ToolPAL 3.0 Contents
ToolPAL 3.0 Help Contents

For Help on Help, Press F1


How to Use ToolPAL 3.0

Here are "how to" topics to help you get a quick start to using ToolPAL 3.0.

How To:

Use ToolPAL 3.0

Use file folders

Switch between short and long menus

Build a simple program launch palette

Create and use a Program Manager menu button

Modify a buttons appearance

Group buttons together so the buttons stay together on one row when the palette is resized

Use ToolPAL with other Windows applications

Use a Startup Palette

Save and use Clip & Save objects

Build and use text templates

Record  and play back keyboard macros

Create a palette group in a ToolPAL button

Create and use Resource Monitor buttons

Create and use Window Manager buttons

Create and use Virtual Desktop buttons

Create and use Switch to Palette buttons

Create and use a System Information button

Create and use a Run Program button

Create and use an Exit Windows button

Create and use a Restart Windows button

Password-protect ToolPAL palettes from being changed

Create ToolPAL palettes without menus

Use ToolPAL command-line parameters


ToolPAL 3.0 Reference Organized by Menu Command

File Menu

Palette Menu

Desktop Menu

Edit Menu

Macro Menu

View Menu

Options Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu


ToolPAL 3.0 Features

ToolPAL 3.0 is an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use productivity tool you can use to create customized Windows tool palettes to use with any Windows application.  ToolPAL 3.0 has a point-and-click interface that lets you create tool palettes to launch programs, command Windows applications, store and retrieve Windows Clipboard objects, and manage nine virtual desktops.  You can design ToolPAL buttons to execute 20 different actions.  ToolPALs innovative and easily learned mouse-driven approach offers you a tool palette construction kit that is simple, powerful, and effective.  ToolPAL lets you standardize the way you work with Windows applications.  You can make the application palettes you use look the same--no matter what Windows application you use.

So what can ToolPAL palettes do? Here is a list of actions ToolPAL can do when you click on a button:

•	Launch any Windows or DOS application and control how the application is launched (application startup directory, parameters passed to the application, how the application is shown [minimized, maximized, or normal], the virtual desktop the application is started on, and a limit on multiple application instances). You can easily configure ToolPAL launch buttons using ToolPAL's Import from Program Manager feature, Windows File Manager drag and drop, and Windows 95 Explorer drag and drop.

ToolPAL automatically keeps track of the documents that you drag from the Windows File Manager or Windows 95 Explorer and drop on a ToolPAL button. When you click on a button that is managing documents, ToolPAL displays a menu of the documents associated with the button for you to choose the document you want to open. You can manage the documents associated with a button by choosing Launch List in the ToolPAL Edit menu.

•	Display a menu of applications to launch.  You can easily have a ToolPAL button display a menu for all of the applications in a specific Program Manager group or Windows 95 program group.

•	Execute any command in any Windows application.  ToolPAL comes preconfigured to work with Microsoft Office applications. You can easily add new applications using ToolPALs point-and-click user interface. After an application is configured, all you need to do is select the program command you want a button to execute from a list box.  ToolPAL offers many different options for commanding Windows applications such as: sending keystrokes, sending WM_COMMAND messages, and keyboard macros.

You can also have any ToolPAL palette window behave as an application's toolbar.  When the application is iconized, the toolbar automatically disappears.  When you exit the application, the toolbar is automatically closed.

•	Store and retrieve Clipboard objects. ToolPAL's Clip & Save database lets you easily store any type of standard Windows Clipboard object and associate it with a button. You can also store multiple objects and associate them with one button.  When you click on the button, a menu appears so you can select the object you want to paste into the Windows application you are working with.

•	Store and retrieve text templates. Using ToolPAL text templates, you can embed variable names in a text object before you save it.  When you click on a button to paste the text into an application, ToolPAL prompts you for the replacement text for each variable.  After you type in the text and choose OK, ToolPAL pastes the text into the application you are working with.  For repetitive work, ToolPAL remembers the text typed in for each variable.  All you need to do is select the text from a drop-down list.  Text templates are useful for form letters, worksheet templates, and programming templates.

•	Record and play back keyboard macros. Using ToolPAL you can easily record and play back keyboard macros that are focused on a single application.

•	Send user-defined key strokes to a Windows application.

•	Be a Windows Resource Monitor with resource alarms that provide Windows crash protection. A ToolPAL resource monitor button is constantly updated to let you know the state of your Windows system. To see more detail or set resource snapshots to monitor the state of your system, just click on the Resource Monitor button.

•	Be a Windows Task Manager.  ToolPAL offers a powerful Windows Task Manager. The ToolPAL Task Manager is a graphical display that shows the icon, window caption, window handle, and module handle for each active Windows application. Using the Task Manager, you can lock (or release) any window on top of your desktop. You can also move applications from one virtual desktop to another.  In addition, you can display detailed information about every active Windows application and DLL.  In emergency situations, you can terminate and remove any Windows executable or DLL from memory.

•	Switch to another ToolPAL palette.  Besides using ToolPAL file folders, you can also have a ToolPAL button switch to another ToolPAL palette.

•	Load another ToolPAL palette file. This feature lets you chain ToolPAL files together for building large ToolPAL applications.

•	Display another ToolPAL palette. Any ToolPAL button can hold another ToolPAL palette, which is called a child palette. Any button in a child palette can hold another child palette. There is no limit on the hierarchy of ToolPAL palettes. Child palettes can also be set up as cascading menus so they disappear after you click on the button.

•	Switch to a Virtual Desktop.  ToolPAL includes nine virtual desktops. You can easily switch to any desktop using a ToolPAL button or the ToolPAL menu.

•	Display system information.  ToolPAL can display, print, or save to an ASCII text file Windows system information, including MS-DOS version, Windows version, Windows mode, temp file directory, Windows directory, CPU type, available memory, User Memory, GDI memory, total conventional memory, total extended memory, swap file size, and available hard disk space for each local and network drive.

•	Run Windows and DOS applications. When you click on a ToolPAL Run button, a dialog is displayed that lets you type the name of the application you want to run or browse through the files on your hard disk to find an application to run. ToolPAL remembers all the applications you have run previously, so you can easily restart an application by choosing it from a drop-down list.

•	Exit Windows.

•	Restart Windows.

ToolPAL contains a wide range of layout tools. You can create simple palettes with buttons that have icons on them and all have the same size. You can also create palettes whose buttons vary in size using the built-in ToolPAL Button Editor.  You can put any combination of icons, text and bitmaps (16-color, 256-color, or 24-bit color) on buttons.  Text automatically wraps on buttons.  You can also specify any type of text and icon alignment you want, including left, middle, right, top, and bottom.  Palettes and their associated file folders can be any color or can use a Windows device-independent bitmap as their background.

If you have not had a chance yet, you should try the ToolPAL Welcome palette.  This palette overviews ToolPAL's features and demonstrates how they work.


How Lightning Power Controls 95 Works - An Overview of Palette and Palette Groups
How ToolPAL 3.0 Works - An Overview of Palette and Palette Groups

To understand how ToolPAL works, you need to know how ToolPAL is organized.  To start, lets look at the first ToolPAL window you see when ToolPAL is executed.  For example, let's look at the first window in the ToolPAL Welcome palette.

This window contains a group of ToolPAL palettes called a palette group.  The palette group in this window is referred to as the main palette group, because it is the palette group at the top of the ToolPAL hierarchy.

You can switch from palette to palette in a palette group using the ToolPAL Palette menu.  You can also configure buttons to switch from one palette to another when you left-click on the button.  The next button in the Welcome palette is configured to switch to the next palette in the palette group.

As you can see from the Welcome palette, you have the power to choose whatever your palettes look like.  Big, small, colorful, or plain...it's your choice. If you click on Next one time, you will see the following ToolPAL palette.

Each ToolPAL palette has buttons in it and any button can contain another ToolPAL palette group.  Each of these palette groups contains one or more palettes.  These palettes are sometimes called child palettes, because they have a parent palette above them in the ToolPAL hierarchy.

If you click on the ToolPAL button with the text "Have a bit of fun" beside it, a child palette appears that looks like the following figure.

The palette group in this ToolPAL palette has three palettes in it and each palette is in a file folder.  File folders are a convenient way for you to switch between palettes in a palette group.  Any of the buttons in this palette can contain another palette group.

This child palette group can contain one or more palettes.  Any button in any of the palettes in the child palette group can contain another palette group.

Here are some tips to help you create palette groups, palettes, and the buttons in them more quickly.

•	You can copy a palette and paste it into the current palette group or into a button in any ToolPAL palette.  The commands you use are: Copy Palette, Paste Palette Into Palette Window, and Paste Palette Into Button.  These commands are in the ToolPAL Edit menu.

•	You can copy a palette from one ToolPAL file into another ToolPAL file using the Edit commands described previously.

•	You can copy a buttons properties (including everything in the palette hierarchy that it contains) and paste it into another button in the same ToolPAL file or you can open another ToolPAL file and paste it into a button in that file.  The commands you use are Copy Button and Paste Button in the Edit menu.

•	Do you want to make all the buttons in a palette have the same properties such as color, font, and border width?  First copy a button with the properties you want using Copy Button in the Edit Menu and then use Paste to All Palette Buttons in the Edit menu to complete the task.


Use Lightning Power Controls 95
Use ToolPAL 3.0

ToolPAL 3.0 buttons give you push-button control over Windows and Windows applications.  ToolPAL 3.0 features describe all the capabilities ToolPAL 3.0 offers.  ToolPAL buttons can do the following tasks:

Launch an application

Execute any command in a Windows application

Store and play back Clip & Save objects

Store and play back text templates

Record and play back macros

Be a Windows Resource Monitor

Be a Windows Task Manager

Switch to other palettes

Switch to other Virtual Desktops


Switch Between Short and Long Menus

Long menus let you access all of ToolPAL's features for creating ToolPAL palettes.  Short menus only give you access to the ToolPAL features for using a palette--not modifying it. You can switch to Short Menus by choosing Short Menus from the ToolPAL View menu.  You can switch from Short Menus to Long Menus by choosing Long Menus from the ToolPAL View menu.

You can also password-protect a ToolPAL palette that you create by requiring that users of your palette type in a password before they can switch from Short to Long Menus.  To find out how to password−protect a ToolPAL palette, go to the Password Protect ToolPAL Palettes From Being Changed topic.


Build a Simple Program Launch Palette

After you create a new ToolPAL palette by choosing New in the ToolPAL File menu, ToolPAL will display a palette with 12 buttons in it.  After ToolPAL displays this palette, you can easily change the size and number of buttons in the palette by choosing Palette from the ToolPAL Options menu.  Using the Palette Options dialog, you can choose the size and number of buttons you want displayed in your ToolPAL palette.  You can also use this dialog to:

•	Give your ToolPAL palette a customized caption.

•	Attach a Windows application to the palette

•	Create additional palettes

After you have set up your palette to have the buttons you want, you can easily drag and drop Windows and DOS applications from the Windows File Manager or the Windows 95 Explorer to create ToolPAL launch buttons.

You can also use the Button Action dialog to select the application you want to launch.  To open the Button Action dialog:

1.	Click the right mouse button on the button you want to configure as a launch button.

2.	When the menu appears, choose Button Action from the Edit menu.

3.	Choose Launch Windows Application from the Action drop-down list and the dialog will dynamically change to let you specify the application you want launch--as well as how you want it launched.

4.	Type in the application name to launch in the Application to Launch edit box or click on  the Find Exe button so you can choose the application to launch.

5.	Choose Apply & Close to complete the operation.

Shortcut Tip:  You can also hold down the <Control> key and left-click on the button you want to configure to display the Button Action dialog box.

Convenience Tip:  After the Button Action dialog box is displayed, you can use it to configure as many palette buttons as you want.  After you have selected the properties for a button, choose the Apply button, instead of Apply & Close.  Then click on another button in your palette that you want to configure, choose the options for it, and click on Apply again to make your selections permanent.  After you have finished, choose either Apply & Close or Close to close the dialog box.


Create and Use a Program Manager Menu Button

Whenever you click on a Program Manager menu button, it displays a graphical menu (similar to the one in the Windows 95 taskbar) of programs for you to launch as shown in the following figure:

To create a Program Manager menu button:

1.	Click the right mouse button on the button you want to configure as a Program Manager menu button.

2.	When the menu appears, choose Button Action from the Edit menu.

3.	Choose Display Program Group Menu from the Action drop-down list and the dialog will dynamically change to let you specify the Program Manger group you want a menu for--as well as whether or not you want to allow multiple instances of the applications you launch using the menu.

4.	Choose Apply to complete the operation. You can now continue to configure actions for other buttons by clicking on them or close the dialog to test your button.


Modify a Button's Appearance

You can customize buttons to display any combination of icons, text, and bitmaps.  You can make buttons (background, highlight, and shadow) any color you want.  You can easily select the button depth and even make buttons transparent so a palette background bitmap shows through the button.  All of the appearance options for customizing a button are accessible through the Button Appearance dialog.

After you open the Button Appearance dialog, you can work on all the buttons in a palette without having to close it and reopen it for each button.  Just select the appearance options for the button you are working on, click on the Apply button in the Button Appearance dialog to apply your changes, and then click on the next button in the palette to make it the focus of your work.  For detailed information on how to modify a button's appearance, see the Button Appearance dialog topic.


Use Lightning Power Controls 95 with Other Windows Applications
Use ToolPAL 3.0 with Other Windows Applications

One of ToolPAL's most powerful features is its ability to work with any Windows application as the application's tool bar.  For example, the following picture shows a ToolPAL palette that was constructed to work with Microsoft Visual C++.

To access any of the application's functions, all you need to do is click on the button that's associated with an application menu command.

Add a new ToolPAL palette to an existing palette group that commands a Windows application.

1.	Make sure that the Windows application you want to create a palette for is running.

2.	Choose Palette in the ToolPAL Options menu to display the Palette Options dialog box.

3.	Left-click on the Add button to create a new palette.

4.	When the Add Palette dialog appears, type in the name for your new palette and choose OK.

5.	Choose the application you want to command from the Application to Command drop-down list.  If the application to command is not in the list, left-click on the Add button to display the Add Application to Command dialog box.

6.	Choose the application file name in the list box and choose OK.

7.	Choose Apply or Apply & Close in the Palette Options dialog box to complete the operation.

Create a toolbar that commands a Windows application.

Using ToolPAL, you can create toolbars for applications that act as the application's toolbar.  Some of the features ToolPAL toolbars have are:

•	When you left-click on a button to display the ToolPAL toolbar window, the application is automatically launched.

•	The ToolPAL toolbar window floats on top of the application as its child window.

•	When you iconize the application, the ToolPAL toolbar window disappears.  When you restore the application, the ToolPAL toolbar window reappears.

•	You can hide the ToolPAL window by pressing Esc when the ToolPAL window has the focus or by double-clicking on the ToolPAL window's caption bar.  The ToolPAL window reappears when you press the hot key that's defined for it in the Palette Options dialog for the ToolPAL palette.

•	When you exit the application, the ToolPAL window exits.  ToolPAL and its main window still remain active.

Using this feature, you can command as many Windows applications as you want--all at the same time.  Here is what you need to do to set up a ToolPAL palette group and its palette window as an application's toolbar:

1.	Create a button with a palette group inside it.  To find out how to do this, go to the topic Create a palette group in a ToolPAL button.

2.	Make sure that the Windows application you want to command is running.

3.	Display the palette inside the button by clicking on the button.

4.	Choose Palette in the ToolPAL Options menu to display the Palette Options dialog box.  Make sure to right-click on the palette window you want to command the application with.

5.	Choose the application you want to command from the Application to Command drop-down list.  If the application to command is not in the list, left-click on the Add button to display the Add Application to Command dialog box.

6.	Choose the application file name in the list box and choose OK.

7.	If you want the palette window to work as the application's toolbar, choose the "Apply to All Palettes in Group" and "Make Palette the Application's Toolbar" options.

8.	Choose Apply or Apply & Close in the Palette Options dialog box to complete the operation.

9.	Close the palette window. The palette will not become active until it's closed and reopened.

10.	Left-click on the button that the palette is in to display the ToolPAL window and the application it is commanding.

At this point you have created a new palette for using with the Windows application of your choice.  While you are working in the Palette Options dialog box, you can also:

•	Choose the size of the buttons in your palette.

•	Choose how many rows and columns of buttons you want.

•	Choose palette options, such as automatically launching the application you associated with the palette, displaying the name of the palette on the window caption bar, and remembering the last palette open when you start ToolPAL.

After you have finished your work in the Palette Options dialog, your next step is to associate the buttons in your palette with menu commands in the Windows application you selected in the Palette Options dialog box.  To associate the buttons in your palette with menu commands:

1.	Point the cursor at the palette button you want to configure and press the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu. (Shortcut: Hold down the Control key and click the left mouse button on the button you want to configure.)

2.	Choose Button Action from the Edit menu to display the Button Action dialog box.

3.	Choose Send Program Command from the Action drop-down list and the dialog will dynamically change to display the Program Command to Send list box.

4.	Choose the menu command you want the button to send to the application and click on Apply to configure the button.

Now that you have configured one button, you can configure the rest of the buttons in your palette--without closing the Button Action dialog.  Just click on the button in your palette that you want to configure, select the command in the application you want the button to send, and choose Apply.

If you want to choose an icon (or other appearance options) for your palette buttons while you are configuring their action, click on the Appearance button in the Button Action dialog to display the Button Appearance dialog box.

Tip:  If you don't have enough screen space to effectively work with and see your palette, the Button Action, and the Button Appearance dialog all at the same time, configure what you want your buttons to look like before you choose their purpose.  It's pretty easy to forget the purpose you configured for a blank button.  It's much easier to pick an icon for a button that shows what a button is going to do and then select its purpose afterward.


