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SYS_HELP.TXT
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1996-08-11
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Launch v4.40 help text generated at 10:45:29 PM
on Sunday, August 11, 1996.
#1
1.00 General Information
This section gives information that is relevant
to the entire Launch system.
1.01 Using Help
This is the help information window. From here,
you can use the vertical arrow keys [Up] and
[Down] to scroll the displayed information up
and down. [Pg Up] and [Pg Dn] move the text up
or down by a page, [Home] moves to the start of
the text, and [End] moves to the end of the
text.
Mouse users can click on the [Up] and [Down]
icons in the scroll bar, or drag the page icon
(press and hold the mouse button while on the
icon, and then move the mouse) in the scroll bar
to display a different page.
Pressing [I] or clicking on "Index" displays a
help index. To select a new topic, use the same
keys as above to highlight a new help topic and
then press [Enter]. The required information
will then be displayed. Press [Esc] to return to
the help window without changing the help topic.
When you have finished reading, press [Esc] to
return to Launch in the position you left off.
1.02 Help Index
Pressing [I] displays a help index. To select a
new topic, use the same keys as above to
highlight a new help topic and then press
[Enter]. The required information will then be
displayed. Press [Esc] to return to the help
window without changing the help topic.
When you have finished reading, press [Esc] to
return to Launch in the position you left off.
1.03 Login:User ID
Enter your User ID in the space provided. A User
ID uniquely identifies each user when they log
on, and is usually the user's initials or their
first or last name.
If you enter the wrong User ID, press
[Ctrl+Backspace] to erase the old entry and
enter a new one.
If this is the first time you have used Launch
after installing it, just press [Enter] for both
the User ID and Password fields. The
installation program configures Launch with a
single Supervisor user with blank User ID and
Password fields.
1.04 Login:Invalid Login
Launch accepts input for both the User ID and
Password fields before validating them. If the
login is incorrect, Launch displays the message
"Invalid login", without telling the user which
field is incorrect. This helps to maintain the
security of the system, since the number of
possibilities for the combined User ID and
Password fields is much greater than for the
User ID field alone.
1.05 Login:Password
Enter your user password in this field. If you
have forgotten your password, talk to your
system supervisor. Choose a password that you
can remember!
Good Passwords Bad Passwords
FREX ^@!8/+(
ZANTU 1%B]{&
1.06 Using Launch
If an item has a highlighted letter (hot key),
that key may be pressed to access that menu item
directly (without moving to it and pressing
[Enter]).
[Enter] If the cursor is positioned over a
MENU (a menu is indicated by an
arrow to its right), this displays
the next menu.
If the cursor is positioned over an
OPTION, this EXECUTES the option
under the cursor
[Esc] Returns you to the previous menu if
there is one. If there is no
previous menu, you are given the
option to exit
[Left] Same as [Esc], except does not allow
you to exit
[Right] Same as [Enter], except it does not
allow an OPTION to be executed
[Up] Moves up one menu item (jumping over
any dividers, and if at the top of
the menu, it wraps around to the
last menu item)
[Down] Moves down one menu item
[Pg Up] Moves up six items
[Pg Dn] Moves down six items
[Home] Moves to the first menu item
[End] Moves to the last menu item
[F10] Displays the Command menu. The
commands allow you to customise the
look and operation of Launch.
Depending on your privileges,
certain commands may be hidden -
this means that they are unavailable
[F1] Displays context-sensitive help for
the operation you are performing
[Ctrl+F1] If it has been defined, this
displays user-defined help for the
item under the cursor
[Ctrl+Home Returns the cursor to the first menu
]
1.07 Field Editing
While editing, the following keys can be used :
[Left] Moves the cursor left
[Right] Moves the cursor right
[Home] Moves to the start of the field
[End] Moves to the end of the field
[Ctrl+Left] Moves the cursor one word left
[Ctrl+Right] Moves the cursor one word right
[Delete] Removes the character under the
cursor
[Backspace] Removes the character to the
left of the cursor
[Insert] Toggles between insert/overwrite
mode
[Ctrl+Backspac Clears the entire field
e]
[Down] If this field has an associated
history, this brings up the
history list.
1.08 Moving Between Fields
If there is more than one field to edit, the
following keys may also be used:
[Tab] Next field
[Shift+Tab] Previous field
[Alt+letter Moves directly to the field with
] letter highlighted
1.09 Editing with a Mouse
Clicking anywhere on a field with the mouse
moves the cursor to that field. Clicking in the
text entry part of a text field moves the cursor
underneath the mouse cursor.
Some fields have buttons beside them when
focussed, a single down arrow indicates a
history list, and an up and down arrow beside a
numeric field can be used to increase or
decrease the value. The buttons can be clicked
on with the mouse.
1.10 Entering Extended Characters
If you wish to enter a character that is not
accessible via the keyboard, first find its
decimal equivalent from an ASCII chart. Then,
while holding the [Alt] key down, type in the
character's decimal equivalent on the NUMERIC
KEYPAD, and then release [Alt].
1.11 Using User-Defined Help
This window displays user-defined help for the
menu item currently under the cursor. You can
use the vertical arrow keys [Up] and [Down] to
scroll the displayed information up and down.
[Pg Up] and [Pg Dn] move the text up or down by
a page, [Home] moves to the start of the text,
and [End] moves to the end of the text.
Mouse users can click on the [Up] and [Down]
icons in the scroll bar, or drag the page icon
(press and hold the mouse button while on the
icon, and then move the mouse) in the scroll bar
to display a different page.
If you have editing privileges or have
supervisor authority, pressing [Alt+E] allows
you to edit the help information.
When you have finished reading, press [Esc] to
return to Launch in the position you left off.
1.12 No User Help
You have pressed [Ctrl+F1], and there is no user-
defined help for the item under the cursor. If
you have editing privileges, you can press
[Enter] to create the help information. After
you have done so, Launch will display the
information for the item. Press [Esc] to not
create user help.
#2
2.00 Edit
Edit allows you to change various attributes of
menu items, such as their title and hot keys,
password, authority level, short cut key, batch
file or link path.
Each item type has different attributes:
Divider Title (no hot keys allowed)
bars
Options Title (with hot keys), short cut,
password, authority level, batch
file
Menus Title (with hot keys), short cut,
password, authority level, maximum
height
Links Title (with hot keys), short cut,
password, authority level, maximum
height, link number and path,
automatic link
To edit divider bars, you must choose Edit from
the Command menu, as this method allows you to
select the item to be edited. Otherwise, simply
pressing [F9] while the cursor is highlighting
the item to be edited is a much quicker method.
2.01 Selecting the Item to Edit
You have chosen Edit from the Command menu
rather than by pressing [F9] directly. When you
do this, Launch allows you to choose the item
you would like to edit, rather than editing the
item underneath the cursor bar at the time [F9]
was pressed. This facilitates the editing of
divider bars, because normally the cursor bar
cannot move onto a divider bar.
All normal cursor bar movement keys can be used
here, except [Esc], which cancels the editing
process.
When the cursor bar is positioned over the item
you would like to edit, press [F9].
2.02 Editing Batch Commands
When editing an option, pressing [F9] (a second
time: the first press being to invoke Edit)
causes Launch to invoke the text editor. The
editor allows you to modify the batch file
associated with the option. The commands in the
batch file cause the option to be executed. Once
these instructions have been edited and saved by
the text editor, and you have exited from the
text editor, Launch will be re-displayed.
If you made no changes to the batch file, the
edit window will still be displayed, but if you
did save the batch file from within the editor,
all changes will be saved.
2.03 Title
The title of a menu item appears in the menu
window, and is used to provide the user with a
description of that item.
If you wish to exit without changing the title,
press [Esc].
