.5.1 Removing Tools and Files....................29
4.5.2 Trash Management............................30
4.6 The Notes Tool....................................30
4.6.1 Notes on Tools..............................30
4.6.2 General Notes...............................31
4.7 The Help Tool.....................................31
4.8 The Copy Tool.....................................32
4.9 The Hide Tool.....................................33
4.10 The Options Tool.................................33
4.10.1 Individual Tool Options....................33
4.10.2 General Aporia Options.....................37
4.11 The Size Tool....................................40
4.11.1 Sizing and Positioning Windows Programs....40
4.11.2 Sizing Aporia Tools........................40
4.12 The Tree Tool....................................41
4.12.1 The Tree Tool Window.......................41
4.12.2 The Tree Tool Menu.........................42
4.12.3 Additional Tree Tool Features..............44
Aporia User Manual iii
4.13 The Directory Tool...............................44
4.13.1 Directory Windows..........................44
4.13.2 Managing Your Files........................46
4.13.3 The Directory Window Menu..................47
4.13.4 Additional Directory Tool Features.........52
5. Chapter 5: Advice for Experts..........................54
5.1 Running Aporia as the Windows Shell...............54
5.2 Passing Arguments to Tools........................54
5.3 Turning Off Trash Management......................55
5.4 Getting Rid of Prompts When Trashing Tools........56
5.5 Desks: Organizing, Repetitious Jobs...............56
5.5.1 Trees of Desks..............................56
5.6 Aporia Tool Files.................................56
5.6.2 Switching Tool Files........................57
5.7 Aporia WIN.INI Settings...........................57
5.8 Aporia on a Network...............................58
5.8.1 Tools and Options...........................58
5.8.2 Where to Locate Your APORIA Directory.......58
5.8.3 Registration on Networks....................59
5.9 Quick Menus.......................................59
5.10 Using Other Screen Blankers......................60
5.11 Large Tools for The Visually Impaired............60
5.12 Layouts..........................................60
6. Chapter 6: Image Maker Utility.........................62
6.1 Running Image Maker...............................62
6.2 The Image Maker Commands..........................63
6.2.1 File Menu...................................63
6.2.2 Capture Menu................................63
6.2.3 Options Menu................................64
6.3 General Notes.....................................64
INDEX.....................................................66
Aporia User Manual iv
WARRANTY
Aporia, and this manual, are provided AS IS without any
warranty, expressed or implied, including but not limited to
fitness for a particular purpose. NEWTOOLS, INC.
SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES. IN NO EVENT
SHALL NEWTOOLS, INC. BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY
OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES
RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT.
LICENSE
Aporia is a SHAREWARE program. It is NOT Public Domain
software nor is it Free software. Aporia requires the user
to register the program if he or she intends to use it
except for the purpose of limited evaluation described
below. Registration grants the user a licence to use Aporia
on a single computer at any one time.
Non-registered users are granted a limited licence to use
Aporia on a trial basis for the purpose of evaluation and
determining if Aporia is suitable for their needs. Use of
Aporia, except for this limited purpose, requires the user
to register the product.
All users of Aporia are granted limited licence to copy the
product only for the trial use by others, subject to the
above limitations, provided that Aporia is copied in its
full and unmodified form. That is, the copy must include all
files necessary to permit full operation of the program,
this licence agreement, registration form and full
documentation. No fee, charge, licence, warranty,
registration obligation or other compensation of any kind
may be accepted by the donor or recipient in exchange for a
copy of Aporia.
Operators of Electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBS Sysops)
may permit Aporia to be downloaded by any user, and any user
may be permitted to upload a copy of Aporia to a BBS, with
the Sysop's permission, provided the above conditions are
met.
Use of non-registered copies of Aporia by any person in
connection with a business, corporation, educational
Aporia User Manual v
establishment or government agency is forbidden. Such users
must register the product and/or purchase a site licence
agreement.
Registered users are granted a license to use this software.
You may use this software on only one computer at any given
time. If you wish to use Aporia in on multiple computers
concurrently, you should register one copy for each
location.
As a registered user, you will be notified of future Aporia
upgrades and revisions and be offered the opportunity to
acquire them at a preferred rate and also, for a limited
time, you will be provided with minor upgrades and bug-fixes
free of charge.
REGISTRATION
If you decide to use Aporia you must register it. The
registration fee is $50 plus $4 for shipping and handling
(for orders outside North America shipping and handling is
$8). You will be sent a disk containing the latest version
of the software and a printed, fully illustrated manual.
When ordering, please use the order form included with the
Aporia distribution files. The form is named ORDER.TXT. You
can print it by changing to the directory where the file is
located and typing:
COPY ORDER.TXT PRN <ENTER>
SUPPORT
Support is available in a variety of ways. If you use either
CompuServe you can leave an electronic mail message for
CompuServe IDs: 73157,461
Or call (718) 789-5980 from 9am to 5pm Eastern time.
Aporia User Manual vi
DISTRIBUTION
You may distribute Aporia freely provided you distribute all
files unaltered and do not charge a distribution fee that
exceeds $7.
Aporia version 1.4 is distributed with the following files:
AP_READ.ME Important information. You should read this
file first.
APLIB.EXE Aporia dynamic link library.
APORIA.EXE Aporia executable.
APORIA.INT This is Chapter 3 (the tutorial) of this
manual in Windows Write format. It is
intended to be read on-line using the Help
tool.
APORIA.GRP This is a Windows 3.0 Program Manager group
file containing icons for Aporia and Image
Maker.
APORIA.MAN This manual in ASCII text format.
AIF_16.EXE Self extracting file containing Aporia image
files for the basic Aporia tools and for
programs supplied with Windows 3.0. This file
contains image files for use systems running
in 16 color EGA, VGA, and SuperVGA display
modes under Windows 3.0.
AIF_256.EXE This is a self extracting compressed file
containing Aporia image files for the basic
Aporia tools and for programs supplied with
Windows 3.0. This file contains image files
for use systems running in 256 color EGA,
VGA, and SuperVGA display modes under Windows
3.0.
AP_ICONS.EXE Self extracting file containing the icons for
the basic Aporia tools in Windows 3.0 icon
(ICO) format.
CHANGES.TXT A list of changes in this release.
IMAGEMKR.EXE Aporia Image Maker utility.
NOTES.TXT Default Aporia note file.
ORDER.TXT Order form for Aporia. Please use this form
when you order.
SETUP_AP.EXE Run this program to setup Aporia on your
system.
Aporia User Manual vii
TRADEMARKS
Aporia(tm) and NewTools(tm) are trademarks of NewTools, Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, and Excel are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.PageMaker is a registered trademarks
of Aldus Corporation. Norton Utilities is a registered
trademark of Peter Norton Computing, Inc.
Aporia User Manual viii
Chapter 1: Introduction
1. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE CONCEPTS BEHIND APORIA
Aporia is a program which provides you with a more
convenient, flexible interface for Microsoft Windows. It
makes Windows easier to use by adding a fully graphical,
object-oriented user interface which lets you customize your
working environment. It gives you a better way to organize
your work by allowing you to display graphically your
programs and data files. Aporia also has the ability to
train your programs to run the same way each time for a
given situation; thus, allowing you to work more
efficiently.
The heart of Aporia is the concept of tools. A tool in
Aporia refers to both the icon that represents the tool and
the object that you attach to the tool. That object can be
any file on your disk drives, including programs and data
files. You can arrange tools on the screen as you like, so
your commonly used programs and files are always immediately
available. Programs can be run by pointing the mouse cursor
over a program's tool and double clicking the mouse button
or by using the mouse to drag a tool for a data file onto
the program's tool.
One of the goals of the tools concept is to make the
programs and files you work with on your computer easier to
find and identify. This is done by letting you give a tool
both an icon and a name. Aporia comes with a large number of
icon styles from which you can choose; and tool names can be
up to 30 characters long. You no longer have to struggle
with the cryptic eight character file names that DOS forces
you to use. Another goal of the tool concept is to allow you
to set up your programs and files so that you can work with
them in exactly the way you like. A tool can store
information about the way in which a program is to run such
as the size of its window, the directory where it runs, and
the file it should initially load.
Aporia comes with a number of basic tools to manage your
work environment. The basic tools work together to allow you
to create, configure, store and even combine the tools that
you create. You use the Desk Tool to store groups of related
tools together. The Directory Tool opens into a directory
Aporia User Manual 1
Chapter 1: Introduction
window that displays a list of the files in a directory
which can be copied, moved, renamed, and sorted. The Tree
Tool displays a graphic representation of your hard disk's
directory structure. Several other tools are used to create,
copy, and customize tools, as well as configure the way they
behave.
Because of the flexibility and power of the tools concept,
Aporia has features that satisfy both the power user and the
computer novice. Novices can create tools for their programs
with one click of the mouse in the directory window. File
management with Aporia is easy and intuitive. Power users
are provided with everything they need to create a fully
customized work environment. Aporia can be used in the
creation of integrated applications on stand alone systems
or on local area networks.
1.2 USER CREATED TOOLS
1.2.1 Tools are Attached to Files
When you create a tool in Aporia you attach it to a
particular file existing on one of your disk drives. In fact
in most cases Aporia attaches the tool to the file for you.
This tool then becomes a graphic representation of the file.
As long as the tool is visible on your display you have easy
access to the file. User tools can be run, no matter what
kind of file they represent. If the file is a program, then
running the tool runs that program. You can also run a tool
by selecting the tool of a data file you want to work with
(such as a document file) and dragging it onto the tool of a
program (such as a word processor).
Since you can see the tools you work with on your desk top
you do not have to worry about remembering short file names
contained in endless directories each containing many files.
Your work becomes much more identifiable. You can
personalize your file, with long names and icons of your
choice. Also, since data files can be run, you don't need to
worry about the programs so much anymore. Just click on your
tool and get to work.
Aporia User Manual 2
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.2.2 You Design Your Own Tools
You can design the tools you create with names that can be
up to 30 characters long and an icon. This icon can be
chosen from over a 100 color and monochrome icons provided
with Aporia. You can also create your icon using a paint
program or by capturing an image from the screen. This
ability to customize your tools appearance can help you to
better organize your work. For example you can give all the
files for a project the same icon. Aporia was designed to
help you get real work done, but we also hope it will help
people to personalize their computing environment. Many
people put works of art or posters on their walls to
personalize their office. Aporia lets you do the same thing
with your electronic office.
1.3 OVERVIEW OF THE BASIC TOOLS
The following is a general overview of each of the basic
tools provided by Aporia:
1.3.1 Desk Tool - Storage
The Desk Tool is a storage place for other tools. Think of
the entire Aporia environment as an office and each Desk
Tool as a desk. In an office there is a desk for the
secretary, a desk for the book keeper, and a desk for the
order entry clerk. Likewise in Aporia you can have a desk
for word processing, a desk for spreadsheets, and a desk for
database management. Since programs, data files, and even
other desks can be placed in Desk Tools, they provide a
powerful tool for organizing your work. Desks can also be
run which means you can run a group of programs with one
click of the mouse.
1.3.2 Directory Tool - File and Tool Management
The Directory Tool has a look and a set of menus similar to
the MS-DOS Executive. While it performs similar functions it
is both more powerful and easier to use. You have any number
of Directory Tools open on screen at a time, each showing a
different directory. Files can be copied and moved between
directories using only the mouse. The Directory Tool also
Aporia User Manual 3
Chapter 1: Introduction
gives you powerful options for customizing how your files
are displayed. You can create permanent subsets of the files
in a directory to create "virtual" directories.
