Copyright: Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications


Contents

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Contents

Overview

Getting Started

Handling Files Not Properly Closed

Parts Of The Screen

Adding Folders

Editing Folder Names

Deleting Folders

Adding Bookmarks

Importing Bookmarks

Viewing Bookmarked Sites

Editing Bookmarks

Deleting Bookmarks

Copying & Pasting Bookmarks

Options

Downloading The Latest News

Contacting Us

How To Register

About The Author


Overview

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Overview

Passmark is mainly a URL bookmark organizer that helps keep other people who may use your computer from seeing what web sites you like to visit. Passmark does this in two ways:

1. All data - including your bookmark descriptions, URL's, and notes - are encrypted

2. A password is required to access your bookmarks

Although Passmark is mainly for URL bookmarks, it can be used for any Windows shortcut. For example, you can use it to open documents using their default viewers, and you can even launch Windows applications.

Several bookmark collections can be maintained by Passmark, each requiring a different user identification name and password.

As an added measure of security (for those who are especially paranoid), bookmark data files can be kept on floppy disk or any other file system accessible by Windows on your computer (such as zip disks, network drives, etc).

In addition to brief descriptions of URLs for your bookmarks, you can add multiple lines of notes for each bookmark.

Return to Contents for links to more detailed information about Passmark.


Getting Started

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Getting Started

Passmark must be installed with the included install program. If you haven't already installed Passmark, do so by running SETUP.EXE.

When you install Passmark, a shortcut will be added to your Start menu. To run Passmark, click Start, navigate to the folder labeled Passmark, and click on the shortcut labeled Passmark.

Each time you start Passmark, you must login using your user name and password. To start a new bookmark collection, enter a user name that is not already used and enter your desired password. Then click 'New User', enter your desired password again for confirmation, click OK, and then login as described below.

To login, enter your user name and password, and click OK.


Adding Folders

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Adding Folders

To add a folder, first make sure that you have the folder selected under which you want your new folder to appear. Select a "parent" folder by clicking on it - so that it becomes highlighted - or using the up and down arrow keys while the folders list has the focus.

Once you have the "parent" folder selected, click the right mouse button and a popup menu will appear. Select the 'New Folder' option from the popup menu and a new folder will be created and selected.

Instead of right-clicking to access the popup menu when you want to create a new folder, you can use the shortcut method by pressing Ctrl-F.

The new folder will be labeled "New Folder". See the next topic, 'Editing Folder Names',  to see how to change the folder name.


Editing Folder Names

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Editing Folder Names

You can change a folder name at any time. Also, when you create a new folder, it will be given the default name "New Folder", and so you may want to change it.

First, select the folder you want to change. Then click on the folder name again to put it in edit mode. The current folder name will be selected in edit mode, meaning if you start typing, the current folder name will be erased and the new characters you type will replace the old name. You can deselect the current folder name in edit mode by clicking on the folder name again.

Once you have finished editing the folder name, you can either press 'Enter' or click another folder, bookmark, or button.

As described above, you may need to click a folder name up to three times to change it. Make sure that you sufficiently pause between each click so that Windows does not interpret your clicks as double-clicks. For example, click once to select the folder of interest, pause, click again to put it in edit mode, pause, and click again to deselect the folder name which had been automatically selected in edit mode.


Deleting Folders

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Deleting Folders

When you delete a folder that contains other folder(s), the "child" folders will also be deleted.

To delete a folder, select it by clicking on it, and then right-click your mouse. A popup menu will appear. Click the option 'Delete Folder'. Depending on your Options settings, you may have to answer a confirmation prompt.

Instead of right-clicking to access the popup menu when you want to delete a folder, you can use the shortcut method by pressing Ctrl-Del. These are the same shortcut keys used for deleting bookmarks, so make sure that the folder you want to delete is highlighted.


Adding Bookmarks

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Adding Bookmarks

To add bookmarks by importing them from Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator bookmark lists, see Importing Bookmarks.

To create new bookmarks one at a time, first select the folder in which you want to create a new bookmark. Then right-click anywhere in the bookmark list (See Parts Of The Screen #3), and a popup menu will appear. Click on the option 'New Bookmark' and a 'Bookmark Information' dialog box will appear. This is where you will enter the information for the new bookmark.

The 'Description' field holds the text that will appear in the bookmark list.

