File-Ex Help Contents
File-Ex 98 (tm) for Windows 95/98        Help Contents

Using the File-Ex File Dialog Extensions

  Installation

  Important Note on Hidden File Extensions

  Overview and Functions

  Purchasing File-Ex

Customizing File-Ex

  Configuring the File-Ex Dialog

  Using Long File Names in Old Applications

  Favorite File and Directory Lists

  Teaching File-Ex New Applications

  Configuring Known (Trained) Applications

  Disabling (and Re-enabling) File-Ex for a Specific Program

Technical Information

  File-Ex Technical Information   (Why some dialogs don't work right)

  Troubleshooting

  Removing File-Ex

  Technical Support

Trial Version Information

  About the Evaluation Period

  Making Copies for Friends -- (Please Do!)

  Purchasing File-Ex

  Order Form

Legal Information

  Distribution by Vendors, BBS's, etc.

  ASP Ombudsman Statement

  Warranty & License Information

  How to Contact Cottonwood Software


Installation

Windows NT users:  This version of File-Ex will not work for Windows NT -- do not attempt to install!  Contact Cottonwood Software for information on the proper version for your system.

If you're not familiar with File-Ex, please read through the Overview section, either now or after installation.

To install File-Ex, run SETUP.EXE from Windows:

1. From the Start menu, select Run...

2. In the Run Command Line box, type d:\path\SETUP.EXE, where 'd' is the letter of the drive and 'path' is the directory where the File-Ex files are.

   For example:

     C:\FILEEX\SETUP.EXE

3. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

4. After File-Ex installation is complete, it will need to validate some files.  This will happen automatically the first time File-Ex is invoked, so you don't need to do anything special for this to happen.

Moving File-Ex after installation

The files that are installed in the selected program and data directories may be moved to a different drive or different directories, but if you do so, you must also do 2 things:

1. Change the path settings in FILEEX.INI to reflect the new location.

     (This file is in your Windows directory -- probably c:\windows.)

2. Exit and re-start Windows after the INI file is changed.

For further technical information about File-Ex installation, please refer to the README.TXT file.


About the Evaluation Period

File-Ex is distributed as "Shareware".  This means that you are free to try it out for 30 days.  It will be fully functional during that time, so you can try all of its functions without limitations.

After using it for 30 days (not necessarily calendar days, but when it's been used on 30 different days), some of the functions will be unavailable.  You will still be able to use the file management functions like Copy and Delete, but the advanced functions (recent/favorite lists, dialog sizing, and training) will not be available unless you purchase the program.

Purchasing File-Ex


Making a Copy of File-Ex

Shareware works best when you 'share' it with other people!  If you like this program, we would appreciate it if you spread it around.  Give copies (of the shareware trial version only) to friends and co-workers, or even upload it to your favorite BBS.  If you help us spread the word, then we can spend less time and money on advertising, and more on developing better programs.

Please only distribute the original compressed (.ZIP) file that you received File-Ex in, or the complete set of original files if it was not ZIPped.  This is the only way to have the complete file set needed to install File-Ex, since the File-Ex directory after installation does not contain all of the necessary installation files.

Note: If this is a purchased (registered) copy, please DON'T distribute it!  The registered copy contains your registration key file, and giving this to someone else is a violation of the single-user license.  Please only distribute the shareware version!


Distribution by Vendors, BBS's, etc.

Commercial vendors please refer to the vendinfo.diz file for complete details.  If this file is not present, please contact Cottonwood Software for a replacement copy or further information.


Mail Ordering Information

To order, send $29.95 (U.S.) plus $2.00 S&H ($4.00 S&H outside the U.S. or Canada) to:

      Cottonwood Software

      P.O. Box 6546

      Leawood, KS 66206-0546   USA

Please pay by check or money order in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. Bank, or by international money order, or in U.S. currency.

All orders are usually shipped within 24 hours.

Purchase orders will be accepted from approved companies and organizations, but will be charged an additional $10.00 processing fee.

Print Order Form

Site Licenses and Multiple User Pricing


United Kingdom Distributor

You may order File-Ex through our U.K. distributor, The Thompson Partnership.  Use the order form below, or you may phone in credit card orders.

 File-Ex for Windows 95 Order Form    (United Kingdom)

To:	The Thompson Partnership

Lion Buildings

Market Place

Uttoxeter

Staffs

ST14 8HZ

England

Telephone	+44 (0) 1889 564601

Fax	+44 (0) 1889 563219

CIS	100530,2050

e-mail	sales@ttp.co.uk

From: 	Name:     	_________________________

Address:	_________________________

_________________________

     	 	_________________________

                	_________________________

                	_________________________

      	Phone no: 	_________________

Please supply me with the following materials:

Registered version of File-Ex for Windows 95, £18.99 each:	£___

Shipping, £3 per order:	£___

VAT (EC Residents) at 17.5%:	£___

----------

Total payment:	£___

Non-UK VAT registration number   ______________________________________________

VISA, MasterCard, American Express card Number

________________________________________________________     Exp ____/____

Signature ____________________________________________   Date ____/____/____

It would be very helpful if you could briefly indicate where your

evaluation copy of File-Ex came from:

________________________________________________________________________

You can pay by either cash, cheque, or credit card as detailed above. Please make cheques payable to "The Thompson Partnership". If you pay by cash or cheque in a currency other than pounds sterling, please add the equivalent of £5 to cover the cost of currency conversion.

[ ] Please tick should you not wish to receive information concerning this or other shareware products in the future. This future information will only be sent by The Thompson Partnership or the author of File-Ex.


Purchasing File-Ex

The File-Ex evaluation version is fully functional for 30 days of use.  After that, some of the advanced functions will be unavailable unless you purchase File-Ex.  This is the "Try Before You Buy" concept of shareware -- File-Ex is not a free program, but we are happy to let you use it for 30 days to make sure you like it.  The price is only $29.95 (U.S.).

Benefits of ordering:

    The latest version as of the day you order.

    Notification of bug fixes and update releases when available.

    Free technical support.

    Discounts on updates and other products, as available.

Express Ordering Through the Internet:

You can order directly on the Web using a major credit card.  Simply go to Cottonwood Software's home page, and look for the 'Order' link.  Secure Server ordering is available to protect your credit card information.

When ordering through our Web site, you can request that the registration code be E-mailed to you, saving the cost (and time) of shipping a disk.

Point your Web browser to http://www.cottonwoodsw.com

Credit Card Orders

Mail Orders and Other Ordering Options and Distributors:

United States, Canada, and Mexico.

United Kingdom distributor.

All other countries.

(For new distributor information, check our web site: http://www.cottonwoodsw.com)

Ordering through CompuServe:

You may order through CompuServe: GO SWREG, and select product #12312.

If you would like the registration code E-mailed to you instead of receiving a disk, select product #15660.  This will also save the shipping & handling charges.

Site Licenses and Multiple User Pricing


Site Licenses and Multiple User Pricing

File-Ex prices for multiple users (computers):

  For 2-3 users:	$24.95 each

  For 4-6 users:	$20.95 each

  For 7 or more users:	$17.95 each

 (These include a disk for each user)

Site licenses:

  10- user license:	$150.00

  20- user license:	$200.00

  50- user license:	$400.00

100- user license:	$600.00

500-user licenses:	$2000.00

1000-user license:	$3000.00

Please contact Cottonwood Software for a quote on different quantities.

Each site license includes 5 master disks.

Please contact Cottonwood Software or a distributor directly to order multiple copies if you want the discount (or use the order form).  Other ordering channels, such as SWREG, are not set up to apply the discount to multiple copy orders.

You may also order from our United Kingdom Distributor, at the following rates:

File-Ex 2 - 3 users	£15.99 each

File-Ex 4 - 6 users	£12.99 each

File-Ex 7 + users	£10.99 each

20 user licence	£125.00

50 user licence	£250.00

100 user licence	£375.00

500 user licence	£1250.00

1000 user licence	£1875.00


Credit Card Orders

You can order with Mastercard, Visa, Optima, or American Express.

Phone, FAX, mail, and E-mail orders may be placed directly with Cottonwood Software:

Phone:	+1 (913) 663-3022

FAX :	+1 (913) 663-3747

Internet:	info@cottonwoodsw.com

CompuServe:	75264,1630

Mail:	Cottonwood Software, P.O. Box 6546, Leawood, KS 66206   USA.

Mail and FAX orders, use this Order Form.

You may also order from our United Kingdom Distributor.

Express Ordering on the World Wide Web:  You can now order directly on the Web using a major credit card, and save shipping charges by having the registration code E-mailed to you.  Simply go to Cottonwood Software's home page, and look for the 'Order' link.  Secure Server ordering is available to protect your credit card information.

Point your Web browser to http://www.cottonwoodsw.com


Disabling File-Ex for a Specific Program

If you find that File-Ex interferes with a particular program, you may want to disable File-Ex for that program permanently.  This will disable the File-Ex enhancements for all dialogs of that program, every time it is run.  You can choose to disable the file management additions or the sizing functions, or both (sizing can be especially troublesome for some dialog configurations, so try disabling that first).

The method of disabling depends on whether the program is using File-Ex automatically (through commdlg.dll), or whether File-Ex has learned about the program (because it didn't use the Windows common dialogs).

If you're not sure which method is being used, first try disabling the File-Ex program by clicking the 'Enable File-Ex for Trained Dialogs' menu item of the File-Ex icon's system menu.  If the program still appears to use File-Ex, then it must be using the automatic method (Common Dialogs).

Disabling a Trained File-Ex Application

The only way to permanently disable a 'Trained' application is to delete it from the File-Ex application list.  Select Configure Applications from the File-Ex icon's system menu, and find the dialog entry (or entries) for the program in question.  Select one dialog at a time and click the Delete button.

To re-enable these applications, you must re-teach File-Ex to recognize it.  See the section Teach File-Ex new Applications.