1.3.3 Tree Tool - Directory Management
The Tree Tool works in close conjunction with the Directory
Tool to help manage your hard disk. It displays a graphical
representation of your disk drives' directory structure. You
use it to move quickly from one directory to another,
viewing the files in each directory with a special Directory
Tool that changes as you select a different directory in the
tree. You use the tree to create multiple directory windows
which you can save as Directory Tools. You also use the Tree
Tool to create, remove and rename directories. You can have
any number of Tree Tools open on the screen, each showing
the directories of a different disk drive.
1.3.4 Options Tool - Customizing Tools
The Options Tool lets you set various options for tools such
the icon and name it will have. Aporia comes with over 100
different color and monochrome icons from which you can
choose or you can specify the name of an icon that you
create and capture using the Aporia Image Maker utility. You
have complete control over how and where you want the tool
to run. The Options Tool also lets you set general options
for Aporia such as the size of tool icons and the color,
size and, typeface of tool text.
1.3.5 Copy Tool - Duplicating Tools and Files
The Copy Tool's primary function is to make copies of tools.
You can also use it to copy files, though in most cases you
will want to use Directory Tools for this.
1.3.6 Trash Tool - Removing Tools and Files
The Trash Tool is used to remove both tools and files. It
provides a powerful Trash Management feature which lets you
restore files that you delete accidentally.
Aporia User Manual 4
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.3.7 Size Tool - Sizing Windows and Tools
The Size Tool allows you to set the size of any tool's
window. This is a very powerful utility for customizing your
screen so that each time you run a program it will be
displayed in the same place with the same size.
1.3.8 Hide Tool - Showing and Hiding Tools
The Hide Tool is used to hide any of the tools on your
screen. This is helpful in avoiding a cluttered display. You
also use it to "open" and "close" the drawers of a desk so
that the tools contained in a desk can be put away when not
in use.
1.3.9 Help Tool - Getting Help
The Help Tool provides general help on using Aporia as well
as specific help in using each basic tool. You can customize
the Help Tool to provide help for any tool that you create.
1.3.10 Notes Tool - Keeping Notes
The Notes Tool lets you keep notes for a tool to which you
always have quick and easy access. This is very useful when
you have files, such as graphics files, to which there is no
easy way to add textual information.
Aporia User Manual 5
Chapter 2: Installation
2. CHAPTER 2: INSTALLATION
2.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Aporia will run on any system set up to use Microsoft
Windows 2.0 or later. When running it only uses only about
65 kilobytes of memory.
Aporia requires a mouse or some other type of pointing
device. The graphical, object-oriented nature of Aporia
would make it very awkward to use without a pointing device.
If you don not have space next to your keyboard for a mouse
then consider a track ball takes up less space.
Aporia lets you display your tools with color icons. Some
color icons are provided with Aporia and the Image Maker
program provided lets you capture or create additional
icons. In order to maintain compatibility with all versions
of Windows these icons are stored in a device dependent
bitmap format call Aporia Image Files (AIF). For users of
Windows 3.0 or higher we provide two sets of AIF files. One
set (stored in the self extracting file AIF_16.EXE) is for
EGA, VGA, and SuperVGA display systems running in 16 color
modes. A second set (in file AIF_256.EXE) is for SuperVGA
256 color modes. Users with other types of displays may not
be able to use these icons. Users with VGA monochrome
monitors can use these AIF files provided they have set
Windows to use the VGA color driver (and not "VGA with
monochrome monitor"). If the AIF files provided do not work
with your system you will still be able to use the set of
monochrome icons provided with Aporia or you may use Image
Maker to create your own.
2.2 INSTALLING APORIA ON YOUR SYSTEM
You install Aporia by running the SETUP_AP.EXE setup program
provided on the Aporia distribution disk. The setup program
copies all Aporia program files into the directory where you
have Windows installed. It will also create a directory
named APORIA on the same drive where Windows is installed.
In this directory Aporia will store special files that it
uses. Once you have started Aporia you can change the APORIA
directory to some other directory on any drive that you
Aporia User Manual 6
Chapter 2: Installation
wish. Refer to Chapter 4, Aporia Reference, in the section
on the Options Tool, for an explanation of how to do this.
To install Aporia insert the disk provided into your A:
(floppy) disk drive. At the DOS prompt type:
A:<Enter>
making A: the current drive and then type:
SETUP_AP<Enter>
This runs the Aporia setup program. You will be ask some
questions about how you want Aporia setup. The program will
then copy the Aporia program files into the directory where
you have Windows installed. It will also create a directory
named APORIA on the same drive where Windows is installed.
In this directory Aporia will store special files that it
uses. Once you have started Aporia you can change the APORIA
directory to some other directory on any drive that you
wish. Refer to Chapter 4, Aporia Reference, in the section
on the Options Tool, for an explanation of how to do this.
2.2.1 Using Aporia As The Windows Shell
If you are using Windows 3.0, when the setup program runs
you will be asked if you wish to make Aporia your Windows
shell. This means that each time you run Windows Aporia will
be the first that runs instead of the Program Manager
provided with Windows. By running Aporia as the Windows
shell you will save the memory normally used by the Program
Manager. You can still use the Program Manager by running it
as you would any Windows program. If you decide not to make
Aporia the Windows shell when you run the setup program you
can set it to be the shell later by changing a setting in
the SYSTEM.INI file. Refer to Chapter 5, Advice for Experts,
in the section on Running Aporia as the Windows Shell for
and explanation of how to do this.
When you use Aporia as the Windows shell it ignores the
"Run=" and "Load=" setting in the WIN.INI file. The reason
for this is that Aporia provides a much easier and powerful
way to do this by setting a tool's "Run on Start-up" option.
Using this setting you not only make a tool's program run
when you first start but you can also control the size and
position of its window.
Aporia User Manual 7
Chapter 2: Installation
2.2.2 Creating Tools From Program Manager Setup
When you run Aporia for the first time you will be asked if
you wish to automatically create Aporia tools for all of the
programs you have setup in the Program Manager. A dialog box
will appear listing each of the groups you have setup in
Program Manager. You can select which of these groups you
wish to use to set up tools. For each group you select an
Aporia desk will be created which contains tools for the
same programs and files as set up in the group. This is a
good way to get a quick start with Aporia since your
programs will be available to use with Aporia right away.
Please be patient during this process as it can take Aporia
a while to find all of your groups files and create Aporia
tools. If you prefer not to run this procedure the first
time you run Aporia you can always do so later by using the
Load Tools command found on the system menu which pops up
when you click on the Aporia program icon.
Aporia User Manual 8
Chapter 3: Getting Started
3. CHAPTER 3: GETTING STARTED, A TUTORIAL
The following is a short tutorial to get you familiar with
the basic operation of Aporia. It is assumed that you have
at least a basic knowledge of how to use Windows including
the use of the mouse, menus, scroll bars, and the
manipulation of windows.
Using Aporia to its fullest capabilities requires that you
acquire an understanding of the simple concepts behind it.
This tutorial will attempt to teach you these concepts while
showing you the basic operation of Aporia.
This tutorial assumes that you already have Aporia properly
installed but have not yet set up any of your own tools. If
you have already set up some tools it will not cause you any
problems when using this tutorial, but your screen may
appear differently than as described in this tutorial.
3.1 RUNNING APORIA
How you run Aporia depends upon whether or not you have set
it up as the Windows shell and upon what version of Windows
you are using.
If you have set up Aporia as your Windows shell it will
automatically be the first program loaded each time you run
Windows. Just run Windows as you normally would.
win<E><<enter>>
If Aporia is not the shell and you have Windows 286 or
Windows 3.0 or later, at the DOS prompt type:
win aporia<E><<enter>>
If Aporia is not the shell and you have Windows 386, at the
DOS prompt type:
win386 aporia<E><<enter>>
When Windows comes up on your screen you will see ten icons
along the right side of your screen. These icons are the
basic tools that make up Aporia.
Aporia User Manual 9
Chapter 3: Getting Started
If you let Aporia set up tools from your Program Manager
setup you will also see desk tools corresponding to your
Program Manager groups. To see the tools in a desk double-
click on the desk with the left mouse button. Aporia tries
to organize the tools it creates around the desk they are
stored in. You will probably want you re-arrange the tools
to suit your tastes. Note that when you move a desk the
tools in the desk move along with it. For this reason it's
best to locate tools near to the desk in which they are
stored. If you do not do this you may find that when you
move a desk you will move some of the tools stored in it off
the screen.
Note: The way the tools appear on your display may differ
from the illustrations in this manual depending upon the
type of display adapter (such as EGA, VGA, etc) you have in
your computer.
3.2 USING TOOLS
Aporia tools are visually similar to the icons that Windows
uses to represent minimized programs and the icons in the
Program Manager. They can also be arranged on the screen
using the mouse in much the same way as Windows icons.
3.2.1 Moving Tools
Moving a tool is done by dragging it with the left mouse
button.
Move the mouse cursor over the Tree Tool.
Notice that the cursor changes to look like a hammer. It
does this whenever it is over a tool.
Press and hold down the left mouse button.
The cursor will change to look like a pair of pliers. It
does this whenever you move a tool.
With the left button held down, move the mouse to drag
the tool to another area of the screen.
As you move a tool its image is replaced by an outline. Once
you "put the tool down" by releasing the left button, the
image will return.
Aporia User Manual 10
Chapter 3: Getting Started
Release the left mouse button. The tool will reappear
at the place you dragged it to.
3.2.2 Running Tools
Running a tool is a simple matter of placing the mouse
cursor over the tool and double-clicking the left mouse
button.
Move the mouse cursor over the Tree Tool and double
click the left button.
The Tree Tool will open up to a window displaying the
directories on your hard drive. In the next section you will
learn how to use this tool.
3.2.3 Getting Help On Using Tools
You can get quick help on how to use any of the basic tools
using the Help Tool.
Use the mouse to move the Tree Tool over the Help Tool,
making sure that the upper left corner of the Tree Tool
is over the Help Tool, and release the mouse button.
A dialog box appears explaining the basic information you
need to know to use the Tree Tool.
When you are done reading the help text, click the
mouse button on the OK button in the dialog box to
remove it from the screen.
Help is available for all of the basic tools in this way.
Important: The upper left corner of a tool is its "hot
spot". This means that whenever you move one tool over
another to perform some action, you should make sure that
its upper left corner is over the tool below.
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3.3 CREATING TOOLS
3.3.1 The Tree Tool
The Tree Tool, which should already be open on your screen,
displays a graphical representation of the directory
structure of a disk drive. You use it in conjunction with
Directory Windows to quickly get at your files. Think of the
Tree Tool as a map for your disk drives. With the Tree Tool
you can quickly find a directory and then open a window into
that directory to get to the directory's files. You also use
the Tree Tool to create, delete, and rename directories.
Click on the down arrow in the Tree Tool scroll bars
until the directory where your Windows program files
are located comes into view. If your Windows directory
is on a drive other than the one currently loaded into
the tree, you will first have to use the Drives menu to
change to that drive.
Double click on your Windows directory with the left
mouse button.
A Directory Window will appear on your screen. The Aporia
Directory Window is similar in appearance and function to
the MS-DOS Executive. It displays a listing of all the files
located in one directory.
3.3.2 Creating User Tools
One of the most important uses of Directory Windows is to
allow you to create your own tools. These tools you create
are called user tools. When you create a user, Aporia
creates a new tool which is attached to a file on your disk
drive. This file can be either a program or a data file
(such as a text file).
