Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/utils/hdmiv.zip/HDMDOC.EXE/lha/USER.DOC

Text File | 1990-04-22 | 109KB | 2,851 lines

                        Hard Disk Menu (HDM) IV
                            User's Manual

                             INTRODUCTION

This manual will help you get the most out of HDM IV, a state-of-the-art
menuing program. With HDM IV, you can start your word processing,
spreadsheet, database, and other programs with just the press of one or two
keys.

HDM IV also provides a host of other sophisticated features:

* Set up Menus automatically or manually -- you can include up to 100,000
separate Menu Entries

* Combine or stack DOS commands, batch files, and HDM IV Macros for efficient
file and disk management

* Pass keystrokes on to other programs

* Dial phone numbers with any Hayes-compatible modem

* Automatically execute commands at predefined intervals

* Customize the HDM IV interface by choosing colors, borders, panel
positions, the Opening Screen, the Menu Title, Menu Page names, screen
blackout time for longer monitor life, mouse sensitivity, and the cursor
blink rate.

* Access help by pressing F1

* Create your own Personal Help Screens

* Log the time you spend doing specific tasks on your computer

* Access network files

* Password-protect any Menu Entry

HDM IV is written in Turbo Pascal. That makes it fast and efficient.

HDM IV's features are available through convenient pull-down menus and pop-up
windows that adhere to IBM's SAA/CUA (Systems Application Architecture/Common
User Access) guidelines. That makes HDM IV easy to use.

                     Hard Disk Menu (HDM) IV (TM)
                     Copyright 1986-1990 Jim Hass
                    All rights reserved worldwide






                REGISTRATION AND ORDERING INFORMATION

HDM IV is distributed through the user-supported software or "shareware"
concept. This means that you're permitted to use the program on a trial
basis. If you decide to use it on a regular basis after the evaluation
period, however, you're legally required to pay a registration fee.

You may freely copy HDM IV for others to use in group, corporate, and
educational settings. If they use the program on a regular basis, they are
also legally required to pay the appropriate registration or licensing fee.

If you are a software distributor, you may distribute HDM IV provided that
you charge a copying and distribution fee of no more than $10 and make no
changes in the program or accompanying on-disk documentation.

The user-supported software concept is a service to computer users. It allows
you to try programs before you buy. But it will only work if users support
it. Please do.

HDM IV users who register or pay the appropriate licensing fee will receive a
complete printed manual and are eligible to receive telephone technical
support and program-upgrade notices.

NOTE: To to disk-space limitations, there is no information in this on-disk
manual on how to how to log usage or create customized opening screens and
help screens. This information, however, is included in the printed manual.






                      REGISTRATION AND ORDERING

To register or order, please send this coupon or a photocopy with your check
or purchase order to:

Jim Hass, President
MicroFox Co.
P.O. Box 447
Richfield, OH 44286-0447

Electronic Mail --> CompuServe: 73057,3113

4.24                                   Fee        Quantity     Subtotal

Current version number

HDM IV individual-user registration
        with latest disk and manual   $50
HDM IV network license per network    $200
HDM IV unlimited site license         $600
HDM IV unlimited corporate license    $1,200

Extra copies of HDM IV User's Manual  $10
Extra copies of HDM IV program disks  $5

Shipping and Handling Charges:
                     U.S.A. . . . . . $3
                     Canada . . . . . $4
        All other countries . . . . . $7

Ohio residents add 5.5% sales tax

Total

Educational institutions may request a 40 percent discount on any of the
above registrations and licenses.

Each network, site, or corporate license will receive one manual, one program
disk, and a license to make as many copies as needed.

Name
Company (if appropriate)
Street
City, State, ZIP
Country (if other than U.S.)
Telephone


Note: Be sure to add Sales Tax (if in Ohio) and Shipping Charges (for all).



Where did you hear about HDM IV?


How would you like to see HDM IV improved?






                               CONTENTS

Preface 1: How This Manual Is Organized

Preface 2: Requirements in Using HDM IV


Section A: FOR NEW COMPUTER USERS

Chapter 1: An Introduction to DOS

Chapter 2: How HDM IV Can Help

Section B: FOR NEW HDM USERS

Chapter 3: Installing HDM IV

Chapter 4: Starting HDM IV

Chapter 5: Starting Programs With HDM IV

Chapter 6: Setting Up HDM IV Menus Automatically

Section C: FOR ADVANCED HDM IV USERS

Chapter 7: Setting Up HDM IV Menus Manually

Chapter 8: Using HDM IV Functions to Build Menus

Chapter 9: Using HDM IV Macros to Build Menus

Chapter 10: Automatic Command Execution

Chapter 11: Customizing the HDM IV Interface

Chapter 12: Network Support

Chapter 13: Password Protection

Appendix 1: Updating from a Previous Version

Appendix 2: HDM IV Error Messages

Appendix 3: Technical Support

Appendix 4: Additional Program: List






                              Preface 1:
                     HOW THIS MANUAL IS ORGANIZED

Like HDM IV itself, we've made this manual easy to use. Section A is for new
computer users. Here we explain the basics of DOS and the advantages of using
HDM IV with DOS to launch your programs and manage your files,
subdirectories, and hard disk.

Section B is for new HDM users. We describe how to install and start HDM IV,
how to start programs with HDM IV, and how to automatically set up Menus.

And Section C is for advanced HDM IV users. Here we provide details on how to
take full advantage of HDM IV's sophisticated features, such as command
stacking, Macros, phone dialing, automatic command execution, interface
customization, network support, and password protection.

If you're upgrading from a previous version of HDM, you should first turn to
Appendix 1.

If you run into a problem and HDM IV gives you an error message, you can
refer to Appendix 2.

If you run into a problem and can't solve it yourself, there's HDM IV's
Technical Support, described in Appendix 3.

And for information about List, an additional and complementary program
provided on your disk, see Appendix 4.






                              Preface 2:
                     REQUIREMENTS IN USING HDM IV

You can use HDM IV on any IBM or IBM-compatible PC, XT, AT, or PS/2 computer
with DOS 2.0 or later. HDM IV works with monochrome, Hercules, CGA, EGA, and
VGA monitors. HDM IV can optionally work with a Microsoft- or
Logitech-compatible mouse. HDM IV supports common networks, including Novell,
Token Ring, and TOPS.

HDM IV requires just 256K of RAM. What's more, HDM IV is not RAM-resident,
and it frees all the RAM it was using as soon as you load any of your
programs.


Disclaimer

The author makes no representations or warranties with respect to the
contents of HDM IV or the HDM IV User's Manual and specifically disclaims any
implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.
The author also reserves the right to revise HDM IV or the HDM IV User's
Manual without obligation to notify any person or organization of such
changes






                              Section A:
                        FOR NEW COMPUTER USERS

                              Chapter 1:
                        AN INTRODUCTION TO DOS

Now that you're using a computer, you've probably heard the term DOS. But
what exactly is DOS? What does DOS do?

DOS stands for disk operation system. The complete term is MS-DOS or PC-DOS.
MS-DOS is used with IBM-compatible computers; PC-DOS is used with IBMs. All
varieties of DOS perform the same basic functions.

DOS's primary function is to act as an intermediary between your computer and
your programs, such as your word processor, your spreadsheet, and your
database programs. Like a versatile foreign language translator at the United
Nations, DOS allows your computer to understand your programs, each of which
may be written in a different computer language.

But DOS does more than just act as an intermediary. It also allows you to
start your programs and copy, delete, move, and otherwise manage files and
subdirectories on your hard disk.


Terminology

Let's stop for a moment and define our terms:

* Program: A series of instructions that tells your computer what to do, such
as add a column of numbers or find a customer's invoice number. Before the
program tells the computer what to do, you have to tell the program what to
do.

* File: DOS's basic unit of organization. A file is like a piece of paper
that's stored in your computer. On it can be one of two things: (a) a series
of instructions -- a program -- in which case it's called a program file, or
(b) words or numbers -- data -- in which case it's called a data file.

* Subdirectory: A group of files. A subdirectory is like a manila folder --
it holds a number of pieces of paper, or files. Just as with manila folders,
using subdirectories is a way of organizing your work for greater efficiency.

* Hard disk: A physical disk inside your computer on which files and
subdirectories are stored. A hard disk looks and works a bit like a
high-fidelity record -- it has cylindrical grooves and a head that reads
information from between the grooves. Logically, a hard disk is like a drawer
in a file cabinet -- it stores your manila folders (subdirectories) and files
(papers).

Sometimes the term hard drive is used interchangeably with hard disk. A hard
drive in actuality is the apparatus that moves or drives the hard disk.

* Floppy disk: Basically a miniature and portable hard disk. You use floppies





to bring programs or data files onto your hard disk and to store backup or
extra copies of program and data files that already exist on your hard disk.


DOS Confusion

All the above may seem a bit confusing. That's because DOS is a bit
confusing. Take the DOS command line, for example. The DOS command line is
where you type commands that tell DOS what you'd like it to do. It looks like
this:

C>

Or it looks like this:

C:\wp\let>

Or it may even look like this:

C:\dbase\widget\mar\east>

All these symbols and letters mean something, but to the uninitiated (and
even sometimes to the initiated) they can be confusing. Typing the commands
that tell DOS what you'd like it to do can also be confusing. Here, for
example, is a relatively simple command that tells DOS to start the program
WordPerfect:

cd \wp [then you press Enter]
wp [then you press Enter again]

And here's another relatively simple command that tells DOS to copy a file
from one subdirectory to another and to verify that the copying went
smoothly:

copy /v c:\wp\let\pcr\word.rev c:\wp\misc\ [then you press Enter]

See what we mean?

The next chapter explains how HDM IV does away with much of DOS's confusion.






                              Chapter 2:
                         HOW HDM IV CAN HELP

To make it easier and more efficient for you to use DOS, we've created HDM
IV. Like a restaurant menu, HDM (Hard Disk Menu) IV gives you a way to
quickly choose tantalizing options. HDM IV allows you to bypass DOS and its
difficult-to-understand conventions to do the things that make computing
enjoyable.

Once HDM IV has been set up, to start your programs and organize your files,
subdirectories, and hard disk, all you have to do in many cases is press one
or two keys.

To start your word processor, for example, all you may have to do is press
the Enter key. To start your spreadsheet program, all you may have to do is
press the letter B, followed by the Enter key. And to copy a file from one
subdirectory to another and verify the copying, all you may have to do is
press the letter C, press the number 2, type in the filename, and press the
Enter key.

The HDM IV screen makes it easy to know exactly which keys to press.

You can use HDM IV in two ways: (a) You can simply use the Menus that someone
has already set up for you, or (b) You can set up Menus yourself, either
automatically or manually.

In the next section of this manual, Section B, you'll learn the basics of
using HDM IV, whether you use already created Menus or set up Menus yourself.






                              Section B:
                          FOR NEW HDM USERS

                              Chapter 3:
                          INSTALLING HDM IV

If someone has already installed HDM IV for you, you can skip to Chapter 5 if
you like. You don't need to read this chapter or the next one (though you may
want to out of interest).