Use File Folders

File folders are a powerful ToolPAL feature that's completely automatic.  If you choose to use file folders, you can easily switch between the palettes displayed in a ToolPAL window by clicking on a file folder tab.  For example, the following palette has six palettes.  Five of the six palettes use file folders.

You can easily switch to any of the five palettes by clicking on its file folder tab.  File folders are turned on by default whenever you create a new ToolPAL file.  To turn file folders on and off for all the palettes in a ToolPAL palette group, check or uncheck the "Display folders for all palettes in group" option in the Palette Options dialog.  To display (or not) a specific palette in a file folder, check or uncheck the "Display file folder for this palette" option in the Palette Options dialog.

Note:  You can always switch to any ToolPAL palette using the Palette menu.

Tip:  One of the palettes you may not want to display in a file folder is Startup.  The Startup palette is used for launching applications and displaying palettes like the Startup Program Manager group in Windows.  For more information on Startup palettes, go to the Use a Startup Palette topic.


Use a Startup Palette

If you name any ToolPAL palette Startup in the main palette group, ToolPAL will automatically launch any Windows applications you put in the Startup palette.  ToolPAL also lets you put child palettes inside the buttons of a Startup palette.  These palettes are automatically displayed when ToolPAL opens the palette file.

In most cases, you will want to set up a Startup palette and not want to see a file folder tab for it along with the other ToolPAL palettes in the file.  All you need to do to turn off a file folder tab is to uncheck the "Display file folder for this palette" option for the Startup palette in the Palette Options dialog.  When you use ToolPAL file folder palettes, you can easily choose the palettes you want file folder tabs for by turning this option on and off for each palette in the Palette Options dialog.

Here are some tips to remember when you use a ToolPAL Startup palette:

•	The palette must be called Startup, but the name is case insensitive.

•	You can have only one Startup palette in a ToolPAL file.

•	The only button actions that will be executed in a Startup palette when it is opened are Launch Application and Display Palette.


File Folder Tab

Left-click on one of these file folder tabs to switch to another ToolPAL palette in the same button group.


ToolPAL buttons

Left-click on a button to have it execute what you have configured it to do.


Save and Use Clip & Save Objects

Using ToolPAL, you can easily save one or more Windows Clipboard objects and associate them with a ToolPAL button.  Clip & Save objects are saved and managed for you in separate ToolPAL Clip & Save files. You can save up to 1,200 Clip & Save objects in a ToolPAL Clip & Save file.  When you configure a ToolPAL Clip & Save button, you can choose any name you want for your Clip & Save file.  The following topics explain how to store, play back, and manage ToolPAL Clip & Save objects:

Saving Clip & Save objects in a ToolPAL button

Playing back Clip & Save objects

Managing ToolPAL Clip & Save objects


Build and Use Text Templates

ToolPAL text templates are blocks of text you copy to the Clipboard that have embedded variables names inside of the text.  Before the text is pasted into an application by ToolPAL, you will be prompted for the replacement values of the variables defined in the text.  Here is an example of how it works:

1.	To define variables in a text block, you need to define starting and ending delimiters for the variable names that will appear in the text.  Delimiters can be up to two characters.  The starting delimiter and the ending delimiter must be different.  You define delimiters along with other Clipboard object options in the Button Action dialog box.  For this example, let's use "<<" as the starting delimiter and ">>" as the ending delimiter.  Here is the text block that will be copied to the Clipboard and associated with a ToolPAL button when we store it in a ToolPAL Clip & Save file:

<<todays date>>

<<customer first name>> <<customer last name>>

<<addr line 1>>

<<addr line 2>>

<<addr line 3>>

Dear <<customer first name>>,

I just wanted to write you a short note to thank you for buying ToolPAL 3.0.  I hope you will find it to be a useful product.  ToolPAL 3.0 was designed to make Windows faster and easier to use by increasing your day-to-day productivity.  If you have any problems or questions about using ToolPAL, please feel free to contact me via CompuServe.  My CompuServe id number is <<CompuServe ID>>.

Regards,

Arthur English

2.	Notice how each variable name is enclosed in "<<  >>".  You can repeat variable names in the text.  You will only have to fill in the replacement value once for each different variable name.

3.	After the Clip & Save options have been set in the Button Action dialog and the text has been saved and associated with a ToolPAL button, all you need to do is click on the ToolPAL button to play back the text template.

4.	When you click on the ToolPAL button, the Paste Data Template dialog appears for you to type in the replacement values for the variables defined in the text template.  You can move between fields by clicking on them with the mouse or using the <Ctrl>+up and <Ctrl>+down arrow keys.

5.	When you are finished, choose OK and the following text will be pasted into your application:

June 1, 1995

Bill Gates

Microsoft Corporation

1 Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA 98052

Dear Bill ,

I just wanted to write you a short note to thank you for buying ToolPAL 3.0.  I hope you will find it to be a useful product.  ToolPAL 3.0 was designed to make Windows faster and easier to use by increasing your day-to-day productivity.  If you have any problems or questions about using ToolPAL, please feel free to contact me via CompuServe.  My CompuServe id number is 72662,305.

Regards,

Arthur English


Record and Play Back Keyboard Macros

After you have associated a Windows application with a ToolPAL palette, you can easily record and play back keyboard macros to that application.  Keyboard macros are kept in a separate file for each macro stored in the TOOLPAL\MACROS directory.

You can record a macro and associate it with a ToolPAL button that has not been assigned a purpose yet or a ToolPAL button configured as a macro button.  If you record a new macro and associate it with a ToolPAL button that already has a macro, you will overwrite and destroy the previous macro.

To record a macro:

1.	Point the cursor at the ToolPAL button you want to associate with the macro and press the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu.

2.	Choose Start Recording in the Macro menu. A red rectangle appears around the button to indicate which button is recording the macro.

3.	Perform the actions you want to record using the keyboard.  ToolPAL does not record any mouse events.

4.	Choose Stop Recording in the ToolPAL Macro menu to complete the macro.

5.	You can now test and play back the macro by clicking on the ToolPAL button you associated with the macro.

Tip: Sometimes you will not always be able to associate an application menu command with a ToolPAL button.  Maybe the application creates its menus dynamically, preventing ToolPAL from reading the application's menus correctly.  If this occurs, you can always record a ToolPAL macro to execute the menu command.

Tip: It's a very useful idea to have a palette button available for recording and playing back ad hoc macros in a Windows application.  These are not macros you want to keep around forever.  These are macros that serve a one-time purpose to make doing repetitive tasks easier.


Create a palette in a LPC 95 button
Create a Palette in a ToolPAL Button

Any ToolPAL button can have another ToolPAL palette and its palette group stored inside it.  ToolPAL palettes are organized in a hierarchy.  You can create an unlimited number of palettes that are at the top of the palette hierarchy.  You can switch between palettes using the ToolPAL Palette menu.  You can also configure a ToolPAL button to switch to another palette within its palette group palette when you left-click on a button.

Palettes and their palette groups can be put inside any ToolPAL button in any palette.  You can configure a palette to have one of two different styles:

•	Palettes that are a window may have a window caption, system menu, and a minimize button.  You can move them on the screen, hide them, roll them up, and iconize them.

•	Palettes configured as a menu palette behave like a cascading menu--they appear when you click on the button they are in. When you click on a button in the menu palette to do an action, the palette disappears.

To create a palette inside a button:

1.	Open the Button Action dialog box by pointing to the button you want to put the palette and its palette group inside of, by right-clicking the mouse to display the ToolPAL menu, and choosing Button Action in the ToolPAL Edit menu.

2.	After the Button Action dialog box is displayed, choose Display Palette in the Action drop-down list.  The Button Action dialog will dynamically change to display the options for displaying a child palette.

3.	Type in a name to identify the palette.

4.	Choose the child palette type from the drop-down list.

5.	If you want to create an array of buttons in the palette that all have the same size, check the Button Array option and type in the values for button height, width, rows, and columns.

6.	Type in whatever you want to appear for the Button Help.

7.	Choose Appearance to display the Button Appearance dialog to configure how you want the parent button to look.

8.	Choose either Apply or Apply & Close to finish configuring the button.

9.	Left-click on the button to test its operation.

Tip:  Because of the way a menu palette works, it is impossible to configure the buttons inside it.  For example, since the palette closes automatically when you click anywhere on the desktop, it is impossible to drag and drop files from File Manager onto a menu palette to create launch buttons.  The way to remedy this is to configure a menu palette as a window palette first.  Then you can easily configure the buttons in it.  After you have finished, change the palette type to menu palette.


Group Buttons into Button Groups

One of the visual things that ToolPAL can do is to put buttons into button groups so when you resize the palette, the buttons stay together on one row in the palette.  This feature is similar to the way the toolbars behave in Microsoft Office applications.  The following picture shows what a ToolPAL window with button groups looks like.

To setup button groups in a palette, do the following steps:

1.	Choose the palette you want to configure by making sure that it's the current palette and display the Palette Sizing dialog using the ToolPAL menu or left-clicking on the Palette Sizing push button in the Button Editor dialog.

2.	Turn on Auto Arrange in the Palette Sizing dialog.

3.	Choose how you want the margins and button spacing to be for your palette.  Make sure that the button group spacing is larger than the space between buttons.

4.	Choose OK to close the Palette Sizing dialog.

5.	Open the Button Editor dialog using the ToolPAL menu or by pressing function key F2.

6.	Turn Auto Arrange OFF in the Button Editor dialog.

7.	Arrange the buttons into groups by selecting them and dragging them with the Button Editor dialog open.  Make sure that button groups are spaced farther apart than the button group spacing you specified in the Palette Sizing dialog.

8.	After you have finished arranging the buttons, turn Auto Arrange ON in the Button Editor dialog.

9.	Your ToolPAL palette should now look the way you set it up in the Palette Sizing dialog.  If you want to fine-tune the button spacing some more, you need to go back to step 1 and start over.

10.	Choose OK to close the Button Editor dialog when you are finished.


Create and Use Resource Monitor Buttons

You can use the ToolPAL Resource Monitor to check the levels of total free memory and Windows System Resources on your system.  A Resource Monitor button and its associated Resource Monitor window show the level of Windows System Resources currently available on your system.

Each application you open uses System Resource memory.  If the level of System Resources gets too low, you may not be able to open new applications. The Resource Monitor bars turn from green to yellow to red to indicate the level of System Resources that you have left.

The following figure shows a ToolPAL palette with the two types of Resource Monitor buttons you can configure, as well as the Resource Monitor window:

To configure a Resource Monitor button:

1.	Open the Button Action dialog by pointing to the button you want to be a Resource Monitor button, press the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu, and choose Button Action in the ToolPAL Edit menu. You can also hold down the <Control> key and click on the button you want to configure to display the Button Action dialog box.

2.	After the Button Action dialog box is displayed, choose Resource Monitor in the Action drop-down list.

3.	One of the features of the ToolPAL Resource Monitor is the Resource Monitor Alarm.  If you set any of the Resource Monitor alarm settings, ToolPAL will display a Resource Monitor alarm to let you know if System Resources have dropped below the point you specified.

4.	Choose the Resource Monitor Mode, either Bar Graph or Monitor one System Resource.

5.	Choose whether or not you want memory compacted.  Usually you can leave this option off.  If you are testing a Windows application using SnapShots, then turn this option on.  It will guarantee more accurate testing.  When this option is on, it forces Windows to discard unused memory blocks every time ToolPAL checks the state of System Resources.

6.	Choose Timer frequency in seconds.  This tells ToolPAL how often to check on System Resources.  This is the same timer that is used to tell ToolPAL when to update the clock.  Recommended setting is 1.

7.	Choose Appearance to display the Button Appearance dialog to configure how you want the button to look.

8.	Choose either Apply or Apply & Close to finish configuring the Resource Monitor button.

9.	Left-click on the button to test its operation.


Create and use Window Manager buttons

A Window Manager button displays the ToolPAL Window Manager whenever you click on it.

To create a Window Manager button:

1.	Open the Button Action dialog box by pointing to the button you want to be a Window Manager button, press the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu, and choose Button Action in the ToolPAL Edit menu. You can also hold down the <Control> key and click on the button you want to configure to display the Button Action dialog box.

2.	After the Button Action dialog box is displayed, choose Window Manager in the Action drop-down list.  Their are no other options to select.

3.	Choose Appearance to display the Button Appearance dialog to configure how you want the button to look.

4.	Choose either Apply or Apply & Close to finish configuring the button.

5.	Left-click on the button to test its operation.

ToolPAL is not just a replacement for the Windows Task Manager--ToolPAL also provides more features than the Windows Task Manager.  Besides letting you easily switch between applications, the ToolPAL Window Manager lets you lock Windows on top of the desktop using a TopIT button and move windows from one virtual desktop to another using the MoveIT button.  Let's see how to configure a ToolPAL Task Manager button; then we will find out how to use it.

When you click on the Window Manager button, the following dialog appears:

The Window Manager window lets you manage the visible windows on your desktop.  Using this window, you can switch between windows, lock a window on top of the desktop, move a window from one virtual desktop to another, close a Windows application by sending a close message to its main window, and access the ToolPAL Task Manager, as shown in the next dialog:

The ToolPAL Task Manager lets you see the current tasks running in Windows, find out further information about a Windows task, and terminate Windows tasks.

Warning: Terminating an application can leave Windows in an unstable state, depending on the state of the application being terminated.

You can display the ToolPAL Task Info for a specific task by highlighting it in the list box and clicking on the Info button:


Create and Use Virtual Desktop Buttons

It is very easy to create a button that is linked to a specific virtual desktop. To create a Virtual Desktop button:

1.	Open the Button Action dialog box by pointing to the button you want to be a Virtual Desktop button, press the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu, and choose Button Action in the ToolPAL Edit menu. You can also hold down the <Control> key and click on the button you want to configure to display the Button Action dialog box.

2.	After the Button Action dialog box is displayed, choose Switch to Desktop in the Action drop-down list.

3.	The Button Action dialog will dynamically change to show a drop-down list that lists the nine available virtual desktops.  Just select the desktop you want to link to this button.

4.	Choose Appearance to display the Button Appearance dialog to configure how you want the button to look.

5.	Choose either Apply or Apply & Close to finish configuring the button.

6.	Left-click on the button to test its operation.

Note:  ToolPAL always keeps the virtual desktop button associated with the current virtual desktop depressed to indicate which virtual desktop you are on.


Create and Use Switch to Palette Buttons

It is very easy to create a button that is linked to another palette.  To create a Palette Switch button:

1.	Open the Button Action dialog box by pointing to the button you want to be a Palette Switch button, press the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu, and choose Button Action in the ToolPAL Edit menu. You can also hold down the <Control> key and click on the button you want to configure to display the Button Action dialog box.

2.	After the Button Action dialog box is displayed, choose Switch to Palette in the Action drop-down list.

3.	The Button Action dialog will dynamically change to show a list box that lists the palettes available.  Select the palette you want to link to this button.

Using this list, you can choose a palette to switch to from the current palette group or the one above it in the ToolPAL hierarchy.  ToolPAL uses "[..]" to indicate the palette name is in the group above the current palette--not the current palette group.

ToolPAL gives you an unlimited hierarchy of palette groups, palettes, and buttons.  When we created the ability to have a Contents menu in the Welcome palette, we recognized that having the ability to switch between palettes in the current palette group was too limiting.  Because of this, the feature was added to switch to a palette in either the current palette group or the one above it.

4.	Choose Appearance to display the Button Appearance dialog to configure how you want the button to look.

5.	Choose either Apply or Apply & Close to finish configuring the button.

6.	Left-click on the button to test its operation.


Create and Use a System Information Button

To create a System Information button, choose System Information for the button type in the Button Action dialog. To use a System Information button, just click on it to display the System Information window.


Create and Use a Run Program Button

To create a Run Program button, choose Run Program for the button type in the Button Action dialog. To use a Run Program button, just click on it to display the Run  dialog to choose a program to run.


Create and Use a Exit Windows Button
Create and Use an Exit Windows Button

To create an Exit Windows button, choose Exit Windows for the button type in the Button Action dialog. To use an Exit Windows button, just click on it to terminate your Windows session.


Create and Use a Restart Windows Button

To create a Restart Windows button, choose Restart Windows for the button type in the Button Action dialog. To use a Restart Windows button, just click on it to terminate and restart your Windows session.


Password protect ToolPAL palettes from being changed
Password-Protect ToolPAL Palettes from Being Changed

If you are creating palettes for others to use and dont want them to modify your palettes, you can easily password-protect your palettes from being changed.  To password-protect a palette:

1.	Choose Change Password in the ToolPAL Options menu to display the Change Password dialog box.

2.	Type in the password for your palette twice.

3.	Choose OK to make the password permanent.

4.	Choose Save with Short Menus in the ToolPAL File menu to save your palette file and have it start in Short-Menu mode the next time you open it.

After you open a palette in short-menu mode and try to switch from Short to Long Menus, you will be prompted for a password.  If you dont know the password, you will not be allowed to switch from Short to Long menus.

To delete a password:

1.	Choose Change Password in the ToolPAL Options menu when you are in long-menu mode to display the Change Password dialog box.

2.	Delete the highlighted password.

3.	Choose OK to make the deletion permanent.

Warning: After you have set up a password for your palette, you must know it to be able to switch from Short to Long menus to be able to modify your palette and change your password.  Your password is coded and made a part of the palette file.  There is no way to find out a palette password that you forgot.


Create ToolPAL Palettes Without Menus

To create a ToolPAL palette without any menus, choose Save with No Menus in the ToolPAL File menu.  When you choose this command, you will always be prompted for a new file name in the same way Save As works.

Creating palettes without menus lets you distribute ToolPAL palettes to others where they cannot change the palettes you have set up. Please remember that ToolPAL is a copyrighted software program and cannot be distributed free to others.  All ToolPAL users must purchase a copy of ToolPAL from Artistry, Inc. to be able to use the program.  That said, here are a few tips on creating palettes without menus.