There are three buttons (speed buttons) under the 'Description' field which can be used as shortcuts to help you fill in the 'URL' field. The buttons can be customized in the Options.  For each speed button, the text in the button is the text that will be added to the URL field if you click that button.

The 'URL' field holds the command that is executed or the file for which the default Windows viewer will be run. Anything that you can enter using the Windows 'Run' feature (choosing 'Run' from the 'Start' menu and entering a command or file) can be entered in the 'URL' field. If it is preceded by 'http://' then the URL is loaded by the last instance of your Web browser that was started. If no Web browser is running, then Passmark will start your default Web browser when you double-click a bookmark whose URL starts with "http://". In a similar way, the default programs will be used for URL's starting with "ftp://" or "mailto:".

The 'Notes' field is for anything you want to use it for. Anything you enter here will be displayed in the 'Notes' box under the folder and bookmark lists (see Parts Of The Screen #4)  when you select the bookmark.

When you are done, click 'OK' and the new bookmark will be created. If you click 'Cancel' then a new bookmark will not be created.

Instead of right-clicking to access the popup menu when you want to add a new bookmark, you can use the shortcut method by pressing Ctrl-B.


Viewing Bookmarked Sites

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Viewing Bookmarked Sites

To view a bookmark in your Web browser or default viewer, double-click the bookmark of interest in the bookmark list (see Parts Of The Screen, #3).

If the bookmark's URL starts with "http://", then the bookmark will be opened by your Web browser. If you already have one or more Web browser sessions running, the last one that started will be used to view the bookmarked site. If no Web browser sessions are running, Passmark will start your default Web browser and open the bookmarked site.

URL's are passed to Windows for opening just as if you had entered the URL as a Run command line. Although URL's are usually considered Internet URL's, Passmark will let you use any Internet shortcut, file name, or program name for the URL. If the URL is the name of a file on your file system, then double-clicking the bookmark for that URL will cause Windows to open the file using the default viewer for that file. For example, if the URL is "c:\readme.txt" and your default viewer for "txt" files is Notepad, then Windows will open the file using Notepad. As another example, if the URL is "c:\windows\paint.exe", then double-clicking the bookmark for that URL will cause Windows to start Paint.

URL's must be preceded by "http://" for Web sites, "ftp://" for FTP sites you want to open with your Web browser, and "mailto:" to automatically start your e-mail program.


Editing Bookmarks

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Editing Bookmarks

To edit a bookmark, first select the bookmark you want to edit, then click your right mouse button. A popup menu will appear. Select the option 'Edit Bookmark' and the 'Bookmark Information' dialog window will appear with the current information for the selected bookmark. Change any information you want to change, then click 'OK'. Whether or not you have made any changes, if you want to cancel the changes and keep the original information the way it was, click 'Cancel' instead of 'OK'.

Instead of right-clicking to access the popup menu, you can use the shortcut method of editing the selected bookmark by pressing F8.


Deleting Bookmarks

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Deleting Bookmarks

To delete a bookmark, first select the bookmark you want to delete and click your right mouse button. A popup menu will appear. Select the option 'Delete Bookmark'. You may have to answer a confirmation prompt depending on the settings of the Options.

Instead of right-clicking to access the popup menu, you can use the shortcut method of deleting the selected bookmark by pressing Ctrl-Del. These shortcut keys are also used for deleting folders, so make sure the bookmark you want to delete is highlighted.


Copying & Pasting Bookmarks

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Copying & Pasting Bookmarks

Copying

When you copy one or more bookmarks, a copy of the bookmark(s) is placed on the clipboard, and the original bookmarks are left unchanged. Then you can paste the bookmarks into another folder or other application.

To copy one bookmark to the clipboard, first select the bookmark to be copied, then click the right mouse button and a popup menu will appear. Select 'Copy' and a submenu will appear. Select 'Selected Bookmark'.

To copy all bookmarks in the selected folder to the clipboard, first select the folder that contains the bookmarks to be copied, then click the right mouse button and a popup menu will appear. Select 'Copy' and a submenu will appear. Select 'All Bookmarks'.

Cutting

When you cut one or more bookmarks, a copy of the bookmark(s) is placed on the clipboard, and the original bookmarks are deleted. Then you can paste the bookmarks into the current folder (to undo the deletion) or any other folder.

To cut one bookmark to the clipboard, first select the bookmark to be cut, then click the right mouse button and a popup menu will appear. Select 'Cut' and a submenu will appear. Select 'Selected Bookmark'.

