Lion Share/lionsharecd.iso/utils_mz/qkmnu106.zip/QM.HLP

Text File | 1991-03-15 | 30KB | 698 lines

QUIKMENU USERS GUIDE                              (version 1.06)
--------------------

Located at the top of the screen are several command buttons used to
control various aspects of QuikMenu. To activate a command button,
either click the button with a mouse or hold down the ALT key and
press the underlined letter of the desired command.

As you have no doubt already discovered, help can be obtained by
pressing the F1 function key. Use the PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, HOME and END
keys to view the help information. To print the help file, select the
Print command from the top of the help screen. To exit the help
screen, press the ESC key or select the Done command button.

The following is a description of the command buttons:

Modify    Allows you to make changes to the menu, such as adding
          programs, setting passwords, changing page titles,
          background color, etc.

Page      Displays a list box showing all 40 page titles. Selecting
          a page from the box will display that page on the screen.
          If a page has been protected, users will be required to
          enter a password before the page can be displayed. You can
          also create page buttons to move between specific pages.

,       Use these buttons to display the previous or next page in
          the menu. You may also use the PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, HOME and
          END keys to view the menu.

DOS       Allows you to temporarily leave QuikMenu to perform DOS
          operations.

Log       Allows you to display, sort and print a report of program
          usage.

Exit      Leaves the QuikMenu environment completely.

Help      Displays this screen. Use the PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, HOME and
          END keys to view the help or select the Print command to
          send the file to your printer.


MODIFYING THE MENU
------------------

The Modify Command is used to add, edit, copy, move or delete page and
program buttons. In this mode, you may also change page titles, set
page passwords and alter the initial menu setup.

The Modify command can be Password protected. (See Setup below.)


ADDING NEW ITEMS TO YOUR MENU
-----------------------------

The Add command allows you to add new buttons to your menu. Once the
Add command button is selected, you will be asked which type of button
you want to create: Software Button or Page Button.


ADDING SOFTWARE BUTTONS
-----------------------

Software Buttons allow you to run programs, format disks, backup
directories and so on. If you select Software Button from the Add
dialog box, you will see a screen with the following options:

Speed Key      This is the key on your keyboard that will be used to
               activate the Software Button. Valid choices are
               letters A through Z, numbers 0 through 9 and the
               characters: @ #  $ % & * ( ) + { } [ ] : ; < > ? ! /
               | \ " ^ - _ ~ . , = ` '.

Name           This is the text that will be displayed inside the
               Software Button for reference - usually the name of
               the program that the button will activate.

Location       This is the drive and directory where the program or
               DOS option is located. For example: C:\WP51. (See List
               Programs below.)

Command        This is the command that DOS uses to run the program
               or DOS option. For example, if you normally load your
               word processor by typing WP at the DOS prompt (C:\),
               then enter WP here. (See List Programs below.)

               If you want to automatically load a document, macro or
               some other file with the program, type the file's name
               at the end of the command line. For example:

               WP C:\FILES\MEMO.LTR

               You may also include any command line options,
               parameters or switches required to make the program
               work.

               There are a number of options that can be added to the
               command line that make QuikMenu very powerful.

               Placing a pair of [] brackets on the command line with
               a question between them will prompt you whenever the
               item is activated. For example, a command like:

               FORMAT [Which Drive?]

               will prompt you with the question "Which Drive?" each
               time you activate the Format button. Your response, if
               any, is then passed along to the FORMAT program.

               You can even place multiple questions on the same
               command line. For example:

               COPY [Source File?] [Destination?]

               QuikMenu questions can even include an optional
               default answer. Users can then select the default
               simply by pressing ENTER. Answers are indicated by a
               caret (^) symbol inside the [] brackets. For example,
               the command: FORMAT [Which Drive?^A:] establishes A:
               as the default choice.

               You can also have the button display a list of files
               to choose from simply by putting an equal sign (=)
               inside the [] brackets. For example, a command like:

               WP [Which File?=C:\FILES\*.DOC]

               allows you to choose from a list of files in the
               C:\FILES directory that have the extension .DOC. The
               *.DOC is a standard directory mask used by DOS to
               display only certain types of files. See your DOS
               manual for more information about masks.

               By using two equal signs (==) instead of one, you can
               search for files across an entire drive. For example,
               a command like:

               WP [Which File?==C:\*.DOC]

               will find every file with the .DOC extension on C:
               drive, regardless of which directory it's in.

