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EZ-Menu Version 3.0.
March 9, 1987
By Michael Perry, (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 2.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
INTRODUCTION:
"What is EZ-Menu? Do I really need it for my computer?"
If you own a computer, especially one equipped with a hard disk, you
will soon wonder how you ever did without EZ-Menu. Think for a minute
about what makes a computer so useful; the answer is simple: unlike
dedicated word processors or calculators, the computer is designed to be
able to perform many different tasks. In the morning you turn on your
computer to use your spreadsheet, then switch to your word processor to
write some letters, then later use your communications capability to
connect with another system, and so on. With all of these (and many
more) applications, you soon realize how tedious it can be to remember
those commands to type to call up the program you want to use. If you
are tired of looking through your DOS manuals to find the correct syntax
for formatting or backing up disks, you will appreciate how easy life
can be with EZ-Menu. Whether you're an experienced programmer or an
"idiot" when it comes to computers, EZ-Menu will help you organize all
of your applications. If several people use your computer, now you can
ensure that your precious data is safe and secure.
EZ-Menu consists of an extremely fast, user-friendly menu system that
can be set up to appear when you turn on your computer. All of the
programs and applications that you use your computer for can be easily
entered into the menu. After which, if you want to use your word
processor, simply highlight "Word Processor" on the menu and press the
<RETURN> key. Instantly your word processor "pops up" and is ready for
use. When you exit your program you are then immediately returned to EZ-
Menu. You no longer need to worry about DOS commands.
If you're like most people, you don't really want to bother with all of
the intricate commands used by the computer; you just want to work on
your accounting or other applications and can't afford to spend the
majority of your time studying the computer manuals. You need a simple
menu to point you to where you want to go. This is EZ-Menu.
I'm sure you want to get started, but take a few minutes to look over
this documentation so you are aware of all of EZ-Menu's features.
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 3.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
COPYRIGHT AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
A lot of hard work and effort went into the development of EZ-Menu. If you
are using EZ-Menu and find it of value, PLEASE PLEASE take the time to
register yourself as a user and send $30 to help cover the costs of
continued support and development. Registered users will receive updates
free-of-charge, free telephone support, as well as information on upcoming
programs and news from Progressive Computer Services. All of this is a
great deal, but unfortunately most people don't ever register or send in the
money. Although it is not required (except as noted below), it helps to pay
the bills and gives me continued faith in the generosity and compassion of
the human race. So please, at the very least, drop me a line and let me
know that my efforts are appreciated.
EZ-Menu Version 3.0 is distributed in the "Public Domain" with the following
restrictions:
* EZ-Menu can be distributed to, and be available for downloading on any
public bulletin board system (which does not solicit a fee for use).
The exceptions to this rule are The Source and CompuServe, which EZ-Menu
can be downloaded from or uploaded to.
* EZ-Menu cannot be distributed in any form, by any individuals or
companies soliciting a fee for its distribution (without written
permission from Mike Perry/Progressive Computer Services).
* The $30 registration fee is REQUIRED if EZ-Menu is used on any computer
in a business/commercial environment. At any business location $30 is
required for initial registration and $10 for each additional computer
it is used on at the same address.
* Progressive Computer Services / Michael Perry assumes no responsibility
for any damages caused by using such software (although very unlikely).
There are no warranties either expressed or implied other than warranty
of merchantability and fitness for its purpose.
* EZ-Menu may not be altered in any way, or distributed without this
documentation
NOTE TO COMPUTER COMPANIES AND CONSULTANTS:
It is possible to obtain permission to distribute EZ-Menu by contacting
Mike Perry at the addresses listed below. EZ-Menu can be customized to
display your business name also.
If you have any further information, or wish to register yourself as a user,
contact Mike Perry at any of the addresses/numbers below:
MICHAEL PERRY
PROGRESSIVE COMPUTER SERVICES
3611 Gentilly Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70122
(504) 282-0634 (Voice) or (504) 282-5753 (Bulletin Board System)
SOURCE: BCD623
Alternate Address: 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126, (504) 246-9787
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 4.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
PROGRAM HISTORY AND AUTHOR INFORMATION:
EZ-Menu was developed in 1982 by Michael Perry, an independent computer
consultant and programmer. Initially written in BASIC and later compiled,
EZ-Menu was intended for use by Mike to distribute to his clients. After
its introduction it was immediately acknowledged as a valuable tool not to
be without for hard disk users. Soon others developed similar software, but
EZ-Menu has remained the original, easiest-to-operate menu system.
Here is a short breakdown of EZ-Menu's progression and features:
Version 1.0 Sept., 1982 first version released
Version 1.0a July, 1983 separate color and monochrome versions
released
Version 2.0 October, 1984 additional features introduced: password
protection, alternate keys used, batch
file and password protection capability,
fixed printer reset problem.
Version 3.0 March, 1987 As of March 9, 1987, EZ-Menu has been
totally re-written. It is smaller in
size, and over twice as fast as previous
versions (as well as other similar
software by other companies). New
features included are easier editing
capabilities, encrypted passwords, use of
alpha keys to choose options, and
configuration of colors and other options.
