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ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Lou Miranda's
Top Tips for
OS/2 Warp
Tips are selected and produced in the IPF format by
Lou Miranda
Miranda Consulting Corporation
P.O. Box 65707
St. Paul, MN 55165-0707
Double-click on the bullseye to start! This document was last updated in
December 1994. To retrieve the most recent document, go to the PC World Online
forum on CompuServe. Just GO PWOFORUM to get there, go to Lib12 (OS/2 Files)
and download LOUTIP.ZIP.
This document is Copyright 1994 Louis M. Miranda. All rights reserved. This
document may be freely distributed as long as no modifications are made. I make
no guarantees with respect to the effectiveness of these tips. Use at your own
risk. OS/2 is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Start Here ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To begin, double-click a topic:
OS/2 Desktop.
Command Line.
BonusPak.
OS/2 Applications.
REXX & Batch Files.
Installation & Configuration.
Where to get more help with OS/2 Warp.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. More Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
For more tips, tricks, & troubleshooting with OS/2 Warp, double-click an item:
Finding & Printing a Tip
Special Event!
OS/2 Books
Credits
Contributing Tips
PC World
IBM Corporation
OS/2 Warp tutorial.
Go back!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. Finding & printing a tip ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
How to Search for and Print a Tip
Can't remember where that elusive tip is?! Just click the Search... button on
the bottom of the window. Then enter text you want to search for, then click
All sections and then Search to begin.
It's very easy to print a tip that you see here. Just press the Print... button
at the bottom of the window. Then choose what you want to print, and click the
Print button.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Credits ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Who Contributes to These Tips
The tips you see here are compiled and produced by Lou Miranda. Lou is a
frequent contributor to, and former Contributing Editor for, PC World magazine.
He is also a Windows and OS/2 programming consultant based in St. Paul,
Minnesota USA.
A number of people helped contribute ideas and tips for this document, as well
as providing help on the PC World Online forum. They include (in alphabetical
order):
Jeffrey Clinard
Jaime Cruz
Tony DiBenedetto
Bill Norris
Joe Rosenman
Lou Wiener
Thanks for everyone's help!
//Lou.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. Contributing Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
How to Contribute a Tip
If you would like to contribute a tip, or would like to get more tips, please
contact me on CompuServe. Just leave a message on the PC World Online forum.
Just GO PWOFORUM and leave a message addressed to Sysop in section 20 (OS/2
Q&A).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. Special Event! ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Tim Sipples on CompuServe!
IBM Corp.'s Tim Sipples, author of the OS/2 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
list, will be in conference giving OS/2 Warp tips and tricks on 29-Dec from 9
p.m. to 10 p.m. EST (03:00 to 04:00 CET) in the Convention Center.
Sponsored by PC World, the conference will feature the latest information and
help tips on IBM's newest operating system, OS/2 Warp. Lou Miranda, OS/2 leader
for PC World Online, will chair the conference.
IBM will give away prizes during the conference to lucky participants,
including a copy of OS/2 Warp (your choice of a 3.5 inch diskette or CD-ROM
media), a copy of IBM OS/2 LAN Server 4 Entry (CD-ROM), and three OS/2 Warp
t-shirts.
To access the Convention Center, GO CONVENTION. To access PC World Online, GO
PCWORLD. Both are part of CompuServe's extended services.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5. PC World ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
PC World
CompuServe Forum
PC World magazine has a forum on CompuServe. To access the top level of the
forum, which contains software & hardware reviews and other information, use GO
PCWORLD on CompuServe.
To access the message sections and download libraries, use GO PWOFORUM.
Currently, forum section 20 is the OS/2 Q&A section, where I leave a Tip of the
Week every Monday morning. And there are a number of OS/2 experts there also.
Currently, library section 12 is the OS/2 Files section. Here is where the most
recent version of this file is always uploaded.
PC World Magazine
PC World magazine is a monthly magazine for people like you. It covers the
entire PC industry, has new product information, and contains tips and tricks
for running your PC at its best.
PC World magazine has had a number of OS/2-related articles recently. For
example, there was a review of Skyscraper in the June, 1994 issue, and OS/2
software was featured on the October 1994 issue's cover story (page 125). It
also had an OS/2 Q&A column from January, 1994 to August, 1994. More
OS/2-related articles are coming in future issues, so keep an eye out for them.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.6. IBM Corporation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
IBM Corporation
IBM sponsors several forums on CompuServe for OS/2.