To install HDM IV, first put the HDM IV disk in your a: (floppy) drive. Type
a: and press Enter to make sure you're working from your a: drive. Then type
this line and press Enter:

install c:\hdm

This line tells HDM IV to install itself in the \hdm subdirectory of your
hard drive. You can actually name this subdirectory anything you wish.


The Autoexec.bat File

After HDM IV finishes installing itself, you'll need to make some changes in
your autoexec.bat file or create an autoexec.bat file if you don't already
have one. An autoexec.bat file is a special file containing a series of
instructions that your computer will carry out each time you turn it on.

The easiest way to create or change your autoexec.bat file is to use a word
processor or text editor that saves files in ASCII (straight text) format. Or
you can use DOS, in which case you should consult your DOS manual.

Add the following line to your autoexec.bat file. If you already have a path
statement, just make sure these subdirectories are included in it (they don't
necessarily have to have these names, however).

path=c:\;c:\hdm;c:\dos

This line is needed for several reasons. First, it tells HDM IV that it can
find command.com in the root directory (c:\). This is needed to run batch
files within HDM IV if you're using DOS 3.2 or earlier, and it assumes that
the file command.com resides in your root directory. Second, this line allows
you to restart HDM IV whenever you exit it by simply typing x, no matter
where you are on your hard disk. And third, this line allows HDM IV to access
DOS's external commands, which it will need to do if you build Menus that
include those commands.

If you add or modify the path statement in your autoexec.bat file, you should
first reboot your computer before starting HDM IV.

In the next chapter you'll learn the various ways you can start HDM IV.






                              Chapter 4:
                           STARTING HDM IV

Once you've installed HDM IV, you can start it by typing these lines and
pressing Enter after each:

cd \hdm
hdm

You may, if you like, customize the way you start HDM IV, and you may set up
your system so that your computer starts HDM IV automatically each time you
turn your computer on.

You'll likely be able to customize the way you start HDM IV by simply adding
a series of parameters to the HDM IV command line.


HDM IV Startup Options

The following are your choices of startup parameters and what they do. In
typing these parameters, you can use either uppercase or lowercase letters.

-N              Bypasses HDM IV's Opening Screen, unless a user logon
                is required, for example, in a network setup
-Ddrive         Displays the free disk space on the specified drive.
                If you don't specify a drive, a disk space message for
                the default drive will appear.
-S              Eliminates snow in older CGA and single-color monitors.
-V              Sets the video mode to monochrome for unreadable
                laptop and portable screens.
-P              Stops the cursor from wrapping to the next or the
                previous Menu Page and causes the cursor to stop at
                all Menu Entries, even empty ones.
-K              Stops Key locks from displaying and stops constant
                updating of data & time on the screen.
-H              Reads opening title screen from HDM.HDR file.
-L              Logs activity to HDM.LOG if user ID's are in use.
-Bp#            Immediately highlights this Menu Entry (p# can be A1
                through J0).
-A              Automatically runs the Menu Entry specified by the
                parameter -Bp#.
-M#             Immediately takes you to the specified Menu File.
-Epath          Specifies the exit path where you'll be when you exit
                from HDM IV.
-Cpath          Specifies the path where a second copy of the Menu
                File(s) is stored. You may want to use this parameter
                if you're running HDM IV from a RAM disk and don't
                want to risk losing the Menu File(s) by forgetting to
                save it back to your hard disk.
-Tpath          Specifies the path where the Menu File(s) are stored,
                useful in a network setup.
-0 to -9        Specifies the path where groups of 100 Menu Files are
                stored, useful in a network setup. 0c:\jhmenus, for
                instance, indicates that Menu Files 000 to 099 are
                stored in the \jhmenus subdirectory on the c: drive;




                -3c:\rgmenus indicates that Menu Files 300 to 399 are
                stored in the \rgmenus subdirectory on the c: drive.
-Wpath          Specifies the path (must be in the DOS path) where the
                x.bat file is stored, useful in a network setup.

Here's an example of an HDM IV startup sequence with added parameters:

cd \hdm
hdm -N -BC1

This causes your computer to change to the \hdm subdirectory, starts HDM,
bypasses HDM IV's Opening Screen, and highlights Menu Entry C1.

After you start HDM IV the first time, HDM IV writes a file to your disk
called x.bat. This file records all the startup parameters, if any, you've
used. If you exit HDM IV and want to restart the program or want to quickly
start HDM IV at any time in the future, all you have to do is type the letter
x. If you've specified the HDM IV subdirectory in the path statement of your
autoexec.bat file, you can type x from anywhere on your hard disk. Each time
you start HDM IV with new startup parameters, HDM IV creates a new x.bat
file.


Changing the Environmental Variable

DOS requires that the command line you use be 128 characters or less. If you
use a lot of HDM IV startup parameters, you may want to customize the way you
start HDM IV by changing HDM IV's environmental variable instead of or along
with adding parameters to the HDM IV command line. To do this, you add an
additional line to your autoexec.bat file. You would type the following line,
with any of the above parameters following the equal sign:

set HDM=

Here's an example of how to change HDM IV's environmental variable:

set HDM=-Dd: -Ec:\dos -Wd:\work

This causes HDM IV to display the free space on the d: drive, exit to the
\dos subdirectory of the c: drive, store the x.bat file in the \work
subdirectory of the d: drive.






Starting HDM IV Automatically

You may also want to set up your system so that your computer starts HDM IV
each time you turn your computer on. To do this, you simply include your HDM
IV startup sequence as the last two lines of your autoexec.bat file.

In the next chapter you'll learn how to use HDM IV to start your programs if
your Menus have already been set up for you.






                              Chapter 5:
                    STARTING PROGRAMS WITH HDM IV

To start programs and access other commands with HDM IV if someone has
already set up Menus for you, all you have to know is how the HDM IV screen
is organized and which keys to press. (Chapter 6 explains how to set up Menus
yourself.)

The Top Line indicates the current day, date, and time. You can replace the
Top Line with the Top Menu by pressing F10, and then return to the Top Line
by pressing Esc. (You'll discover in later chapters how to use the Top Menu
and its pull-down menus to access HDM's menu-building and customization
features. You'll also learn keyboard shortcuts to bypass the Top Menu in
accessing these same features.)

Underneath the Top Line is the Menu Title. (In Section C you'll see how to
customize your Menu Title as you like.)

Underneath the Menu Title is the Main Menu. It consists of two panels. The
panel labeled A through J consists of Menu Page names. The panel labeled 1
through 0 consists of Menu Entry names. (In later chapters you'll discover
how to change the names of the Menu Pages and Menu Entries, to switch the
positions of the two panels, and to otherwise customize the HDM IV
interface.)

The quickest way to start a program or access a command is to simply move to
the appropriate Menu Page by pressing letter A through J and then to press
the number key 1 through 0 that precedes the appropriate Menu Entry. If
you're already on the appropriate Menu Page, all you have to do is press a
number. (Alternately, you can move to a Menu Page by pressing Alt-1 through
Alt-0.)

Say, for example, you want to start Lotus 1-2-3, which is on Menu Page C in
position 2. All you do is press C, then press 2. That's all there is to it.

Underneath the Menu Page names is a line that provides the Menu File name (We
use the terms Menu File and Menu -- when capitalized -- interchangeably in
this manual). The default Menu File name is HDM.000. Since you can include as
many as 100 different Menu Entries (10 Menu Entries on 10 Menu Pages) in each
Menu File, some users may need to have only one Menu File. But you have the
option of using as many as 1,000 different Menu Files, whose file names can
range up to HDM.999.

Underneath the Menu Entry names is a line that reminds you that you can
access a Menu Entry by pressing the number preceding it. This line also
provides the HDM version number (depending on the interface you're using) and
indicates which Menu Page and Menu Entry are highlighted.

The Bottom Line indicates how to access Help (F1), how to exit HDM IV (F3),
how to activate the Top Menu (F10), and whether you previously turned on the
Caps Lock key, the Num Lock key, or the Scroll Lock key. If you used the -D
startup parameter, it also indicates which drive you're in and how much free
disk space you have on that drive.






Getting Help

Anytime you have a question about HDM IV, a quick way to get an answer is to
press F1, which displays the Help Menu. To access a particular Help Screen,
simply press the first letter in the name of the screen or scroll the cursor
down with the down arrow key.

If you press F1 a second time, you'll be provided with the Help Screen that
explains which keys to press in moving around the Main Menu.


Main Menu Keys

HDM IV generally provides several ways to carry out its menu-building and
other procedures. When this is the case, we list the quickest and most
efficient option first.

The following are the keys you can use while you're in HDM IV's Main Menu.
They're provided here as a reference -- you won't need to know how to use all
of them just yet.

Since HDM IV is very intuitive in nature, however, by experimenting with
these keys you'll likely be able to figure out how to do many HDM IV
procedures. If you experiment and want to get back to a previous position,
just press Esc. If you don't want to experiment, you can move straight to
Chapter 6 to learn how to set up Menus.

Some keys, such as F1 (Help) and F3 (Exit), are active anywhere in HDM IV.

Letters A-J                     Moves the cursor to the
(also Alt-1 to Alt-0)           corresponding Menu Page (if it
                                exists)
Numbers 1-0                     Starts the Menu Entry that
                                corresponds to the number (if it
                                exists)
Down arrow                      Moves the cursor to the next
(also space bar or tab)         Menu Entry
Up arrow                        Moves the cursor to the previous
(also back space or             Menu Entry
back tab)
Enter                           Starts the Menu Entry the cursor
                                is on
PgDn                            Moves the cursor to the first
(also right arrow)              Menu Entry on the next page
PgUp                            Moves the cursor to the last
(also left arrow)               Menu Entry on the previous page
Home                            Moves the cursor to the first
(also minus)                    Menu Entry on the first Menu Page
End                             Moves the cursor to the last
(also plus)                     Menu Entry on the last Menu Page
Ins                             To insert a new Menu Entry
Del                             To delete an existing Menu Entry






F1                              Displays the Help Menu
(also ?)
F2                              To edit a Menu Entry nameand
                                Menu Action
F3                              Exits HDM IV
F4                              To copy a Menu Entry
F5                              Toggles the Menu Title and the
                                Menu Actions
F6                              Toggles the Top Line andthe Top
                                Menu
F7                              Displays line variations inside
                                the Main Menu
F8                              Switches the positions of the
                                Menu Page and Menu Entry panels
                                and presents other alternative
                                user interfaces
F9                              Opens the DOS Window
F10                             Activates the Top Menu
(also /)
Alt-F1                          To add or delete a password on a
                                Main Menu Entry or pull-down menu
                                item
Alt-F2                          To edit a Menu Page name
Alt-F3                          To logoff a user who's logged on
Alt-F4                          To move a Menu Entry
Alt-F10                         Activates the last pull-down
(also \)                        menu used from the Top Menu
Alt-G                           Pulls down the Global Variables
                                Menu
Alt-L                           Pulls down the Local Variables
                                Menu
Alt-M                           Pulls down the Menu Maintenance
                                Menu
Alt-P                           Pulls down the Page Index
                                Maintenance Menu
Alt-S                           Pulls down the Security Password
                                Menu
Alt-X                           Pulls down the Exit Menu
Esc                             Returns to the previous
(also Ctrl-Break or             position (displays the Opening
Ctrl-C)                         Screen in the Main Menu)
Ctrl-F                          Freezes the screen and suspends
                                Timed Execution


