The Best of Windows 95.com 1996 September

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WINPTR copyright 1994-1995 Paul F. Poellinger, Silent O Software **************************************************************** This note can be re-read from the main menu where I've added a "Read Me File" menu item. **************************************************************** I. Notes for prior registrants II. Notes for Windows 95 Users III. Notes for Windows NT Users IV. Update History V. Package contents VI. Installation VII. Removal VIII. Icon Information IX. Usage Tip X. Disclaimers & Support XI. Registration XII. Credit Card Registration XIII. Future Releases XIV. Pass It On XV. Acknowledgements XVI. Multi-User Licenses XVII. Peliware Commercial Break XVIII. Finally...Addresses **************************************************************** I. Notes for PRIOR REGISTRANTS ------------------------------ If you've received a note from me in an earlier update advising you to keep the install.inf file for subsequent updates, forget it. That's no longer necessary...tho your winptr.reg file still is. It's always wise to keep the prior version when updating to a new version, just in case the old version "works better". Version 1.04, while ostensibly for Windows 95 and NT users, required changes to code executed by "old windows" users...which should not be evident when running "old windows" (it says here). I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have made WinPtr a success by registering and using it yourself and (especially) recommending it to your friends. That's a large part of the reason I don't charge for upgrades. **************************************************************** II. Notes for Windows 95 Users ------------------------------ Ok, so you're a leading-edge type. Remember, the pioneers are the ones with the arrows in their backs. Well, so it goes with WinPtr. If you tried prior versions with Windows 95, you've probably noticed that a few of its wonderful features don't quite work like they did back at the old mother ship 3.1. For instance, the icon, which is hard to read, doesn't reflect orientation changes. And the rectangle actions...yikes! They make WinPtr go bye-bye for good. Also, you've probably not been able to do stuff that must be selected from the menu, that is, doesn't have a hot key assigned...like "Window->BMP File". Windows 95 handles a few things differently from 3.1+. Seems lots of folks can't stand to wait for their Word document to open before they add an item to their checkbook while downloading those educational GIFs from the Internet. So now they have multi-tasking through threads. Well, W95 had to impose some restrictions to make that stuff work. Like: you can't change the icon to cross-hairs and draw rectangles outside of your program's area...and since WinPtr is an icon and has no real area, tough beans. Or: since they put minimized program's icons on that neato task bar in an unchangable state, it's impossible to change WinPtr's icon on the fly to show an orientation change. And here's the tough one: When one program gives up control, the prior active window doesn't automatically regain control like it used to. So, when you tell WinPtr to save the window to a file, and where it used to disappear and save the last active window, now there probably isn't an active window...so WinPtr just ignores you. You have to click on the title bar of the window you want to be active again to reactivate it. And the the menu no longer pops up with a left-click, but that *does* change the orientation... ouch. The good news is that the hotkeys still work. So, naturally, in order to make your favorite utility work in this brave new world, I've had to work some magic and add some minor inconveniences. In case you forget this stuff, this note can be re-read from the main menu where I've added a "Read Me File" menu item. Gotta minute? Here're the new "enhancements": 1) Windows 95 control menus (where WinPtr's actions show) pop up when you RIGHT-CLICK on the WinPtr taskbar icon, 2) The current printer shows in a cute little box above the taskbar icon when you click or just hold the cursor over the WinPtr icon, as well as in the program name there if you haven't opened so many programs that the name shrunk down to a few characters. 3) A SINGLE LEFT-CLICK on the WinPtr taskbar icon changes the printer orientation. 4) I've added the orientation to that little printer description that shows in the program name and that little floating box when you click or hold the cursor over the WinPtr spot on the task bar. It shows an "O - " or "L - " ahead of the printer name. So now the pelican wears only his birthday suit. 5) When you select any RECTANGLE related action, you will probably see that cool "zoom" effect that W95 added when a window opens. But the window is transparent, so it'll look kinda wierd. What I do when you elect to do any rectangle action, either from hotkey or menu item, is cover the entire screen with a transparent window. That way I can show the crosshairs and you can carve out your rectangle. Remember up there I said W95 doesn't let you fool around in areas that aren't part of your program. By that little trick, I make the entire screen my program's area. BTW, if you select a rectangle action, and then fall asleep, I remove the transparent window after about 20 seconds of inactivity. 