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ALAUREAD.TXT
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┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ AlacartE (TM) - Version 4.20 │
└──────────────────────────────┘
(C)Copyright SHANIT Australia
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
3. INSTALLATION
4. OPERATION
5. SETUP
6. HINTS AND SPECIAL FEATURES
7. USING THE MOUSE
8. COLOURS SETTING
9. ALADOSKEY
10. LICENSE SUPPORT AND DISTRIBUTION
1. INTRODUCTION
AlacartE (TM) is a user configurable menu system, for
the IBM PCs, IBM PS/2s and clones, operating under IBM
DOS, MS-DOS, DR-DOS, Microsoft Windows and Windows95.
The AlacartE menu system provides a friendly, easy to
set and operate interface into the DOS environment. For
the novice user a preset menu will improve efficiency
of the PC day to day operation, by avoiding the need
for a time consuming navigation through DOS directories
in order to invoke various commands. The advanced user
will benefit through the fewer key strokes that the
menu system requires, in order to achieve repetitive
operations, eg. backups, prints, etc. A preset AlacartE
menu may be utilized as a friendly front cover to any
software package, or merely as an aid for software
distribution. The AlacartE Setup named ALASETUP.EXE is
a stand alone utility that may be removed from the disk
ensuring that the preset menu is not alterable.
Any option activated from the AlacartE menu, will have
no further memory constraints, as AlacartE does not
remain resident during programs execution. This means
that the activated option operates exactly as if it was
started from the DOS prompt, making use of the entire
available memory space.
2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
* IBM PC-DOS or MS-DOS version 2.1 or higher.
* IBM PC or true compatible machine using any off :
8086, 8088, 80286, 80386 or 80486 processors.
* Monitor - monochrome, or preferably a colour monitor
CGA, EGA, VGA or Super VGA with adapter.
* Hard disk installation occupies approximately 300 Kb
on the hard disk, (120 Kb ONLY! if the Setup and
the User Manual are excluded from installation).
* Mouse is optional.
3. INSTALLATION
Copy all files on the distribution diskette to the hard
disk, preferably to a subdirectory.
For example, presuming a subdirectory called AE on the
C: drive is allocated to this installation:
* Create the subdirectory first :
C:\>MD AE<Enter>
* Copy files to subdirectory :
C:\>COPY A:*.* C:\AE<Enter>
* To start AlacartE automatically on switch-on, insert
the following lines at the end of the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file found in the bootable disk root directory :
CD\AE
A
The following is a list of the distribution files:
File name Function
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
A.BAT - AlacartE startup batch file.
ALACARTE.EXE - AlacartE menu system executable file.
ALASETUP.EXE - AlacartE Setup utility executable file.
ALACARTE.HLP - AlacartE help file.
ALASETUP.HLP - AlacartE Setup utility help file.
ALACARTE.CNF - AlacartE example configuration file.
ALASCRSV.EXE - AlacartE Screen saver default utility.
ALASPACE.EXE - AlacartE Screen saver second option.
ALAUREAD.TXT - AlacartE User manual - Help file.
4. OPERATION
AlacartE is run with the simple command: "A<Enter>".
This command may be inserted as the last line in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file of the bootable disk root directory,
such that AlacartE is automatically run on start-up.
<F1> is the Help key. Help is provided at any stage of
operation. The help window position is controllable by
press and hold the <Shift> key while striking an arrow
key, or by clicking the left mouse button on the arrows
displayed on the bottom line of the screen.
The screen's bottom line is continuously updated with
the active keys. Navigation through the menu options is
achieved by striking the arrow keys. Fast horizontal
moves may be achieved by press - hold <Shift> or <Alt>
key, and pressing a horizontal menu "hot-key".
Activation of a pre-defined option is achieved either
by selecting the option first and then invoking it by
pressing the <Enter> key, or by striking the relevant
pre-assigned "hot-key" from the current vertical menu.
To quit AlacartE - either press <Esc> or press - hold
the <Shift> or <Alt> key and press the <Q> key.
Alternatively select the "Quit" option first, using the
arrow keys, then press the <Enter> key. Confirm 'Quit'
by pressing the <Y> key.
5. SETUP
The <F2> key is a "hot key" that switches to and from
AlacartE menu and AlacartE set-up mode. The <F10> key
serves as Save/Continue key. During operation of the
Setup utility the current relevant set-up is displayed
and confirmation is required prior to save. While in
Setup, pressing the <F2> key will switch to AlacartE
menu. Please note that if the <F2> key is pressed,
prior to <F10>-Continue, the latest changes that were
not confirmed will be discarded and lost.
