Copyright: ® Softstar Research, Inc.


Help Contents
Contents

ReStart

Resource

TaskMan


ReStart

Description

Display

Menus

Arguments

Options


Resource

Description

Display

Options


TaskMan

Description

Display

Arrange

Launcher

Options

Installation


ReStart - Description
Description

The Windows™ environment has added a new complexity to programming.  With the ability to run multiple programs at the same time, these programs must share resources that are available to all.  This often leads to the infamous 'General Protection Fault'.  About the only thing to do at this point, is shut down and ReStart™  the system.

The ReStart™ program makes doing this easier.  The program displays an icon at the bottom of the Windows desktop.  The user can either single- or double click the icon with the left mouse button.  This displays the ReStart menu.  From the menu the user has easy access to ReStarting Windows, Exiting Windows, and Rebooting the entire System.

While there are many ReStart utilities on the market, most just duplicate the functionality of closing Program Manager™.  The problem with this is 'DOS' applications.  Even in today's sophisticated environment, many user still run DOS applications.  Windows 3.1 running in enhanced mode make this a painless process.

However, if you've ever had a DOS programming running, and try to Close the Program Manager, the results can be tedious at best.

I'm sure this message has appeared more than once.  With one DOS application running, this can be just a nuisance.  With multiple DOS application running, it can be downright unnecessary.

The ReStart icon solves this problem by automatically closing all active DOS applications.  The program walks the 'task list' (the programs running in Windows), and checks to see if it's a DOS application.  If so, it performs a 'Terminate' function to shut the application down.


ReStart - Display
Display

The ReStart menu is activated by single or double clicking the ReStart icon.


Menus

ReStart Windows

ReBoot System

Exit Windows


ReStart Windows

This menu option is used to ReStart Windows.  It first tries to Terminate all active DOS applications.  Then it send a 'WM_CLOSE' message to all active Windows programs.  Finally it closes the Program Manager and completely restarts the Windows environment.


ReBoot System

This menu option is used to ReStart the Entire System.  It first tries to Terminate all active DOS applications.  Then it send a 'WM_CLOSE' message to all active Windows programs.  Finally it closes the Program Manager and completely reboots the computer.  This would be the equivalent of pressing the 'CTRL-ALT-DEL' key combination from DOS.


Exit Windows

This menu option is used to exit Windows..  It first tries to Terminate all active DOS applications.  Then it send a 'WM_CLOSE' message to all active Windows programs.  Finally it closes the Program Manager and returns the user to DOS.


Arguments

The program can also be passed command line arguments.  By supplying a command line argument to the program, one of the ReStart option can be executed immediately.  This gives the user the ability to start the program and choose an option without having to go through the menu options.  Using command line arguments is the preferred usage if the program is being automatically started from another program.

There are three (3) command line arguments that can be used.

'R' - ReStart Windows

'B' - ReBoot System

'X' - Exit Windows

The case doesn't matter ('r' versus 'R'), the ReStart program can detect both lower and upper case arguments.  Be sure not to include the ' character(s) on the command line.  Simply include the desired command line option.


ReStart - Options
Options

The options dialog is used to configure the action of the right mouse button.  The option selected is immediately run when the user clicks the right mouse button, while the mouse pointer is on the ReStart icon.

The user can also check the 'Always On Top' checkbox.  This will force the ReStart icon to always be displayed on top of any other windows.


Resource - Description
Description

The Windows environment can support multiple programs running at the same time.  With this functionality comes increased complexity.  These program must learn to share system resources, as well as work together in a friendly way.  I'm sure every user has gotten the 'Not Enough Memory' error more than once.

Pilots have a saying, "There are only two things you should never run out of, sky and runway".  Window should have a similar saying, except there would be only one thing to never run out of, 'memory'.  But not just one kind of memory, three kinds.

Windows divides basic memory into three different sections.  These three sections are:

1.	GDI memory.

2.	System memory, and

3.	User memory

Each section has a different function, and every program needs a portion of all three of these sections.

Related Topics:

GDI memory.

System memory

User memory


GDI memory.

GDI (Graphic Device Interface) memory is for the display.  Windows is an inherently graphical environment, therefore most every program has some kind of display.  Each pixel in the display uses memory.  This memory comes from a central pool of memory available to all programs know as the GDI pool.  No matter how much memory is in the system, if a program starting can't get enough GDI memory for it's display, it won't run.


System memory

System memory is a section of memory used for the operating system (i.e. Window itself).  Every programming running must interact with the Windows environment, and this is primarily done through the system memory pool. No matter how much memory is in the system, if a program starting can't get enough system memory, it won't run.


User memory

User memory is general purpose memory used by a program.  This is where the program stores it's internal data, as well as program instructions.  This is often where most of the memory in the system resides.


Resource - Display
Display

The resource monitor program it a tool to monitor these three types of memory.  Two pieces of information is displayed to the user about each of the three types of memory.  The first is the actual percentage available within the specific memory pool (GDI, System, or User).  This is presented in a textual form (i.e. GDI: 48%).  The second is a graphic display showing the percentage available versus the total memory pool (the horizontal bar graph, show in red).


Resource - Options
Options

The program includes an options dialog, allowing for user control over position, display, and memory check interval.  Each of these options can be adjusted or changed at any time the program is running.

Related Topics:

Always On Top

Check Every...

Position


Always On Top

By selecting this check-box the Resource monitor program will always remain as an 'on-top' window.   This means that it will always be displayed above other windows.  This option can be useful when the user is monitoring an application that is maximized to take up the entire desktop display.


Check Every...

This option allows the user to enter the memory check interval.  This is how often the Resource monitor will check the Windows system for available memory, and how often the Resource monitor will update it's display.  This number can be any positive floating point number (i.e. 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 5.0, etc.).  The number entered is in seconds.


Position

This option allows the user to fine tune the position the Resource monitor is displayed on the desktop.  The user can also drag the Resource Monitor by it's title bar.  Dragging in this fashion will automatically update the position option.

The current Resource monitor position is stored in the WIN.INI file when the Resource monitor program is closed.  The position is read again when the program is first started, thus remembering it's last position on the desktop.


TaskMan - Description
Description

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

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


TaskMan - Display
Display


Arrange

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

1.	Cascade Windows

2.	Tile Windows Vertically

3.	Tile Windows Horizontally

4.	Arrange Icons


Launcher

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

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

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

Related Topics:

Setup


Setup

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

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


TaskMan - Options
Options

The option buttons provide four functions.

1.	Info

2.	About

3.	Help

4.	Exit

Related Topics:

Info

About

Help

Exit


Info

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


About

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


Help

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


Exit

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


Installation

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

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

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

[boot]

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

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

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


Glossary of Terms

DOS

GDI

Resource Monitor

ReStart

System Memory

User Memory

Windows


DOS

DOS Version 3.3 of greater.


GDI

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


Resource Monitor

Resource Monitor program from Softstar Research, Inc.


ReStart

ReStart program from Softstar Research, Inc.


System Memory

An area of memory used for the Windows system functions.


User Memory

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


Windows

Windows 3.1 or greater.