Disabling File-Ex for a "Common Dialog" Application

Up to 20 different programs that use the Common Dialogs may be disabled.  (If you have even one that causes problems, please contact Cottonwood Software so that we can solve the problem for good!)

To disable File-Ex, first disable it temporarily by holding down the Shift key (or Control key, see below) as you click on the menu item or button that brings up the Open or Save dialog.  File-Ex will immediately ask you if you would like to disable it temporarily or permanently, for file management, sizing, or both.  If you select a 'Temporary' option, it will only be disabled this time but will be re-enabled the next time you open a file dialog.

If you select a 'permanent' option, File-Ex will be disabled for this dialog (by name) or all dialogs of the application depending on the "Disable for ALL dialogs of this application" checkbox.  It will be disabled unless/until you re-enable it (see below).

Note:  The Shift key is used by default. This can be changed to the Control key in the Dialog Configuration, in case the Shift key is used for another purpose (for instance, in Netscape Navigator).

Important note:  Unless you permanently disable File-Ex for both sizing and file management and for ALL dialogs of the application, then all dialogs of the application will still be affected by File-Ex to a certain extent (it must control the dialog long enough to check the dialog name and decide what to do).  If a problem persists even though you have disabled that dialog, or only part of the functions for all dialogs, then try disabling both/all to see if it helps.

Re-enabling File-Ex for a program


Disabling File-Ex (prompt dialog)

This dialog appears when you have the Shift or Control key down (whichever is currently configured) while invoking a file Open/Save dialog.

You have the option of disabling File-Ex temporarily or permanently for this application, and whether the file management additions are disabled or the sizing (dialog enlargement) is disabled, or both.

If a 'Permanently...' option is selected, you also have the option of disabling just this dialog (by name) or ALL dialogs of the application.

For more information, see Disabling File-Ex for a Specific Program.


Re-enabling Application Dialogs

To re-enable File-Ex for a program, go to the "Configure Applications" dialog from the File-Ex system menu or About dialog.  Click the button "Re-Enable disabled applications...", and you will see a list of "module names" for applications that are currently disabled for file management, sizing, or both.  If only certain dialogs are disabled, you will see the dialog name also. You can easily select which application dialog(s) to re-enable by clicking on the name and then clicking the "Re-enable" button.

Note that the module names are often abbreviated application names, but it's usually obvious enough what they represent.

For more information, see Disabling File-Ex for a Specific Program.


Technical Support and Contact Info
Technical Support and Company Contact Information

We will gladly answer any questions and help you with File-Ex problems during the 30-day free evaluation period.  (After the free trial, we will still answer 'simple' questions, but may, at our discretion, require you to purchase File-Ex before providing technical support.)

Any suggestions, comments, support questions and bug reports are welcome and encouraged!  All questions will be answered promptly.  This is offered to both registered and unregistered users because we appreciate the assistance in making the program better!

For support, contact Cottonwood Software by phone, fax, mail, or E-mail.  (E-mail is preferred, and will get a fast response.)

 Mail:	Cottonwood Software

P.O. Box 6546

Leawood, KS 66206-0546

 Phone:	(913) 663-3022

 FAX:	(913) 663-3747

 CompuServe:	75264,1630

 America Online:  CottonwdSW

 Internet:	info@cottonwoodsw.com

 WW Web:	http://www.cottonwoodsw.com

In the U.K., contact:

The Thompson Partnership

Lion Buildings

Market Place

Uttoxeter

Staffs

ST14 8HZ

England

Telephone	+44 (0) 1889 564601

Fax	+44 (0) 1889 563219

CIS	100530,2050

e-mail	sales@ttp.co.uk


Troubleshooting

While File-Ex has been tested on many systems and in many situations to fine-tune the installation process and the program itself, there may still be unexpected problems.

If things work fine in general, but the Open or Save dialog of some application does not look or work right, try disabling File-Ex to see if File-Ex is causing the problem, or close File-Ex completely.  If it is definitely File-Ex causing the problem, please contact us and we will attempt to solve the problem.

If things don't seem to work at all, or if File-Ex doesn't seem to be installed, then take a look at the sections below.  If these don't fit the problem (or don't solve it), contact us for help.  We will want to look at the FILEEX.LOG installation log file, which is created in your Windows directory during installation, so please have this available (or send it along with your E-mail support request if possible).

If you get an error message when trying to use File-Ex:

If you get system errors (Exception Error, for instance), then you may have more than one copy of COMMDLG.DLL on your system (see below).  If this is not the case, or if the problem persists, call for support.

If you don't see anything different in your Open or Save dialogs

Make sure File-Ex is running.  You should see the icon in the taskbar.  If in doubt, start it again by double-clicking the File-Ex icon in Explorer, or from the Start menu. If it was already running, no harm is done -- it will simply display the About dialog.  If this does happen, check to see if the "Hide Icon" option is selected (which would explain why you don't see the icon in the taskbar).

If you find that File-Ex was not running, then it may not be in your "StartUp group" -- this is a folder that includes shortcut links to any programs that you want to run every time Windows 95 starts up.  This is normally done by the File-Ex Setup program, but something may have gone wrong, or it may have been deleted somehow.  To add it to your StartUp group, either run the Setup program again, or if that doesn't work or isn't possible, then create a shortcut to FILEEX32.EXE in the StartUp folder -- this should be under your Windows / Start Menu / Programs directory (folder hierarchy), and may be a different name than 'StartUp' for non-English versions of Windows 95.  For more information, please refer to the Windows Help facility.

If you're sure that File-Ex is running, then it could be that the application you're using does not use the common dialogs in COMMDLG.DLL.  Some programs, especially older ones and ones with unique requirements in their Open/Save dialogs, have internal custom dialogs that File-Ex will not be automatically added to.  You may need to Teach File-Ex about this application to get the File-Ex functions.

It could also be that the application was earlier disabled for File-Ex.  See the section Disabling File-Ex temporarily for information on checking this and re-enabling it.

Please note that File-Ex comes already trained for English versions of Word and Excel.  If you are using Word or Excel in other languages, you will need to train File-Ex yourself.

If File-Ex is running but still doesn't work, even in Notepad

This is usually a case of interference from another program, most likely one that runs in the background and/or is in your StartUp group.  First try closing File-Ex and re-starting it (from its icon or Start menu item).  If it starts working, then the another program is most likely interfering.

The best way to find out is to move all StartUp group shortcut icons except File-Ex to a new temporary folder and reboot.  If everything is fine now, then try putting each one back and reboot, to see which one causes a problem.  Note however that this might change the order that the programs load in, which could mask the problem (or correct it).

If you have determined that there is an interference problem (or just want to test the theory), then you can use the included Delayer utility program to force File-Ex to execute shortly after everything else in the StartUp group.  Typically this will solve the problem, since the last program executed has precedence over the others (and File-Ex won't prevent others from working).

To set up Delayer, you need to edit the properties of the File-Ex shortcut in the StartUp group.  Change the "Target" so that instead of just showing the File-Ex path, it uses Delayer to load File-Ex instead.  Typically the original entry will look like:

C:\Program Files\File-Ex\fileex32.exe

Change this to:

C:\Program Files\File-Ex\delayer.exe "c:\Program Files\File-Ex\fileex32.exe" /D3

This will execute File-Ex 3 seconds later.

Important: If you change the shortcut name, then the File-Ex "Remove" program will not automatically remove the shortcut.

For more information on setting up Delayer, please see the Delayer.Hlp file.

Other problems (crashes or non-functioning)

A common problem is that there is more than one copy of COMMDLG.DLL on your computer, and Windows is getting confused about which one to run.  This can cause File-Ex not to appear, system errors, printing problems, or any number of odd things to happen.

After making sure that there is a COMMDLG.DLL in your Windows System directory (usually C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM), search your hard disk (and network drives) for any other copies of COMMDLG.DLL.  Any other copies should be deleted, or at least renamed (to COMMDLG.SAV, for instance).

If some of File-Ex's buttons at the bottom are greyed out (unusable)

If you are in a Browse dialog (from the File-Ex Move or Copy functions), then the Move and Copy buttons will be disabled to avoid going in a loop.  This is a normal function.

If the dialogs are not resizing anymore

Either the option to enlarge dialogs has been turned off, or your free evaluation period has run out.

If you see the recent files/directories lists, but no file management buttons

This is an option for the Windows 95 Explorer-style common dialogs.  If you want to include the file management buttons on these dialogs, set the option in the dialog configuration.

If the Recent and/or Favorite files/directories lists do not appear

Either the option to show these has been turned off, or your free evaluation period has run out.

If you have trouble training File-Ex for new applications

If the training session does not seem to work, then the application could have very unusual characteristics that don't work with File-Ex.  We would like to know of such cases.  Also, you may want to review the sections on Teaching File-Ex and Technical Information.

It could also be that the application was earlier disabled for File-Ex.  See the section Disabling File-Ex temporarily for information on checking this and re-enabling it.

If long file names don't work in 16-bit applications

There are some cases where long names won't work correctly. For more information, see Using Long File Names.

Miscellaneous

If you encounter any other problems, please contact us for support.  We will gladly answer any questions and help with problems during the 30-day free evaluation period.  After the free trial, we will still answer 'simple' questions, but may (at our discretion) require you to order before providing technical support.


Removing File-Ex

If you encounter insurmountable problems, or just don't like the new functions that File-Ex provides, you may need to un-install it.

A Remove program is provided with File-Ex for your convenience, and should be in your File-Ex program group (in the Start Menu / Programs / File-Ex list).  If it's not, you can also run Remove directly off of the distribution disk (assuming it's unZipped).

The Remove program gives you two options: Partial and Complete.  Partial will leave the configuration files (.INI and .DAT) intact, in case you re-install.  Complete removal will delete those, so be sure you don't want to save configuration information for a later re-installation.

