home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Shareware Overload
/
ShartewareOverload.cdr
/
utils
/
ezmenu2.zip
/
EZMENU.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1989-11-29
|
149KB
|
2,534 lines
EZ-Menu(tm) Version 3.6 (Shareware/Userware Release)
U S E R S M A N U A L
With information contained herein relating to the commercial version 5.0.
November 29, 1989
By Michael Perry, (c) 1989, Progressive Computer Services, Inc.
EZ-Menu(tm) Version 3.6
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Section: Page:
Warranty and distribution information.....................................2
Introduction..............................................................4
A quick review of EZ-Menu's features......................................5
Some important notes on EZ-Menu's operation...............................9
Special options for dealers, consultants, large companies or agencies....10
Program history and author information...................................11
Compatibility information, Acknowledgments...............................12
A short introduction to the DOS directory structure......................13
Installing EZ-Menu.......................................................15
Manually installing EZ-Menu..............................................16
EZ-Menu configuration (including menu color configuration)...............18
Using EZ-Menu (list of available commands)...............................23
Setting up menu files/adding menu entries................................25
Additional menu entry options............................................29
Editing entries..........................................................31
Special items of consideration when editing..............................32
The Timed-Execution feature..............................................33
The logistics of Timed-Execution.........................................34
The Reset-Re-Execution feature...........................................36
The Usage Log feature....................................................37
The READLOG Utility (generate reports on computer usage).................38
The MAKEMNU Utility (create menus automatically based on computer setup).41
Using EZ-Menu in a Local Area Network environment........................43
The EZCONV utility (convert older version menu files to 3.6 and later)...45
Files included with the EZ-Menu package..................................46
Troubleshooting..........................................................47
Special techniques for using EZ-Menu.....................................49
Summary..................................................................50
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 2
WARRANTY AND DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION
EZ-Menu Version 3.6 is distributed under the Shareware/Userware concept. This
indicates that you are entitled to acquire the software via the distribution
methods outlined on the following page, and install it on your computer system
for a 30 (THIRTY DAY) evaluation period. 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 EZ-Menu user. If after 30 days,
you do not wish to register, you should remove and destroy any copies of the EZ-
Menu software in your possession.
Why Register?
The author of this software has spent an immeasurable amount of time developing
this package; it is only fair that if you opt to use the package that he be
paid for his 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 EZ-Menu which is not available in Shareware. Usually the
Shareware/Userware versions of EZ-Menu 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 PCS software and
upgrades.
How To Register:
Please note that you can register any time before the 30 day evaluation period
if desired, but after this period expires, you must register or remove EZ-Menu
from your system. EZ-Menu registration is available in two forms:
1. Registration #1, $35.00 - the user will receive the latest commercial
version of EZ-Menu in disk form, with the documentation on disk and all
necessary files.
2. Registration #2, $50.00 - for an additional $10, we will send you the
latest commercial version, complete with its own full-color 3-ring binder
and professionally printed documentation
Send a check or money order to:
Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721
New Orleans, LA 70182
If you have a MASTERCARD or VISA, we can immediately process your registration
over the telephone. Call us at (504) 831-9717.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 3
WARRANTY AND DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION (Continued)
Distribution/Licensing Information:
EZ-Menu Versions 4.x/5.x and higher are only available through authorized
commercial outlets and cannot be distributed by any individuals/entities
without authorized permission from PCS. These versions are not Shareware,
Userware or Public Domain - if you see any such software being distributed
through Shareware contact PCS immediately.
EZ-Menu Version 3.6 can be distributed in electronic form via computer bulletin-
board systems, information services, and other means such as users groups
provided that if a fee is charged for this service, it does not exceed $8.00,
AND that the software, documentation and utilities are not modified or broken
up in any way. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU HAVE PAID A FEE TO RECEIVE THIS
SOFTWARE, THIS IN NO WAY INDICATES THAT YOU ARE A REGISTERED USER - YOU MUST
REGISTER WITH P.C.S. AS OUTLINED ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE according to the terms
here.
This software package (the software and the media embodying the licensed
software) remains the property of Progressive Computer Services/Michael Perry,
who makes no warranty or representation with respect to the licensed software
and it is licensed "as is". There are no other warranties, express or implied,
including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and
fitness for particular purpose.
GUIDELINES FOR DISTRIBUTION BY THIRD PARTIES
EZ-Menu Version 3.6 and those versions earlier can be distributed by third
parties according to the following terms:
* All individuals/companies representing a commercial enterprise must obtain
written permission from PCS in order to distribute the Shareware/Userware
version of EZ-Menu (this includes part or full-time computer consultants).
The exception to this rule are computer BBSs and online information
services. Such permission is not difficult to obtain, so please contact
PCS - remember that a lot of effort went into the development of this
product and we are very protective of our endeavors.
* The EZ-Menu package must not be altered in any way from it's original form,
and if it is distributed, it must be noted to the reciepent that this
product is un-registered and must be registered after the evaluation period
expires.
* Companies who distribute Shareware for small "service fees" are invited to
contact PCS for permission to distribute Version 3.6. Such permission can
be easily granted as long as it is determined that the company is not
misleading the public into thinking they are actually purchasing the
software in this process.
Please remember that EZ-Menu versions 4.0 and higher are commercial products
and cannot in any way be distributed except by authorized parties. The
distribution terms outlined here pertain to the Shareware/Userware versions of
EZ-Menu only. The latest Shareware version is 3.6, the latest commercial
version is 5.0.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 4
INTRODUCTION
"What is EZ-Menu? Do I really need it for my computer?"
If you own a computer, especially one equipped with a hard disk, you will
soon wonder how you ever did without EZ-Menu. Think for a minute about
what makes a computer so useful; the answer is simple: unlike dedicated
word processors or calculators, the computer is designed to be able to
perform many different tasks. In the morning you turn on your computer to
use your spreadsheet, then switch to your word processor to write some
letters, then later use your communications capability to connect with
another system, and so on. With all of these (and many more) applications,
you soon realize how tedious it can be to remember those commands to type
to call up the program you want to use. If you are tired of looking
through your DOS manuals to find the correct syntax for formatting or
backing up disks, you will appreciate how easy life can be with EZ-Menu.
Whether you're an experienced programmer or a supra-novice when it comes to
computers, EZ-Menu will help you organize all of your applications. If
several people use your computer, now you can ensure that your precious
data is safe and secure.
EZ-Menu consists of an extremely fast, user-friendly menu system that can
be set up to appear when you turn on your computer. All of the programs
and applications that you use your computer for can be easily entered into
the menu. After which, if you want to use your word processor, simply
highlight "Word Processor" on the menu and press the <ENTER> key.
Instantly your word processor "pops up" and is ready for use. When you
exit your program you are then immediately returned to EZ-Menu. You no
longer need to worry about DOS commands.
If you're like most people, you don't really want to bother with all of the
intricate commands used by the computer; you just want to work on your
accounting or other applications and can't afford to spend the majority of
your time studying the computer manuals. You need a simple menu to point
you to where you want to go. EZ-Menu is this and much more. EZ-Menu is
the means by which you can set up a consistent, friendly user-interface
while protecting your computer from unauthorized or improper use of
commands.
The latest version of EZ-Menu represents a huge step in the capabilities of
menu software. Version 5.0 has been completely revised and incorporates
features not found in any other similar program available today. In fact,
with EZ-Menu 5.0, a whole new realm of computerized control and automation
is now possible - keep reading to learn more!
I'm sure you want to get started, but take a few minutes to look over this
documentation so you are aware of all of EZ-Menu's features.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 5
QUICK REVIEW OF EZMENU'S FEATURES
* EZ-Menu requires no special software or additional programs (like text
editors that many other menu systems require). The EZ-Menu program itself
contains all the routines necessary to add, modify, move, erase, or execute
an entry in its menu.
* The user can define & select in excess of one million different menu
choices (with respect to appropriate DOS limitations).
* The user can define "sub-menus" which can contain categorized selections.
(Sub-menus can contain other sub-menus, etc..). There is no limit to how
many sub-menus you can create (other than your available storage
considerations).
* Sub-menus, as well as any EZ-Menu entry can be password protected to
eliminate unauthorized access.
* All passwords are encrypted onto the disk to further insure security.
* EZ-Menu can be easily setup to execute large batch files as well as
programs and dos commands. Batch files to be executed can be located in
any accessible drive and subdirectory.
* EZ-Menu will execute ANY application software, command, or batch file that
conforms to DOS's operating specifications (and most of the few that
don't). In other words, if it runs under MS/PC-DOS on an IBM or
Compatible, it can be called from EZ-Menu (I'm sure there are exceptions,
but in the seven years of development of EZ-Menu, no software has been
found that wouldn't work from the menu).
* With a few keystrokes from the main menu, ANY part of an entry can be
erased or modified; the user can also selectively delete an entire entry at
any time while in the menu system.
* The user can custom-configure the screen colors. EZ-Menu supports
monochrome, CGA, EGA, and VGA adapters and monitors. There are even
several default "color sets" from which you can choose with a single
keypress. EZ-Menu 5.0 now allows each menu on the system to have unique
user-defined colors.
* The screen will automatically black-out after a few minutes of inactivity
in order to extend the life and quality of your video display. The amount
of idle time before the screen clears can be set by the user, or disabled
completely.
* After running an application off of EZ-Menu, control is immediately
returned back to the menu. EZ-Menu can be configured to wait for a
keypress, or immediately bring up the menu after you exit your application.
* A menu choice from a sub-menu can be easily configured to allow automatic
return to the main menu (upon exiting from the called application), or to
the sub-menu from which the entry was originally called.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 6
QUICK REVIEW OF EZMENU'S FEATURES (continued..)
* EZ-Menu is not memory-resident - it's so fast it doesn't need to be.
Using EZ-Menu DOES NOT reduce the amount of memory available for any of
your other software! Essentially there is no need for such a program to be
memory resident.
* EZ-Menu can be set to execute a menu choice at a particular time without
operator intervention; the frequency of such timed executions can be daily,
weekly, monthly, annually, or on an exact date. If the user is in an
application when a choice is scheduled to be executed, he/she will be
immediately notified upon returning to the menu, with an option to abort
the automatic execution.
* EZ-Menu 5.0 supports a separate "Timed Execution Menu" which will be
automatically checked for scheduled events at a user-defined frequency.
Timed-execution entries do not even have to be visible to the user.
* With each menu entry, the user can optionally select whether or not to be
prompted to enter command line parameters (This also works with batch
files.).
* Any application available under EZ-Menu can be set so that if the computer
is reset or power is lost temporarily, upon reboot of the system, control
is automatically returned to that program - VERY useful for unattended
software.
* EZ-Menu now has built-in features to support multiple drives/hard disks.
You can specify which drive the destination program is located on, and on
which drive EZ-Menu is installed. From any directory on any drive, typing
"MENU" will instantly invoke EZ-Menu. EZ-Menu also checks to make sure the
specified subdirectories and batch files exist - to help reduce problems in
adding entries.
* The user has the capability to swap entries easily from one location to
another on the menu and with Version 5.0 can even copy menu choices to
other sub-menus with the greatest of ease.
* EZ-Menu now supports sound effects that call attention to various functions
and responses. These sound effects can be turned on or off during
configuration.
* During configuration, the user can optionally select ONE-KEY EXECUTION
where each menu choice is assigned a letter and pressing the appropriate
letter will instantly execute the choice. Any one of twenty-six menu items
can be executed with a single keystroke; with two keystrokes you can
execute any one of over 700 menu choices, and so on..
* With one-key execution enabled, the user can additionally specify whether
the menu entries should be labeled from top-to-bottom or left-to-right.
* From the dos prompt, when invoking EZ-Menu, the user can specify a
parameter to the MENU command to tell EZ-Menu to immediately execute a menu
choice upon start-up. (i.e. "MENU A" will load EZ-Menu and execute the
first item labeled with an "A").
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 7
QUICK REVIEW OF EZMENU'S FEATURES (continued..)
* Pressing F10 from the menu will invoke a special "status page" which
displays a variety of important information on EZ-Menu and your system
including: the status of configuration options, the date the currently
highlighted menu choice was last executed, the total capacity of the
current drive, space in use, and available storage (in bytes); the system
will even graphically show to what capacity your disk is full. Also shown
is the available memory (in bytes) available to EZ-Menu's applications.