               If you use the equal sign (=) or double equal sign
               (==) without a mask, the List Files box will display
               only executable program files (*.BAT, *.COM and
               *.EXE). For example:

               [Select a Program=]

               You may also combine the above examples and even place
               questions within questions. For example:

               WP [Select a File=[Type of File?]]

               There is also an option you can use on the command
               line for viewing ASCII text files. For example, to
               view your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, use the command:

               @VIEW=C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

               Another command line option built into QuikMenu allows
               you to create and edit ASCII text files. For example,
               to edit your CONFIG.SYS file, use the command:

               @EDIT=C:\CONFIG.SYS

               For more information about QuikMenu's text editor see
               Editor below.

               You can even use the @VIEW and @EDIT options with
               other command line functions. For example:

               @VIEW=[View what?=C:\*.*]

               To run a program without returning to QuikMenu, simply
               place the !BYE option at the end of the command line.
               For example, to run a hard drive parking utility use
               the command:

               PARK !BYE

               Normally when Quikmenu activates a software
               application it does so by loading a temporary DOS
               command shell. This method is very reliable and always
               assures that QuikMenu is reloaded after an application
               is terminated. There may be instances, however, when
               a DOS shell interferes with certain functions, such as
               loading and removing TSR's. The !NOSHELL option allows
               QuikMenu to run applications without invoking a DOS
               command shell. If this option is used when running
               batch files, you will need to use one of the following
               procedures to return to QuikMenu after the batch file
               is finished:

               1.) Place the DOS CALL option before the name of the
               batch file in the button's command line. For example:

               CALL MYBATCH !NOSHELL

               2.) Include commands for returning to QuikMenu at the
               end of the batch file. For example:

               C:
               CD\QUIKMENU
               QM


List Programs  This option is used to locate a program on your hard
               drive and place the information in the Location and
               Command fields.

               Drive and directory names are enclosed within brackets
               ([]) to make them easily distinguishable from files.
               Selecting a directory, such as [WP51], displays a list
               of all program files within that directory. Selecting
               the parent directory, [..], moves up one level in the
               directory tree while the [\] symbol takes you all the
               way back to the root directory of the current drive.

               The find option allows you to change what type of
               files will be displayed in the List Programs window.
               You may use any standard DOS file name specifications;
               for example, the wild card options * and ?, parts of
               file names, extensions and even full file names.

               Select the Search Entire Drive option to find files
               across an entire drive.

Password       This option allows you to protect a Software Button
               from being activated and/or modified by unauthorized
               users.

Options        This option allows you to choose among several button
               shapes as well as select the fill, text and border
               colors for the Software Button. You can also change
               the button's font style, size and text alignment.

Pause          Select this option if you want the program to pause
               after it's finished running and prompt you with a
               "Strike any key when ready..." message.

Ask For File   This option inserts a question ([Select a File=*.*])
               into the command line requesting QuikMenu to display
               a list of files whenever this button is activated.

Editor         This option allows you to create or modify DOS batch
               files. Selecting this option starts QuikMenu's text
               editor and automatically loads any batch file found at
               the beginning of the command line. If the command line
               is empty or does not contain a file name then the
               editor is evoked with a blank screen ready for text
               entry. If the file on the command line does not
               already exist, you will be asked if you want to create
               it. File size is limited only by the amount of
               available RAM.

               Editor commands include:

               Key                 Action
               ------------------------------------------------
               UP ARROW            Up one line
               DOWN ARROW          Down one line
               LEFT ARROW          Left one character
               RIGHT ARROW         Right one character
               PGUP                Up one screen
               PGDN                Down one screen
               HOME                Beginning of line
               END                 End of line
               CTRL + HOME         Top of file
               CTRL + END          End of file
               TAB                 Inserts 5 spaces
               INSERT              Toggles insert/overwrite
               CTRL + T            Erase current line
               CTRL + Y            Delete line
               ENTER               Inserts a line (insert mode)
               DEL                 Delete right
               BACKSPACE           Delete left
               ALT + S             Save and continue editing
               ESC, ALT + D        Save and exit

               After you have completed your modifications, choose
               the Done command from the top of the screen. You will
               be asked if you want to save the changes. If the file
               already exists, you will also be asked if you want to
               replace it or save the changes under a new name. No
               backup file (*.BAK) will be created in either
               circumstance.