Note that there are 2 files which Remove will not delete:  FILEEXR.LOG  (the Remove log) are is left in the Windows directory for troubleshooting reasons.  Also, REMOVE.EXE cannot itself be removed because it's running at the time.  After a successful removal, these can be deleted manually.

Manual Removal

If for any reason you prefer to remove File-Ex manually, or just want to know what it's doing, here's the procedure:

To un-install File-Ex:

1. Delete the File-Ex program group (or file folder in the Start menu directory tree).

2. Remove the File-Ex program item (icon) in the StartUp group/folder, if present.

3. Delete all files in the File-Ex program directory.  (Don't delete FILEEX.DAT unless you want to completely remove File-Ex).

4. You may also delete these files to completely remove File-Ex:

COMMEX.INI in your Windows directory

FILEEX.INI in your Windows directory

FILEEX.LOG in your Windows directory


ASP Ombudsman Statement

Cottonwood Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.  Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI USA 49442-9427, Fax 616-788-2765, or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.


Warranty & License Information

LIMITED WARRANTY -- TRIAL (SHAREWARE) VERSION

THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE PROVIDED FOR EVALUATION ONLY, ON AN "AS IS" BASIS.  COTTONWOOD SOFTWARE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESSED  OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NEITHER COTTONWOOD SOFTWARE NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH SOFTWARE, EVEN IF COTTONWOOD SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS. THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.

LIMITED WARRANTY AND MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE -- REGISTERED/PURCHASED VERSION

THE PURCHASED VERSION OF THIS SOFTWARE CARRIES A 90-DAY FULL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.  ALL LIABILITIES BEYOND THE PURCHASE PRICE ARE DISCLAIMED AS IN THE TRIAL VERSION, ABOVE.

This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Kansas and shall inure to the benefit of Cottonwood Software and any successors, administrators, heirs and assigns. Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of or related to this agreement shall be brought only in a STATE or FEDERAL COURT of competent jurisdiction located in Johnson County, Kansas. The parties hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of said courts.

TRIAL USE LICENSE

This package is NOT a public domain program.  It is copyrighted by Cottonwood Software.  This software and accompanying documentation are protected by United States copyright law and also by international treaty provisions.

Unregistered users: Cottonwood Software grants you a limited license to use this software for evaluation  purposes for a period not to exceed thirty days.  If you continue using this software after the thirty-day evaluation period, you MUST purchase the software from Cottonwood Software.

You may not use, copy, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile, disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed program except as provided in this agreement.  Any such unauthorized use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this license.

All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to Cottonwood Software.

LIMITED DISTRIBUTION LICENSE

ASP member vendors may distribute this package, completely unaltered, without further permission.  For other cases or to distribute in modified form, you must consult the  attached data record (VENDINFO.DIZ), which is hereby incorporated by reference.  Any distribution satisfying all the distribution requirements expressed in that data record is hereby authorized.

Permission to distribute this package is not transferable, assignable, saleable, or franchisable. Each vendor wishing to distribute the package must independently satisfy the terms of this limited distribution license.

U.S. Government Information:  Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government of the computer software and documentation in this package shall be subject to the restricted rights applicable to commercial computer software as set forth in subdivision (b)(3)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at 252.227-7013 (DFARS 52.227-7013).  The Contractor/manufacturer is Cottonwood Software, P.O. Box 6546, Leawood KS, 66206, USA.

Cottonwood Software may revoke any permissions granted here, by notifying you in writing.  All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to Cottonwood Software.


Order Form

To print this form, Select File, Print Topic from the menu.

United Kingdom customers click here.

   ORDER FORM                                                 File-Ex 98 for Windows 95/98

    PAYMENT METHOD:           SEND ORDERS TO:	     (FAX: 1-913-663-3747)

   (   ) Check  	  Cottonwood Software

   (   ) Money order	  P.O. Box 6546

   (   ) Cash     	  Leawood, KS 66206-0546   USA

   (   ) MasterCard          	Card #:__________________________________

   (   ) Visa

   (   ) American Express 	Expiration date:  _____/_____    (Month / Year)

   (   ) Optima

Name on the card:__________________________

Signature:_________________________________

QTY    DESCRIPTION    	    PRICE

____   File-Ex latest version, for use on one computer. . . .$29.95   	$_______

            (If ordering multiple copies, use the appropriate quantity discount price)

         Postage & Handling :	$_______

U.S., Canada and Mexico:	$2.00

All other countries:	$4.00

or, E-mail the registration code:	$ free

____ Check here for E-mail registration, and make sure you list your E-mail

address below (please write clearly). The registration will be E-mailed

to you, so you will save postage & handling charges.

Note: No disk will be mailed if you select this option!

                                           TOTAL ENCLOSED:	$_______

   Your name:  	______________________________________________________

       Address:	______________________________________________________

      	______________________________________________________

  	______________________________________________________

     Voice phone:  ________________________   Fax:  _______________________

     E-mail address  (Internet, CIS, AOL, etc): _______________________________

Where did you     	( ) CompuServe	( ) BBS 	( ) Magazine

get a copy of	( ) Internet 	( ) America Online	( ) CD-ROM

this program?     	( ) A friend	( ) Don't remember	( ) Disk vendor


File-Ex Overview

How it Works

Important Note on Hidden File Extensions

File-Ex Dialog Functions

Dialog Sizing Feature

File-Ex Program (Menu) Functions

Teaching File-Ex New Application Dialogs

Using Long File Names in Old Applications

Technical Information   (Why some dialogs don't work right)

Word and Excel Configurations


Hidden File Extensions

If you have the Windows 95 Explorer configured to Hide MS-DOS file extensions (usually the Win95 default), then there will be cases where File-Ex cannot tell which file is selected. If only one file exists that matches the first part of the name, then it will know to use that file -- otherwise, it cannot determine which file is selected.  This will affect many File-Ex functions, including the file information line, file management functions, and recent/favorite file history.

To make File-Ex work best with Win95, change the configuration to show file extensions:

1. Open an Explorer window -- the easiest is to right-click the Win95 Start button, and select "Explore".

2. Select the "View" menu, and select the "Options..." menu item.

3. Locate the "Hide MS-DOS file extensions..." option, and make sure the box is not checked.

4. Click the OK button to finish.


The CommEx DLL
CommEx DLL

The CommEx DLL is the portion of File-Ex that modifies applications that use Microsoft's "Common Dialogs" module, COMMDLG.DLL (and COMDLG32.DLL).  File-Ex will automatically recognize these dialogs and add its functions to them.  This normally only works if the application was written to use the Windows common dialogs.


How File-Ex Works

File-Ex consists of two parts:

1. The CommEx DLL, which recognizes the "Common Dialog" file dialogs used by COMMDLG.DLL (or COMDLG32.DLL) and adds the File-Ex enhancements.

2. The File-Ex Program database, which can capture other file dialogs and make them use commdlg.dll, thus enabling all of the File-Ex features.

The CommEx DLL

Any program that was written to use the Common Dialogs will be recognized by the "CommEx DLL" part of File-Ex, which contains all of the added functions for the File dialogs.  You may be familiar with the CommEx DLL portion as a stand-alone program, before File-Ex was created.

Once File-Ex is running, there is nothing else you need to do to activate this portion (assuming this portion is enabled through the File-Ex menu).  It recognizes any open and save dialogs opened by Microsoft's COMMDLG.DLL, so it can add its functions seamlessly.  It will be activated whenever an application attempts to call the Microsoft DLL to get a filename for opening or saving.

Note:  If you ever want to disable File-Ex for a program that uses COMMDLG.DLL, you can temporarily disable File-Ex by holding down the Shift key (or other configured key) while bringing the open or save file dialog up.

While most applications do use the Windows Common Dialogs, there are some that don't -- either because they have special needs in the dialog (such as Word for Windows), or they are older applications that were written before the common dialog DLL was widely used.  To overcome this limitation, the File-Ex program was created.

The File-Ex Program database

The File-Ex program database is used to add the File dialog enhancements to programs that don't normally use COMMDLG.DLL.  It does this by recognizing when a program is opening a learned File dialog and then either replaces that dialog with the File-Ex version of the dialog, or adds a button to the program's dialog to invoke File-Ex manually.

File-Ex must first be trained to recognize a program's File dialogs if they don't use COMMDLG.DLL.  This is easily done, and should only need to be done once for each dialog that you want to add the File-Ex functions to.  However, remember that the File-Ex program must be running for these non-common dialogs to have the File-Ex functions added.

File-Ex comes pre-trained for Word and Excel (up to version 7) the most common programs that need File-Ex.  (More information on the pre-configuration)

The File-Ex program's icon was added to the File-Ex group (a new folder under the Start / Programs menu) and to your StartUp group during installation.  The File-Ex program must be running to enable File-Ex for any applications.  Usually you will want to start File-Ex automatically when Windows loads.

The File-Ex program is always minimized (in the taskbar tray).  To get to its menu functions, just right-click on the icon once for the system menu, and you'll see all of the File-Ex program functions.  Alternatively you left-click the icon to bring up the 'About' dialog, which also has these functions.

File-Ex can be configured in various ways for each application.  You may need to experiment to find the best setup for each dialog.

If things don't seem to work right, check out the technical information.


File-Ex Dialog Functions

The following functions are added to any file dialog that File-Ex enhances:

Buttons

The additional buttons on the dialog should be self-explanatory.  The Copy and Move buttons are used to copy or move a file.  First select the file (or type the name in the filename box), then press the button.

The Delete and Rename buttons work the same way for files, but may also be used for directories in the old-style dialogs.  (File-Ex cannot delete or rename folders in the explorer-style dialogs -- you can use the right mouse button to do that.) To act on directories, click on the directory to delete or rename in the directory list, then press the button.  (If you do anything else before pressing the delete/rename button, it will not know that you want to act on the directory instead of a file.)