The horizontal menu may contain up to NINE categories
each calling up to TEN "commands" that are preset and
called via pull-down vertical menus. Any alphanumeric
character of the horizontal option title may be set as
a "hot-key".
Please note, due to limited space in a single line of
your monitor, the warning: "Too many characters..." may
appear on your screen, while configuring the horizontal
menu titles. A change in the field's background colour
serves as an indication of such warning. In this event,
abbreviate the horizontal menu titles until the warning
disappears.
The vertical menus may contain up to TEN operations,
each initiating a preset command, started from a preset
path (drive and directory). Each named operation may be
associated with a "hot-key" from the option title. If
two or more similar "hot-key"s are selected, a warning:
"Key selection error" will appear following <F10>-Save.
Answer <N> to the "Confirm..." question, then rectify.
Please note, "hot-key"s are case sensitive only when
displayed. However, for operating purpose "hot-key"s
are non case sensitive, eg. if for "Tools" a "T" was
selected as the "hot-key", striking either "T" or
"t" will activate the "Tools" preset vertical menu or
command. It is therefore advisable that unique hot keys
are selected.
"Path" is the drive and directory from which the preset
relevant command is to be executed, eg. "C:\DOS" or
"D:\", "A:\BACKUP", etc. The maximum path length is
limited to 80 characters.
"Commands" are any DOS internals eg. DIR, COPY, TYPE,
etc., or executable files, .COM, .EXE, or .BAT batch
files. The command length is limited to 80 characters.
6. HINTS AND SPECIAL FEATURES
6.1 SPECIFIED DOS COMMAND OR COMMAND TAIL
A DOS command or a variable command tail execution may
be set-up by inserting a "->" in the "Command" field of
a vertical menu, eg. "DIR->" will prompt for the rest
of the command tail, prior to execution. Type the
command or the command tail then press either <F10> or
<Enter> to execute.
6.2 BATCH FILES EXECUTION
In order to facilitate batch files execution from the
AlacartE menus, the following must be performed :
* The DOS PATH must contain the path of the AlacartE
installation, eg.: PATH = C:\AE. This may be preset
in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
* Due to DOS inherent limitations in version prior to
3.30, batch files activated from AlacartE need to
include a last line reading: "rprosoft". If your DOS
version is 3.30 or later, your batch files will not
require any modification in order to be run from the
AlacartE menu.
6.3 SHELL TO DOS
Any one of the vertical options may be configured as an
"Exit to DOS Shell" using the command: "COMMAND". To
return to AlacartE from DOS Shell, type: "EXIT<Enter>".
6.4 DELETING HORIZONTAL ALACARTE OPTIONS
Options in the horizontal menu are merely titles for
categories of functions, or programs. Deleting options
from the AlacartE horizontal menu is allowed only if
all the attached vertical menu options are cleared.
To clear a vertical menu, press <F2> to switch to the
Setup utility. Select the "Vertical menu options" from
the SETUP MENU. Select the relevant horizontal option.
Press the <F4>-Clear All key, then <F10> to continue.
Confirm by pressing <Y>, then press <Q> or <Esc> to
return to SETUP MENU. Select "Horizontal menu options"
by pressing <H>. Delete the relevant horizontal option
by pressing <F8> while in the "Title" and the "Key"
fields. Press <F10>-Continue, <Y> to confirm, then
press <F2> or <Esc> to return to the AlacartE menu.
Deletion of multiple horizontal menu options in any one
session is allowed only if the deleted horizontal
options are grouped together. Otherwise delete only one
horizontal option at a time.
6.5 DELETING VERTICAL ALACARTE OPTIONS
To clear vertical menu option(s), press <F2> to switch
to the Setup utility. Select "Vertical menu options"
from the SETUP MENU. Select the relevant horizontal
option. Using the mouse or <TAB>, <Shift><TAB>, <Enter>
or the arrow keys place the cursor in the "Title" field
of the vertical option to be deleted. Press the
<F8>-Clear field, then <F10>-Continue. Confirm deletion
by pressing <Y>, then press <Q> or <Esc> to return to
the SETUP MENU. Press <F2> or <Esc> to return to the
AlacartE menu.
6.6 KEYBOARD TIMEOUT AND SCREEN SAVING
While in the menu system, press hold the <Shift> key
and strike the <Esc> key to start the screen blanking.
This invokes the screen blanking utility as defined in
the Setup. The default screen blanking ALASCRSV.EXE may
be used for both colour and monochrome monitors. This
utility displays a pattern at random coordinates on the
screen, until any key is pressed or the mouse is moved
or clicked. The screen saver is also automatically
triggered by a keyboard timeout, defined in SETUP as a
minimum of 10 to a maximum of 32000 seconds.