A title may specify a hot key (a unique key
which can be pressed to access the item directly
from within the same menu window) by placing a
carat ^ in front of the character to be the hot
key.
eg.
^File Manager
The letter "F" of the title would appear in a
different colour, and the associated program can
be accessed simply by pressing [F], in addition
to moving the cursor bar over the item and
pressing [Enter]. Multiple hot keys may be
defined simply by using more than one carat eg
^1 ^File ^Manager
has the hot keys "1","F" and "M".
Note:The title of a divider bar is not allowed
to have a hot key. If there is a carat ^
in a divider bar's title, it is displayed
literally.
2.04 Short Cut
A short cut is a special key combination that
will access a menu item from anywhere within the
menu structure. If you press the short cut of a
option, execution of that option will occur. If
you press the short cut of a menu, the cursor
bar will be positioned in that menu. If an item
has a short cut, this is indicated either by a
small circle in the left margin of the menu, or
the short cut is displayed on the right hand
side of the menu window (Depending on the
setting of "Show short cuts" in the Options
window). The short cut is always shown on the
status line when you move the cursor bar over
that item.
Pressing [Down] while editing this field brings
up a list of available and used short cuts.
You can only utilise the short cuts of the items
you have the authority to access.
Launch allows the following short cuts to be
used :
F3..F8 Ctrl+Home
Ctrl+A..Ctrl+Z (except Ctrl+M),
Ctrl+F2..Ctrl+F10
Alt+A..Alt+Z, Alt+0..Alt+9, Alt+-, Alt+=,
Alt+F1..Alt+F10
Shift+F1..Shift+F10
2.05 Password
This field specifies the item's password. In
order to access this item (run, edit, move,
copy, delete) the user must know (and provide)
the password. The supervisor may choose to
bypass entering the password by pressing [F9].
This enables them to delete items that they have
forgotten the password of, and access items
given a password by other people.
2.06 Authority
This specifies the minimum authority level
required before access to this item is granted.
A user with an authority level less than that
specified will not see the item ie it is totally
removed from the menu window.
An authority level of 99 (the highest) indicates
supervisor status. You cannot give an item an
authority level higher than your own.
A new authority level can be entered directly or
its value can be changed using [Up] and [Down].
Mouse users can click on the up and down buttons
to increase or decrease the value.
2.07 Incorrect Authority Level
You cannot give an item an authority level
higher than your own, otherwise you would not be
able to access it in the future.
2.08 Pause After Execution
When enabled, this toggle field causes Launch to
pause after running a program so that you can
examine the program's output, and then press
[Enter] to return to Launch.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable.
2.09 Reset Recovery
When enabled, this toggle field causes Launch to
take steps that will allow it to re-run this
program if it does not finish because the
computer loses power, is turned off or rebooted.
This is very useful for BBS, fax machines or
other systems that must remain running. The user
is given 20 seconds to abort the program before
it is re-run. Note that programs that have
"Don't return to Launch" flagged will actually
return to Launch if they are forced to recover
from a reset. This is because the normal action
the user wouuld take would be to return to
Launch.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable.
2.10 Prompt for Log Message
When enabled, this toggle field causes Launch to
ask the user for extra information to be placed
in the log file. This is very useful for
identifying which project was being worked on
for billing customers etc. This only occurs when
logging is enabled.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable.
2.11 Don't return to Launch
When enabled, this toggle field causes Launch to
run the specified program and then exit, so
Launch is not re-displayed when the program
finishes. This is useful for "logout" style
options where particular actions must be
performed before Launch exits. If Launch is re-
invoked after an option of this kind is run, it
will re-display with the cursor in the same
position as the user left.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable.
2.12 AutoBuild:Option
AutoBuild allows you to create an option simply
by telling Launch the name of the program to
run.
The highlight cursor is moved by pressing [Up],
[Down], [Home], [End], [Pg Up] and [Pg Dn]. At
the top of the list is the text "Select new
drive", if you highlight this and press [Enter]
the list changes to show a list of your system
drives.
You may enter an executable file name directly
by pressing [Alt+N] to move the cursor to the
Name field and then typing in the file name.
Selecting a directory causes Launch to eliminate
other directories at that level (eg all other
first level directories), and shows
subdirectories and files in the chosen
directory.
Example:
Suppose that the AutoBuild Files Window is
displaying what is shown below, and that the
cursor is highlighting the directory D:\PHOTO.
-- AutoBuild Files Window ----------------------
Select new drive
D:
+--BACKUP
+--GAMES
+--ICONS
+--MHUNI2
+--PHOTO <- Selected
+--TURBO6
+--VISIO
+--ZIP
------------------------------------------------
Pressing [Enter] then eliminates all directories
but D:\PHOTO and shows the contents of that
directory only, as shown below.
-- AutoBuild Files Window ----------------------
Select new drive
D:
+--PHOTO <- Selected
+--IMAGES
+--MAPS
+--PALETTES
+--PAPERS
+--PHOTOLIB
+--TEXTURES
+--THUMNAIL
+--TILES
PHOTO.EXE
SETUP2.EXE
ZCAPTURE.EXE
------------------------------------------------
Selecting the appropriate executable file (a
.COM, .EXE or .BAT file) completes the
AutoBuild, and Launch assembles the commands
necessary to execute that file. It will then
save the option if there are no hot key
conflicts.
2.13 AutoBuild:Overwrite Commands?
Using AutoBuild will replace any commands that
were previously associated with this option.
Press [Enter] if you wish to replace these
commands with those created by the AutoBuild
command, or press [Esc] to keep the old commands
and cancel AutoBuild.
2.14 Maximum Height
This field specifies the maximum number of items
that can be displayed in the menu's or link's
window at any one time. A setting of zero
corresponds to an automatic setting, where the
window will grow to fit the number of items in
it. If there are less items than specified, then
this setting has no effect; the window will grow
in size with each new item that is added. A
setting greater than the number of lines on the
screen will be ignored, although if the screen
mode is changed (for example, to 80x43 lines),
then the setting may come into effect.
2.15 Link Path
This field specifies the directory in which the
structure to be linked resides. For example, if
you wished to link a structure in D:\LOTUS\DATA
then you would place
D:\LOTUS\DATA
in the link path field. The AutoBuild facility
may also be used to fill in this and the
following field. The link path may also contain
environment variables such as %USER%.
2.16 Link Number
This field specifies which of the structures in
the link path should be linked into the current
structure. The link number can be any integer
between 0 and 99, corresponding to structures
M_STRUCT.D00 through M_STRUCT.D99. If this field
is left blank, it is interpreted as a 0. The
AutoBuild facility may also be used to fill in
this and the previous field.
2.17 Automatic Link
When enabled, this toggle field causes Launch to
automatically read in the structure specified by
this link. When disabled, the linked structure
is only loaded on demand ie when the user
accesses the link. The short cuts of a linked
structure without automatic link enabled are
inaccessible until that linked structure is
loaded.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable.
2.18 AutoBuild:Link
Similarly to AutoBuild:Option (above), Launch
allows you to choose the drive and directory
that contains the structure to be linked.
Instead of showing executable files, Launch
shows all files matching M_STRUCT.D*.
Once selected, Launch will then save the Link if
there are no hot key conflicts.
#3
3.00 Insert
Insert allows you to create a new item to put in
the menu structure.
3.01 Positioning the New Item
This tells Launch where you want the new item to
be placed. A new item "-- New Item --" is shown,
and it moves with the cursor as you press the
cursor movement keys.
When you have positioned the new item where you
want it, press [Insert].
All cursor bar movement keys operate as normal -
except [Esc], which exits without adding a new
item.
3.02 Item Type
Select the type of menu item to add :
Divider the item will become a horizontal line
(with optional title) that can be used
to divide your menu windows up into
related items.