•	Make sure to keep a backup file of your work that has menus so you can update and change the file if you want to.

•	When you distribute the palettes, you might want to take advantage of the ToolPAL command-line option.  Using this feature, you can set up a Program Manager icon that always executes the same ToolPAL file.  For example, to always have ToolPAL execute and open the ToolPAL file, mypal.tp, use the following command line:

toolpal.exe mypal.tp

•	You can also modify the user's ToolPAL.ini file to always open the same file.  To always open mypal.tp, make sure the following parameter is in ToolPAL.ini:

LastAppOpen=C:\TOOLPAL\MYPAL.TP


How to Use ToolPAL Command Line Parameters
How to Use ToolPAL 3.0 Command-Line Parameters

ToolPAL 3.0 makes use of command-line parameters to open a new file or to open a specific file.  To have ToolPAL start a new file when it executes, type in the following command line when you run ToolPAL from Program Manager, File Manager, or the Windows 95 Explorer:

TOOLPAL.EXE /N

Note: ToolPAL is case insensitive to command-line parameters.  You can also set up an icon in either Program Manager or the Windows 95 task bar that takes advantage of ToolPAL command-line parameters.

To have ToolPAL open a specific file when it executes, such as mypal.tp, use the following command line:

TOOLPAL.EXE MYPAL.TP


 File Menu

File menu commands

The File menu offers the following commands:

New	Creates a new ToolPAL palette.

Open	Opens an existing ToolPAL palette.

Merge Command File	Merges a new ToolPAL command file with the current ToolPAL command file.

Import Program Manager Items	Displays the Import Program Manager Items dialog.

Use DDE to Import ... 	Imports Program Manger groups files for ToolPAL to use in the Import from Program Manager dialog and Program Manager menus.

Close Palette	Closes a child palette window.

Save	Saves the ToolPAL palette using the same file name.

Save As	Saves the ToolPAL palette to a specified file name.

Save With No Menus 	Saves the ToolPAL palette without menus.

Save With Short Menus	Saves the ToolPAL palette in Short Menu mode.

Run 	Displays the Run dialog.

File List	Open a ToolPAL palette using a list of the last four ToolPAL palettes opened.

Exit ToolPAL 3.0	Exits ToolPAL 3.0.

Exit Windows	Exits ToolPAL 3.0 and Windows.

Restart Windows	Exits ToolPAL 3.0 and Windows and restarts Windows.


New

Choose New to create a new palette for saving as a new palette file.  The first palette ToolPAL creates has 12 buttons in it, three rows by four columns.  You can easily change the number of buttons in the palette, the size of the buttons, and the number of rows and columns by choosing Palette in the ToolPAL Options menu to display the Palette Options dialog. After the Palette Options dialog is displayed, click on the Create Button Array push button to create a palette where you can choose button size, number of rows, and number or button columns.


Open

Choose Open to display the File Open dialog to choose a ToolPAL palette file to open.


Merge Command File

ToolPAL uses two types of files for storing information about its palettes:  ToolPAL files that have the .TP file extension and ToolPAL command files that have a .TPC file extension.  ToolPAL command files keep track of the Windows applications ToolPAL works with and how to communicate with them.  For example, ToolPAL comes with a default command file DEFAULT.TPC, that contains the menu structures for Windows applications such as Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0, the Windows 3.1 File Manager, and other Windows applications.

If you want to merge a command file from another ToolPAL palette into the command file of the current palette, choose the Merge command.  After you have selected the ToolPAL command file in the Open ToolPAL Command File dialog box and clicked on OK, the ToolPAL command file is merged with the ToolPAL command file associated with your current palette file.

Note:  No duplicate applications are allowed.  For example, if your current command file already has Lotus Organizer in it and the ToolPAL command file you are merging with it has Lotus Organizer in it too, the record for Lotus Organizer in the command file your are merging will not be added to your current ToolPAL command file.  If you want the record in the ToolPAL command file to override your current record, you should delete the current record in your ToolPAL command file first.  You can easily delete any Windows application record in a ToolPAL command file by deleting it using the ToolPAL Palette Options dialog box.


Import Program Manager Items

Choose Import Program Manager Items to display the Import Program Manager Items dialog to create launch buttons from items in Windows Program Manager groups.


Use DDE to Import Program Manager Groups

ToolPAL imports all the information it needs about Program Manager groups at program startup.  This information is used in the ToolPAL Import from Program Manager dialog box and the ToolPAL button action Program Manager menus.

After ToolPAL imports this information from Program Manager using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), it is written to the file TPPM.MNU in the ToolPAL working directory.  If ToolPAL does not detect a change in the number of Program Manager groups at startup, it reads this file to set up its Program Manager groups instead of using DDE to import the information from Program Manager. This is done to speed up the ToolPAL initialization process.

If you want to import this information using DDE every time ToolPAL starts, choose the "Import Program Manager groups every time ToolPAL starts" option in the ToolPAL Application Options dialog.  You can also choose this command to import Program Manager group information at any time and save the information in the file TPPM.MNU.


Close Palette

Choose Close Palette to close the child palette window that is active when you click the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu.  The Close Palette menu item is grayed when you display a menu on the main ToolPAL window that contains the main palette group.

You cannot close the main window that the main palette group is in, but you can:

•	Iconize and put the ToolPAL icon behind all the other windows on the desktop by double-clicking the left mouse button on the ToolPAL window caption.

•	Iconize the ToolPAL window by clicking the left mouse button on the ToolPAL minimize button (the button on the right side of the ToolPAL window caption).

•	Exit ToolPAL by choosing Exit in the ToolPAL File menu.

•	Exit ToolPAL by double-clicking the left mouse button on the ToolPAL System menu button (the button on the left side of the ToolPAL window caption).


Save

Choose Save to save your palette modifications to the current ToolPAL palette file.  If you are working on a new palette file, you will be prompted for a file name the first time you choose Save.


Save As

Choose Save As to save your current palette file using a new name.


Save With No Menus

Choose Save With No Menus to save the current palette file. The next time the palette file is opened, it will no longer have any menus. Once a file has been saved with no menus, you will NEVER be able to use menus with it again. Make sure you make a backup copy of the file with menus, if you want to modify the palettes in the file later on.


Save With Short Menus

Choose Save With Short Menus to save the current palette file.  The next time the palette file is opened, it will open with Short Menus instead of Long Menus.


Run

Choose Run to display the Run dialog so you can run any Windows or MS-DOS program.


File List

As a shortcut convenience, ToolPAL keeps a list of the four most recent ToolPAL palette files you opened.  Choose one of these file names to open the ToolPAL palette file.


Exit
Exit ToolPAL 3.0

Choose Exit ToolPAL 3.0 to exit the ToolPAL application.  If you have made modifications to your ToolPAL file, you will be prompted to save your file before ToolPAL exits.


Exit Windows

Choose Exit Windows to exit Microsoft Windows and return to MS-DOS.  This command can be very useful if Program Manager crashes.  Instead of rebooting your PC, you can use Exit Windows to get back to MS-DOS.  If you want to stay in Windows and recover from a Program Manager crash, choose Restart Windows instead.


Restart Windows

Choose Restart Windows to exit Microsoft Windows and return to Microsoft Windows.  This command is very useful if Program Manager crashes.  Instead of rebooting your PC, you can use Restart Windows.


Palette Menu

The palette menu lists the names of all the ToolPAL palettes you have created in the current palette group.  You can switch to a palette by choosing the palette name from this menu.  ToolPAL lets you build as many palettes as you want in a palette group.


Desktop Menu

The Desktop menu lists the nine Virtual Desktops ToolPAL provides. You can switch to a Virtual Desktop by choosing it from this menu.  For more information on Virtual Desktops, go to the Create and Use Virtual Desktop Buttons topic.


Edit Menu

Edit menu commands

The Edit menu offers the following commands:

Button Editor	Displays the Button Editor dialog to edit a palette and the buttons inside it.

Button Action 	Displays the Button Action dialog.

Button Appearance 	Displays the Button Appearance dialog to modify a button's appearance.

Clear Button	Clears all the properties of a button except size and location.

Copy Button	Copies a button's properties so they can be used for pasting into another button.

Paste Button	Pastes the Clipboard's button's properties into a button.

Paste to All Palette Buttons	Pastes the Clipboard's button's properties into all the buttons in the palette.

NewPalette  	Creates a new palette in the palette window.

Cut Palette 	Cuts the current palette and puts it into the ToolPAL Clipboard.

Copy Palette 	Copies the current palette and puts it into the ToolPAL Clipboard.

Paste Palette Into Palette Window 	Pastes the ToolPAL palette thats in the ToolPAL Clipboard into the active palette window.

Paste Palette Into Button 	Pastes the ToolPAL palette that's in the ToolPAL Clipboard into the button you are pointing at.

Save Clip & Save Data	Saves data in standard Windows Clipboard formats into a button.

Clip & Save File Contents	Displays the View Clipboard File Contents dialog.

Launch List 	Displays the Launch List dialog.


Button Editor

Choose Button Editor to display the Button Editor dialog to modify the size, location, and alignment of buttons in the current palette.


Button Properties
Button Action

Choose this menu command to display the Button Action dialog to configure the action you want a button to do when it's clicked on.


Appearance
Button Appearance

Choose Button Appearance to display the Button Appearance dialog to modify the appearance of the selected button.  This menu item will be grayed and disabled if you are not pointing to a button when the menu is displayed.


Clear Button

Choose Clear Button to delete all the button's properties, but not to delete the button.  To delete a button, choose Button Editor in the Edit menu to display the Button Editor dialog.

When this dialog is displayed, you can delete a button by selecting it and using the Delete button or pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.

Warning:  All button properties are deleted--including the palette this button contains and palettes contained in other buttons in the button-palette hierarchy.


Copy Button

Choose Copy Button to copy a button's properties to be used for pasting into other ToolPAL buttons.

Note:  All button properties are copiedincluding the palette this button can contain and palettes contained in other buttons in the button-palette hierarchy.


Paste Button

Choose Paste Button to put the button properties that you copied into the ToolPAL Clipboard into another button.

Note:  All button properties are pasted--including the palette the button in the Clipboard may contain and palettes contained in buttons in palettes further in the button-palette hierarchy.


Paste to All Palette Buttons

Choose Paste to All Palette Buttons to put the palette properties that you copied into the ToolPAL Clipboard into all the buttons in the palette. This is an easy way to have ToolPAL set up all your palette buttons with the same font, border size, color, etc.

Note:  All button properties are pasted--including the palette the button in the Clipboard may contain and palettes contained in buttons in palettes further in the button-palette hierarchy.


New Palette

Choose New Palette to create a new palette inside the active window and palette group.  This command will display the New Palette Dialog  for you to specify the new palettes name.

Note:  If all of the buttons in the current palette are the same size, New Palette will create a new palette that has the same number of buttons that are in the current palette. The buttons in the new palette will also be the same size as the buttons in the current palette.  If the buttons in the current palette are not the same size, a default palette is created with 12 buttons that are 40 pixels high and 40 pixels wide.


Cut Palette

Choose Cut Palette to cut or delete the current palette inside the active window and put it into the ToolPAL Clipboard.  After a palette is cut, it can be pasted into any palette window or button.

Tip:  You can also open another palette file and paste the palette currently in the ToolPAL Clipboard into any ToolPAL palette window in the new ToolPAL palette file.


Copy Palette

Choose Copy Palette to copy the current palette inside the active window and put it into the ToolPAL Clipboard.  After a palette is copied, it can be pasted into any palette window or button.

Tip:  You can also open another palette file and paste the palette currently in the ToolPAL Clipboard into any ToolPAL palette window in the new ToolPAL palette file.


Paste Palette Into Palette Window

Choose Paste Palette Into Palette Window to paste the ToolPAL palette that is currently in the ToolPAL Clipboard into the active palette window.

Note:  Duplicate palette names are not allowed.  If a palette has the same name as the palette in the ToolPAL Clipboard, a new name will be given to the palette when it is created by appending a number to the palette name of the palette in the ToolPAL Clipboard.

Tip:  You can also open another palette file and paste the palette currently in the ToolPAL Clipboard into any ToolPAL palette window in the new ToolPAL palette file.


Paste Palette Into Button

Choose Paste Palette Into Button to paste the ToolPAL palette that is currently in the ToolPAL Clipboard into the active button.

Note:  Duplicate palette names are not allowed.  If a palette inside the active button has the same name as the palette in the ToolPAL Clipboard, a new name will be given to the palette when it is created by appending a number to the palette name of the palette in the ToolPAL Clipboard.

Tip:  You can also open another palette file and paste the palette currently in the ToolPAL Clipboard into any a ToolPAL palette window in the new ToolPAL palette file.


Save Clip & Save Data

Choose this command to save the current contents of the Windows Clipboard into a ToolPAL Clip & Save button and its corresponding Clip & Save file.

If this button has not been configured as a Clip & Save button, the Button Action dialog is displayed for you to configure the button as a Clip & Save button before saving the Clipboard contents.

If this button has already been configured as a Clip & Save button, the Clipboard Object Description dialog is displayed for you to add an optional description to the Clip & Save objects you are saving.

For more information on saving and retrieving Clip & Save objects using ToolPAL, go to the How to store and retrieve Windows Clip & Save objects topic.

Note: This menu item will be grayed and disabled if the Windows Clipboard is empty or the button you are pointing to when the menu was displayed is not configured as a Clip & Save button.


Clip & Save File Contents

Displays the Clip & Save File Contents dialog for you to find out what is in the Clip & Save file associated with the button you are pointing to when the menu is displayed. This menu item is grayed when the button you are pointing to is not configured as a Clip & Save button.


Launch List

Launch List is a ToolPAL feature that lets you create a list of files that are associated with a ToolPAL Launch button.  When you left-click a mouse button on a Launch button that has a Launch List, it will display a menu of files you can open.

To add a file to a Launch List, you can drag a file from the Windows 3.1 File Manager or the Windows 95 Explorer window and drop it on a ToolPAL Launch button.  You can also use the Launch List dialog to add and delete files from the buttons Launch List.

Choose Launch List to display the Launch List dialog to add or remove files from a Launch List button.

Note:  All the files associated with a Launch List button must be the same type.  For example, all the files for a Microsoft Word Launch List button must have the extension .DOC.


Macro Menu

Start_Recording 	Starts recording a keyboard macro to use with the Windows application associated with the ToolPAL palette.

Stop Recording 	Stops recording a keyboard macro to use with the Windows application associated with the ToolPAL palette.


Start Recording

Choose Start Recording to start recording a keyboard macro.  For more information on ToolPAL keyboard macros, go to the Record  and play back keyboard macros topic. This menu item will be grayed and disabled if the button you are pointing to when the menu is displayed is not configured as a macro button.


Stop Recording

Choose Stop Recording to stop recording a keyboard macro.  For more information on ToolPAL keyboard macros, go to the Record and Play Back Keyboard Macros topic. This menu item will be grayed and disabled if the button you are pointing to is not recording a macro.


View Menu

View menu commands

The View menu offers the following commands:

Time Keeper	Displays the Time Keeper dialog.

Window Manager	Displays the Window Manager.

Status Bar	Shows or hides the status bar.

Short Menus	Switches long to short menus.

Long Menus	Switches short to long menus.

3D Window Border	Displays a 3D window border instead of the standard window border.

Window Position	Displays the Window Position menu.

Window Caption	Displays the Window Caption menu.


Time Keeper

Choose Time Keeper to display the Time Keeper dialog.  The Time Keeper dialog lets you configure how the date and time is displayed.  It also lets you set either an alarm or countdown timer.


Window Manager

Choose Window Manager to display the ToolPAL Window Manager.  The ToolPAL Window Manager is more powerful than the Windows Task Manager and gives you access to the ToolPAL Task Manager.


Status Bar

Choose Status Bar to turn on and off the ToolPAL status bar.  The status bar displays help for the ToolPAL button you are pointing at with the mouse.  It also displays the ToolPAL clock or countdown timer.


Short Menus

Choose Short Menus to switch to ToolPAL short menus.  Short menus don't allow you to change a ToolPAL palette or the buttons inside it.  Short menus are convenient for when you only want to use a ToolPAL palette, not configure it.


Long Menus

Choose Long Menus to switch to ToolPAL long menus.  Long menus allow you to change a ToolPAL palette and the buttons inside it.  If a ToolPAL palette file has been configured with password protection, you must supply a password before you can switch to ToolPAL long menus.


3D Window Border

When this option is selected, ToolPAL displays a 3D window border that looks like the window border used in ToolPAL dialogs.


Window Position Menu

The Window Position menu has three options that let you configure how each ToolPAL window is displayed:

•	Normal - Makes the palette window behave as a normal window.

•	Always On Top - Makes the palette window appear on top of other windows.

•	Always On Bottom - Makes the palette window appear on the bottom of other windows.

Note:  All ToolPAL palette windows are configured to be on top by default.  You can change this attribute for all parents or each individual child palette and have it behave the way you want.


Window Caption Menu

The Window Caption menu has three options that let you configure how each ToolPAL window caption is displayed:

•	None  - Displays a window without a caption.

•	Normal - Displays a window that has a caption the same height as all the other windows.

•	Thin - Displays a window with a thin window caption.

Note:  All ToolPAL palette windows are configured with a thin window caption as the default.  You can change this attribute for all parents or each individual child palette and have it behave the way you want.


Options Menu

Options menu commands

The Options menu offers the following commands:

Application	Displays the Application Options dialog.

Palette	Displays the Palette Optionsdialog.

Palette Sizing	Displays the Palette Sizing dialog.

Palette Color	Displays the Color dialog for you to specify the palette background color.

Palette Bitmap	Displays the Find Bitmap File dialog for you to choose a bitmap to be used for the palette background.

Tile Palette Bitmap	Tiles the palette background bitmap to fit the palette.

Clear Palette Bitmap	Clears the palette background bitmap.