               You can also use the editor to modify other ASCII text
               files (see Command above).


ADDING PAGE BUTTONS
-------------------

Page Buttons are used to move between pages within the menu. For
example, page one might contain a button labeled "Games" which is
linked to page five. Page five might contain several items related to
game software as well as a "Go Back" button for returning to page one.
Individual pages can be password protected with the Protect command.

If you select Page Button from the Add dialog box, you will see a
screen with the following options:

Speed Key      This is the key on your keyboard that will be used to
               activate the Page Button. Valid choices are letters A
               through Z, numbers 0 through 9 and the characters: @
               # $ % & * ( ) + { } [ ] : ; < > ? ! / | \ " ^ - _ ~ .
               , =  ` '.

Name           This is the text that will be displayed inside the
               Page Button for reference - usually a description of
               the contents of the page the button is linked to.

Link to...     In this field, type the number of the page you want to
               link this button to. Valid page numbers are 1 to 40.
               (See List Pages below.)

List Pages     This option serves as an alternative method for
               filling in the Name and Link fields above. Selecting
               this option displays a dialog box containing a list of
               page titles for all 40 QuikMenu pages. Use the UP and
               DOWN arrow keys to reach the page you want and press
               ENTER.

Options        This option allows you to choose among several button
               shapes as well as select the fill, text and border
               colors for the Page Button. You can also change the
               button's font style, size and text alignment.


EDITING MENU ITEMS
------------------

The Edit option allows you to change the appearance and behavior of
a button. After selecting the Edit command, select the button you want
to change by typing its speed key or clicking it with the mouse. A
dialog box like the one used to create the item will appear. (See
Adding Software and Page Buttons above.)


COPYING MENU ITEMS
------------------

The Copy command will allow you to make an exact duplicate of an
existing button. Copied buttons can be placed anywhere on the current
page or even moved to another page by pressing the PAGE UP or PAGE
DOWN keys. This is handy when you want to place the same button on
multiple pages. (See Moving Menu Items below.)


MOVING MENU ITEMS
-----------------

The Move command will allow you to change the position of a button.
To move a button, select the Move command from the top of the screen.
Next, select a button by typing its speed key or clicking it with a
mouse. Position the button by using the arrow keys or by moving the
mouse. To move the button to another page, press the PAGE UP or PAGE
DOWN keys until the desired page appears on the screen. To anchor the
button, press ENTER or click the mouse. From the modify mode, you can
also move a button by typing its speed key or clicking it with a mouse
without selecting the Move command.


SIZING MENU ITEMS
-----------------

The Size command allows you to alter the dimensions of a button.  To
size a button, select the Size command from the top of the screen.
Next, select a button by typing its speed key or clicking it with a
mouse. Size the button by using the arrow keys or by moving the mouse.
When the button has reached the desired proportions, press ENTER or
click the mouse. The button cannot be smaller than the width and
height of the text inside it.


DELETING MENU ITEMS
-------------------

Use the Delete command to remove unwanted buttons from your menu. To
delete a button, select the Delete command from the top of the screen.
Next, select a button by typing its speed key or clicking it with the
mouse. You will be asked if you are sure you want to delete the
button. Press ENTER to delete it or ESC to cancel.


CHANGING PAGE TITLES
--------------------

The Title command allows you to assign titles to each of QuikMenu's
40 pages. Menu titles appear at the top of each page and may contain
up to 40 characters. This allows you to identify your menu screens
with descriptive names like "DOS Commands", "Games", "Sally's
Programs" or whatever.

When you choose the Title command, a dialog box will appear with the
title of the current page already displayed. To change the title,
backspace over the existing text and type the new title. You can also
change the title of other pages by pressing the PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN
keys until the desired title appears in the text field. The number of
the affected page is displayed at the top of the dialog box.


PASSWORD PROTECTING PAGES
-------------------------

QuikMenu allows you to protect an entire page with a unique password.
In this manner, unauthorized users can be prevented from accessing
programs or even viewing selected pages. All pages except the first
page may be protected. If you use this feature, be sure to remember
your password. A forgotten password means you will not be able to
access pages protected with this feature.

Once a page has been protected you must enter the correct password
before the page can be used. You may, however, access pages before and
after the protected page provided they are not also protected.