6) When I popped up the main, fax, file or clipboard menus using {ctrl}{shift}I, X, F, K...then changed my mind, I could always remove the popup menu by left-clicking on WinPtr's taskbar icon. I could not reliably remove it by clicking on the desktop, as you can in Win3.1+...but I was testing on a Win95 Beta, and that may change in the final release or the one after that when they fix all the stuff they couldn't get fixed before August 24th. Just be aware that you can remove them by clicking on WinPtr's icon. 7) Now for the tough one. When you do a hotkey to print a window or client area, you'd better first make sure that one is active. Remember up there where I said it's possible with W95 to have no active windows. Be sure that the title bar of the window you covet is highlighted...if it's not, click on the title bar first. Then do the hotkey. But... When you *don't* use a hotkey, and instead activate WinPtr's menu, your target window loses focus and its title bar dims. After you select your action from the menu, WinPtr stays active and your window isn't. I could programmatically deactive WinPtr, but that wouldn't re-activate your window anyway, because W95 doesn't work that way. And I don't know which one was your's. So... After you select an action from the menu that depends on a window (or client), you have to activate that window again by clicking on its title bar. THEN, I can go to work. I even display a little Win95-like gray box reminding you to do that (with an annoying beep). Again, if you don't activate a window within 10 seconds, I forget about it. * An advantage of this title-bar-clicking thing is that it gave me a chance to implement MDI sheet (and sheet client area) printing and capturing, something many of you have requested. For those of you unacquainted with the term "sheets", that's what the document sub-windows in Microsoft Word or Excel are called. You can print the whole shebang (Word's main window and all contents) with "window print", and now you can print the sub-windows ("sheets") individually, too. Don't worry... if you use it when it doesn't apply, I'll just print the window...but it'll be welcomed when you need it. 8) One last thing. The default Win95 install will not install the clipboard viewer. You have to run the "add stuff" program and pick it out of the accessories "details" to get it installed. So there you have it. I've not had a lot of time to test these changes, so keep an eye out for any "unintended enhancements" when running in either W3.1+ or W95. THERE ARE NO OTHER CHANGES FROM version 1.03. This one is 1.04. **************************************************************** III. Notes for Windows NT Users ------------------------------- Several places where I was using the Windows System directory to find the printer driver, I changed the code to let Windows find it. This fixes all NT errors I could find...and is the only NT-related change in this release (1.04). Keep an eye out for other "unintended enhancements" when running in either W3.1+ or NT. **************************************************************** IV. UPDATE History ------------------ Note that the version is displayed in the title caption of the "About..." dialog box, and as the "time" of the winptr.exe file. 9/1/95 - 1.04 - Update to accomodate Windows 95...and NT. (1) Made changes to fix WinPtr actions broken by Windows 95 and NT "advances". (2) added MDI sheet and sheet-client processing (for Windows95 only). (3) changed the install process so there's no longer a separate "production" install.inf file. 8/8/94 - 1.03 - (1) added code to detect no active default printer. (2) added code to detect when Window's "system" directory is off a root, as it sometimes is on a network...made unnecessary by 1.04. (3) added test to verify drivername.drv exists before trying to load it. (4) fixed printing of multi-page text file or clipboard text printout to print the last page...which it wasn't doing...discovered myself...amazed no one else mentioned it. 4/9/94 - 1.02 - (1) corrected icon failure to return on ?