Top Menu Keys

The following are the keys you can use while accessing HDM IV's Top Menu:

Letters M,P,S,L,G,X             Pulls down the corresponding
                                menu
Right arrow                     Moves the cursor to the next
(also tab, space bar, or        menu
PgDn)






Left arrow                      Moves the cursor to the previous
(also back tab, back space,     menu
or PgUp)
Home                            Moves the cursor to the first
(also minus)                    menu
End                             Moves the cursor to the last
(also plus)                     menu
Enter                           Pulls down the menu the cursor
(also downarrow or              is on
up arrow)
Esc                             Returns to the Main Menu
(also Ctrl-Break, Ctrl-C,
or F10)


Pull-down Menus Keys

The following are the keys you can use while accessing HDM IV's pull-down
menus:

Highlighted letter              Starts the corresponding entry
Down arrow                      Moves the cursor to the next
(also tab, space bar, or        entry
PgDn)
Up arrow                        Moves the cursor to the previous
(also back tab, back space,     entry
or PgUp)
Home                            Moves the cursor to the first
(also minus)                    entry
End                             Moves the cursor to the last
(also plus)                     entry
Right arrow                     Removes the current pull-down
                                menu and pulls down the next one
Left arrow                      Removes the current pull-down
                                menu and pulls down the previous
                                one
Enter                           Starts the entry the cursor is
                                on
Esc                             Returns to the Top Menu
(also Ctrl-Break or Ctrl-C
F10                             Returns to the Main Menu
(also Alt-F10)
Alt-F1                          To add, change, or delete the
                                password for the entry the
                                cursor is on


Mouse Buttons

The following describes how you can use a mouse in HDM IV. The use of a mouse
is entirely optional.

Up motion                       Moves the cursor to the previous
(same as up arrow)              Menu Entry






Down motion                     Moves the cursor to the next
(same as down arrow)            Menu Entry
Left button                     Starts the Menu Entry the cursor
(same as Enter)                 is on
Right button                    Returns to the previous
(same as Esc)                   position (displays the Opening
                                Screen in the Main Menu)
Left motion                     Moves the cursor to the last
(same as PgUp)                  Menu Entry on the previous page
Right motion                    Moves the cursor to the first
(same as PgDn)                  Menu Entry on the next page
Middle button (3-button         Activates the Top Menu
mouse) or both buttons
(2-button mouse)
(same as F10)

In the next chapter you'll learn an easy way to start building your own
Menus.






                              Chapter 6:
                SETTING UP HDM IV MENUS AUTOMATICALLY

HDM IV provides you with both automatic and manual methods to set up the
Menus that start your programs and manage your files, subdirectories, and
hard disk. This chapter explains how to set up Menus automatically. Automatic
Menu building works well with many relatively simple Menu Entries. (Section C
explains how to access HDM IV's sophisticated menu-building features when
building Menus manually.)

Creating (adding) Menu Entries automatically is an 8-step process:

Step 1: While in the Main Menu, press the Ins key. (Alternately, you could
press F10 to activate the Top Menu, press M, and press A, or press F10 and
press Enter twice.)

Step 2: Move to the Menu Page where you'd like the Menu Entry to appear by
pressing the appropriate letter. (Alternately, you could use the PgUp or PgDn
keys or the arrow keys.) If you're already on the right Menu Page, you can
skip this step.

Step 3: Choose where you'd like the Menu Entry to appear by pressing the
appropriate number key. (Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 4: Type the Menu Entry name that you'd like to appear on the Main Menu,
using up to 48 characters, and press Enter.

Step 5: Press F4 to tell HDM IV to automatically build the Menu Action for
you.

Step 6: Fill in the blanks for the drive where the program resides, the
directory (subdirectory) where the program resides, the program command, and
the parameters if any. Be sure to include a backslash (\) before the
subdirectory's name.

Step 7: Press F2 to save the Menu Entry.

Step 8: Test the new Menu Entry by pressing the number associated with it or
by clicking on it with your mouse.

From now on whenever you want to run the Menu Entry, all you have to do is
move to the appropriate Menu Page and press the appropriate Menu Entry
number.

Now that you know how to create Menu Entries, you'll probably want to
categorize the Menu Entries you create by grouping related items on specific
Menu Pages and giving those Menu Pages appropriate names. You may, for
example, want to put all your word processing Menu Entries on Menu Page A and
call the page Word Processing, put all your database Menu Entries on Menu
Page B and call the page Database, and so on.






Erasing Menu Entries

First you should erase or move any existing Menu Entries you don't need.
There are a number of sample Menu Entries, for example, provided on the HDM
IV disk as illustrations of how to create sophisticated Menu Entries. You may
want to use some of these sample Menu Entries as is, and you may want to
modify some to suit you individual needs. Eventually, you may want to erase
or move those sample Menu Entries you won't be using.

Erasing a Menu Entry is a 4-step process:

Step 1: Press Del. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate the Top
Menu, press M, and press E, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 2: Move to the Menu Page that contains the Menu Entry you'd like to
erase by pressing the appropriate letter. (Alternately, you could use the
PgUp or PgDn keys or the arrow keys.) If you're already on the right Menu
Page, you can skip this step.

Step 3: Press the number corresponding to the Menu Entry you want to erase.
(Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 4: Press Y in response to the prompt.


Moving Menu Entries

Moving a Menu Entry is a 5-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-F4. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate the Top
Menu, press M, and press M a second time, or press F10 and use the arrow and
Enter keys.)

Step 2: Move to the Menu Page that contains the Menu Entry you'd like to move
by pressing the appropriate letter. (Alternately, you could use the PgUp or
PgDn keys or the arrow keys.) If you're already on the right Menu Page, you
can skip this step.

Step 3: Press the number corresponding to the Menu Entry you want to move.
(Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 4: Press the letter corresponding to the page where you want to move the
Menu Entry. (Alternately, you could use the arrow keys.)

Step 5: Press the number corresponding to the new position. (Alternately, you
could use the arrow and Enter keys.)

HDM IV also allows you to change and duplicate Menu Entries. These procedures
are much the same as adding, erasing, and moving Menu Entries.


Naming Menu Pages

To better categorize your Menu Entries, you should give your Menu Pages






appropriate names. As you can see, HDM IV provides default Menu Page names.
Changing those Menu Page names is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-F2. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate the Top
Menu, press P, and press N, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 2: Press the letter corresponding to the Menu Page you want to rename
and press Enter. (Alternately, you could use the PgDn, PgUp, and Enter keys,
or the arrow and Enter keys.) If you're already on the right Menu Page, you
can skip this step.

Step 3: Type the new Menu Page name, using up to 19 characters, and press
Enter. Typing any letter or number will erase an existing Menu Page name.
Pressing an arrow key will allow you to edit an existing Menu Page name.

HDM IV also allows you to compress a Menu Page (move all Menu Entries to the
top positions), to erase all the Menu Entries on a Menu Page, to import all
the Menu Entries from another Menu Page in the same Menu File or a different
Menu File, and to switch one Menu Page with another. These procedures are
much the same as naming Menu Pages.


Input Keys

The following are the keys you can use in any input field, including the Menu
Entry field, the Menu Page field, and the Menu Action field (The Menu Action
field is used when setting up Menus manually and is described in the next
chapter).

Right arrow                     Moves the cursor one character
                                to the right
Left arrow                      Moves the cursor one character
                                to the left
Tab                             Moves the cursor eight
                                characters to the right
Back tab                        Moves the cursor eight
                                characters to the left
Home                            Moves the cursor to the first
                                character in the field
End                             Moves the cursor to the last
                                character in the field
Delete                          Deletes the character at the
                                cursor
Backspace                       Deletes the character left of
                                the cursor
Ctrl-Home                       Deletes all characters from the
                                cursor to the beginning of the
                                field
Ctrl-End                        Deletes all characters from the
                                cursor to the end of thefield
Ctrl-U                          Restores the field to its
                                original contents
Esc                             Cancels any changes and returns
(also Ctrl-Break or Ctrl-C)     to the previous screen






Enter                           Goes to the next field, or if
                                there is only one field ends
                                editing and saves the changes
F2                              Saves changes to all fields and
                                returns to the previous screen
Up arrow                        Moves the cursor to the previous
                                field on the screen
Down arrow                      Moves the cursor to the next
                                field on the screen
PgUp                            Moves the cursor to the first
                                field on the screen
PgDn                            Moves the cursor to the last
                                field on the screen
Insert                          Toggles between insert mode and
                                overstrike mode

In Section C you'll learn how to include sophisticated HDM IV Functions in
your Menu Entries and how to access other advanced HDM IV features.






                              Section C:
                      FOR ADVANCED HDM IV USERS

                              Chapter 7:
                   SETTING UP HDM IV MENUS MANUALLY

Using the manual method of setting up HDM IV Menus allows you to access HDM
IV's wealth of sophisticated menu-building Functions. This chapter describes
how to create Menu Entries that combine or stack DOS commands. (Chapter 8
explains all the rest of HDM IV's menu-building Functions.)

Setting up Menus manually involves creating Menu Actions. A Menu Action is
simply a series of instructions that you type telling HDM IV what to do each
time you access the corresponding Menu Entry. HDM IV allows you to include up
to 255 characters in each Menu Action.

A Menu Action consists of normal DOS commands plus HDM IV's Functions. The
HDM IV Function that you'll use most often is the Execute Function. It's
represented by the tilde -(~). In a Menu Action, a tilde is the equivalent of
pressing Enter at the DOS prompt.

You type a tilde in a Menu Action to separate more than one command. It
allows you to combine or stack numerous commands and have HDM IV carry them
all out in sequence. Each time HDM IV sees a tilde, it executes the command
that preceded it. Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Execute
Function:

c:~cd \wp~wp~

This Menu Action is the equivalent of typing the following at the DOS prompt
and pressing Enter after each line:

c:
cd \wp
wp

Creating Menu Entries manually with Menu Actions is similar to creating them
automatically. It's a 7-step process.

Step 1: While in the Main Menu, press the Ins key. (Alternately, you could
press F10 to activate the Top Menu, press M, and press A, or press F10 and
press Enter twice.)

Step 2: Move to the Menu Page where you'd like the Menu Entry to appear by
pressing the appropriate letter. (Alternately, you could use the PgUp or PgDn
keys or the arrow keys.) If you're already on the right Menu Page, you can
skip this step.