Rearrange Palette Menu	Displays the Rearrange Palette Menu  dialog.

Button Help	Displays a dialog to configure ToolPAL button help.

Change Password	Displays the Change Password dialog  to configure a palette password.


Application

Displays the Application Options dialog so you can select options that affect how ToolPAL works for all the palettes in a ToolPAL file and how ToolPAL works for all ToolPAL palettes.


Palette

Choosing this menu command displays the Palette Options dialog so you can configure:

•	Number of palette buttons (rows and columns)

•	Size of palette buttons

•	Associating a palette with another Windows application

•	Additional palettes


Palette Sizing

Choosing this menu command displays the Palette Sizing dialog so you can configure:

•	Whether a palette is sizable or not

•	Palette margins

•	Spacing between buttons and button groups


Palette Color

Displays the Color dialog so you can specify the background color for this palette.


Palette Bitmap

Displays the Find Bitmap File dialog for you to choose a bitmap to be used for the palette background.


Tile Palette Bitmap

If you selected a bitmap that is small and you want it to fill the entire palette background, choose Tile Palette Bitmap.  This menu option repeats the bitmap as many times as necessary to cover the entire palette background.


Clear Palette Bitmap

Clears the palette background bitmap.


Rearrange Palette Menu

Choosing this menu command displays the Rearrange Palette Menu dialog so you can change the order in which palette names appear in the Palette menu.


Button Help

Displays the Button Help dialog to configure how ToolPAL Button Help is displayed.


Window Manager

Displays the Window Manager Options dialog to decide what happens when you press Ctrl+Esc or double-click the left mouse button on the Windows desktop when you have ToolPAL configured as the default Windows Task Manager.


Change Password

Displays the Change Password dialog so you can password-protect your palettes from being changed.


Window Menu

When you set up a ToolPAL palette to work with a standard Windows Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program, a Window menu is added to the ToolPAL menu.  This menu only appears when you set up a palette to work with a Windows MDI application.  This menu lets you cascade and tile the MDI applications windows--even if the application does not provide this feature.

Note: This feature only works with standard MDI applications such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Visual C++.  It does not work with applications that dont use a standard MDI interface, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.


Help Menu

Help menu commands

The Help menu offers the following commands, which provide you assistance with this application:

Index	Provides an index of ToolPAL Help topics.

Using Help	Provides general instructions on using Help.

About	Displays the ToolPAL version number.


Index

This command displays the table of contents for ToolPAL Help.

Once you open Help, you can click on the Contents button whenever you want to return to this screen.


Using Help

Use this command to learn how to use the Windows Help program.


About

This command displays the ToolPAL About dialog that lists the ToolPAL version number.


Import Program Manager Items Dialog

This dialog is displayed after you choose Import Program Manager Items in the ToolPAL File menu.  You use this dialog to create ToolPAL palettes and launch buttons from information in the Windows Program Manager group files.  You can rebuild the currently selected palette from a Program Manager group, create a new palette from a Program Manager group, or apply programs from Program Manager groups to a specific button.

To rebuild a palette from a Program Manager group:

1.	Select the ToolPAL palette you want to configure by clicking on its file folder tab with the left mouse button or by choosing it from the Current Palette drop-down list. You can also rebuild child palettes by just clicking on the child palette to select it.

Tip:  All the palette windows you want to set up must be displayed before choosing Import Program Manager Items from the File menu to work with them. You can display multiple palettes at one time and configure any one of them using the Import Program Manager Items dialog.

2.	Choose the Program Manager group from the Program Groups drop-down list.

3.	Choose Rebuild to display the Create Button Array dialog. ToolPAL automatically suggests the number of rows and columns of buttons you need for your rebuilt palette. The number of applications in the Program Manager group you have selected is displayed in the Import Program Manager Items dialog.

4.	Modify palette title, button size, number of rows, and number of columns to rebuild your palette the way you want it.

5.	Choose OK to rebuild the palette.

To create a palette from a Program Manager group:

1.	Choose the Program Manager group you want to create a palette for from the Program Groups drop-down list.

3.	Choose Create to display the Create Button Array dialog. ToolPAL automatically suggests the number of rows and columns of buttons you need for your new palette. The number of applications in the Program Manager group you have selected is displayed in the Import Program Manager Items dialog.

4.	Modify palette title, button size, number of rows, and number of columns to create your palette the way you want it.

5.	Choose OK to create the palette.

To apply a Program Manager group item to a button:

1.	Select the ToolPAL button you want to configure by clicking on it with the left mouse button.

2.	Choose the Program Manager group the application is in from the Program Groups drop-down list.

3.	Select the application you want to launch by clicking on the ToolPAL button in the Program Items list box.

4.	Choose Apply or Apply & Close to make your choice.  You can also double-click the left mouse button on the item in the Program Items list box to choose it.


Program Groups

Choose the Windows Program Manager group you want to use from this drop-down list.


Program Items

Choose the Windows Program Manager Item you want to apply to a button by selecting it and clicking on Apply or Apply & Close.  You can also double-click the left mouse button on an item in this list to apply it.


Current Palette

Select the ToolPAL palette you want to configure by clicking on its file folder tab with the left mouse button or by choosing it from this drop-down list.


Create Palette From Program Manager Group Button

Left-click on this button to display the Create Button Array dialog to create a new palette from a Program Manager group.


Rebuild Palette From Program Manager Group Button

Left-click on this button to display the Create Button Array dialog to rebuild the currently selected parent or child palette from a Program Manager group. When a palette is rebuilt, all the buttons it currently contains are destroyed.


Build All Button

Left-click on this button to rebuild all of your palettes from all of the Program Manager Groups.  If a palette does not exist with the same name as a Program Manager group, a new palette is created.  If an existing palette has the same name as a Program Manager group, it is rebuilt destroying all the buttons it contains.


Create Button Array Dialog

This dialog is accessed from the Import Program Manager Items and Palette Options dialogs. You use this dialog to create a palette of buttons that all have the same size. Optionally, you can also modify the palette name in this dialog.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Run Dialog

The Run dialog lets you run Windows and MS-DOS programs by typing in the program name to run, choosing it from a drop-down list of programs you have already run in this Windows session, or finding the program using the Browse button.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Run Command

Type the program name you want to run or choose the program name from one you have already typed during this Windows session using the drop-down list.


Browse Button

Choose the Browse button to find the program you want to run.


Run Style

Lets you choose how you want the program to be run: Normal, Minimized, or Maximized.


OK

Executes the action.


Cancel

Closes this dialog without performing any actions.


Button Editor Dialog

The Button Editor dialog is displayed when you choose Button Editor in the Edit menu or press function key F2.  Using this dialog, you can:

•	Change the palette size

•	Add and delete buttons

•	Move buttons

•	Size buttons

•	Align buttons

•	Space buttons

The following topics discuss how to do each of these tasks in more detail.

Change the Palette Size

You can easily size the ToolPAL palette window just like any other sizable window when the Button Editor dialog is displayed.  As you change the size of the palette, its dimensions are updated in the Palette Width and Height fields in the Button Editor.

You can also change the size of the palette by typing the dimensions you want in the Palette Width and Height fields in the Button Editor dialog and choosing either Apply or Apply & Close.

Add a Button

1.	Select a button  in the ToolPAL palette that has the size and appearance properties you want the new button to have.  If a button is not selected, it is given a default size of 40 by 40 pixels, a gray background, and a border of two pixels.

2.	Left-click on the Add button.  It's the one on the far left with the "+" sign.  A dotted-line outline of the button appears for you to move over to the palette.

3.	Click on the left mouse button in the ToolPAL palette to place the new button.

Delete a Button

1.	Select the button in the ToolPAL palette that you want to delete.  (You can also select multiple buttons to delete, move, and align.)

2.	Left-click on the Delete button in the Button Editor dialog.  It's the button next to the add button with the red "x."

Move a Button

1.	Select the button in the ToolPAL palette that you want to move.  (You can also select multiple buttons to delete, move, and align.)

2.	Point at the button and hold down the left mouse button to move the button or buttons in the ToolPAL palette.  As you move the button, its X and Y coordinates are updated in the Button Editor dialog.

3.	Release the left mouse button after you have finished moving the button.

Tip: You can also move selected buttons using the keyboard arrow keys.  Just make sure that the ToolPAL palette is the active window--not the Button Editor dialog.

Tip: You can also move a single button by selecting it, typing in its new X and Y coordinates in the Button Editor dialog and choosing Apply.

Size One Button

1.	Select the button in the ToolPAL palette you want to size.

2.	Point at a sizing handle on the button.

3.	Press and hold down the left mouse button.

4.	Drag the dotted-line rectangle until the button is the size you want.  As you move the button, its width and height are updated in the Button Editor dialog.

5.	Release the left mouse button when you have finished sizing the button.

Tip: You can also size a single button by selecting it, typing its new width and height in the Button Editor dialog and choosing Apply.

Make a Group of Buttons the Same Size

1.	Select the group of buttons you want to size.

2.	Deselect and select the button you want the other buttons to be the same size as, using Shift + left mouse button click.

3.	Left-click on one of the three sizing buttons in the Button Editor dialog to make the buttons the same size.   You can make the selected buttons the same width, the same height, or exactly the same size.

Align a Group of Buttons

1.	Select the group of buttons you want to align.

2.	Deselect and select the button you want to use as the point of reference for aligning the other buttons.

3.	Left-click on one of the four alignment buttons in the Button Editor dialog to align the buttons.   You can align the selected buttons to the top, bottom, left, and right.

Space a Group of Buttons

1.	Select the group of buttons you want to space.

2.	Left-click on one of the two spacing buttons in the Button Editor dialog to space the buttons.   You can space the selected buttons equal distances either horizontally or vertically.


Selecting Buttons
Selecting One Button

To select one button, just click on it with the mouse.  A red rectangle appears to highlight the buttons along with sizing handles.


Selecting Multiple Buttons

To select multiple buttons, hold down the Shift key and click on buttons one-by-one to select a group of buttons.  You can also select a group of buttons by:

•	Pointing at an area of the palette that does not have a button on it and holding down the left mouse button. A dotted-line rectangle appears for you to pick the buttons you want to select.

•	Dragging the dotted-line rectangle around the buttons you want to select and releasing the left mouse button.  All the selected buttons will be highlighted with red rectangles.


Add a Button

Left-click on Add to add a new button to the ToolPAL palette.


Cut a Button
Cut Button

Left-click on the Cut button to cut the selected button(s) in the ToolPAL palette and put them into the ToolPAL Clipboard.


Copy Button

Left-click on the Copy button to copy the selected button(s) in the ToolPAL palette and put them into the ToolPAL Clipboard.


Paste Button

Left-click on the Paste button to paste the button from the ToolPAL Clipboard into the current palette.

Tip:  Buttons may be copied (or cut) from one palette and pasted into another palette.  Buttons may also be copied (or cut) from one ToolPAL file and pasted into another ToolPAL file.

Note:  Buttons are always pasted into a palette in the same location they were in the source palette that they were copied (or cut) from.


Undo Changes

Left-click on Undo Changes to reverse the last change made.  The ToolPAL Button Editor has a three-level Undo.


Make All Selected Buttons the Same Width

Left-click on this button to make all the selected buttons the same width.


Make All Selected Buttons the Same Height

Left-click on this button to make all the selected buttons the same height.


Make All Selected Buttons the Same Width and Height

Left-click on this button to make all the selected buttons the same width and height.


Align Top

Left-click on this button to align the group of buttons to the top border of the reference button.


Align Bottom

Left-click on this button to align the group of buttons to the bottom border of the reference button.


Align Left

Left-click on this button to align the group of buttons to the left border of the reference button.


Align Right

Left-click on this button to align the group of buttons to the right border of the reference button.


Space Buttons Horizontally

Left-click on this button to space the selected buttons an equal distance horizontally.


Space Buttons Vertically

Left-click on this button to space the selected buttons an equal distance vertically.


Button Name

The button name of the selected button.


Button X Pos

The X coordinate of the selected button.  To move a button to a specific point on the X axis, type a value and choose Apply.


Button Y Pos

The Y coordinate of the selected button.  To move a button to a specific point on the Y axis, type a value and choose Apply.


Button Width

The width of the selected button.  You can type a new button width and choose Apply to change the button's width.


Button Height

The height of the selected button.  You can type a new button height and choose Apply to change the button's height.


Palette Width

The width of the ToolPAL palette.  This is the width of the area that contains the ToolPAL buttons, not the total window width that includes the window border.   You can type a new palette width and choose Apply to change the palette's width.


Palette Height

The height of the ToolPAL palette.  This is the height of the area that contains the ToolPAL buttons, not the total window height, which includes the window border, status bar, and caption.   You can type a new palette height and choose Apply to change the palette's height.


Appearance Button

Left-click on the Appearance button to display the Appearance dialog box so you can change a button's appearance as well as its size and position at the same time.


Action Button

Left-click on the Action button to display the Button Action dialog so you can change a button's action as well as its size and position at the same time.


Auto Arrange Buttons

Left-click on this check box to turn on and off ToolPAL's Auto Arrange feature. Auto Arrange needs to be turned off to be able to move and size buttons easily with the Button Editor.


Palette Sizing Button

Displays the Palette Sizing dialog so you can change how buttons are spaced and arranged in the palette.


Button Action Dialog

The Button Action dialog is displayed when you choose Button Action in the ToolPAL Edit menu.  You can also display this dialog by holding down the <Control> key and clicking the left mouse button on a ToolPAL button.

The Button Action dialog is a dynamic dialog that changes as you pick different button actions from the Action drop-down list.  This dialog works like the ToolPAL Appearance tabbed dialog.  As you change button action, the dialog changes to display the options available for the type of button action you selected.

Using the Button Action dialog, you can configure a button to do the following actions:

•	No Action Assigned

•	Ornament - No Action

•	Launch Windows Application

•	Send Program Command

•	Send Key Strokes to Program

•	Clip & Save Object(s)

•	Display Palette

•	Play Macro

•	Display Program Group Menu

•	Button Action - Switch to Palette

•	Load Palette File

•	Switch to a Desktop

•	Window Manager

•	Resource Monitor

•	System Information

•	Run Program

•	Exit Windows

•	Restart Windows

•	Close This Window

To use this dialog, you do the following basic steps:

1.	Display the Button Action dialog by choosing Button Action in the ToolPAL Edit menu.

2.	Choose a button action.

3.	Select the options associated with the button action.

4.	Optionally click on the Appearance button to display the Button Appearance dialog to configure how the button looks.

5.	Choose Apply in both the Button Action and Button Appearance dialogs to apply your changes.

6.	Without closing either dialog, select another button in the ToolPAL palette and go back to step 2 to configure the new button.


Button Name

Name of the button.  Button name is generated automatically.  It is used to identify the Clip & Save objects a button is associated with in a ToolPAL Clip & Save file.  Using the Button Action dialog, you can change the button name to any name you want.


Status Line Help
Button Help

Type the help message you want displayed for the ToolPAL button help.


Button Purpose
Button Action

Select the button action from this drop-down list.  As you select different button actions, the Button Action dialog dynamically changes to display the options associated with a button action.


Clear Button

Left-click on the Clear button to clear the button's action and appearance properties.


Appearance Button

Left-click on this button to display the Button Appearance dialog box.


Editor Button

Left-click on this button to display the Button Editor dialog box.


Dynamic Dialog Area

This is the area of the Button Action dialog that changes to display the options associated with a specific button action.


Button Action Dialog - No Action Assigned

The No Action Assigned action does not have any options.  This button type has not been assigned an action yet or may have just been cleared.


Button Action Description

Describes what a button action does in more detail.  For more help, click on the Help button.


Ornament - No Action

The Ornament action type does not have any options.  This button type is for display purposes only and does not execute any action.  This type of button does not display a down (or pressed) state when it is left-clicked on.  The cursor does not change to a hand when it is over an Ornament button.

Tip: Use an ornament button when you want to include text or graphics in a palette, but dont want the object to perform an action.  A good example of using Ornament buttons is in the Welcome palette.


Button Action - Launch a Windows Application
Button Action Dialog - Launch a Windows Application

The Launch a Windows Application action lets you set the options for how you want a Windows application to be launched.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.

For detailed information on launching Windows applications, go to the Build a simple program launch palette topic.


Button Properties_Launch App App to launch
Application to Launch

The name of the application to launch.  You can either type the executable file name or click on the Find Exe button to locate it.


Button Properties_Launch App Parameter to pass
Parameter to Pass

Type any command-line parameters you want passed to the application when it's launched.


Button Properties_Launch App Startup directory
Startup Directory

The application startup directory.  You can either type the directory name or click on the Directory button to locate it.


Button Properties_Launch App Run style
Run Style

Select how you want your application to be displayed when it's launched: normal, minimized, or maximized.


Button Properties_Launch App Prompt for parameters
Prompt for Parameters

Select the Prompt for Parameters option to have a popup dialog box appear before the application is launched to type command-line parameters for the Windows application.


Button Properties_Launch App Allow only single instance
Allow Only Single Instance

Select the Allow Only Single Instance option to allow only a single instance of the application to run.  If this option is selected and the application is already running, the application is activated and brought to the front.


Button Properties_Launch App Find Exe
Find Exe

Left-click on the Find Exe button to select an application to launch.


Button Properties_Launch App Directory
Directory

Left-click on the Directory button to select a startup directory for the application to launch.


Start on Desktop

Lets you specify which one of ToolPAL's nine virtual desktops you would like an application to be started on. You may also specify to start on the current desktop, which is the default option.


Button Action - Send Command
Button Action Dialog - Send Command

Send Command lets you select a command to send to the application this palette commands.  Before you can select a command to send, you need to configure a Windows application for the palette to command using the Palette Options dialog box.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.

For detailed information on sending commands to other Windows applications, go to the Use ToolPAL with other Windows applications topic.


Program Command To Send

Select the program command you want to send to the application being commanded.