The new version of EZ-Menu represents over 5 years of development. And as
of this writing a new super-enhanced version is in the works. In the
future, menu files for many different applications will be introduced.
No word processor or text editor is needed to set-up EZ-Menu. The entire
system is self-contained.
EZ-MENU COMPATIBILITY INFORMATION:
EZ-Menu requires a minimum of 128K RAM and will operate under MS(PC) DOS 2.1
or higher on IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible machines. EZ-Menu supports the
Monochrome monitor, Color Graphics Adapter/monitor, and the Enhanced
Graphics Adapter and monitor. It will probably also work on the
Professional Graphics Adapter but as of this writing has not been tested.
EZ-Menu will operate on floppy disks, but to unlock its full potential, a
hard disk system is recommended. EZ-Menu supports multiple-subdirectories
with names up to 70 characters in length. The total number of menu items
available is limited only by DOS's limitations (but is in upwards of 500,000
different selections).
To this date, I have not found any program/application that could not be
referenced from the menu, but there are items to be taken into consideration
when you set-up a menu so please be sure to consult the documentation if you
have any problems.
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 5.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
SETTING UP EZ-MENU:
To setup EZ-Menu so you will get the menu when you reset or power-up your
computer, you need to add the command MENU in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If
you don't have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file you can create one by type in the
following commands at the dos prompt:
COPY CON:AUTOEXEC.BAT Press <RETURN>
SET PATH=C:\DOS;\ Press <RETURN>
You may want to modify the set path
command to reflect your drive and
subdirectory assignments where the dos
utilities are, or you can omit this
statement altogether.
SET PROMPT=$P$G Press <RETURN>
MENU Press F6, then Press <RETURN>
You now have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file that will call up EZ-Menu when the
computer starts-up. You can also add any additional utilities you normally
load into memory by adding the commands to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
SPECIAL NOTE: EZ-Menu and all of it's support files (MENU.BAT and any files
with the .MNU extension) should be located in the ROOT
directory of your disk drive ( i.e. C:\ ). EZ-MENU WILL NOT
FUNCTION PROPERLY IF YOU INSTALL IT IN A SUBDIRECTORY; IT MUST
BE IN THE DOS ROOT DIRECTORY otherwise when you exit your
applications, you will not return to EZ-Menu. Also any batch
files ( with .BAT extension ) used by EZ-Menu should also be
in the root directory.
USING EZ-MENU:
Once you have set up your menu system (adding entries is discussed later in
this document) the following keys are active:
ARROW KEYS - Moves the pointer up, down, left, or right
PgDn - Switches display to next page (if there are more than 1
page of entries)
PgUp - Switches display to previous page
Home - Move pointer to first entry on page
End - Move pointer to last entry on page
A-Z - Moves the pointer to the next entry whose first character
matches the key pressed
+ or <RETURN>- Executes the entry that is highlighted
F1 - Permits you to add entries to menu
F2 - Switches to edit mode for highlighted entry
F3 - Switches display to Main Menu
F4 - Display program information
F9 - Re-configure EZ-Menu
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 6.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
INTRODUCTION TO EZ-MENU'S OPERATION:
To call up EZ-Menu, simply type MENU and press <RETURN> at the dos prompt.
If there is no file named MENU.BAT in your directory, type EZMENU and press
<RETURN> and you will be prompted to configure the system, after which EZ-
Menu will create a MENU.BAT file which will be used to invoke EZ-Menu from
that point on.
All of the choices in your menu selection are one of the three types of menu
entries: a Program/Command, Batch file, or Sub-Menu. Most of your entries
will be of the Program/Command type, but for special purposes there are two
other kinds of entries which are described later.
FILES INCLUDED WITH THE EZ-MENU PACKAGE:
The following files are used by EZ-Menu:
EZMENU.COM This is the EZ-Menu program.
MENU.BAT This files is used to invoke EZ-Menu, if it is
not present, type EZMENU at the dos prompt and
it will be created.
MENUEXC.BAT This file is created by EZ-Menu.
MAIN.MNU This is the file containing the selections for
the main menu. If it is not present, then a
new one will be created and the display will
say 'There are no entries in this menu' when
you invoke EZ-menu. At that point you should
press F1 to add entries to the menu.
EZMENU.DOC The file you are reading now, which is the EZ-
Menu documentation. To print this file you can
type COPY EZMENU.DOC PRN: at the dos prompt.
Any other files with a .MNU extension are sub-menu files containing
other selections accessible from EZ-Menu. In the future the EZ-Menu
package will contain MNU files for such applications as Dos Commands,
special printer setups, etc.
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 7.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
SETTING UP MENU FILES:
I will now go over the various types of menu entries and how to create a
menu of your applications.
