Copyright: Murphy 96 Copyright © Mike Stanley
Citation: Murphy 96 Copyright © Mike Stanley


Murphy 96

Copyright © 1995-1996 Mike Stanley.  All rights reserved.

Welcome to Murphy 96.

It was Murphy who first observed that if anything can possibly go wrong, it will go wrong.

Deceptive in its simplicity, this profound insight marked a turning point in our understanding of why things happen the way they do.  Indelibly etching itself into the human psyche, this revelation ensured that never again would we look at the world in quite the same way.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Murphy went on to expand on his theory and formulate the now famous laws that bear his name.  Truly one of the great thinkers of our time, Murphy somehow managed to unravel the very fabric of the cosmos itself and lay bare the fundamental perversity with which it is woven.

“Mother Nature is a bitch.”, he said.

It was a defining moment in history and Murphy’s accomplishments provided the foundation for a host of others who would follow in his giant footsteps.  There will only ever be one Murphy but his successors have, nonetheless, made significant contributions to his work.

Murphy 96 is the embodiment of the collective consciousness of these intellects—a compilation of hundreds of laws, corollaries, axioms, rules, maxims and other truisms.  Place Murphy 96 in your StartUp folder and it will present you with a different pearl of wisdom from Murphy and his cohorts every time you start Windows.

Murphy 96 is offered free, gratis and for nothing to all those who seek true enlightenment about that which we call reality.

Enjoy!

Installation Instructions


Software Requirements

Murphy 96 is a 32 bit application that will run only under Windows NT, Windows 95 or later versions of the same.

Also, the program is written in Visual Basic 4 which means that it requires the use of an additional run-time module (VB40032.DLL).  In order to reduce the download time from on-line services and because many people have this module already, it is not included with Murphy 96.

If you do not have the VB run-time module, you should be able to get it from the same place you found this program.


Installation Instructions

Important—Use at Your Own Risk

Murphy’s Laws are universal and not even Murphyware such as this can be immune to their effects.  While every effort has been made to ensure a reliable, high-quality product you should note that this software is provided ‘as is’ without any kind of warranty whatsoever, neither explicit nor implied.

You have the right to use, copy and distribute this program in any way you wish, free of charge, on condition that you do not alter any of the files and that you agree 100% that I will not be held liable in any way, shape or form (not even a little bit) for anything untoward that befalls anyone or anything, either directly or indirectly, as a result of using this software no matter how calamitous, disastrous or inauspicious the occasion may be.

Your use of this software constitutes acceptance of these terms.

How to Start Murphy 96 Each Time Windows Starts

   Click the Start button, and then point to Settings.

   Click Taskbar, and then click the Start Menu Programs tab.

   Click Add, and then click Browse.

   Locate Murphy.exe, and then double-click it.

   Click Next, and then double-click the StartUp folder.

   Type the name that you want to see on the StartUp menu, and then click Finish.

   Click OK.


Continuing the Good Work

I am sure that many of you have discovered your own Murphyisms—I even added one of my own to the list (see Stanley’s Law of Taking Things Apart).  If you would like to share your discoveries with others (and perhaps gain a modicum of fame and immortality), send them to me by e-mail and I may include them in the next release of this software.

Let me know too if you find any bugs in the program or have any suggestions for future improvements.

Mike Stanley

New Hampshire

USA

E-mail: 74632.2227@compuserve.com


Technical Support

Technical support is available via e-mail only.

Please send questions, comments, criticisms, etc. to Mike Stanley at 74632.2227@compuserve.com.


About VBMax

Visual Basic is no longer just for prototypes. VB has evolved into a rich and powerful language and continues to go from strength to strength with each release. With version 4.0, VB makes it possible to write VB add-ins and both in-process and out-of-process OLE servers without even breaking a sweat.

Whether they realize it or not, this is a major leap forward for VB programmers. My belief is the technology will continue to advance and that using VB to develop software components instead of C, C++ or Pascal is going to be the way of the future. Microsoft has announced already that the next release of VB will be able to create ActiveX controls.

VBMax programming components herald the dawn of this new era. Written by a VB developer for VB developers, VBMax add-ins and DLLs are comprised entirely of VB 4 code without any help from third-party controls. Hence the name VBMax—it means ‘Visual Basic to the Max’.

My goal is to provide high-quality Visual Basic products at an affordable price.  Also, registered users receive the complete, commented source code so that they can see how it works and can even change it to suit their own preferences if they so desire.

Key Benefits

  Less overhead than third-party controls.

  Objects can be used in servers or incorporated directly into applications.

  VB source-code provided.

  Saves hours of coding.

  Inexpensive.

  No royalties.

  No need to continually buy upgrades with each new release of VB.

Contact Information

Postal address:	25 Lansdowne Street, Manchester, NH 03103, USA

Electronic mail:	74632.2227@compuserve.com

Web Site:	http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vbmax


What's New in Version 1.0a

 Web Site

There's just no getting away from it—you have to have a web site these days.  The ubiquitous web has snagged us all whether we like it or not.  How did we ever manage before?

Anyway, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  The VBMax home page is

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vbmax

 Bug Fixes

•	Occasionally, the last word of text would not be displayed.


VBMax 3D Effects

Windows 95 gave us a snazzy, new and improved three-dimensional user interface. VB 4.0 adds the 3D look to our forms automatically. That’s a great feature—as far as it goes. Unfortunately, some 3D effects are still difficult to achieve without using a third-party control.

Have no fear—VBMax is here. VBMax3D.dll is an in-process OLE server that lets you add the 3D effects that Microsoft forgot to your VB 4 applications—without the overhead of third-party controls.