To cut all bookmarks in the selected folder to the clipboard, first select the folder that contains the bookmarks to be cut, then click the right mouse button and a popup menu will appear. Select 'Cut' and a submenu will appear. Select 'All Bookmarks'.

Pasting

If no bookmarks exist on the clipboard, the paste feature will be disabled.

To paste the bookmarks that are on the clipboard into the current folder, click the right mouse button anywhere in the bookmark list and a popup menu will appear. Select 'Paste'.

Instead of right-clicking to access the popup menu, you can use the shortcut method for pasting bookmarks by pressing Ctrl-V.


Options

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Options

The program Options can be accessed by selecting the 'Options' tab (see Parts Of The Screen).

When you select the 'Options' tab, two additional buttons will appear at the bottom of the window: 'Apply' and 'Cancel'. If you make changes to any of the options, click the 'Apply' button to make them permanent. If you do not click the 'Apply' button, then the original options will be loaded the next time you login to Passmark. Once you have made changes, you can reset them to the original settings before you changed them by clicking the 'Cancel' button.

There is a separate set of options for each user.

Save Window Size & Position

When this option is checked, each time you logout of your Passmark session, the main window size and position will be saved. The next time you login to Passmark, the previous main window size and position will be restored.

Save Bookmark Frame Sizes

When this option is checked, each time you logout of your Passmark session, the sizes of the frames in the main window for the folder list, bookmark list, and notes will be saved (see Parts Of The Screen). The next time you login to Passmark, the previous main window frame sizes will be restored.

Confirm Before Deleting Bookmark

When this option is checked, every time you delete a bookmark, Passmark will ask you if you are sure you want to do it.

Confirm Before Deleting Only One Folder

When this option is checked, every time you delete a folder that has no subfolders, Passmark will ask you if you are sure you want to do it.

Confirm When Deleting Multiple Folders

When this option is checked, every time you delete a folder that has one or more subfolders, Passmark will ask you if you are sure you want to do it. If the folder you want to delete has no subfolders, whether or not Passmark asks for confirmation depends on the previous setting: Confirm Before Deleting Only One Folder.

Expand All Bookmark Folders On Startup

When this option is checked, all folders that have subfolders will be expanded in the folder list (see Parts Of The Screen), so that you can see all of the folders and their hierarchy. If this option is not checked, then only the first level of folders under the topmost folder will be displayed.

Speed Buttons

When you create a new bookmark or edit an existing one, the 'Bookmark Information' dialog window will be shown. Between the 'Description' and 'URL' fields are three speed buttons. These are shortcuts for entering the first part of URL's in the URL field. You can customize the text that is used as the shortcut for each speed button by editing the text for each speed button (1, 2, & 3) in the options.

Quick User Name F Key

This field shows you what function key Passmark assigned for your user name when your bookmark collection was created. This value cannot be changed in the options. Use this function key as a shortcut to finding your user name in the user name listbox when you login to Passmark.

Change Password

When you click this button, you will be asked for your current password, your new desired password, and then you will be asked to enter your new password again for confirmation. If you do all this correctly, then your password will be changed to your new desired password.

Delete Me

When you click this button, and confirm that you want your user name and bookmark collection deleted, then Passmark will delete all information for your user name and bookmark collection and log you out.

Bookmark Data File

This is the file name of the data file containing your bookmark collection. If you edit this field, then your current bookmark collection data file will be copied to the new location and/or file name that you enter, and the old data file will be deleted. If you do not enter a location - if you only enter a file name - then the file will be created in the Passmark installation directory.

Make Backup Of Data File

When this option is checked, then each time you logout of Passmark or shutdown the program, then Passmark will make a copy of your bookmark collection using the location and/or file name that you enter in the next field: Backup Data File. If you do not enter a location - if you only enter a file name - then the file will be created in the Passmark installation directory.

Maximum URL Length

When you try to double-click on a bookmark to view a site and the length of it's URL exceeds the length specified by this option, then you will be asked if you want to copy the URL to the clipboard. The reason for this is that Passmark cannot open some long URL's because of a Windows limitation. Passmark allows you to copy a long URL - one too long for Passmark to open normally - to the clipboard so that you can paste it to the 'Address' field of your Web browser. To do this, go to your Web browser once the URL has been copied to the clipboard by Passmark, put your cursor in the 'Address' field, and paste the contents of the clipboard either by pressing Ctrl-V or by clicking the right mouse button and selecting 'Paste'.