Normally if you're a computer has a hard disk, to call up your word
processor (for example WordStar), you would type the following commands and
the dos (C>) prompt:
CD\WS ( change to the WS subdirectory where WordStar is located )
WS ( type the program name/command to execute the program )
If you wanted to put this application on EZ-Menu, you would press F1 (after
starting EZ-Menu) to add entries to the menu. Then enter the name you would
want to appear in the menu (for example: WordStar Word Processing ). You
are then prompted to define the type of menu entry, either P for
Program/command, B for Batch file, or S for Sub-menu. In most cases (such
as the example above), you would select P for Program/command. EZ-Menu then
asks you where the program is located (what subdirectory), in the case above
you would type WS then press <RETURN>. NOTE: You do not need to enter a
backslash (\) before the name of the sub-directory. EZ-Menu automatically
does that for you. After entering the subdirectory name (if the program is
in the root directory, simply press <RETURN> without entering anything for
subdirectory) you are then prompted to enter the exact filename/command that
invokes your application. In this case, type WS, which is the name of the
WordStar program. Finally you are prompted to enter in a password if you
want to keep unauthorized individuals from accessing your application. The
characters you type for a password are not echoed to the screen (in case
somebody is looking over your shoulder). If you do not want your menu entry
password protected, simply press <RETURN> without typing anything at the
Password prompt. If you elect to use a password on your entry, whenever you
select it (either to execute or edit) you will be prompted to enter in the
password. NOTE: Don't forget your password, if you do there is no way to
find out what it is.
There are special cases when you type in the name of a batch file to call
your program, or if you want to execute SEVERAL commands by selecting a menu
entry. In that case you would select the type of entry as a B for Batch
file. Make sure then that the batch file you want to execute is located in
the root directory, and when prompted to enter the exact filename, please
make sure you add the .BAT extension.
The third kind of entry is called a Sub-menu. This is a special feature
used by EZ-Menu so you can group similar programs together without
cluttering them up on the main menu. For example, let's say you have 3
different word processing programs that you use regularly. Instead of
putting all 3 on the main menu, you could create a menu entry that was
listed as "Menu of Word Processing Programs", and when you select that item,
you are taken to another menu consisting of your word processing options.
When creating this kind of entry, simply specify S as the type, then enter
in the menu filename (up to 8 letters). When you select this item initially
from the menu, the screen will say 'There are no entries in this menu'. At
that point you should press F1 and add entries to your sub-menu. When you
are viewing a sub-menu, you can return to the main menu by pressing F3.
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 8.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
Here are a few examples of typical menu entries. Please note that where a
particular item is not shown (SUBDIRECTORY for example) it is blank, or the
user is not prompted to type in a response.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION:
Format A Disk in Drive A:
ENTRY TYPE:
P
SUBDIRECTORY:
( none, <RETURN> pressed or something such as DOS entered
)
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
Format A:/v
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION:
Lotus 1-2-3
ENTRY TYPE:
P
SUBDIRECTORY:
123
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
lotus
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION:
Start-Up FIDO Bulletin Board
ENTRY TYPE:
B
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
runbbs (in this case you may have to modify RUNBBS.BAT to
put in a command that changes the directory to the
one where the FIDO programs are located )
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION:
Menu of Games
ENTRY TYPE:
S
EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME:
GAMES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 9.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
EDITING ENTRIES:
If you have a need to modify any information pertaining to a menu entry,
simply highlight the selection you wish to edit, then press F2. If the
entry is password protected, you will have to enter the password before
continuing. Once you are in edit mode, the various fields of the menu entry
are displayed, each one labeled with an alphabetic character from A to E.
To edit the description, simply press A, and the cursor prompts you to re-
enter in the descriptive entry. When finished, you are once again brought
to the edit prompt. Here the available keys are:
A - Change the description
B - Change the entry type
C - Change the subdirectory
D - Change the program/command filename
E Change the password (to remove protection select E, then press
<RETURN>)
<RETURN>- Save the entry with the appropriate changes and exit
<ESC> - Abort editing and exit, leaving entry unchanged
While editing an entry you will notice that if there is a password, it is
displayed. This is the only section of the program where you can actually
see what the password is on the screen.
NOTE: There is no way to erase a menu entry. You can however, erase an
entire menu by deleting the .MNU file. For example, if you want to erase
the main menu and start over, simply exit to dos and type DEL MAIN.MNU and
press <RETURN>. The next time you start EZ-Menu you will have to add
entries.
EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry.....................System Documentation, Page 10.
(c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services
7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787
SUMMARY:
EZ-Menu was named appropriately. It was designed to help computer users
manage applications without having to memorize a large amount of syntax and
technical information, therefore it would be ironic for this documentation
to be fairly comprehensive. In most cases you should be able to navigate
throughout EZ-Menu with a minimum of confusion. If you have any problems,
the first option is to check your spelling of file and subdirectory names,
then make sure the appropriate subdirectories and files exist. If you have
any entries of batch type, make sure the appropriate batch files are in the
root directory. If problems persist, please contact Mike Perry at (504) 282-
0634 or at the addresses listed earlier in this text.
NOTE: This is the preliminary release documentation for EZ-Menu 3.0. A
more comprehensive guide will be distributed later. Please direct
any comments or criticisms to Mike Perry.