Using the scroll bars in the Directory Window, find the
listing for the file named NOTEPAD.EXE. You can use the
Directory Window View menu commands just as you do for
the MS-DOS Executive to help you find the file if you
like.
The NOTEPAD.EXE file is the executable file for the Windows
Notepad program. If you have for some reason deleted this
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from your drive you can use any program that will read a
plain text file.
Double click with the right mouse button on the
NOTEPAD.EXE file listing.
A new tool named "notepad.exe" will appear in the upper
right corner of your screen.
Using the mouse, move the tool you just created to an
open area of your screen.
3.3.3 Creating Directory Tools
Aporia Directory Windows can be created in a number of
different ways, each of which has its own advantages. The
way you just did it is useful when you want to quickly open
multiple Directory Windows in different directories. Another
way is to use the Tree Tool Options menu to create a
Directory Window that is "attached" to the tree. This window
always displays the directory that is currently highlighted
in the tree.
The third, and possibly most powerful way to create a
Directory Window is with a Directory Tool. The advantage of
using Directory Tools is that they save any settings you
make in their Directory Windows, thus allowing you to store
"views" of the files you work with that match the way you
work.
Make sure that the Directory Window for your Windows
directory is still open on your screen. Using the
mouse, open the Special menu in the Directory Window
and choose the Make Directory Tool command.
A new Directory Tool will appear in the upper right corner
of your screen. From now on each time you double click the
left mouse button on this tool a Directory Window will
appear displaying your Windows directory.
With the Directory Window for your Windows directory
still open, find the file named AP_READ.ME and double
click the right button on over it.
A tool named "AP_READ.ME" will appear on your screen.
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3.3.4 Using the Copy Tool
Another way to create a new tool is with the Copy Tool. You
will now use the Copy Tool to create a new Desk Tool which
later on you will use to store all of the tools you are
creating.
Using the mouse drag the Desk Tool (which by default is
located at the upper right corner of your screen) onto
the Copy Tool and release the mouse button.
A new Desk Tool will appear on the right side of your
screen.
Move the newly created Desk Tool to an open area of
your screen.
When a tool is copied it will have the same appearance as
the tool from which it is was copied. Later on you will
learn how to customize your tools so that each one has a
unique look.
3.4 USING YOUR TOOLS
You should now have four new tools on your screen. Pretty
icons are nice but the real power of tools is in using them.
All Aporia tools, whether basic tools such as the Desk and
Directory Tools you created, or user tools such as the
Notepad program or text file, are run by double clicking on
them with the left mouse button.
3.4.1 Running Programs
Move the mouse cursor over the "notepad.exe" tool and
double click the left mouse button.
The Notepad program will run, opening a window on your
screen.
Close the Notepad program.
3.4.2 Running Files
Files can be run by dragging their tools onto the tool of
the program you want them to run in. This causes the program
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tool to run, and load the file associated with the tool to
be loaded.
Move the mouse cursor over the "ap_read.me" tool. Hold
down the left mouse button, drag the tool over the
"notepad.exe" tool, and release the button.
The Notepad program will run with the AP_READ.ME file
loaded.
3.5 ORGANIZING YOUR WORK
One of the most powerful features of Aporia is the ability
it gives you to organize your work. The primary tool you use
to do this is the Desk Tool.
3.5.1 Using Desk Tools
The Desk Tool acts as a container for other tools. All of
the tools you create are stored in Desk Tool drawers. Desk
drawers can be opened and closed, allowing you to display or
hide the tools inside. By using desks you can group related
programs and files together.
Using the mouse, drag the "ap_read.me" tool onto the
Desk Tool you created earlier.
Aporia prompts you to confirm that you want to place the
tool into the desk's drawer.
Click on the OK button to confirm.
Now drag the Directory Tool you created onto this Desk
Tool also.
Aporia will display the same prompt again.
Click on the OK button to confirm.
You now have two tools in this Desk Tool.
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3.5.2 Hide a Desk's Contents
When you are done using a desk you can close its drawer,
that is hide what it contains, by double clicking on it with
the left mouse button.
Double click over the desk you created with the left
mouse button.
The directory and "ap_read.me" tools disappear.
Double click over your Desk Tool again.
The directory and "ap_read.me" tools reappear.
3.6 CUSTOMIZING TOOLS
Aporia provides a large number of ways for you to customize
your tools. You change a tool's icon, its name, and tell the
tool how you want it to run. Only a few of the most
important options will be covered in this tutorial. To
learn, more refer to Chapter 4, Aporia Reference.
3.6.1 Using the Options Tool
Changing Tool Names
Most of the customizing you will perform on tools will be
done with the Options Tool. Let's use it now to customize
the tools you just created.
Drag the Desk Tool you created onto the Options Tool.
The Options Tool dialog box appears. You use this dialog to
customize all of the different types of tools. Note that not
all of the options have an effect on all of the tools.
The Displayed Name field should be highlighted.
Type: Aporia Tutor<Enter>.
The Options Tool dialog box will disappear and the name of
the Desk Tool is now changed to "Aporia Tutor."
Drag the Directory Tool you created onto the Options
Tool.
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In the Displayed Name field type: Windows<Enter>.
The Directory Tool's name is now "Windows."
Changing Tool Icons
Aporia uses two types of icons. There are color icons which
are stored as separate files and there are "built-in"
monochrome icons which are stored within the Aporia program.
The color icons bring you the advantages of full color and
the ability to create your own icons. The monochrome icons
will work with any type of display running any version of
Windows.
You will now use the "notepad.exe" tool you created earlier
to learn how to use the two types of icons.
Drag the "notepad.exe" tool onto the Options Tool.
If you system is set up to use the color icons you will the
text "NOTEPAD" in the Image File field of the Options Tool
dialog box. This is the name of the Aporia image file (AIF)
for the Notepad program provided with Aporia. Notice that
the Options dialog also displays the image for the Notepad
program just as it appears on the tool you created. When you
created this tool Aporia searched for an AIF file with the
same name as the program.
Press the <Tab> key three times until the Image File
field is highlighted. When the field is highlighted
press the <Delete> key.
When you remove the name from the Image File field the image
displayed in the Options dialog changes to display one of
the built-in monochrome icons. Also a scroll bar appears
below the icon. Using this scroll bar you can choose from
the many monochrome icons. Try using the scroll bar now to
view the various icons.
Make sure the cursor is still in the Image File field
and type: notepad
The icon displayed will change back to the color Notepad
icon and the scroll bar will disappear. You can enter the
name of any AIF file stored in your IMAGES in this field.
Refer to Chapter 4 in the section on the Options Tool for
description of AIF files and the IMAGES directory.
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Tools Without Icons
One important benefit to being able to name your tools is
that it allows you to give files names which are much longer
(up to 30 characters) than the eight character limit imposed
by MS-DOS. This can make it much easier to identify files.
When you give a tool a particularly long name you may want
to turn off the icon for that tool. The icon for a tool
always stretches to be as wide as the name. With a long name
an icon can take up a lot of space on the screen and may
become distorted in appearance.
Drag the "ap_read.me" tool onto the Options Tool.
Press the <Tab> key once, highlighting the "Displayed
Name" field and type: Aporia Readme File
In the box labeled "Show..." click on the check box
labeled "Image" to turn off that option.
Click on the OK button to close the dialog box.
The name of the "ap_read.me" tool has changed to "Aporia
Readme File."
3.6.2 Using the Size Tool
The ability to run multiple programs in different windows
has always been one of Windows most useful features. The
annoying thing about this is that when you run multiple
programs you have to size and move each one to create an
arrangement that works well for you. With Aporia this is no
longer a problem. Using the Size Tool can store the size and
position of a tool's window so that each time you run the
tool its window will appear in a size and position that you
choose.
Let's size the "Notepad" tool.
Double click the left mouse button over the "Notepad"
tool to run it.
Size and move the Notepad window to any position you
like.
Drag the "Notepad" tool onto the Size Tool.
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A dialog box appears giving you the options to either set
the tool's window size or to clear it.
Click on the OK button.
The size cursor appears.
Move the cursor over the title of the Notepad window
and click the left button.
3.7 MANAGING YOUR FILES AND DIRECTORIES WITH APORIA
Aporia has powerful tools for managing the files on your
hard drive. The primary tools for file management are the
tree and Directory Tools.
3.7.1 Managing Directories
As you have already seen, the Tree Tool provides a graphical
display of the directories on a disk drive. It can be used
as a way to create Directory Windows. You also use the Tree
Tool to create, delete, and rename directories.
Creating a Directory
Creating a directory with the Tree Tool is easy. You simply
select the directory in which you want the new directory to
be located, choose the Create command from the Directories
menu, and enter the name you wish to give to the new
directory. Let's create a new directory in the Aporia
directory on your "C" drive.
Make sure the Tree Tool is open and that the current
drive is "C".
Find the"APORIA" directory and select it by clicking on
it with the left mouse button.
From the Directories menu choose the Create command.
A dialog box appears prompting you to enter the name of the
directory you wish to create.
Type: temp<Enter>
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The dialog box disappears and a the "TEMP" directory appears
beneath the "APORIA" directory.
3.7.2 Managing Files
You use Directory Windows for most of your file management
needs.
Using the Tree Tool Directory Window
Earlier you created a Directory Window by clicking on a
directory in the tree and by using Directory Tools. Another
way is to create a Directory Window which is attached to the
Tree Tool. The benefit of this type of Directory Window is
that as you change the selected directory in the tree the
Directory Window is updated to show its files. You turn this
window on and off using the Tree Tool Options menu.
From the Options menu choose the Directory Window
command.
A Directory Window appears displaying the currently selected
directory.
Click the left mouse button on the "APORIA\TEMP"
directory to select it.
Selecting Files
You select files in a Directory Window by clicking on them
with the mouse or with the cursor keys. Selected files have
their text and background colors reversed. Since the
"APORIA\TEMP" directory is empty, you will now open another
directory that has files in it.
Double click the left mouse button on the "Windows"
Directory Tool you created earlier.
A Directory Window for the your Windows directory appears.
Click the left mouse button on the first file listed in
the window.
Additional files can be selected by holding down the
<Control> key while you click with the mouse.
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Hold down the <Control> key and click on another file.
You should now have two files selected.
Copying Files
You can copy files by selecting the ones you want to copy
and dragging them to the Directory Window you want to copy
them to.
In the Directory Window for the Windows directory first
locate the cursor over the file you want to copy and
then press and hold down the left mouse button.
The cursor changes to a graphic representation of a file
being copied as illustrated above.
Holding down the left button, move the cursor over the
window for the"APORIA/TEMP" directory and release the
button.
A dialog box appears asking you to confirm the copy.
Click on the OK button to confirm.
The cursor changes to an hour glass while the files are
copied.
Moving files
You can move files from one directory or drive to another
just as you copy them. The only difference is that to move
files you use the right mouse button.
Deleting Files
Deleting files is similar to copying them except that
instead of dragging the file onto another Directory Window
you drag it onto the Trash Tool.
In the "APORIA\TEMP" Directory Window locate the cursor
over the file you want to delete and then press and
hold down the left mouse button.
The copy cursor appears.
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With the left button still down, move the cursor over
the Trash Tool and release the button.
A dialog box appears prompting you to confirm that you want
to delete the files.
Click the mouse button on the OK button to delete the
files.
Deleting Directories
To delete a directory, select the one you want to delete in
the Tree Tool and use the Delete command. You can not delete
a directory if it contains any files.