Step 3: Choose where you'd like the Menu Entry to appear by pressing the
appropriate number key. (Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 4: Type the Menu Entry name that you'd like to appear on the Main Menu,






using up to 48 characters, and press Enter.

Step 5: Type the Menu Action, using up to 255 characters. (If you were
creating Menu Entries automatically, you would press F4 instead.)

Step 6: Press F2 to save the Menu Entry.

Step 7: Test the new Menu Entry by pressing the number associated with it or
by clicking on it with your mouse.


DOS Conventions

In creating HDM IV Menu Actions, you use the same conventions as DOS. The
following are some of the more common DOS conventions. (Experienced DOS users
can skip over this section.)

file name       A DOS file name can have up to eight characters,
                plus an optional extension up to three
                characters. For example, smith2.let is a typical
                file name. You can't use these characters in
                file names: !, @, #, $, %, &, (, ), -, _, {, },
                ', `.
subdirectory    Rules for naming subdirectories are the same as
name            those for naming files, though you probably
                won't need to use extensions.
\               Type a backslash before subdirectory names, to
                separate subdirectory names in a multilevel
                subdirectory structure, and to separate
                subdirectory names from file names. For example,
                \wp\let\apr and \wp\let\apr\smith2.let. A
                backslash alone means root directory.
:               Type a colon after the letter specifying a
                drive. For example, a: for floppy drive, c: for
                hard drive.
*               Type an asterisk to signify all files. For
                example, *.let means all files with the
                extension .let and \apr\*.* means all files in
                the \apr subdirectory.
?               Type a question mark to signify any character.
                For example, smith?.let means all files that
                begin with smith, are six characters long, and
                have the extension .let.
.               Type a period to signify the current
                subdirectory.
..              Type two periods to signify the subdirectory
                above the current subdirectory.


Using the DOS Window

By using the DOS Window, HDM IV allows you to access the DOS prompt without
exiting HDM IV. This makes it possible to run any DOS command, batch file, or
program without adding it to your HDM IV Menus.






In addition, you can use any HDM IV Function or Macro in the DOS Window. You
can include up to 64 characters in any one entry. HDM IV remembers the last
nine entries you keyed into the DOS Window. Any time you access the DOS
Window, you can use the arrow and Enter keys to rerun a previous entry.

To access the DOS Window, all you have to do is press F9. (Alternately, you
could press F10 to access the Top Menu, press X, and press Enter, or press
F10 and use the arrow and Enter keys.)

In the next chapter you'll learn how to incorporate HDM IV's other Functions,
besides the Execute Function, into Menu Actions.






                              Chapter 8:
                USING HDM IV FUNCTIONS TO BUILD MENUS

Along with the Execute Function, you can use a host of other sophisticated
HDM IV Functions in Menu Actions to build your Menus. These Functions enable
you, for instance, to create Menu Entries that prompt you for the names of
files or subdirectories, to display a menu of choices and allow you to select
from it, and to pass keystrokes on to other programs.

HDM IV carries out Menu Action Functions from left to right, except where
Functions are nested within other Functions. In this case it carries out the
nested or inner Functions first.


Viewing Functions

Any time you want to view the Menu Actions of your Menu Entries, including
Functions, all you have to do is press F5. (Alternately, you could press F10
to access the Top Menu, press Alt-L, and press Enter, or press F10 and use
the arrow and Enter keys.) Pressing F5 will replace the Menu Title with the
Menu Action of the Menu Entry the cursor is on. To return the Menu Title,
press F5 again.


HDM IV Functions

Below are all of HDM IV's Menu Action Functions. Detailed explanations of how
to use each Function follow. (Using Macros in Functions is covered in the
next chapter.)

In typing these Functions, you may use either uppercase or lowercase letters.

Execute: ~ (tilde)               Executes a command
Pause: {?}                      Pauses and waits for your input
Pause with Prompt: {?prompt}    Pauses, displays the prompt that
                                your previously specified, and
                                waits for your input
Pause with Prompt and           Provides a default reply to the
Reply-to-Prompt:                Prompt Function
{DEFAULT reply-to-prompt}
User: {USER}                    Displays the user logon name
Select: {SELECT prompt~choice1~   Displays a menu of choices and
choice2~ ... choice9}            allows you to select from it
Inside: !                       Quickly runs an entire Menu
                                Action inside HDM IV instead of
                                going to DOS
Run Inside: {RUN command}       Quickly runs any part of a Menu
                                Action inside HDM IV instead of
                                going to DOS
Run Inside with Pause:          Quickly runs any part of a Menu
{RUN! command}                  Action inside HDM IV instead of
                                going to DOS and then pauses
Key: {KEY k1 k2 ... k15}        Passes up to 15 keystrokes to





                                most programs
Beep: {BEEP}                    Sounds your computer's speaker
Check: {CK drive-letter}        Checks to see if the drive you
                                specify is ready
Batch: @@                       Needed before a batch-file
Color: {COLOR foreground-color  Sets the DOS screen color for
background-color}               the current Menu Entry
Cursor: {CURSOR start-line      Sets the shape of the cursor
end-line}                       when you leave HDM IV
Menu: {MENU #}                  Creates or accesses another Menu
                                File
Return: {RETURN}                Returns to the previous Menu
                                File
Dial: {DIAL phone number}       Dials a phone number
Exit: {EXIT}                    Exits to DOS
(also {QUIT})
Reboot: {REBOOT}                Reboots your computer
Macro: &#                       Calls a Macro that you
                                previously set up
Macro with Parameter(s):        Calls a Macro that you
{&# %#}                         previously set up and uses a
                                Macro Parameter or Parameters
Parameter: %#                   Replaces a Macro Parameter that
                                you previously set up
Parameter Now: {%#}             Replaces a Macro Parameter that
                                you previously set up and
                                resolves it immediately


Execute Function:
~ (tilde)

As explained in the last chapter, the Execute Function separates and executes
commands in a Menu Action.

Here's another example of a Menu Action using the Execute Function:

copy c:\dbase\inv\*.mar a:~chkdsk a:~pause~

This Menu Action copies from your hard disk c: to your floppy disk a: all
those files in the \dbase\inv subdirectory that end with the extension .mar,
checks the integrity of the data on you floppy disk using DOS's Check Disk
utility, and pauses for you to read the analysis.


Pause Function:
{?}

The Pause Function pauses the execution of the Menu Action. At the pause,
which is indicated by the words, Pause for input ..., on your screen, you can
optionally enter up to 64 characters that will be included in the Menu
Action. Pressing Enter continues the execution of the Menu Action. Pressing






Esc cancels the execution and returns you to the Main Menu.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Pause Function:

copy c:{?} a:~

This Menu Action copies from your hard disk c: to your floppy disk a: those
files that you specify. At the pause you type the path and name of the file
or files you want copied. If you wanted to copy the file smith2.let, which
resides in your \wp\let subdirectory, you would type \wp\let\smith2.let, then
press Enter.


Pause with Prompt Function:
{?Prompt}

The Pause with Prompt Function is identical to the Pause Function except that
it allows you to specify your own prompt message.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Pause with Prompt Function:

copy c:\{?Enter the directory to copy to floppy disk:}\*.* a:~

This Menu Action prompts you with, Enter the directory to copy to floppy
disk:. Then it copies from your hard disk c: to your floppy disk a: all the
files in the subdirectory that you specify. If you type wp\let\ap at the
pause, it would copy all the files in your \wp\let\apr subdirectory.






Pause with Prompt and Reply-to-Prompt Function:
{DEFAULT reply-to-prompt}

The Pause with Prompt and Reply-to-Prompt Function is identical to the Pause
with Prompt Function except that it allows you to specify a default reply to
your prompt message. If you press Enter at the pause, HDM IV accepts the
default reply you previously specified. You also have the option of modifying
the reply.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Pause with Prompt and
Reply-to-Prompt Function:

copy /v c:\{?Enter the directory to copy to floppy disk:{default
c:wp\let\apr}}\*.* a:~

This Menu Action prompts you with, Enter the directory to copy to floppy
disk:. If you press Enter it accepts the default reply, c:wp\let\apr. Then it
copies from your hard disk c: to your floppy disk a: all the files in the
\wp\let\apr subdirectory and verifies the copying.


User Function:
{USER}

The User Function displays the user logon name, if one was used. It's helpful
in creating prompts if you're setting up Menus for other users.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the User Function:

list {?{user}, enter the name of the file you want to view.}~

If the user logged onto HDM IV as Jim, this Menu Action would display the
prompt, Jim, enter the name of the file you want to see. Once Jim entered the
file name and pressed Enter, HDM IV would display the file's contents, using
the List program (This is a separate a complementary program provided with
HDM IV -- see Appendix 4 for details).

You can also use this Function in the Menu Title that's displayed above the
Main Menu. This automates the process of creating a customized Menu Title for
other users.






Select Function:
{SELECT prompt~choice1~choice2~ ... choice9}

The Select Function displays a list of up to nine choices and allows you to
select one. The first words you type after select and before the first tilde
(~) appear as a prompt or title above the list. You can choose from the list
by typing the first letter of a choice, using the down-arrow key and pressing
Enter, or by clicking on the choice with your mouse. If you type the first
letter of a choice and two or more choices begin with that letter, the last
one with that letter will be selected.

In creating an HDM IV Menu Action with the Select Function, you must separate
the prompt and the choices with a tilde (~).

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Select Function:

dir {select Choose a directory~c:\wp~c:\dbase~c:\123~c:\ventura~c:\util}/p

This Menu Action displays a list of five subdirectories -- c:\wp, c:\dbase,
c:\123, c:\ventura, and c:\util -- and uses as a prompt, Choose a directory.
By choosing one of the subdirectories, you obtain a list of the files in that
subdirectory one screenful at a time.


Inside Function:
!

The Inside Function quickly runs an entire Menu Action inside HDM IV instead
of first terminating HDM IV and going to DOS. This causes the program,
command, or batch file to execute faster than otherwise, and it returns you
to the HDM IV Main Menu faster after the program or command has been run.

The Inside Function has two limitations. First, because HDM IV is kept in RAM
(memory), you will likely be able to run only smaller programs, since both
HDM IV and the program will have to fit into RAM simultaneously. Second, you
cannot run memory-resident programs using the Inside Function.

The Inside Function must be the first character in a Menu Action. Here's an
example of a Menu Action using the Inside Function:

!c:~cd\norton~ni~

This Menu Action quickly runs the program Norton Utilities without first
terminating HDM IV.






Run Inside Function:
{RUN command}

The Run Inside Function is identical to the Inside Function, except that it
allows you to run any part of a Menu Action inside HDM IV.

The same limitations that apply to the Inside Function also apply to the Run
Inside Function.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Run Inside Function:

{run dir c:\wp\art}c:~cd\wp~wp \art\{?Enter document name:}

This Menu Action quickly lists the files in the \wp\art subdirectory on your
c: drive then prompts you for the name of the document in that subdirectory
you want loaded immediately when you start the program Word Perfect.