To access IBM's customer support forum (for questions on installation and
compatibility for example), GO OS2SUPPORT. To discuss OS/2 with other users, GO
OS2USER.
IBM also has forums for people who program for OS/2, using any language such as
REXX, C, C++, BASIC, etc. You access these with GO OS2DF1 and GO OS2DF2.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.7. OS/2 Books ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Current & New OS/2 Books
December 12, 1994. This is an updated list of books about OS/2 Warp and
related topics, arranged in order of their actual or expected availability
dates.
VNR, OS/2 Presentation Manager GPI (2nd Edition), Nov '94, 0-442-01939-4, Winn
VNR, DDE for OS/2 Programmers, Nov '94, 0-442-01949-1, Puchtel
VNR, Running Windows Applications in OS/2: A Power User's Guide, Nov '94,
0-442-01924-6, Anise et al
VNR, OS/2 C++ Class Library: Power GUI Programming with C Set++, Nov '94,
0-442-01795-2, Law et al
VNR, Lotus Notes Version 3 in the OS/2 Environment, Nov '94, 0-442-01890-8,
Walsh
Sams, Your OS/2 Consultant (Warp Edition), Nov '94, 0-672-30484-8, Tyson
Abacus, Stepping up to OS/2 Warp, Dec '94, 1-55755-260-X, Albrecht & Plura
Abacus, The OS/2 Warp Bible, Dec '94, 1-55755-268-X, Albrecht & Plura
Abacus, The Photo CD Book (with OS/2 Warp applications disk), Dec '94,
1-55775-195-2, von Bulow & Paulissen
IDG Books, OS/2 for Dummies (2nd Edition), Dec '94, 1-56884-205-8, Rathbone
QUE, Using OS/2 Warp, Dec '94/Jan '95, <ISBN TBD>, Clifford et al
Sybex, Mastering OS/2 Warp, Jan '95, <ISBN TBD>, Dyson
Sams, OS/2 Unleashed (Warp Edition), Jan '95, 0-672-30595-3, Moskowitz et al
VNR, Quick Reference Library for OS/2 Functions: Vol 3 - Workplace Shell, Jan
'95, 0-442-01899-1, Scholin
VNR, Developing Multimedia Applications Under OS/2, Jan '95, 0-442-01929-7,
Lopez
Whitestone, The REXX Cookbook: A Tutorial Guide to REXX in OS/2 for the IBM
PC, Jan '95, 0-9632773-4-0, Callaway
New Riders, Inside OS/2 Warp, Jan '95, <ISBN TBD>, Minasi
VNR, OS/2 Remote Communications: Asynchronous to Synchronous T&T, Feb '95,
0-442-01814-2, Stonecipher
VNR, Quick Reference Library for OS/2 Functions: Vol 4 - GPI Functions, Feb
'95, 0-442-01900-9, Scholin
VNR, Quick Reference Library for OS/2 Functions: Vol 5 - DOS Functions, Feb
'95, 0-442-01901-7, Scholin
VNR, The OS/2 Warp Goldmine, Feb '95, <ISBN TBD>, Patton
Prima, OS/2 Warp: Everything You Need to Know, Feb '95, 0-7615-0034-0,
Sosinsky
McGraw-Hill, OS/2 Programmer's Desk Reference, Mar '95, <ISBN TBD>, Gopaul
Addison-Wesley, The Design of OS/2, Second Edition, Mar '95, 0-201-52886-X,
Kogan & Dietel
John Wiley & Sons, Programming the OS/2 Warp Advanced Graphics GPI, Mar '95,
0-471-10718-2, Knight and Ryan
Wiley-QED, OS/2 Warp Presentation Manager Programming for Power Programmers,
April '95, 0-471-05839-4, Stern and Morrow
Wiley-QED, OS/2 Warp Control Program API, April '95, 0-471-03887-3, Stock
VNR, Secrets of the OS/2 Masters, April '95, 0-442-01991-2, Sullivan
VNR, OS/2 Warp Presentation Manager Mentor, April '95, 0-442-01989-0, Drapkin
VNR, Quick Reference Library for OS/2 Functions: Vol 6 - Misc Functions, April
'95, 0-442-01902-5, Scholin
Wiley-QED, Making OS/2 Work for You: Installing, Configuring & Using OS/2
Warp, April '95, 0-471-06083-6, Azzarito & Green
Wiley-QED, The Art of OS/2 Warp C Programming, April '95, 0-471-08633-9, Panov
et al
Wiley-QED, OS/2 Warp Workplace Shell SOM, April '95, 0-471-03872-5, Stock &
Barnum
Wiley-QED, OS/2 Warp Presentation Manager API, April '95, 0-471-03873-3, Stock
Addison-Wesley, The OS/2 Warp Workplace Shell Survival Kit, May '95,
0-201-40915-1, Proffit
Wiley-QED, Developing High-Powered OS/2 Warp Applications, May '95,
0-471-11586-X, Reich
VNR, DB2/2 Made Easy, Oct '95, <ISBN TBD>, Gopul