Select the APORIA\TEMP directory, open the Directories
menu and choose the Delete command.
A dialog box appears asking you to confirm.
Click on the OK button to carry out the deletion.
3.8 SUMMARY
You have now learned the basic functions of Aporia. You
should now be able to:
1. Create user tools.
2. Use the Copy Tool to make new Desk Tools.
3. Use the Desk Tool to organize your tools.
4. Use the Tree Tool to view and manage directories and
make Directory Tools.
5. Use Directory Windows to manage your files.
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4. CHAPTER 4: APORIA REFERENCE
This chapter of the manual contains a detailed description
of each of the Aporia basic tools, how to create your own
tools, and how to manage the tools you have created. If you
are new to Aporia you probably want to read the first three
chapters before getting to this one. Examples are give in
this chapter only for those functions not covered in the
tutorial (Chapter 3).
4.1 CREATING TOOLS
There are number of ways to create tools. Any tool can be
duplicated using the Copy Tool. User tools can be created
from Directory Windows. Directory Tools can be created from
Directory Windows and from the Tree Tool.
4.1.1 Creating User Tools from a Directory Window
The easiest way to create new user tools from the files on
your disk drives is from a Directory Window. To create a new
tool just double-click with the right mouse button over the
name of the file in the Directory Window that you want to
make into a tool. The new tool will appear on the screen and
flash momentarily so you can easily spot it.
You can also create user tools using the Directory Window
Make User Tool command found on the Special menu. The
advantage of using this command is that it lets you create a
number of tools at once. To use it first select the files
you wish to make tools for and then choose the command.
Refer to the section on Directory Tools in this chapter for
a complete description of how this command is used.
When you create new tools they will initially be stored in
which ever desk the tool you created them with is in. When
you are going to create a large number of tools that will
all go into the same Desk Tool, first store the directory or
Tree Tool you are going to create them with in that desk.
This will save you from having to copy each of the tools
into this desk after you create them.
When you create a new tool Aporia searches in the IMAGES
directory for an Aporia image file with the same base name
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as the file you are creating the tool for. If such a file
exists it will be used as the image file for this tool. If
you wish you can later change the image file to something
else.
4.1.2 Creating Tools with the Copy Tool
You can create new tools by duplicating an existing tool
with the Copy Tool. This is the only way to create new basic
tools other than with Directory Tools. Tools created this
way inherit all of the settings of the tool they were
created from except for the tool's window size. Refer to
Chapter 3, Getting Started for an example of how to use the
Copy Tool.
4.1.3 Creating Directory Tools
Directory Tools can be created from Copy Tools, Tree Tools,
and Directory Windows. In the Tree Tool window they are
created by double-clicking the right button over the
directory you want to create the tool for. From Directory
Windows you create them using the Make Directory Tool
command on the Special menu.
4.2 RUNNING TOOLS
To use tools you run them. There are two ways to run a tool:
double-clicking on it or dragging another tool onto it:
4.2.1 Double-clicking Tools
To double-click, put the cursor (which will change to a
hammer when over a tool) onto the tool, and press and
release the left mouse button twice quickly. The tool will
flash, and the cursor will change to an hourglass, and the
program attached to the tool will run.
4.2.2 Dragging One Tool onto Another
You can drag a tool onto another by moving the mouse cursor
onto the tool, pressing down the left mouse button and,
keeping the button down, move the mouse. The cursor will
become a pair of pliers and as the mouse moves the tool will
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move or "drag", along with it. Move the tool so that its
upper-left corner, the hot spot, lies inside of the tool you
want to run it on, then release the left button. This will
run the tool below with the tool on top as an argument.
You can cancel a drag at any time by pressing the right
mouse button.
4.2.3 Dragging a File onto a Tool
You can drag a file from a Directory Window onto a tool.
This will run the tool with file passed to it as an
argument. See the section in this chapter on Directory
Windows for a complete description of this function.
4.3 MANAGING YOUR TOOLS
Aporia tools can be arranged on the screen in any way that
you wish. This allows you to group related tools together.
Tool arrangements are saved between Aporia sessions so that
each time you start Windows your tools will be arranged in
the same way.
4.3.1 Moving Tools on the Screen
Moving a tool is done by dragging it with the left mouse
button in the same way you move standard Windows program
icons, as explained above.
4.3.2 Moving Groups of Tools
When you move a desk tool all tools contained in that desk,
except for other desk, will move along with it. This
provides an easy way to move a group of tools together. A
tool's position on the screen will change when its desk is
moved even if the tool is hidden at the time. When moving
desks keep in mind that you may inadvertently move tools
contained in it off of the screen.
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4.3.3 Stacking Tools
Tools can be stacked so that tools can be placed all or
partially over other tools. This can be a way to have more
tools on your screen without taking much space.
Tools are stacked by holding down the <Ctrl> key while
dragging one tool onto another tool. Normally, when you drag
one tool onto another, the tool below will attempt to run.
Holding down the <Ctrl> key prevents this from happening
allowing you to stack tools.
4.3.4 Canceling Moves
If you begin to move a tool and decide you want to put it
back where it came from, you can cancel the move by clicking
the right mouse button. The tool will return to its original
position.
4.3.5 Getting Information About a Tool
You can get brief information about a tool by double
clicking on it with the right mouse button.
A message box appears displaying the following information:
Name: The name of the tool
Path: The path name of the file it represents
Dir: The directory it will run in (blank means the
current directory)
Args: Any arguments it will be given when it is run
Pos: Were on the screen its window will be positioned
In Desk: The desk it is in and the other tools in that
desk.
Parent Desk: The desk that the tool's desk is in and the
other tools in that desk.
4.3.6 The Aporia Menu
The Aporia menu provides a number of commands that let you
manage Aporia and get information about your Windows
environment. You access the Aporia menu by clicking the left
mouse button on the Aporia icon.
About
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Selecting this command displays an dialog box which provides
information about Aporia. Pressing the HELP button displays
a dialog box providing general help for Aporia. Pressing the
REGISTER button displays a dialog box in which you can enter
your Aporia registration name and ID number. If you have
already entered your registration information pressing this
button has no effect.
Memory Status
This command brings up a dialog box which displays memory
information and, under Windows 3.0, the mode that Windows is
running in.
The information it displays will be different depending upon
which version of Windows you are running and whether or not
you have expanded memory installed in your system. If you do
not have expanded memory, or are running Windows 3.0 in
Standard or 386 Enhanced mode, it will display a single
figure representing the total amount of memory available to
your applications. Running in real mode with expanded memory
it will display the amount of conventional memory available
to Aporia, the total expanded memory you have in your system
and the amount of expanded memory available for your
applications.
Save Tools
This command saves all of your current tools and their
options to disk. Normally Aporia only saves your tools when
you exit either Aporia or Windows. You can use this command
to assure that any changes you have made to your tools will
not be lost in the event of a system crash.
Load Tools
When you use this command Aporia will ask you if you wish to
automatically create tools based on the programs and files
setup in Program Manager. This is the same procedure that
Aporia asked you if you wanted to do when you ran Aporia for
the first time. Read Chapter 2, Installation, for an
explanation of this procedure.
Blank Now
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This command turns the screen blanker on immediately. It is
disabled when screen blanker time set in the General Options
dialog is set to zero.
4.4 THE DESK TOOL
4.4.1 Storing Tools
Desk Tools (also referred herein simply as desks) store
other tools. Each Desk Tool has a drawer in which you put
other tools. All tools are in a desk. By default all tools
are in the top desk which is the desk on your screen when
you first install Aporia.
To store a tool in a desk, drag in onto the Desk Tool icon
you want it to be stored in. A tool can be in only one desk
at a time. When you store a tool in one desk, it leaves the
desk it was previously stored in.
You can put a desk into a another desk. Thus, you can make
a tree of desks, each inside the other. You can take a
desk, and the desks in it, and attach it to another desk,
but you cannot put a desk into its own sub-tree; no desk can
be inside itself.
4.4.2 Hiding and Displaying a Desk's Contents
When you double-click the left mouse button on a desk, the
default action is to display or hide the contents of the
desk. This can also be done by dragging the desk onto the
Hide Tool. Think of displaying a desk's contents as taking
them out of the desk's drawer and placing them on the
desktop. Hiding the desk's contents is like putting them
back in the drawer.
If the contents of a desk are only partially displayed
double-clicking the left button on the desk or dragging it
onto the Hide Tool will cause all of the tools stored in the
desk to be displayed. Doing this again will cause all of the
desk's tools to disappear. The illustration below shows how
this works:
When you hide a desk's contents, each desk it contains and
their contents are also hidden. When you re-display the
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desk's contents, all the desks within it will be appear on
the screen but their contents will remain hidden.
4.4.3 Moving Desks
When you move a desk tool all tools contained in that desk,
except for other desk, will move along with it. To move a
desk without moving its contents hold down the <Control> key
while moving the desk and keep it pressed until you release
the mouse button.
4.4.4 Running Desks
You can use the Options Tool to set the Run Desk's Contents
option on for a desk so that double-clicking the left mouse
button on it runs the desk. When a desk is run every tool
stored in it will be run except for any Desk Tools within
it. This allows you to run a group of applications with one
action. When you use this option for a desk you can still
hide and re-display its contents using the Hide Tool.
4.4.5 Removing a Desk
You remove a desk one at a time; that is, by dragging it
onto the Trash Tool. When you remove a desk you remove all
tools stored in that desk. For each tool in the desk you
will be asked if you wish to delete the file attached to the
tool. By pressing the Cancel button at any time you can
abort the removal of the desk and its tools but any tools
you have already deleted are gone.
4.5 THE TRASH TOOL
The Trash Tool has three primary functions. Deleting tools,
deleting and trash management files. With Trash Management
accidentally removed files can be recovered.
4.5.1 Removing Tools and Files
You remove a tool by dragging it onto the Trash Tool. If the
tool is a user tool, you will be asked if you wish to remove
the file that is attached to the tool. Using the Options
Tool's General Options dialogue you can have Aporia prompt
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you before it removes a tool. This prevents you from
removing tools by mistake.
You can delete files by selecting them in a Directory Window
and dragging them onto the Trash Tool. Refer to Chapter 3
for an example of how to delete files with the Trash Tool.
4.5.2 Trash Management
When you run the Trash Tool by double-clicking on it with
the left mouse button, the following dialog box appears:
When Trash Management is on, any file that is deleted is
first copied to the !TRASH sub-directory of the APORIA
directory, from which it can be recovered. You can recover
the trash or empty it by double-clicking left on the Trash
Tool and pushing the Manage the Trash button. You will get
a Directory Window which you can use to copy out removed
files, or, to finally remove the trashed files entirely.
When you set Trash Management on you will notice that file
deletions will take longer than usual. This is because of
the time it takes to store the files in the !TRASH
directory.
Important: The !TRASH directory is emptied each time you
exit Aporia. Once you have left Aporia the files you deleted
are gone for good.
The Trash Management option is turned on and off using the
Options Tool's General Options dialog box. Refer to the
section in this chapter on the Options Tool for an
explanation of how to set general options.
4.6 THE NOTES TOOL
4.6.1 Notes on Tools
Any tool can record notes for the program or file it
represents by dragging it onto the Notes Tool. By default,
the Windows Notepad program is run. The first time you drag
a tool onto the Notes tool you are prompted to create the
Notes file. If you answer "yes" and create the file the next
time you drag the tool onto the Notes tool the Notes file is
loaded and ready for use. The default name of a tool's Notes
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file is the first eight characters of the tool's name with
the extension TXT.
