Contents

 Association Manager v2.0

     Association Manager is freeware, but cannot be distributed for profit unless I am given Notification. Please feel free to distribute it otherwise.

   Overview

   Error Messages

How to...

   Change Associations

   Customize Types

   Customize Applications

   Execute Applications


Notification

     If you distribute Association Manager for profit, you are required to contact me and receive my approval before distribution. I make one exception: electronic bulletin board systems may charge for the use of their equipment for the time taken to download, or for the downloading of the files that constitute Association Manager v2.0. Downloading does not include the exchange of magnetic or optical media.

Contact:

     Michael Brumm

     5981 Purcell Rd.

     Oregon, WI 53575

     (608)-835-3025


Overview

     Unlike DOS, Windows can associate your files with applications, allowing you to double click on files in File Manager to bring up files into their specified applications. For example, Double clicking on any file with a TXT extension will bring up Notepad with that file already loaded. This is wonderful, but if you want to load a TXT file into Write, load the file into several different applications, or associate according to drive, directory, filename and/or extension, you're out of luck.

     Now you have Association Manager. It will allow associations based on drive, directory, filename and/or extension. It can have multiple application associations with a type of file, and it can load a file into more than one application at a time. It's also smart enough to load your configuration so that you have backward compatibility with all of your current associations(You can still use your old associations through File Manager, too).

     How does it work? Instead of double clicking on a file(or files) in File Manager, click on the file(s), hold the button, and drag them onto the desktop or onto Association Manager's icon. To use Association Manager on a regular basis, put ASSOCMAN.EXE in your StartUp group in Program Manager, so that it's always easily accessible.

NOTE: If, before running ASSOCMAN.EXE, you have a file called ASSOCMAN.DAT included, delete it! It is the previous user's settings, and they might not work with your computer.


Changing Associations

     Association Manager's main dialog box allows you to associate applications with file types. It should look like this:

     The main combo list box shows the current type of files that you are associating the applications to. It contains all the types in your WIN.INI file, and any other custom file types that you have created. Below that, there is a list box containing all the applications in your WIN.INI file, and any other custom applications that you have created.

     To associate a file type with an association select the file type in the combo box, and then highlight the application. To remove the association, simply remove the highlight from the application. The application list box allows multiple highlights, so that several applications can be associated with single files types.

     A check box below the application list allows you to turn on or off the desktop drag and dropping. This is designed to prevent conflicts with other desktop aware programs that you may already be using. If you turn off desktop drag and dropping, you must drag and drop the files you want to be executed directly onto the Association Manager icon.

Perhaps a file type that you need does not exist?

Customize File Types

An application that you need is missing?

Customize Applications


Customizing Types

     Clicking on the main dialog's Customize button near the Type section brings up a dialog that looks like this:

     This dialog allows you to add or delete file types. At the top, there is a edit box to enter or edit a custom file type. Next to the edit box, there is a file list box, a directory list box, and a drive combo box. These assist in entering the new file type. You may want to experiment with them to see how they interact with the edit box. To add the file type that is in the edit box, press the "Add" button.

     Types can include drive, directory, filename, extension, and wildcards. Here are some examples of proper types:

*.*	-all files

C:*.*	-all files on the C: drive

C:\*.*	-all files on the root directory of the C: drive

JOE*.*	-all files that start with JOE

JOE????1.*	-all files that start with JOE and end with 1

C:\WINDOWS\*.INI	-all files in the windows directory on the C: drive with the INI extension

     Below the Add section, a list box shows all the current file types. To delete a file type, simply select the desired type and press the "Delete" button.

     To accept the modifications you have made to the file type list, press the "OK" button. If you made a mistake, or do not wish to accept the modifications you have made, press the "Cancel" button.


Customizing Applications

     Clicking on the main dialog's Customize button near the Applications section brings up a dialog that looks like this:

     This dialog allows you to add, delete, or edit the application list. At the top, there is a combo box containing all the current applications. To add an application, press the "Add..." button. You will then be presented by a dialog in which you can search for the application you wish to add.

     To delete an application, select the application in the combo box, and press the "Delete" button.

     The Working Directory is the directory in which the application will start up in. If the Working Directory is blank, and the check box called "Same as file's" is checked, then the application will be executed in directory that the application is loading the file from. To make the application run in a specific directory, remove the check from the check box. You will then be presented by a dialog box in which you can search for the directory you wish to specify. If the check has all ready been removed from the check box and you wish to change the directory, press the "..." button. If you wish to make the current application run in the directory that the application is loading the file from, check the check box.

     To accept the modifications you have made to the file type list, press the "OK" button. If you made a mistake, or do not wish to accept the modifications you have made, press the "Cancel" button.


Executing Applications

     To execute a single file, or group of files, simply highlight them in File Manager, click on them, holding the mouse button, drag them onto the desktop or the Association Manager icon, and drop them by releasing the mouse button. After doing this, Association Manager will bring up a dialog box that looks similar to this:

     This dialog allows you to select the application(s) that you want the dropped files to be executed in. The list box shows all the applications that are currently associated with the current file. To execute the current file, highlight all applications you wish the file to be executed in, then press the "Execute" button. If you do not wish to execute the current file, press the "Cancel" button.

     If you want all the remaining files that you have dropped to be executed in the same application(s), highlight the application(s), and press the "Execute All" button. If you want to cancel the execution of all the remaining files, press the "Cancel All" button. Each file that you dropped is displayed separately, unless you click on "Cancel All" or "Execute All".

     Suppose you want to have a file run in an application that you have not already associated the file to. You can check the check box called "Show all possible applications". If the current file does not have associations with any applications, Association Manager will automatically show all possible applications, and the check box will be grayed.


Error Messages

     These are the most common error messages built into Association Manager. If an error occurs that is not listed, look in your Windows reference or manual.

Error Loading Data File

Unable to Save Associations

Error Selecting Drive

Duplicate Type Present

Only 100 Applications are allowed!


electronic bulletin board system
electronic bulletin board systems (BBS)

Any computer or network of computers that transmit files over wire, cable, and/or radio


Error Loading Data File

The data file, called ASSOCMAN.DAT, is corrupted. The easiest way to fix this is to open it in Notepad, use what information you can read, delete ASSOCMAN.DAT, and re-enter your applications and file types.


Unable to Save Associations

The data file, called ASSOCMAN.DAT, may have its attributes set as read only, or you may be running Association Manager off of a write protected diskette.


Duplicate Type Present

You are attempting to create a type that already exists. While you can create duplicate applications, you cannot create a duplicate type.


Error Selecting Drive

The drive you have selected does not contain a disk, or is not functioning. Either place a disk in the drive, or select a different drive.


Only 100 Applications are allowed!

In order to conserve memory, Association manager can hold up to 100 applications. If you need to add another, delete an unused application from the list, and then add the new application.