You can also paste the URL to the command line field of the Run command. To do this, click your Start button once the URL has been copied to the clipboard by Passmark, click Run, and paste the contents of the clipboard to the 'Open' field either by pressing Ctrl-V or by clicking the right mouse button and selecting 'Paste'.


Contacting Us

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Contacting Us

World Wide Web:

http://members.tripod.com/~rescom

E-mail:

resourcecom@usa.net

U.S. Mail:

Resource Communications

P.O. Box 1674

Newport News, VA 23601


How To Register

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

How To Register

Passmark is freeware, and you do not have to register to use it. By registering however, you will be able to receive information via e-mail from Resource Communications about product upgrades. You will also be helping us to know how many users are interested in our program so that we can determine what path our product development should take.  By providing a donation ($10 suggested), you will allow us to develop other useful programs.

To register, send a note by e-mail to: resourcecom@usa.net. Include your name and e-mail address. We would also appreciate any suggestions or wishes for enhancements to our program that you may have.

If you want to send a donation, please send it to: Resource Communications, P.O. Box 1674, Newport News, VA 23601.


About The Author

About The Author of...

 Passmark

Hi! My name is Matt Thomas of Newport News, Virginia, USA; and I am the author of Passmark (and the sole proprietor of Resource Communications). I am an ex-sailor and a self-taught computer programmer endeavoring to change the world through shareware. At least that was my hope, but shareware has proved to be far less than lucrative. Therefore, I am offering my services and seeking full-time employment with any company anywhere in the U.S. that wishes to exploit my talents. For additional examples of my work, please see my web site at: http://members.tripod.com/~rescom.  All of my currently available programs were written using Borland Delphi 3.

My résumé for your review...


Parts Of The Screen

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Parts Of The Screen

1 Tabs - use these tabs to select different screens. The title of your topmost folder will also be shown in the left-most tab.

2 Folders - this is a hierarchical view of all the folders that make up the bookmark collection for the current user. The currently selected folder will have an open folder icon next to it. See also: Adding Folders, Editing Folder Names, Deleting Folders.

3 Bookmarks - this is the list of bookmarks contained in the currently selected folder. The name of the currently selected folder will be at the top of the bookmarks list. See also: Adding Bookmarks, Editing Bookmarks, Copying & Pasting Bookmarks, Deleting Bookmarks.

4 Notes - this box shows the text of any notes associated with the currently selected bookmark. See also: Adding Bookmarks, Editing Bookmarks.

5 Import - opens the 'Import Bookmarks' dialog box which allows you to import bookmarks from Windows/Internet Explorer internet shortcuts, Netscape bookmarks, or an HTML file. See also: Importing Bookmarks.

6 Misc. Buttons - Not shown here, but the 'Apply' and 'Cancel' buttons are shown when the 'Options' tab is selected. The 'Help' button opens this help file. The 'Close' button will close the currently opened bookmark collection and allow another bookmark collection to be opened for another user name. The 'Exit' button shuts down Passmark completely. Both the 'Close' and 'Exit' buttons, when clicked, will save backup files for the currently open bookmark collection if the backup option has been enabled.


Importing Bookmarks

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Importing Bookmarks

You can import bookmarks from your list of favorites if you use Internet Explorer, from the bookmarks file (bookmark.htm) if you use Netscape Navigator, or from any HTML file (including the bookmark.htm file from another computer on which Netscape Navigator is used).

To import bookmarks, click the 'Import' button on the main window (see Parts Of The Screen #5). The 'Import Bookmarks' dialog box will appear.

Internet Explorer Favorites - When you click this button, you can browse the Internet shortcut files in the 'favorites' subdirectory of your Windows directory (this is how Internet Explorer stores bookmarks). You can select one or multiple shortcuts from one directory at a time. To select one, click on it. To select many, click on the first one, then shift-click on the last one and all the ones between the first and last one will be selected also. Then click 'Open', and the selected "Favorites" will be copied as bookmarks to the currently selected Passmark folder.