Option the item will be capable of executing
any command(s)
Menu the item will be able to contain other
items within it
Link the item will become a link to another
structure. This has the effect of
placing an entire structure from
another directory into the current
menu, making it look like a menu.
To choose the item type, press [Up], [Down],
[Home] and [End] to move the cursor next to the
item type you want, then press [Enter]. Press
[Esc] to exit without adding a new item.
3.03 Too many items
Launch can hold up to 250 items in each menu,
and this menu already has 250 items. Add the new
item to a different menu, or divide the current
menu into sub-menus with logical functional
groupings.
#4
4.00 Delete
Delete allows you to remove any menu item.
4.01 Delete:Selecting the Item
Use the cursor bar movement keys to highlight
the item you wish to delete, and then press
[Delete].
If you do not wish to delete anything, press
[Esc].
Note:When you choose to delete a divider bar,
Launch will not ask for confirmation - it
will remove it immediately.
4.02 Delete:Confirmation
Launch wishes you to confirm that you really
wish to delete the item specified.
If you don't want to delete the item, press
[Esc]. Otherwise, confirm your choice by
pressing [Enter] (Or click on the appropriate
button).
Note:Since Launch requires at least one item
per menu, it will create a blank option if
you try to delete the sole remaining item
from a menu.
#5
5.00 Move Item
Use the cursor bar movement keys to move the
menu item under the cursor bar to a new
position. The left arrow key will take you to
the previous menu (or click on the offset left
arrow on the status line).
To move into a menu, position the cursor bar
ABOVE the menu's item in the menu window and
press [Enter] or [Right]. You can also press the
hot key of a menu.
When the item is in the correct position, press
[F2] to save the changes. Press [Esc] to cancel
the operation, and return the item to its
original position.
Move can be used to change the position of
entire menus (not just options), and it can also
be used to move options or menus between
structures.
Note:Since Launch requires at least one item
per menu, if you try to move the sole
remaining item out of a menu, it will
create a blank option within that menu.
#6
6.00 Move Window
Use the arrow keys to move the menu window to a
new position.
[Up]
[Home] ^ [Pg Up]
\ + /
\+/
[Left] <---+---> [Right]
/+\
/ + \
[End] V [Pg Dn]
[Down]
When you have done this, press [F2] to save the
menu window in its new position, or press [Esc]
to return it to its previous position.
If you are using a mouse, drag the window's
title bar (the top line) to a new position. To
do this, move the mouse pointer onto the top
line of the window. Then, press AND hold down
the mouse button, and move the mouse. This is
referred to as dragging. When the window is in
the desired position, release the mouse button.
#7
7.00 Scheme
The Scheme menu contains a list of screen
elements whose attributes may be modified.
The Elements section contains a list of all of
the screen elements you can choose the attribute
of. Some screen elements have a colour
attribute, while others have a texture
attribute.
When you highlight an element, the Attribute
region on the right hand side of the Scheme
dialog will change to show you the current
attribute of that element. To change the
attribute, press [Tab] or [Alt+U] to move the
focus to the Attribute region, and then use
[Up], [Down], [Left] and [Right] to choose a new
attribute. Launch's presentation will change
dynamically to reflect any new attribute
settings. This means that you can immediately
see the result of your selection.
Other commands available from the Scheme window:
[F2] leaves the Scheme menu, saving the
changes with your user information
[Esc] leaves the Scheme menu without saving.
The current scheme will be used on a
temporary basis, and when you exit
Launch, you will be asked if you wish to
save the changes
7.01 Attribute Region
This part of the Scheme dialog allows the
element's attribute to be changed. Depending on
the element chosen, this will be either a colour
or a texture (character), and the Attribute
region will display colours or textures
accordingly, with the current selection shown.
The current attribute's numeric value is
displayed at the top right hand corner.
[Left] alters the foreground colour
[Right] independently of the background
colour or, decreases or increases
the texture value by one.
[Up] [Down] alters the background colour
independently of the foreground
colour or, decreases or increases
the texture value by 16.
[C]ycle cycles the attribute. This has
the same effect as pressing the
right arrow key except that a two
second delay is inserted between
each colour change. Cycling
ceases when you press [Space].
Cycle allows you to sit back and
view every colour combination,
stopping at the one you like best
Once you have found the selection that you want,
press [Enter] or click on "[Ret] to modify" on
the status line. If you want to discard any
changes you have made, press [Esc].
7.02 Shadows
The way that Launch displays shadows may be
chosen from amongst five different methods:
(a) None no shadows are displayed
(b) Left,clear characters in the shadow
region (below and left of
windows) are "dimmed"
(c) characters in the shadow
Left,[texture] region are replaced by the
"shadow" texture
(d) Right,clear as for (b), except the
shadow region is below and
right of windows
(e) as for (c), except shadow
Right,[texture] region is below and right of
windows
7.03 Load Scheme
Load Scheme allows you to retrieve a complete
definition of Launch's colours and textures.
If you have not saved your current scheme, you
will be prompted to do so before loading a new
one.
Once invoked, use the vertical arrow keys to
select the Scheme you wish to load and then
press [Enter] (or just press its number). As you
move through the list, the presentation of
Launch will change to show you what scheme you
are loading.
Press [Esc] to exit without loading a scheme.
7.04 Save Scheme
Save Scheme allows you to save a complete
definition of Launch's colours and textures.
Once invoked, use the vertical arrow keys to
select the Scheme you wish to save over and then
press [Enter] (or just press its number). As you
move through the list, Launch's presentation
will change to show you what you are going to
save over.
Once you have pressed [Enter], you can give your
scheme a name. Press [Enter] once you have done
this to save the scheme.
Press [Esc] at any stage to exit without saving
a scheme.
7.05 EGA/VGA Palette
This command allows you to alter the colours
available in Launch. On a VGA (Video Graphics
Array), this allows you to select 16 of 262,144
colours; on an EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adapter)
you can select 16 of 64 colours. In addition,
you may also select whether to use an extra 8
background colours, or to have blinking enabled.
The screen border colour can also be set.
At the left of the palette dialog is the Palette
table, showing all possible colour combinations.
One row of this table is selected at any one
time, the colour being modified is shown by the
background of the current row. Select which
entry you would like to alter using [Up],
[Down], [Home] and [End], and then move to the
Red, Green or Blue colour sliders using [Alt+R],
[Alt+G] or [Alt+B], or click on it with the
mouse.
Each colour component can be manipulated
individually using [Left], [Right], [Home] and
[End], or by using the mouse.
[Alt+P] moves to the palette region
[Alt+R] modifies the red component
[Alt+G] modifies the green component
[Alt+B] modifies the blue component
[Alt+A] allows the user to toggle (using
[Space]) between blinking and extra
background colours
[D] uses DOS's default value for that
palette entry
[R] restores the previous value for palette
entry
[Enter] returns to the scheme dialog
[Esc] returns to the scheme dialog,
discarding any changes
Any changes to the palette are saved from within
the Scheme dialog.
The normal DOS palette is restored after leaving
Launch.
7.06 Save Current Scheme?
You have made changes to the current scheme, and
Launch wishes to know if you want to save those
changes before loading a new scheme. If you
don't, the changes you have made will be lost
(they won't be recorded with your user
information).
#8
8.00 About
The About dialog provides information about your
system and Launch.
Licenced to Who owns this copy of Launch
User ID The User ID of the person
currently logged on
User Name The User Name of the person
currently logged on
Current The path that DOS is currently
Directory using
Free Disk Space How much space remains on the
active drive
Current Where the currently displayed
Structure menu window comes from. In a
system with linked menu
structures, this is sometimes
of help
Video mode If video is in VGA, EGA, MCGA
or CGA mode.
Network mode If network mode is on.