USING THE SETUP COMMAND
-----------------------

The Setup command provides you with the means to personalize many
features of QuikMenu. You can use Setup to change the screen colors,
set the date and time, change the mouse speed and set overall password
protection.

SCREEN

Color          Use the option to change the color of the selected
               QuikMenu item. To select an item, choose the F5=List
               button. A dialog box will appear containing a list of
               interface elements that can be colorized. Scroll down
               the list using the cursor keys or the mouse until the
               desired item is highlighted. Press ENTER or click the
               item with the mouse. Next, select a color by pressing
               ALT-O until the desired color is highlighted or click
               one of the colors with the mouse. Repeat for each item
               you wish to modify.

Save screen    The Screen Saver option allows you to set the time
               interval for the built-in screen saver utility. The
               screen saver continuously monitors your mouse and
               keyboard. If no activity has occurred for a period of
               time equal to the chosen interval, then the QuikMenu
               screen is replaced by an exploding clock. To restore
               QuikMenu, press any key or move the mouse. To turn the
               screen saver off, set the interval to zero. The screen
               saver may also be activated by pressing the F5
               function key. NOTE: The screen saver only works while
               you are in QuikMenu, not in other programs.

Sound          Quikmenu occasionally emits audible beeps and tones in
               response to certain menu actions. If you're irritated
               by this type of noise, simply turn this option off.

Confirm        Select this option to request a confirmation (Yes/No)
               before a program, phone dialer or macro is activated.
               Confirm also applies to the DOS and Exit commands.

3-D            This option allows Quikmenu's three dimensional
               interface to be turned off.

Speed keys     This option allows the speed key character in front of
               the button text to be turned off. All speed keys
               remain fully functional; the only difference is that
               they are not displayed.

Display grid   Select this option to display a visible grid to use as
               a reference when positioning buttons on the menu.

Snap to grid   Use this option to automatically snap to the grid when
               positioning and sizing buttons on the menu. The grid
               does not need to be visible to use this feature.

PASSWORD

The Password function is used to prevent unauthorized users from
running the DOS Shell, modifying the menu, viewing the Time Log and
leaving QuikMenu. Type your password in the text field and select the
items you want to be protected. Protected items appear with an X next
to them. If you use this feature, be sure to remember your password.
A forgotten password means you will not be able to access the
protected options.

Command functions that can be protected are: Modify, DOS, Log and
Exit. To protect an option(s), type your password into the text field
and select the items to be protected.

Optionally, these command buttons may be hidden from the menu by
selecting the appropriate check box. Hidden command buttons cannot be
accessed via the mouse. Keyboard access, however, is still available.
Functions that are to have restricted access should also be password
protected.


TIME LOG

The Time Log option allows you to turn the log on or off and
to change the name of the file used to store the log information. The
default name of the log file is QM.LOG. To turn the log on or off,
just hold down the ALT key and press the letter K. If you have a
mouse, just click on the "Keep a time log..." button.

It's a good idea to change the name of the time log periodically -once
a month or once a quarter if you use a variety of programs each day.
The log size is limited only by the space available on your hard
drive. However, the smaller the file, the faster the searching and
sorting will be. (See Log below.)

DATE/TIME

The system Date/Time can be set by tabbing to each field and
changing the numeric value to match the date and time. AM or PM
can be selected by holding down the Alt key and pressing A or P. If
you have a mouse you can just click on the AM or PM buttons. NOTE:
This function may not work on some XTs since there is no standard
among XT clock cards.

MOUSE

Use this option to adjust the sensitivity of your mouse. The higher
the setting, the less desk space you'll need to move the mouse across
the screen.


LEAVING THE MODIFY MODE
-----------------------

When you have finished modifying your menu, select the Done command
to save your changes and return to the main mode.


USING THE TIME LOG
------------------

QuikMenu's Time Log can be a valuable resource for consultants,
secretaries, lawyers or anyone who keeps track of expenses on the
basis of time. The Time Log allows you to view, sort and print reports
based on how long and how often you use your computer.

The log keeps track of programs by the names you assign to your
Software Buttons. It may be helpful to keep a separate pages of
Software Buttons for specific projects and give each button a unique
project name. For example, page six could have a "Jones Word
Processor", a "Jones Database" and a "Jones Spreadsheet".

If you select the Search command button while in Log a dialog box with
the following options will appear:

Report Title   This is the title for the report that will be printed
               at the top of each page.