* Graphic information on any drive on the system can be displayed from the
"status page" by pressing the letter of the appropriate drive.
* Password protection can be assigned in various levels including seperate
passwords required to Exit-To-Dos, Modify the Menu, Execute Menu Choices,
Re-Configure the System and even a "Master Password" which can override all
others. All passwords are encrypted for maximum security. A wide variety
of security can be implemented allowing along authorized users to specified
areas of your computer or EZ-Menu.
* By pressing F7, a comprehensive report can be printed on all of the entries
on the current menu, with complete information on each menu choice & its
options.
* EZ-Menu is very understanding of invalid user input, and in most cases will
attempt to correct bad input or otherwise notify the user of the specific
problem and it's solution.
* In all cases, complete, consistent information is displayed indicating EZ-
Menu's actions, responses, and default options. The system is self-
documenting and straightforward in its operation. EZ-Menu also includes an
automatic context-sensitive help system which displays useful information
in areas throughout the program. This feature can be optionally disable if
desired.
* EZ-Menu can be installed in any subdirectory; installation into a LAN
environment is also easily accomplished.
* It is possible to stack multiple DOS commands for a program-type entry.
With this new feature, selection of a single option from the menu can
invoke several DOS commands or programs (without having to create a batch
file). The user simply "stacks" the DOS commands to be executed and
separates each one with a special character.
* The user can now also specify a command (or stacked set of commands) to be
executed upon exiting EZ-Menu. The default exit command is to switch to
the default drive's root directory and clear the screen.
* EZ-Menu now incorporates full text editing functions during any prompts for
more than one character of information. Left and right arrow keys position
the cursor appropriately; INS key toggles between insert and overwrite
mode; DEL erases the character under the cursor, HOME and END move the
cursor to the beginning/ending of the current line; CTRL-Right arrow erases
from the cursor to the end of line.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 8
QUICK REVIEW OF EZMENU'S FEATURES (continued..)
* EZ-Menu has a built-in usage log which keeps track of all actions
accomplished from the menu, including but not limited to: executions of
menu items (date and time started and the elapsed time spent doing so), any
modifications to the menu, exiting to DOS, abortion/execution of scheduled
events, reset/reboot of the computer, and much more. The usage log can be
optionally enabled or disabled any time via configuration.
* With the usage log enabled, the user can optionally select that a comment
be entered into the log associated with the selection of a menu choice (to
further aid in identifying computer use for a variety of purposes).
* EZ-Menu includes a utility program, READLOG which interprets the usage log
and generates a comprehensive report on log activities, including
statistical time usage (total usage by day, total computer usage in log,
average daily usage, etc.). The log report can be printed, sent to a disk
file, or viewed on the screen. Readlog generates detailed and summary
reports of computer activities.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 9
IMPORTANT NOTES ON EZ-MENU'S OPERATION
As easy-to-use as the software is, there are a few items that should be of
interest to the user. Please read this section carefully - it may avoid
problems in the future.
* Whenever EZ-Menu is running, the files that it works with are never
kept open longer than the time necessary to read or write the required
data. This means that you can TURN THE COMPUTER OFF WHILE EZ-MENU IS
RUNNING with no problems. In fact if the usage log is enabled, it is
recommended that when you opt to power-down the system, you do so from
EZ-Menu's main menu. It should be noted that it is never a good idea
to turn the computer off while a program is running, especially
database and spreadsheet programs since the possibility of losing data
or corrupting files is highly probable. EZ-Menu has been designed so
that power can be turned off, or the computer can be reset, while
waiting at the main menu, with virtually no possibility of any data
being lost or corrupted. Of course, NEVER turn the computer off when
data is being saved - this goes for EZ-Menu when configuration data,
or a menu entry is being saved.
* EZ-Menu Versions 3.6 and 5.0 save their configuration information in
the program itself (EZMENU.EXE). This is done to insure the security
of the system, and also to enhance EZ-Menu's performance. However,
many anti-virus programs may interpret this has being an attempt to
attach code to the EZMENU.EXE program (or some other seemingly
"subversive" activity) - this is not the case although if you are
running some anti-virus software, it may notify you of this activity.
This is a normal aspect of EZ-Menu's configuration and should not be
aborted.
* If you copy EZ-Menu to another drive or subdirectory, make sure you re-
configure the program and pay attention to the subdirectory where EZ-
Menu has been told it resides. EZ-Menu's configuration tells the
program where many important files can be located and if the
subdirectory and drive are not set properly you may get a wide variety
of error messages, including a message indicating that "EZMENU.EXE may
be corrupted" during configuration.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 10
SPECIAL OPTIONS FOR DEALERS, CONSULTANTS, AND LARGE COMPANIES OR AGENCIES
If you are a consultant and wish to distribute EZ-Menu to your clients, or a
retail outlet or distributor and want to bundle EZ-Menu with other products you
sell to increase their value, or perhaps your company has many satellite
offices that you are setting computer systems up for, special arrangements can
be worked out by contacting Progressive Computer Services.
* EZ-Menu can be customized to your specifications. Depending upon the type
of customization and quantity of order - turnaround on such custom work can
be as soon as 7 days!
* Your advertising/promotional information can be listed on the "information"
page and anywhere else in the system you desire (where feasible).
After taking just a few minutes to examine EZ-Menu, you will surely agree that
it can:
1. increase the value of any computer or software system it is bundled with by
making it much more "user-friendly" and easy-to-operate
2. significantly reduce the chance of a user inadvertently damaging or purging
data from the computer and also restrict users from certain operations
3. logically assemble and organize the wide array of applications that can be
implemented on the computer
4. create a consistent user interface for all of your computer systems
5. dramatically reduce the amount of unnecessary employee/customer time spent
in having to learn DOS command syntax just to be able to operate their
applications (Most computer users in a business environment are primarily
concerned with a particular application - they don't want to learn how to
"program" or be a "computer whiz"; they want to get up on their
database/spreadsheet/word processor in a minimal amount of time, and with
that in mind - EZ-Menu is the perfect tool to help them do so).
6. protect the computer from interruption of processing as a result of a
temporary power outage or reboot
7. allow any software to be executed at a particular time, at a user-defined
frequency - This feature is invaluable when you think of how you can set
your computer to automatically check and perform preventive maintenance on
the hard disk at regular intervals!
8. provide protection against invasion of subversive software such as vires,
worms, and trojan programs by limiting the capability of unauthorized
software being introduced as well as providing an accurate record of
activities accomplished on the system
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 11
PROGRAM HISTORY AND AUTHOR INFORMATION
EZ-Menu was developed in 1982 by Michael Perry, at the time an independent
computer consultant and programmer. From the time of elementary school Mike
was heavily involved in computers. While barely a teenager, he was designing
and programming software for the computer-based-education lab at Tuskeegee
institute in Alabama. Later he developed comprehensive software systems for
several worldwide corporations. At the time when the Apple computer was a
hobby in Steven Jobs' garage, Mike was working at home after school on a
computer terminal linked into Control Data's PLATO worldwide network. It was
on the Control Data network that Mike realized the value of a simple, yet
powerful user-interface.
After attending the University of New Orleans, Mike opted to go into business
for himself as a computer programmer and consultant. Mike's consulting
services allowed him to become involved in developing systems in a wide variety
of business environments. From the instant of Mike's involvement with PC's he
realized that a lot of his clients were spending entirely too much time
shuffling through manuals, talking on the phone to computer stores, or
complaining about the lack of service they received from the people who sold
them their computers. Indeed, Mike soon found himself spending more time
instructing his clients on basic computer use than developing "software
solutions". He needed something to allow his clients to access their
applications with a minimal amount of computer "technicrosity". Thus EZ-Menu
was born.
Initially written in BASIC and later compiled, EZ-Menu was intended for use by
Mike to distribute to his clients. After its introduction it was immediately
acknowledged as a valuable tool not-to-be-without for hard disk users. Soon
others developed similar software, but EZ-Menu has remained the original,
easiest-to-operate menu system.
Since the time of EZ-Menu's creation, the response to the product has been
incredible, which prompted Mike to enhance the product and address the comments
suggestions and criticisms that have been received. EZ-Menu has been totally
re-written and utilizes the benefits of several different programming languages
to provide both speed and power. The current product represents an
immeasurable amount of research and development into the best method of
allowing a computer user the ease of operation without sacrificing power or
flexibility. Mike strongly believes that the notion of "menu programs" being
counter-productive to computer use/learning is ludicrous. That is like saying
air travel is bad because it disallows the traveler the ability of a learning
experience while walking coast-to-coast. EZ-Menu is designed to save time; if
a user wants to delve into the technical aspects of the computer, EZ-Menu is
not in any way keeping him/her from doing so.
With the introduction of EZ-Menu 5.0, a new realm of computer control and ease-
of-use has been attained. So much so that it seems the term "menu program"
barely fits the product. EZ-Menu's functions and features go far beyond a
simple user interface. The term "application control system" now seems more
appropriate.
In the last seven years, EZ-Menu has been updated 18 times - these have NOT
been versions to correct bugs; they have always included major enhancements.
PCS has a commitment to provide to its users the best software possible and we
will live up to that commitment by constantly improving the software as per our
users' requests. If you know of a similar package with a feature EZ-Menu does
not have (that is a valuable feature), let us know and it will be available in
the next release of EZ-Menu!
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 12
EZ-MENU COMPATIBILITY INFORMATION
EZ-Menu requires a minimum of 256K RAM and will operate under MS(PC) DOS 2.1 or
higher on IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible machines. EZ-Menu supports most displays
including the Monochrome monitor, CGA, EGA, VGA, and most others.
EZ-Menu will operate on a floppy drive, but to unlock its full potential, a
hard disk system is recommended. EZ-Menu supports multiple-subdirectories with
names up to 70 characters in length. The total number of menu items available
is limited only by the available disk space (but is in upwards of 1,000,000
different selections).
EZ-Menu is also network compatible. It has been tested it under NOVELL, ALLOY,
and PC-MOS 386 and it works flawlessly. EZ-Menu confirms to standard DOS
operating procedures, so if your network will operate most of the popular PC
software, there is little chance of EZ-Menu not functioning properly. For more
information, see the INSTALLING EZ-MENU IN A LAN ENVIRONMENT section later in
this document.
EZ-Menu also works with CARBON COPY PLUS from Meridian Technology, in every
mode of operation. There are no known incompatibilities with any memory-
resident software or any program which has a "shell-to-dos" feature.
To this date, there as not been any program/application found that could not be
referenced from the menu; there are items to be taken into consideration when
you set-up a menu so please be sure to consult the documentation if you have
any problems.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Special thanks to Michael Todd for his help and support during
development. Special thanks also goes out to my friends who have been very
supportive of my endeavor: Jim Aspinwall, Rory Burke, Bob Landen, Gerry
deGruiter, Gaston Dureau, Charles Jung, Guy Smith, John Poindexter, Lee
Issacson, Greg Leonard and Priscilla Hagebusch. I also want to thank all
of EZ-Menu's satisfied users, without whose support none of this would be
possible.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 13
A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE DOS DIRECTORY STRUCTURE
This section will help users who are unfamiliar with DOS have a better idea of
how their applications are stored on a hard disk. While this section does not
directly pertain to EZ-Menu's operation, it will help you better understand how
to set-up and utilize EZ-Menu.
As you are probably well aware, a hard disk (also known as a fixed disk) can
store a very large amount of information. This "information" can either be
programs (instructions telling the computer to do something) or data (which is
manipulated by a program). We generally refer to a program and its associated
data as an "application". An application is one (or more) functions relating
to a particular task (i.e. word processing, accounting, communications). Each
application may have one or more programs and data. These programs and data
are stored on the disk drive. The programs and data are organized into what
are called "files". A file is nothing other than a collection of information -
labeled with a name. When we ask DOS to give us a DIRectory, we are obtaining
a list of files. It is usually quite easy to tell the program files from the
data files by looking at the "extension". A file consists of a 1-8 character
name, followed by a period, and an optional (1-3 character) extension. The
extension will usually indicate the type of file being examined. Program
files, or files that can be executed almost always have one of three possible
extension: .BAT, .COM, or .EXE - these files can be executed from DOS by typing
the name and pressing <ENTER>. Almost every application will have at least one
file with such an extension. Any other files are usually information used by
the program itself.