->file cancellation. (2) removed Trial Copy 30 timeout mechanism. Back to the honor system. Happy to say it seems to be working. (3) corrected spelling of [winptr] section in peliware.ini 4/5/94 - updated install programs (EDI Install Pro) to fix a GPF when installing onto Windows for Workgroups with 32-bit access turned on. 3/26/94 - 1.01 - added recognition of change of default printer from control panel or another program. **************************************************************** V. PACKAGE CONTENTS ------------------- Included: WinPtr files ------------ WINPTR EXE - the real deal READ ME - self-reference (this) PELIWARE DLL - my dynamic link library PELIWARE INI - winptr control file WINPTR HLP - windows help file WINPTR REG - trial version "dummy" registration file (dated 1-Jan-85 so won't install over a "real" one). Install files ------------- INSTALL.EXE INSTALL.BIN INSTALL.INF INSTALL.BMP Uninstall file --------------- X_WINPTR.EXE All WinPtr files must be placed in the same directory, one of your choice, tho the install procedure will suggest c:\windows\winptr. I insist that the ini and dll files be kept with the exe for ecological purposes...it makes removal so much cleaner. However, since the uninstall program cannot remove itself from the ..\winptr directory if it's started from there, don't put it there. I suggest you put all files on a diskette, if you didn't get it that way, then install and uninstall from there. **************************************************************** VI. INSTALLATION ---------------- * Crank up Windows. * Select FILE/RUN from the Program Manager menus. * Type a:install. - WinPtr is intended to load with Windows, thus should be added to your Program Manager STARTUP group. The install procedure will do this for you. In the unlikely event you want it in some other group, an override is provided. Note, tho, that the x_winptr, the uninstall, will only remove a startup group icon. * If you've got an earlier version of WinPtr installed in a different directory, copy your winptr.reg file from there over the dummy one that this procedure just installed...to keep the nag screen away. - The next time you start up windows, the WinPtr icon (a tastefully designed pelican that some of the overly left-brained have called a duck) will be on your desktop. Click it for its menus (right-click for Win95, left-click for all others). - Ctrl/Shift F1 summons WinPtr help, an exhaustive guide to using WinPtr. The main menu also contains an entry to launch help. You'll also find an entry there to summon this file for Win 95 additions. **************************************************************** VII. REMOVING WINPTR FROM YOUR SYSTEM ------------------------------------- * Crank up Windows. * Select FILE/RUN from the Program Manager menus. * Type a:x_winptr. - All evidence of WinPtr's existence will be removed. Your loss. **************************************************************** VIII. ICON item info -------------------- If for some reason you need to set up WinPtr's icon in a Program Manager group (Install puts it in a (startup) group for you), enter the following: Description: WinPtr ... the uninstall won't remove it otherwise Command Line: winptr Working Directory: winptr **************************************************************** IX. USAGE TIPS -------------- One of the features of WinPtr is that it can print the screen via hotkey even when a modal dialog box (like an error message) has focus/control...because it uses a system-level keyboard hook. We use a slimmer version (find WINP16.zip on CIS-winshare and AOL-search on poellinger) to have our users print Oracle error messages from Powerbuilder apps...showing the SQL statement causing the error. I've found a trick worth passing on...I used the PRTSC key to send the menu's in WinPtr's help file to the clipboard, then pasted them into WinGif and clipped the part I wanted. BUT... for a new app awhile ago, when I wanted to send the screen image to the clipboard, it showed a modal dialog box...and PRTSC won't do it when that dialog box has control. I solved it by using WinPtr...hit {CTRL}{SHIFT}{I} to bring up WinPtr's main menu (which works even with a modal dialog box in control, as I said), then drilled to the menu entry to send the screen to the clipboard and it worked!. **************************************************************** X. DISCLAIMERS & SUPPORT ------------------------ Paul Poellinger and Silent O Software make absolutely no warranties or guarantees whatsoever. The nature of shareware is that your registration indicates you are satisfied with this program and so place no other requirements or expectations on the author or this program. Nonetheless, I make every effort to help in problem resolution, and do fix bugs and periodically issue free updates (which I'll advise you of if you provide an email address) for you to download. I can be reached at the email addresses at the bottom of this note, each of which is checked at least once daily. I take pride in making every effort to provide prompt (and free) support...often ranging far afield of WinPtr. I do ask that you try to restrict your support requests to email rather than the telephone. This program has been tested by me and friends, but since W95 is only a