Printer Status The current status of the
printer, from DOS's point of
view (so the displayed
information may not be fully
correct)
Disconnected not connected to
the computer
Turned Off has not been
switched on
Online ready to print
Offline not ready to print
Paper Out requires paper
Busy already printing
Error error of some
description
Log file The file where log messages are
being recorded, if any. This
item is only shown if you are a
supervisor, so normal users do
not know if their usage is
being tracked.
#9
9.00 Preferences
The Preferences command allows you to customise
Launch's features. It is accessed by pressing
[F10][P].
Select the feature that you wish to customise by
pressing [Tab] or [Shift+Tab] or the feature's
short cut, and then follow the instructions
below.
To return to the Command menu, press:
[F2] Saves any changes
[Esc] Discards any changes
[Enter] Continues with any changes, the option
to save them is given before the user
exits Launch
9.01 Date format
This controls the way in which the current date
is displayed.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Date format field or
press [Alt+D] to move to it directly. Change the
date format by pressing [Up], [Down], [Home] and
[End]. The date shown in the upper left corner
of the screen will update automatically to
reflect the new date format.
9.02 Time format
This controls the way in which the current time
is displayed.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Time format field or
press [Alt+T] to move to it directly. Change the
time format by pressing [Up], [Down], [Home] and
[End]. The time shown in the upper right corner
of the screen will update automatically to
reflect the new time format.
9.03 Show day of week?
This controls whether or not the day of the week
is displayed by Launch.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Show day of Week
field or press [Alt+W] to move to it directly.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable. The
display in the upper left corner of the screen
will update automatically to reflect the new
setting.
9.04 Show user help dots
This controls whether or not menu items with
associated user help are shown with a dot on
their left. This makes it very easy to find menu
items that currently do not have any user help.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Show User Help Dots
field or press [Alt+U] to move to it directly.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable. The
display of menu windows in the background will
update automatically to reflect the new setting.
9.05 Swap mouse buttons
This controls the function of the mouse buttons.
It allows the function normally associated with
the buttons to be swapped. Normally the left
mouse button is the same as [Enter] and the
right mouse button is the same as [Esc].
This is useful if you are left-handed, or if you
are used to having the buttons perform opposite
functions.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Swap mouse buttons
field or press [Alt+M] to move to it directly.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable.
9.06 Screen save (mins)
This controls the amount of time that Launch
will wait before activating the screen saver.
The screen saver blacks out the screen to
prevent the phosphor from "burning in" to a
particular image which is displayed for an
extended period of time.
If no key has been pressed and no mouse movement
has occurred within the specified time period (1
to 99 minutes), the screen save will be
activated. Until a key is pressed or mouse
movement occurs, a message is moved around the
screen, indicating that a key should be pressed
in order to re-activate the screen.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Show short cuts
field or press [Alt+S] to move to it directly.
Change the setting by typing in a new value or
editing the one that is there, or by pressing
[Up] and [Down] to increase or decrease the
value.
A value of 0 prevents screen-save from
occurring.
Note:Screen save only functions while in
Launch, and is turned off during cycling.
9.07 Exit short cut
The exit short cut is a quick way for you to
leave Launch. It is very similar to a normal
short cut that you might put on an option or a
menu. When you press the exit short cut during
normal menu operations (if present, it is
displayed beside Exit in the Command menu), you
will immediately exit Launch, bypassing the
normal confirmation window. Of course, if you
have changed your preferences, you will be asked
to save them before exiting.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Exit short cut field
or press [Alt+E] to move to it directly. To
change the setting, simply press the desired key
combination, or press [Down] to see a list of
available and used short cuts.
9.08 Header line
The header line contains information that you
specify. It may be your company or division
name, or just some information that you want on-
screen.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Header line field or
press [Alt+H] to move to it directly. Edit the
text as you would any other text field. The
header line on the top line of the screen
changes as you type so you can see how it is
going to look.
#10
10.00 User Accounts
User accounts allows you to change the access
privileges of Launch's users.
Only users with an authority level of 99 can
access User Accounts. Before doing so, they must
re-enter their login password. This is to
prevent unauthorised access when a supervisor
has left their machine unattended.
The User Accounts window displays each user's
ID, name and authority level.
[Enter] Edits the user's information
[Insert] Inserts a record for a new user. The
new user's scheme, preferences and
access privileges are copied from the
user highlighted by the cursor when
[Insert] was pressed
[Delete] Deletes the user shown if it is not
the current users (ie your own!)
[Up] Moves up one user
[Down] Moves down one user
[Pg Up] Moves up one page
[Pg Dn] Moves down one page
[Home] Moves to the first user
[End] Moves to the last user
[F2] Returns to the Command menu
10.01 Password
Before you access User Accounts you must re-
enter your login password. This is to prevent
unauthorised access when a supervisor has left
their machine unattended.
10.02 Edit User:User ID
This field determines the unique ID that this
user will use to identify themselves when
logging on. It is usually the user's initials or
their first name.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the User ID field or
press [Alt+U] to move to it directly. Edit the
text as you would any other text field.
Note: This field must be unique.
10.03 Edit User:User Name
This field fully identifies the user, giving
their full name.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the User Name field or
press [Alt+N] to move to it directly. Edit the
text as you would any other text field.
10.04 Edit User:Password
This field specifies the user's password. Only
those with the correct password can gain access
to Launch. When the cursor is not on this field,
it appears as a string of ampersands ("@") so
that a casual glance will not reveal the
password.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Password field or
press [Alt+P] to move to it directly. Edit the
text as you would any other text field.
10.05 Edit User:Authority
This specifies the user's authority level. It
controls which menu items are visible to them.
If a user has an authority less than that of a
menu item, that item will be removed from the
menu window.
An authority level of 99 (the highest) indicates
supervisor status, and controls access to the
User Accounts command. It also prevents users
who are not supervisors from saving schemes to
the Scheme file.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Authority field or
press [Alt+A] to move to it directly. Change the
setting by typing in a new value or editing the
one that is there, or by pressing [Up] and
[Down] to increase or decrease the value.
10.06 Edit User:Allow Exit to DOS
When this field is unticked, the user will not
be allowed to exit to DOS. Instead, they will be
returned to the log-on screen where a user with
higher access privileges can log-on and then
exit to DOS, or someone else can log-on and
start working.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Allow Exit to DOS
field or press [Alt+D] to move to it directly.
Change the setting by pressing [Space] to
toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to disable.
10.07 Edit User:Allow Editing
When this field is unticked, the user will not
be allowed to alter the menu; the menu commands
add, edit, copy, delete, move and window will be
inaccessible.
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Allow Editing field
or press [Alt+E] to move to it directly. Change
the setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y]
to enable or [N] to disable.
10.08 Confirm:Delete User
Confirm that you really do wish to delete this
user. Press [Enter] to confirm deletion, or
press [Esc] to cancel.
10.09 Cannot Delete Current User
You are not allowed to delete the user record
that you are logged in as.
10.10 No Supervisor Account
Launch requires that there be at least one
supervisor account. It may be that you have
accidentally removed your own supervisor status.
You must set up at least one user (usually
yourself) as the supervisor.
10.11 Duplicate User ID
No two users are allowed to have the same User
ID. You must choose a unique ID for each user.
10.12 Invalid User Accounts Password
The password you entered was incorrect.
Before you access User Accounts you must re-
enter your login password. This is to prevent
unauthorised access when a supervisor has left
their machine unattended.
10.13 User file truncated
The last record in the user was invalid. It has
been removed.
10.14 LOGIN_USER
A special user LOGIN_USER is maintained by
Launch to determine how the Login screen is
displayed. The colours, textures, palette and
preferences of this user are used to produce the
login display. If this user name is not found
before the Login screen is displayed, the scheme
and preference settings of the last user in the
user file are used.