Since the computer is not limited in its capabilities to just one application,
we usually install several different applications (programs + data) on our hard
disk. In order to keep each application separate, we have the capability to
store each application in its own special area on the hard disk. These areas
are generally referred to as directories. Applications are stored in separate
directories in order to isolate them from other applications - the same reason
why you categorize documents and put them in their own place in a filing
cabinet. Under DOS, you have a MAIN directory (called the ROOT directory) from
which all other files/directories are stored. We generally refer to these
"isolated areas" dedicated to a particular application as a "sub-directory". A
sub-directory has an entry in the DOS directory just like a file, but you will
also note the word <DIR> immediately to the right of the name. This tells you
that there is a subdirectory of a particular name accessible from where you are
at. In order to call-up an application from DOS, you primarily perform two
steps:
1. Issue the command to change to the directory where your application
is located
2. Issue the command to execute the program/application
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 14
A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE DOS DIRECTORY STRUCTURE (continued)
Usually when you install a program onto your computer, the instructions or the
installation program will:
1. Tell you the subdirectory (and/or drive) where the program will be
located on your hard disk, OR ask you to specify the subdirectory
(and/or drive) where the program should be installed.
2. The program name - what you should type from DOS to start the
application
Those two items of information are what is required by EZ-Menu to add an entry
(program/command) to the menu. If the information is not obvious, you can
always get a DIRectory of your disk and look at filenames. EZ-Menu's primary
function is to change into the appropriate area and begin the selected
application. There are many other capabilities within EZ-Menu, but what is
described above is the only required information that you must tell EZ-Menu.
If you are interested in learning more about DOS, it is recommended that you
visit your local book store and examine the variety of informative publications
available.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 15
INSTALLING EZ-MENU
Previous versions of EZ-Menu supported the installation of EZ-Menu in the root
directory (\) or in the \EZMENU subdirectory. Version 3.6 has no requirement
with respect to the subdirectory it must be installed in, although the
installation procedure assumes EZ-Menu will be installed in the subdirectory
called \EZMENU.
Installing EZ-Menu on a standard hard disk computer (where drive C: is hard
disk):
1. Put the EZ-Menu diskette in drive A:
2. At the DOS prompt, type A:INSTALL C: <press ENTER>
3. The installation procedure will setup and copy all the necessary files
into a sub-directory called \EZMENU. You will then be prompted to
configure the system. Complete instructions will be displayed
indicating what you should do.
During the installation process, you will be taken to EZ-Menu's configuration
screen. It is recommended that this initial time, you simply press <SPACE> to
save the current settings - later on from within EZ-Menu you can re-configure
the system to your liking by pressing F9 from the main menu.
If you wish to install EZ-Menu on any other drive (other than C:) simply
specify the drive spec. in the INSTALL command (i.e. A:INSTALL D: will install
EZ-Menu on drive D:). If you wish to install EZ-Menu in another subdirectory
other than \EZMENU, refer to the instructions on the next page.
UPGRADING TO EZ-MENU 3.6 FROM AN OLDER VERSION:
If you are using EZ-Menu versions 3.0, 3a-3e, or 3.1, you can retain your old
menu files with version 3.6. In order to use them they must be converted.
Included with the EZ-Menu package is another batch file called UPGRADE, which
basically does the same thing as INSTALL except instead of copying the sample
menu files, UPGRADE attempts to convert any existing menu files already found
on the destination disk.
Instructions on installing the run-only version of EZ-Menu is detailed later.
For UPGRADING EZ-Menu on a standard hard disk computer (where drive C: is hard
disk), follow these steps:
1. Put the EZ-Menu diskette in drive A:
2. At the DOS prompt, type A:UPGRADE C: <press ENTER>
3. The upgrade procedure will setup and copy all the necessary files into
a sub-directory called \EZMENU (except the sample menus), then convert
your existing menus. You will then be prompted to configure the
system. Complete instructions will be displayed indicating what you
should do.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 16
MANUALLY INSTALLING EZ-MENU
This section describes what is done by the installation procedure, and for
advanced users, how to install EZ-Menu without using the installation
procedure. In most cases, it is not necessary to read this section unless you
want to familiarize yourself with the specifics of how EZ-Menu is installed, or
have installed EZ-Menu in a subdirectory other than \EZMENU. For the most
recent information on EZ-Menu and it's INSTALL procedure, consult the file
named READ-ME.1ST also included with the package.
EZ-Menu's installation routine will tell you everything you need to do; for
purposes of manually installing the system, here are basic steps involved in
installing EZ-Menu:
1. Create a subdirectory where EZ-Menu will reside
2. Copy the EZ-Menu files into that subdirectory
3. Modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and:
a) put the EZ-Menu drive & subdirectory first in your PATH statement
(this allows you to type MENU from most anywhere on the system and
have EZ-Menu immediately start-up)
b) put the command MENU at the end of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
(this allows EZ-Menu to start-up whenever your computer is turned
on or resets)
NOTE: the AUTOMOD.EXE program will automatically do steps a and b.
4. Change into the EZ-Menu subdirectory, and execute the EZMENU.EXE
program - if you are not immediately in configuration mode, press F9
and configure the system, specifying the information asked for.
NOTE: The only REQUIRED FILE for EZ-Menu's normal operation is EZMENU.EXE
(the program); you need EZCONV.EXE if you have existing .MNU files you
want to convert, and of course, the .MNU files are the actual menus
and either need to be in EZ-Menu's subdirectory, or you can create
them when you run EZ-Menu. All other files are either installation
procedures or documentation files (MENU.BAT is required but will be
created if it does not exist).
If you are upgrading to EZ-Menu version 3.6 from one of these versions: 3.0,
3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3.1, 3.2 or 3.5, you should make sure that you DO NOT copy
the .MNU files from the EZ-Menu disk into your subdirectory (as they may
overwrite your old menu files). After copying the new EZ-Menu files, switch to
the drive/directory where EZ-Menu is installed an invoke the EZCONV program by
typing: EZCONV AUTO <press ENTER>. This will automatically convert your old
menu files to work with EZ-Menu 3.6. For more information consult the section
on EZCONV.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 17
MANUALLY INSTALLING EZ-MENU (Continued)
To call-up EZ-Menu, type MENU at any dos prompt, therefore you should make sure
that there are no files by the names of MENU.COM, MENU.BAT, or MENU.EXE located
in any subdirectory that is searched prior to EZ-Menu's subdirectory (via
PATH). There will be a file called MENU.BAT in EZ-Menu's subdirectory - this
is associated with the EZ-Menu program.
EZ-Menu is normally operated out of the \EZMENU subdirectory; the file
MENU.BAT (which will be created if it doesn't exist) must be in whatever
directory EZ-Menu is installed in; all associated MNU and BAT files
including the EZMENU.EXE program, should reside in the \EZMENU
subdirectory. If EZ-Menu is not installed properly, when you exit your
applications, you will not return to EZ-Menu.
!!!NOTE: EZ-Menu 5.0 now allows you to change the name of the batch file used
to invoke EZ-Menu. Previously this has always been "MENU"
(MENU.BAT). If you opt to change the start-up command, you will also
have to change its references in AUTOEXEC.BAT and anywhere it may be
utilized. Unless absolutely necessary, for the purpose of
consistency, leave it at MENU.BAT.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 18
EZ-MENU CONFIGURATION
EZ-Menu can be configured in two ways: during installation, or at any time
during the program is running by pressing F9 from the main menu.
Previous versions of EZ-Menu had radically different configuration procedures:
the user was asked a series of questions whose answers determined the various
operating parameters. EZ-Menu Versions 3.6 and 5.0 have completely different
configuration routines. The change was made because of the large amount of
additional configuration options added, and the desired ability for the user to
be able to selectively modify a single configuration option without having to
go through the entire process.
When configuration mode is entered, a menu of 26 options are displayed, each
labeled with a letter (A to Z). Next to each option is its displayed setting.
In all cases, the setting is the most common usage of the particular option.
When the user selects an option, a "help box" pops up on the screen further
identifying each option and allowing the user to change its setting. If
Automatic Help is disabled, a minimal amount of information will be displayed,
and the user can more quickly change most of the configuration settings. Below
are brief descriptions of the configuration options. In most cases as with
every other area in EZ-Menu, the options are straightforward in their
presentation and solicitation of user input.
A - EZ-Menu Drive
This option identifies which drive EZ-Menu is installed on.
B - EZ-Menu Subdirectory
This option identifies which subdirectory EZ-Menu is installed in.
The default (which should not be changed unless necessary) is \EZMENU
C - Exit Command(s)
This option allows the user to specify a sequence of commands which will be
executed when the user presses <ESC> to exit-to-dos from within EZ-Menu.
Any valid executable Dos command, batch filename or program name can be
entered in this field. Multiple DOS commands can be entered provided they
are separated by a tilde (~) character. The default for this option
contains three commands: CD\~CLS~ECHO To return to EZ-Menu type MENU.
CD\ (changes to the root directory of the disk)
CLS (clears the screen)
ECHO.. (displays the message "To return to EZ-Menu type MENU.")
Obviously if the menu-startup command is modified, the name as listed above
to invoke EZ-Menu should be changed.
D - Start-Up Filespec
This option identifies the batch file used to invoke EZ-Menu. Its default
is MENU.BAT and unless absolutely necessary, should not be changed. If
this field is modified, the command the user must type from DOS to invoke
EZ-Menu will be different from the default. An example of when this option
should be changed is if there is another program on the computer system
with the same name, a conflict would occur. MENU is quite a common
filename. On Novell Networks, their menu system also uses the command
MENU, therefore if EZ-Menu is to run under Novell, the best thing to do
would be to change the start-up command to something like EZ.BAT, therefore
the user would have to type "EZ" from the Dos prompt to start EZ-Menu.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 19
EZ-MENU CONFIGURATION (continued..)
E - Reset-Rexecution File
This option identifies the name of the file which will contain information
on any menu choices that are executed and should be monitored in case the
computer is reset during their operation. This option should not be
changed - if an invalid file specification is entered here, reset-
rexecution entries will not work as intended. The default is REXEC.EZ.
F - Usage Log Filespec
This option contains the filename (and optional drive/path) where the
user's computer activity will be logged. The default for this is USAGE.LOG
and if this is changed, the filename specified READLOG's configuration
should also be changed.
G - Main Menu Filespec
This option identifies the filename (and optional drive/path) where the
initial menu file is located. When EZ-Menu starts, it will look for this
filename to contain the list of choices for the main menu. Changing this
option allows virtually any menu to be the initial one displayed (assumed
to be the "main" menu). The default filespec is MAIN.MNU and since no
drive or subdirctory is specified, it is assumed that the file is located
in whatever subdirectory EZ-Menu is installed in. If this file does not
exist, EZ-Menu will create it when it runs, and then the user will have the
option of adding entries to the menu.
H - Main Menu Title
This option contains the title of the initial menu displayed. This
description is limited to 35 characters and is displayed at the top of the
menu display. Its default is "Main Menu of Available Applications" but it
could be set to somthing like "Bob's Main Menu" to personalize EZ-Menu.
I - Bottom Screen Message
This is another descriptive option which the user can specify. This
message is displayed at the bottom of EZ-Menu during most of its
operation. EZ-Menu 3.6 does not allow this option to be changed.
J - Timed-Execution File
This option allows the user to specify an alternate menu file which will be
checked at a user-defined frequency for timed-executions. It should
contain a valid filename with a .MNU extension (drive and path
specifications are allowable). The file specified in this field is not
unlike any other menu file except that during EZ-Menu's operation, if this
feature is enabled in option "V" this menu will be checked automatically
for scheduled events regardless of whether or not this is the current menu
displayed. This menu does not have to be normally accessible from EZ-
Menu's menu in order to be activated, therefore the user can have up to 120
scheduled events that will be automatically checked for timed-execution
without being visible in EZ-Menu. For more information see option "V" and
the Timed-Execution section of this documentation.