week old, not as extensively as I normally like, so YMMV, depending on video card and printer driver. If your mileage does vary, please first suspect (1) your printer driver, (2) your video driver, (3) some other program interfering with my hotkeys. Finally, if your hard disk crashes or you, for whatever reason, lose your copy of WinPtr's registration file, please don't send me more money or register again...as a couple of such unfortunates have. Once is enough. Just send me an email, and I'll email you a free replacement. **************************************************************** XI. REGISTRATION ---------------- You are free to try this program for 30 days. If you decide to use it thereafter, you are obligated to send $20 to: PAUL POELLINGER 2019 Round Lake Drive Houston, TX 77077 Texas Residents, include 8.25% sales tax (total = $21.65). -- OR -- some non-US residents have found it easier and cheaper to fold up the proper US bills in opaque paper and send it in an envelope to avoid the hassle and extra cost of obtaining US funds. That works for me, and yes, I do report them to the IRS. -- OR -- register via Compuserve's shareware registration service by typing GO SWREG at the prompt. I charge $23.50 for registering this way cause Compuserve gets 15%...guess shareware means everyone who can gets a share :-( ... TX residents, I'll eat the tax. The SWREG registration ID number is 2162. Another popular route for overseas orders. -- OR -- pay by credit card via Public software Library's shareware author's credit card processing service. See the following section for info. Your credit card transaction is between you and them, for your safety, involving me only when they advise me it's completed. DON'T SEND YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER or order TO ME...I CANNOT BE INVOLVED IN THAT PART OF THE TRANSACTION per PsL's agreement. -- OR -- I do the purchase order/invoice dance. That's the one where you hurry and send/fax me an order, and I hurry and send you a licensed diskette and an invoice, then you take 30-45 days to send me a check :-(. I have a fax number (1-800-321-1722) for such things...at least for now. ---- When you register, I'll send you what you need to kill the nag screen. Please include your e-mail address if you have one (automatic with SWREG)...for update notices. I snail mail you the latest version, with a nag screen killer/registration file included. ---- Except in the case of a rare vacation, never exceeding a week, I send out diskettes to registrants the day after I receive the registration. In 3 cases in the past year the mail has failed, and in each case that user waited a long time to ask about it. If you don't get your package within a reasonable snail mail turnaround time for your location and Texas, holler. ---- Please note that even if you paid for a diskette or CD containing this package, you must still pay my registration fee for use of WinPtr past the 30 day free trial. The fee you paid for the CD or diskette is someone else's "share" :-( ---- If you paid for WinPrt, a smaller, simpler incarnation (see below), you can own this one for $10, tho you'll have to do that by s-mail. ---- I and all those dependent on me thank you. **************************************************************** XII. CREDIT CARD REGISTRATION - PsL Required Notice: ------------------------------ You can order WinPtr with MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover from Public (software) Library by calling 800-2424-PsL (800-242-4775) or 713-524-6394 or by FAX to 713-524-6398 or by Compuserve Email to 71355,470. You can also mail credit card orders to PsL at P.O. Box 35705, Houston, TX 77235-5705. PsL's phones are open from 6 am to 6 pm (Central) Monday thru Thursday and from 6 am to 12:30 pm (Central) Fridays. THE ABOVE NUMBERS ARE FOR CREDIT CARD ORDERS ONLY. THE AUTHOR OF THIS PROGRAM CANNOT BE REACHED AT THESE NUMBERS. * * * * WinPtr has been assigned PsL item/product #11886 * * * * --**-- NOTE --**-- There is a $5 handling charge for credit card orders, regardless of purchase amount, i.e. one copy is $20 + 5 = $25, 2 copies are $40 + 5 = $45, a 250 user license is $500 + 5 = $505. Please add $5 to your total when faxing or Emailing an order to PsL. Failure to authorize this addition when ordering will result in registration delays. This helps cover their "share". --**-- Texas Sales Tax is applied ONLY if your mailing address is in the great state of Texas (home of the 2-time World Champion HOUSTON ROCKETS). Add the 8.25% to the total cost, including the $5. Again, failure to add this to your order will result in registration delays. Any questions about the status of the shipment of the order, refunds, registration options, product details, technical support, volume discounts, dealer pricing, site licenses, non-credit card orders, etc, must be directed to the author (Email addresses at the end of this