Button Action - Send Key Strokes

The Send Key Strokes action lets you type in key strokes to send to the application you are commanding.  This is an alternative to sending commands or macros to an application.

Each key is represented by one or more characters. To specify a single keyboard character, type in the character itself. For example, to represent the letter a, type in a.

If you want to represent more than one character, append each additional character to the one before. To represent the letters a, b, and c, type in abc.  The plus (+), caret (^), and percent sign (%) have special meanings. To specify one of these special characters, enter the character inside braces. For example, to specify the plus sign, use {+}. To send a { character or a } character, use {{} and {}}, respectively.

To specify characters that are not displayed when you press a key (such as Enter or Tab) and other keys that represent actions rather than characters, use the codes shown below:

Key	Code

Backspace	{backspace} or {bs} or {bksp}

Insert 	{insert}

F1	{F1} (Same for all other function keys)

Break	{break}

Num Lock	{numlock}

Caps Lock	{capslock}

Page Down	{pgdn}

Clear	{clear}

Page Up	{pgup}

Del	{delete} or {del}

Print Screen	{prtsc}

Scroll Lock	{scrolllock}

End	{end}

Tab	{tab}

Enter	{enter} or ~

Arrow keys	{up}, {down}, {left}, {right}

Esc	{escape} or {esc}

Home	{home}

To specify keys combined with any combination of Shift, Ctrl, and Alt, precede the regular key code with one or more of these codes:

Key	Code

Shift	+

Ctrl	^

Alt	%

To specify that Shift, Ctrl, and/or Alt should be held down while several keys are pressed, enclose the keys in parentheses. For example, to hold down the Shift key while pressing E then C, use +(EC).  To hold down Shift while pressing E, followed by C without the Shift key, use +EC. To specify repeating keys, use the form {key number}, where there is always a space between key and number. For example, {left 42} means press the left arrow key 42 times; {x 10} means press the character x 10 times.


Send Keys

Type in the keys you want to send to the application being commanded.


Button Action Dialog - Store Clip & Save Object
Button Action Dialog - Clip & Save Object(s)

Clip & Save Object lets you set the options to specify how you want to store Windows Clipboard objects in a ToolPAL Clip & Save file.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.

For more information about using ToolPAL to store Clip & Save objects, go to the following topics:

Store and retrieve Windows Clip & Save objects in a ToolPAL button

Build and use text templates


Button Properties_Store Object File name for storing
File Name for Storing Clip & Save Objects

Type the file name where you want to store your Clip & Save objects.  A Clip & Save file can hold up to 1,200 objects.


Button Properties_Store Object Auto send paste command
Automatically Send Paste Command

Selecting this option automatically sends a Paste command to the application being commanded when you click on a ToolPAL Clip & Save button.  Otherwise, ToolPAL puts the Clip & Save object into the Windows Clipboard for you to paste in a Windows application, but doesn't issue a Paste command.


Empty Clipboard

Selecting this option empties the Windows Clipboard every time that ToolPAL saves a Clip & Save object into a ToolPAL Clip & Save file.  Although the default selection is off, this is a very handy option to have on.  By having Empty Clipboard on, you cannot accidentally save the Clipboard contents twice (or more) into a ToolPAL Clip & Save file.  This is a good way to eliminate unnecessary duplicate Clip & Save objects.


Paste Command

Select the way you want to send the paste command to the application being commanded. You can choose the following key stroke combinations: Shift+Insert, Ctrl+V, and Alt E, P.


Button Properties_Store Object Preferred clipboard format
Preferred Clipboard Format

The preferred Clipboard format when ToolPAL puts objects back into the Windows Clipboard when you click on a ToolPAL Clip & Save button.


Button Properties_Store Object Use Clipboard text as template
Use Clipboard Text as Template

This option turns on the ToolPAL text template option.  If this option is turned on, you must type in unique variable delimiters.  For more information on text templates, go to the Build and use text templates topic.


Start of Variable

Type one or two characters that identify the start of the variable name in your text template.  These characters must not match the end-of-variable delimiter.


End of Variable

Type one or two characters that identify the end of the variable name in your text template.  These characters must not match the start-of-variable delimiter.


Button Action - Play Macro
Button Action Dialog - Play Macro

The Play Macro button purpose has only one option: the name of the file to store the macro in.  Each ToolPAL macro is stored in a separate file in the \MACRO directory that's under the directory you installed ToolPAL in.  You can either accept the macro file name ToolPAL suggests or type a file name of your choice.


Button Action - Display Palette
Button Action Dialog - Display Palette

The Display Palette purpose lets you configure a palette for this button to display.  Any ToolPAL button can have another ToolPAL palette stored inside it.  ToolPAL palettes are organized in a hierarchy.  The ToolPAL palettes stored inside a button are referred to as child palettes.

A child palette can be one of three types: window with a caption, window without a caption, and menu.

Palettes with a window caption also have a system menu and a minimize button.  You can move this palette type on the screen using the caption bar, hide them, roll them up, and iconize them.

Palettes without a caption bar cannot be hidden, iconized, or rolled up. You can move this palette type by dragging it with the mouse cursor, as long as you are not pointing at a button. If you hold down the Shift key, you can move a ToolPAL window using the left mouse button when you are pointing at any part of the palette including a button.

Menu palettes behave like palettes without a window caption, except that they disappear after you click your left mouse button on a button or anywhere outside the ToolPAL window.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.

For detailed information on displaying palettes when you click on a ToolPAL button, go to the Create child palettes linked to a ToolPAL button topic.


Display Program Group Menu

Choose the Display Program Group Menu to display a menu of the programs in a Windows Program Manager Group.  You select the Program Manager Group you want to display a menu for from the drop-down list.


Program Manager Group

Choose the Windows Program Manager group you want to display a menu for.


Allow Only a Single Instance

Select the Allow Only a Single Instance option to allow only a single instance of the application to run.  If this option is selected and the application is already running, the application is activated and brought to the front.


Button Properties_Display Palette Palette title
Palette Title

Type in palette title for the child palette. This is a required field used to identify the palette.  If you create a palette with a window caption, this is the name displayed on the window caption.


Button Properties_Display Palette Button array
Button Array

Left-click on this button to create a palette that is an array of buttons that all have the same size.


Button Properties_Display Palette Columns
Columns

Type the number of columns you want in the child palette.


Button Properties_Display Palette Rows
Rows

Type the number of rows you want in the child palette.


Child Palette

A child palette is a palette that has a parent in the ToolPAL hierarchy.  A child palette can be one of two types: a window or a menu.

Window palettes can have a caption bar, a system menu, and a minimize button.  After the palette inside a button is displayed, you can choose how you want it to look by using options in the palettes View menu.

Menu palettes do not have a window caption and disappear after you click your left mouse button on a button or anywhere outside the ToolPAL window.


Remember Last Position

Choose this option to always have the palette window opened in the same location it was when the palette was last used.


Button Action - Switch to Palette
Button Action Dialog - Switch to Palette

Choose the Switch to Palette action to switch to another palette within a palette group or to a palette in the palette group above it in the palette hierarchy.  Let's look at the Welcome palette in the following figure to see how this works.

Notice the different buttons at the bottom of the palette: Contents, Back and Next.  The Contents button action displays a menu palette as shown in the figure.  The Back and the Next buttons are "Switch to Palette" buttons. If you left-click on Back, you switch to the previous palette.  If you left-click on Next, you switch to the Next palette.  Pretty easy so far.  Now let's look at the buttons in the Contents menu palette that lets you switch to a palette by choosing its name.

Each button in the Contents menu palette is a "Switch to Palette" button. Lets Look at what's displayed in the Button Action dialog for one of these buttons.

Using this list, you can choose a palette to switch to from the current palette group or the one above it in the ToolPAL hierarchy.  In this example, there is only one palette in the current palette group.  ToolPAL uses "[..]" to indicate the palette name is in the group above the current palette, not the current palette group.

ToolPAL gives you an unlimited hierarchy of palette groups, palettes, and buttons.  When we created the ability to have a Contents menu in the Welcome palette, we recognized that having the ability to switch between palettes in the current palette group was too limiting.  Because of this, the feature was added to switch to a palette in either the current palette group or the one above it.


Palette List

List of palettes to switch to.  The "[..]" indicates the palette is in the palette group above the current palette group.


Load Palette File

Choose the Load Palette File action to close the ToolPAL file that you are using and open another ToolPAL palette file.  You can use this feature to build large ToolPAL applications by chaining together a set of ToolPAL files.


Palette File Name

Type the name of the ToolPAL file you want to load when you click on this button.  You can also left-click on the Find ToolPAL File push button to browse for the file.


Find ToolPAL File

Left-click on this button to choose the ToolPAL palette file you want to load when you click on this button.


Button Action - Switch to Desktop
Button Action Dialog - Switch to Desktop

Choose the Switch to Desktop action to create a button that lets you switch between ToolPAL's nine virtual desktops.  After choosing this action, do the following steps:

1.	Choose the number of the virtual desktop you want to switch to when you left-click on the button.

2.	Choose whether or not you want to display the location of the windows in a virtual desktop on the button's surface.

ToolPAL can draw a rectangle on the button surface to show the location of each window on the desktop.  If your buttons are large enough, this lets you manage your windows more easily. When this option is selected, you can move a window on the same desktop or from one desktop to another by dragging it with the mouse on the button surface.  If there is enough room in the rectangle on the button, ToolPAL will display the window's caption and icon inside the rectangle.

3.	If you selected the "Show and allow windows to be dragged" option, choose the desktop layout.  ToolPAL can tile the desktops as 3 by 3, horizontally, or vertically.

4.	If you selected the "Show and allow windows to be dragged" option, choose the color scheme you want to use for the windows displayed on the button surface. This drop-down list lets you choose either black or white text and 22 different background colors.

5.	If you want to keep a specific application on all desktops, left-click on Choose App to select the application.  When you left-click on OK,  the application is added to the "Keep applications" list box.

Note: To remove an application from this list, highlight it in the Keep applications list box, and left-click on Remove App.

Note: This is a global list that applies to all ToolPAL palettes and palette files.  You do not need to choose a set of applications for each button.  All buttons share the same list.


Desktop Number

Choose the virtual desktop number you want to switch to when you left-click on this button.


Show and allow windows to be dragged

When this option is selected, ToolPAL draws a rectangle on the button surface to show the location of each window on the desktop.  If your buttons are large enough, this lets you manage your windows more easily.

When this option is selected, you can move a window on the same desktop or from one desktop to another by dragging it with the mouse on the button surface.  If there is enough room in the rectangle on the button, ToolPAL will display the window's caption and icon inside the rectangle.


Desktop layout

Choose the desktop layout.  ToolPAL can tile the desktops as 3 by 3, horizontally, or vertically.


Color for windows

This drop-down list lets you choose either black or white text and 22 different background colors.


Keep applications

This list box shows the Windows applications that remain on the current desktop as you switch from one desktop to another.


Choose App

Left-Click on this button to add a Windows application to the "Keep applications" list


Remove App

Left-click on this button to remove the highlighted Windows application from  the "Keep applications" list


Button Action - Window Manager
Button Action Dialog - Window Manager

The Window Manager button purpose does not have any options.  For more information on Window Manager buttons, got to the Create and use Window Manager buttons topic.


Button Action - Resource Monitor
Button Action Dialog - Resource Monitor

The Resource Monitor purpose lets you set the options for how you want the Resource Monitor button configured.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.

For detailed information on Resource Monitor buttons, go to the Create and use Resource Monitor buttons topic.


Button Properties_Resource Monitor Alarm settings
Resource Monitor Alarm settings

One of the features of the ToolPAL Resource Monitor is the Resource Monitor Alarm.  If you set any of the Resource Monitor Alarm settings, ToolPAL will display a Resource Monitor Alarm to let you know if System Resources have dropped below the point you specified.


Button Properties_Resource Monitor Monitor mode
Resource Monitor Mode

Choose the Resource Monitor Mode from the drop-down list:

Display as Bar Graph

Worst Case

GDI Only

User Only


Button Properties_Resource Monitor Compact memory
Compact memory

Select the Compact Memory option to have memory compacted before each sampling.  Usually you can leave this option off.  If you are testing a Windows application using SnapShots, turn this option on.  It will guarantee more accurate testing.  When this option is on, it forces Windows to discard unused memory blocks every time ToolPAL checks the state of System Resources.


Button Properties_Resource Monitor Sampling rate
Timer Frequency

Type how many seconds ToolPAL should wait before checking Windows resources.  This timer setting is also used to determine when to update the ToolPAL clock and countdown timer.


Bar Graph Resource Monitor Button

This Resource Monitor button shows three bars that indicate the level of system resources.  From top to bottom, the resources monitored are: Memory, User, and GDI.  This button is drawn dynamically.  As resources change, the button changes too.


Standard Resource Monitor Button
Worst Case - Either User or GDI

This Resource Monitor button shows one gauge that indicates the level of the most critical System Resource: either User or GDI.  You can also choose to monitor only User or only GDI.  This button is drawn dynamically.  As resources change, the button will change too.


GDI Only Monitor

This Resource Monitor button shows one gauge that indicates the level of the GDI system resource.


User Only Monitor

This Resource Monitor button shows one gauge that indicates the level of the User system resource.


Memory Resource Bar

Provides a graphical display of the percentage of memory left for Windows applications.


User Resource Bar

Provides a graphical display of the percentage of User System Resources left for Windows applications.


GDI Resource Bar

Provides a graphical display of the percentage of GDI System Resources left for Windows applications.


Total and Free Memory Size

Provides a graphical display of the percentage of system memory left for Windows applications.


SnapShot Button

The SnapShot button zeros out the registers shown in the Resource Monitor Window so you can keep track of how System Resources are being used from a specific point in time.  SnapShots are an excellent way to test a Windows application to see if it is using System Resources effectively.


Resource Monitor SnapShot Information

Shows the amount of change in available memory and System Resources since the last SnapShot was performed.


Windows System Resources

Windows is made up of three key components called Kernel, User, and GDI.  Kernel manages the tasks running in Windows; User manages user interface objects such as windows and menus; and GDI manages graphical objects such as bitmaps, colors, and pens used for drawing.  User and GDI each have 128K of memory to keep track of what they are managing.

Every Windows application you open uses some of the System Resources that User and GDI manage.  If you have too many applications open, the available level of System Resources becomes so low that you cannot open more applications.  Other things might also occur, such as not being able to open an application's dialog box.  The only way to increase the available System Resources is to shut down applications or restart Windows.  The ToolPAL Resource Monitor feature is there to help you keep track of how Windows is doing in regard to its limited System Resources.


Memory Information

Total size of system and free memory in kilobytes.  This memory includes all available RAM and the Windows permanent swap file.


Button Action - System Information
Button Action Dialog - System Information

The System Information button purpose does not have any options.  This button type displays the System Information dialog that gives you information about your Windows system.

This dialog shows the Windows and MS-DOS versions, the amount of available memory, and the amount of available hard disk space.


Button Action - Run Program
Button Action Dialog - Run Program

The Run Program button purpose does not have any options.  This button displays the Run  dialog to choose a program to run.


Button Action - Exit Windows
Button Action Dialog - Exit Windows

The Exit Windows button does not have any options. Clicking on this button type terminates your Windows session.


Button Action - Restart Windows
Button Action Dialog - Restart Windows

The Restart Windows button does not have any options. Left-click on this button type to exit Microsoft Windows and return to Microsoft Windows.  This button type is very useful if Program Manager crashes.  Instead of rebooting your PC, you can use Restart Windows.


Close This Window
Button Action Dialog - Close This Window

The Close This Window button does not have any options. Clicking on this button type closes the window the button is in.


  Button Appearance Dialog

The Button Appearance dialog lets you design what your button will look like using any combination of an icon, text, and a bitmap.  You can also choose the color for the button background, highlight, and shadow.  While in the General part of this dialog, you can also choose the Border width and Transparent options.

•	To select an icon for your button, click on the Icon tab.

•	To select text for your button, click on the Text tab.

•	To select a bitmap for your button, click on the Bitmap tab.


Display: Icon, Text, and Bitmap

A button can display any combination of an icon, text, and a bitmap.  You can make your buttons as beautiful, simple, or elaborate as you want.  The check boxes indicate which options you have chosen.  You can turn these options on and off and click on Apply to see what the button looks like with the options you have selected.  The options are automatically toggled on when you select an icon, text, or a bitmap for a button.


Button Border

Using the Border drop-down list, you can select a border depth for a button, from None to 10 pixels.  As you change the border depth, the preview sample will be updated to show how the button will look when you choose Apply.


Border

Use this check box to turn on and off a black outline that's drawn around a button.


Button Color

Left-click on the Background, Highlight, or Shadow button to display a Color dialog to select custom colors for your button.


Sample Button

The Sample button shows how the changes you make using Color and Border depth will look before you choose Apply.


Transparent Button

Select Transparent to create a button with a transparent background.  Using transparent buttons, you can use a bitmap as the palette background and draw transparent buttons on it.  Each graphic element in the bitmap can have a transparent button drawn on it.


Apply Button

While you are working in this dialog, you can easily switch to the ToolPAL palette and change the button you are working on by clicking on a palette button.  If you switch buttons without clicking on Apply, your changes are canceled.  To apply the changes you have made to a button without closing this dialog, click on this button, Apply.


Apply & Close Button

While you are working in this dialog, you can easily switch to the ToolPAL palette and change the button you are working on by clicking on a palette button.  If you switch buttons without clicking on Apply, your changes are canceled.  To apply the changes you have made to a button without closing this dialog, click on the Apply button. To make a change to a button and close the dialog click on this button, Apply & Close.


Close Button

Left-click on the Close button to close this dialog without making any more changes since the point you last clicked on the Apply button.