K - Dos Exit Password
If this option is empty (no password protection) the user will have
immediate access to DOS by pressing <ESC> from within EZ-Menu. If a
password is entered in this field, the user must know this password before
gaining access to DOS.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 20
EZ-MENU CONFIGURATION (continued..)
L - Edit Menu Password
If a password is specified in this field, the user must know the password
in order to edit, erase, or add items to the menu. The user must also know
this password in order to set colors for a submenu. If a particular menu
choice has its own password assigned, this password can be used to override
the menu choice password in order to execute or edit the entry.
M - Master Password
This password, if specified will be required to be entered by the user in
order to re-configure EZ-Menu. This password will also work in any area of
EZ-Menu where a password is required in order to proceed. The
configuration menu displays all other passwords so if a master password is
set, all other passwords can be easily determined, HOWEVER if a master
password is set and forgotten - EZ-Menu CANNOT be reconfigured. This
password as with all others is encrypted into the EZMENU program itself and
is virtually impossible to decode. Great care should be taken to remember
the master password. Progressive Computer Services can if necessary,
determine the password, but the user will have to send his EZ-Menu program
to us along with a $10 "I'm sorry I forgot the password" fee (so don't
forget the password). This password as with all others can be changed if
the user has access to configuration.
N - Screen Blank Time
This option determines the amount of inactivity (in minutes) after which EZ-
Menu will clear the screen. Clearing the screen helps extend the life of
the computer monitor. If a 0 is entered, screen blanking is disabled.
O - One-Key Execution
This feature allows the user to select options from the menu with a single
keypress. If this feature is set to YES, all entries will be labeled with
a letter - pressing the corresponding letter will immediately execute the
selection. If this feature is disabled, press a letter at EZ-Menu's main
display will highlight the first entry whose name begins with the letter
pressed.
P - Label Left/Right
If One-Key Execution is enabled, this option determines whether or not the
entries on the menu are labeled alphabetically from left-to-right, or from
top-to-bottom. It is up to the user's personal preference as to which
option is best. It is recommended that Left/Right be set because any
changes to the menu, if it is labeled from top-to-bottom, will often cause
many menu choices' letter-identifiers to change.
Q - Time Stamping
If this feature is set to Yes, every time a menu choice is executed, EZ-
Menu will make a note of the date and time it was selected. This feature
should be enabled if timed-execution is enabled, or if the user would like
to know when the last time an application was executed - which is displayed
on the Status Page (F10 from the main menu). See "The Logistics of Timed-
Execution" section for more information.
R - Leading Edge/Mono
This option identifies the system as being a non-standard type of display -
some computers have unusual display attributes and sometimes text will not
be readable on the scren. If the user is having problems reading all of
the information displayed by EZ-Menu, try setting this option to YES. EZ-
Menu can also be invoked and configured automatically in this state by
typing EZMENU MONO from dos.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 21
EZ-MENU CONFIGURATION (continued..)
T - Timed Execution
With this feature enabled, EZ-Menu will check for any entries on the menu
scheduled to be executed at a particular time. If no events are scheduled
for timed-execution, it is still OK to leave this option set to YES. Every
minute, EZ-Menu will examine the menu to see if any choices have been
designated to execute at a particular time.
U - Minute Chime
With this feature set to Yes, EZ-Menu will "beep" once every minute,
identifying that timed-execution entries are being checked. If an
alternate timed-execution menu is enabled, another "beep" will be heard
when the timex menu is checked. This option is also useful if the computer
is doing processing and the user would want to be notified when the
application finishes and EZ-Menu is once-again active.
V - Check Timex Menu
This option allows the user to specify the frequency at which the alternate
timed-execution menu will be checked for scheduled events. A number
between 1 and 240 is acceptable, or 0 to disable the alternate timex menu.
A 1 would indicate that the timex menu would be checked every minute; 10
would mean every 10 minutes, etc.. The menu file checked under this
operation is specified under option "J" in configuration.
W - Usage Tracking
With this feature enabled (set to YES), EZ-Menu will keep an exact log of
all activities accomplished from the menu; this includes the date and time
(to the second) an application was entered and the elapsed time spent in
the application. The usage log will also keep track of activities
accomplished from within EZ-Menu such as timed-executions, reset-
rexecutions, invalid passwords and any modifications to the system/menus.
X - On Screen Clock
With this feature enabled, the time, date and day of week will be displayed
and updated on the main menu screen. Certain situations may dictate that
the on-screen clock be disabled - for example, some mainframe emulation
software allows the PC to run concurrently with a mainframe session. If EZ-
Menu is active, it may continue to write the date and time to the display,
which may appear while the user is operating on the PC while doing another
task unrelated to EZ-Menu. Of course if the clock is not desired under any
circumstances, it can be easily enabled/disabled with this option.
Y - Color Monitor
This option identifies which type of monitor is attached to EZ-Menu and
whether or not the user has the ability to configure the colors and display
attributes. If the user wishes to configure EZ-Menu's colors, he should
select this option, toggle it to say YES, then press <ENTER> after which
the color selection menu will be displayed. During color configuration the
user can easily determine how the color scheme will look by pressing the
<SPACEBAR> while in that mode. Some users who may not have a color monitor
may still want this feature set to YES so they can change the display
attributes for their particular computer/monitor type.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 22
EZ-MENU CONFIGURATION (continued..)
Z - Automatic Help
If this option is set On, EZ-Menu's automatic context-sensitive help system
will display additional information when available in various areas of the
program. Until the user is familiar with EZ-Menu it is recommended that
this option be enabled; later it can be disabled to speed the user's way
through the system by inhibiting the help screens. If this option is set
to No, during configuration, pressing a letter will either immediately
toggle the option, or display a minimal amount of information before
prompting the user to change any settings.
After the user is satisfied with the configuration settings, pressing <SPACE>
will save the options and resume EZ-Menu's operation with the new settings. If
<ESC> is pressed EZ-Menu will abort back to its original settings. If <ESC> is
pressed the first time EZ-Menu is configured, the user will be returned to Dos
since configuration is required in order to run EZ-Menu.
CONFIGURING UNIQUE MENU COLORS
EZ-Menu allows the user to individually configure display attributes (colors)
for any menu on the system. Previously all menus had the same attributes; now
any submenu can exhibit a different set of colors if desired.
EZ-Menu saves a "master" set of colors that is used with the main menu (and any
other submenus that do not have unique colors set) - this set of colors is
accessible from EZ-Menu's standard configuration after selecting option "Y"
from the configuration menu.
To configure the colors for a submenu, simply display the appropriate submenu,
then press F9. Normally the message "Are you sure you want to configure EZ-
Menu?" would be displayed, but since a submenu is active, the message
"Configure EZ-Menu, or Configure Menu Colors? (E/M)" will be shown. If "M" is
pressed, the user will be taken to the color configuration screen and the
colors he chooses will be set for this displayed submenu only. If the user
presses "E" he will be taken to the main configuration screen.
It should be noted that if the user's configuration is not set to indicate a
COLOR monitor is present, this option will not be available. Whenever a
submenu is entered that has unique colors set, these colors will appear, and
will take effect in every area of EZ-Menu as long as that submenu is loaded.
When the user presses F3, the main menu along with the standard color scheme
will be loaded. If another submenu is selected and no colors are set for that
submenu, the default colors will remain in effect.
EZ-Menu saves submenu color set-ups in a file of the same name as the menufile,
but with a .CLR extension. To remove a color set-up for a submenu, simply
delete the appropriate CLR file, or re-configure the colors to match EZ-Menu's
default colors.
If submenu colors have been created and EZ-Menu has later been configured to
run on a monochrome or black & white monitor, the unique colors for submenus
will be ignored. At a later time, if EZ-Menu is reconfigured for color, the
submenu color settings will be re-activated.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 23
USING EZ-MENU
Once you have set up your menu system (adding entries is discussed later in
this document) the following keys are active:
ARROW KEYS - Moves the pointer up, down, left, or right
PgDn - Switches display to next page (if there is more than 1
page of entries)
PgUp - Switches display to previous page
Home - Move pointer to first entry on page
End - Move pointer to last entry on page
A-Z - Depending upon whether you have one-key-execution
implemented, pressing a letter on the keyboard will either
move the menu bar to the next entry whose first character
matches the key pressed, or immediately execute the entry
labeled by the letter you have pressed.
+ or <ENTER> - Executes the entry that is highlighted
F1 - Permits you to add entries to menu
F2 - Switches to edit mode for highlighted entry
F3 - Switches display to Main Menu
F4 - Display program information
F5 - Erase the highlighted entry
F6 - Swap the highlighted entry - you must then move the cursor
to the second item you wish to swap with and press <ENTER>
If the 2nd item highlighted during swapping is a submenu the
user will have the option of copying the first highlighted
entry to the specified submenu, or simply swapping the
entries on-screen.
F7 - Prints information on each menu entry (to the printer
connected to your computer)
F8 - Forces all entries in the current menu to be checked for
timed-execution (checking for timed-execution is normally
done each minute or when a menu is initially displayed -
unless the timed-execution feature is disabled during
configuration, in which case, pressing F8 is the only way to
check for timed-execution)
F9 - Re-configure EZ-Menu (during configuration, pressing <ENTER>
at most prompts will keep the settings as they were before.
If a color monitor is attached and the user is at a submenu,
this key will also allow configuration of individual menu
colors.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 24
USING EZ-MENU (Continued)
F10 - Display the status of your computer system and EZ-Menu
settings. On this page, you are shown items such as:
- current available DOS memory
- available DOS memory for EZ-Menu applications
- capacity of the current drive
- amount of space in use on the current drive
- amount of free space (in bytes and in percentage free)
- a bar graph displaying how full the current drive is
- EZ-Menu's configuration options
- the name of the current highlighted entry
- the time/period it is set to execute (if any)
- the time/date the highlighted entry was last executed
(this may not be accurate if during configuration, you
opted to disable EZ-Menu's ability to keep track of the
time a choice was last executed - if so, the date
displayed will be indicative of when the entry was created
or last time-executed)
While on the status page, pressing a drive letter (A-Z) will
show the amount of free space (in bytes and by a graph) of
the specified drive. Pressing the <SPACEBAR> will return
you to EZ-Menu main screen.
ADDITIONAL EDITING FEATURES:
At any point in EZ-Menu, when prompted to input/modify more than one
character of information, the following keys are active:
HOME - Moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line
END - Moves the cursor to the end of the current line
INS - Toggles between INSERT and OVERWRITE mode, changes cursor
DEL - Erases the character under the cursor
LEFT ARROW - Moves the cursor one character to the left (non-destructive)
BACKSPACE - Erases the character to the left of the cursor (destructive)
RIGHT ARROW - Moves the cursor one character to the right
CTRL-RIGHT - Erases all characters from the cursor to the end of line
ENTER - Accepts current line and continues
ESC - Aborts input/editing procedure and continues
Any other keys pressed will be accepted and judged for input.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 25
SETTING UP MENU FILES
There are three basic types of entries that can be put in EZ-Menu. These are:
- Program/Command (the most common type of entry)
- Batch File (used to execute a .BAT file containing DOS commands)
- Submenu (used to identify an entry leading to another menu)
Each type of entry is described in detail on the following pages. Depending
upon the type of entry you are adding, you will be prompted to enter slightly
different information. The most common entry is the Program/Command type.
For the Program/Command entry, the only information required in order to add
such an entry to EZ-Menu is the name of the subdirectory the program is located
in, and the name of the program file to execute (usually when you install a
program, it will notify you of the subdirectory and name of the program).