These two defaults, the Note Program and the Notes file, can
be overridden for each tool by dragging it onto the Options
Tool. The default Note Program can be specified for all
tools by running the Options Tool.
The default directory for Notes files is the Aporia
directory, C:\APORIA\NOTES, and can be changed by running
the Options Tool.
4.6.2 General Notes
Double-clicking, the left button on the Notes Tool itself
provides general notes that can be used for anything at all.
This can be used as a to-do list.
The Notes Tool is very useful when you want to jot down
notes about a file you are working on or a description of
the various tools in a desk.
4.7 THE HELP TOOL
The Help Tool provides different types of help. Dragging any
of Aporia's basic tools onto the Help Tool provides help on
the use of that tool; dragging your own user tool lets you
display your own customized help for that tool, finally,
running the Help Tool provides a tutorial on Aporia.
When used to provide help for user tools (those that you
create) the Help Tool works much like the Notes Tool. Drag
your tool onto the Help Tool to display or create a help
file. The default notes program is Windows Notepad
(NOTEPAD.EXE). The default name of a tool's help file is the
first eight characters of the tool's name with the extension
HLP. The default help file and help program can be changed
on an individual tool basis by dragging the tool onto the
Options Tool and setting the Help File there (leaving the
field empty causes the tool to use the default), and the
default Help Program can be changed for all tools by running
the Options Tool and setting the general Help Program
option.
When you create a new tool for program Aporia checks to see
if there is a Window Help program help file for the program
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located on your system's path. If there is it uses this file
as the help file for this tool and Windows Help as the help
program.
The Help Tool is intended to be used to display files,
rather than to create or edit them. The idea being that help
materials can be created for a specific application and
distributed to users in a read-only format. For simple help
text, a browse program will work. For more advanced needs
one of the hypertext programs available for Windows, such as
the Windows Help program, could be used.
Double-clicking left on the Help Tool displays the file
APORIA.INT. This file, as distributed with Aporia, contains
the text and graphics of the tutorial chapter of this
manual. This file is normally located in your WINDOWS
directory, but you can put it in any directory in your
systems PATH. You can also change this file to provide any
type of help information you wish.
4.8 THE COPY TOOL
The Copy Tool is used to copy tools. You can use it to copy
both basic and user tools. The only way to make copies of
the basic tools is with the Copy Tool (the Directory Tool
can be duplicated by other means).
You Copy Tools by dragging them onto the Copy Tool. An exact
duplicate of the tool will appear on the screen, flashing
for a moment so that you can find it easily. All the
information in the tool is copied except for the size
information. When copying a user tool the file attached to
the tool is not copied, there is simply another tool
referencing the file. Refer to Chapter 3 for an example of
how to use the Copy Tool.
If you double-click left on the Copy Tool alone a dialogue
appears which you can use to copy files. This is the same
dialog box that appears when you use the Copy command on the
Directory Window File menu. A more efficient way of coping
files is provided by using Directory Windows. Refer to the
section on the Directory Tool later in this chapter for an
explanation of how to use the copy dialog.
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4.9 THE HIDE TOOL
The Hide Tool is used to both hide and re-display tools on
your screen.
You hide a tool by dragging it on the Hide Tool. The tool
will disappear from the screen. Once a tool is hidden it
will remain hidden, even between Aporia sessions, until you
use the Hide Tool to re-display it.
To re-display a tool, drag the desk it is in onto the Hide
Tool, and it will again appear on the screen.
Desks work differently with the Hide Tool than other tools.
When you hide a desk, all the tools in the desk, including
other desks and everything in them, are hidden. The Desk
Tool itself is not hidden. The contents of desks can also be
hidden and re-displayed by double clicking on them with the
left mouse button. Refer to the section on Desk Tools
earlier in this chapter for a complete discussion on hiding
and re-displaying the contents of desks.
Double-clicking left on the Hide Tool will hide everything
except the Hide Tool. This is a quick way to clean up the
screen. Double-clicking on the Hide Tool again will re-
display all tools that were on the screen when the Hide Tool
was first double-clicked. Tools hidden this way will appear
on the next Aporia sessions.
4.10 THE OPTIONS TOOL
You use the Options Tool to set various options about how a
tool looks and behaves. You also use it to set general
options for Aporia.
4.10.1 Individual Tool Options
You customize a tool by dragging it onto the Options Tool. A
dialog box appears in which you can set a number of options.
The different items you can set in the Options Tool dialog
box include the following. Note that certain options that do
not apply to a particular tool will not appear.
Displayed Name
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This field contains the tool's name. When you create a tool
from a file, Aporia will insert the name of the file in this
field automatically. You change this to any name you wish up
to 30 characters long.
Displayed Icon
This window shows the icon currently displayed by the tool.
When there is the name of an image file entered into the
Image File field (see below) that image is displayed. If the
Image File field is blank a built-in monochrome icon is
displayed and a scroll bar appears below. Use the scroll bar
to select one of over 50 different monochrome icons.
Show
Three check boxes control how the tool appears. Check the
Icon box to display the tool with an icon. Check the Name
box to display the tool with a name. These boxes can be used
in any combination. The Dir Tool Dir Name box is used only
for Directory and Tree Tools. When it is checked the
Directory Tool displays the name of the directory it is
attached to. When it is used with the Tree Tool any
directory tools you create from the tree will display their
directory names.
Image File
In this field you enter in the name of an image file that
you wish to use for the tool's icon. The file must be
located in the IMAGES directory (the IMAGES directory is by
default located in your APORIA directory). These files must
be created using the Image Maker program provided with
Aporia. Image Maker lets you capture an icon, a window, or a
portion of the screen that is saved as a bitmap. These files
must have the extension "AIF".
As you type in the name of the file Aporia will search for
it in the IMAGES directory. If it finds the file it will
display the bitmap in the Displayed Icon window. If it can't
find the file no image will be displayed and Aporia will not
let you leave the dialog until you either enter in the name
of a file that does exist or clear the contents of the
field.
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Notes File
Enter the name of a note file you want to associate with
this tool. Use of this field is optional. By default the
name for a tool's note file is the first eight characters of
the tool's name with the extension "TXT".
Note Editing Program
Enter the name of a program you want to use to edit the note
file for this tool. Use of this field is optional. The
default note editing program is set in the general options.
Help File
Enter the name of a help file you want to associate with
this tool. Use of this field is optional. By default name
for a tool's help file is the first eight characters of the
tool's name with the extension "HLP". This option is only
used for user tools.
Help Display Program
Enter the name program you want to use to view the help file
for this tool. Use of this field is optional. The default
help viewing program is set in the general options. This
option is only used for user tools.
Program/File
This field contains the name of the program or data file
that is attached to the tool. It is the file that the tool
represents. It can be any file on your disk drives. When you
create a tool in a Directory Window, Aporia will copy the
files path into this field automatically. You can change it
as you wish. This option is only used for user tools. File
names do not need to be the full path name, so long as they
can be found on your DOS environment PATH.
When you drag one file onto another the text in this field
for the tool on top will be passed to the tool below. For
example if you drag a tool for a text file onto a tool for a
word processor, the word processor will load the text file
listed in the top tool's Program/file field.
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Directory To Run In
This is the directory in which the tool will run. When the
tool is run, Aporia makes this the current working
directory, so long as the "No Chdir Before" running field is
clear. When you create a tool from the Directory Window,
Aporia will copy the file's directory path into this field
automatically.
This field is also used to specify the directory a Directory
Tool will display and the drive that a Tree Tool will
display.
Default Arguments
In this field you can enter a default argument that will be
passed to a program listed in the Program/file field.
If you enter ?? anywhere in this field Aporia will prompt
you to enter arguments each time you run this tool. This is
useful for a program which has may different command line
options and for which you don't want to have a different
tool for each of them.
By entering %1 into the argument text, you can substitute a
tool in its place. Drag a tool onto one that is using a
replaceable parameter, the dragged tools attached file (as
listed in the Program/file field) will be substituted in
place of the %1 in the argument list. Once all the
substitutions are done the lower tools program is run with
this argument list. %0 is replaced by the tool's own
program/file field. Refer to Chapter 5, Advanced Techniques,
for an example of how you can use this feature to create a
print tool for Aporia.
Default/Fullscreen/Iconic
This check box is be used to set how the tool's program will
run. Clicking on the box will cycle through the three
options. When it is set to Default the tool's program will
run either with a default size and position determined by
Windows or a size and position you have set with the Size
Tool. If it is set to Full Screen it will run as a full
screen (maximized) window. If it is set to Iconic it will
load as an icon. Note that if you run a program Iconic and
later open the program's window Aporia will not be able to
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size the window, even if you have set its size with the Size
Tool.
No Chdir Before
This causes the tool to ignore the directory entered in the
Directory To Run In field. Use this option when you
temporarily want to run a tool in the directory where its
file is located.
Run On Start-up
Setting this option will cause this tool to be run each time
you run Aporia. The tool will run whether or not it was
visible on the screen when you last ran Aporia. You can run
a set of tools that you commonly use by setting this field
for each tool. Use of this option replaces the WIN.INI
"Run=" and "Load=" settings.
Run Desk's Contents
Setting this option for a Desk Tool changes it so that
double-clicking the left mouse button over the desk causes
all tools contained in the desk to be run. By turning on the
RUN ON START-UP option as well, you can run a group of
programs each time you load Aporia.
Protected Fields
Some tools will not let certain fields be changed and will
indicate this by not letting you edit those fields.
Customizing the Options Tool
To customize the Options Tool itself, double-click on the
Options Tool and push the "Change Options Tool" button.
4.10.2 General Aporia Options
The general Aporia options can be set by double-clicking on
the Options Tool.
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The different items you can set in the Change Tool dialog
box include:
Set Tool Size
Clicking on this button brings up a dialog box with which
you can set the size of your tools. In the Size of a Tool
field enter the size, in pixels (a pixel is the smallest
point that your screen can display), that you want your
tools' icons to be. The default tools size is 32 pixels.
Changing your tools size to some other size may result in
some distortion.
A tool's icon is normally made up of both an icon and a
displayed name. If you have made tools that have no
displayed names you may notice that these tools are smaller
than others on your screen. You may want to use the Extra
amount to add to tools that are icons only field. This will
increase the size of tools that are icons only by the number
of pixels you specify. The default value for this field is
0.
Tool Name Font
Clicking on this button brings up a dialog box with which
you can set the typeface, size and color of the names for
your tools. Changing the size of the font used will change
the overall size of your tools. On monochrome displays you
will probably want to make your font color white.
Directory Font
Clicking on this button brings up a dialog box with you can
set the typeface, size and color of the directory names for
your Directory Tools. Its function is identical to the
dialog box you use to set the tool name font. This option
only has an effect for Directory and Tree Tools which have
the Show Dir Tool Dir Name option turned on.
Set Screen Blanking
Enter the number of seconds of no keyboard or mouse activity
before the screen is blanking. Entering a value of 0 will
turn off screen blanking and disable the Blank Now command
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on the Aporia system menu. While a DOS application window
has the input focus this time before screen blanking turns
on is increase by a factor of four. This is done since
Aporia has no knowledge of the keyboard activity in a DOS
window. Screen blanking is disabled when you are using some
Windows applications (such as the tutorial for Microsoft
Excel) which handle keyboard and mouse input in a non-
standard way.