Button Appearance Dialog - Icon Tab
  Button Appearance Dialog - Icon View

The Button Appearance dialog in the Icon Tab View lets you choose an icon for your button.  When you select an icon file to work with in the icon file drop-down list, the icons inside it are displayed in the list box.  To choose an icon for your button, double-click on the icon or select it from the list box and click on Apply or Apply & Close.


Icon File Name

Select a Windows icon file from the Icon File Name drop-down list. The icon contents of the file will be displayed in the Icon View list box.


Add Icon
Add Icon File

Left-click on the Add button to select a new Windows file that contains icons.  These include executables (.EXE), dynamic link libraries (.DLL), and icon files (.ICO). ToolPAL includes a set of over 500 icons in the files ICONS1.LIB, ICONS2.LIB, ICONS3.LIB, ICONS4.LIB, and ICONS5.LIB.


Remove Icon File

Left-click on the Remove button to remove a Windows icon file from the Icon File Name drop-down list.  ToolPAL keeps track of all the icon files you add to this list.  If you would like to remove the selected file from the Icon File drop-down list, click on this button.


Size to fit button

Choose this option to scale the icon to fit the button size.  This option is turned on by default.  Using this feature makes it easy to use icons on buttons that are smaller than the icon. This feature is not used when you put both an icon and text on a button.


Icons

Scroll through the Icon View window to select an icon. Left-click on the desired icon to select it. Left-click on Apply to use it on the selected ToolPAL button.


Button Appearance Dialog - Text Tab
  Button Appearance Dialog - Text View

The Button Appearance dialog in the Text Tab View lets you choose the text that appears on the button.  Type in the text you want to appear on the button in the Caption field.  You can also:

•	Select a 3D look and feel in the 3D Style drop-down list.

•	Select Text Justification.  Justification will also justify icons that do not have any text combined with them.

•	Select the font and font size for the text by clicking on Font.

•	Select the color of the text by clicking on Color.


Appearance Text Caption
Caption

Type the text you want to be displayed on the button in the Caption field.  Text can be multiline.  ToolPAL automatically wraps the text on the button.


Appearance Text 3D Style
3D Style

Choose the 3D text style you want to use on the button in the 3D Style drop-down list.


Appearance Text Justification
Justification

Choose the text justification for your text, icon, or icon and text in the Justification drop-down list.


Appearance Text Font Info
Font Info

Displays the currently selected font information in Font Name and Font Size.


Appearance Text Font
Font

Left-click on the Font button to select the text font, size, and (optionally) color for the button text.


Appearance Text Color
Color

Left-click on the Color button to select color for the button text.


Button Appearance Dialog - Bitmap Tab
  Button Appearance Dialog - Bitmap View

The Button Appearance dialog in the Bitmap Tab View lets you choose a bitmap for your button.  Using this dialog view, you can:

•	Select a bitmap file to use for a button.

•	Look at the bitmap by clicking on View.

•	Type or visually pick which part of the bitmap to use for the ToolPAL button using the Pick buttons.

Warning & Tip:  It is very easy to use a considerable amount of Windows resources when you use bitmaps in your ToolPAL palettes.  Two ways to conserve resources are:

•	Use a palette background bitmap.  Choose Select Background Bitmap in the Options menu to configure one.  Then use transparent buttons on top of button pictures that you have put on the bitmap using Windows Paint or a similar program.  ToolPAL automatically shifts the bitmap under the button when you click on a transparent button that has a background bitmap beneath it to provide animation.

•	Use as few bitmaps as possible for your buttons.  The way the button bitmap feature is designed, you can use one large bitmap for all your buttons, instead of many small ones.  Just use the PickBoth or PickUp and PickDn buttons to cut out the portion of the bitmap you want to use for a button, just like a cookie cutter.


Appearance Bitmap Bitmap File
Bitmap File

Select a Windows bitmap file (.BMP) from the Bitmap File drop-down list to use for your button.


Appearance Bitmap Add
Add Bitmap File

Left-click on the Add button to add a new Windows bitmap file to the  Bitmap File drop-down list.


Appearance Bitmap View
View  Bitmap

Left-click on the View button to view the bitmap selected in the drop-down list.  This file will be automatically displayed if you click on either PickBoth, PickUp, or PickDn.


Bitmap Button

Bitmap button with Lucy on it.


View Window

This window lets you look at the selected bitmap when you click on the View button in the Button Appearance dialog. Using the Pick buttons in the Button Appearance dialog, you can choose any portion of the bitmap in this window to use on a button.


Appearance Bitmap Button Up X
Button Up X

Type the X coordinate within the bitmap file for the section of the bitmap you want to use for the button in the up position.  You can also click on PickUp to visually pick the section of the bitmap you want to use.


Appearance Bitmap Button Up Y
Button Up Y

Type the Y coordinate within the bitmap file for the section of the bitmap you want to use for the button in the up position.  You can also click on PickUp to visually pick the section of the bitmap you want to use.


Appearance Bitmap Button Down X
Button Down X

Type the X coordinate within the bitmap file for the section of the bitmap you want to use for the button in the down, or pressed, position.  You can also click on PickDn to visually pick the section of the bitmap you want to use.


Appearance Bitmap Button Down Y
Button Down Y

Type the Y coordinate within the bitmap file for the section of the bitmap you want to use for the button in the down, or pressed, position.  You can also click on PickDn to visually pick the section of the bitmap you want to use.


Appearance Bitmap PickUp
PickUp

Left-click on the PickUp button to use the mouse pointer to visually select the section of the bitmap you want to use for the button in the up position.


Appearance Bitmap PickDn
PickDn

Left-click on the PickDn button to use the mouse pointer to visually select the section of the bitmap you want to use for the button in the down, or pressed, position.


PickBoth

Left-click on the PickBoth button to use the mouse pointer to visually select the section of the bitmap you want to use for the button in both the up and down positions.


Clip & Save File Contents Dialog

The Clip & Save File Contents dialog is displayed when you choose Clip & Save File Contents in the ToolPAL Edit menu.  This menu command is only enabled when you are pointing the mouse at a Clip & Save button.  The Clip & Save file contents shown in this dialog is the Clip & Save file associated with the button that invoked the dialog.  All the ToolPAL buttons that use this file will be shown along with the Clip & Save objects that are stored in this file.

The purpose of this dialog is to be able to keep track of what is in your Clip & Save file and to delete any unnecessary objects.  The dialog lists every Clip & Save object in your file.

Warning! Objects are deleted immediately when you click on the Delete button.  There is no Undo or other way to cancel this operation.

Tip: When you store Clip & Save objects, ToolPAL stores all the data formats in the Clipboard.  For example, when you store a block of text from Word for Windows 2.0 into the Clipboard, ToolPAL also stores a Windows Meta File (WMF) image of the text into the Clipboard along with the text.  While the text is useful, the WMF format may not be.  If you want to save space in your Clip & Save file, you can delete the WMF format.


Clip & Save File Name

This is the file name that the Clip & Save objects are stored in.


Clipboard Contents Button Name
Clip & Save Button Name

This is the button name associated with a Clipboard object in the file.


Clipboard Contents Sequence Number
Clip & Save Object Sequence Number

If a button has more than one set of Clip & Save objects associated with it, ToolPAL assigns a sequence number to the object records to identify the set of Clip & Save objects uniquely.


Clipboard Contents Format
Clip & Save Object Format

This is the Clipboard format of the object.  ToolPAL supports the following standard Clipboard formats: TEXT, BITMAP, WMF, SYLK, DIF, TIFF, and DIB.


Clipboard Contents Source
Clip & Save Object Source

This is the Windows application that created the Windows Clipboard object.


Clipboard Contents Size
Clip & Save Object Size

This is the size of the Clip & Save object.


Clipboard Contents Description
Clip & Save Object Description

This is the description you typed in when the object was stored.  The first part of the description is shown in the list box.  The complete description is shown in the Clip & Save object description.


Clipboard Contents Delete
Clip & Save Object Delete

Left-click on this button to delete the selected Clip & Save object.  Warning! Objects are deleted immediately when you click on this button.  There is no Undo or other way to cancel this operation.


Launch List Dialog

Launch List is a ToolPAL feature that lets you create a list of files that are associated with a ToolPAL Launch button.  When you left-click a mouse button on a Launch button that has a Launch List, it will display a menu of files you can open.

To add a file to a Launch List, you can drag a file from the Windows 3.1 File Manager or the Windows 95 Explorer window and drop it on a ToolPAL Launch button.  You can also use the Launch List dialog to add and delete files from the Launch List.

To learn what each control in the Launch List dialog does, just left-click on it with the mouse.

Note:  All the files associated with a Launch List button must be the same type.  For example, all the files for a Microsoft Word Launch List button must have the extension .DOC.


Launch List File Name

Executable name that this button launches.  This program will open the file you choose from the Launch List.


Launch List Files

List of files that are associated with the Launch button.


Add File to Launch List

Choose Add File to display the Add File dialog box to add a file to the Launch List.


Remove File from Launch List

Choose Remove File to remove the highlighted file from the Launch List.


Move Up Button

Left-click on the Move Up button to move the currently selected file name up in the Launch List menu.


Move Down Button

Left-click on the Move Down button to move the currently selected file name down in the Launch List menu.


Sort Launch List Button

Sort the file names in the Launch List in ascending order.


 Set Time Keeper Dialog

The Set Time Keeper dialog is displayed when you choose Time Keeper in the ToolPAL View menu.  You can use this dialog to:

•	Set the way time is displayed in the ToolPAL status bar.

•	Set an Alarm.

•	Set the Countdown Timer to go off after a specified amount of time.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Time Keeper Time Display Day of week
Day of week

Select the format for the day of the week from this drop-down list.


Time Keeper Time Display Date
Date

Select the format for the date from this drop-down list.


Time Keeper Time Display Time
Time

Select the format for the time from this drop-down list.


Time Keeper Time Display Update frequency
Update frequency

Type the number of seconds to wait before updating the Time Keeper clock.  Frequency also affects the Countdown Timer and how frequently Windows Systems Resources are monitored.


Time Keeper Set Alarm Hr
Set Alarm Hr

Type a number between 0 and 12 to set the hour for the ToolPAL alarm clock.


Time Keeper Set Alarm AM/PM
Set Alarm AM/PM

Left-click the AM/PM button to set AM or PM for the ToolPAL alarm clock.


Time Keeper Set Alarm Min
Set Alarm Min

Type a number between 0 and 60 to set the minutes for the ToolPAL alarm clock.


Time Keeper Set Alarm Sec
Set Alarm Sec

Type a number between 0 and 60 to set the seconds for the ToolPAL alarm clock.


Time Keeper Set Alarm On/Off
Set Alarm On/Off

Left-click the On/Off button to turn the alarm on and off. When the alarm goes off, a message box appears on the screen at the selected time.


Alarm Type

Select the type of alarm you want.  Recurring will go off every 24 hours at the same time.  One-time Alarm will go off once and will not go off again.


Alarm Status

The alarm status tells you if the alarm is on or off.


Time Keeper Countdown Timer Hr
Countdown Timer Hr

Type a number between 0 and 12 to set the hour for the ToolPAL countdown timer.


Time Keeper Countdown Timer Min
Countdown Timer Min

Type a number between 0 and 60 to set the minutes for the ToolPAL countdown timer.


Time Keeper Countdown Timer Sec
Countdown Timer Sec

Type a number between 0 and 60 to set the seconds for the ToolPAL countdown timer.


Time Keeper Countdown Timer Clear
Countdown Timer Clear

Left-click on the Clear button to reset the Countdown Timer Hr, Min, and Sec to 0.


Time Keeper Countdown Timer Start/Stop
Countdown Timer Start/Stop

Left-click the Start/Stop button to turn the countdown timer on and off. When the timer goes off, a message box appears on the screen when the countdown time interval has elapsed.


  Window Manager

The ToolPAL Window Manager is a replacement for the Windows Task Manager.  ToolPAL provides more features than the Windows Task Manager.  Besides letting you easily switch between applications, the ToolPAL Window Manager lets you lock windows on top of the desktop using a TopIT button and move windows from one virtual desktop to another using the MoveIT button.

You can display the Window Manager by:

•	Clicking the left mouse button on a Window Manager button

•	Choosing Window Manager in the ToolPAL View menu, or

•	Pressing Ctrl+Esc or double-clicking the left mouse button on an open area of the Windows desktop if you have ToolPAL configured as your Windows Task Manager.

You can configure what you want ToolPAL to do when you press Ctrl+Esc by choosing Window Manager in the ToolPAL Options menu.

The ToolPAL Window Manager has all the features of the Windows Task Manager it replaces and many more.  The ToolPAL Window Manager can be used to switch between Windows applications by using the Switch To button.  CloseIT closes a Windows application, like the Close button in the Windows Task Manager.  Tile, Cascade, and Arrange Icons buttons also work the same as in the Windows Task Manager.

The special ToolPAL buttons are: TopIT, ReleaseIT, MoveIT, ToolPAL, and Task Man.

•	TopIT locks the selected window on top of the Windows desktop so it always floats on top of the other windows on your desktop.  You can also configure a button to be a TopIT button.  When you click on a TopIT button, it lets you choose a window to lock on top of the desktop.

ToolPAL can be very handy for a Windows programmer to put the application you are debugging on top of the debugging window in Visual C++ or Visual Basic and keep it there while testing it.

If you are writing an article about a Windows application, you can keep it on top of your word processing window to experiment with while you are writing about it.

Tip:  You can keep ToolPAL on top, or not, by choosing Always On Top in the ToolPAL View menu.

•	ReleaseIT reverses the action of TopIT on the selected window.

•	MoveIT moves the selected window from the virtual desktop its on to the current virtual desktop.

•	ToolPAL closes the Window Manager window and returns you to the ToolPAL window.

•	Task Man displays the ToolPAL Task Manager window.

The Windows Task Manager is really a window manager, not a task manager.  It lists the top-level windows currently running in Windows, not the tasks.  Thats why the equivalent feature in ToolPAL is called a Window Manager, not a Task Manager.  A window is a rectangle on your display that a task displays information in.  A task is the program you execute to run in a window.  A task is synonymous with a Windows executable or a Windows application.  The ToolPAL Task Manager lists the Windows tasks currently running.

The Task That Would Not Die

Have you ever had a Windows application that stopped working, but Windows and other applications worked OK?  If you did not want to restart Windows, you could try to use the Windows Task Manager to get rid of the application, but this does not usually work.  Try Terminate using the ToolPAL Task Manager--it always works (or maybe crashes Windows in the process).  Termination is always a risky business!  Make sure you have saved your data and use Terminate with caution.

For Windows Power Users Only

Besides terminating tasks, you can also terminate DLLs.  Just choose DLLs, instead of Tasks, in the drop-down list.

This lists all the DLLs currently active in Windows--and you can terminate any one of them.  What happens afterward depends on the DLL.  To find out more internal details about either tasks or DLLs, just double-click on the entry in the list box or click on the Info button.

As you can see, this dialog contains a lot of important information for Windows power users that is of little use to normal Windows users.


Switch To Button

Left-click on this button to switch to the highlighted application window.


CloseIT Button

Left-click on this button to close the highlighted application window.


LPC 95 Button
ToolPAL Button

Left-click on this button to close the Window Manager window and display the main ToolPAL window.


Tile Button

Left-click on this button to have Windows tile all the sizable windows on the desktop.


Cascade Button

Left-click on this button to have Windows cascade the windows on the desktop.


Arrange Icons Button

Left-click on this button to have Windows arrange all the icons on the desktop.


Tasks and DLLs Combo Box
Tasks and DLLs Drop-down List

Choose what you want to view in the Task Manager list using this drop-down list.  Choose Tasks to see all the Windows tasks currently in the system.  Choose DLLs to see all the DLLs currently loaded into memory.


MoveIT Button

Left-click on this button to move the highlighted window from its virtual desktop to the virtual desktop ToolPAL is on.


TopIT Button

Click on this button to lock the selected window on top of all the other windows on the desktop.


MoveIT Button
ReleaseIT Button

Click on this button to release a window that you had locked on top of the desktop using the TopIT button.


Virtual Desktop

Shows which of the nine virtual desktops the window is located in.


Window Icon

Shows the windows icon.


Module Name

Shows the module name of the Windows application.


Window Caption

Shows the caption of the highlighted window.


HWND

Shows the internal ID assigned to each window by Microsoft Windows to identify it to the operating system.


HTASK

Shows the internal ID assigned to each Window's task by Microsoft Windows to identify it to the operating system.


Task File Name

A Windows task is synonymous with a Windows executable file. This is the file name for the task.


DLL File Name

Shows the file name for a Windows DLL.


Date and Time

Shows the date and time this file was created.


HINSTANCE

Shows the internal ID assigned to each instance of a Window's task by Microsoft Windows to identify it to the operating system.


Parent HTASK

If a task was started by another task, this is the HTASK of the task that started it.


Directory

Shows the directory the task executable or DLL file was loaded from.


File Size

Shows the file size of the executable or DLL file.


DLL Usage

Shows the  number of tasks that are currently using this DLL.


Linked To

Shows a list of tasks that are using this DLL.


Button to Display the ToolPAL Task Manager
Display ToolPAL Task Manager Button

The first window displayed when you click on the ToolPAL Task Manager button is the Window Manager, which lists the active windows, similar to the standard Windows Task Manager.  This button displays a window that lists the actual tasks and their associated executable files.


Info Button

Displays a dialog that gives you detailed information about the Windows task or DLL selected in the ToolPAL Task Manager window.  You can also double-click on the application in the list box to display the Task Info window.


Terminate Button

You should only use the Terminate button as a last resort.  This button will terminate the selected application in the ToolPAL Task Manager window.  The ToolPAL Task Manager can terminate almost any Windows task, especially ones that are locked in memory where there is no other way to get rid of them but to reboot Windows.  Care should be used!  Terminating an application can leave Windows in an unstable state, depending upon the state of the application being terminated.


Task List

This is a list of the application tasks currently running in Windows.