Normally if you're a computer has a hard disk, to call up your word processor
(for example WordStar), you would type the following commands and the dos (C>)
prompt:
CD\WS ( change to the WS subdirectory where WordStar is located )
WS ( type the program name/command to execute the program )
If you wanted to put this application on EZ-Menu, you would press F1 (after
starting EZ-Menu) to add entries to the menu. Then enter the name you would
want to appear in the menu (for example: WordStar Word Processing ). You are
then prompted to define the type of menu entry, either P for Program/command, B
for Batch file, or S for Sub-menu. In most cases (such as the example above),
you would select P for Program/command. EZ-Menu then asks you where the
program is located (what subdirectory), in the case above you would type WS
then press <ENTER>. NOTE: You do not need to enter a backslash (\) before the
name of the sub-directory. EZ-Menu automatically does that for you. After
entering the subdirectory name (if the program is in the root directory, simply
press <ENTER> without entering anything for subdirectory) you are then prompted
to enter the exact filename/command that invokes your application. In this
case, type WS, which is the name of the WordStar program. You are then
prompted to enter in a password if you want to keep unauthorized individuals
from accessing your application. The characters you type for a password are
not echoed to the screen (in case somebody is looking over your shoulder). If
you do not want your menu entry password protected, simply press <ENTER>
without typing anything at the Password prompt. If you elect to use a password
on your entry, whenever you select it (either to execute or edit) you will be
prompted to enter in the password. NOTE: Don't forget your password, if you do
there is no way to find out what it is. You will then be taken to another
screen which displays other options for your menu choice. Pressing <ENTER>
will set each question to it's default (and in most cases, that is what you
would probably want to do). More information on the second page of menu choice
options will be discussed later.
All three entry types will be summarized on the next page. You will see what
the differences are and what kind of information needs to be specified. In
most cases, EZ-Menu's descriptive prompts should provide you with ample
information on what you should do next.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 26
ADDING MENU ENTRIES (continued..)
PROGRAM/COMMAND
This is the most common entry. If you wish to execute an
application/program or a DOS command, you should select this type of entry
when adding a choice to the menu. The two critical pieces of information
that must be specified are the SUBDIRECTORY where the program/command is
located, and the actual name of the program/command. If you wish to
execute several commands from selection of a single choice, you can "stack"
commands by separating each command with a tilde (~). Here is an example
of a stacked command:
LOTUS~ECHO insert backup disk in A:~PAUSE~COPY *.WKS A:
which is the equivalent of typing the following 4 commands:
LOTUS (to start Lotus 1-2-3)
ECHO insert backup disk in A: (display a message after exiting)
PAUSE (prompt user to press a key to go)
COPY *.WKS A: (copy all worksheet files to A:)
You can easily see how useful stacking commands can be. However, you are
limited in how many commands you can stack to a maximum of 70 characters.
You should also be careful to NOT call a batch file because in such a case,
control would not be returned to EZ-Menu after the batch file is executed.
BATCH FILE
In the case where you have a large number of DOS commands that need to be
executed as the result of a menu choice, or an application has a batch file
that should be invoked to start a program, you should use the BATCH entry
type when adding that selection to the menu. For this type of entry, the
specific required information consists of:
1. The subdirectory where the .BAT file is located
2. The name of the batch file
NOTE that you do not necessarily have to call a file with the .BAT
extension, any ASCII file containing valid DOS commands can be used as the
name of a batch file - in such a case, you must specify the extension if it
is not .BAT. This is another measure you could take to prevent somebody
from snooping around in your directory since your batch files would not
look so obvious. If the batch file is not in the \EZMENU subdirectory,
make sure you specify it's location when prompted for a SUBDIRECTORY (if
it's on another drive, you must specify that also on the second page of
menu choice options). There is no built-in utility to create a batch file
from EZ-Menu; any text editor will work just fine.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 27
ADDING MENU ENTRIES (Continued..)
SUB-MENU
The third kind of entry is called a Sub-menu. This is a special feature
used by EZ-Menu so you can group similar programs together without
cluttering them up on the main menu. For example, let's say you have 3
different word processing programs that you use regularly. Instead of
putting all 3 on the main menu, you could create a menu entry that was
listed as "Menu of Word Processing Programs", and when you select that
item, you are taken to another menu consisting of your word processing
options. When creating this kind of entry, simply specify S as the type,
then enter in the menu filename (up to 8 letters). When you select this
item initially from the menu, the screen will say 'There are no entries in
this menu'. At that point you should press F1 and add entries to your sub-
menu. When you are viewing a sub-menu, you can return to the main menu by
pressing F3.
Here are a few examples of typical menu entries. Please note that where a
particular item is not shown (SUBDIRECTORY for example) it is blank, or the
user is not prompted to type in a response. These examples mostly show the
responses for the first page of the menu choice entry screen. The second page
of options are for more advanced use or special features and should be explored
at the users discretion. Generally, when you get to the second page of menu
options, pressing <ENTER> will default the query to its most common setting.
DESCRIPTION:
Format A Disk in Drive A:
ENTRY TYPE:
P (Program/Command)
SUBDIRECTORY:
(none, <ENTER> pressed or something such as DOS entered)
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
Format A:/v
** This entry will prompt you to press any key after you have put a blank
diskette in drive A: to be formatted. EZ-Menu assumes you have the PATH
command set to tell DOS where the program FORMAT.COM (which comes with DOS)
is located, or that it is in the root directory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION:
Lotus 1-2-3
ENTRY TYPE:
P (Program/Command)
SUBDIRECTORY:
123
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
lotus
** This entry will call up Lotus 1-2-3, assuming it is located in the
subdirectory called 123.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 28
ADDING MENU ENTRIES (Continued..)
DESCRIPTION:
Set up Laser Printer
ENTRY TYPE:
B
SUBDIRECTORY:
<put the name of the subdirectory where LASER.BAT is located>
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
laser.bat
** This is an example of a BATCH entry. In this example, the user has a laser
printer and in order to set it up to operate correctly, SEVERAL commands
must be executed (for example let's say the printer is connected to the
serial port - so we must initialize the serial port, then we must route the
normal printer output to go to the serial port, and finally send some
commands to the printer to put it into the desired mode). The user must
create a file called LASER.BAT which contains all of the commands necessary
to initialize the laser printer. This file must reside in the root
directory and will be called by EZ-Menu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION:
Menu of Games
ENTRY TYPE:
S
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
GAMES
** This is an example of a sub-menu entry. When the user selects "Menu of
Games" from EZ-Menu, another menu will be displayed - initially it will be
empty so the user will have to press F1 to add the games he wants to be
selected from this sub-menu.
NOTE: TO CREATE A SUBMENU AND ADD ENTRIES TO IT, these are the basic
steps:
1. Create a menu entry of SUBMENU type, specify a filename. This
will serve as the selection which will take you to a new menu of
options. This entry should be added to whatever menu you wish to
have a branch (to a submenu) from.
2. After the submenu entry is created, select it from the menu (by
highlighting it and pressing <ENTER>. You will be taken to
another menu, which in most cases will say "There are no entries
on this menu".
3. Now, use the F1 key to add entries to this sub-menu. Any entries
added will now be displayed only when you have entered the
appropriate submenu.
One nice thing about the use of submenus is that, for example, if you want to
have several menu selections password protected, rather than put a password on
each entry, you could put them all in a separate sub-menu, and password protect
the submenu's entry. This would make it necessary to enter the proper password
before even bringing up the submenu of your selections.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 29
ADDITIONAL MENU ENTRY OPTIONS
With version 3.6, there are several new options that can be set for each menu
entry. In most cases, pressing <ENTER> at any of these prompts will set them
to their default setting, which is the most common use. While adding a menu
entry, depending upon the type (Program/Command, Batch File, or Submenu), you
will be asked some of the following questions. Explanations immediately follow
each question outlined below:
What drive is your selection located on? (A,C,D etc., ENTER=default):
This feature is useful if you're operating a computer with more than one
hard drive installed (like a Bernoulli Box, or have a large hard disk
partitioned into two or more logical drives). With this feature, you can
specify the DRIVE on which the program to be called is located. In a
typical computer system, all applications are on one logical drive and
there is no need to specify a drive letter, but for example, if you have a
40 meg hard disk, and it's partitioned into TWO logical drives (C: and D:),
if EZ-Menu is installed on drive C:, you need to specify drive D here to
execute an application on that drive. This feature is also useful if you
have used the SUBST command to assign a subdirectory to a drive letter
(many networks use this scheme).
Do you want the computer to pause before returning to EZ-Menu? (Y/N):
Answering YES to this question will cause the message "To return to EZ-
Menu, Strike any key.." and you will be prompted to press a key before
returning to EZ-Menu (after you've exited from your application). If you
are running a program (such as CHKDSK) which displays important information
then immediately terminates, you might want to set this option to YES so
that time is allowed for you to read the screen before EZ-Menu pops back up
(otherwise you're immediately returned to the menu).
Do you want to be prompted to enter parameters to this entry? (Y/N):
Answering YES to this, upon execution of the option, will allow the user to
be prompted to enter any additional parameters to the command line before
the item is executed. In most cases, you should just press <ENTER> at this
prompt so that it defaults to NO.
If the computer is reset or loses power during this operation, would
you like the computer to automatically re-execute this choice? (Y/N):
Answering YES to this option invokes one of EZ-Menu's special features. If
the computer is reset (for example, by a temporary loss of power) while the
application is running, upon rebooting of the computer, EZ-Menu will drop
back into the interrupted application. This is especially useful for
applications which do not require operator attention (i.e. BBS's etc.).
When the computer is reset in such circumstances, EZ-Menu will wait ten
seconds in which if any key is pressed, the reset-re-execution process will
be aborted, otherwise the interrupted application will restart.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 30
ADDITIONAL MENU ENTRY OPTIONS (Continued..)
Upon returning from this application, display the main menu? (Y/N):
You will get this question only if you are adding an entry to a sub-menu.
If you answer YES (the default), when you exit the application called, you
will return to the Main Menu; if you answer NO, upon exiting your called
application, the sub-menu from which you called the selection will be
initially displayed.
Do you wish to be prompted to add a log comment for this entry? (Y/N):
You will only get this question if you have the automatic usage log
enabled. Answering Yes to this question will cause the operator to be
prompted to enter a comment which will be added to the log whenever you
select this option to be executed. This feature is very useful for people
wishing to keep specific info on what they are doing in a particular
application (i.e. for billing purposes to clients, etc.). With this
feature enabled, if you do not want to add a comment during a particular
session, simply press <ENTER> at the blank prompt.
Do you want to specify a set time for this choice to execute? (Y/N):
This feature will enable you to set a menu choice to execute at a specific
time. Answering YES to this question will bring up another prompt, asking
you to specify the desired frequency: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Annually, or
on an Exact date. You can effectively set an option to execute at a
specific time of day according to any frequency you specify. The user
input asked for is self-explanatory in most (all) cases. When specifying
the time of day, the user can enter it in a variety of formats. Here are
some examples:
1:1 ( is 1:01 am) 14:30 ( is 2:30 pm)
3:21p ( is 3:21 pm) 7:00am ( is 7:00 am)
As you can see there is a lot of flexibility available in specifying the
time of day for an item to execute. Depending upon the frequency chosen,
you will get a variety of additional prompts:
Weekly ( you specify a number from 1-7 indicating the day of week)
1=Sunday, 2=Monday...7=Saturday )
Monthly ( you specify the number day of the month )
Annually ( you specify the month number and day-of-month number )
Exact ( you specify the exact month, day, and year )
There is additional information on the usefulness and implementation of the
Reset-Re-execution and Timed-Execution features later in this document.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 31
EDITING ENTRIES
If you have a need to modify any information pertaining to a menu entry, simply
highlight the selection you wish to edit, then press F2. If the entry is
password protected, you will have to enter the password before continuing.
Once you are in edit mode, the various fields of the menu entry are displayed,
each one labeled with an alphabetic character from A to L. To edit the
description, simply press A, and the cursor prompts you to edit the descriptive
entry. The available editing keys are listed in the USING EZ-MENU section.
When finished, you are once again brought to the edit prompt. Features listed
below as options F-L are only applicable to Program/Commands and Batch File
types. A more complete description of options F-L are listed in the previous
section. Here the available keys are:
A - Change the description
B - Change the entry type
C - Change the subdirectory
D - Change the program/command filename
E - Change the password (to remove protection select E, then
press <ENTER>)
F - Change the drive letter on which the menu choice is located
(pressing <ENTER> sets this option to the default drive)
G Toggles the "Pause before returning" option
H Toggles the "Prompt for parameters" option
I Toggles the "Reset-Re-Execution" option
J Toggles the "Return to Main" menu option (valid on submenus)
K Toggles the "Prompt for Log Comment" option
L Set a specific time and frequency under which to execute the
menu selection
<SPACE> - Save the entry with the appropriate changes and exit
<ESC> - Abort editing and exit, leaving entry unchanged
While editing an entry you will notice that if there is a password, it is
displayed. This is the only section of the program where you can actually see
what the password is on the screen. So make sure that if an entry is password
protected and you want to KEEP it a secret, do your entry editing while nobody
is looking over your shoulder.