To modify the settings, login as the LOGIN_USER,
modify the settings and then save them.
If you do not wish anyone to alter the
LOGIN_USER's settings (by logging in as the
LOGIN_USER), give the LOGIN_USER a password that
only you know. Launch ensures that the
LOGIN_USER always has an authority of zero, and
cannot edit or exit to DOS.
#11
11.00 Shareware
The user supported software concept (also known
as "Shareware") is an attempt to provide quality
software at a low cost. Both the user and the
author benefit from this plan. The user will
benefit by being able to "test drive" software
thoroughly before purchasing it. The author
benefits by being able to enter the commercial
software market while avoiding the high cost of
commercial distribution.
This concept helps many independent authors and
small companies that otherwise would be
discouraged from developing and promoting their
ideas. It can only work with your support. If
you obtain a user supported program from a
friend and are still using it after a few weeks,
then it is obviously worth something to you, and
a registration fee should be paid. The fee
entitles the user to a printed manual, disks,
product support and upgrade deals.
This software is distributed under the user
supported software concept. Though Launch is
copyrighted, you are encouraged to copy and
distribute this program to others. You are
granted a 30-day limited licence to test drive
Launch. If AFTER THIS PERIOD you continue to use
the software (which indicates your satisfaction
with the product) you are OBLIGATED to register
yourself as a legitimate Launch user. If after
30 days, you do not wish to register, you MUST
remove and destroy any copies of Launch in your
possession.
Why Register?
I have spent an immeasurable amount of time
developing Launch; it is only fair that if you
opt to use it that I be paid for my efforts.
This is a legal obligation of the user that
cannot be avoided. Additionally, there are other
reasons to register. All registered users of the
Shareware version will automatically receive the
latest commercial version of Launch which is not
available in Shareware. Usually the Shareware
versions of Launch are limited in their
capabilities - the commercial version is not.
Registered users are entitled to free product
support and additional information and specials
on other Crystal Software products and upgrades.
11.01 Order Form
This screen is where you enter the details
required to get a copy of Launch to you. You can
get a hard copy of this information by printing
to LPT1, or by printing it to a file and then
using DOS or another program to print that file.
11.02 Prices
Item Cost
Single User Licence $35
Server Licence (any number of $200
users)
Site Licence (any number of $450
servers)
Company Licence (any number of $950
sites)
Additional manuals $10
These prices are current as of Sunday, 11 August
1996. These prices are subject to change.
Multiple user licence prices are negotiable.
You can obtain the latest registered version of
Launch over the Internet with your credit card,
using Albert's Ambry, http://www.alberts.com.
You obtain the electronic version immediately,
and you will receive the package with manual and
disks in less than two weeks.
Bulk orders or network/server/site/company
licences are only available directly from
Crystal Software.
Bulk orders are multiple single-user versions,
each with a set of disks and user's guide.
Licences come with both 3.5" and 5.25" disks and
a user's guide. Additional user's guides are
available for an extra charge.
11.03 Payment - Australia
Australian customers can send a cheque, bank
draft or postal money order (prepaid) to Simon
Carter. Crystal Software now accepts Visa,
MasterCard and Bank Card. Please include your
card number, its expiry date, your signature and
the current date.
11.04 Payment - Overseas
Please add an additional $AUS 10 to cover
postage, packing and custom charges.
Crystal Software now accepts Visa, MasterCard
and Bank Card. Please include your card number,
its expiry date, your signature and the current
date.
The preferred method is a (prepaid) Postal Money
order in Australian dollars (your post office
will perform the conversion), payable to Simon
Carter. A less attractive alternative is a bank
draft; this is available from any bank, and
usually costs between $5 and $10. An alternative
to this is a cheque drawn on an Australian bank
(cheques drawn on foreign banks take 6 weeks (!)
to clear).
Please remit all cheques/money orders to Simon
Carter.
11.05 Print To:
To determine where the order form is sent when
printed, enter one of the following in the
"Print to" field:
LPT1 printer 1
LPT2 printer 2
COM1 serial port 1
COM2 serial port 2
COM3 serial port 3
COM4 serial port 4
filename.ext saves the order in the file
filename.ext (usually
ORDER.TXT). This can be used
to email the order directly,
or allow it to be faxed.
Send your order (don't forget to fill out the
"comments" section!) to the address below:
Email:
launch@ozemail.com.au
Web:
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~launch
Mail:
Simon Carter
Crystal Software
2 / 9 Woodbine Court
Wantirna
Victoria 3152
AUSTRALIA
Phone:
+61-3 9729-8836
Fax:
+61-3 9800-3078
Internet registration:
http://www.alberts.com
11.10 Welcome to Launch!
Launch is shareware and may be used free of
charge for a limited trial period (30 days). If
you find Launch useful and intend to continue
using it, you must register it.
Registration entitles you to:
- the latest version of Launch (smaller and
faster)
- a first-rate, laser printed manual
- extra features and additional programs
- removal of reminder notices
You will:
- not be breaking the law
- have a clear conscience
- be supporting Australian software
- ensure continued development of Launch
#12
12.00 Command Menu
The Command menu shows the facilities that are
available for customising Launch to the user's
preferences, modifying the menu structure, and
changing security details.
Some commands may not be visible if they have
been disabled in User Accounts. Only users with
an authority level of 99 can access User
Accounts, and only users that are allowed to
edit can see the commands Edit, Insert, Delete,
Move, Copy, Move Window and First Menu Name.
12.01 About
This command displays general information about
Launch and your system.
12.02 Order form
This command allows you to enter your details to
order Launch, and send the order form to a
printer or a file.
12.03 Change password
This command allows the current user to change
their login password. They must enter their
current password first, then enter a new
password and confirm it by repeating it exactly.
12.04 Preferences
This command allows Launch to be customised to
the user's preference, such as the date and time
format, mouse configuration, screen save time-
out, exit short cut, header line etc.
12.05 Scheme
The Scheme command allows you to modify the
colours and textures in which Launch is
presented. It also allows the EGA/VGA Palette to
be modified.
12.06 Edit
Edit allows you to edit an existing option,
divider, menu or link. Position the cursor bar
over the item you wish to edit, and then invoke
edit by pressing [F9].
Alternatively, by selecting edit from the
Command menu, Launch allows you to select the
item that you wish to edit. This enables you to
edit the text of divider bars.
12.07 Insert
Insert allows you to create new items: options,
menus, dividers and links. It can be invoked by
pressing [Insert] when the Command menu is not
displayed.
12.08 Delete
Delete allows you to remove any menu item.
Delete can be invoked by pressing [Delete] when
the Command menu is not shown.
12.09 Move current item
This option allows you to move an item to
anywhere else in the menu structure. Position
the cursor bar over the item you wish to move,
and then invoke Move through the Command menu.
Move works equally well on options, menus or
links, and can even move items across linked
structures.
12.10 Copy current item
Copy duplicates the item under the cursor bar.
With it you can duplicate entire menus, links or
just options. Invoke Copy after positioning the
cursor bar over the item you wish to copy.
12.11 Move window
This command allows you to reposition a menu
window anywhere on the screen. Invoke Move
Window when the window that you want to
reposition is active.
12.12 First menu name
This command allows you to change the name and
short cut of the first menu that appears on the
desktop. The authority level of the first menu
cannot be modified from 0 otherwise some users
would not be able to see any menu at all.
12.13 User accounts
User Accounts allows you to add, delete and
change user information.
12.14 Exit
This command is used to leave Launch.
If an exit short cut is defined (it is displayed
beside Exit in the Command menu) it may also be
pressed to leave Launch.
#13
13.00 Warning/Error Dialogs #1
The following section contains more information
for the various warning or error dialogs
(windows) that Launch uses.