VNR, Client/Server Programming with DB2/2, June '96, <ISBN TBD>, Gopaul
Prentice-Hall, Navigating the Internet with OS/2, <Date TBD>, <ISBN TBD>
Prentice-Hall, OS/2 Engineer Certification Handbook, <Date TBD>, 1-56205-118-0
____________________________________________________________________ This news
release is from the IBM Independent Vendor League (IVL)'s News Service and may
be freely copied and distributed. Additions or corrections to this list should
be sent to the Independent Vendor League, Internet: GAILO@VNET.IBM.COM, fax:
203-368-6379.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Desktop Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To look at a tip or trick, double-click an item:
Animated credits screen
Finding an object
Using templates
Keyboard & mouse shortcuts
Go back!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Keyboard & mouse shortcuts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Keyboard & Mouse Shortcuts
Here are some shortcuts you can use with your keyboard and/or mouse. The
equivalents in MS Windows are shown. Note that some of these shortcuts work
only in OS/2 Warp version 3; they may not work in earlier versions.
The following abbreviations are used: Sh = Shift, Ctrl = Control, Clk = Left
mouse click, DblClk = Left mouse double-click, RClk = Right mouse click, Drg =
Drag with left mouse button, RDrg = Drag with right mouse button. Here, left
mouse means mouse button 1, and right mouse means mouse button 2.
ΓöîΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÉ
ΓöéShortcut Description ΓöéOS/2 Warp ΓöéMS Windows Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéOpen object ΓöéDblClk ΓöéDblClk Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéOpen object and close ΓöéSh+DblClk Γöé Γöé
Γöéparent Γöé Γöé Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéPopup object's menu ΓöéRClk [or] Γöé Γöé
Γöé ΓöéSh+F10 Γöé Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéEdit object's text ΓöéAlt+Clk Γöé Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéEdit object's settings ΓöéAlt+Enter ΓöéAlt+Enter Γöé
Γöé Γöé[or] Γöé Γöé
Γöé ΓöéAlt+DblClk Γöé Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéWindow List ΓöéCtrl+Esc ΓöéCtrl+Esc Γöé
Γöé Γöé[or] Γöé[or] DblClkΓöé
Γöé ΓöéClk+RClk Γöé Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéTerminate Misbehaving ΓöéCtrl+Esc ΓöéCtrl+Alt+ Γöé
ΓöéApplication Γöé ΓöéDel Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéDrag a window underneath ΓöéCtrl+Drg Γöé Γöé
ΓööΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö┤ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö┤ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÿ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Finding an object ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Finding an Object
If you've moved from Windows to OS/2, you probably like how you can have
folders inside of other folders in OS/2. Of course, you can have folders,
inside of folders, inside of folders, .... What if you can't find an object you
placed in one of your folders? Do you have to spend an hour searching through
all of them by hand?
Of course not! Just right-click on the desktop and choose "Find..." from the
menu. In the "Name" field, enter the name of the object you're looking for.
Just like the DOS command line, you can use an asterisk * as a wild card. In
the "Start Folder" field, click the down arrow to the right, then move to the
top of the listbox and choose "C:\DESKTOP". Then click the "Find" button.
OS/2 will now search through all your folders and come up with a window
containing all the matches. You can manipulate the object by dragging &
dropping it, or right clicking on it. Then click Close when you're done.