Run Inside with Pause Function:
{RUN! command}

The Run Inside with Pause       Function        is identical to the Run
Inside Function except that it pauses before executing the rest of the Menu
Action. This gives you, for instance, plenty of time to see the files in a
directory list, such as the one included in the previous Menu Action example.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Run Inside with Pause Function:

{run! dir c:\bat/w}{run list c:\bat{?Enter the file name to view}}

This Menu Action quickly provides a wide list of the files in the \bat
subdirectory on your c: drive, pauses until you press a key, prompts you for
the file in that subdirectory that you want to view, then runs the List
program (See Appendix 4).


Key Function:
{KEY k1 k2 ... k15}

The Key Function passes up to 15 keystrokes to most programs. It allows you
to load files or otherwise automate procedures in programs that you start
using HDM IV. The Key Function won't work with programs that clear the
keyboard buffer before they start or that use their own keyboard buffer
instead of DOS's, and it won't work with memory-resident keyboard enhancement
utilities that expand the size of the keyboard buffer. Testing will tell if
the Key Function will work with any given program.

You can pass through any key on the IBM keyboard, plus the following:

HDM     Key             HDM     Key             HDM     Key
CA      Ctrl-A          CB      Ctrl-B          CC      Ctrl-C
CD      Ctrl-D          CE      Ctrl-E          CF      Ctrl-F
CG      Ctrl-G          CH      Ctrl-H          CI      Ctrl-I






CJ      Ctrl-J          CK      Ctrl-K          CL      Ctrl-L
CM      Ctrl-M          CN      Ctrl-N          CO      Ctrl-O
CP      Ctrl-P          CQ      Ctrl-Q          CR      Ctrl-R
CS      Ctrl-S          CT      Ctrl-T          CU      Ctrl-U
CV      Ctrl-V          CW      Ctrl-W          CX      Ctrl-X
CY      Ctrl-Y          CZ      Ctrl-Z          SP      Space
C[      Ctrl-[          C]      Ctrl-]          C\      Ctrl-\
C2      Ctrl-2          C6      Ctrl-6          C-      Ctrl- -
ENTR    Enter           ESC     Escape          CBRK    Ctrl-Break
BSP     Back Space      CBSP    Ctrl-BackSp     TAB     Tab
STAB    Shift-Tab       AA      Alt-A           AB      Alt-B
AC      Alt-C           AD      Alt-D           AE      Alt-E
AF      Alt-F           AG      Alt-G           AH      Alt-H
AI      Alt-I           AJ      Alt-J           AK      Alt-K
AL      Alt-L           AM      Alt-M           AN      Alt-N
AO      Alt-O           AP      Alt-P           AQ      Alt-Q
AR      Alt-R           AS      Alt-S           AT      Alt-T
AU      Alt-U           AV      Alt-V           AW      Alt-W
AX      Alt-X           AY      Alt-Y           AZ      Alt-Z
F1      F1              F2      F2              F3      F3
F4      F4              F5      F5              F6      F6
F7      F7              F8      F8              F9      F9
F10     F10             F11     F11             F12     F12
AF1     Alt-F1          AF2     Alt-F2          AF3     Alt-F3
AF4     Alt-F4          AF5     Alt-F5          AF6     Alt-F6
AF7     Alt-F7          AF8     Alt-F8          AF9     Alt-F9
AF10    Alt-F10         AF11    Alt-F11         AF12    Alt-F12
CF1     Ctrl-F1         CF2     Ctrl-F2         CF3     Ctrl-F3
CF4     Ctrl-F4         CF5     Ctrl-F5         CF6     Ctrl-F6
CF7     Ctrl-F7         CF8     Ctrl-F8         CF9     Ctrl-F9
CF10    Ctrl-F10        CF11    Ctrl-F11        CF12    Ctrl-F12
SF1     Shift-F1        SF2     Shift-F2        SF3     Shift-F3
SF4     Shift-F4        SF5     Shift-F5        SF6     Shift-F6
SF7     Shift-F7        SF8     Shift-F8        SF9     Shift-F9
SF10    Shift-F10       SF11    Shift-F11       SF12    Shift-F12
LAR     Left Arrow      RAR     Right Arrow     UAR     Up Arrow
CLAR    Ctrl-LeftArrow  CRAR    Ctrl-RightArrow DAR     DownArrow
HOM     Home            END     End             INS     Insert
CHOM    Ctrl-Home       CEND    Ctrl-End        DEL     Delete
PGU     PgUp            PGD     PgDn            CPRT    Ctrl-PrtSc
CPGU    Ctrl-PgUp       CPGD    Ctrl-PgDn
A1      Alt-1           A2      Alt-2           A3      Alt-3
A4      Alt-4           A5      Alt-5           A6      Alt-6
A7      Alt-7           A8      Alt-8           A9      Alt-9
A0      Alt-0           A-      Alt- -          A=      Alt-=

In creating an HDM IV Menu Action with the Key Function, you can use either
uppercase or lowercase letters to represent keystrokes. You must separate
each keystroke representation with a space.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Key Function:

c:~cd\123~123~{key / f r 9 0 b u d j e t entr}






This Menu Action starts the program Lotus 1-2-3 and retrieves the file named
90budget.


Beep Function:
{BEEP}

The Beep Function causes your computer's speaker to sound a short beep. You
can use it at the end of a Menu Action to alert you when a task has been
completed.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Beep Function:

c:~cd\clipper~clipper acctappl~tlink acctappl~{beep}

This Menu Action starts the program Clipper, completes a compile and link,
and beeps you when finished.


Check Function:
{CK drive-letter}

The Check Function checks to see if the drive you specify is ready. Typing
the letter a after CK causes it to check drive a:. If the drive is ready, the
Menu Action continues. If the drive isn't ready, HDM IV displays an error
message, cancels the Menu Action, and returns you to HDM IV. If you don't use
the Check Function and DOS finds that a drive isn't ready, you'll be
disconnected from HDM IV and returned to the DOS prompt.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Check Function:

{ck a}copy c:\xy\dec\*.inv a:~

This Menu Action checks to see if you have a disk in drive a:, then copies
all the files with the extension .inv from the \xy\dec subdirectory on your
c: drive to your a: drive.


Batch Function:
@@

The Batch Function is needed before a batch-file command (.bat) in a Menu
Action if you want to return to the HDM IV Main Menu after the batch file is
run.

If you're using DOS 3.2 or earlier, @@ is replaced by command /c when the
Menu Action is executed. This causes the batch file to be executed by a
second copy of command.com, DOS's command processor. If you don't use the
Batch Function before a batch-file command, after the batch file is run
you'll be disconnected from HDM IV and returned to the DOS prompt.

If you're using DOS 3.3 or later, @@ is replaced by the DOS call command when
the Menu Action is executed. With DOS 3.3 or later, you can optionally use
call in a Menu Action instead of @@.






If you create Menu Entries automatically (as explained in Chapter 6), HDM IV
automatically places @@ in front of batch-file commands.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Batch Function:

c:~cd\dsplywr4~@@dw4~

This Menu Action runs the batch file dw4.bat from the \dsplywr4 subdirectory
on your c: drive and returns you to HDM IV's Main Menu when you're finished.


Color Function:
{COLOR foreground-color background-color}

The Color Function sets the DOS screen color for the current Menu Entry. It
won't work, however, if you've loaded ansi.sys in your config.sys file. You
can use 0 to 15 as a foreground color and 0 to 7 as a background color.
Here's what the numbers mean:

0=black         3=cyan          6=yellow
1=blue          4=red           7=white
2=green         5=magenta       8-15 are bright versions
                                of 0-7

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Color Function:

{color 15 1}

This Menu Action turns the foreground color to white and the background color
to blue and carries out DOS's Check Disk utility.


Cursor Function:
{CURSOR start-line end-line}

The Cursor Function sets the shape of the cursor when you leave HDM IV to run
a program, DOS command, batch file, or when you just exit to the DOS prompt.
The start-line is the top scan line of the cursor; the end-line is the bottom
scan line. The range for monochrome and EGA monitors is 0-13; the range for
CGA monitors is 0-7. Check your monitor's manual for the number of scan lines
you can use.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Cursor Function:

{cursor 6 7}c:~cd\wp\~wp~

This Menu Action sets the shape of the cursor before running the program
WordPerfect 5.0. With some Hercules-compatible video cards and monochrome
graphics monitors, WordPerfect 5.0 sets the cursor line to the middle of the
character box.






Menu Function:
{MENU #}

The Menu Function creates or accesses another Menu File. It's useful if you
want to include more Menu Entries in HDM IV than can fit in a single Menu
File.

The number of the default Menu File is 000. This is the Menu File you start
with. To create a new Menu File, you just include a number referring to it
using this Function. The number can be 001 to 999, which gives you access to
as many as 100,000 Menu Entries. The number of the Menu File that you're in
is always displayed below the Menu Page names in the Main Menu.

There is no limit to the Menu File chain -- the number of Menu Files you can
access in a Menu Action using this Function. Menu File HDM.001 can call Menu
File HDM.017, which can call Menu File HDM.073, and so on. To return to a
previous Menu File, you can press Esc from the Main Menu or use the Return
Function in a Menu Action, which is described next. Each Menu File can have a
different Menu Title, borders, colors, Macros, and so on (See Chapter 11).

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Menu Function:

{menu 001}

This Menu action access Menu File HDM.001, or creates it if it doesn't
already exists. This gives you the ability to create 10 additional Menu
Entries on 10 additional Menu Pages, for a total of 100 additional Menu
Entries.


Return Function:
{RETURN}

The Return Function returns you to the previous Menu File in a Menu Action.
If you are in Menu File HDM.000, the default Menu File, HDM IV displays a
message that you are as far back as you can go in the Menu File chain.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Return Function:

{return}

This Menu Action simply returns you to the previous Menu File.


Dial Function:
{DIAL phone number}

The Dial Function dials a phone number if you have a Hayes-compatible modem
connected to your computer.

One handy way to use the Dial Function is to set up a phone number and
dialing directory. You could dedicate a separate Menu File to this directory,
with each Menu Page representing a different company, and each Menu Entry
representing a the phone number of a person in that company.





You can include as many as 30 characters in the phone number. Your modem will
ignore punctuation and spaces, but you may want to include them in Menu
Actions to make phone numbers easier to read.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Dial Function:

{dial 9,1,[phone]}~

This Menu Action dials the specified phone number. As HDM IV sends the number
to your modem, it displays a message telling you to pick up the phone and
press a key. This disconnects the modem, allowing you to talk on the phone.

Before using the Dial Function, you should configure HDM IV with the correct
phone parameters. This is a 4-step process:

Step 1: From the Main Menu, press Alt-G, then P. (Alternately, you could
press F10 to activate the Top Menu and use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 2: Press 1, 2, 3, or 4 to choose COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4, which
indicates the communications port that your modem is connected to.
(Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 3: Press T or P to indicate whether you're using a tone or pulse type
phone. (Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 4: Press F2 to save the configuration.