13.01 Save Settings?
You have changed scheme or preference settings,
and have not yet saved them. If you exit without
saving, the changes you have made will be lost.
13.02 Confirm Exit
Do you really wish to exit?
[Y] Exit leave Launch
[L] Log-in return to log-in
screen
[Esc] Cancel don't exit
13.03 Short Cut Reserved
Launch reserves some keys for its own exclusive
use. Please choose another short cut.
13.04 Short Cut Used
A menu item has already been assigned the short
cut that you have pressed. Duplicate short cuts
are allowed but are not recommended.
13.05 Is Exit Short Cut
The short cut that you have pressed has already
been assigned as your exit short cut. You must
choose another short cut key for this item.
13.06 Short cut used by hidden item
A menu item that you do not have the authority
to access has already been assigned the short
cut that you have pressed. You must choose
another short cut for the item.
13.07 Hot Key Used by Hidden Item
The hot key that you have given this item has
already been used by an item that you do not
have the authority to access (a hidden item).
You must choose another hot key for this item.
13.08 Hot Key Used
The hot key that you have given this item has
already been used by another item. You can use
duplicate hot keys, but be aware that only the
first item found with a matching hot key will be
run. By pressing [C] or [Esc], you can return to
editing and modify the hot key, or by pressing
[F2], you can choose to use the duplicate hot
key.
13.09 Create Structure ?
You are attempting to link a structure that
doesn't exist. If you wish, Launch can create
the new structure from scratch for you, just
press [Enter]. If you have entered the link path
or link number incorrectly, press [Esc].
13.10 Create User File ?
The user file either does not exist, or is too
small to contain one valid user record. A new
one can be created if you press [Enter].
Pressing [Esc] will cause Launch to exit,
because it cannot continue without user
information.
13.11 Out of Environment Space
Launch uses a small amount (typically 30
characters or bytes) of environment space to
return the user to the correct menu after
running an application. The available
environment space can be increased by minimising
the length of your path statement. Adding the
following line to your CONFIG.SYS can increase
the amount of environment space you have:
shell=c:\dos\command.com /e:512
This ensures that 512 bytes is available for the
environment. You can view the contents of the
environment using the DOS "set" command.
If you are using Windows 95, modify the
properties of the shell you are using (eg MS-
DOS, 4DOS, NDOS etc). Under the Memory tab,
increase the Initial Environment setting. If it
is set to Auto, change it to 512.
13.12 Couldn't Find Environment
Launch uses a small amount (typically 30
characters or bytes) of environment space to
return the user to the correct menu after
running an application. Launch was unable to
locate the environment in the standard manner.
This only happens when LMENU.EXE is run directly
(by Windows or Windows 95) without its necessary
batch file LAUNCH.BAT. Launch requires the shell
(COMMAND.COM, 4DOS.COM, NDOS etc) to be present
to provide an environment.
#14
14.00 Warning/Error Dialogs #2
The following section contains more information
for the various warning or error dialogs
(windows) that Launch uses.
14.01 Item Password
Enter the password to access this item. If the
password you type is incorrect, access will be
denied. The supervisor may choose to bypass
entering the password by pressing [F9]. This
enables them to delete items that they have
forgotten the password of, and access items
given a password by other people.
14.02 Structure Already Linked
The structure that you are trying to link has
already been linked elsewhere, and another link
would be redundant.
14.03 Error Creating Directory
Launch was unable to create the specified
directory. The drive you specified may not
exist, there may not be a disk in it, or the
disk may be full.
14.04 Unable to Locate User
This error should only occur on a network. It
occurs when the supervisor removes a user while
that user is still using Launch - Launch cannot
find the information in order to update it.
14.05 Undefined Option
The option that you have tried to execute has
not yet been edited to tell Launch how to
execute it. Rectify this by editing the option
in question.
14.06 Contains Higher Authorities
The menu that you tried to delete/move/copy
contains hidden items with an authority level
greater than your own, and you are therefore
refused permission to perform an action that
affects those items.
14.07 Insufficient Free Memory
There is not enough memory available to run the
text editor. If you are not using Launch's
editor BEDIT.EXE, try using it, since it is
fairly small. Otherwise, try using a smaller
editor, or free up some memory by unloading TSRs
etc.
14.08 Unable to Rename File
Launch was unable to rename the specified file.
This could be because the file is marked read
only, or because a file of the new name already
exists (this can only happen if that file is
read only also- it could not be deleted).
14.09 Unable to Delete File
Launch was unable to delete the specified file.
This is usually because the file is marked read
only.
14.10 Incorrect Password
Your attempt to access/edit/move/copy/delete
this item has been denied because you do not
know its correct password.
14.11 No Visible Items
The menu/link that you are trying to access has
no items in it that are visible to you. Under
normal circumstances the menu item itself should
not be visible to you either, however this is at
the discretion of the supervisor.
#15
15.00 Used Short Cuts
This window shows a list of all the short cuts,
and whether they have been used or not. An
unused short cut has nothing printed on its
right, otherwise it has the name of the item
(the menu, option or link) that uses it. A
duplicate short cut will have multiple items
listed after it. Duplicate short cuts can be
easily located by looking for a blank entry in
the left hand column.
The exit short cut, if specified, has the words
EXIT SHORT CUT on its right.
Items that you do not have the authority to see
are listed as -- HIDDEN ITEM --.
Use [Up], [Down], [Pg Up], [Pg Dn], [Home] and
[End] to move through the list. You may select a
short cut by pressing [Enter] while it is
highlighted.
Pressing [Esc] returns to the previous window.
#16
16.00 Parsing Errors
This section describes all possible errors that
can occur when Launch is trying to interpret
(parse) the batch commands associated with an
option.
16.01 Expecting statement or ]
Launch allows several special batch statements:
Verify, RunProgram, EditField, CommandButtons,
RadioButtons and CheckBoxes. The command section
is not allowed to contain any statements but
these, and the command section must be
terminated by a right square bracket ].
16.02 Remainder of batch file
After reading the closing ] of the command
section, Launch expects to read at least one
more character
16.03 More option information
Launch was expecting to find more option
information.
16.04 EditField statement
The EditField statement is used to prompt the
user with a text field. The maximum length of
the field can be defined, as can the initial
value, a prompt to tell the user what the field
is for, and a string identifying the history
list associated with the field.
The syntax of the EditField statement is as
follows:
'EditField('
<variable name (must start with a letter)>
[ '[' <maximum length, 1..255> ']' ]
[ '="' <initial value string> '"' ]
[ ',"' <user prompt string> '"'
[ ',"' <history list ID string> '"' ]
]
')'
The variable name is a placeholder for the value
of the variable later in the batch file (even
later in the command section). To use the
variable's value, place the name of the variable
in percent signs e.g.
%variable_name%
The variable name must start with a letter, and
after the initial character can contain both
letters, digits, underscores _ and ampersands
@.
The maximum length is a number between 1 and 255
that controls the maximum length of the string.
No strings longer than this value can be
entered, and longer strings taken from the
history list will be truncated.
The initial value is the value the string will
take before the user has a chance to edit it,
and is the default value if they choose not to
edit it.
The prompt tells the user the purpose and use of
the field being edited. You can specify a short
cut key by preceding a letter character of the
prompt with a tilde ~. Pressing Alt+<letter>
will then take you directly to the edit field.
The history list ID string associates a
particular list of history strings with the
field. The history list records previous values
for the field, and allows them to be displayed,
selected and deleted. If there are any history
entries, an arrow will appear on the right hand
side of the field. Launch's history lists are:
Title
..etc
Example:
[EditField(view[127]="%current_dir%",
"View which ~file:",
"View files"
)
]
more < %view%
16.05 CommandButtons statement
The CommandButtons statement is used to provide
a group of buttons for the user to choose from.