The Find button brings up a dialog for designing the search criteria and starting the search.  When the search is done, you can select one of the files in the 'found' list, and press 'Done' to go back to the open/save dialog with that file selected (and with the drive/directory changed to where the file is).

The MkDir button is used to make a new directory under the 'current' directory (the one that is currently open, not one that is highlighted in the directory list).  After the new directory is made, the dialog will automatically change to that directory.

The File-Ex button brings up information about the program, and also presents functions to Configure the appearance of the File-Ex dialog and access various help information.

Long File Names

An LFN's or Explore button may appear below the File-Ex button in some cases.  For old 16-bit applications, an LFN's (Long File Names) button will be shown.  Pressing this button will open a Windows 95 "Explorer-style" dialog (or old-style, depending on configuration) which you can use to select or create a file using long file names.

Also, 32-bit applications that don't use the Windows 95 "Explorer-style" open and save dialogs already will have an Explore button will be shown by default. This will do the same thing as for 16-bit applications. (Even though the dialog may already show long names, this allows you to use the newer style dialog when you want to).

For more information, see Using Long File Names.

File Information Line

Below the buttons is the file information line.  Whenever a file is selected in the file list, its size, time, and date will appear here.  If the file is read-only, then it will show "Read-Only" or "[R]" next to it.

Note that if you have the Windows 95 Explorer configured to Hide MS-DOS file extensions (usually the default), then there will be cases where File-Ex cannot tell which file is selected, and cannot show the file information, and will show:

 "(Ambiguous selection due to file extensions being hidden)".

This will also affect other File-Ex functions.

Recent Files and Directories

Below the file information line are two lists -- one for recent files opened or saved, and one for recent directory paths used for those files.  Just click on the box or down-button to open up the list, and then click on the file or directory you want.  These make it easy to get to the last several files you've worked on, without having to navigate through the directory tree, or even remember where they are.  Each list contains up to 25 of the most recent files used for the current application (in order with the most recent at the top), followed by up to 25 of the most recent files used by any application.  So if you work on a file in one application and need to access it in another one, it will still be just a couple clicks away!

Note that only files accessed through these File-Ex dialogs will be remembered here.  For example, if an application is started with a file already opened (from a drag-drop operation, for instance), then that file will not appear in the list.

Favorite Files and Directories (and file masks)

You can keep up to 100 files and directories handy for each application using the "Favorites" lists.  Using the lists is similar to the Recent Files/Directories lists, but to add a file and directory to the Favorites lists you must hold down the "Alt" key when you select a file in the Open or Save dialog (that is, hold down the Alt key as you press the OK button or Enter key, or double-click a on file in the file list).  The file and corresponding path will then be added to the Favorites lists as the dialog closes, ready for the next time you use the dialog.

The other way to add items is through the "Add selected file or mask" or "Add current directory" items in the Favorites lists themselves.  These work like menu options, and will immediately add the current contents of the File Name edit box (with the current path), or the current directory, to the appropriate list.  This is an easy way to build up your lists initially.

This can also be used to save non-standard file masks that aren't in the File Types list.  For example, put "*.txt;*.ini;*.doc" in the File Name edit box, Add it to the favorites list, and you can use it just as thought it was in the File Types list.  Note that the semicolons are the standard way to include more than one mask.  Question-marks can also be used, such as "report??.doc".

Remember: the lists are maintained separately for each application, so you can customize accordingly.

Note: The "Add..." option in the Favorites list can also be turned off through the "Edit Favorites" configuration (see below).

Editing the Favorites lists

To edit the lists (delete entries or rearrange them), you can go to the File-Ex Dialog Configuration dialog using the File-Ex button on the Open or Save dialog, and select "Edit Favorites" from there.  Or, you can select the "Edit favorites" item from the Favorites lists themselves.

Extra Feature:   File-Ex Remembers the Last Directory Used

Another feature of File-Ex is that since it remembers the last directory used for each application, it can automatically switch to that directory when the application is used again.  Some applications already do this, or specify an initial directory.  However, any application that normally defaults to the 'current directory', which is usually the program's own directory, will now default to the last directory used.  Although the last path used is always available in the Recent Directories list anyway, this saves a couple clicks of the mouse most of the time.

This auto-path-switching function defaults to 'on', but may be switched off if desired -- see the Configuration section.


Dialog Sizing Features

File-Ex can automatically enlarge the file dialogs to allow more files and directories to be visible at once.

The dialog size is configured as a percentage of the screen size, so it will automatically adjust for different screen resolutions, and for dialogs that have extra features in them.

Note that there will be some cases that will cause problems due to unusual layouts in the dialog, or due to features added to the dialog after it's resized.  For these cases, you'll need to disable the Sizing function of File-Ex for that particular application.

Sizing Configuration Dialog

To configure the automatic resizing, or to turn it off completely, first open the "Dialog Apprearance" configuration dialog from the File-Ex system menu or the File-Ex "About" dialog (the File-Ex button on an Open/Save dialog, or the "About" selection on the system menu).  There you will see the "Sizing Options" button.

Here you simply enable/disable the sizing function (for all applications), and select the percentage of the screen you want to be occupied by the file dialog.  The percentage can be anywhere from 1 to 100 percent, but the dialog will not be shrunk smaller than normal size if the percentage is too low.

Stretch File-Ex buttons to full dialog width:  This is mainly an aesthetic choice.  Without this selected, the additional File-Ex file management buttons are just as large as they need to be (or may line up with another control).  With it selected, they will stretch to the full dialog width (almost), which sometimes looks better but might be too large for comfort in some cases.

Lengthen "Look In" and "Drives" lists, and "File Types" list:  You can optionally lengthen these drop-down lists to show more items at once, usually avoiding the need to scroll them at all.  Simply set the option you want and the maximum items to show.  (If the maximum won't fit on the screen, it will limit automatically to the screen size.)


File-Ex Program Functions
File-Ex Program (Menu) Functions

File-Ex runs as a taskbar tray icon in Windows 95 -- you should see a small File-Ex icon at the far right of the taskbar.  Right-click on this for the main (system) menu, or left-click on it to bring up a dialog with configuration, help, & option functions.

Note: if you have chosen to Hide the taskbar tray icon, you can also get to these functions by double-clicking a File-Ex icon in an explorer window or Start menu (as if you were trying to run it again).

The following functions are found in the File-Ex program's system menu.

Learn New Dialog

This function takes you step by step through training File-Ex to recognize a new application dialog.  See Training File-Ex for more information.

(Note: If you have not purchased File-Ex, the Learning function is disabled after the 30-day trial period!)

Configure Applications

This allows you to configure how File-Ex works with the trained applications, and also re-enable any currently disabled applications.  See Configuring Applications for more information.

Configure Dialog Appearance

This configures the appearance of the File-Ex open and save dialogs.  See Configuring Dialogs for more information.

Enable File-Ex for Common Dialogs

This allows you to enable and disable File-Ex without actually closing the program.  Note that this only disables the applications that are automatically modified (use commdlg.dll), not the ones that require training the File-Ex program.  See How File-Ex Works for more information on the difference, and Disabling File-Ex for information on how to disable specific applications.

Enable File-Ex for Trained Dialogs

This allows you to enable and disable File-Ex without actually closing the program.  Note that this only disables the applications that require training the File-Ex program, not the ones that are automatically modified.  See How File-Ex Works for more information on the difference, and Disabling File-Ex for information on how to disable specific applications.

Hide Icon

This will remove the File-Ex icon from the taskbar tray while it's running.  After you do this, the only way to get to the File-Ex functions is by attempting to 'run' File-Ex again -- for instance by double-clicking the icon in Explorer or File Manager.

Help

This opens the File-Ex help file (the one you're looking at now) to the table of contents.

About

This opens a dialog showing the File-Ex program version, etc., and also has buttons for Configuration and Support information.  This dialog is also shown if you left-click on the File-Ex icon in the taskbar tray.


Edit Favorites Dialog

Adding Favorite Files and Directories

Files and directories cannot be added to the lists from the "Edit Favorites" dialog.  There are two ways to add files and directories to your favorites lists:

One way is to hold down the Alt key when closing an Open or Save dialog -- the file (with full path) will be added to the Favorite Files list, and the Directory will be added to the Favorite Directories list.

The other way to add items is through the "Add selected file or mask" or "Add current directory" items in the Favorites lists themselves.  These work like menu options, and will immediately add the current contents of the File Name edit box (with the current path), or the current directory, to the appropriate list.  This is an easy way to build up your lists initially.

You can also use this feature to add file masks to the Favorite Files list, which can then be used like the File Types list.

Getting to the Edit Favorites dialog

To get to the Edit Favorites Dialog, you must first bring up a file Open or Save dialog that is enhanced by File-Ex. Then from there, there are two ways to get to it:

One way is to press the File-Ex button on that Open/Save dialog, then select "Configure Dialog" from the resulting About box, and finally select "Edit Favorites" from the configuration dialog.

The other way (assuming the option is enabled) is to select the "Edit favorites" item in one of the Favorites lists themselves.

Dialog operation

At the top of the dialog is the "module name" of the active application.  (This is generally limited to 8 uppercase characters, which may or may not be enough to be a good representation of the program you're using.)

To delete a file/directory, simply select it and press the Delete button.

To move entries around, select the entry to move and press the Move Up or Move Down button as desired.

Note that all changes will be aborted if you press Cancel (which can be handy if you accidentally delete something), so make sure you select OK when you have the lists the way you want them!

Include Add and Edit options in Favorites lists: This enables or disables the addition of these options to the beginning of the lists (plus the separator line before the file/directory names).  Since there are other ways to add and edit items, you may decide that the 3 extra lines in the lists are more of a distraction than they are worth, so this allows you to remove them.