Exit Function:
{EXIT} or {QUIT}

The Exit Function exits to DOS from a Menu Action. It has the same effect as
pressing F3 or pressing Exit HDM from the Exit Menu. This Function is useful
if you want to change your drive or subdirectory before you exit to the DOS
prompt.

When you're finished working at the DOS prompt, just press x and Enter to
return to HDM IV.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Exit Function:

c:~cd\mm~dir *.doc~{exit}

This Menu Action changes to your \mm subdirectory on your c: drive, displays
a list of all the files in that subdirectory that end with the extension
.doc, and takes you to the DOS prompt.


Reboot Function:
{REBOOT}

The Reboot Function reboots your computer. It's useful in changing the setup
of your autoexec.bat and config.sys files, which you may need to do to run
Windows, Desqview, Ventura Publisher, or other programs. If you include the






startup parameter -A when loading HDM IV from the new autoexec.bat file, HDM
IV will automatically load the program.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Exit Function:

copy c:\autoexec.new c:\autoexec.bat~copy c:\config.new c:\config.sys~{reboot}

This Menu Action makes autoexec.new and config.new your autoexec.bat and
config.sys files and reboots your computer.

In the next chapter you learn how to save time by incorporating Macros into
Menu Actions.






                                   Chapter 9:
                        USING HDM IV MACROS TO BUILD MENUS

Macros in HDM IV, like macros in any program, are shortcuts that make it
easier and more efficient to carry out tasks. HDM IV Macros are used in Menu
Actions to reduce the number of keystrokes needed to create Menu Entries.

HDM IV Macros are simply parts of Menu Actions that you want to use for more
than one Menu Entry. Here's an example of a Macro:

copy *.* a:~pause~

Any time you refer to this Macro in a Menu Action, it will copy all the files
from your current subdirectory to your a: drive and pause when finished.

You can create up to 10 Macros in each of your Menu Files. Creating a Macro
is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-L and M. (Alternately, you could Press F10 to activate the
Top Menu, press L, and press M, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: With the arrow keys move to any position -- &1 through &0 -- then
type the Macro or Macros you want, using any of HDM IV's Menu Action
Functions and up to 255 characters. The position of the Macro -- &1 through
&0 -- becomes its name.

Typing a letter or number on a line that already contains characters will
erase those characters. Pressing an arrow key will retain those characters,
which is helpful if you're editing an existing Macro. You can also erase a
line by pressing Ctrl-End at the beginning of the line or Ctrl-Home at the
end of the line. To restore a line to its original contents, press Ctrl-U.

Step 3: Press F2 to save the Macro or Macros.

To call an HDM IV Macro, you can use any of the following HDM IV Functions:


Macro Function:
&#

The Macro Function calls a Macro that you previously set up. To call a Macro
you simply use its name -- &1 through &0 -- in a Menu Action. When the Menu
Action is executed, HDM IV replaces the name of the Macro with its contents.

In the previous section we showed you how to set up Macros using a 3-step
process, and we provided copy *.* a:~pause~ as an example of a Macro. Here's an
example of a Menu Action using the Macro Function that calls this Macro. This
Menu Action assumes that you placed the Macro in position &1.

c:~cd\123~&1cd\dbase~&1cd\wp~&1

This Menu Action is the equivalent of the following:






c:~cd\123~copy *.* a:~pause~cd\dbase~copy *.* a:~pause~cd\wp~copy *.* a:~pause~

This Menu Action copies from your c: drive to your a: drive all the files in
your \123, \dbase, and \wp subdirectories and pauses after copying the files
in each subdirectory to allow you to change disks.


Macro with Parameter(s) Function:
{&# %#}

The Macro with Parameter(s) Function calls a Macro that you previously set up
and uses a Macro Parameter or Parameters. Macro Parameters are similar to DOS
batch-file replaceable parameters. Like Macros, Macro Parameters save
keystrokes in setting up Menu Entries.

Whereas a Macro calls a part of a Menu Action that you previously stored, a
Macro Parameter calls a part of the same Menu Action that the Macro Parameter
is a part of. Macro Parameters can include anything a Macro Action can except
other Macro Parameters.

You can use up to nine Macro Parameters in any Menu Action. Macro Parameters
are named %1 through %9. If you use more than one Macro Parameter in a Menu
Action, separate each with a space.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Macro with Parameter(s)
Function. This Menu Action assumes you placed the command copy in Macro
position &1 and the command delete in Macro position &2.

{&1 {?Enter file to move:} a:}~ %1 %2~&2 %1~dir %2~pause~

This Menu Action first prompts you with, Enter file to move:. It does this
because this Pause with Prompt Function is a nested or inner Function, and
HDM IV carries out nested Functions first and puts the result in %1. Let's
assume that you enter the file cable.rep. This Menu Action would then be the
equivalent of the following:

copy cable.rep a:~delete cable.rep~dir a:~pause~

This Menu Action copies the file cable.rep from your current subdirectory to
your a: drive, deletes the file cable.rep from your current subdirectory,
then displays a list of files on your a: drive and pauses for you to read the
list.


Parameter Function:
%#

The Parameter Function calls a Macro Parameter that you previously set up.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Parameter Function. This Menu
Action assumes you placed the Macro, copy c:\new\%1 c:\old\%1, in Macro
position &3.






{&3 {Enter file to move:}}~del c:\new\%1~dir c:\old~pause~

This Menu Action first prompts you with, Enter file to move:. Let's assume
that you enter the file budget90.wks. This Menu Action would then be the
equivalent of the following:

copy c:\new\budget90.wks c:\old\budget90.wks~del c:\new\budget90.wks~dir
c:\old~pause~

This Menu Action copies the file budget90.wks from the \new to the \old
subdirectory of your c: drive, deletes the file budget90 from the \new
subdirectory of your c: drive, displays a list of files in your \old
subdirectory, and pauses for you to read the list.


Parameter Now Function:
{%#}

The Parameter Now Function is identical to the Parameter Function except that
HDM IV resolves it immediately instead of executing the other Functions
first.

Here's an example of a Menu Action using the Parameter Now Function:

{&5 {?Enter subdirectory name:}}{run! dir {%1}}list {?Enter file name:}~

This Menu Action prompts you with, Enter subdirectory name:; displays a list
of files in the subdirectory you enter; prompts you with, Enter file name;
and displays the file you enter using the List program (See Appendix 4). &5
is an empty Macro used only to create the %1 Parameter.

In the next chapter you'll learn how to execute any Menu Entry, using any of
the above Macros or Functions, automatically.






                             Chapter 10:
                     AUTOMATIC COMMAND EXECUTION

HDM IV allows you to carry out any Menu Entry automatically through both its
Timed Execution feature and its Inactive Execute feature. The Timed Execution
feature executes a Menu Entry based on the day of the week or the date; the
Inactive Execute feature executes a Menu Entry based on the number of minutes
that have passed since you last used the keyboard or mouse.


Timed Execution

HDM IV will carry out a Menu Entry based on the day of the week or a date in
a month and the time of day. You can use this feature, for instance, to do a
backup with a tape backup unit or to run a communications program and
download files, without your having to be at your computer. You can have HDM
IV run as many as 10 Menu Entries this way.

For Timed Execution of commands to work, you must of course have your
computer turned on, and you must be in HDM IV. You can, however, be anywhere
in HDM IV, and the screen can be blanked out. Before HDM IV runs a timed
command, it indicates it is about to do so and gives you 15 seconds to cancel
the running of the command.

Setting up Timed Execution is a 6-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-G, then T. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press G, and press T, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Begin entering the Menu Entries you want HDM IV to execute
automatically in the Timed Execution Table provided. In the first column type
the Menu File number (000 to 999) that the Menu Entry is in.

Step 3: In the second column type the Menu Page letter Menu Entry number (A1
to J0).

Step 4: In the third column indicate the day of the week or the date of the
month when you want HDM IV to run the Menu Entry. If you want HDM IV to run
the Menu Entry on weekly basis, type W for weekly then the numbers 1 through
7 (1=Sunday, 2=Monday, 3=Tuesday, 4=Wednesday, 5=Thursday, 6=Friday, and
7=Saturday). You can indicate one day or as many as seven, for daily
execution. Separate the W and all the numbers with spaces. If you want HDM IV
to run the Menu Entry on a monthly basis, type M for monthly, then the date
(1 through 31, corresponding to the actual date). Separate the M and all
numbers with spaces.

Step 5: In the fourth column type the time of day. Use the standard 12-hour
notation, with am or pm (6:00 am, 10:00 pm) -- this is the default -- or the
24-hour military notation, if you've chosen this as the format in your
date/time setup (See Chapter 11).

Step 6: Press F2 to save the Timed Execution Table.






Here's an example of a Timed Execution Table.

File    Entry   Days of Week or Month   Time

000     A1      W 2 3 4 5 6             10:00 pm
025     J0      M 12 24                 6:00 am

The first line will cause HDM IV to automatically run Menu Entry A1 from Menu
File 000 Monday through Friday at 10 pm. The second line will cause HDM IV to
automatically run Menu Entry J0 from Menu File 025 on the 12th and 24th of
each month at 6 am.


Inactive Execute

HDM IV will also carry out a Menu Entry based on the number of minutes that
have passed since you last used your keyboard or mouse. This feature day of
the week or a date in a month and the time of day. You can use this feature,
for instance, to automatically park the heads of your hard disk after ten
minutes of nonuse or to log off a LAN (local area network) after a half hour
of no activity.

Setting up Inactive Execute is a 5-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-G, then I. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press G, and press I, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Enter the number of minutes of inactivity (01 to 99) before you want
HDM IV to execute the Menu Entry.

Step 3: Enter the Menu File number in the which the Menu Entry is located
(000 to 999).

Step 4: Enter the Menu Page letter and Menu Entry number that you want HDM IV
to execute (A1 to J0).

Step 5: Press F2 to save Inactivate Execute entry.

Here's an example of a way to use the Inactive Execute feature:

Let's assume that the program file park.com resides in your \ut subdirectory
on your c: drive. You can create a Menu Entry to execute this program in the
usual way. This would be helpful, incidentally, if your hard drive didn't
have an autopark feature. You could use this Menu Entry to park the heads of
your hard drive before shutting off your computer for the day, which would
protect you from data loss if your hard disk were accidentally jolted.

Using Inactive Execute, you could also provide this same protection while
using your computer. If the Menu Entry to execute the command park.com were
A9 in Menu File 000, and you wanted HDM IV to automatically execute it after
10 minutes of inactivity, you would simply enter these values in the Inactive
Execute pop-up window.






In the next chapter you'll learn the many ways you can customize how HDM IV
looks on the screen.






                             Chapter 11:
                   CUSTOMIZING THE HDM IV INTERFACE

HDM IV provides a wealth of ways to customize how it looks and works. This
allows you to personalize HDM IV to suit your individual aesthetic tastes and
computing needs.

