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Windows Shareware GOLD
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NuclearComputingVol3No1.cdr
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read.me
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1991-03-30
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Welcome to DESKTOP version 1.3
DESKTOP is a simple Microsoft Windows 3.0 application that allows you to run
programs from buttons and save and restore program window sizes and locations.
To install the program simply copy desktop.ini and desktop.exe to your main
windows directory.
There are six panes with ten program buttons in each pane. Pressing
a program button causes the program associated with that button to
be executed. Activating the six "radio" buttons that you see at the top of
DESKTOP causes the specified pane to be displayed. To change the
program associated with a button, select "edit" button at the bottom
of the main window. You will then be in DESKTOP's name edit
mode. Click on any button to edit the info associated with it. Each
button has a string associated with it composed of two parts. The
first part is the button label. The second is the path and name of
the program to be executed. Please note that some programs, especially if
they are not in the DOS path, may require you to use a pif file instead
of the executable. The two parts must be separated by a comma and no
intervening blank space.
To replace the winmdows default program manager with DESKTOP, replace
the line "shell=progman" in your system.ini file with "shell=desktop".
The first long button at the top is the label of the current pane. If you
click on this button, the pane will switch to the next in line.
Please note that this was written for my own purposes and use. I designed
it to work on a VGA display. The DESKTOP menu is too long for an EGA
display. It won't work on a monitor with less vertical resolution than
a VGA. But if you have a VGA display or better give it a try.
There are two main menu options whic are described as follows:
1. FILE
a. Select and run a file: displays a list box to allow you to
search for and run a file.
b. Process run string - DESKTOP maintains its own run string,
just like the one used in your WIN.INI file. This command
will cause the files in it to be executed.
c. Edit run string - allows you to edit the run string mentioned
above. You can also edit the DESKTOP.INI file directly with
any ASC editor.
d. Select ini file - this permits you to use an initialization file
other than DESKTOP.INI. You can have as many ini files as you
want. Note however that you must have at least one entry in the
DESKTOP.INI file to specify the current ini file.
e. The last two items are there just for my convenience. They
remove carriage returns and/or numbers from the WINDOWS
clipboard. I find this useful when transferring stuff into
desktop publishing programs like VENTURA. The result is that
all the text in the clipboard is formatted into a single
paragraph.
2. Desktop
a. Save all - saves the location and size of all current
windows in the current ini file.
b. Save prev - saves the location and size of the window last
active before you switched to the DESKTOP window.
c. Restore all - Restoress the location and size of all current
windows as last saved in the current ini file.
d. Restore prev - Restoress the location and size of the window last
active before you switched to the DESKTOP window.
e. Toggle Info Block - at the bottom of the Desktop window is
a display showing the current date and time, the current
windows mode, the current drive and free disk space, and
the amount of free memory available. This toggle allows you to
turn this display on or off.
f. options - allows you to set various desktop options:
(1) arrange all on run - when a program is run, all current
applications will be reset according to the last saved
locations and sizes.
(2) Save DT on exit - when you exit DESKTOP, all current locations
and sizes will be saved.
(3) Minimize DT on arrange - when files are rearranged, DT
win be iconized.
(4) Minimize DT on run - when you run a file DT will be iconized.
(5) Run on activation - when DT is activated, its run file will
be processed automatically.
(6) arrange on run - when you run a file, its size and location
will be reset according to the last ini entry if any.
(5) Kill all on exit - kills all windows progs when you exit
Desktop. Use if you use Desktop as a replacement for
the windows program manager.
I am not all that fond of icons (shame on me) and I use DESKTOP as a
replacement for the Windows Program manager. I find it useful and if
anyone else out there gets any use out of it, they are more than welcome
to it. I do not, of course, take any responsibility for problems
associated with its use. You are on your own. Use it at your own risk.
As I make changes in the program and learn more about windows
programming, I will release improved versions.
If you have any questions or suggestions, I can be reached at the
Programmer's Corner BBS - 301-596-1180.
Mike Bushell 3/29/91