Windows 95 Configuration Options

Options for 16-bit old-style (untrained) dialogs:

Include "Long Names" button on original dialog:  When this is checked (default), an "LFN's" button will be added to open/save dialogs for 16-bit applications.  That button will open a 32-bit dialog which will allow entry and selection of Windows 95 long file names.

Use Explorer-Style dialog for long names: When this is checked AND the above option is checked, then the "LFN's" button will open an explorer-style (Windows 95 style) file dialog.  When not checked, an old-style dialog is used (which still allows long names).

Options for 32-bit old-style (untrained) dialogs:

Include "Explorer" button on original dialog: When checked, any 32-bit applications which still use the old-style dialog will have an "Explore" button added which will open an explorer-style file dialog.

For more information on long file name usage and dialog options, see Using Long File Names.

Options for Explorer-style dialogs:

Add file management functions:  With this checked, the File-Ex file management buttons are added to the Windows 95 Explorer-style file dialogs (if the program uses Common Dialogs).  This defaults to 'on' for convenience, but may be turned off if you are comfortable with the right-click functionality of Windows 95 and prefer to make the dialog smaller.

Default to Details View:  This will make all Explorer-style dialogs appear with the view in "Details" mode (as opposed to the normal "List" mode).  It's the same thing as pressing the dialog's Details button as soon as the dialog appears.


Recent & Favorite List Options
Recent/Favorite List Options

Show Recent File/Directory Lists  You can turn this feature on or off as desired.

Show Favorite Files/Directory Lists  You can turn this feature on or off as desired.

Show Alt-key hints ('u' and 'a' in front of lists)  You can turn these single-character hints on or off as desired.  (Even if they are not visible, the hot-keys still function.)

Number of Items in List: (1-25)  This sets the number of recent files and directories that are in the drop-down lists.  (Favorites lists are not affected by this setting.) By default, File-Ex displays up to 25 recent files and directories used for the current application, followed by up to 25 for all applications (excluding duplicates).  On slower computers, this can result in a noticeable delay when changing directories or drives (in the list boxes), as it must re-parse the recent file/directory lists to be relative to the current directory and drive.  If this delay is annoying, reduce this number to 5 or so, as appropriate.  (For example, if set to 5, it will show 5 for this application plus 5 for all applications.)

Note that File-Ex always keeps track of the last 25 recently used files/directories and 100 favorites, even if they are not 'listed', so you can keep the 'listed' number low most of the time, and increase it if you need to find something farther back.  Unlike some of the other configuration options, the dialog's list will change immediately, without having to close it and re-open it.

# Shown at once:  This is the number of files/directories shown in the drop-down list at once, without requiring you to scroll.  A larger number will make the visible list larger when you click on the box, so you don't have to scroll as much. This defaults to 10, but may be set as high as 50 if you have a room on your screen.  You may want to balance the usefulness of a long list (to avoid scrolling most of the time) with the 'shock' of a huge list popping up when you click on the list box arrow!

Note that if the number of items is smaller than the number shown, then the list will only be as large as necessary.

The Favorite files and directory lists are also affected by this setting.

Note that the number of lines in the list will be greater than the number chosen, to make room for the list Title, and (in the case of the Favorites list) the Add/Edit options.

Include recent files/paths from all applications:  (On by default.) You may disable this option if you prefer to leave out the 'All Applications' half of the recent files/paths lists.  This will simply result in a slight speed improvement when opening the dialog, and of course shorter lists.

Show files with:  No Path / Complete Path / Relative Path:  By default, File-Ex shows files in the recent/favorite files lists with Complete paths.  While this is the most informative method, it can often result in abbreviated paths.  If you work in primarily one or a few directories then one of the other options may be more appealing

Relative Path shows entries Relative to the current path selected in the dialog.  In other words, any files in the current directory will only show the file name; files in subdirectories of the current directory show only the subdirectory name and the file name; files in other directories show the complete path. While this often shortens the displayed name of 'local' files so that it fits in the list easier and is less cluttered, it can also be confusing at times.  Also note that using this option will cause a slight delay when opening the list if you've changed directories since the last time you opened it.

The other option is to show No Path in the list.  If you only work in a few different directories, and/or you always use unique & descriptive file names, then this may be the cleanest solution.  File-Ex will know which directory the file is in, as long as you haven't used duplicate filenames in separate directories -- in this case, only the most recent file by that name will be shown in the list (it won't show duplicates), and its directory would be used.

The Favorite files and directory lists are also affected by this setting.

Don't save recent files/paths on removable drives:  With this option checked, File-Ex will avoid storing files & paths that are on floppy drives, CD-ROM, and other removable drives in its Recent Files and Recent Folders lists.  This also avoids the problem of attempting to read from the removable drive the next time the dialog is opened (for instance if you have enabled the option to default to the last directory used).

Don't save recent files/paths on remote drives:  With this option checked, File-Ex will avoid storing files & paths that are on network drives in its Recent Files and Recent Folders lists.  This also avoids the problem of attempting to read from the remote  drive the next time the dialog is opened (for instance if you have enabled the option to default to the last directory used).  You may want to enable this option if you don't always connect to your network.


File-Ex Dialog Configuration

To configure the appearance of the File-Ex enhanced open/save file dialogs, bring up the configuration dialog by pressing the 'File-Ex' button on any Open/Save dialog, and from there press the 'Configuration' button.  You can also select "Configure Dialog Appearance" from the File-Ex icon/system menu.

Any changes made will be saved away to be used as defaults.  Note that some of the changes will not affect the current open/save file dialog (if invoked from there) -- you must close the open/save file dialog and re-open it to see the changes.

Use 3-D style controls:  By default, File-Ex gives the open/save dialogs a '3-D look' by using a grey background and controls.  If for any reason this causes problems with one of your applications, or you have another program that already does this, you can uncheck this box to keep File-Ex from doing it.  (Even with this turned off, applications that normally use the 3-D styles will still use 3-D for the File-Ex dialogs.)

Note: Many dialogs do this automatically in Windows 95, so this setting may not have any effect in some cases.

Automatically Center Dialogs:  As a visual convenience, File-Ex can automatically center the file dialogs when they appear.  This keeps them from popping up in an unexpected corner, etc.  If this interferes with any program's operation, you may turn it off.

Narrow font selections:  If you prefer the narrow text font in more than just the information line (to look more like modern application dialogs), you can turn it on for various parts of the dialog. In some cases, using narrow text for the buttons will allow the dialog to be smaller, and selecting narrow text for the recent file/directory lists will allow longer names to be displayed without abbreviating the path.

Note that these default to Narrow so that it can fit the necessary text easily.  If this is turned off, the dialog will be larger to accommodate the maximum length of text that can appear here.

Also note that these settings will have no affect on 32-bit applications, since the narrow style is used by default.  Its main purpose is to make 16-bit application dialogs conform to the Windows 95 "look".

Key to use for temporarily disabling File-Ex: This allows you to change the method of tempoorarily disabling File-Ex.  Normally you hold the Shift key down while invoking the Open or Save dialog.  Since the Shift key operation is known to be used for other functions in some programs (e.g. Netscape Navigator), you can change the disable key to be Control (probably "Ctrl" on your keyboard), or none at all.  If you change it to None, you can always return to this dialog from any program and change it back when you need to disable File-Ex for a program.

Show file information line:  This option allows you to turn off the file information line, saving some room in the dialog (unless the space is still needed for an 'LFN' or 'Explore' button.

Show 'Select single file...' hint on file information line:  This option lets you turn off this initial hint message in the file information line.  Instead, it will be blank until a valid file is selected.

Default to the last directory used for each application: This option is used to turn off the default feature that automatically switches to the last directory used for each application.  Some applications already do this, or specify an initial directory.  However, any application that normally defaults to the 'current directory', which is usually the program's own directory, will now default to the last directory used.  You may need turn this off, however, if an application normally defaults to a more appropriate directory depending on what you're doing.  (With the Recently Used Directory lists available, you're only a couple clicks away from it anyway.)

Include accelerator keys for File-Ex additions:  This enables the underlined characters (which means you can use the associated Alt-keys) on the File-Ex file management buttons and the Recent/Favorite lists.  The option to disable these is provided in the event that you have a program which uses some of the same letters as File-Ex, causing a conflict.  (The conflict is only an issue if you commonly use the keyboard for dialog operation, and will generally cause no problem except a possible annoyance.)

Sizing Options: This button will take you to the Sizing Configuration dialog.

Edit Favorites: If the configuration dialog is invoked from the File-Ex icon's menu or from the main About dialog, this button will not be present.  This is because the Favorites lists are application-specific.  You must get to the configuration dialog through the appropriate application's Open or Save dialog for this to be present.  This button will then take you to the Edit Favorites Dialog.

More Win95 Options: This button will take you to the Windows 95 Options dialog operation (16- vs. 32-bit options, long file names, etc.)

Recent/Favorites lists:  This button will take you to the Recent/Favorites options dialog.


Using Long File Names

One of the major benefits of File-Ex is to allow long names to be used in older applications.  While this is not "automatic" with File-Ex, we have attempted to make it as easy and configurable as possible while maintaining compatibility with all applications.

By default, File-Ex is configured so that any 16-bit applications which use the Common Dialogs will still use short file names in their open/save dialogs, but will also have an "LFN's" button so that you can use a long-name-enabled dialog if you want to.  (If it doesn't use Common Dialogs, File-Ex will need to be trained for the dialog -- see below.)

Also, for 32-bit applications that still use an old-style open/save dialogs, an "Explore" button is added so you can use the new style dialogs if you prefer.

Note: If you decide that you want to use the new dialogs all the time and don't like pressing the button each time, you can do this by Training File-Ex to recognize that application's dialog and replace it with the new long-file-name dialog all the time.  See below for more information.

The "LFN's" or "Explore" Button:

If the dialog is an old-style file dialog, you will either see an "LFN's" button (on 16-bit dialogs) or an "Explore" button (on 32-bit dialogs).