Only one button can be selected, and doing so
closes the window and proceeds to the next (if
any). The leftermost button is always selected
initially, so it should contain the default
response. A prompt is used to tell the user what
the buttons do, and each button can have an
associated value string which is the value the
variable takes when that button is selected.
The syntax of the CommandButtons statement is as
follows:
'CommandButtons('
<variable name (must start with a letter)>
',"' <user prompt string> '"'
',"' <button description> '"'
[ '="' <button value when selected> '"' ]
[ ',' [additional button descriptions/values]
]
')'
The variable name must start with a letter, and
after the initial character can contain both
letters, digits, underscores _ and ampersands
@.
The prompt tells the user the purpose and use of
the command buttons.
The button description is the text that is
displayed on the button on the screen. Each
button description can specify a short cut key
by preceding a letter character with a tilde ~.
Pressing Alt+<letter> will then take you
directly to that command button, and pressing
[Enter] or [Space] will then select it.
The button value is the value assigned to the
variable name when that particular button is
selected. Button values can be up to 255
characters in length. If no button value is
given, it gets set to the number of the button,
with the first button being 0.
Example:
[CommandButtons(drive,"Copy to which ~drive:",
" A: "="a:\",
" B: "="b:\",
" C: "="c:\",
" D: "="d:\"
)
]
copy *.* %drive%
16.06 Verify statement
The Verify statement is used to force the user
to acknowledge that the program they are about
to run could damage the system or take a long
time to complete. This is useful for options
like FORMAT, FDISK, BACKUP, DEFRAG etc. A prompt
may be given to tell the user the exact nature
of the program being run. If the user presses
[Enter], the option proceeds, if the user
presses [Escape], the program aborts.
The syntax of the Verify statement is as
follows:
'Verify('
[ '"' <user prompt string> '"' ]
')'
Example:
[Verify("This program can screw up the hard
disk!")]
compress c:
16.07 RunProgram statement
The RunProgram statement is used to get Launch
to check that a program exists before trying to
run it. This avoids annoying "Bad command or
filename" messages if the program has been
deleted, or if the file server volume that the
program is on is down.
The syntax of the RunProgram statement is as
follows:
'RunProgram('
'"' <fully qualified program path and name>
'"'
')'
Example:
[RunProgram("c:\launch\xmartin.exe")]
16.08 RadioButtons statement
The RadioButtons statement is used to provide a
group of items for the user to choose from. Only
one item can be selected, and doing so closes
the window and proceeds to the next (if any).
The leftermost button is always selected
initially, so it should contain the default
response. A prompt is used to tell the user what
the buttons do, and each button can have an
associated value string which is the value the
variable takes when that button is selected.
The syntax of the RadioButtons statement is as
follows:
'RadioButtons('
<variable name (must start with a letter)>
[ '=' <initial value, 0 to #options-1> ]
',"' <user prompt string> '"'
',"' <item description> '"'
[ '="' <item value when selected> '"' ]
[ ',' [additional item descriptions/values] ]
')'
The variable name must start with a letter, and
after the initial character can contain both
letters, digits, underscores _ and ampersands
@.
The initial value is the number of the radio
button to initially select. By default this
value is 0 (ie the top item). This provides the
default value if the user chooses not to edit
it.
The prompt tells the user the purpose and use of
the items. You can specify a short cut key by
preceding a letter character of the prompt with
a tilde ~. Pressing Alt+<letter> will then take
you directly to the radio buttons group.
The item description is the text that is
displayed on the radio button on the screen.
The item value is the value assigned to the
variable name when that particular radio button
is selected. Radio button values can be up to
255 characters in length.
Example:
[RadioButtons(which=2,"~Drives to scan for
virii?",
"All local drives","/ADL",
"All network drives","/ADN",
"All local and network drives","/ADL /ADN"
)
]
scan %which%
16.09 CheckBoxes statement
The CheckBoxes statement is used to provide a
group of on/off items for the user to toggle.
Each item can be toggled individually. Each item
requires a separate variable name, description
and on/off value.
The syntax of the CheckBoxes statement is as
follows:
'CheckBoxes('
<variable name (must start with a letter)>
[ '=' <initial value, 0 or 1> ]
',"' <check box description> '"'
[',"' <on value> '"'
[',"' <off value> '"' ]
]
[ ',' [additional check box variables] ]
')'
Each variable name must start with a letter, and
after the initial character can contain both
letters, digits, underscores _ and ampersands
@.
The initial value sets the check box to on (1)
or off (0). The default is to set it on.
The description tells the user the purpose and
use of the check box. You can specify a short
cut key by preceding a letter character with a
tilde ~. Pressing Alt+<letter> will then take
you directly to that check box.
The on value is the value assigned to the check
box variable when that check box is turned on.
If no value is provided, the variable is set to
"1".
The off value is the value assigned to the check
box variable when that check box is turned off.
If no value is provided, the variable is set to
"".
Example:
[CheckBoxes(
quick ,"~Quick format","/F",
five =0,"~Format 360K","/4",
system=0,"~System files","/B",
copy_s=0,"~Copy system files","/S",
one =0,"~One side only","/1"
)
]
format a: %quick% %five% %system% %copy_s% %one%
16.10 Expecting ..
A single period "." has been found without
another following it. The only time Launch
expects a period is with the range symbol "..",
used to extract part of a environment string eg
%current_dir[3..17]%
^
16.11 String Exceeds Line
Launch was expecting a string, but a double
quote " was not found before the end of the
line. Strings may not exceed one line. You can
embed double quotes within strings by using two
successive double quotes "".
16.12 Expecting Variable Name
Launch has found a percent sign % in the command
section (the section enclosed in square brackets
[ and ] ), and is expecting it to be followed by
a variable name or by the name of an environment
variable e.g.
%current_dir%
^
16.13 Expecting Variable Name or %x Symbol
Launch has found a percent sign % in the normal
batch section, and is expecting it to be
followed either by a variable name (eg
%current_dir% ) or by those symbols normally
allowed by DOS, namely, %0 - %9 and %%0 - %%9.
Launch also accepts the 4DOS extensions to
symbols normally allowed by DOS -
%0 - %127, %# %0& - %127&, %&
%_variable eg %_COLUMNS %@function
eg %@DISKFREE[d:,k]
16.14 Expecting % or [
Launch has read the variable name, and is now
expecting a percent sign % indicating the end,
or a left square bracket [ to extract a
substring of the variable eg
%current_dir%
^
%current_dir[3]%
^
16.15 Sub-string
Launch has found the left square bracket [, and
is now expecting a sub-string statement. This
can take a number of forms:
%var[4]% just character 4
%var[..4]% from character 1 to 4
%var[4..]% from character 4 to the end of
string
%var[4..6]% characters 4 to 6
%var[4..-3]% characters 4 to length(var) - 3
String indexes start from 1 and have a maximum
value of 255. A negative or zero value can be
used to indicate an index relative to the length
of the string. You can also include multiple sub-
string sections by separating each with a comma
e.g.
%var[4,3..7,-3..0]%
16.16 Expecting %
Launch is expecting a percent sign % to end the
variable sub-string expression eg
%current_dir[5..]%
^
16.20 Log message
This option has been flagged so that it records
a message associated with your running of it.
This information may be used to keep track of
project information and times for billing and
accounting.
16.30 Edit field
This window is provided so that you can enter
and/or edit the parameters (also know as
arguments) that will be passed to this option
when it is run. Use the editing keys to enter
the parameters, then press [Enter]. If a default
response is already shown, you can press [Enter]
to accept it. Press [Ctrl+F1] for user-defined
help for this option.
If this option has been run before, a history
list icon (a down arrow at the right of the
field) will be displayed. Pressing [Down] or
clicking on the icon will display the history of
entries for this parameter.