Advanced Tip:
The Find feature is much more powerful in OS/2 Warp v3 than it was in version
2.1: you can now search on extended attributes. Try this:
Right click on the desktop, then choose "Find...". Click the "More..." button,
and then click "Add". In the Attribute field, you can search on Object Class,
Name, or Style; Date or Time; Flags; Subject, Comment, or Key Phrases! Let's
say you want to search for an IBM Works document that you created. Select
"Object Class" from the Attribute Field. Then scroll down through Comparison
Value until you find "Document". Now click "Add" and then "OK". Then click
"Find" in the find objects dialog. OS/2 will now find all objects that are IBM
Works documents. This is a welcome feature in Warp, and can save you lots of
time.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Animated Credits Screen ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Animated Credits Screen
Click once on the desktop with the left mouse button to select it. Then press
Ctrl-Alt-Shift-O (the letter 'O') and wait a few seconds. Soon your desktop
will fill up with an island-beach scene with the OS/2 development team credits
scrolling in a window. Press any key to stop it.
Don't like the beach? Copy any PM Metafile (*.MET) file into the Bitmap folder
(in your OS2 folder) as AAAAA.MET (a number of MET files are included with the
IBM Works Bonus Pak, or you can use CorelDraw 2.5 for OS/2 to create a
metafile). The credits will scroll in a window with the MET file you specified
in the background.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Using Templates ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Using Templates
Are you using IBM works? Did you know that the easiest way to create a new
document is to drag a Document template out of the IBM Works folder, and drop
it on your desktop (or any other folder) ? Then hold down the Alt key and click
on it with the left mouse button. This will allow you to rename it--and you can
give it a long filename, even if you're using the FAT file system! To edit the
file, just double-click on it; OS/2 "knows" what kind of file it is, and opens
it in the Works program automatically.
Advanced Tip:
Did you know you can make any file into a template? It doesn't need to be a
Workplace Shell aware application, or even an OS/2 application!
Let's say you want a letterhead with your name & address. There's no point in
typing this everytime you write a letter, right? So go into your word processor
(or IBM Works) and create the letterhead exactly how you want it. Then save the
file.
Now open the folder where your file is located (for example, if you saved the
file in C:\Docs, then open the C: drive object and double click on the Docs
folder to open it). Right click on the icon for your file, then choose Settings
from the menu. Click on the General tab in the settings notebook, then check
the Template checkbox on the bottom of the page. Close the settings notebook by
double-clicking the titlebar icon. The icon for your file should now look like
a "Post-It" note pad--this is a visual clue that it's a template now.
Now test it. Drag the template to your desktop and drop it there. Now
double-click on it. It should automatically bring up the program you used to
create it, and it should contain your letterhead.
Pretty neat, eh? You can do the same thing with any kind of file--whether it's
a word processor, a graphic file, a database, a spreadsheet, or any other kind
of file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Command Line Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To look at a tip or trick, double-click on an item:
Starting any application quickly
Go back!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Starting any application quickly ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Starting Any Application Quickly
Do you clutter up your desktop with icons for an OS/2 window, a DOS window, and
a DOS full-screen session? You don't need to.
You can start any application from an OS/2 command prompt. For example,
double-click on the OS/2 Window object, then type
MSD.Exe
and OS/2 will automatically start the DOS MSD.Exe program. No need to have a
separate icon for a DOS session!
To try it now, double-click this graphic to start an OS/2 session, and try
entering the DOS command above.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. BonusPak/Multimedia Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To look at a tip or trick, double-click on an item:
Using drag'n'drop in IBM Works
Viewing PhotoCD images
Go back!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1. Using drag'n'drop in IBM Works ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Using Drag'N'Drop in IBM Works
Did you install the OS/2 Warp Bonus Pak? If so, you should have the FaxWorks
and IBM Works folder on your desktop. These are very powerful applications. And
they're fun and easy, too.
There should be a README icon in the IBM Works folder . Double-click it to
open it (it's a Works word processor file). Inside it are a lot of good tips on
using drag'n'drop.
For example, let's say you create a letter and want to fax it to someone.
Normally, you'd open the letter, choose File|Printer Setup..., change the
printer driver to the fax driver, select OK, then choose File|Print to fax it.
Then you'd have to fill in the fax cover sheet and type in (or search for) who
you want to fax it to. Then you'd have to go back to your document and change
the printer setup to use your printer again--a lot of work!
It's much easier with OS/2 Warp!