This button, when pressed, will open a new dialog on top of the original one, with a Windows 95 explorer-style open/save dialog (by default), using the currently selected directory and file name or masks.  If you prefer the old-style dialog instead of the explorer-style, then you can configure that under the Win95 Options in File-Ex Dialog Configuration.  Likewise, you can turn off the buttons entirely if you prefer.

Once you press the button and this second dialog is present, you can use it just like you would the original one, except that any special features that the original one might have will not be present (this is another reason that it's not an automatic function.)

Once you have selected the file, pressing OK will not only close the new dialog, but will also insert the selected file name (a short version of it) into the original dialog and "OK" it also.  This avoids the extra step of clicking OK again, so the file is immediately opened or saved.

If you press Cancel in the new dialog, then only the new dialog will be cancelled and the original dialog be active again.

Note: In some 32-bit applications, the File Types list will not carry over from the original dialog to the new dialog.  This is an unavoidable problem, but probably not important in most cases.

Making it Automatically Use Long Names

If you dislike having to press the extra button, and especially if there are no extra features that you need in the original dialog, then you can make the LFN-capability automatic.  To do this, just Train File-Ex for the application.  Note that you will get a warning when you start training that File-Ex already knows the dialog -- that's OK, just continue with the training.

All dialogs that File-Ex uses for trained applications are long-name enabled.  All you have to do is select whether you want to use the explorer-style or the old-style, and whether the original application will accept long names (this will be "no" for any 16-bit applications, and also any 32-bit applications that were not designed for long names under Windows 95).

Use File Extensions!

For some 16-bit applications you will need to enter the file name with its extension for long names to work.  For example, enter "My File.xls" instead of just "My File".

Cases where long file names won't work

If you are on a network, long file names will only work if the remote drive is also on a computer running Windows 95.  This means it won't work for files kept on a file server.  This should be fixed in a future release.

Some applications won't allow filenames that are proper short-name-aliases in their dialog, or will think it's a bad file name.  Two known cases are listed, but others may exist for similar reasons.

Codewright: at least some versions of Codewright don't allow upper case characters in their Save As dialog (Open is fine), and forces them to lower case.  Since this will not match the upper case alias name, Win95 will think it's a different file and thus will not retain the long name.

AutoCAD: at least version R12 (probably others) will not allow the 'tilde' character ('~') in a file name.  Since most aliases use this character, AutoCAD will not allow you to open or save files with long names.

Forcing 32-bit Win95 applications to Use the Old-Style Dialog

Another option is to train Win95 applications to use the old-style dialog instead of the explorer-style dialog.  If you just can't get used to the new style, you can do this by training File-Ex for any explorer-style dialogs, and make them use the old-style dialog instead.  It will still be long-name enabled, and with the File-Ex functions added you won't miss much!


Configuring Known File-Ex Applications

This dialog shows all of the application dialogs that File-Ex has been trained to recognize.  This dialog is available from the File-Ex icon's system menu (click once on the icon of the running File-Ex program.)  From here you can do the following:

Edit Dialog -- lets you edit details about the way File-Ex works with a dialog.  You can also edit a dialog entry by double-clicking on it in the list.  See Application Configuration for more information.

Delete Dialog -- lets you delete an application dialog from the File-Ex database.  Be sure you know what you want to do before doing this!  If you delete one by mistake, you can press the Cancel button to abort the changes.  (Cancel will not abort changes already 'OK'ed in the editing dialogs, though!)   Once you press OK, the changes are saved to disk, and the only way to get it back is to re-train File-Ex for the dialog.

The Application Database File

All of the application configuration information is stored in the file FILEEX.DAT.  This file will be in the "User Data Path" specified during Setup (usually the same as the program path).  You will probably want to include this file in your normal backup routine, so you don't have to retrain File-Ex if something happens to the file.

File-Ex comes pre-trained for Word 2.0 through 7.0, and Excel 5.0 & 7.0, the most common programs that need File-Ex.  (More information)


Technical Information on File-Ex

What the File-Ex Program Does

The File-Ex Program was designed to make file management functions available to applications, whether or not they Microsoft Common Dialogs DLL (commdlg.dll).

In addition, if a program that already uses the Common Dialogs is trained to use File-Ex, you get the added benefit of being able to change the file types list, and to use long file names in 16-bit applications running under Windows 95.

When File-Ex recognizes a trained dialog, it will attempt to 'fool it' into thinking that the user is just entering a filename.  There are several parts to this, and thus several ways things can go wrong if the program has unusual behavior.

If things don't seem to work right, check the topics below.  Some of these can be checked by disabling File-Ex (see the File-Ex Program Functions) and going through the steps that File-Ex goes through.  If it doesn't work manually, it probably won't work with File-Ex.

Regardless of how well File-Ex works in the 'Replace' mode, you should still be able to get the benefit of handy file management functions by Adding the File-Ex button to the dialog.  (This can in fact be added to nearly any type of dialog, even if it's not a File Open or Save dialog.)

What File-Ex Needs to Work Well

File Name Input

The most critical item is the dialog's File Name input (or edit) box.  When you select a file in the File-Ex dialog, File-Ex stuffs the full path and file name into the edit box, and then simulates the user pressing the Enter key (in some cases -- see below).  With most dialogs, this works.  However, some applications were written differently.  They may not accept the full path with the file name, or the path may be too long for its input box.  In some cases, the dialog requires you to actually click on the file name in a list rather than pressing Enter after typing it.  Also there are some applications that use a non-standard edit box for the filename, and File-Ex cannot read or write to it at all (Harvard Graphics for Windows is one known to have this problem).

Another common problem is that the text in the application's original dialog (at the time File-Ex is invoked) is not a valid file name or mask string.  In this case, the File-Ex window will not even show up, and you will be left with the original dialog.  (An error message will let you know why.)  The text in the file name edit box, either the default when the dialog is opened or what is there when the File-Ex button is pressed (if it's set up for "Add Button"), must be one of the following:

1.  A valid DOS file name with or without the path.

2.  A file mask with wildcards, like *.*, *.txt, *.??v, etc.

3.  A list of file masks, separated only by semicolons (spaces are tolerated in some cases)

Another possible problem (so far seen only with AutoCAD) is that it won't accept short-name equivalents of long file names, which include the "tilde" character, '~'.  While File-Ex will work fine, you still won't be able to use long file names.

Enter = OK

Since File-Ex assumes that pressing the Enter key is the same as pressing OK button, this is another possible problem.  This won't matter if you just Add the File-Ex button to the dialog, but it does matter if you select 'Automatically Open/Close File-Ex', or if you have File-Ex Replace the original dialog.  You can test this yourself by typing a file name and pressing Enter in the original dialog.

Current Path = Dialog Path

When the File-Ex dialog opens (in the case of Add Button & not Auto-Open), it assumes that the current DOS directory path is the same as the one showing in the dialog.  If this is not the case, things will work but you may end up in a different place when you open File-Ex, or when you get back to the original dialog.

File Types: training

When File-Ex is trained, it attempts to extract file types from the original dialog.  For it to be successful, the original dialog must have a File Types list with each list entry being either a 3-letter extension (simplest case) or each entry having a recognizable file mask like *.txt.

If File-Ex does not recognize the entries, or if the original dialog doesn't have a list of types, you can manually enter the types when configuring the application.

File Types: problems when using File-Ex

There is also another problem with file types -- if the application needs to know which File Type list entry is selected from its dialog, then using 'Replace' or 'Add with Auto-Open' will not work properly because File-Ex doesn't attempt to select one of the file types.  For example, Microsoft Word's Save As dialog has options in the File Type list to save a file in various formats. Word uses the type that the user selects in its own dialog, regardless of the extension given the file.  However, File-Ex can't select a type in Word's dialog.

Therefore the only way to select a type other than the default "Word Document" is to go back to the Word dialog to select the type.  With File-Ex configured as "Add button", that's no problem.  With File-Ex configured as "Add button with Auto-Open", you can Cancel the File-Ex dialog to get back to Word's dialog, and then select the type.  But if you configure File-Ex as "Replace dialog", then you can't get back to the Word dialog at all.

Note that this usually means that the application will save a file in its original format, not necessarily the default one in the File-Ex File Type list.  For example: In Excel, if you open a text file (using the Import Wizard), then save the file using only the File-Ex dialog, then the file will be saved in text mode, even if you change the extension of the file!  You must Cancel the File-Ex dialog and select the desired type in Excel's dialog to get the proper results.


Training -- Open the Dialog to Train

File-Ex is prompting you to open, or display, the dialog you want to teach it about.  If this prompt window is in the way, you can move it around to get the desired dialog open by grabbing its caption bar with the mouse.

If you don't already have the application open that you want to train File-Ex for, that's OK -- go ahead and open it now.  Then go through the normal process of bringing up the desired dialog, such as clicking on an 'open' button, or selecting Open from its File menu.

Note: Don't open the dialog before selecting "Learn new dialog" -- File-Ex needs to see it in the process of opening up after you put File-Ex in learning mode.

After you open the desired file dialog, click OK in the File-Ex prompt window.  (You can also click Cancel if you change your mind.)

Complete Training Instructions


Training -- Click on the Dialog

The prompt is asking you to click anywhere on the Open or Save dialog that you opened, so it knows which dialog you want to teach it about.

You can click anywhere within the dialog window, but it works best if you click on the "white space" (or grey space) between controls in the dialog.  (Some dialog designs make it difficult to figure out the owner of the controls within the dialog, so clicking on the controls may confuse File-Ex.)

If you click on the dialog but nothing happens, then File-Ex will not work with this dialog, probably because it has unusual characteristics that File-Ex cannot recognize.  Please contact Cottonwood Software for support.

You can click the Cancel button in the File-Ex button to abort the training session.