Enable Trash Management
When this check box is set Trash Management enabled. When
Trash Management is enabled, all files that you delete using
Aporia are temporarily copied to a special trash directory
!TRASH under the Aporia Directory. Running the Trash Tool
will give you the choice of restoring accidentally deleted
files.
Ask Before Removing Tools
When a tool is dragged onto the trash and this check box is
set on Aporia will prompt you before it removes the tool.
This is to help prevent the accidental removal of tools.
Aporia Directory
This is the drive and directory where Aporia stores various
files and directories it uses. These include the HELP,
NOTES, !TRASH, and TOOLS directories, and various files. By
default this directory is C:\APORIA but you can set it to
some other drive and directory if you prefer. It should not
be located on a ramdisk.
Help Program
This is the name of the default program used by the Help
Tool to display help files. The default program is the
Windows Notepad program. To specify another program enter it
here. This default can be overridden for individual tools by
setting the tools Help Program field.
Notes Program
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This is the name of the default program used by the Notes
Tool to display note files. The default program is the
Windows Notepad program. To specify another program enter it
here. This default can be overridden by setting the tools
notes program field.
4.11 THE SIZE TOOL
4.11.1 Sizing and Positioning Windows Programs
You use the Size Tool to size a window run by a tool. Each
time you run a tool, its window will appear with the same
size and in the same place.
Tools are sized by dragging them onto the Size Tool. The
procedure is as follows:
Run a window and put it at the desired position and
with the desired size. This does not have to be the
window of the program attached to the tool whose size
you want to set.
Drag the desired tool onto the Size Tool. A box appears
containing three buttons. Click on the "Yes" button to
size the tool, "No" to clear all size information from
the tool, and "Cancel" to exit making no changes.
After clicking on the "Yes" button, click on the window
whose size you want to save with the tool. For best
results click on the window's title bar.
Refer to Chapter 3 for an example of using the Size Tool.
4.11.2 Sizing Aporia Tools
You can set the size of the tools themselves, by running the
Size Tool itself. Tool size can also be set with the Options
Tool. Refer earlier in this chapter to the section on the
Options Tool, General Aporia Options, for a description of
how to use this feature.
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4.12 THE TREE TOOL
The Tree Tool displays a graphical "map" of your disks'
directories. It is used to manage directories and create
Directory Tools and Windows. When run, the Tree Tool loads
the disk drive specified in its Directory To Run In field.
You can run multiple Tree Tool windows allowing you to
easily work with files from different disks at the same
time.
4.12.1 The Tree Tool Window
Selecting Directories
You can scroll through the directory tree in the Tree Tool
window using the mouse and scroll bars or the <Page Up>,
<Page Down> and <UP> and <DOWN> cursor keys.
Directories are selected by clicking the left button over a
directory name or by moving the highlight to the directory
using the cursor keys. Only one directory can be selected at
a time.
Creating Directory Windows and Tools
Double-clicking the left button over a directory name
creates a Directory Window for that directory. This can be
done with the keyboard by moving the highlight to the
desired directory and pressing the <Enter> key.
Double-clicking the right button, over a directory name
creates a Directory Tool for that directory.
Reloading the Tree Tool
In order to be able to show all of the directories on a disk
drive the Tree Tool must search the entire disk to find
every directory. On a hard disk with many directories this
can take a long time, as much as ten seconds or more
depending on the speed of the drive and the number of files
on it.
Aporia's Tree Tool greatly speeds up this process by storing
the drives directory structure information in a cache file.
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The only caution with this is that if you create, delete, or
rename directories outside Aporia, the Tree Tool has no way
of knowing about it. This means that any changes you make to
directories do not appear until you reload the drive.
Fortunately reloading a drive is easy. Just select the
Reload command which appears at the bottom of the Tree Tool
Drives menu.
The Tree Tool will automatically reload a drive's directory
information when the drive's directory cache file is more
than two days old. You can also reload directory
information by selecting letter of the currently displayed
drive from the Drives menu.
4.12.2 The Tree Tool Menu
The Tree Tool window's menu bar contains three menus:
The Drives Menu
This menu contains a list of all disk drives in your system.
Use this menu to change the current disk drive displayed in
the tree window. Changing the drive this way does not change
the default drive for that Tree Tool. This is set by
changing the Tools directory to run in field with the
Options Tool.
When you try to change the current drive to a floppy drive
Aporia checks to make sure the drive is ready. If it is not
selecting the drive will have no effect.
The Drives menu also contains the Reload command mentioned
above. Selecting this command reloads directory information
for the drive currently displayed in the Tree.
The Directories Menu
This menu contains three commands which you use to maintain
your directories. Before using any of these commands you
must first select the directory where you want the commands
to be carried out.
Create
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After you choose this command a dialog box appears in which
you enter the name of the subdirectory you want to create in
the currently selected directory.
Delete
This command deletes the currently selected directory. You
are prompted to confirm that you want to carry out the
deletion. You can not delete directories that contain files
or subdirectories.
Rename
After you choose this command a dialog box appears in which
you enter the new name you want to give to the currently
selected directory. In this dialog box only the To field is
enabled.
The Options Menu
This menu contains the Directory Window command. This
command creates a special Directory Window which is attached
to the Tree Tool. Each time you change the selected
directory in the tree window the tree's Directory Window is
changed to show that directory. When you move the tree
window its Directory Window moves with it. The tree's
Directory Window has all the function of any other Directory
Window. For use of Directory Windows see the section on
Directory Tools.
If the tree's Directory Window is open when you close the
tree, when you next open the Tree Tool its Directory Window
will open automatically. Any options you set in the tree's
Directory Window are saved between sessions, as they are for
Directory Tools.
The Special Menu
This menu contains the three useful commands.
Disk Information
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This command displays information the disk drive currently
displayed by the Tree Tool. Information includes the size of
the drive, the amount of free space, the total number of
directories.
Make Directory Window
This command creates a Directory Window in the directory
currently selected in the tree. This is the same as if you
double-clicked the left button on a directory in the tree.
Make Directory Tool
This command creates a Directory Tool in the directory
currently selected in the tree. This is the same as if you
double-clicked the right button on a directory in the tree.
4.12.3 Additional Tree Tool Features
Copying Files
Dragging a user tool onto a Tree Tool (when an icon) copies
that file to the disk directory specified by the Tree's
Directory To Run In field.
Quick Change of a Tools Directory
Dragging a basic tool onto a Tree Tool (when an icon) will
change its directory to the root directory of the disk drive
that the Tree Tool is currently set to.
4.13 THE DIRECTORY TOOL
You use the Directory Tool to manage your files and to
create user tools.
4.13.1 Directory Windows
Double-clicking the left button on the Directory Tool opens
a Directory Window. Directory Windows can also be created
from the Tree Tool.
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The Directory Window Display
Directory Windows display a listing of file information
including each file's name, extension, size, date, time and
attributes. Attributes are displayed by the letters "R",
"A", "S", and "H" which stand for "read only", "archive",
"system", and "hidden". A file can have any combination of
attributes or none at all.
You move through the Directory Window using the mouse and
scroll bars or by using the cursor, <Page Up> and <Page
Down> keys.
Selecting Files
Files in a Directory Window are selected by clicking on
their listing with the left mouse button or by moving the
highlight with the cursor keys.
Multiple file selections can be made by holding down the
<Control> key and clicking the left button on the file.
When using the keyboard selections can be toggled on and off
using the <space bar>.
To select a continuous range of files first select the file
to start the range. Then hold down the <Shift> key and click
on the last file in the range. To select multiple ranges
repeat this process keeping the <Control> key pressed on the
first selection and both the <Control> and <Shift> keys
pressed on the second.
Running Files
Files can be run from a Directory Window by either double
clicking on them with the left button or by pressing the
<Enter> key. Pressing the <Enter> will run all selected
files.
Creating Tools
Double clicking the right button over a file will create a
new user tool that is attached to that file. You can also
create tools using a menu command (see below).
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4.13.2 Managing Your Files With Directory Windows
Directory Windows provide powerful features for copying,
moving, deleting, and renaming files. Two methods are
provided for carrying out this actions: direct manipulation
and menu commands.
Direct manipulation means that a selected group of files are
dragged to another Directory Window to start a copy or move,
or to the Trash Tool to be deleted. No menus are used, just
the mouse.
With Menu commands selected files can be copied, moved,
deleted, and renamed. You must use menu commands to rename
files.
Using Direct Manipulation of Files
Copying Files
To copy files you must first have open Directory Windows for
both the location and destination of the file(s) you want to
copy. Select the files you want to copy and then hold down
the left mouse button, this turns on the copy cursor.
Holding down the button, move the cursor to the destination
Directory Window and release the mouse button. You will be
prompted to confirm that you want to copy the files. The hot
spot for the copy cursor is the tip of the arrow.
Moving Files
When you move files they are copied to the destination
directory and then deleted them from where they were
originally.
Moving files is identical to copying them except that you
use the right mouse button. When you hold it down you will
see the move cursor. The hotspot for the move cursor is the
tip of the arrow.
Deleting Files
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The process for deleting files is identical to copying them
except that instead of moving the copy cursor onto a
Directory Window you drag it onto the Trash Tool.
Dragging Files onto Tools
You can drag a file from a Directory Window onto a tool.
This will run the tool with file passed to it as an
argument. This can be used to, for example, load a text file
into a word processor when you have not created a tool for
the file. You can drag the file with either the left or
right mouse button. Make sure when you drag the file that
the cursor's hotspot (the tip of the arrow) is over the tool
you want to use. You can only drag one file at a time onto a
tool. If multiple files are selected only the first listed
in the window will be passed to the tool.
Working With Multiple Files
If you have selected multiple files and the mouse button is
no longer pressed you can turn on the copy or move cursor by
pointing the cursor to the area above, below, or to the
right or the file listing in the Directory Window.
Refer to Chapter 3 for examples of copying and deleting
files.
4.13.3 The Directory Window Menu
The Directory Window's menu bar contains three menus:
The File Menu
The File menu contains commands for manipulating and running
files.
Run
This command runs all files in the window that are selected.
If no files are selected a dialog box appears into which you
can enter the name of a program you wish to run.
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Load
This command loads all files in the window that are
selected. After loading the programs will appear in their
iconic state at the bottom of your screen. If no files are
selected a dialog box appears into which you can enter the
name of a program you wish to load.
Copy
When you select the Copy command a dialog box will appear in
which the names of files that you want to copy and the
destination where you wish to copy them can be entered. If
any files are currently selected in the Directory Window
they will appear in the From field in the dialog box.
Standard DOS wildcard characters ("*" and "?") can be used
in both the From and To fields. Multiple file specifications
can be entered in the From field but not the To field. This
can be very useful as it allows you, for example, to copy
all files with the extensions "DOC" and "XLS" in one copy
operation.
Move
The Move command works just like the Copy command except
that it moves files from one location to another.
Delete
When you select the Delete command a dialog box will appear
in which the names of files that you want to delete can be
entered. If any files are currently selected in the
Directory Window they will appear listed in the dialog box.
As with the Copy command standard DOS wildcard characters
and multiple file specifications can be used.
Rename
This command is used to rename files. After you choose this
command a dialog box appears in which you enter the name of
a file or files you want to rename and the new name you want
if to have. If any files are currently selected in the
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Directory Window they will appear in the Rename field in the
dialog box.
As with the Copy command standard DOS wildcard characters
can be used. Multiple file specifications can be entered
into the Rename field but not the To field. Since DOS does
not allow two files in the same directory to have the same
name, if you enter multiple file specifications into the
Rename field you must use wildcards in the To field.