Sort by        Select the Program button to sort log entries
               alphabetically by name. Choose the Date button to sort
               log entries in chronological order.

View as        This option controls the level of detail displayed in
               the time log. The Summary option displays each log
               entry only once and shows the total number of times
               each item was used. The Detail option shows time in,
               time out and the total time for each item.

Find           Use this option to locate specific programs or
               projects within the time log. For example, typing
               "Word" will find log entries for "WordPerfect",
               "Wordstar" and "Word Processing" - anything that
               begins with "WORD".

Start date     If you want to search a specific date range, type in
               the month, day and year in numeric format, ie:
               10-12-1990. Leave this field blank to search from the
               beginning of the file.

End date       If you want to search a specific date range, type in
               the month, day and year in numeric format, ie:
               10-22-1990. Leave this field blank to search to the
               end of the file.

To turn the Time Log on or off or to change the log file name, see
Setup above.


USING QUIKMENU WITH TSR PROGRAMS
--------------------------------

This option is for those who like to use those handy Pop-Up
calculators, note pads, outliners, etc. QuikMenu includes a handy TSR
window that allows you to easily access your favorite TSR utilities.

Simply load your TSR's as you normally do, then activate QuikMenu.
From the QuikMenu main or modify screens, press the F3 function key.
Quikmenu's graphical display is replaced by a text-only window. At
this point, input the key combination required to bring up your TSR.
When you're finished, exit your TSR and press ESC to return to
QuikMenu.

To load or unload TSR's from within QuikMenu, see the !NOSHELL command
under Adding Software Buttons above. NOTE: This may not work with all
TSR software.


USING QUIKMENU ON A NETWORK
---------------------------

QuikMenu can be used with Local Area Networks. Network users should
start Quikmenu by entering QNET "user-name" at the DOS prompt. For
example:

QNET Doris

- or -

QNET Fred

If you don't have a QNET.BAT file, try installing QuikMenu again. Be
sure to specify that you're using QuikMenu on a network.

Network users may also wish to use the !USER variable on the command
line of Program Buttons. When a button with this variable is
activated, the user's name will be substituted for !USER in the
command line. For example, if each user had their own directory on
the network, you could create a program button that would start a
program and list files from the user's directory. The command might
look like:

WP [Files?=F:\!USER\*.*]

This variable can be used in any situation that requires the user's
name, ie: custom batch files, etc.

If two or more users share the same workstation you may want them to
log-on under different names depending on who's using the system. To
accomplish this without exiting and reloading QuikMenu, create a
Software Button with the following location and command fields:

Location: F:\QUIKMENU

Command:  QNET [Please enter your user id:] !BYE


COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
--------------------

You can specify several options when starting QuikMenu. An option
consists of a slash (/) followed by an option letter followed by
information about that option.

Video Mode     QuikMenu automatically determines what type of monitor
               you have and loads the appropriate software driver. If
               you have an unusual video card, you may want to
               override the built-in video detection routine. The /G
               allows you to run QuikMenu in a variety of different
               graphics modes depending on your hardware.

               WARNING: CHOOSING AN INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER MAY CAUSE
               UNEXPECTED RESULTS AND SOME EXTREME CASES DAMAGE TO
               YOUR MONITOR OR VIDEO CARD. DON'T TRY THIS OPTION
               UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

               Usage: /Gx   x = one of the commands below

               Video Mode          Command
               ---------------------------
               Hercules              7.0
               CGA                   1.4
               MCGA 640x200          2.4
               MCGA 640x480          2.5
               EGA 640x200           3.0
               EGA 640x350           3.1
               EGA 64K               4.0
               VGA                   9.2
               AT&T 640x400          8.5
               IBM 8514 640x480      6.0
               IBM 8514 1024x768     6.1

Other Menus    This option can be used to create or access other
               QuikMenu (*.MNU) menu files.

               Usage: /Mx   x = filename

               Example: QM /Mmymenu.mnu

               If you specify a non-existent file name, QuikMenu will
               attempt to create a new menu. QuikMenu will use the
               new menu file until you tell it not to. To return to
               your original menu type:

               QM /MQM.MNU

Hello Message  The /H option displays a greeting message each time
               QuikMenu is loaded. Possible messages include: "Good
               Morning", "Good Afternoon" and "Good Evening"
               depending on what time of day it is.

               Usage: /H