Complete Training Instructions


Training - Edit or Re-Train dialog

This option is presented if File-Ex already has an entry matching the dialog you have selected.

If you select 'Edit', then the training session will be aborted and the configuration dialog will be shown for the matching dialog.  You can make changes to the configuration here if desired.  This should be selected if you really only meant to change configuration options for the dialog -- re-training is not necessary.

If you select 'Re-train', then the old definition for this dialog will be deleted and training will continue for a replacement definition.  This should be selected if a previous training attempt did not seem to work, or if you believe that the wrong control was selected at some point during the training.

Caution! -- If you select 'Re-train', the old definition will be immediately deleted from memory!

Complete Training Instructions


Training - File Name Input Box

The File Name input box is where you usually type the file name you want to open.  When the cursor is in this box, it usually turns into the "I-beam" editing cursor.

Click on that box now, and training will continue automatically.

If you're not sure where it is, look for a flashing vertical bar in one of the input boxes -- the file name input box is usually the one that has this flashing bar when the dialog opens.

Note: Although there is a 'Skip' option for the File Name input box, skipping this would defeat part of the purpose of File-Ex.  You could still use it to do file management, but any file selected in the File-Ex dialog will not be automatically inserted in the application's dialog to be opened or saved.

Complete Training Instructions

Technical Information - How the File Name input box is used


Training - File List

The File List is the scrolling list of file names, usually right below the File Name input box in old-style dialogs, or the large window above the file name in Win95 explorer-style dialogs..

Not all Open or Save dialogs have this, and it is not critical.  If you don't see one, just click on the Skip button of the File-Ex training dialog.

Complete Training Instructions


Training - File Types List

The File Types List is usually a drop-down list box showing different file types, such as "All Files (*.*)", "Text Files (*.txt), etc.  This is usually below the File List in dialogs that look similar to the old Common dialogs, or right below the File Name box in Win95 explorer-style dialogs.

In some cases, it may just be a list of 3-letter extensions, or perhaps just a list of file masks strung together, like *.txt *.doc *.asc.

File-Ex only uses this information to build its initial File Types list.  You can add or change types later, during configuration.

Not all Open or Save dialogs have this list, and it is not critical.  If you don't see one, just click on the Skip button of the File-Ex training dialog.

Complete Training Instructions


Training - Directory List

The Directory List is usually a scrolling list box showing either a directory tree structure or a list of directories under the current path.

Not all Open or Save dialogs have this list, and it is not critical.  If you don't see one, just click on the Skip button of the File-Ex training dialog.

Complete Training Instructions


Training - Open or Save

If the dialog's title does not make it obvious whether it's an Open or Save dialog, you will be asked which one it is.  Just click on the appropriate button.

Note: Most applications have open and save dialogs that look identical, and in many cases are identical except for the dialog name.  You should still train File-Ex for both the open and save dialogs, however, so it can tell the difference and act accordingly.

The Open/Save setting determines how the dialog acts -- whether it checks for a valid file already existing, whether the file list is greyed out, etc.  If the dialog is not strictly an Open or Save type of dialog, just consider how you want File-Ex to act during operation:

For Open dialogs, File-Ex will insist that the selected file (and any path entered) already exists before continuing.  (Therefore if a Save dialog is configured as Open, then it won't allow you to save files with a new name!)

For Save dialogs, File-Ex will allow entry of non-existent files, but will still insist that the path already exists.  In addition, the files in the file list will be greyed out (but can still be selected).

Complete Training Instructions


Training - Add or Replace

You are being asked if you want to Add a File-Ex button to the dialog or Replace the dialog with File-Ex.  This is partially an issue of personal preference, but it can also make a difference in how well things work.  It's usually best to choose Replace for Open dialogs and Add for Save dialogs, but either way you can change it easily later.  See Application Configuration for more explanation of this.

Complete Training Instructions


Teaching File-Ex New Applications

Any application that does not use the Windows common dialog functions for file open and save dialogs can still use File-Ex, if you teach File-Ex to recognize that application's file dialogs.

In addition, if a program that already uses the Common Dialogs is trained to use File-Ex, you can get the added benefit of being able to change the file types list, and to use long file names in Windows 95.

Note: Due to the enormous range of dialog configurations in applications, it's not possible to get File-Ex to work perfectly with them all.  You will probably run into some that cannot be replaced by File-Ex, or that won't even accept the file name selected in the File-Ex dialog, but you should always be able to add the File-Ex button to at least get the benefit of the file management functions in File-Ex.  (See Technical Information for more details.)

Important Note for Open and Save dialogs:  Most applications have open and save dialogs that look identical, and in many cases are identical except for the dialog name.  File-Ex will probably think it's trained for both of them after you train just one (since it ignores the name if everything else matches), but you should still train File-Ex for both the open and save dialogs, so it can tell the difference and act accordingly.  (The biggest difference is that a Save dialog must allow entry of file names that don't exist yet, while Open dialogs should not.)

To start the teaching process, select the "Learn new dialog" menu item from the File-Ex program's system menu. (Click once on the File-Ex program's icon when File-Ex is running to show the system menu.)

(Note: If you have not purchased File-Ex, the Learning function is disabled after the 30-day trial period!)

The Learning Session

File-Ex will prompt you to display the dialog you want to teach it about.  If this prompt window is in the way, you can move it around (grab its caption bar) to get the desired dialog open.

If you don't already have the application open that you want to train File-Ex for, that's OK -- go ahead and open it.  Then go through the normal process of bringing up the desired dialog, such as clicking on an 'open' button, or selecting Open from its File menu.

Note: Don't open the dialog before selecting "Learn" -- File-Ex needs to see it in the process of opening up after you put it in learning mode.

After you open the desired file dialog, click OK in the File-Ex prompt window.  (You can also click Cancel if you change your mind.)  The prompt will ask you to click anywhere on the dialog, so it knows which dialog you want to teach it about.

You can click anywhere within the dialog window, but it works best if you click on the "white space" (or grey space) between controls in the dialog.  (Some dialog designs make it difficult to figure out the owner of the controls within the dialog, so clicking on the controls may confuse File-Ex.)

Note: If File-Ex finds a dialog in its database that matches the one you selected, then you will be given the option to either Edit the original one or Re-train File-Ex for it.

Note 2: If it's a dialog that is automatically being enhanced (uses Common Dialogs), you will get a warning about it.  If you just didn't realize that it's automatic, just Cancel.  If you want to add long name support or specify new file types, go ahead and click OK.

The prompt window will then move itself underneath the file dialog (so you know it has found the right one), moving the dialog up if necessary.   If there is not enough room on the screen for both dialogs, then the File-Ex training dialog will overlap the dialog being learned.  You can move the File-Ex training dialog out of the way if necessary.

Now File-Ex will have you click on various controls in the dialog.  When doing this, make sure the cursor is within the requested control.  (If you make a mistake at any time, just finish the learning session, delete the new entry, and start again.)

Control Identification

The File Name input box is where you usually type the file name you want to open.

The File List is the scrolling list of file names, usually right below the File Name input box (in old-style dialogs), or the large main window in explorer-style dialogs.

The File Types List is the drop-down list box showing different file types, such as "All Files (*.*)", "Text Files (*.txt), etc.  This is usually below the File List.

The Directory List is the scrolling list box showing either a directory tree structure or a list of directories under the current path in old-style dialogs, or the "Look In" list in explorer-style dialogs.

If it isn't obvious what it wants at first, you should get the hang of it after a few times.

If the dialog does not seem to have one of the controls requested, just click on the Skip button of the File-Ex dialog.  This may or may not affect how well File-Ex works with the dialog, depending on the circumstances.  (See Technical Information for more details.)

Wrapping It Up

After the controls are identified, if the dialog's title does not make it obvious whether it's an Open or Save dialog, you will be asked which one it is.  Just click on the appropriate button.

You will be asked if you want to Add a File-Ex button to the dialog or Replace the dialog with File-Ex.  This is partially personal preference, but can also make a difference in how well things work.  It's usually best to choose Replace for Open dialogs and Add for Save dialogs, but either way you can change it easily later.  See Application Configuration for more explanation of this.

Finally it will tell you it's done -- just click on OK.  The Application Configuration dialog will be shown, with all of the settings for the dialog just learned.  You can change things here if you wish.  We recommend adding the application's version number to the "Application Name", for clarity.

You may also want to verify that the Default Extension is what you want, and that the File Types are correct.  File-Ex will try to get the file types from the original dialog's list, but it won't always figure them out.

See Application Configuration for more explanation of these.


Editing File Types

This dialog allows you to add or modify an item that is included in the File-Ex dialog's File Types list.  This dialog is invoked from the Application Configuration dialog, Add or Edit file type.

There are two items that can be changed:

Description

This is what is shown in the file type list.  You can include the file masks here for clarity, but it's not necessary.  This description can be up to 60 characters long, but currently the actual number of characters that will be visible in the list is about 25 (depends on what characters are used).

Mask(s)

This is a string of one or more file masks, and determines what files will be shown in the File List when this file type is selected.  This can be up to 39 characters long, and each mask (if more than one) must be separated by semicolons -- no spaces.

Examples:	What files will be shown:

  *.*	(All files)

  *.txt	(Text files)

  *.doc;*.dot	(Word documents and templates)

  *.xl*	(Excel files)

Note that the list of file types in the Application Configuration dialog includes both the description and the masks, unless the masks are already included in the description.

Warning!  If any of the masks are not a valid filename/wildcard mask, then the File Types list in the Open or Save dialog may come up partially or completely empty!


Word and Excel Pre-configurations
Microsoft Word and Excel Pre-configurations

File-Ex comes pre-configured for Microsoft Word and Excel (up to version 7), since these are the most commonly used applications that don't use the Common Dialogs DLL.

Note: Since the dialog size must be recognized, the File-Ex pre-configurations only apply to the English language versions of Word and Excel.  Other language versions use a different size of dialog to accommodate the longer text.  You will need to train File-Ex yourself for other language versions of Word and Excel.