Just open the Phone/Address Book icon in the IBM Works folder. Drag a name from
the phone book and drop it on your document's icon--the icon will now have a
tiny business card added to it. Now just drag the document icon to the fax
driver on your desktop (assuming you've installed FaxWorks). Voila! Works will
automagically send it to the fax number contained in the person you dragged to
the document (and if you have mailmerge codes, it'll merge it too!).
You can even drag a Contact List (a collection of people from your phone book)
and it will fax it to everyone on the list!
What if you drag a name on by mistake, or want to remove a name for some other
reason? Easy. Just right-click on the document's icon and choose Settings. The
first page is now a Merge page. You can delete one or more names, and change
the Action on Drop (open, print/fax, or none).
One more tip: Isn't it annoying that when you're editing a document you can't
do a drag'n'drop unless you dig around to find the document icon? No more! If
you're editing a Works document, you'll see a small icon all the way on the
left, just below the File menu. Just drag it to the fax or printer icon on your
desktop. It's that easy!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.2. Viewing PhotoCD images ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Viewing PhotoCD Images
Did you just get Warp? Want a fun tip? If you have the CD-ROM version of OS/2
Warp, and you installed the Multimedia extensions, did you know you have a
great source of Kodak PhotoCD images?
There's a bunch of fun stuff in the MMPM2 folder:
1. Videos! Look in the Movies folder's Ultimotn subfolder (and head down
through the subfolders until you find one that has videos appropriate for your
hardware). Just double-click on the files and they'll be automatically loaded
in the video player. Then just press the play button.
2. PhotoCD images! OS/2 now supports the PhotoCD format. In the PhotoCD folder
inside the MMPM2 folder, you'll find 24 images. Select them all by
right-clicking on the folder background, then choose Select->All. Then
right-click on one of the selected images, and choose "Create LT Reference..."
from the menu. Then click on the Desktop tab in the notebook; find the
Multimedia folder, click on the + to its left, then select Multimedia Viewer
and click the OK button. There are a bunch of really pretty pictures here.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. OS/2 Applications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Double-click on an item:
SimCity
DeScribe
Screen Capture
System Memory Utility
Go back!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1. SimCity ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
SimCity Classic for OS/2 SimCity Classic is the popular simulation game now
brought to OS/2! This version is brought to you by DUX. SimCity 2000, due soon,
is being ported to OS/2 by Maxis, the original producers of the DOS and Windows
games.
SimCity is a fun, nondestructive game--except for the occasional monster,
tornado, or earthquake! The goal is to build a city--and please its
taxpayers--before you go bankrupt or everyone dies of pollution.
You build a city using the tools shown on the left--police stations, fire
stations, housing, factories, roads, and power plants. You have to deal with
crime and put out fires. It comes with a few cities: San Francisco and Kyoto
are in the demo version, for example, and more come with the real version.
It's an addicting game that's a lot of fun. It costs around $50 and is
available from Indelible Blue.
There is a demo version (that is limited to 2 "Sim years") available on
CompuServe. GO PWOFORUM, go to Lib12 (OS/2 Files), and download SimDem.Zip.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.2. DeScribe ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
DeScribe 5.0 for OS/2 Looking for an easy to use, but powerful word processor
and desktop publisher? DeScribe is it. New in version 5.0 is footnotes and
right mouse button popup menus.
Need to print envelopes with barcoded ZIP codes? DeScribe can do it. Need to
print letters on your own computer-generated stationery without wasting disk
space? DeScribe can do it. Need your hand held while doing a mail merge?
DeScribe can do that, too! Need to create a newsletter with text that wraps
from frame to frame? You guessed it...DeScribe can handle it.
If you're looking for a fast, native OS/2 word processor, look no further.
DeScribe is available from Indelible Blue and other retailers for around $160.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.3. Screen Capture ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Screen Capture with PMCamera Need a flexible, free, screen capture utility for
OS/2? PMCamera is it. It can capture the whole screen, the active window, or
any portion of the screen.
And it can save it to the clipboard or a BMP file. All the images you see in
LouTip.Inf were created using PMCamera. Need I say more?!
PMCamera is available for downloading on CompuServe. GO PWOFORUM, go to LIB12
(OS/2 Files), and download PMCAM.Zip.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.4. System Memory Utility ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
MemSize: Memory, Disk Space, & CPU Load Utility Want to know how much disk
space you have left? Or how busy your system is? Whether your swapfile is
growing out of control? Then you need MemSize, a free utility.