The View Menu
The View menu contains four groups of commands which control
how the contents of the Directory Window will be displayed.
In each group only one of the commands can be set on at a
time. And is indicated by a check next to it.
Long
The Long command causes the window to display full
information for each of the files. Long information includes
the file name, extension, size, date, time, and attributes.
Using this command also changes to the width of the window
so that the entire width of the listing is displayed. This
is the default command for the first group of View commands.
Short
The Short command causes the window to display only the name
and extension for each of the files. Using this command
narrows the width of the window to match the width of the
listing.
All
The All command changes the window so that all files in the
directory are displayed. This is the default command for the
second group of View commands.
Partial
When you choose the Partial command a dialog box appears in
which you can enter one or more file specifications. Only
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those files which meet one of the specifications will be
displayed. The standard DOS wildcards can be entered. For
example entering a file specification of:
*.DOC A*.TXT
will cause the window to only those files with the extension
"DOC" and those files beginning with the letter "A" that
have the extension "TXT". The specification is saved when
the window is closed.
When you enter a partial file specification in one Directory
Window it will appear when you bring up the Partial dialog
box in another Directory Window.
Programs
The Programs command changes the window so that only those
files that are programs will be displayed. These files are
those that have the extension "EXE", "COM", or "BAT".
By Name
The By Name command sorts the file listing so that files are
displayed in alphabetical order based on the name of the
file. This is the default command for the third group of
View commands.
By Date
The By Date command sorts the file listing so that files are
displayed in date and time order with the files with the
most recent date and time at the top.
By Size
The By Size command sorts the file listing so that files are
displayed in the order of their size with the files that are
greater in size at the top.
By Kind
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The By Kind command sorts the file listing so that files are
displayed in alphabetical order based on the extension of
the file.
Update
The Update command causes Aporia to re-read the contents of
the directory currently displayed in the Directory Window.
The Special Menu
The Special menu contains commands for making tools and
selecting and getting information on files.
Make User Tool
This command will create user tools for all currently
selected files.
When you create new user tools, they are stored in which
ever desk the tool you create them with is in. When you are
going to create a large number of tools that will all go in
the same Desk Tool, first store the directory or Tree Tool
you are going to create them with in that desk. Then create
your tools and they will be in that desk. This will save you
from having to copy each of the tools into this desk after
you create them.
Make Directory Tool
This command makes a Directory Tool for the directory
displayed in the window. This tool stores all information
for the Directory Window, except for the window size (set
separately using the Size Tool). Information stored with the
tool includes both the name of the drive and directory the
tool's window will display and any of the View menu options
such as how the file listing is displayed, any text entered
in for the Partial command, and the order the file listing
is sorted in.
This ability to save the Directory Window settings is a very
powerful feature. It allows you to create "file sets" which
display only the files you wish to view for a particular
application. For example, you can set multiple Directory
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Tools for one directory, one which sorts by date and is used
when you do backups, and another which sorts by name and is
used to find files quickly. Since the Partial command lets
you enter multiple file specifications, you can create tools
which permanently display a complex subset of the files in a
directory.
Select All
The Select All command selects all files currently displayed
in the window. Files not currently displayed in the window
as a result of the Partial or Programs commands are not
effected.
Disk Space Used
The Disk Space Used command displays a count of selected
files, the total combined size of the files and the amount
of disk space they use. The amount of disk space used will
usually be higher than the total combined size of the files
due to the 2 kilobyte minimum DOS disk block size.
4.13.4 Additional Directory Tool Features
Quick Copies and Directory Changes
Dragging a user tool for a data file onto a Directory Tool
copies the file attached to the tool to the Directory Tool's
directory.
Dragging a user tool for an executable (program) file onto a
Directory Tool changes the directory the tool runs in to the
Directory Tool's directory.
Dragging a basic tool onto a Directory Tool will change the
directory of that tool to that of the Directory Tool.
Changing Where a Directory Tool Runs
The directory a Directory Tool runs in, that is the
directory it will display when it is opened to a Directory
Window, can be changed by dragging it onto the Options Tool
and entering the name of the directory in the Directory To
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Run In. Enter a "." in this field causes the Directory Tool
to run in the current directory.
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Chapter 5: Advice For Experts
5. CHAPTER 5: ADVICE FOR EXPERTS
The ideas here are intended to help you think through some
of Aporia's uses, and to help those who no longer consider
themselves novices. The subjects here are all independent of
each other... Plunge in! Also, we welcome your suggestions
and shortcuts to share with other users.
5.1 RUNNING APORIA AS THE WINDOWS SHELL
Running Aporia as Window shell program causes Aporia to be
run first when you start Windows 3.0 without the Program
Manager program being run. When you run the Aporia setup
program (SETUP_AP.EXE) you are given the option of making
Aporia the shell at that time. If you decline to make Aporia
the shell at setup time you can do so later by modifying the
"SYSTEM.INI" file located in your Windows directory. Open
the file with any text editor and replace the line:
shell=progman.exe
with:
shell=aporia.exe
In effect you are replacing the Program Manager with Aporia.
This makes sense if you find (as most Aporia users do) that
you are using Aporia more than Program Manager. You can
still run the Program Manager as you would any Windows
program. When running Aporia (or any program) as the Windows
shell exiting the program will cause you to exit Windows.
5.2 PASSING ARGUMENTS TO TOOLS, OR, MAKING A PRINT TOOL
Aporia lets you pass replaceable parameters to tools. The
following is a demonstration of this function's use in the
creation of a tool which you can use to print text files.
To make a print tool, create or copy one of your own file
tools, then drag the new tool onto the options tool and
change the following fields:
Program/File: command.com
Argument: /c copy %1 prn
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To use the tool, drag the file you want printed onto your
printer tool and voila.
Explanation: The program command.com will run the line "copy
%1 prn", substituting the first dragged tool for the "%1",
so that the program line of the tool will be copied to the
printer. If there is no dragged tool %1 will be null, empty.
The "/c" tells DOS to execute the command and return
automatically.
A fancier alternative is to use something like the Norton
Utilities line printer, lp, which will format the pages and
supplies form feeds at the end. Change the tools options to:
Program/File: lp.pif
Argument: %1 /w80
Explanation: Run the lp program on the first dragged icon
and set the line length to 80. You could not do this with a
PIF file alone. Note: if you change the Argument line to
Argument: %1 %1 %1 /w80
you could print the file in triplicate.
Note: the pattern %1 can be picked anywhere out of a line so
that, for example, the following lines are each legal.
hello%1world
%1%1%1
Note: the pattern %0 is the filename of the bottom, base
tool.
5.3 TURNING OFF TRASH MANAGEMENT
Trash management provides a way of preventing the accidental
removal of files by users. This feature is intended for
inexperienced users or for those with lots of disk space.
Aporia will copy the file to its "!TRASH" directory under
its default directory before it removes it. The file can be
recovered by running the Trash Tool. This copying takes a
time and disk space. If you want to prevent this copying,
then run the Options Tool and turn off the Enable Trash
Management check box.
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A way to speed up Trash Management significantly is to use a
RAM disk for the "!TRASH" directory.
5.4 GETTING RID OF PROMPTS WHEN TRASHING TOOLS
Aporia provides a way for inexperienced users to protect
themselves from accidentally removing tools. The default
mode for Aporia is to ask if you really want to remove a
tool. If this is annoying for more expert users, it can be
disabled by running the Options Tool and turning of the Ask
Before Removing Tools check box.
5.5 DESKS: ORGANIZING, REPETITIOUS JOBS
5.5.1 Trees of Desks
Desks are the main tools for organizing your work. Besides
clarifying the types of work you do, the use of desks can
make your screen less cluttered. We highly recommend their
use. You might make a desk of "Spreadsheets" associated with
your accounting, another for your "General Ledger" files,
and another of for correspondence with your "Accountant".
All these separate desks could be put into one desk called
"Accounting". Hiding the "Accounting" desk will hide all
the desks in it.
Finding Tools
If you double-click right on any tool, you can see what desk
that tool is in and what other tools are in that desk. This
provides a way to find out what desk a given tool is in and
what tools are in a given desk. This listing function shows
not only what is in a desk, but what is in all desks in that
desk. It also shows the order in which tools are stored in
the desk.
5.6 APORIA TOOL FILES
The tools you create are stored in an ASCII format file,
"APORIA.TUL" in the TOOLS directory which by default is
located in your APORIA directory.
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5.6.1 Switching Tool Files
You can maintain different sets of tool files by saving and
restoring different tools files. One way to do this is to
have a batch file to run Windows, such as:
REM ** Run Aporia with a special set of tools
cd c:\aporia\tools
REM ** Save the previous Aporia tools and load in our
REM ** special set.
ren aporia.tul oaporia.tul
copy saved.tul aporia.tul
REM ** Run Aporia with our special setup
win aporia
REM ** Restore the original set of Aporia tools.
ren oaporia.tul aporia.tul
REM ** Fini!
The beauty of this is that pre-designed tool setups can be
maintained and supplied to users, and users can come to rely
on seeing the same tools in the same places.
5.7 APORIA WIN.INI SETTINGS
The WIN.INI file stores all the general options about Aporia
except for the tools themselves. All of the information used
by Aporia is stored in a section labeled "Aporia". Most of
this information is only intended to be changed by Aporia.
There are however settings that you can add yourself which
control where Aporia stores files that it uses.
By default all of these directories are created in the
APORIA directory which you can specify using the Options
tool. Using the following WIN.INI options you can locate
these directories anywhere you wish. This can be very useful
in certain situations such is on a local area network where
you may want to share Aporia files between a number of
users.
Add the line "ToolsDir=<path>" where <path> is the directory
where you want Aporia to the tools file (APORIA.TUL).
Add the line "TrashDir=<path>" where <path> is the directory
where you want Aporia to store files for Trash Management.
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Add the line "ImageDir=<path>" where <path> is the directory
where you want Aporia to look for Aporia image files to be
used as images for your icons.
Add the line "HelpDir=<path>" where <path> is the directory
where you want Aporia to look for Help files that you use
with the Help tool.
Add the line "NotesDir=<path>" where <path> is the directory
where you want Aporia to look for Notes files that you use
with the Notes tool.
5.8 APORIA ON A NETWORK
Aporia works with local area networks though it currently
has no features that specifically support them. There are
some issues involved with its use that you may want to be
aware of.
5.8.1 Tools and Options
As is discussed earlier in this chapter, the Aporia tools
file ("APORIA.TUL") and the Windows "WIN.INI" file both
store information about Aporia's setup. On a network, where
more than one person is using Aporia, the best option is for
each user to have their own tool and "WIN.INI" files. By
setting the various options for Aporia special directories
in WIN.INI (see above section) have complete control which
Aporia files are accessed by users. For example each user
can have their own tools file while all of them can share
the same set of image files.
Sharing Tools and Options
When users share these files they will be forced to use the
same set of tools and the same general options for Aporia.
Also problems may occur in the (unlikely) event that two
users save their tools at the exact same time. In general
the sharing of these files by users is not recommended.
5.8.2 Where to Locate Your APORIA Directory
Where you chose to locate the APORIA directory can be an
issue on networks. By default Aporia creates it in the root
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directory of the C drive with the name APORIA ("C:\APORIA").
Using the Options Tools you can locate it on any drive with
any name you wish. By default all of the other directories
needed by Aporia are created in the APORIA directory, but
you can place them anywhere you like using settings in the
WIN.INI file (see above). An important decision to make is
whether all users should share one APORIA directory or if
each one should have their own.