The Open dialog for each of these is configured to be Replaced by File-Ex.  This will satisfy the needs of most people.  If you commonly open file types other than the standard .DOC & .XL* files, you can add the appropriate types to the File Types list in File-Ex.  You may need to change the configuration to Add the File-Ex Button, like the Save dialogs, if you use other file types frequently (see below).

The Save/Save As dialogs for these are configured to Add the File-Ex button, and Automatically Open/Close the File-Ex dialog.  This means that you will normally see both the original dialog and then the File-Ex dialog on top of it, so you can Cancel the File-Ex dialog to get back to the original Word or Excel dialog.  This is necessary if you ever need to save a file in a non-standard file type.

To explain:  Microsoft Word's (and Excel's) Save As dialogs have options in the File Type list to save a file in various formats. Word uses the type that the user selected in its own dialog, regardless of the extension given the file.  However, File-Ex can't select a type in Word's dialog.

Therefore the only way to select a type other than the default "Word Document" is to go back to the Word dialog to select the type.  With File-Ex configured as "Add button", that's no problem.  With File-Ex configured as "Add button with Auto-Open", you can Cancel the File-Ex dialog to get back to Word's dialog, and then select the type.  Since most documents are saved in the default format, this configuration was chosen.

If you don't like seeing both dialogs pop up every time, you can configure File-Ex to initially hide the original dialog.  You will then see only the File-Ex dialog, unless you press Cancel.

The Insert File/Picture dialogs are configured to simply Add the File-Ex button.  These dialogs have special features that can't be met with File-Ex alone, so we didn't want to obscure those.  All of the features of File-Ex are still just a click away, though.  If you use the File-Ex dialog to select a file and click OK on it, that file name will be automatically inserted into the original dialog, so you can just click its OK button to perform the Insert operation.


Application Configuration Dialog

This dialog allows you to change some things about the way File-Ex operates for a specific application's dialog.  (This only applies to 'learned' applications, not the ones that automatically use File-Ex through the Common Dialog DLL)

The field descriptions of things that can change are listed below.  In general, feel free to experiment, since some configurations will work better than others.

Do not make changes to these settings while the application's dialog is open!

Note that if you Cancel this dialog, all changes to these fields will be ignored.

Application Name

The Application Name may be changed to make the list of Known Applications (in the File-Ex Configuration dialog) more clear.  This is all that this field is used for, so there are no other consequences of changing this.  For example, you can add the application's version number (especially if you have more than one version installed).  Or if the Dialog Name if not descriptive enough, you can add more information.

Dialog Type

The Open/Save setting determines how the dialog acts -- whether it checks for a valid file already existing, whether the file list is greyed out, etc.

File-Ex Action

This determines what File-Ex does when it sees the dialog opening.  It can be changed any time from here, so you can try different methods to see what works best.

There are 3 basic options for what it does:

Some dialogs are set up as Replace Entire Dialog, so you never see the original dialog for the application.  This is fine as long as there are no special features in the app's dialog. The Microsoft Word's Open dialogs are set up initially as Replace.

Others just Add the File-Ex button to the original dialog.  This is necessary if the dialog has special features that are needed, and is also necessary where files can be saved as different types even though the extension is the same, such as in Word (it has to know what type was selected in its own dialog). The Microsoft Word's Insert File & Insert Picture dialogs are set up initially this way.

Optionally you can Add the File-Ex button, but also Automatically Open/Close the File-Ex dialog.  If you also select Initially hide the original dialog, you won't even see the original dialog unless you Cancel the File-Ex dialog.  In this case it will drop back to the original dialog.  This is useful if you normally want the File-Ex dialog, but occasionally need to go back to the original one for special functions.  The Microsoft Word's Save As dialogs are set up initially this way.

Default Extension

The default extension may or may not be automatically known when the dialog is created, and may or may not be useful.  This is typically what extension to use if no extension is entered.  For example, if you type the file name as simply "myfile" and the default extension is "doc", then it will open or save the file as "myfile.doc".

Application Accepts Long Filenames

If the trained application already uses long filenames under Windows 95, then check this box.  (This will usually be the case only for an application designed specifically for Windows 95.)  File-Ex will then give the long name to the application.  Otherwise, File-Ex will convert the long name selected into a short name, then give the short name to the application -- thus older applications don't even know you're using long names.

Explorer-style vs. Old-style dialog

Select whether you want the new dialog to be the Windows 95 explorer-style or the old style dialog.  It will work with long file names either way, so it's just a matter of personal preference.

File Types

Up to 20 file types may be defined, to appear in the File-Ex dialog's File Type list.  The first type is always the default selection.  This basically just determines what files are listed in the dialog. The application will not know which of these was selected, so it cannot be used for selecting different file formats for opening saving, such as in Microsoft Word.

You can Add file types at the end with the Add button next to the list, or use the Insert button to add a type above the currently selected entry.

Edit and Delete file types by first selecting the type in the list, and then clicking the appropriate button.

Adding or editing will bring up the Edit File Types dialog.


Copy
Copy File

To copy a file with File-Ex:

1.	Select a single file in the file list box, or type the file name in the File Name edit box.

2.	Press the Copy button.

3.	In the dialog that appears, enter the new file name.  If you want to copy it to another directory or disk drive, enter the full path here or select a path with the Browse button.

4.	Press OK to perform the copy, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

Only one file may be copied -- multiple selections or wildcards are not allowed.

If  Copy is done from the Open dialog, and the new file name is visible in the file list (still meets the file type criteria and was copied within the same directory), it will be selected automatically after the Copy.


Move
Move File

1.	Select a single file in the file list box, or type the file name in the File Name edit box.

2.	Press the Move button.

3.	In the dialog that appears, enter a new path or use Browse to select a path.

4.	Press OK to move the file, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

Only one file may be moved -- multiple selections or wildcards are not allowed.

A path may be specified on a different drive.  In this case, the file will actually be copied and the original file deleted.

Do not specify a new file name -- use the Rename function for changing the name.


Delete
Delete File or Directory

To delete a file with File-Ex:

1.	Select a single file in the file list box, or type the file name in the File Name edit box.

2.	Press the Delete button.

3.	A dialog will appear requesting confirmation, showing the complete file path...

4.	Press OK to delete the file, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

  Only one file may be deleted -- multiple selections or wildcards are not allowed.

   If the file is currently open by an application (even the application you're using File-Ex in), then the file may be 'locked', and cannot be deleted.

To delete a directory with File-Ex (old-style dialogs only):

1.	Select a directory in the directory list box (click on it).

2.	Press the Delete button.

3.	A dialog will appear requesting confirmation, showing the complete path...

4.	Press OK to delete the directory, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

  Only the current directory or a sub-directory of the current directory may be deleted.

  Only empty directories may be deleted.

  The dialog's current directory may change after the operation.


Rename
Rename File or Directory

To rename a file with File-Ex:

1.	Select a single file in the file list box, or type the file name in the File Name edit box.

2.	Press the Rename button.

3.	In the dialog that appears, enter the new file name or a new path and filename.

4.	Press OK to rename the file, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

Only one file may be renamed -- multiple selections or wildcards are not allowed.

A path may be specified with the new file name to move it to a new directory, but it may not be moved to another drive -- it must remain on the same drive as the original file.  To move a file to another drive, use the Move button.

If  Rename is done from the Open dialog, and the new file name is visible in the file list (still meets the file type criteria and was copied within the same directory), it will be selected automatically after the Rename.

To rename a directory with File-Ex (old-style dialogs only):

1.	Select a directory in the directory list box.

2.	Press the Rename button.

3.	In the dialog that appears, enter the new directory name.

4.	Press OK to rename the directory, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

 Only the current directory or a sub-directory of the current directory may be renamed.

 The dialog's current directory may change after the operation.


Find Files
Find File

File-Ex contains a powerful Find feature.  To find a file:

1.	Enter a file name or up to 10 file masks (with wildcards) in the File Name edit box.     (Separate masks with a semicolon, no spaces.)

2.	If you want to search only a particular disk drive, select that drive in the Drives list.

3.	If you want to search in a particular directory (and its sub-directories), select that directory in the Directory list.

4.	Press the Find button.

5.	In the dialog that appears, you may edit the filename/masks if necessary.

Up to 10 filenames and/or masks may be entered, separated by semi-colons.

6.	Select the directory search option required:

Search Directories:  Searches the directories shown, and any sub-directories of them.  Up to 10 directory paths may be entered, separated by semi-colons.

Current Drive:  Searches from the root directory of the current drive (shown)

Selected Drives:  Searches from the root of all drives selected (shown)

To select different drives, use the drive list.  Hold the <Ctrl> key down to select (or de-select) each drive wanted.

7.	Press the Search button.

8.	If you want to stop the search before it's done, press the Stop button.

9. 	When the search is done (or stopped), you may select a file from the list of files found.

10.	After selecting a file, press OK to transfer that file to the Open/Save dialog.  The drive/directory will be changed accordingly, and the file name will be placed in the File Name edit box.

11.	If it did not find the file you were wanting, you can change the search criteria (steps 5 and 6) and try again, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

You may scroll through the list of files found during the search, and stop the search as soon as the desired file is found.


Make Directory (MkDir)

To make a new directory with File-Ex:

1.	Change to the directory under which you want the new one in the Directory list box.     (Make sure the path is shown correctly above the list box.)

2.	Press the MkDir button.

3.	In the dialog that appears, enter the new directory name.

4.	Press OK to create the directory, or Cancel to abort.

Notes:

Only one level (a single directory) may be entered as the new name.

After the directory is created, File-Ex attempts to change to that directory by entering the full path in the File name box and selecting OK.  Some programs may intercept the OK and thus not change directories properly, or perform another function in addition to changing directories.