The following are the ways that you can customize the HDM IV interface:


Creating a Personal Menu Title

HDM IV allows you to create a Personal Menu Title for each Menu File. You can
use from one to four lines for your Personal Menu Title, depending on how
you've customized your Top Line and Main Menu Panels (See below). Creating a
Personal Menu Title is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-L, then T. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press L, and press T, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Type what you want to appear in your Personal Menu Title, using any
or all of the available four lines. Each line can include up to 74
characters. You can use the User Function -- {USER} -- to display the user's
logon name, if the user was required to log on (See Chapters 8 and 14).

Typing a letter or number on a line that already contains characters will
erase those characters. Pressing an arrow key will retain those characters,
which is helpful if you're editing an existing Menu Title. You can also erase
a line by pressing Ctrl-End at the beginning of the line or Ctrl-Home at the
end of the line. To restore a line to its original contents, press Ctrl-U.

Step 3: Press F2 to save your Personal Menu Title.


Customizing the Top Line

HDM IV gives you three options in customizing the Top Line: (a) You can
display the current day, date, and time (provided of course you have a
clock/calendar built into your computer), (b) You can display the current
day, date, and time plus the Top Menu, and (c) You can display just the Top
Menu. You can use any of these options for each of your Menu Files.

Pressing the F6 key will toggle you through each of these options.
(Alternately, you could press F10 to activate the Top Menu, press L, and
press D, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter keys.)


Changing the Date and Time Format

HDM IV provides a choice two date formats and two time formats that you can
use in the Top Line. You can use the American date format -- month/day/year
-- or the European -- day/month/year. You can use the standard time format --





hour:minute am or pm -- or the military -- hour (up to 24):minute.

Changing the date or time format is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-G, then D. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press G, and press D, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Use the arrow keys to highlight the new date or time format and press
Enter.

Step 3: Press F2 to save your choice.


Customizing the Main Menu's Panels

HDM IV allows you to customize the borders and the positions of Main Menu's
panels.

There are three separate ways to customize the panels, each of which performs
a different task. You can create a panel setup for each of your Menu Files.

The first way to customize the panels involves pressing Alt-L, pressing B,
using the arrow keys to highlight your choice of single lines, double lines,
bold lines, or no lines, and pressing Enter. (Alternately, you could start
this process by pressing F10 to activate the Top Menu, press L, and press B,
or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter keys.)

The second way involves using the F7 key to toggle through four
border-position options.

The third way involves using the F8 key to toggle through four panel-position
and panel-borders options. (Alternately, you could use the Alt-L and S keys.)






Choosing Your Colors

HDM IV allows you to change the colors of the Main Menu, the Top Line and the
Bottom Line (also called status bars), the pull-down menus, and the pop-up
windows. You can choose from predefined color palettes, or you can specify
the color of each component in a palette. The components are the foreground
color, the background color, the emphasized color, the window title color,
and the window border color.

Each Menu File can have its own set of colors.

Choosing colors is a 4-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-L, then C. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press L, and press C, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Choose the item whose color you want to change by pressing M (Main
Menu); 1, 2, or 3 (level of pop-up windows), or S (Top Line and Bottom Line).
(Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 3: If you choose the status bar, use the up or down arrow keys to select
foreground or background, then use the right or left arrow keys to select the
colors. Press F2 to save your choice.

Step 4: If you choose the Main Menu or the pop-up windows, you can select a
predefined color palette by pressing the first letter of the palette
(S,B,G,C,R,M,Y,W,U). (Alternately, you could use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Alternately, you can select a user-defined palette by choosing colors for
each of the five components. Press the first letter of the component
(E,F,W,T,B) you want to change. (Alternately, you could use the arrow and
Enter keys.) Then use the right or left arrow keys to choose the color you
want. Press F2 to save your choices.


Preserving Your Monitor

Some monitors may become permanently imprinted with ghost images if the same
image remains on the screen for long periods of time. HDM IV prevents this
from happening through its Screen Save feature, which automatically blanks
the screen after a predefined period of inactivity. You can optionally have
HDM IV display a message of your choice that moves around the screen,
indicating that the screen has been blanked out.

To restore a screen that is blanked out, all you have to do is press any key.
HDM IV's Screen Save feature is active in all Menu Files.

Activating the Screen Save feature is a 4-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-G, then S. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press G, and press S, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)






Step 2: Enter a number from 1 to 99 representing the time of screen
inactivity after which HDM IV will blank the screen. If you enter 0, the
Screen Save feature will be disabled, and HDM IV will not blank your screen.

Step 3: Enter your Screen Save message, which may be up to 80 characters
long. If you leave the message field blank, no Screen Save message will be
displayed.

Step 4: Press F2 to save the Screen Save information.


Customizing the Cursor

HDM IV allows you to change the blinking rate of the cursor, which affects
all Menu Files.

Changing the cursor blink rate is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-G, then B. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press G, and press B, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Enter a number from 0 to 99. The lower the number, the slower the
blink rate. If you enter 0, the cursor will not blink at all.

Step 3: Press F2 to save your choice.


Customizing Your Mouse

HDM IV allows you to change the motion sensitivity of your mouse, both
horizontally and vertically. These changes affect all Menu Files.

Changing your mouse sensitivity is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-G, then M. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press G, and press M, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Enter a number from 0 to 99 for both the horizontal and vertical
sensitivity. The lower the number, the slower the mouse speed and the lesser
the mouse sensitivity.

Step 3: Press F2 to save your choice.

In the next chapter, you'll learn how to use HDM IV in a network setup.






                             Chapter 12:
                           NETWORK SUPPORT

HDM IV can be set up on common LANs (local area networks), including Novell,
Token Ring, and TOPS.

In a network setup, you can use HDM IV in two ways. First, you can simply
install a copy on each individual work station (Please be sure you pay the
appropriate licensing fee). In this case, because each user has his or her
own copy, HDM IV can be installed and used normally.

Second, you can install one copy of HDM IV on a network file server (Once
again, please pay the appropriate licensing fee). In this case, because one
copy of HDM IV is shared among users, you should undertake certain procedures
in installing HDM IV and setting up Menus.


Both HDM IV and Menus Are Shared

You can install HDM IV on a network file server in three ways. First, you can
arrange for all users to share the same Menu Files and Menu Entries. In this
case, you should password protect or hide the Top Menu so that only you, as
the network administrator, can alter Menu Files, Menu Pages, and Menu
Entries.

You should ensure that each user's x.bat is stored in the user's own
subdirectory. This prevents users from writing over the x.bat file of other
users. You can accomplish this by having each user start HDM IV with the -W
parameter and including the subdirectory where x.bat is stored in the path
statement of the user's autoexec.bat file.

Here's an example of an autoexec.bat for a user in a network setup sharing
HDM IV and its Menus:

path=c:\owndir;d:\
d:
cd \hdm
hdm -Wc:\owndir


HDM IV Is Shared, Menus Are Not Shared

The second way to install HDM IV on a network file server is to arrange for
users to have their own Menu Files and Menu Entries. In this case, you don't
have to password protect or hide the Top Menu. You do, however, have to
include both the -W parameter and -T parameters in each user's startup
sequence.

As the last section explained, the -W parameter ensures that each user's
x.bat file is stored in his or her own subdirectory. The -T parameter, on the
other hand, specifies the path where each user's Menu Files are stored.

Here's an example of an autoexec.bat for a user in a network setup sharing






HDM IV but using his or her own Menus:

path=c:\owndir;d:\
d:
cd \hdm
hdm -Tc:\owndir -Wc:\owndir


HDM IV Is Shared, Some Menus Are Shared and Some Are Not

The third way to install HDM IV on a network file server is to arrange for
users to share some Menu Files and Menu Entries and to have some that
personalized to their needs. You can accomplish this by using the -W
parameter and the -0 to -9 parameters.

The -0 to -9 parameters specify where groups of one hundred Menu Files are
stored. One group, for example, can reside on a user's own hard disk -- for
personalized Menu Files and Menu Entries; another group can reside on the
network hard disk -- for shared Menu Files and Menu Entries.

Here's an example of an autoexec.bat for a user in a network setup sharing
HDM IV, sharing some Menu, and having some personalized Menus:

path=c:\owndir;d:\
d:
cd \hdm
hdm -0c:\owndir -9d:\hdm -Wc:\owndir






                             Chapter 13:
                         PASSWORD PROTECTION

HDM IV provides many types of security to protect against the unauthorized
use of HDM IV or the unauthorized use or alteration of particular features of
HDM IV. If you're using HDM IV on a stand-alone computer, and no one else is
using your computer, you may not need to use these security features. If, on
the other extreme, you're a network administrator, you'll likely find HDM
IV's security features very useful.

HDM IV allows you to password protect the using of HDM IV in any way, the
using of any Menu Entry in a particular Menu File, the changing of any Menu
Entry in a particular Menu File, the using of individual Menu Pages, the
using of individual Menu Entries, and the using of the Top Menu. In addition,
you can hide the Top Menu.

Password protecting an HDM IV feature means that a user must know the
particular password for that feature in order to use or change it. You can
create passwords for any HDM IV feature you want to protect, plus a Master
Password that will override any other password.


Creating a Master Password

The first thing you should do when setting up password protection in HDM IV
is create a Master Password that can override any password. This makes it
possible for you to get past forgotten passwords or passwords that others
create without telling you.

Creating a Master Password is a 2-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-S, then M. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press S, and press M, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Type in the Master Password you'd like, using up to 10 characters,
and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type the password again for
verification, then press Enter again.

NOTE: Be sure you write down or remember your Master Password, since there's
no way to recover from a lost or forgotten Master Password.

If you want to change your Master Password, repeat Step 1, then type the old
Master Password, press Enter, and type the new Master Password twice,
pressing Enter after each time.


Password Protecting the Use of HDM IV

HDM IV allows you to create passwords that any user of HDM IV must type
before being able to use any feature of HDM IV. To give users their own
passwords, you must first set up a User ID Table. This is a 7-step process:






Step 1: Press Alt-S, then U. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press S, and press U, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Press Ins.

Step 3: Type your name or the name of another user, then press Enter. You can
include up to 99 users in the User ID Table. Each name can be up to 25
characters long.

Step 4: Type the Menu File number you plan to start with, or press Enter if
it's the default Menu File (000). In a network setup, this allows different
users to start with different Menu Files.

Step 5: Press F2 to save the information.

Step 6: Optionally, you can type a password for the user, using up to 10
characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type the password again
for verification, then press Enter again.

Step 7: Press F2 to save the information.

From the first time you add a name to the User ID Table, anyone who wants to
use HDM IV will have to first log on to HDM IV with his or her name and
password (if a password was set up). If a user wants to temporarily exit HDM
IV, however, the user can still return to HDM IV by typing x.

To remove a user from the User ID Table, repeat Step 1. Then move the cursor
to the user you want to remove, press Del, type the user's password (if he or
she has one) and press Enter, and press F2 to save the changes.


Password Protecting the Use of All the Menu Entries in a Menu File

You may want to create Menu Files whose Menu Entries you'd like only certain
users to be able to use. Password protecting the use of all the Menu Entries
in a Menu File is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Move to the Menu File whose Menu Entries you want to password
protect.