The figure above shows just a small portion of what MemSize can tell you. It
can list all the free space available on all your drives, how big the print
spooler is, how much load your CPU is under, the time & date, and how much swap
space is available.
It also supports drag'n'drop font and color changes from the OS/2 Font Palette
and the OS/2 Color Palette, so you can customize to your heart's content.
You can download MemSize from CompuServe. Just GO PWOFORUM, go to LIB12 (OS/2
files), and download MemSiz.Zip.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. REXX & Batch File Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To look at a tip or trick, double-click on an item:
Saving your desktop with REXX
Go back!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1. Saving your desktop ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Saving your Desktop with REXX
Have you tried OS/2's super batch language? It's called REXX and it allows you
to do far more than DOS's batch language. In fact, it can even interact with
your Desktop!
Let's say you want to save your Desktop. Normally, you have to shut down to
save your Desktop, because folders only save their settings when they're closed
(and the Desktop is only closed when you shut down). This may be a problem, for
example, when you do a Dual Boot--since the Desktop isn't closed before
rebooting, icon positions aren't saved. Windows 3.1 has the same problem--you
have to exit Windows to save your Program Manager settings.
But Windows has a shortcut (Hold down the Shift key while choosing File|Exit
from the menu)--does OS/2? With REXX, yes! Just cut out the next few lines and
paste it into an empty file using the OS/2 System Editor, then save the file as
SAVEDESK.CMD:
/* Beginning of REXX file */
/*
The first two characters of a REXX file must be a forward slash and an
asterisk ('/' & '*')
since this tells OS/2 that it's not just a batch file. Those two characters
also start a "comment" in REXX; to end the comment, just reverse the
order of the characters.
end of comment:
*/
call RxFuncAdd 'SysLoadFuncs', 'RexxUtil', 'SysLoadFuncs'
call SysLoadFuncs
rc = SysSaveObject("<WP_DESKTOP>", "Synchronous")
say 'rc = ' rc
/* end of Rexx file */
Now go to an OS/2 command line and type SAVEDESK. There should be a pause and
then you should see "rc = 1" when it's finished. Now your desktop is saved.
For more information on programming REXX, see the REXX Information icon in your
Information folder, or double-click on this graphic
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Installation & Configuration Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To look at a tip or trick, double-click on an item:
Maximizing VMB RAM
Bootup Options
Editing System Files
Go back!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.1. Maximizing VMB RAM ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Maximizing VMB RAM
Maximizing your OS/2 Virtual Machine Boot (VMB) sessions:
1) Copy HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.SYS from \OS2\MDOS to the newly created floppy
disk along with FSFILTER.SYS. This allows you to load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.SYS
first, and then you can load FSFILTER.SYS into an Upper Memory Block (UMB).
This can give you back 11K of conventional memory!
2) Delete COMMAND.COM from the floppy. Use the SHELL= statement to load the
command shell from the hard drive instead.
3) If DBLSPACE.BIN got copied to the floppy (DOS 6.x), delete it from the
floppy, too. You don't need it.
4) If you are using a flavor of DOS 6, use the /K switch on the SHELL=
statement in COMMAND.COM to load your AUTOEXEC.BAT file from the hard drive.
This makes it easier to change your configuration without having to remake your
image file with VMDISK.
5) Now, with just CONFIG.SYS, IBMBIO.COM (or IO.SYS), IBMSYS.COM (or
MSDOS.SYS), HIMEM.SYS, EMM386.SYS and FSFILTER.SYS on your floppy, you may
notice that it takes up considerable less than 360K. Less than 180K, actually.
Use a 360K floppy and format it with the /S and /F:180 switches and rebuild the
floppy. This makes for a smaller image file. It doesn't matter if your 5.25"
floppy is your "B:" drive; VMDISK will still read it and create the image file,
and you can still make OS/2 boot it.
Using these techniques, Jaime Cruz has a PC DOS 6.3 session with 623K available
conventional memory, and an image file that's only 180K in size on his hard
drive. Changing the TSR's or environment variables is easy since the
AUTOEXEC.BAT is on the hard drive; you don't have to edit a floppy and rebuild
the image file. Makes life real easy!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.2. Bootup Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Special Bootup Options for OS/2 Warp
Note: These options only apply to OS/2 Warp version 3; they do not apply to
earlier versions.