ALASPACE.EXE is a secondary option for screen saving.
This utility may be run in various ways, depending upon
the command line utilized. ALASPACE.EXE defaults to a
display of 40 white stars at any time. The number of
stars may be selected by the switch -Nxxx where xxx is
the number of stars required, minimum is 10 and maximum
is 100. The stars may be displayed in colour, if the -C
switch is added to the command line. These options are
set such as to obtain the best display flavour.
Please note that other screen saving utilities may be
utilized, eg. slides displays or animated company logo
may be invoked at screen saving time. Screen saving
utilities should be terminated at the press of any key
or by mouse motion or click.
6.7 CONTROLLING SOUND.
Whenever an invalid key is pressed, a short sound is
activated as a warning to the user. Some TSR programs
may be activated using "hot keys" that combine <Shift>
and/or <Alt> thus interfering with the "quick" AlacartE
horizontal selections. It therefore is imperative that
in such case the "Invalid key stroke sound" is turned
OFF. The sound may be turned ON or OFF by Setup.
6.8 CHANGING USER INTERFACE STYLE.
Two modes of display are available, CUI (Character User
Interface) or GUI (Graphics User Interface). The GUI
mode is marginally slower, thus it is more suited for
faster processors ie. 80386 or 80486. GUI is available
on VGA and Super VGA displays only.
7. USING THE MOUSE
The use of the mouse is optional but very convenient.
The left hand button is used to Select, while both the
right hand button and the centre button (if available),
simulate the <Esc> key. The mouse may be used to either
'point and click' or 'drag and drop' to select any of
the menu options displayed on the screen or any of the
options displayed on the screen's bottom line.
8. COLOURS SETTING
The AlacartE menu colours are fully selectable when run
on a colour monitor. Select and activate the 'Colors
setting' option from the SETUP MENU and select colours
as indicated. If at any stage you decide that it might
be easier to restart from the default colours selection
activate this option from the SETUP COLORS menu.
Some 'badly written' TSR programs address the graphics
display and terminate prior to restoring the previous
setup. If the AlacartE menu colors blink upon return to
the menu from a TSR program, selection of eight colors
rather than sixteen will solve this problem. This setup
is achieved via the SETUP COLORS menu.
9. ALADOSKEY - Advanced users.
This is a perfect alternative to the MS-DOS DOSKEY.COM
utility that stays resident and occupies about 4Kbytes.
Unlike the traditional DOSKEY, AlaDOSKey is a built in
feature of the AlacartE menu. It is therefore neither
memory resident nor limited in commands storage. Each
AlaDOSKey option will store the latest 550 commands and
paths, with the most recent on the top of the list, for
quickest selection. Multiple AlaDOSKey options may be
configured. To configure an AlaDOSKey option, press
<F2> to switch to Setup, then press <V> to select the
'Vertical Menu options' from the SETUP MENU. Select an
horizontal option under which the AlaDOSKey is to be
configured. Type in a title of your choice and set an
appropriate hot key for it. In the 'Path' field type
'*' preceded by a file name that will store the paths.
If no file name is entered following the '*' a default
file name (ALAPATH.TXT). The file storing commands is
configured by entering a '*' in the 'Command' field,
optionally preceded by a file name, or else it defaults
to ALACMND.TXT. The last paths and commands are viewed
and selected from a pull down combo list that is opened
by pressing the Down arrow key while in the relevant
field. Selection using the mouse is fast and convenient
especially when many options were already stored. The
AlaDOSKey text files may be deleted so that a clean set
of paths and commands is started.
10. LICENSE SUPPORT AND DISTRIBUTION
The AlacartE (TM) software is licensed to use on a
single IBM PC system. To run AlacartE on a network it
is recommended that each user keeps a full copy of the
AlacartE files either on his own work station, or in a
private directory on the file server. Multiple users
license or site license for AlacartE is only available
on special application.
Software upgrades will be available, only to registered
licensed users.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
* IBM, IBM-DOS and PS/2 are registered trademarks of
International Business Machines, Inc.
* Microsoft, MS and MS-DOS are registered trademarks
and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
AlacartE was written for you, enjoy it...
Our address is : SHANIT
Tedy Shalev
P.O.Box 292
CROWS NEST
NSW 2065
AUSTRALIA
Telephone: (612) 9498-2236
eMail: tedysh@ozemail.com.au
PLEASE NOTE:
AlacartE software is distributed as shareware.
If you find AlacartE suitable to your needs, please
register it, by sending $10 to the above address.
Thank you for your support.