Step 2: Press Alt-S, then Enter. (Alternately, you could press F10 to
activate the Top Menu, press S, and press Enter, or press F10 and use the
arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 3: Type in the password you'd like for the Menu Entries in the Menu
File, using up to 10 characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type
the password again for verification, then press Enter again.

If you want to change or delete the password of a Menu File that's already
password protected, repeat Steps 1 and 2, then type the old password and
press Enter, and type the new password and press Enter or press Esc to remove
password protection.






All the Menu Entries in a Menu File that's password protected appear in the
Main Menu in bold type on a monochrome monitor or in enhanced color on a
color monitor.


Password Protecting the Changing of All the Menu Entries in a Menu File

Rather than password protecting the use of all the Menu Entries in a Menu
File, you may want to password only the changing of those Menu Entries.
Password protecting the changing of all the Menu Entries in a Menu File is a
3-step process:

Step 1: Move to the Menu File whose Menu Entries you want to password
protect.

Step 2: Press Alt-S, then F. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press S, and press F, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 3: Type in the password you'd like for protecting against changes in the
Menu File, using up to 10 characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to
type the password again for verification, then press Enter again.

If you want to change or delete the password of a Menu File that's already
password protected, repeat Steps 1 and 2, then type the old password and
press Enter, and type the new password and press Enter or press Esc to remove
password protection.






Password Protecting All the Menu Entries of a Menu Page

Rather than password protecting all the Menu Entries of a Menu File, you may
want to password protect the use or changing of only the Menu Entries on one
or more Menu Pages. Password protecting a Menu Page is a 3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-S, then P. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press S, and press P, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Move to the Menu Page whose Menu Entries you want to password
protect.

Step 3: Type in the password you'd like for the Menu Page, using up to 10
characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type the password again
for verification, then press Enter again.

If you want to change or delete the password of a Menu Page that's already
password protected, repeat Steps 1 and 2, then type the old password and
press Enter, and type the new password and press Enter or press Esc to remove
password protection.

All the Menu Entries in a Menu File that's password protected appear in the
Main Menu in bold type on a monochrome monitor or in enhanced color on a
color monitor.


Password Protecting Individual Menu Entries

HDM IV also allows you to password protect individual Menu Entries. This is a
3-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-F1. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate the Top
Menu, press S, and press S, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 2: Move to the Menu Entry you want to password protect.

Step 3: Type in the password you'd like for the Menu Entry, using up to 10
characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type the password again
for verification, then press Enter again.

If you want to change or delete the password of a Menu Entry that's already
password protected, repeat Steps 1 and 2, then type the old password and
press Enter, and type the new password and press Enter or press Esc to remove
password protection.

All Menu Entries that are password protected appear in bold type in the Main
Menu.


Password Protecting the Use of the Top Menu

To prevent unauthorized users from making changes to Menu Entries and Menu






Pages and from otherwise altering HDM IV, you can password protect the Top
Menu. This is a 2-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-S, then T. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press S, and press T, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Type in the password you'd like for the Top Menu, using up to 10
characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type the password again
for verification, then press Enter again.

If you want to change or delete the password of the Top Menu if it's already
password protected, repeat Step 1, then type the old password, press Enter,
and type the new password and press Enter or press Esc to remove password
protection.


Hiding the Top Menu

Hiding the Top Menu provides even more protection than password protecting
the Top Menu. Hiding the Top Menu prevents unauthorized users from displaying
the Top Menu and pulling down any of its menus. It also prevents unauthorized
users from accessing the Help Menu when pressing F1. Pressing F1 will only
access the Help Screen for moving around the Main Menu.

Hiding the Top Menu is a 2-step process:

Step 1: Press Alt-S, then H. (Alternately, you could press F10 to activate
the Top Menu, press S, and press H, or press F10 and use the arrow and Enter
keys.)

Step 2: Type in the password you'd like for hiding the Top Menu, using up to
10 characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type the password
again for verification, then press Enter again.

If you want to change or delete the password for hiding the Top Menu if it's
already password protected, you must first type /unhide from the Main Menu
and press Enter. Then enter the old password, repeat Step 1, enter the old
password again, press Enter, and type the new password and press Enter or
press Esc to remove password protection.






Password Protecting an Individual Pull-Down Menu Entry

Instead of password protecting the entire Top Menu or hiding it, you can
password protect an individual pull-down menu entry. You may, for example,
want to password protect the exiting from HDM IV.

Password protecting an individual pull-down menu entry is a 4-step process:

Step 1: Pull down the pull-down menu that contains the entry you want to
password protect. Press Alt-M for Menu, Alt-P for Page, Alt-S for Security,
Alt-G for Global, or Alt-X for Exit. (Alternately, you could press F10 to
activate the Top Menu and press M, P, S, G, or X, or press F10 and use the
arrow and Enter keys.)

Step 2: Highlight the individual pull-down menu item you want to password
protect. The pull-down menu item you want may already be highlighted. If not,
use the up or down arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired entry.

Step 3: Press Alt-F1.

Step 4: Type in the password you'd like for the entry, using up to 10
characters, and press Enter. HDM IV will ask you to type the password again
for verification, then press Enter again.

If you want to change or delete the password of the pull-down menu entry if
it's already password protected, repeat Steps 1 through 3, then type the old
password, press Enter, and type the new password and press Enter or press Esc
to remove password protection.






                             Appendix 1:
                   UPDATING FROM A PREVIOUS VERSION

HDM IV allows you to update from a previous version and still retain the Menu
Entries you've created.

To update, place the HDM IV disk in your a: (floppy) drive. Make sure you're
at the DOS prompt and that you're working from your a: drive. Then type this
line and press Enter:

update c:\hdm

If c:\hdm is not the name of your HDM subdirectory, substitute the
appropriate name.






                             Appendix 2:
                        HDM IV ERROR MESSAGES

The following is a list of error messages you might receive, and what they
mean:

007     CAN NOT CHANGE COLORS ON A MONOCHROME MONITOR!

You have a monochrome monitor, or you started HDM with the -V parameter to
force monochrome mode because of a unreadable screen.

010     ERROR OPENING "FILE NAME"

HDM IV couldn't open the specified file.

020     ERROR READING "FILE NAME"

HDM IV couldn't read the specified file.

030     ERROR WRITING "FILE NAME"

HDM IV couldn't write (store) the specified file to disk.

040     ERROR CLOSING "FILE NAME"

HDM IV couldn't close the specified file.

310     WRONG PASSWORD!

You entered the wrong password for a password-protected Menu Entry.

322     UNKNOWN USER!

You tried to log on with a user name that's not in the User ID Table.

333     ALREADY AT MAXIMUM NUMBER OF USERS!

The User ID Table is full. A maximum of 32 users may use HDM IV at the same
time.

590     NUMBER TO DIAL EXCEEDS 30 CHARACTERS!

The Dial Function has a 30-character phone number limit.






599     PICK UP PHONE, THEN PRESS A KEY!

HDM IV displays this message after the dialing sequence is sent to your modem
from the Dial Function. You should pick up the telephone to talk to the
person you called. When you press a key, HDM IV disconnects the modem from
the phone line, allowing you to continue with your phone conversation.

661     ERROR READING HDM.??? FILE!

HDM IV couldn't find the HDM.000 through HDM.999 file in the current
subdirectory or the subdirectory specified by the -T parameter or the -0 to
-9 parameters.

699     DISK DRIVE NOT READY!

HDM IV displays this error message when you use the Check Function and the
disk being checked isn't ready.

834     PAGE LETTER NOT A - J!

The Menu Page you import must be in the A through J range.

909     ACTION EXCEEDS 255 CHARACTERS

You exceeded the character size limit in a Menu Action, Prompt response,
Macro, or Parameter.

951     CANCELED, UNBALANCED {BRACES} IN ACTION TEXT!

HDM IV stopped the execution of the Menu Action when the number of left and
right braces didn't match.

953     CANCELED, &MACRO CALLS ITSELF!

HDM IV stopped the execution of the Menu Action because the Macro called
itself and would have resulted in a loop.

954     CANCELED, %PARAMETER CALLS ITSELF!

HDM IV stopped the execution of the Menu Action because the Macro Parameter
called itself and would have resulted in a loop.






                             Appendix 3:
                          TECHNICAL SUPPORT

If you've purchased a registered copy of HDM IV, you are eligible to receive
telephone Technical Support.  The phone number will be supplied in the
printed manual that comes with the complete registered version of HDM IV.

Before phoning, we suggest you first look at the index, table of contents, or
Appendix B of this manual, to find out if your question has already been
answered.

You can also contact Jim through CompuServe (ID: 73057,3113).  Leave a mail
message and Jim will reply to it.  You can also contact Jim at MicroFox Co.
through the mail:  P.O. Box 447, Richfield, Ohio, 44286-0447, USA.




                             Appendix 4:
                       ADDITIONAL PROGRAM: LIST

In addition to HDM IV, we've also provided another program on your disk. List
is a handy replacement for both DOS's type command and its print command. You
can use it to display or print any ASCII text file.

Unlike DOS's type command, List displays a file one screen at a time. To read
the next screen, all you have to do is press any key. To return to the DOS
prompt, just press Esc.

When used to print a file, List can add a left margin, print a header on each
page, adjust for the size of the printed pages, and print multiple copies.

The following is the syntax you use:

list [drive:\path\filename] [-p] [-m##] [-n] [-l###] [-c###]

If you don't enter the file name on the command line, List will ask for it.

-P will print the file -- the default is to display it on the screen.

-M and a number from 0 to 99 will print a left margin of that many spaces.

-N will not print headers on each page -- the default is to print headers.

-L and a number (1 to 250) tells List how many lines to print before a form
feed. -L0 tells List not issue any form feeds, that is, to continuously
print, and without any headers. The default is 60 lines.

-C and a number from 1 to 250 tells List how many copies to print -- the
default is 1.


                            The Authors

Jim Hass, the author of HDM IV, is a computer programmer who lives in
Richfield, Ohio. Jim is president of MicroFox Co., a software development
company, a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals, and a
certified data processor. (CDP)

Jim first wrote HDM using Basic in 1982 (HDM 1.0 to 2.1). HDM II, written in
Turbo Pascal 1.0, appeared in 1984 (HDM II 1.0 to 4.4). This was followed by
HDM III, written in Turbo Pascal 3.0, in 1986 (HDM III 1.0 to 3.0). And
latest version of HDM, HDM IV, written in Turbo Pascal 5.0, made its debut in
1988  (HDM IV 1.0 to 2.0).

Reid Goldsborough, the author of this manual, is a freelance writer and
computer and publishing consultant who lives in Philadelphia. Reid reviews
software for computer magazines; has written XyMacros, a shareware macro
collection for the word processor XyWrite; consults with writers and desktop
publishers buying and learning home computer systems; and has written for
national magazines and local publications.