Beginner's Tip:
Are you having trouble booting OS/2 after adding new hardware or changing a
parameter?
When you first boot OS/2, you see a small white rectangle in the upper left
corner of the screen. While you can see that rectangle, press Alt-F2. Then as
OS/2 boots, you'll see every device driver that's loaded. The last device
driver that it displays is probably the one causing the problem.
You can also press Alt-F1 when you see the white rectangle. If you do, you'll
be brought to a screen that allows you to revert back to an earlier setup,
which should alleviate the problem.
========================
Advanced Tip:
Did you know that the screen that pops up when you hit Alt-F1 is customizable?!
And that you can display other text, offer different options, and execute batch
commands?!
Look in your \OS2\Boot directory, and you will find files that start with the
name AltF1*.*: AltF1.Cmd, AltF1Top.Scr, AltF1Mid.Scr, and AltF1Bot.Scr.
The *.CMD file is just a batch file that gets executed when the user types a
response. The *.scr files are displayed in this order: Top, Mid, and Bot. The
AltF1Mid.Scr file contains the four most recent saved configurations (if you
enabled Save Configuration in your Desktop Settings notebook).
For example, you might offer an additional option that lets you enable or
disable multimedia sound (the batch file would then copy a modified CONFIG.SYS
that had REM'ed out the sound drivers). The possibilities are endless! Let us
know what others you think of.
It is important to note that you should backup these files before modifying
them!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3. Editing System Files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Easy Editing of System Files
Note: This tip applies to version 2.x and 3.0 of OS/2.
Beginner's Tip: Easy Editing of System Files
You know that you can right-click on the desktop and choose "System Setup" to
edit many of your OS/2 options. Wouldn't it be convenient to have objects for
Config.Sys, Autoexec.Bat, Win.Ini, System.Ini, and the Windows Control Panel
there, too?
It's a cinch!
To get the Control Panel there:
1. Open the System Setup folder by right-clicking on the desktop and
choosing "System Setup" from the menu.
2. Open your C: drive object (or the drive object where your \Windows
directory is located, if not C:)
3. Right-click on the Windows folder, and choose "Find..." from the menu.
4. Type in "Control.exe" next to Name:, and click the Find button.
5. Hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys, and drag CONTROL.EXE from the Find
Results window to the System Setup folder; then let go of the Ctrl and
Shift keys. This creates a shadow of the Control Panel in your System
Setup folder.
To get objects for Win.Ini and System.Ini, repeat the steps above but
substitute these file names for CONTROL.EXE in Step 4.
To get the Config.Sys object there, repeat the steps above, but skip Step 2;
in Step 3 just right-click on the C: drive object; and in Step 4 type
"Config.Sys".
Now to edit any of these files, open up your System Setup folder and
double-click on the appropriate object!
==========
Advanced Tip: Autoexec.bat
Would you like to do the steps above, but for Autoexec.Bat, too? You can, but
it's a little trickier.
The first way to do it is to repeat the steps listed above for Config.Sys, but
replace that with Autoexec.Bat. But what happens when you double-click on the
Autoexec.Bat object? It'll just run Autoexec.Bat, because that's OS/2 thinks
you want to do with a batch file (and it usually is, isn't it?). How can you
edit it? You can right-click on the Autoexec.bat object, click on the arrow to
the right of Open, and choose OS/2 System Editor. But you have to remember to
do this every time you want to edit Autoexec.Bat. (By the way, this is a neat
trick for any object in OS/2: if you associate more than one program with a
file type (for example, you might have 2 different bitmap editors), you can
always choose the non-default editor by clicking on the arrow to the right of
Open, and choosing the other editor.)
A better way is to create a program reference object. To do this, open your
Templates folder, and use the right mouse button to drag a Program template to
your System Setup folder. When you drop it there, it'll automatically open up
the Settings folder. Under "Path and file name:", just type in "E.Exe"
(without the quotes). Under "Parameters:", just type in "C:\Autoexec.Bat"
(without the quotes). Then click on the "General" tab on the right, and enter
"Autoexec.Bat" next to "Title". Now double-click on the titlebar icon to close
the settings notebook.
Now you can double-click on the Autoexec.Bat object in your System Setup
folder to edit it!