NOTE: You can erase an entire menu by deleting the .MNU file. For example,
if you want to erase the main menu and start over, simply exit to dos
and type DEL MAIN.MNU and press <ENTER>. The next time you start EZ-
Menu you will have to add entries.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 32
SOME SPECIAL ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN EDITING
Whenever you edit an entry and change the TYPE, you will almost always need
to change the field containing the command to start execution of the item
(2nd to last field on the edit screen - right before the password). The
command/filename field is handled differently depending upon what type of
entry is selected. If you do not put the correctly formatted data in the
command/filename field you will surely get a runtime error when you try to
select that entry. Here are the specifications for the command field based
on the type of entry:
P - program/command type The command field should contain a DOS
command or program name not exceeding 70
characters in length. Whatever is in this
field should be a valid command you could
type at the DOS prompt. Here you can stack
DOS commands by separating them with the
tilde (~) character.
S - submenu type The command field should contain 1 to 8
alphanumeric characters (a valid DOS filename
WITHOUT any extension). EZ-Menu adds a .MNU
extension to this name and creates a new menu
file when this entry is selected from the
menu. This new file will hold all of the
entries for your submenu.
B - batch file type The command field in this type should contain
a valid DOS filename. If you do not specify
an extension, .BAT will be appended to your
entry. If you have a file for example, that
has NO extension, you must specify the
filename with a period at the end (i.e.
"SAMPLE.") Obviously this filename must
correspond to an existing ASCII file (under
the specified directory) containing
additional DOS commands. You can call a file
containing dos commands without it having to
have the .BAT extension - so it won't be
easily identifiable in case a user is poking
around in the directory.
For BATCH entry types, the subdirectory asked
for tells EZ-Menu WHERE your batch file is
located. The default subdirectory is \EZMENU
or wherever you have installed the EZ-Menu
program.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 33
THE TIMED-EXECUTION FEATURE
A handful of similar programs have attempted to provide a feature such as
"Timed execution of programs" but EZ-Menu accomplishes it with fantastic
flexibility and power. With EZ-Menu 3.6, you can set a menu choice to
execute at a specific time of day, according to a wide variety of
frequencies: DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, ANNUALLY, or on an EXACT DATE. While
this does not immediately sound like that significant of a feature, think
about some things first: Probably one of the greatest problems today
involved in working with computers is the threat of lost and damaged data.
The two biggest causes of this are:
1. Information is not regularly backed-up or archived
2. The media on which the information is stored fails
The solution to the first cause is simple: regularly back up your hard
disk! Unfortunately, this can be quite a tedious task and is often the
major object of procrastination by users. Some software companies have
become quite successful by implementing into their programs, a "memory"
feature which reminds you to back up your information. EZ-Menu can do this
also, but with much more flexibility. You can have your hard disk backup
itself to tape at 6:27pm every Thursday evening, or perhaps on the 1st of
each month at midnight, etc.
To address the second cause above, a huge array of utilities like CHKDSK,
MACE UTILITIES, NORTON UTILITIES among others are quite adept at diagnosing
and/or correcting potential problem areas on your hard disk. Let's face
it, hard disks WILL deteriorate over time and use - areas that were once
good, will fail to accurately store data, and if something important is in
such an area, you will have problems. NORTON UTILITIES looks for these
areas and marks them so you don't end up losing data, and if possible,
moves data out of the "problem" areas. Regularly running a utility such as
NORTON's DISK TEST can quite often save you from a horrible data-losing,
finger-pointing, in-trouble-with-the-boss, oh-No! kind of event. EZ-Menu
has the capability to automate the diagnostic testing of a hard disk, as
well as other devices. If fact, you can execute ANY program or batch file
at any time period that can be specified in EZ-Menu (which covers just
about the entire scope of frequencies that are useful). If you're
operating the computer when something is scheduled to be executed, you
won't be interrupted, instead, when you return to EZ-Menu, the timed-
execution item will be alerted. EZ-Menu keeps track of when a menu choice
was last executed and promptly notifies you when it once again becomes time
to execute. As with this feature and the one described below, when such an
event initiates, EZ-Menu allows you 10 seconds to abort the automated
procedure before continuing.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 34
THE LOGISTICS OF TIMED-EXECUTION
For those of you interested, let me briefly elaborate on exactly how the timed-
execution feature works. When I was designing the system, I had many options
as to how I would use this feature. Here are the specifications on how timed-
execution operates.
1. An entry of BATCH or PROGRAM/COMMAND type can be set to execute at a
specific time at any of the following frequencies:
- daily
- weekly
- monthly
- annually
- on an exact day month and year
Information appropriate to the specified frequency in required to be input
by the user in an easily-understandable format. Information on the time-of-
day can be input in either 12 or 24 hour format which is then converted to
12 hour (am/pm) format for display. Whenever the information on the
setting of a timed-execution entry is displayed - it is described in a very
verbose manner quite comprehensively (i.e. "Entry scheduled to execute on
Friday at 2:24pm" or "..on the 21st at 3:00am").
2. The logic under which a timed-execution entry is activated is as follows:
- Once you have set a period (frequency and time) under which a menu
choice is to be time-executed, the sequence (automatic execution) will
be initiated if one of the two conditions is met:
1. You are at the menu, and the selected period matches the
date and time of the system clock
2. You are at the menu, and system clock shows a time and date
which is LATER than the set period, AND, the entry has NOT
been executed since the set period.
It is assumed that the timed-execution feature is ENABLED (which is
selectable during configuration), and if so, entries are checked for
timed-execution:
1. upon initially entering EZ-Menu (checks the Main Menu)
2. upon entering a sub-menu (checks the selected sub-menu)
3. each minute (MM:00 on the system clock) (checking whatever
menu is currently displayed)
4. whenever the F8 function key is pressed (checking whatever
menu is currently displayed)
5. each minute while the screen is cleared (assuming the screen
save option is enabled) (checking whatever menu is in use)
If you are at the Main Menu, EZ-Menu will only check timed-
execution entries for THAT menu, NOT any sub-menus unless you
enter the particular sub-menu. For this reason, you should
generally locate all timed-execution entries on the initial
(main) menu. In future releases, a special menu will also be
checked at a user-definable frequency.
3. Checking for timed-execution is only done while EZ-Menu is running.
If you are in an application and the specified execution period for an
entry is reached, you will be notified upon returning to EZ-Menu.
You will NOT be interrupted while in your application, which is the last
thing a person would probably want anyway.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 35
THE LOGISTICS OF TIMED-EXECUTION (Continued..)
4. When a timed-execution choice is activated, an appropriate message is
displayed on the screen and the user has 10 seconds to press any key to
abort EZ-Menu from executing the option. If no key is pressed, the entry
is time-stamped and executed. If a key is pressed during this "wait
period", the entry is time-stamped and the user is returned to the menu.
NOTE: This feature is sensitive to a specified point in time, rather than a
time range. For example, if you set execution of an entry to be on
the first of the month, effectively the entry should execute generally
every 28-31 days BUT the system is tuned to have that option execute
on THE EXACT PERIOD specified, and if that period has passed, it
should be executed ASAP. The next scheduled timed-execution will be
set after the current date and time.
Here's another example:
The date is currently January 10th. You set an entry to execute
monthly on 20th. You turn off the computer. The next time you turn
on your computer is on March 19th. EZ-Menu will execute the entry
since it's passed Jan 20th and hasn't been executed. The next day
marks the 20th of the month again, and at the appropriate time, if
your computer is in EZ-Menu, timed-execution will once again be
activated. After this event, the next scheduled date/time will be the
20th of the next month (April 20th) and so on. This method of
implementation has been well-thought-out and represents the most
practical way to time an entry's execution.
The above example represents an uncommon scenario but shows how timed-
execution is handled. In the real world, during normal operation, if
an entry is set to execute on the 1st of each month, it will normally
be executed at a frequency of approximately once each 30 days (aside
from when it may be manually executed).
Don't let this text confuse you too much. Your first idea of how timed-
execution works is most-likely exactly how it is implemented here. In fact, I
imagine that the more experimenting one does with this feature, the more he/she
will realize how valuable it can be.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 36
THE RESET-RE-EXECUTION FEATURE
Although this feature is not as valuable for many as it is for a select
few. It can be invaluable when used in certain scenarios. With EZ-Menu
3.6, you can set an item from the menu, so that if it is executed and the
computer is reset - either by manual means, or a temporary power outage,
control can be immediately passed back to the interrupted program - without
operator intervention. Anybody using their computer to operate
automatically without the need of constant supervision can certainly
realize problems when the computer is reset for one reason or another. For
example, if you're using your computer to do any or all of the following
tasks, keeping it online is of utmost concern:
- running a Bulletin Board System (BBS)
- using the computer as a FAX
- using the computer to control other devices
- using the computer as an answering machine (with equipment such as
WATSONtm)
- running complex and lengthy reports and calculations
- running any communications applications which either waits for
calls, or transmits information without a person behind the keyboard
- using the computer in any manner, whereby interruption needs to be
limited and/or controlled
If an application with the Reset-Re-Execution feature enabled, is
interrupted, the user (if he is there) will be immediately notified when
the computer re-boots, and will have ten seconds to press any key before EZ-
Menu drops back into the interrupted application. If the user presses a
key within this time, the menu will appear and the return to the
interrupted application will be aborted.
Using the reset-re-execution feature, you can actually set up routines
which can read and diagnose failures in the software, and determine whether
the application should be re-initiated or other actions should be taken.
For example, you could create a batch file that would check the DOS
ERRORLEVEL after termination, if a condition is met under which you want to
re-enter the program, execute the command MENU (this is of course a more
advanced use of the feature). You have to realize that the effect of the
control and success of re-execution is dependent upon the specifics of the
application.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 37
THE USAGE LOG FEATURE
A new feature to be incorporated into EZ-Menu is the automatic usage log, which
when enabled, keeps track of exactly what is done on the computer, and how much
time is spent doing so. This feature will prove valuable to anyone wishing to
keep track of computer time and activities; an obvious example would be for the
purpose of identifying computer time which could be billed to a client. EZ-
Menu is also useful for noting how much time a procedure may take to run (and
unusual delays may often indicate something significant to the user). Any
application/program that can be called from EZ-Menu can be logged and later
detailed in a report. Additionally, all important EZ-Menu-related activities
are also logged, such as: changes to the menu, reconfiguration, deletion of
menu items, printing of the menu, and even abortion of procedures such as reset-
re-execution and timed-executions.
The usage log can be optionally enabled or disabled at any time during
configuration. A special feature of the log allows the operator to optionally
enter a comment associated with the execution of a menu entry. During the
addition of a new menu entry, or while editing an existing one, the operator
can select whether or not to be prompted to enter a log comment during
selection of the associated entry (which is further described in the ADDING
ENTRIES section). If a menu entry has been configured to enable a log comment,
upon selection of that entry the user will be prompted at the bottom of the
screen to enter such a comment. Pressing <ESC> will abort the procedure and
return to the menu. Pressing <ENTER> without typing anything will continue and
NOT add a comment into the log. Typing any characters and then pressing
<ENTER> will add the text into the log and continue with the entry's
execution. This feature can be used in a variety of ways. For example, if a
word processor is used, the operator might want to indicate what document
he/she is working on.
In addition to logging selections and comments from the menu, EZ-Menu will also
keep track of any parameters passed and make note of the success or failure of
certain actions.