Pressing [Esc] cancels execution of the option.
16.31 Command buttons
A list of choices displayed on buttons is shown.
The default response is the button on the left.
To change the selected button, press [Tab] to
move right or [Shift+Tab] to move left. When the
button you want is highlit, press [Enter] to
select it. You can also press the highlighted
letter of the button.
Pressing [Esc] cancels execution of the option.
13.32 Verify Execution
The option about to run may have some harmful
side-effects, or it may take considerable time
to perform its task. Press [Ctrl+F1] for user-
defined help for this option.
If you are sure that you wish to continue and
run this option, press [Enter].
Pressing [Esc] cancels running the option.
16.33 Program doesn't exist
The program about to be run does not exist or
could not be found. This may be due to either
the file not actually being present, or the
program directory may be on a network volume
that is not currently accessible (for example,
if you haven't logged in to the network yet).
Press [Ctrl+F1] for user-defined help for this
option. If you wish to continue anyway and run
this option, press [Enter]. Pressing [Esc]
cancels running the option.
16.34 Radio Buttons
The dialog box shows a list of alternatives, of
which only one may be chosen. Use the [Up],
[Down], [Home] and [End] keys to make a
selection, and then press [Enter].
Pressing [Esc] cancels running the option.
16.35 Check Boxes
The dialog box shows a list of toggle options;
each may be turned on or off independantly of
the others. Use [Tab] and [Shift+Tab], [Up] and
[Down] to move between check boxes (or press
[Alt]+<the check boxes' highlighted key>), and
press [Space] to toggle their value, [Y] to tick
it or [N] to clear it. Once they are set
correctly, press [Enter].
Pressing [Esc] cancels running the option.
#17
17.00 History
The history records fifty of the strings that
you have previously entered in response to the
execution of a command. You can select an item
by highlighting it and pressing [Enter], this
string will then be copied to the parameters
window where you may then edit it.
Use [Up], [Down], [Home], [End], [Pg Up] and [Pg
Dn] to move through the history list. You may
delete old entries by highlighting them and
pressing [Delete].
The history list will not appear if there are no
history entries.
#18
18.00 .INI File Errors
This section is for errors encountered reading
LAUNCH.INI.
18.01 LAUNCH.INI Not Found
Launch could not find its configuration file
LAUNCH.INI in the specified directory. Launch
expects this file to be in the same directory as
LMENU.EXE, unless it is passed a command-line
parameter giving it another directory for
LAUNCH.INI.
Launch will attempt to continue with standard
defaults, which usually will allow it to run.
18.02 Only One Parameter...
Launch's main program, LMENU.EXE, only accepts
one parameter- the directory where LAUNCH.INI
can be found. This allows you to have a number
of different configurations stored in different
directories.
18.03 Unknown LAUNCH.INI Directive
The directives allowed in the configuration file
LAUNCH.INI are as follows:
LogFile=logfilename
OnNetwork=[True | False]
PrevShellEnvStr=environment string
PrimaryStructure=[pathname][\number]
ReStartInfoEnvStr=environment string
ScreenSaver=command
TemporaryBatchFile=pathname.BAT
TextEditor=text editor
TextEditorFlags=@ROW @COL
UserToLogin=user ID
VideoMode=[Detect | VGA | MCGA | EGA | CGA]
The directive names must begin in the first
column, and be immediately followed by an equals
sign =. Remember that comments can be included
by beginning a line with a semi colon ;.
18.04 Badly Structured Environment String
Although LAUNCH.INI allows environment variables
to be used, they must be in standard DOS form-
enclosed in percent signs with no spaces between
the percent signs and the name of the
environment variable eg.
UserToLogin=%USER%
NOT
UserToLogin= % USER%
18.05 No /Z Parameter
Launch requires the command-line parameter /Z in
order to run. This tells Launch that it is being
run from Launch's special batch file (usually
LAUNCH.BAT or M.BAT).
Launch will not run correctly if it is run from
the DOS prompt directly by typing LMENU. When an
option is chosen, Launch will simply return to
the DOS prompt and nothing will happen. This is
where the batch file LAUNCH.BAT would normally
take over by running the temporary batch file
$TEMP.BAT.
If you need to run Launch without its special
batch file LAUNCH.BAT, just type lmenu /z at
the DOS prompt.
#19
19.00 Change password
This allows you to change your user password.
Firstly, enter your current password so that the
system can confirm that you are who it thinks
you are (the current user).
Then type your new password. After entering it
the first time, you will be asked to re-enter
your new password to confirm that you have
entered exactly what you think you have entered.
Your password will then be saved automatically.
19.01 Incorrect Password
You did not enter your login password correctly.
Before changing your password you must confirm
your identity by correctly entering your login
password. You will now be returned to the
Command menu.
19.02 Incorrect Confirmation
When you confirmed your password by re-entering
it, the original and the confirmation did not
match, indicating that you couldn't repeat the
key sequence. Try entering your password again.
You will now be returned to the Command menu.
#20
20.00 Structure Changes
This section deals with error messages for all
kinds of consistency and locking problems.
These problems readily occur when more than one
copy of Launch is using the same data files,
such as on a network or under a multi-tasking
environment such as Windows or OS/2.
20.01 Structure Has Changed, Resetting
While you were running an application, someone
else changed Launch's structure files. This
means that your location in the menu structure
(i.e. which menu you were in, and which item
you were on) could now be invalid, since that
item may have been moved or deleted or new items
may have been added.
20.02 Structure has changed, Reload?
Someone has altered the menu structure stored on
disk.
If you are running an option:
The option you are running may not have the
most up-to-date commands associated with
it. You may choose to run the option
regardless by pressing [N]. To reload the
structure (and reset the cursor position),
press [Y]. To cancel running the option,
press [Esc].
If you are about to edit the structure in some
way:
The structure that you have in memory does
not include the changes that they have
made, and so saving your modified structure
to disk will obliterate their changes. You
must reload the structure so that you have
access to their changes. Press [Esc] to
abort the editing operation, or press
[Enter] to reload the structure (and reset
the cursor position).
20.03 Couldn't reload structure
Launch was unable to load the new version of the
structure that had changed. It will revert to
the previous version.
20.04 Structure Read-Only
The structure that you want to edit has been
marked as read-only. Even though you have
editing rights within Launch, you must also have
write permission to the file in order to change
it. If you need to edit the structure, speak to
your supervisor, or try the following while in
the structure's directory:
attrib -r m_struct.d00
20.05 Structure Already Locked
The structure that you want to edit has already
been locked for editing by someone else.
If you are a supervisor:
You have the option of overwriting their
lock, but you should only do this if a
considerable time has elapsed (at least 30
minutes).
If you are not a supervisor:
You must wait for the lock to be removed
before you can edit the structure. If a
considerable time has elapsed, speak to
your supervisor, or type the following in
the structure's directory:
del m_lock.d00
20.06 Lock Overwritten
Someone else has overwritten your lock. Changes
that you have made may not be committed into the
saved version (depending on whether the other
user saves their changes).
20.07 Lock Rewritten
Another session (or another terminal) with the
same login name as you has overwritten your
lock. Changes that you have made may not be
committed into the saved version (depending on
whether the other session saves their changes).
20.08 Can't Create Lock
Launch can't create the lock for some reason.
20.09 Can't Remove Lock
Launch can't remove the lock for some reason. It
may have been made read-only.
20.10 Lock Already Removed
Your lock file has been removed by someone else.
Changes that you have made are committed.
#21
21.00 Reset recovery
This option was flagged for Launch to take
special steps to re-run this program if it does
not finish because the computer loses power, is
turned off or rebooted.
Pressing any key before the 20 second countdown
ends will prevent running the program again,
otherwise it will be re-run when the countdown
reaches zero.
#
