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- READ-ME for Hack-it v4.0▀3
- -----------------------------
- FIRSTLY:
-
- I made this program for everyone to enjoy. I expect only one thing.
- I want you to send me email on anything you can! Have an idea for a
- program? for a feature of Hack-It!? Tell me everything! and visit my
- WWW Pages too! I know you are a net-junkie like me, so just do it.
- Copy-paste my address right now: nutt0006@maroon.tc.umn.edu
- If I don't get mail, I won't continue to make new versions.
-
- Background:
-
- Hack-It! is a little program the I made for myself and a friend,
- mainly for use with another wonderful program (I didn't write it,
- but it's still a great program ;), Wintalk, which brings
- up a small chat window and connects to another personon the net
- also running wintalk. We wanted to make it so the small chat
- window would stay above all other windows, so we could work on
- other things without losing sight of the Wintalk window.
-
- ***Information on This Beta:
-
- Beta 3 has added several new features, including priority control
- for running processes, an End Task menu option on the redesigned
- menu. A few functions have been cleaned up, and the menu is pretty
- specific about what you can and can't do.
- TO DO:
- Hopfully the next version will have AUTOREFRESH up and working,
- I've been tossing around a few ways to do it and can't nail one
- down, but I know you all want it, and I'm workin on it. Also slated
- for the next version is the Auto-functions...and I have bad news:
- I may decide to only release the version that saves its settings
- (autos, options, etc) to people who have donated. Everyone else will
- have to re-set the settings each time. I just can't live on monitor
- radiation alone. Hopefully it won't come to that.
-
- Information on This Version:
-
- Hack-It! v4.0 has become my key to learning Visual C++ and MFC.
- This is a completely new program, a total rewrite of the original.
- Delphi was a great programming environment, but for a small system
- utility like Hack-It! it was very clunky and cause no end of
- headaches. This version (when complete) will come with a full help
- file and several juicy help nuggets. Other than that, use of
- Hack-It! is ghtforward. Anyone willing to help write the
- helpfile, let me know.
-
- Revision History: (Short but sweet)
-
- Top-It! - Ancient ancestor to Hack-It!
- Written in visual basic, this program just made a window stay on top.
- You had to type in the name of the window, hit a button, and zing!
- it was topped. Never released, cept to a few friends.
-
- Hack-It! v1.0 - First release version
- Very basic, nothing special to it, just choose the window to act
- on and press a button. Basic Layout: Two listboxes, one for visible
- windows and one for hidden windows. Buttons for the first list:
- Top-It!, Hide-It!, Un-Top-It!. Buttons for the second list:
- Top-It!, Un-Hide-It!, Un-Top-It!.
-
- v1.1 - Not released
- Added the Auto-Top list which allows the use of wildcards to choose
- certain windows that will always be "topped" automatically. Basic
- Layout of Auto-Top dialogs: List of wildcard specs, with buttons to
- add, edit, and delete them.
-
- v1.11 - Second release version
- Bugfix to v1.1. No new features.
-
- v1.12 - Re-Bugfix to 1.11
- Apparantly, that last .01 didn't cut it.
-
- v2.0▀ - Version 2.0 beta 1
- Added the Tray-It! feature, and cleaned up a few things. Still has
- some problems that are being difficult with me. Tray-It! allows you
- to run any program "on" the tray. It's nice for programs that you
- don't normally need to have shown, but that you run for long periods
- of time.
-
- v2.0 - Version 2.0
- I FINALLY found the problem with the beta. It all works well now, but
- I have new ideas already. 2.1 is in the works, and 3.0 is on the board.
-
- v3.0▀1 - Version 3.0 beta 1
- I skipped 2.1 (too many new things) and went right to 3.0. This is a
- complete rewrite of the original program, and so far it runs much
- cleaner and seemingly with less memory. Many new features, but most
- don't work quite yet (wanted to get this out so you could offer
- input *HINT HINT EMAIL HINT HINT*). Layout: Four tabs, for Visible
- Windows, Hidden Windows, Auto, and About. No help implemented yet...
- do you think I should?
-
- v3.0▀2 - Version 3.0 beta 2
- I managed to get the interface all set...but nothing works yet.
-
- v3.0▀3 - Version 3.0 beta 3
- All windows will have icons now...some will get the default "Windows
- Logo" icon, simply cuz' they don't have another one reg'd. Auto-Top
- and Auto-Hide are working...still trying to find a clean way to
- handle Auto-Tray, but it won't be long now. Still can't get trayyed
- programs to behave. Tray-It really doesnt' work well yet, try to
- avoid it, I'll have a new beta out before long.
-
- v3.0▀4 - Version 3.0 beta 4
- I am limiting the Tray-It! slots to 20, to make things cleaner.
- Trayyed programs now act like they did in v2.0, it worked well then,
- I'll modify it to the recent standard once everything else is working.
- A few bugs have been cleaned up, code improved, but the biggest
- addition is the new splash screen, donated by Ashadi Hopper, a new
- aussie friend of mine.
-
- v3.0▀5 - Version 3.0 beta 5 - FINAL BETA
- I found a smooth way to handle Tray-It! slots, so they are back to
- as many as you like, and they behave very well now. You cannot tray
- the same program twice anymore. All auto functions work and the auto
- list is saved to d:\WINDOWS\HACKIT3.INI (d = your windows drive).
- This should be the last v3 beta, unless something AMAZING comes up.
-
- v3.0p - Version 3.0p (Prerelease)
- Only sent to people who sent me email. Prerelease, final bug check.
-
- v3.0i - Version 3.0i (Incomplete)
- Incomplete. I'm sick of Delphi for now.
-
- v4.0▀1 - Version 4.0 beta 1
- Version 3.0 is no more. There were too many problems with Delphi to
- make a system util like Hack-It! run cleanly. This version will knock
- yer socks off and curl your hair. Too much to explain - run it and see
- for yerself.
-
- v4.0▀2 - Version 4.0 beta 2
- Getting there! Trayying works now, but it's choppy and unstable. A
- temporary setup at best. Be careful with it. There's an elusive memory
- leak somewhere in the "add child windows to window list" routine, let
- me know what kinda of errors you might get, I'm having trouble tracking
- it down. The child windows and funky windows are immense fun to play
- around with, and YES you can tray child windows. You can even tray the
- Start button if you are so inclined, although I don't know why you'd
- want to do that. Have fun, be careful, keep reports/donations coming!
-
- v4.0▀3 - Version 4.0 beta 3
- Wowie...it's getting powerful. I don't know if I can keep it reined
- for much longer. Anyway, priority setting and end task are in place,
- the menu has been redesigned, and the memory leak has been fixed. It
- still GPF's once in a while, let me know any info you pick up on this.
- I grow weary polling for donations, lets not make this a shareware
- program, shall we not? Donations: 3216 Leyland Tr, Woodbury MN 55125
-
- -=Charles Oliver Nutter=-
- "Headius" on IRC
- nutt0006@maroon.tc.umn.edu
- http://umn.edu/~nutt0006 - COME SIGN MY GUESTBOOK!!!