Netscape Bookmarks - When you click this button, Passmark will attempt to find the directory for your Netscape installation, which is where the bookmarks are stored in the file 'bookmark.htm'. If sucessful, the file 'bookmark.htm' will appear. Select this file and click 'Open'. Otherwise, navigate to the directory in which the 'bookmark.htm' file is located, and then select this file and click 'Open'. The 'Import Netscape Bookmarks' dialog box will appear. Any bookmarks contained in the bookmarks file will be shown in a listbox. There is a checkbox next to each bookmark shown (if any). Make sure the checkbox is checked for each bookmark you want to import (by default, all bookmarks shown will be checked). Then click the 'Import' button at the bottom of the 'Import Netscape Bookmarks' dialog box. The checked bookmarks will be copied as bookmarks to the currently selected Passmark folder.

HTML File - Importing from an HTML file is similar to importing from a Netscape Bookmarks file since that file is an HTML file. When you click this button, you be able to browse your file system. Choose an HTML file (with the extension htm or html) and select it, then click 'Open'.  The 'Import HTML Links' dialog box will appear. Any links contained in the selected HTML file will be shown in a listbox. There is a checkbox next to each link shown (if any). Make sure the checkbox is checked for each link you want to import as a bookmark (by default, all links shown will be checked). Then click the 'Import' button at the bottom of the 'Import HTML Links' dialog box. The checked links will be copied as bookmarks to the currently selected Passmark folder. The description for each created bookmark comes from the text used as the hyperlink in the HTML file. Therefore, the descriptions for bookmarks imported from an HTML file may not be very descriptive or may even be blank.


Downloading The Latest News

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Downloading The Latest News

To use this feature, you must have a Windows dial-up networking connection to the Internet.

Select the 'Help' tab and click the button 'Download Latest News'. A short memo will be downloaded from our Web site and displayed to tell you about Passmark news and developments.

If you are not already connected to the Internet when you click the button 'Download Latest News', then an Internet connection window will appear to give you the opportunity to connect. If you click 'Cancel' then Passmark will generate an error message.


More About The Author
Matthew  R. Thomas

P.O. Box 1674

Newport News, VA 23601

e-mail: resourcecom@usa.net

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Operating Systems:  Microsoft Windows 3.1 and Windows 95, MS-DOS, UNIX, and VAX / VMS

Programming:  C++, Borland C++ Object Windows Library, Perl, Pascal, Borland Delphi, and Fortran

Computer Applications: WordPerfect for DOS and Windows, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Excel, Freelance Graphics, CorelDraw, and many others

Computer Hardware: Installation and operation of computer peripherals such as monitors, printers, internal and removable hard drives, CD-ROM drives, scanners, modems, sound cards, network cards, and memory modules

Internet: World Wide Web site design and setup using HTML, interactive user interface programming for Web pages using Common Gateway Interface (CGI), E-mail, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Telnet

Electronics - See Below

EMPLOYMENT

1992-1996: Electronics Technician, United States Navy

As a member of the Reactor Controls division, I qualified to stand watch at various reactor plant watchstations; performed preventative maintenance, such as calibration checks, on reactor plant components including digital electronic components; participated in electronic systems troubleshooting seminars; and  performed supervisory duties as a second class petty officer.  I held Confidential security clearance.

EDUCATION

Nuclear Field 'A' School, Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida

Courses in electronics fundamentals, semiconductor theory, digital electronics, communications, and radar.  Received an award for radar troubleshooting.

Nuclear Power School, Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida

Courses in electrical theory; mechanical theory; and chemistry, radiological controls, and nuclear physics as they pertain to Naval electronics technicians.


Handling Files Not Properly Closed

 Passmark  Version 1.0

Copyright © 1997 by Resource Communications

Handling Files Not Properly Closed

If your bookmark collection data file was not properly closed during it's last use - which can occur if your computer crashes or loses power - then you may see the following dialog window when you try to login.

Your data file may or may not be corrupt. If you want to continue working with the existing data file and take the chance that it is not corrupt, then click the button 'Do Nothing And Continue'. In most cases, it is unlikely that the data file will have become corrupt.

If you had the backup option enabled, then you can use the backup file that was last saved. To do this, click the button 'Restore From Backup'. If you do this, you may lose any changes to your bookmark collection that you made during the session that was not closed properly (your last session). If this button is disabled, then the backup option was disabled, and you should try one of the other two buttons.

If you want to make absolutely certain that your bookmark collection is not corrupt, AND YOU DON'T MIND LOSING ALL OF YOUR PREVIOUSLY ADDED BOOKMARKS, you can start from scratch and click the button 'Reinitialize The File'.