file). Once your transaction with them is completed, PsL will notify me that day or the next, and I will ship the product directly to you. **************************************************************** XIII. FUTURE RELEASES ---------------------- I wrote and submitted version 2 for beta...then pulled it back to ready my stuff for the new dawning of the electronic age, Windows 95. I plan to put out another version (probably in both 16- (for win3.1+) and 32-bit (for W95 and NT), with many of the features that were in that version 2. Don't know when tho. Probably RSN. If I have your email address, you'll be told when...don't call me, I'll mail you. I upload new releases to America Online, Compuserve's Winshare forum and the CICA, GARBO and SIMTEL repositories as soon as practical. I keep a mailing list of your email addresses, and make an attempt to send you an availability note. Internet repository versions are named WPRTnnn.ZIP (e.g. WPRT104.ZIP). Most others are named WINPTR.ZIP, though ZiffNet chose to change it to WNPTR.ZIP for its libraries and when it put it on Prodigy. The variety of names result from the need to avoid duplication of other files of the same name that beat me there. When using an updated version, please retain your prior release in the (hopefully unlikely) event that the old release was better. **************************************************************** XIV. PASS IT ON --------------- You are free to pass this TRIAL package on to others or upload it to bulletin boards provided that 1) you do not charge for it above the cost of distribution, and 2) all parts of the package are included (see "PACKAGE CONTENTS" at the top). Naturally, you're not allowed to pass on the registered version (Having to say that always reminds me of the local commercial that finds it necessary to state that the all-you-can-eat-ribs offer is for dine-in-orders only :-) **************************************************************** XV. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --------------------- Thank you for supporting shareware. Thanks to OsoSoft's Gentle George Campbell for the suggestions that got me into the shareware business originally...and continuing advise and assistance. And thanks to Microsoft for leaving all this stuff out of Windows so we bottom-feeders can eat too. **************************************************************** XVI. MULTI-USER LICENSES ------------------------- Multi-user licenses are available at the following discounted prices: 2 to 25 users ... $250 26 to 250 users ... $500 over 250 users ... $500 plus $1 per user unlimited users ... $1000 **************************************************************** XVII. PELIWARE COMMERCIAL BREAK ------------------------------- I provide custom Windows programming, which have included a number of varied utilities and DLLs based on WinPtr's functionality or subsets thereof. Let's talk. ---------------------------- I've been selling a group of simpler utilities for screen and clipboard printing and printer orientation control (PPrint/Prtsc, PClip/PrtClip, and Portland), collectively called WinPrt, for some time. Look for them in the WINSHARE and MSBASIC fora of Compuserve (search for WINP*.ZIP for latest version). The set is $10. Corporate licenses are $250. SWREG ID 3029 ---------------------------- Look for PPRTR*.ZIP in WINSHARE, MSBASIC, POWERSOFT and VBPJFO on CIS, in the SOFTWARE section of AOL, or on fine FTP sites everywhere on the Internet for a DLL providing advanced printer control to higher level languages (like Visual Basic or PowerBuilder)...e.g. in simtel/win3/dll at oak.oakland.edu, the SimTel repository. It's $10 a developer, $250 for up to 50 developers, $400 unlimited usage. Royalty-free distribution in any case. SWREG ID 1462. ---------------------------- Another dll provides font and font family enumeration as well as font textmetrics to the same crowd...same deal...same places. PPFONT*.ZIP ... SWREG ID 3026 ---------------------------- Check out SPOOLF*.ZIP in any cica, garbo, or simtel mirror, e.g. in /simtel/win3/printer at oak.oakland.edu ... SPOOLF.ZIP on CIS, SPOOLFLE.ZIP on AOL ... Windows utility to print files created by printing to a file (e.g. by printing the the FILE: port). Sends file directly to the printer using Windows PassThrough escape. Works even if normal driver doesn't support PassThrough. No more need to use DOS "copy xxx.prn lpt1: /b". Shareware $10. **************************************************************** XVIII. FINALLY...ADDRESSES -------------------------- Let me know if you have any trouble or suggestions. Paul Poellinger Code Wallah Silent O Software Purveyors of Peliware 2019 Round Lake Drive Houston, TX 77077 Fax: (800) 321-1722 pelican@onramp.net Compuserve: 70732,3576 AOL: PFPelican pelican@msn.com http://rampages.onramp.net/~pelican 9/1/95 ************************* EOJ **********************************