When the usage log is enabled, a file by the name of USAGE.LOG in EZ-Menu's
subdirectory is created and updated routinely. The USAGE.LOG file contains
coded information which is interpreted by the READLOG utility. On the
following page, the READLOG program is further explained.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 38
THE READLOG UTILITY
Included with the EZ-Menu system is a utility called READLOG. This utility is
used to read the USAGE.LOG file and generate useful reports for the purpose of
elaborating on computer activities. The Readlog program is set up as a menu
option from EZ-Menu's default menu. This selection can be password protected,
moved or erased as the operator sees fit. The Readlog utility does not
necessarily have to reside in the same subdirectory as EZ-Menu, although that
is the standard setup. If Readlog is located in another subdirectory, please
make sure the program is configured to identify where the USAGE.LOG file can be
found.
At present the Readlog utility has 4 main functions:
A - Generate a detailed usage log report
B - Generate a summary usage log report
C - Configure the Readlog operating parameters
E - Erase the usage log
These options are accessible by pressing the appropriate letter key while in
the Readlog program. The first two options, Generate usage log reports, are
the primary functions of Readlog. Both reports examine the logfile created by
EZ-Menu and generate a report that can be used to exactly identify the
activities logged by the computer. The detailed report shows each activity
while the summary report breaks down usage statistics by day. Readlog shows
the exact time and date any actions were taken, as well as the total time spent
in doing so (where applicable). The report displays time in 12-hour format,
and breaks the log down into "days", with subtotals indicating the total logged
time on computer by each day (to the second). At the end of the report,
Readlog displays the total number of days on file for the given log as well as
the total cumulative computer time and average daily computer use.
You may notice that on the report, it is possible to see a total cumulative
daily time which exceeds 24 hours (and will be broken down in "days" if the
time is great enough). This is due to the fact that if an application is
logged as being started on one day, and isn't terminated until another day, the
elapsed computer time used is credited to the day on which the application
started.
The usage log report can be sent to the video display screen, the standard
printer connected, or a disk file. If output to a disk file is selected, the
operator will be prompted to enter the filename under which the log report will
be stored (in standard ASCII form compatible with just about any word processor
or text editor).
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 39
THE READLOG UTILITY (Continued)
The configuration option allows overriding of common default settings for
Readlog. These options include:
Display Type - The color or monochrome/single-color monitor (C/M).
Log File - The drive/subdirectory and filename of the log file to
read (drive and subdirectory are optional, and if not
specified, Readlog assumes the USAGE.LOG file is in the
current dir.)
Screen Display Lines - The number of lines on the video display, which should
almost always be 23 - in the future Readlog will
support extended modes of monitors and this value may
be more useful.
Printer Lines - The number of lines per page on the printer, the
default is between 55 and 65.
File Lines - The number of lines sent to a file before a form feed
is issued (for the purpose of creating a file to be
later printed). Entering 0 here will make the output
file continuous with no page breaks
Log Name - This is the user-specified title/name that will appear
at the top of each page of the usage log report.
When configuring Readlog, to change an item, simply type the letter next to the
item you wish to change, make the modifications, then press <ENTER>. Full line
editing capabilities are available while changing an option (cursor keys, INS,
DEL, etc.). To save the configuration options, press SPACEBAR, or ESC to abort
and return to the main menu of Readlog.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 40
THE READLOG UTILITY (Continued)
The third option, Erase the Log File, allows the user to remove the USAGE.LOG
file from the disk. Since this file is constantly updated when the usage log
is enabled, it will continue to get larger in size. If available storage space
on your disk is an important consideration, it is recommended that the
USAGE.LOG file be archived regularly and erased. In most cases, the usage log
will rarely consume a significant amount of disk space since it is coded to
make the most efficient use of storage. But of course, if the log was not
erased for a long long time, the file could theoretically get pretty big.
Under EZ-Menu it would be advisable if the usage log is enabled, to set an
entry that will archive the usage log and erase it via timed-execution at some
frequency (i.e. every month or so). Making copies of the USAGE.LOG file, and
naming them to something indicating the date is also recommended (i.e.
012288.LOG could be the usage log archive starting on January 22nd, 1988). If
you later wanted to read this log, simply configure Readlog to access the
appropriate file.
During most prompts and operations, pressing <ESC> will abort and return to
Readlog's main menu. If <ESC> is pressed from the main menu, you will exit
Readlog (and return to EZ-Menu).
In the future, many enhancements are planned for Readlog, including the ability
to compile cumulative statistics on computer usage by applications, selective
reporting of log information by a range of dates or other options, and much
more. While EZ-Menu 5.0 is a commercial product and cannot be distributed by
unauthorized individuals, updates of the READLOG utility may be available via
Progressive Computer Services' BBS (or on other systems such as The Source)
free of charge. Of course, users must have EZ-Menu 5.0 to make use of Readlog.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 41
THE MAKEMNU UTILITY
Included with EZ-Menu is an additional utility called MAKEMNU. This program,
which is called during normal installation, automatically examines the drive
that is specified, looking for common applications. If an application that
Makemnu recognizes is found on your computer, a corresponding menu choice is
automatically created in the menufile you specify. This is an excellent way to
easily set-up a menu unique to your computer system automatically.
Makemnu recognizes hundreds of applications, and PCS is always adding more to
the list. Makemnu reads a file called APPS.EZ which gives it information on
how to find an application - i.e. the subdirectory to look in, the program
name, and if it is found, the description that should be added to the menu.
After running Makemnu, applications identified will now be easily selectable
from the menu - the user will not have to add an entry to call the application,
Makemnu has done so automatically.
Makemnu can be run manually by entering MAKEMNU from dos. The program will
prompt the user for two items of information before continuing: the drive to
search, and the menufile to add an entry to if applications are found.
Additionally, Makemnu will check to make sure that an item isn't already on the
menu before attempting to add it. In this manner, it is useful to run Makemnu
every time you add a new application to your computer - Makemnu may
automatically recognize it and add the entry so won't have to. It should be
noted that Makemnu uses the menu descriptions to identify if an application is
already on the menu - so if you change a menu choice's description, successive
executions of Makemnu may add the item to the menu again.
Makemnu can also be run utilizing command line parameters. For example, the
command MAKEMNU UTIL.MNU D: will automatically start Makemnu and have it look
on drive D: for applications, which if found will be added to the menufile
UTIL.MNU.
It is also possible to add your own applications to Makemnu's APPS.EZ file so
that it will recognize additional programs. This would be accomplished using
any standard ASCII text editor. APPS.EZ is an ASCII file with a minimum of two
lines for each application to look for in the following order:
\SUBDIR\PROGNAME.EXT
Description of Application
You can insert a comment into the file as long as it's preceeded with an
asterisk. All lines in the APPS.EZ should begin at column 1 - the structure
above is indented only for the purpose of clarity. Makemnu will examine the
extension listed and appropriately create an entry of either Program/Command or
Batch type. You can also indicate special command line parameters to add by
including an additional line beginning with a carat (^) and immediately
followed by the parameters to add to the program command upon finding it. The
parameter line must preceed the application's description line in the file.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 42
THE MAKEMNU UTILITY (Continued)
We recommend that you examine the APPS.EZ file to further understand how it
works; examples are always the best way of learning.
If you are running any common applications that Makemnu does not recognize,
please contact PCS and let us know about them so that future versions will
identify these applications. We will need the following information in such
cases: The name of the application, the subdirectory where the application
installs itself into, and the exact filename for the main program.
The latest revision of APPS.EZ can usually be downloaded from our BBS at (504)
282-5753 (online 24 hours, 300-14400bps HST).
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 43
USING EZ-MENU IN A LAN ENVIRONMENT
If you are operating a LAN (Local Area Network), here are some tips on
installing EZ-Menu into a multi-user environment. In the future, additional
modules will be available for EZ-Menu providing user-log-in and application
tracking designed specifically for LANs. In the meantime, you may find that
Version 5.0 is exactly what you need. EZ-Menu 5.0 will come in two versions a
single-user and a multi-user version. The multi-user version will include
several utility programs which are not discussed here (this document covers the
single-user version) but this single-user version can also be easily set-up in
a LAN environment with a few limitations.
First of all, the reason why you would want to install EZ-Menu into a LAN
environment is the same as why you would put it on a single-user machine: To
make navigation around the system more easy, provide security from a user
accessing unauthorized areas, and so forth...
Many versions of LAN operating software even come with some sort of primitive
menu system. But even in those circumstances, EZ-Menu's advanced features and
flexibility make it even more suitable.
In most LAN environments, each user has his/her own file area and appropriate
applications that run from the file server. In a multi-user environment, each
user should have his/her OWN copy of EZ-Menu in a special subdirectory. If you
had just one copy globally located on the file server, EZ-Menu probably might
call up-an application properly, but returning back to the menu might be a
problem. EZ-Menu should work perfectly on any network of IBM-compatible
computers where each terminal's (or node's) PATH is set LOCALLY. I will use
Novell's Netware(tm) as an example. Here are the steps:
1. Make separate subdirectory for each user on the file server
(or if desired on a locally-accessible drive)
2. Copy the EZ-Menu files into each user's special subdirectory
NOTE: You shouldn't use the INSTALL procedure because it will always
copy the files into the \EZMENU subdirectory and you will need more
than one uniquely-named subdirectory - the exception to this being if
the SUBST command has been used on the network to assign each user a
file area which corresponds to a logical drive (but be careful).
3. Then go into each individual subdirectory where EZ-Menu is installed
and configure the program - specifying the name of the subdirectory
where it's located
4. Modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on each local terminal so that the PATH
first searches the subdirectory where EZ-Menu is installed for that
user (this is the important part)
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 44
USING EZ-MENU IN A LAN ENVIRONMENT (Continued..)
Now whenever the user types MENU or when his computer boots-up (assuming the
MENU command is in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file), the path will tell the computer to
pull-up that user's special copy of EZ-Menu; everything should work fine. You
then can initially create a unique menu-setup for each user on the network. If
you want to limit security and prohibit the user's ability to modify the menu
or exit to DOS, you can copy the run-only version of EZ-Menu into that user's
subdirectory (the run-only version is available by request, or in specially
designated packages). If storage space is a concern on your network, you will
note that the EZ-Menu program and necessary associated files are not very large
(under 100K) so each user having a separate copy will not consume a large
amount of storage space.
If you think about it, with a bit of tinkering it would be possible to get into
another user's EZ-Menu system (if clearance by the manager allowed it). In the
future, the special multi-user release of EZ-Menu will allow you to access menu
files from any drive without fear of simultaneous read/write problems.
NOTE: the ability for a user to have a LOCAL path with EZ-Menu's
subdirectory listed in it is so that the user can type "MENU" from any
subdirectory on the system, and call up his/her copy of EZ-Menu. If
you don't plan on allowing the user to exit to DOS, you don't have to
worry about setting a special PATH locally for each user.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 45
THE EZCONV PROGRAM
Included with the EZ-Menu 3.6 package is a program by the name of EZCONV.EXE.
This is a utility that will convert menu files used with previous versions of
EZ-Menu so that they will operate with new version 3.6. If you have not used
an older version of EZ-Menu, this section as well as the EZCONV program will
not be of use to you. If you are upgrading to version 3.6, the UPGRADE
procedure will automatically invoke the EZCONV program. If you wish to
manually convert the menu files, the information on EZCONV is supplied below.
Because EZ-Menu version 3.6 has so many more features than its predecessors,
the structure for the menu files has been modified. As a result, menu files
that worked with previous versions will not operate properly under EZ-Menu 3.6.
(If you call-up EZ-Menu and you get garbage on your screen, that is an
indication that the menu file may have been created with an older version).
The EZCONV procedure will work with old menu files created under the following
EZ-Menu versions: 3.0, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3.1, and 3.2. If you are using a
version of EZ-Menu earlier than 3.0 (what a dinosaur!), you will have to re-
create your menus. Menus created with EZ-Menu versions 3.5 and higher DO NOT
need to be converted in order to operate with EZ-Menu 3.6 or 5.0.
There are TWO ways that EZCONV can operate: in AUTOMATIC mode or INTERACTIVE
mode. Automatic mode is started by typing EZCONV AUTO and pressing <ENTER>.
In Automatic mode, EZCONV will search the current drive an subdirectory for any
EZ-Menu files (those with the .MNU extension) and automatically convert them to
work with 3.6. If a menu file is found but is already in 3.6 format or an
older format, you will be notified and conversion of that file will be skipped
automatically. Upon completion of the conversion process for all menu files,
you will be returned to DOS (or to the UPGRADE procedure).