Task Manager

The Task Manager dialog is displayed when you click on the Task Manager button in the ToolPAL Window Manager dialog.  This dialog lists the tasks currently running in Windows.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Task Info Dialog

The Task Info dialog displays information about the selected task that a programmer or advanced Windows user may find useful.  The HTASK, HINSTANCE, Parent, and HMODULE fields are internal identifiers used by Windows to keep track of application components.  Directory specifies the working directory of the application.  Command line specifies the command-line parameters used to launch the application.


Application Options Dialog

The Applications Options dialog is displayed when you choose Application in the ToolPAL Options menu.  This dialog lets you change ToolPAL options that affect all the palettes in a ToolPAL file, as well as how ToolPAL works in general.

For information about each option, click on the option to get further help.


Palette Properties Auto Launch Application
Auto Launch Application

Auto launch application launches the Windows application a palette commands automatically whenever ToolPAL is started and whenever you switch to a palette that commands a Windows application.


Auto Switch When Application Switches

Choose this option if you would like ToolPAL to automatically switch to the palette associated with an application when you activate the application using Alt+Tab or by clicking on the application window with your mouse.


Center Window When ToolPAL Starts

Normally ToolPAL will remember the last position for the main palette window when you save a ToolPAL file so it always starts in the same position.  If you switch resolutions form larger to smaller, ToolPAL automatically adjusts the position so it's on the screen--not off in never land.

If you choose the Center Window option, ToolPAL will always center the window on the screen when ToolPAL starts.  This option is on a file-by-file basis.  It does not apply to all ToolPAL files.


Iconize ToolPAL After Launching

Choose this option to have ToolPAL make itself an icon after launching a Windows application by left-clicking on a launch button.


Only Display Menus With Right Mouse Button

If you choose this option, ToolPAL will only display a menu when you right-click in the main area of the ToolPAL window that contains buttons and file folders.

If you don't choose this option, you can right-click on a file folder tab to change its name.  You can also right-click on the status bar to set up the clock, alarms, and countdown timer.


Import Program Manager Groups

ToolPAL imports all the information it needs about Program Manager groups at program startup.  This information is used in the ToolPAL Import from Program Manager dialog box and the ToolPAL button action Program Manager menus.

After ToolPAL imports this information from Program Manager using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), it is written to the file TPPM.MNU in the ToolPAL working directory.  If ToolPAL does not detect a change in the number of Program Manager groups at startup, it reads this file to set up its Program Manager groups instead of using DDE to import the information from Program Manager. This is done to speed up the ToolPAL initialization process.

If you would rather have ToolPAL import this information every time ToolPAL starts, choose this option.


File Folder Tabs

This drop-down list lets you choose how many file folders are displayed in a row of file folders.  "Auto" tells ToolPAL to display as many file folders as the window width allows.  Otherwise, you can choose a fixed number of file folders to display on each row.


File Folder Spacing

File Folder Spacing specifies how many pixels to use to horizontally offset each file folder row.  Zero stacks rows of file folders directly behind each other.  Other values give you a 3D effect.


File Folder Font

This displays the currently selected font being used for file folder tabs.


File Folder Font Button

This displays the Font dialog to select the font to be used for file folder tabs.


3D Text Style

3D Text Style lets you select the 3D effect for the text used on file folder tabs.


Splash Screen

Choose whether or not you want the splash screen displayedas well as how long it is displayed.


Palette Options Dialog

The Palette Options dialog is displayed when you choose Palette in the ToolPAL Options menu.  The palette options dialog lets you set up how a palette or palette group inside a ToolPAL palette window works.

To learn more about what each control does, just click on it with the mouse.  The following list describes all of the tasks you might want to do with this dialog.  After this short list, each task is explained in more detail.  If you don't understand what a ToolPAL palette or palette group is, then you should go the topic, How ToolPAL Works - An Overview of Palette and Palette Groups.

•	Add a new palette

•	Copy a palette

•	Modify a palette's name

•	Delete a palette

•	Select a Windows application to command using this palette or palette group

•	Use a ToolPAL window as an application's toolbar

•	Create an array of buttons for the palette

Use file folders

•	Change background color

•	Use a background bitmap

•	Change the hot key

The following topics discuss how to do each of these tasks in more detail.

Add a New Palette

To add a new palette to your ToolPAL palette group:

1.	Select a palette that has an array of buttons that are all the same size, if you want the palette to have an array of buttons that match the selected palette.

2.	Choose the New button.

3.	Type a palette name for your new palette in the New Palette dialog.

4.	Choose OK and ToolPAL creates and switches to the new palette.

5.	If you want to change the size and the number of buttons in the new palette: left-click on the Button Array push button to choose the button size, number of rows, and number of columns for the palette.  Choose OK and you're done.

Copy a Palette

To make a copy of a palette:

1.	Choose the Copy button.

2.	Type a name for the new palette in the Copy Palette dialog.

3.	Choose OK.

Modify a Palette's Name

To modify a palette's name:

1.	Choose the Modify button.

2.	Type the new palette name in the Modify Palette Name dialog.

3.	Choose OK.

Delete a Palette

To delete a palette, select it in the Palette Name drop-down list and choose the Delete button.  The palette is deleted along with any child palettes contained in its buttons.  Since this is a major change, a warning dialog is always displayed to make sure you really want to delete a palette.

Select an Application to Command

You can easily select an application to command with a palette by selecting an application configuration that has already been set up or by creating a new one.  ToolPAL comes with default configurations for a number of Windows applications.  To select one of these configurations, choose it from the Application to Command drop-down list.  After the application is selected, choose either Apply or Apply & Close to finish making your choice.

If the application you want to command is not listed in the Application to Command drop-down list, you need to add it to your configuration.

To select a Windows application to command with this palette and add it to the other applications in the Application to Command drop-down list:

1.	Make sure that the Windows application you want to command is running.

2.	Left-click on the Add button to display the Add Application to Command dialog box.

3.	Choose the application file name in the list box.

4.	Type the application description to be used in the Palette Options Application to Command drop-down list.

5.	Select the way you want commands sent to the application you are commanding.  ToolPAL lets you select one of three different ways to send commands to a Windows application:

•	Send keystrokes quickly will send the command to the application you are commanding using keystrokes as if you typed them in from the keyboard yourself in one stream of characters.  This is the default setting for Windows 3.1.

•	Send keystrokes slowly will send the command to the application you are commanding using keystrokes as if you typed them in from the keyboard yourself with a short pause between characters.  Try this setting for Windows applications that don't work with the default setting.  Most Microsoft Office applications must use this setting.

•	Send command messages uses the application's internal command message numbers to send commands to the application being commanded.  This setting is the default for Windows 95.

Note: This setting is the most efficient way to send commands, but you must reconfigure ToolPAL every time the application you are using with this palette is upgraded.

Windows 95 Note: This is the only setting that will work with Windows 95 32-bit applications.

Windows NT Note: This ToolPAL feature in not completely tested or supported with Windows NT.  In limited testing, this feature worked with 16-bit applications, but did not work with 32-bit applications.

6.	Choose OK.

7.	Choose Apply or Apply & Close.

If you want the application you selected to command to work with all of the palettes in the palette group, select the "Apply to All Palettes in Group" option.

Use a ToolPAL Window as an Application's Toolbar

To use a ToolPAL window as an application's toolbar, you must first do the previous task of "Select an Application to Command."  You must also select the "Apply to All Palettes in Group" option.

If you want to have the ToolPAL window work as the application's toolbar, select the "Make Palette the Application's Toolbar" option.

For more information about commanding other Windows applications with ToolPAL, go to the Use ToolPAL with other Windows applications topic.

Create an Array of Buttons for the Palette

If you would like to create a palette with a fixed number of buttons that are all the same size, it's very easy using this dialog.  To create an array of buttons:

1.	Left-click on the Create Button Array push button.

2.	Type in the height and width for the buttons.

3.	Type in the number of rows and columns of buttons.

4.	Choose OK.

Use File Folders

File folders are a powerful ToolPAL feature that's completely automatic.  If you choose to use file folders, you can easily switch between the palettes displayed in the main ToolPAL window by clicking on a file folder tab.

1.	To turn file folders on and off for all the palettes in a ToolPAL palette group, check or uncheck the "Display folders for all palettes in group" option in the Palette Options dialog.

2.	To display (or not) a specific palette in a file folder, check or uncheck the "Display file folder for this palette" option in the Palette Options dialog.

Note:  You can always switch to any ToolPAL palette using the Palette menu.

Tip:  One of the palettes you may not want to display in a file folder is Startup.  The Startup palette in the main ToolPAL palette group is used for launching applications and displaying palettes like the Startup Program Manager group in Windows.  For more information on Startup palettes, go to the Use a Startup Palette topic.

Change Background Color

To change the background color for a palette:

1.	Choose the palette you want to apply the color to from the Palette Name drop-down list.

2.	Left-click on Background Color to display the Color dialog.

3.	Choose the color you want to use and left-click on OK.

4.	Choose Apply or Apply & Close.

Use a Background Bitmap

To choose the background bitmap for a palette:

1.	Choose the palette you want to apply the color to from the Palette Name drop-down list.

2.	Left-click on Background Bitmap to display the Find Bitmap File dialog.

3.	Choose the bitmap file and left-click on OK.

4.	Choose Apply or Apply & Close.

Note:  To clear the bitmap file being used, left-click on the Clear Bitmap button.

Note:  To conserve on Windows system resources, ToolPAL manages bitmap files very carefully.  No matter how many times you use a bitmap file for palette backgrounds and buttons, ToolPAL only keeps one copy in memory.  If you are concerned about system resources, try to use as few bitmaps as you need for the ToolPAL palettes you create.

Change the Hot Key

Your hot key choice applies to the palette group not an individual palette.  To iconize and hide a ToolPAL window, press Esc or double-click the left mouse button on the ToolPAL caption bar.  To activate a ToolPAL window and bring it to the front, you press the Hot Key for the palette group displayed in the window.

Pause is the default hot key.  To choose a unique hot key for a palette group:

1.	Choose the palette you want to apply the color to from the Palette Name drop-down list.

2.	Select the hot key from the Hot Key drop-down list.

3.	Choose Apply or Apply & Close.


Palette Name

Select the palette you want to configure from this drop-down list.  When you select a palette within a palette group in this list,  the window changes to show you the palette that's selected.


New Palette

Left-click on the New button to create a new palette inside the a palette group of the current ToolPAL window.


Copy Palette

Left-click on this button to make a copy of the currently selected palette by duplicating it.


Palette Properties Modify
Modify Palette Name

Left-click on the Modify button to change the name of the currently selected palette.

Tip:  You can also right-click on a file folder tab to change a palette's name, if this option is turned on in the Applications Options dialog.


Palette Properties Delete
Delete Palette

Left-click on the Delete button to delete the selected palette.

Note:  Each palette group must have one palette in it.  You cannot delete a palette if it's the only one in a palette group.

Tip:  You can also choose Cut Palette in the ToolPAL Edit menu to delete a palette from a palette group.


Use Palette Name for Caption

Choose this option if you want the palette's name to be used for the title on the window caption.


Caption

If you want to specify a name for the ToolPAL window caption, unselect the "Use Palette Name for Caption" option and type the name in this edit field.


Application to Command

Choose the application you want to command from this drop-down list.  If the application you want to command is not listed, you will need to add the application by clicking on the Add button.  To find out how to add an application and associate it with this palette, read Select an Application to Command in this help topic.


Palette Properties Executable File
Executable File

This is the Windows executable file name commanded by this palette.  If you have moved a file name or switched PCs, you can type the new directory and path in this field for the executable file name.


Add Button

Left-click on the Add button to find and add a Windows application to the Application to Command drop-down list and the associated ToolPAL command file.


Delete Button

Left-click on this button to delete the currently selected application configuration from the Application to Command drop-down list and the associated ToolPAL command file.


Working Directory

Type the working directory for the application you are commanding in this edit field.  This field is automatically filled in with the startup directory of the application if you use the Add button to choose it as the application to command.

Tip:  You can use the "..." button to browse for this directory to locate it.


Browse Button

Use this button to locate and assign the working directory for the application you are commanding.


Command Method

This drop-down list specifies how ToolPAL sends commands to an application. The default is Send key strokes quickly. Sometimes a Windows application cannot respond to the key strokes sent to it by ToolPAL.  If you have problems with a Windows application performing a command sent to it by ToolPAL, try Send key strokes slowly.

Sending key strokes slowly is the safest way to command a Windows application. You can also choose to have ToolPAL send commands directly through the application's command message queue. This is the fastest way to work with an application--but this method has to be updated every time the application is updated.  Sending command messages is the only method that works with Windows 95 32-bit applications.


Apply to All Palettes in Group

Choose this option to make the Application to Command option apply to all of the palettes in the palette group.

Note:  This option MUST be selected to use a ToolPAL window as an application's toolbar.


Make Palette the Application's Toolbar

Choose this option to have the window that displays this palette and its palette group as an application's toolbar.  When this option is selected, the palette window will disappear when you iconize the application.  The palette window will become the child of the application that it is commanding and stay on top of the application's window--but not on top of all the other windows.

Note: You must close the ToolPAL window this palette is in and open it again for this option to become effective.

Note:  The "Apply to All Palettes in Group" option MUST be selected to use a ToolPAL window as an application's toolbar.


Button Array
Create Button Array

Create Button Array displays the Create Button Array dialog to create an array of ToolPAL buttons that all have the same size.


Color
Background Color

Background Color displays the Color dialog to choose the background color for the selected palette.


Text Color

Text Color displays the Color dialog to choose the text color for the selected palette.


Bitmap
Background Bitmap

Background Bitmap displays the Find Bitmap File dialog to choose a bitmap to be used for the palette background.


Clear Bitmap

Clear Bitmap clears the bitmap that is selected as the palette background bitmap.  After clicking on this button, only the palette background color will be displayed.


Tile Bitmap

If you selected a bitmap that is small and you want it to fill the entire palette background, select Tile.  This option repeats the bitmap as many times as necessary to cover the entire palette background.


Include This Palette
Display file folder for this palette

You can choose to have a file folder (or not) for each palette.  Selecting this option puts the currently selected palette in a file folder.  You can always switch to any palette using the Palette menu--even if the palette is not displayed in a file folder.


Display Folders for All Palettes In Group

Choose the option to enable the File Folder option for the palette group.  You can turn file folders on and off for each palette in the palette group using the "Display file folder for this palette" option.


Hot Key

Your hot key choice applies to the palette group --not an individual palette.  To iconize and hide a ToolPAL window, press Esc or double-click the left mouse button on the ToolPAL caption bar.  To activate a ToolPAL window and bring it to the front, press the Hot Key for the palette group displayed in the window.

Pause is the default.  You can choose a unique hot key for each palette group using this drop-down list.


Tips Dialog

Displays the Tips dialog for the Palette Options dialog.


New Palette Dialog

Type the name for the new palette and choose OK to create it.

Note:  Duplicate palette names are not allowed.


Modify Palette Name Dialog

Type the new name for your palette and choose OK to make the change.

Note:  Duplicate palette names are not allowed.


Copy Palette Dialog

Type the name for the palette that will be created when you copy this palette and choose OK to create the palette.

Note:  Duplicate palette names are not allowed.


Add Application to Command Dialog

To select a Windows application to command with this palette and add it to the other applications in the Application to Command drop-down list:

1.	Make sure the Windows application you want to command is running.

2.	Left-click on the Add button in the Palette Properties dialog to display the Add Application to Command dialog box.

3.	Choose the application file name in the list box.

4.	Type the application Description to be used in the Palette Options Application to Command drop-down list.

5.	Choose OK.

For more information about commanding other Windows applications with ToolPAL, go to the Use ToolPAL with other Windows applications topic.


Palette Sizing Dialog

This dialog is displayed when you choose Palette Sizing from the ToolPAL Options menu.  You use this dialog to:

•	Configure a palette to be sizable or not.

•	Configure the buttons in the palette to automatically rearrange themselves when the palette is resized.

•	Configure all the palettes in a palette group to try and maintain the same size when you switch from one palette to another.

•	Apply the options you select in this dialog to all palettes in the palette group.

•	Specify palette margins.

•	Specify spacing between buttons and button groups.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.

Grouping Buttons

Most of the tasks you need this dialog for are pretty straightforward, but setting up button groups can be a little tricky.  Here is how it's done:

1.	Choose the palette you want to configure by making sure that it is the current palette and display the Palette Sizing dialog using the ToolPAL menu or left-clicking on the Palette Sizing push button in the Button Editor dialog.

2.	Turn on Auto Arrange in the Palette Sizing dialog.

3.	Choose how you want the margins and button spacing to be for your palette.  Make sure that the button group spacing is larger than the space between buttons.

4.	Choose OK to close the Palette Sizing dialog.

5.	Open the Button Editor dialog using the ToolPAL menu or by pressing function key F2.

6.	Turn Auto Arrange OFF in the Button Editor dialog.

7.	Arrange the buttons into groups by selecting them and dragging them with the Button Editor dialog open.  Make sure that button groups are spaced farther apart than the button group spacing you specified in the Palette Sizing dialog.

8.	After you have finished arranging the buttons, turn Auto Arrange ON in the Button Editor dialog.

9.	Your dialog should now look the way you set it up in the Palette Sizing dialog.  If you want to fine-tune the button spacing some more, you need to go back to step 1 and start over.

10.	Choose OK to close the Button Editor dialog when you are finished.


Buton Group
Button Group

A button group is a group of buttons that are closer to each other than the spacing between button groups specified in this dialog. You should use the Button Editor dialog to arrange the palette buttons into groups and specify the spacing for the buttons in this dialog. When you choose Auto Arrange and set up button groups, all the buttons in a group are kept together on the same row when a palette is resized.


Sizable palette

Choose this option to make this a sizable palette.


Auto arrange buttons

Choose this option to have the buttons in this palette automatically rearrange themselves when the palette is resized.


