Copyright: ® Softstar Research, Inc.


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Contents

TaskMan

Description

Display

Arrange

Task

Launcher

Options

Installation


Description

This program can be compared to the standard Windows Task Manager program.

Windows Standard Task Manager

The standard task manager program can be started in one of four ways.  First, by clicking on the system command menu (upper left box of any window),  The 'Switch To...' selection can be made.  This selection starts the task manager program.  Second, by double-clicking the left mouse button on the Windows desktop, the Task Manager is also started.  The windows desktop is the area on the screen behind the program manager.  Third, by using the Windows accelerator keys (CTRL-ESC), the Task Manager is also started. And forth, a user can use the direct method.  By selecting the menu option 'Run', under the File menu of the Program Manager, the user can directly run any program.  The standard Task Manager program is the file 'TASKMAN.EXE' in the Window directory.


Display

The main display of the Softstar Task Manager program is very intuitive.  Different functionality is divided into different sections.

Softstar Research Task Manager


Arrange

The arrange options allow the user to automatically arrange the open windows and icons on the Windows desktop display.

The four buttons correspond to four different arrange options.

1.	Cascade Windows

2.	Tile Windows Vertically

3.	Tile Windows Horizontally

4.	Arrange Icons


Task

There are two Task related button below the Arrange section.  These button work directly on the task selected in the task window (the list to the left of thesse buttons),

Task Buttons

Run Task.  This button is used to switch control to the task highlighted in the task window.  The TaskMan program will automatically close when this options is selected.

End Task.  This button is used to Close the task highlighted in the task window.  It sends a standard Windows close message to the task.  The TaskMan program will automatically close when this options is selected.


Launcher

The launcher is a way for the user to quickly access (run) programs.  The ten launch buttons are user configured.  Each launch button can be assigned to an executable program.  The TaskMan program automatically reads the executable program file and assigned the program's icon to the corresponding launch button.

By selecting a launch button, the TaskMan program is automatically closed and the corresponding program is started.

A question mark icon displayed on a launch button indicates that he button currently has no program assignment.  If the user selects a button that does not have a program assignment, the TaskMan program will beep.

Related Topics:

Setup


Setup

Setting up the launch buttons is as easy as selecting the Setup button.  This displays the Launcher setup dialog.  The user can select a button from the listbox (highlighting the line) followed by pressing the 'Assign' button.  A standard file selection dialog is displayed.  The user simply selects an executable program to assign to the button.  The TaskMan program will automatically read the executable file to extract the icon for the launch button.

Selecting a button from the list box and pressing the 'Clear' button will remove the program assignment from the corresponding button.


Options

The options section allows the user to select additionaly functionality from the TaskMan program.

The option buttons provide four functions.

1.	Info

2.	About

3.	Help

4.	Exit

Related Topics:

Info

About

Help

Exit


Info

The Info button is used to display addition information about a program listed in the task listbox.  The user selects a task by single clicking (left mouse button) on a task in the listbox, then presses the Info button.


About

The about button is used to display information about the TaskMan program, including the  current program version, copyright information and registration information.


Help

The help button is used to bring up the help file for the TaskMan program.


Exit

The exit button is used to exit the TaskMan program immediately.


Installation

The TaskMan program can be configured to replace the standard Windows Task Manager program.  This can be done in one of three ways.

First, the new TaskMan program can be installed (copied) directly into the Windows directory, overwriting the current 'TASKMAN.EXE' file.   This is the easiest way to install the program.

The second installation method is to modify the 'SYSTEM.INI' configuration file.  A line can be added to the 'boot' section of the file.  This line tells the Windows system where to find the task manager program.

[boot]

taskman.exe=c:\taskman\taskman.exe

The 'c:\taskman\taskman.exe' text is replaced by where ever the new task manager program is located.

The third way is to call us (810-353-6436).  We'll be happy to walk you through either of the above installations, as well as answering any other question you might have.


Glossary of Terms

DOS

GDI

INIEdit

Resource Monitor

ReStart

System Memory

User Memory

Windows


DOS

DOS Version 3.3 of greater.


GDI

Graphic Device Interface.  The interface Windows uses to write information to an output device (i.e. Screen, Printer, etc.).


INIEdit

INI Editor program from Softstar Research, Inc.


Resource Monitor

Resource Monitor program from Softstar Research, Inc.


ReStart

ReStart program from Softstar Research, Inc.


System Memory

An area of memory used for the Windows system functions.


User Memory

An area of memory used for application  programs, both data and code (instructions).


Windows

Windows 3.1 or greater.