VBMax3D.dll contains methods and properties for creating:

   Panels

   Borders

   Frames

   Lines

   Drop shadows

   Status bars

   Progress meters

   A variety of text effects

Wait, there’s more! With the release of Windows 95, 3D doesn’t just mean shades of gray anymore. VBMax3D.dll understands this and uses the Windows 95 color scheme settings to create the 3D effects.

VBMax3D.dll is shareware. You are required to register the software if you use it in any of your applications.  When you register, you will receive the complete, commented source code which is written entirely in VB 4.0.

Price: $10


VBMax Message Box Wizard

With all those options and new constants, do you ever forget the exact syntax for creating a message box? Me too. There are plenty of utilities on the market to help you create message boxes, both commercial and shareware. But have you tried any of them?

I did, and was so disappointed by what I found that I wrote my own. I called it VBMax Message Box Wizard. It is a VB 4.0 add-in that greatly simplifies the process of coding message boxes.

When you reach a point in your code where you want to display a message box, select the VBMax Message Box Wizard from the VB Add-Ins menu and type in your message. Click a control or two and you’re done—the generated code is written into your source file.

There are several configuration options and shortcuts you can use to tailor the utility to your own style of working. If they are not enough, you also get the fully-commented source code which you can tweak any way you want. The code is up to date with new VB 4.0 features such as class modules, predefined constants and use of the registry.

As with all VBMax products, the Message Box Wizard is written entirely in VB and uses no third-party controls. With that in mind, check out the icon selection bar in Step 1 and the spin button on the Options dialog—they work with the keyboard too and adapt themselves to changes in the Windows color scheme.

Price: $10


VBMax Liquid Crystal Display

Want to add LCD/LED style controls to your applications? Now you can with VBMaxLCD.dll.

VBMaxLCD.dll is an in-process OLE server for adding LCD/LED style controls to your VB 4.0 applications. There are tons of uses for these babies: clocks, timers, meters, calculators, dialers—the list goes on.

VBMaxLCD.dll contains methods and properties for:

   Setting the digit and background colors

   Autosizing the display area

   Blinking colons

   Flashing digits

   Showing or hiding unlit segments

   Aligning digits left, right or centered

Price: $10


VBMax Electronic Message Display

Have you seen those electronic billboards that display messages using moving lights? Wouldn’t it be cool to add one to your killer VB app? You can’t do that in VB though. Right?

Wrong! VBMaxEM.dll handles the task with aplomb.

VBMaxEM.dll is an in-process OLE server for adding electronic message style controls to your VB 4.0 applications. It contains methods and properties for:

   Controlling static or scrolling displays

   Adjusting the speed

   Changing the foreground and background colors

   Showing or hiding the grid

   Handling callbacks

   Dozens of special effects

Price: $10


Making the Move to Visual Basic 4 from COBOL

Message to COBOL Programmers

From Pinnacle Publishing, Inc.

This isn’t just any old Visual Basic book.  This one is written especially for you, the COBOL programmer, as you emerge into the strange, new world of personal computers, or PCs, about which you may know little.  Whether you like it or not, the programming world as you know it is changing—and changing fast.

This book introduces you to programming Windows using the Visual Basic programming language, and, at the same time, explains why making the transition to VB is a good move and how to overcome the inevitable culture shock.

Using COBOL as a point of reference, I’ll show you a different way of doing things, highlighting the differences and similarities between the two languages.  As a COBOL programmer, you already know how to program, you just need to become familiar with a new environment and new tools.  Wherever possible, I have tried to convey Windows and Visual Basic programming concepts in terms familiar to your COBOL experience.

This book wasn’t written by an academic perched in a remote ivory tower, totally divorced from the real world with no concept about what it takes to program computers for a living.  I am a working programmer with many years of COBOL programming experience.  Now, as an independent consultant specializing in Visual Basic, I not only continue to find gainful employment but am enjoying the change enormously.

Although learning Visual Basic was a little strange at first, it was not hard work.  On the contrary, it was fun.  Visual Basic programming is fun, and if you can get paid for doing it, so much the better.  If you enjoy programming, you’ll love Visual Basic.  It offers many more possibilities and opportunities than you will ever find with COBOL.

If I can make the transition, so can you.


Services

Software Development

I provide Visual Basic software development services in the Southern New Hampshire/Northern Massachusetts area and also areas further afield for those willing to let me telecommute.

For examples of my work, download some of the software described in this help file.  See VBMax 3D Effects, VBMax Electronic MessageDisplay, VBMax Liquid Crystal Display and VBMax Message Box Wizard.

Help File Authoring

Most software developers won’t touch help files, or any other kind of documentation for that matter, with a ten foot barge-pole. I don’t mind at all—it’s all software to me. I charge the same rate for help file development as I do for software development.

This help file is an example of my work.

About Mike Stanley

Although now specializing in VB software development, I am no newbie to the business. I have extensive experience working on mainframes, minis and PCs. I have a strong database background and have designed and developed many business applications using hierarchical (IMS), network (IDMS) and relational (DB2, SQL Server) databases.

I have been programming in Visual Basic ever since version 1.0 was released and have written articles for Visual Basic Programmer’s Journal and VB Tech Journal.  I also authored the book Making the Move to Visual Basic 4 from COBOL from Pinnacle Publishing, Inc.

My client-server experience is with VB and MS SQL Server, currently using Remote Data Objects (RDO).  I also speak COBOL, CICS and DB2.

E-mail Mike Stanley at 74632.2227@compuserve.com.


Murphy 96

Murphy's Laws for Windows