INTERACTIVE mode is started by typing EZCONV and pressing <ENTER>. You will be
prompted to enter the filename of the menu file (if no .MNU extension is
entered it will be appended onto your filename). EZ-Menu will then convert the
file. If the file is not in the proper format you will be told such and asked
if you wish to convert it anyway (although it probably won't be usable if you
do). In interactive mode, you must manually tell EZCONV the name of each menu
file to be converted. To exit, simply press <ENTER> at the prompt without
typing anything.
In BOTH cases, you must have the EZCONV.EXE program in the DRIVE and
SUBDIRECTORY where EZ-Menu is installed (where the menu files are), and invoke
the program from that location. You only need to do this once; thereafter you
can erase the EZCONV.EXE file if you so desire.
After the menu files have been converted (and you have finished configuring the
program), you should run EZ-Menu normally (by typing MENU) and the menus should
work fine. If they don't you may have an older menu file, or the menu file may
have become damaged.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 46
FILES INCLUDED WITH THE EZ-MENU PACKAGE
The following files are used by EZ-Menu:
(some are included, others are created)
EZMENU.EXE This is the EZ-Menu program.
EZMENU.HLP EZ-Menu context-sensitive help data.
MENU.BAT This file is used to invoke EZ-Menu, if it is not
present, type EZMENU at the dos prompt and it will be
created. **NOTE** The NUMBER ONE problem users have
when installing EZ-Menu is that to start it after it is
configured, they enter EZMENU at the dos prompt. TO
START EZMENU, TYPE "MENU" AT THE DOS PROMPT (no quotes)
AND PRESS RETURN. The only time you should ever type
EZMENU is if you are starting it for the first time.
ONE_MOME.BAT This file is created by EZ-Menu.
MAIN.MNU This is the file containing the selections for the main
menu. If it is not present, then a new one will be
created and the display will say 'There are no entries
in this menu' when you invoke EZ-menu. At that point
you should press F1 to add entries to the menu.
EZMENU.DOC The file you are reading now, which is the EZ-Menu
documentation. To print this file you can type COPY
EZMENU.DOC PRN: at the dos prompt.
READ-ME.1ST This file will always contain the latest information on
EZ-Menu. It should be addressed first, before
consulting the documentation.
INSTALL.BAT The installation program for EZ-Menu, instructions for
installation of EZ-Menu will be in the file READ-
ME.1ST. The basic syntax is:
INSTALL d:, where d: is the destination drive on which
EZ-Menu will be installed. The install program assumes
your EZ-Menu files will be transferred FROM a diskette
in drive A:.
UPGRADE.BAT This is an alternate installation procedure that has
the same syntax as INSTALL.BAT but does not copy the
sample .MNU files to the destination drive and attempts
to convert any existing menu files already in the
subdirectory for use with 3.6
AUTOMOD.EXE This program is used by the INSTALL procedure to modify
your PATH in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
EZCONV.EXE This program will convert menu files that were used
with older versions of EZ-Menu (3.0-3e) so that they
can be used in EZ-Menu 3.6.
FEATURES.DOC This file outlines the major enhancements and changes
between EZ-Menu versions 3e and 3.6. Even if you've
never used version 3e, this file is quite comprehensive
in listing a lot of EZ-Menu's newest features.
READLOG.EXE This is the usage log analyzer program.
READLOG.PCS The is the configuration file for READLOG (it is
created if it doesn't exist, or the defaults are used).
MAKEMNU.EXE This is the automatic menu-creator for EZ-Menu.
APPS.EZ This file contains applications recognized by Makemnu.
Any other files with a .MNU extension are sub-menu files containing other
selections accessible from EZ-Menu. In the future the EZ-Menu package will
contain MNU files for such applications as Dos Commands, special printer
setups, etc.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 47
TROUBLESHOOTING
Hopefully you won't have any problems installing and using EZ-Menu but if
something should go wrong and you have tried all of the options here, drop a
note to PCS at the address above.
WHEN I SELECT AN ITEM FROM THE MENU, IT SAYS "DIRECTORY DOES NOT EXIST" OR "BAD
COMMAND OR FILENAME".
You should edit the entry you selected and make sure your spelling is
correct, or that the subdirectory and/or program you are calling actually
exists on the disk.
WHEN I SELECT AN ITEM FROM THE MENU, AFTER EXITING, I AM NOT RETURNED TO EZ-
MENU.
This is probably the most common problem (if any) that occurs. It can be
due to several things:
1. You have defined the menu entry as a Program/Command (P), but are
actually calling a batch file. You should change the menu entry to a
batch type (B), then copy the batch file to the root directory (or
\EZMENU is it's installed there) (you may need to edit the batch file
to have a command to change to the selected subdirectory if one is not
in it already).
2. You may not have installed EZ-Menu properly, the program may not be
recognizing the subdirectory where EZ-Menu is installed. Try re-
configuring the program.
3. The program you are calling may call other programs using batch files
in which case it would terminate EZ-Menu's ability to re-appear. This
is uncommon and in most cases due to bad programming design on the
part of the people who wrote the software you want to call from EZ-
Menu. (only software which performs the tasks EZ-Menu does should use
these techniques in my opinion). To solve this problem may require a
bit of modification to the calling programs' batch files.
4. The calling program may have overwritten part of DOS's data. The
software does not conform to DOS' specifications. An example of this
case would be a program that was originally distributed on a self-
booting disk not needing dos, but was hacked or modified to run as a
single file from the operating system. This case is rare but can be
overcome by experimenting with different types of entries and batch
files.
WHEN I SELECT THE ITEM FROM THE MENU, THE COMPUTER FREEZES UP.
The program was not designed to conform to DOS' specifications, see
description number 4. above.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 48
TROUBLESHOOTING (continued)
I CAN'T EXECUTE OR EDIT MY MENU ENTRY, EZ-MENU SAYS MY PASSWORD IS INVALID.
By any chance did you consider that you may be trying the wrong password?
Are your fingers on the right keys? Did you (dare I say) FORGET your
password?? It looks like you're out of luck because there is no way to get
to the entry without knowing the password. You can either erase the entry
or the .MNU file and start over, or in extreme cases contact Mike Perry and
he can possibly help you.
I GET GARBAGE ON MY SCREEN WHEN CREATING NEW ENTRIES.
This will occur after erasing entries sometimes; I have found it to happen
frequently when you use the F5 key (erase entries) several times to
completely clear a menu. In such a case where you want to completely erase
all items from a menu, it is recommended to exit to dos and use the DEL
command to erase the specific .MNU file. If you get garbage on the screen,
simply exit from EZ-Menu and restart it using MENU and it should clear up.
AFTER CONFIGURING EZMENU, THE SCREEN DISPLAYS "EZMENU.EXE Corrupted".
For some reason the EZ-Menu program has been damaged. Copy the EZMENU.EXE
file from your original disk and replace this damaged file and try
configuring it again. Another possibility (more common) is that the
EZMENU.EXE file is not in the same subdirectory that is identified as the
EZ-Menu subdirectory in configuration. Try going back into EZ-Menu and
reconfiguring, paying attention to the subdirectory where EZ-Menu is being
set-up.
WHEN EXITING TO DOS, MY CURSOR IS MISSING OR DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL.
Since EZ-Menu's initial development, I have noticed that one of the areas
where things are NOT consistent between IBM "compatibles" is video display
attributes (which is mainly a function of the display adapter). If you're
having problems with the cursor, try changing the display setting in EZ-
Menu's configuration (select Monochrome if you were previously using color
and vice versa). As a last resort, one sure solution is to set the command
to execute upon exit of EZ-Menu to be something like MODE 80 which will
automatically reset the screen and cursor. EZ-Menu 5.0 automatically
resets the cursor to its default setting when exiting - this now works in
virtually any display mode, however if a user-defined cursor has been set,
it will be replaced with DOS's default cursor type.
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 49
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES FOR USING EZ-MENU
Here are a few tricks you can use to add special features. These are just
simple examples that can be expanded on for further capabilities.
If you want to be able to select an option from the menu and NOT be returned to
the menu after, create a batch file with the commands you want executed when
you select the entry, then add an entry to the menu as a Program/Command type
(P) and for the exact command, type in the name of the batch file you created.
When selecting this option, you will not be returned to the menu after
completing your application(s).
The Batch file type entry is very useful and most often overlooked. If you
want to set up certain options before you run your application, put the
appropriate commands in a batch file and create a Batch entry type. For
example, I have a laser printer connected to my serial port. Every time I turn
on the printer I have to initialize it via dos's MODE command. Unfortunately
the laser printer uses a lot of electricity so I only turn it on when I plan to
print something and turn if off when I'm finished. So what I do is create a
batch file called WORDPROC.BAT containing the MODE command to set it up, along
with the commands to switch to my word processing subdirectory and call-up my
word processor. I then create an entry in my menu defined as a Batch type, and
put WORDPROC.BAT as the command. This way when I want to enter the word
processor, I turn on my printer and select my word processor from the menu. EZ-
Menu sets up my printer and goes into the word processor.
If you have implemented reset-rexecution, you can manipulate how EZ-Menu deals
with computer reset by conditionally erasing the REXEC.EZ file in EZ-Menu's
subdirectory. If it is erased, reset-rexecution will not be invoked upon
return to EZ-Menu if it exists, it will be in the following format:
An ASCII file containing the following lines:
line describing user name (for future versions)
description of the menu choice
name of menu file choice was from (with the .MNU extension)
the number of the item executed (items are numbered from left to right)
You could actually create a program to make EZ-Menu automatically execute an
option from a submenu.
If you encounter any strange problems with EZ-Menu and have memory resident
programs in use, check to make sure that the RAM-resident software is not
causing the problem. I haven't run into any such circumstances, but if all
else fails, contact me at the addresses listed above.
Another characteristic of EZ-Menu is that, in order to avoid any keypresses
that may be in the input buffer prior to EZ-Menu's loading, the buffer is
"purged" when EZ-Menu comes up. Actually if there are any keys pending in the
buffer, only the first one is wiped out - so you power users who always like to
typeahead can actually call EZ-Menu and hit a command key to perform a function
before the menu is fully loaded. The trick is to hit one character that will
be ignored, and the rest will be interpreted upon entry to EZ-Menu. This
feature was set up so that EZ-Menu didn't automatically jump into an
application because you may have accidently hit a key prior to its loading.
Here's an example - say you're in your word processor, and after exiting you
know you're going to want to run item "D" on the menu, you would exit your
program and hit any one key, then a "D" - and when EZ-Menu comes up, it throws
away the first keypress and immediately interprets the "D".
EZ-Menu 3.6 By Michael Perry...............................System Documentation
(c) 1988, Progressive Computer Services
P.O. Box 8721, New Orleans, LA 70182 (504) 831-9717 Page 50
SUMMARY
EZ-Menu was named appropriately. It was designed to help computer users manage
applications without having to memorize a large amount of syntax and technical
information, therefore it would be ironic for this documentation to be fairly
comprehensive. In most cases you should be able to navigate throughout EZ-Menu
with a minimum of confusion. If you have any problems, the first option is to
check your spelling of file and subdirectory names, then make sure the
appropriate subdirectories and files exist, or consult the troubleshooting
guide on the previous pages. If you have any entries of batch type, make sure
the appropriate batch files are in the specified subdirectory. If problems
persist, please contact P.C.S. at the address in this text.
NOTE: Any comments or criticisms are appreciated. Please direct them to
Mike Perry at the addresses or telephone numbers listed. Also for
information on receiving the latest versions of EZ-Menu along with
other software published by Progressive Computer Services, please
register yourself as a user by sending your name and address to the
address:
Michael Perry, President
Progressive Computer Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8721
New Orleans, LA 70182.
(504) 831-9717
(504) 282-5753 (BBS - 24hrs a day, 300-14400 baud, HST modem)
(504) 834-2160 (FAX)
(800) 628-1131 (Toll-free software order line and support
for REGISTERED users only)
>> If you enjoy using EZ-Menu, please let me hear from you! It's always very
>> satisfying to know that my efforts are appreciated!!