If users share the directory then all can have access to the
same help and note files. This may or may not be a good
thing depending upon the way they use these files. Conflicts
may occur if two users attempt to create help files with the
same name.
Sharing the directory also gives users access to the same
Tree Tool cache files. This will cause problems for local
drives since the directory structure for each user's drive
will be different. When a user accesses his local drive
using the Tree Tool he may see the directory structure for
another user's local drive. On network drives problems can
also occur since different users will have different access
rights for directories. If a user has no rights to a
directory it will not appear in the Tree Tool. The effect is
that even on network drives the directory structure can
differ from user to user.
In general the safest approach is to give each user their
own APORIA directory. In cases where users have local drives
this is taken care of by Aporia automatically. Where a user
has no local hard drive the Options Tool general options
must be set to the directory to something other than
"C:\APORIA".
5.8.3 Registration on Networks
Remember that each Aporia registration is for one user on
one machine. Multiple users on a network are only allowed
when a registration has been purchased for each person who
will be using Aporia.
5.9 QUICK MENUS
Directory tools can be used as a menuing system for your
files. Just make a directory tool in the directory where the
files are located, and set the View Programs option to show
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programs, or use the View Partial display to show a certain
list of programs and/or files. Each time this directory tool
is run it will show this list so that the programs listed
can be quickly run. This is great for directories (such as
your Windows directory) where you store a large number of
programs that you run only once in a while. This can also be
a way to run DOS applications since you can put a group of
PIF files in one directory, set the View Partial option to
"*.PIF", and have easy and quick access to any of your DOS
programs, no matter where they are located on your hard
disk.
5.10 USING OTHER SCREEN BLANKERS
You can use any screen blanker you'd like with Aporia but
first be sure to turn off Aporia's screen blanker by running
the Options Tool and setting the blanker time period to
zero.
5.11 LARGE TOOLS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
The tool images and fonts can be made very large in a way
suitable for the visually impaired. Tools can be sized by
double clicking left on the Size Tool. Similarly the text in
a tool can be made large by selecting a large font, up to 72
points big, by double clicking left on the Options Tool and
setting both the Directory and Tools Fonts.
We also recommend that directories be set to a different
color than the other tools by dragging a directory tool onto
the Options Tool and setting the Dir Tool Dir Name checkbox
on.
5.12 LAYOUTS
You are encouraged to experiment with placing the tools
around the screen to visually organize your work.
Suggestion: We have found that making the desk display as
text only and moving its contents near it has the effect of
making a label for its contents. Using the text only display
and image only display can be effective ways of making your
work look clear and orderly.
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Suggestion: Make a desk and put all the basic tools into it.
Call the desk "Basic Tools" and set it to display text only.
Arrange the tools into a 3x3 grid at the top right. This
frees the rest of screen for other things. Hiding the "Basic
Tools" hides all the tools.
Suggestion: Make multiple Hide Tools and put them at either
side of the screen. Then if you want to hide an tool it you
can do it quickly.
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Chapter 6: Image Maker
6. CHAPTER 6: IMAGE MAKER UTILITY
The Aporia Image Maker utility is a simple program which
lets you capture an image to be used as an icon for an
Aporia tool. It is designed to let you capture a window,
icon, or any area of the screen and store the image to a
file which is used by Aporia. An image file is used by
specifying it for a tool with the Aporia Options Tool.
Using Image Maker you can create tools which display the
icons for your programs. You can also create your own icons
for tools by creating them with any Windows paint program
(such the Paintbrush supplied with Windows) and capturing
them with Image Maker.
6.1 RUNNING IMAGE MAKER
Image Maker works by getting a copy of a bitmap from the
Windows clipboard. When Image Maker is running it will
display any bitmap that is copied into the clipboard from
any program. Along with the actual bitmap it will display
textual information such as the dimensions and number of
color planes of the bitmap.
You control the size at which the bitmap will be displayed.
This can be different than the actual dimensions of the
bitmap. The displayed size of the bitmap can be set from the
Options menu. The default displayed size if 32x32, which is
also the default size of the images displayed on Aporia
tools and for Windows icons.
Since Image Maker grabs bitmaps from the Windows clipboard
any program that can generate a bitmap can be used to create
Aporia icons. For example you can create a chart in
Microsoft Excel, copy it to the clipboard, and create a new
tool to represent chart files.
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6.2 THE IMAGE MAKER COMMANDS
6.2.1 File Menu
Save
You use the Save command to store the image you have
captured in a file. For Aporia to use the bitmap files they
must be stored in the IMAGES directory which by default it
located APORIA directory specified in the Options tool (for
example: C:\APORIA\IMAGES). When Image Maker it determines
where the IMAGE directory is so that when you go to save a
file this directory is already specified. When saving files
give them a standard (up to 8 character) DOS name, the
extension "AIF" will be added to the end.
Note that if make changes to an existing image file you will
not see those changes show up in the tools where you are
already using them until you exit and re-start Aporia.
Load
The Load command lets you load an existing image file. Use
this command when you want to load an make changes to an
existing image file. Load the file, paste in into your paint
program, and then capture it again with Image Maker.
6.2.2 Capture Menu
Area
The Capture Area is used to capture any area of the screen
to Image Maker. After selecting the Area command a crosshair
cursor will appear which you can use to select an area of
the screen to capture. Hold down the left mouse button over
the upper left corner of the area you want to capture, drag
the cursor to the lower right corner, and release the
button. The area will appear in the Image Maker window.
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Icon
Use the Capture Icon command to capture the icon of a
Windows application or for an icon in the Program Manager.
After selecting the command click the mouse over the icon
you want to capture. Note that the background of the icon
will be captured as well. For this reason when capturing
program icons you may want to set your desktop color to the
color for the background of your tools. Unlike Windows icons
Aporia tools have not transparent areas.
Window
Select Capture Window command to capture the contents of an
entire window. After selecting the command click the mouse
over the window you want to capture.
6.2.3 Options Menu
Displayed Size
Use the Displayed Size to specify the displayed size of the
bitmap in the Image Maker window. The default size is 32x32.
In order to get an idea of what a bitmap will look like on
as an Aporia tool you should set the displayed size to the
same size you use for your tools (as set with the Options
tool).
6.3 GENERAL NOTES
The files created by Image Maker are actually device
dependent bitmaps (the type used with Window 2.x). These
type of bitmaps were used, instead of the device independent
bitmaps provided with Windows 3.0, so that they could be
created by users of both Window 2.x and 3.0.
There are some limitations to these types of bitmaps. If you
are running Windows 3.0 or later the image files you create
can be used on a variety of display types. Aporia comes with
two sets of color image files for all of the basic Aporia
tools, plus image file versions of the icons for programs
supplied with Windows 3.0. One set is for 16 colors display
modes and the other is for 256 color modes. We have used
these image files successfully on EGA, VGA and Super VGA
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Chapter 6: Image Maker
systems though we can not guarantee that the will work on
all type of displays. If you are using a monochrome VGA
system and use the standard color VGA driver supplied with
Windows (VGA.DRV) you should be able to use the 16 color
image files.
If you are running under Windows 2.x things do not work quit
as well. The image files you create on a particular display
type (such as EGA) will likely not work on another type of
display (such as SuperVGA). This means that you may not be
able to share the bitmap files between different systems.
This problem can be gotten around by creating your images in
a paint program such as Paintbrush (the PCX file format is
fairly device independent) and then capturing them with
Image Maker on the target display type.
Included on your Aporia distribution disk you will find a
file named "AP_ICONS.EXE". This is a self-extracting archive
which contains all of the images for the basic Aporia tools
in Windows 3.0 icon (ICO) file format. These are included
for those of you who may be using a display type not
compatible with the image files provided. You can use these
icons to create image files for the basic tools by
displaying them in Program Manager (or an icon editing
program), capturing them with Image Maker, and saving them
as image files.
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Index
INDEX
Aporia File menu 47
memory usage 6 multiple file specification
options 37 49
registering 27 selecting file 20
system requirements 6 selecting files 45
Aporia as the Windows shell 54 Special menu 51
Aporia as Windows Shell 7 updating 51
Aporia directory 39, 58 View menu 49
Aporia Image File 34, 62 Directory Window command 20,
APORIA.TUL file 56 43
Basic tools Disk Information command 44
creating 24 Disk Space Used command 52
Blank Now command 28 EGA 6, 64
By Date command 50 File
By Kind command 50 copying 46
By Name command 50 dragging onto tools 25
By Size command 50 moving 21
Canceling move 25 Files
Canceling moves 26 copying 21, 48
Copy command 48 deleting 21, 47, 48
Copy cursor 21, 46 disk space used by 52
Copy Tool 4, 14, 24, 32 dragging onto tools 47
Create (directory) command 19, listing 49
43 moving 46, 48
Delete (directory) command 22, recovering deleted 30
43 renaming 48
Delete (file) command 48 sorting 50
Desk Tool 3, 15, 23, 28, 51 working with multiple 47
hiding contents 16, 28, 33 Fonts 38, 60
moving 29 Help
removing 29 for basic tools 11
running 29, 37 for user tools 31
showing contents 16, 28 Help Tool 5, 31
storing tools in 15, 28 program 39
Desk Tools Hide Tool 5
moving 25 Hot spot 11, 25
Direct manipulation 46 Icons
Directories changing 34
creating 19, 43 changingAporia uses two
deleting 22, 43 types of icons. There
renaming 43 are color icons which
Directory Tool 3, 44, 59 are stored as separate
changing directory of 36, 52 files and there are
creating 13, 24 "built-in" monochrome
font 38 icons which are stored
showing directory name 34 within the Aporia
Directory Tools program. The color icons
creating 23, 41 bring you the advantages
Directory Window 12, 13, 20, of full color and the 17
23, 35, 41, 43, 45 Image File 6, 23, 34, 62
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Index
Image Maker 62 dragging 10, 24
Installing Aporia 6, 7 finding 56
Load command 48 fonts 38
Load Tools command 27 hiding 16, 28, 33
Load= 7 information 26
Local Area Networks 58 moving 10, 25
Long command 49 naming 16, 34
Make Directory Tool command removing 29, 56
13, 44, 51 running 11, 14, 24, 37
Make Directory Window command saving 27
44 sizing 38, 40
Make User Tool command 51 storing 15, 28
Memory status 27 user 2
Move command 48 Tools concept 1
Move cursor 21, 46 Tools file 56
Note Tool 5 Trash Management 30
Notes Tool 30, 35 enabling 30, 39, 55
program 40 Trash Tool 4, 21, 29, 39, 47,
setting program 35 55, 56
Options Tool 4, 16, 33 Tree Tool 4, 12, 34, 41
general options 37 Directory menu 19, 42
individual tool options 33 directory window with 12,
Partial command 49 20, 43
Programs Drives menu 42
loading 48 Options menu 20, 43
running 24, 45, 47 reloading 41
specifying in tools 35 Special menu 43
Programs command 50 Update command 51
Rename (directory) command 43 User tools 2
Rename (file) command 48 creating 12, 23, 45
Replaceable parameters 36, 54 VGA 6, 64
Run command 47
Run= 7
Screen Blanking 28, 38, 60
Select All command 52
Short command 49
Size Tool 5, 18, 36, 40
sizing tools 40
sizing windows 18, 40
Stacking tools 26
Tools 1
arguments 36, 54
basic 3
copying 14, 24, 32
creating 12, 14, 23, 45
customizing 3, 16, 33
directory to run in 36
double-clicking 11, 24
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