Apply to all parent palettes
Apply to all palettes in group

Choose this option to have the options you select in this dialog apply to all the palettes in the palette group.


Maintain size of parent palettes
Maintain size of palettes

Choose this option to have palettes maintain their size as you switch from one to another in the palette group.


Palette margins

Specify the margins for the palette using these fields.


Button Spacing

Specify the spacing between buttons, button rows, and button groups in these fields.


Rearrange Palette Menu Dialog

This dialog is displayed when you choose Rearrange Palette Menu from the ToolPAL Options menu.  You use this dialog to change the order in which palette names appear in the ToolPAL palette menu.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Sort

Sort palette names in ascending order.


Palette Name

List of palette names displayed in the ToolPAL Palette menu.  Highlight the palette name you want to move and use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to move the selected palette name in the Palette menu.


Move Up Button

Left-click on the Move Up button to move the currently selected palette menu name up in the Palette menu.


Move Down Button

Left-click on the Move Down button to move the currently selected palette menu name down in the Palette menu.


Button Help Dialog

This dialog is displayed when you choose Button Help from the ToolPAL Options menu.  You use this dialog to choose how you want ToolPAL button help to be displayed.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


How to show help

Use this drop-down list to choose how you want help to be displayed: no help, help in a popup window, or help on the ToolPAL status bar.


How long to wait for help

Use this drop-down list to choose how long you want to wait before help is shown: immediately or from 1 to 5 seconds.


Window Manager Options Dialog

This dialog is displayed when you choose Window Manager from the ToolPAL Options menu.  You use this dialog to choose what you want to display when you have ToolPAL configured as your Task Manager and press Ctrl+Esc or double-click the left mouse button on an open area of the desktop.

This dialog has one drop-down list to choose what you want displayed when you press Ctrl+Esc or double-click the left mouse button on an open area of the desktop:

•	The ToolPAL Window Manager window

•	The ToolPAL window

•	Both the Window Manager and the ToolPAL windows

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


How you want Window Manager to be displayed

Use this drop-down list to choose what you want to happen when you press Ctrl+Esc or double-click the left mouse button on an open area of the desktop.


Change Password Dialog

To change or add a password for your ToolPAL palette file, type it in twice and choose OK.

For more information, go to the Password-protect ToolPAL palettes from being changed topic.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Change Password New Password
New Password

Type the same new password in each password edit box.


Palette Password Dialog

This dialog appears when a palette is password protected and you want to switch to long menus. You must type the password and choose OK before you can use ToolPAL long menus.


Paste Data Template Dialog

The Paste Data Template dialog box is displayed when you are using a ToolPAL Clip & Save button that has the "Use Clipboard text as template" option selected.  This dialog appears before the data associated with the button is put into the Clipboard for you to supply replacement values for the variables you have set up in the template.  For information on how to set up and use ToolPAL text templates, go to the How to build and use text templates topic.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Variable Name

The variable name you specified in the text template is displayed in this column.


Replacement Text

Type the replacement text that you want to replace the variable name you have defined in the text template.  You can use the up and down arrow keys or the mouse to move from field to field.


Clear Button

Click on this button to clear all the entries in this dialog.


Clip & Save Object Description Dialog

Use this dialog to give your Clip & Save object a description. Optionally, you can use the Clipboard text as a description by clicking on the push button Use Text.


Object Description

Type the description of your Clip & Save object here.


Use Text Button

Left-click on this button to use the text in the Clipboard object as the object description.


Select Clip & Save Data Object Dialog

.

This dialog is displayed when you click on a Clip & Save button that stores multiple Clip & Save objects. The alternative to this dialog is a menu of objects. This dialog is displayed when the "Display dialog instead of menu" option is selected in the Button Action dialog when configuring a Clip & Save button.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Data Format

Use this drop-down list to choose the Clipboard data format you want to see listed in the Clip & Save object list.


Clipboard Data Format
Format

This is the Clipboard format of the data object.


Clipboard Data Description
Description

This is the object description you supplied when the Clip & Save object was saved into a button.


Resource Monitor Window

You can use the ToolPAL Resource Monitor to check the levels of total free memory and Windows System Resources on your system.  For a description of how to create a ToolPAL Resource Monitor button, go to the topic Create and use Resource Monitor buttons.

For information about each window field, click on the field to get further help.


Resource Monitor Alarm Dialog

The ToolPAL Resource Monitor Alarm dialog appears when your Windows system resources have dropped below the alarm levels you selected for your Resource Monitor button in the Button Action dialog.

When an alarm goes off, you can turn the alarm off or set the alarm to a new level using the Suggested Level field.

For information about each dialog box field, click on the field to get further help.


Resource Type

This identifies the type of Windows resource that triggered the alarm: memory, User, or GDI.


Current Level

This is the current level you have configured to trigger the alarm.


Suggested Level

For ToolPAL to continue without constantly nagging you about resource alarms, the current alarm must be set lower or turned off.  You can either accept the new alarm level ToolPAL suggests or type the level you want to set.  You can also turn off resource alarms by clicking on Turn Off.


Turn Off Button

Turns off ToolPAL resource alarms.


Set Lower Button

Sets the alarm level to the new level in the Suggested Level edit box.


Create Macro Dialog

The Create Macro dialog appears after you choose Start Recording from the Macro menu for a button that has not been configured as a macro button.  A default name for the file to put the macro in will be supplied by ToolPAL.  You can accept the macro name and start recording the keyboard macro by choosing OK.  You can also type your own name for the macro and choose OK.  Choosing Cancel cancels the macro recording.

After this dialog closes, you can record your macro by doing the set of steps in the Window application you have associated with this palette.  ToolPAL only records keyboard events.  When you have completed all the steps you want to record, choose Stop Recording in the ToolPAL macro menu. You can then play back your macro recording by clicking on the ToolPAL button.

For more information on ToolPAL macros, go to:

Record  and playback keyboard macros


Macro File Name

Type a file name to store your ToolPAL macro in or accept the macro file name that ToolPAL suggests by clicking on OK.


Could not Find BMP File

This dialog appears if ToolPAL cannot find a bitmap file that is being used in your ToolPAL palette file when it's being opened.  This can occur when a bitmap file has been moved, renamed, or deleted.  If you still want to use this bitmap file in your palette, type in its full name, including the file path, and choose OK.  You can also click on the Find button to locate the file.


System Information Window

This is the System Information dialog that shows you information about your Windows system.


Font Dialog

The ToolPAL Font dialog is used for selecting:

•	Font typeface

•	Font size

•	Font color

ToolPAL uses the standard Windows Font dialog to keep the ToolPAL user interface consistent with other Windows applications.


Font Font
Font

Select a font typeface name from the Font drop-down list.


Font Font Style
Font Style

Select a font style from the Font Style drop-down list.


Font Size

Select a font size from the Size drop-down list.


Font Effects

Select the desired font effect by clicking in the appropriate check box in the Effects group.


Font Color

Select a font color from the Color drop-down list.


Font Sample

View what the desired font is going to look like in the Sample area.


Color Dialog

The ToolPAL Color dialog is used for selecting:

•	Palette background color

•	Button colors (background, highlight, and shadow)

•	Text color

ToolPAL uses the standard Windows Color dialog to keep the ToolPAL user interface consistent with other Windows applications.


Background Basic Colors
Color Dialog Basic Colors

Select a color by clicking in a Basic Colors window.


Background Custom Colors
Color Dialog Custom Colors

View colors selected in the Custom Color windows.


Background Define Custom Colors
Color Dialog Define Custom Colors

Left-click on the Define Custom Colors button and create a custom color.


Open or Add File Dialog

The ToolPAL Open or Add File dialog is used for locating files to open or use in a ToolPAL palette.  This dialog is used for the following purposes:

•	Opening files by choosing Open File in the ToolPAL File menu.

•	Selecting a bitmap file to use as a palette background by choosing Palette Bitmap in the ToolPAL Options menu.

•	Selecting a bitmap file to use for a button in the Button Appearance dialog.

•	Selecting a file that contains icons in the Button Appearance dialog.

•	Choosing an application to launch in the Button Action dialog.

•	Selecting an application to command in the Palette Options dialog.

ToolPAL uses the standard Windows Open File dialog to keep the ToolPAL user interface consistent with other Windows applications.


File Name

Type the name of the file you want to open or add.  You can also select from the list below and it will appear in this edit box.


OF File List
File List

Select a file from this list of the files in the current directory.  This directory list is filtered by the selection in the List Files of Type drop-down list.


OF List Files Of Type
List Files of Type

Choose a filter in this drop-down list so you only list the file types you want in the File list.  For example, ToolPAL files use the extension .TP.  Bitmap files use .BMP.  Icon files use .ICO.


OF Current Directory
Current Directory

This is the current directory name.


OF Directory List
Directory List

This is the list of directories.  You can easily navigate up and down the directory list by clicking on the file folders that appear in it.


OF Drives
Drives

Use this drop-down list to switch from one disk drive to another.


Find Directory Dialog

The Find Directory dialog appears when you click on Directory in the Button Action dialog to choose a startup directory for a Windows application you want to launch.


Save As Dialog

The ToolPAL Save As dialog is used for saving a ToolPAL palette with a new file name.  ToolPAL uses the standard Windows Save File dialog to keep the ToolPAL user interface consistent with other Windows applications.


Application Description

Type the description of the application you want to command that appears in the Palette Options Application to Command drop-down list.


Application Listbox

Choose the application you want to command from this listbox, which shows all the Windows applications currently active.  To add an application to command, you need to execute the application first to make sure it is active.


Palette Name

Use this field to type a name for your palette.  The palette name is used to identify the palette in the palette menu.  You can also have the palette name displayed on the ToolPAL window caption by selecting "Use palette name for caption" in the Palette Options Dialog  dialog.


Launch Button

A Launch button can launch any Windows or DOS application and control how the application is launched (startup directory, passed parameters, how it is shown, and a limit on multiple instances).


Execute any command in a Windows application

A palette can be configured to work with any Windows application in three mouse clicks.  Menu commands are attached to buttons by selecting them from a list of menu commands. To attach a Windows application to a palette, use the Palette Options dialog box.  To choose which menu command you want a button to send to the attached application, use the Button Action dialog.


Store and play back Clipboard objects
Store and play back Clip & Save objects

ToolPAL can store and play back one or more Clip & Save objects, such as text, bitmaps, and Windows metafiles (drawings) in a button. The Store and Retrieve Windows Clipboard topic covers this feature in more detail.


Store and play back text templates

A text template is text you copy to the Windows Clipboard that contains variables inside it that can be replaced before it is pasted into a Windows application.  When you click on a button that contains a text template, you are asked for the replacement text for the variables in the template before the text is pasted into the application you are working with.  For more information on text templates, go to the topic Building and Using Text Templates.


Record and play back macros

ToolPAL buttons can be used to store and play back keyboard macros you can use with the application attached to your ToolPAL palette.  For more information on ToolPAL macros, go to the Record  and play back keyboard macros.


Windows Resource Monitor
Windows Resource Monitor Button

Use the ToolPAL Resource Monitor button to check the levels of total free memory and Windows System Resources on your system.  The Resource Gauge that appears on the Resource Monitor button shows the level of Windows System Resources currently available on your system.


Window Manager Button

The ToolPAL Window Manager button gives you all the capabilities of the Windows Task Manager, plus several additional features.  The ToolPAL Window Manager lets you switch between Windows applications, close Windows applications, and lock a window so it stays above other windows on the desktop.  For more information on the ToolPAL Window Manager, go to the Create and Use Task Manager Buttons topic.


Display a Palette Button

ToolPAL lets you create palettes and put them inside a button.  These palettes are called child palettes.  Child palettes can be put inside any ToolPAL button in any type of palette.  You can configure a child palette to have one of two different styles:

•	Child palettes with a window caption have a window caption, system menu, and a minimize button.

•	Child palettes configured as a menu palette behave like a cascading menu--they appear when you click on the button they reside in.  You then click on a button in the non-independent palette to do an action, and the palette disappears.


Palette Switch Button

ToolPAL lets you create an unlimited number of palettes that can be stored in a palette group.  You can easily switch between palettes in a palette group by choosing the palette name from the ToolPAL Palette menu or left-clicking on a file folder tab.  You can also assign a button to switch to a specific ToolPAL palette in a button group when it's clicked on.


Virtual Desktop Button

ToolPAL's virtual desktops make it possible to work with your computer as if it had several screens attached to it. Each virtual desktop represents a full-screen view.

To switch back and forth among virtual desktops, you can use the ToolPAL Desktop menu.  You can also assign a virtual desktop to a ToolPAL button so when you click on the button, ToolPAL switches to that virtual desktop.


Storing Clipboard Objects in a ToolPAL Button
Saving Clip & Save Objects in a Button

To store a Clip & Save object and associate it with a ToolPAL button:

1.	Copy what you want to store into the Windows Clipboard.  ToolPAL can store any standard Windows Clipboard objects, such as text, bitmaps, and Windows metafiles (WMF) drawings.  You can also store Excel and Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet blocks.

2.	Point the cursor at the palette button you associate the Clip & Save object with and press the right mouse button to display the ToolPAL menu. (Note: the button you choose should not have a purpose assigned to it yet or should already be configured as a Clip & Save button)

3.	Choose "Save Clip & Save Data into Button" in the ToolPAL Edit menu.

4.	If the button has not been assigned a purpose yet, the Button Action dialog box will be displayed.

5.	Type the name of the file for storing Clip & Save objects or accept the name supplied by ToolPAL.

6.	If you want ToolPAL to automatically paste the Clip & Save object into the application you are working with when you click on the button to play back the Clip & Save object, choose the "Automatically send paste command to application" check box.

7.	Choose Apply & Close.

8.	The Clip & Save Object Description dialog will be displayed next so you can give a text description to the Clip & Save object you are storing.  If you are storing text from the Clipboard and want to use the text as the description of what you are storing, click on the Use Text button.

9.	After supplying a description, ToolPAL saves your Clip & Save object.


Playing Back Clip & Save Objects

To play back a ToolPAL Clip & Save object, all you need to do is click on the ToolPAL button associated with the object.  If you have associated more than one Clipboard object with a ToolPAL button, you will be prompted with the Select Clip & Save Data Object menu or dialog box so you can select the Clipboard object you want to paste into the application you are working with.

Note: ToolPAL will only send a Paste command to an application when you have associated an application with the palette you are using and selected the "Automatically send paste command to application" check box in the Button Action dialog box.


Manage ToolPAL Clipboard Objects
Manage Clipboard Objects

When you store Clip & Save objects, ToolPAL stores all the data formats presently in the Clipboard.  For example, when you store a block of text from Word for Windows 2.0 into the Clipboard, it also stores a Windows metafile (WMF) image of the text into the Clipboard.  If you want to see what you have stored in your ToolPAL file and also be able to discard Clip & Save objects from your ToolPAL Clip & Save file, choose Clipboard File Contents from the ToolPAL View menu to display the View Clipboard File Contents dialog box.  This dialog lists all the Clip & Save objects ToolPAL has stored in your Clip & Save file.  You can delete any object in the file by selecting it in the list box and choosing the Delete button.


Hide a ToolPAL Palette

You can easily hide a base ToolPAL palette as an icon on the bottom of all other windows by double-clicking on the ToolPAL caption bar.  You can make the palette reappear by pressing the Pause key (or another hot-key that you defined in Palette Options).


Roll Up a ToolPAL Palette

You can easily roll up a ToolPAL palette to put it out of the way by clicking the right mouse button once on the ToolPAL caption bar.  You can roll the palette down by clicking the right mouse button on the ToolPAL caption bar when it's rolled up.


Parent Palette

A ToolPAL parent palette is a palette that has children.  One or more buttons inside a parent palette contain child palettes.  If a parent palette commands an application, all child palettes share the same application association as the parent palette.


What is a Virtual Desktop?

ToolPAL's virtual desktops make it possible to work with your computer as if it had several screens attached to it. ToolPAL provides nine and each one represents a full-screen view.  To switch back and forth among virtual desktops, you can use the ToolPAL Desktop menu.  You can also assign a virtual desktop to a ToolPAL button so when you click on the button, ToolPAL switches to that virtual desktop.


Palette Background

A palette background is the palette surface that you put buttons on.  A palette background can be a solid color that you select or a Windows bitmap.  Bitmaps can be up to 256 colors.


OK Button

Clicking on the OK button applies the changes you have made and closes the dialog box.


Cancel Button

Clicking on the Cancel button cancels the changes you have made and closes the dialog box.


Help Button

This displays context-sensitive Windows help for this dialog.


Button Properties Button

This button displays the Button Action dialog so you can select what you want this button to do when you click on it.


Active Button

This is the button you are pointing at with the mouse when no ToolPAL dialogs are open.  If a ToolPAL dialog such as Button Action or Button Editor is open, the active button is highlighted with a red border.


Palette

A palette is one page or group of ToolPAL buttons.  Each ToolPAL window contains one palette group that contains a set of ToolPAL palettes.  You can also put a palette group inside a ToolPAL button to create an unlimited hierarchy of palette groups, palettes, and buttons.

To switch between palettes inside a group of palettes, use the Palette Menu or ToolPAL file folders.  To learn more about how palettes and palette groups work, go to the topic How ToolPAL Works - An Overview of Palette and Palette Groups


Palette Group

A palette group is a set of palettes that are displayed in one window.  The top level of the ToolPAL hierarchy is a palette group.  Any button that has the action Display Palette contains another palette group.  Using buttons with the action Display Palette, you can create an unlimited hierarchy of palette groups, palettes and buttons.

To switch between palettes inside a group of palettes, use the Palette Menu or ToolPAL file folders.  To learn more about how palettes and palette groups work, go to the topic How ToolPAL Works - An Overview of Palette and Palette Groups


Main Palette Group

The main palette group is the palette group at the top of the ToolPAL palette hierarchy.  It is the palette group in the main ToolPAL window.