Gold Medal Software 3/Gold Medal Software - Volume 3 (Gold Medal) (1994).iso/children/toybocks.arj/GUIDE.TXT

Text File | 1992-05-27 | 43KB | 936 lines

                         ToyBox (tm) II User's Guide

                 Copyright 1991, 1992 Virtual Magic Software
                             All Rights Reserved


                         Virtual Magic Software (tm)
                                 P.O. Box 615
                           Fort Monmouth, NJ 07703

                           CompuServe:  70304,2045
                              Prodigy:  CJKH33A


             Member of the Association of Shareware Professionals



      INTRODUCTION...................................................2

      SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS............................................2

      REGISTRATION INFORMATION.......................................3

      INSTALLING TOYBOX II...........................................4

      STARTING TOYBOX II.............................................4

      MOVING AROUND IN TOYBOX II.....................................5

      ADDING A PROGRAM OR PAGE.......................................7

      REMOVING A PROGRAM OR PAGE....................................10

      VIEWING/MODIFYING A PROGRAM OR PAGE...........................10

      SETTING HELPER WINDOW OPTIONS.................................10

      RUNNING AN INSTALLED PROGRAM..................................11

      PAINTER.......................................................12

      TIPS AND TECHNIQUES...........................................14

      COMPATIBILITY WITH EARLIER VERSIONS...........................16

      LICENSE AND WARRANTY..........................................16

      (Any last-minute additions/corrections to this User's Guide are
      listed in the README.TXT file on disk.)

      ============
      INTRODUCTION
      ============

      ToyBox II is a beautiful, powerful EGA/VGA graphical program
      manager designed for users of all ages.  Program managers, often
      called menu programs, allow you to run a program by choosing it
      from a list of programs on the screen.  You don't have to remember
      cryptic DOS commands for each program.  When you're finished
      running a program, the program manager automatically reappears,
      allowing you to select another program to run.  Graphical program
      managers go a step further and use colorful pictures or icons to
      represent programs.

      ToyBox II is unique because it has all the features found in
      program managers designed for adults, yet it can be safely and
      easily used by young children.  It is incredibly easy to set up
      programs to run from ToyBox II.  Simply enter the program title,
      where the program is on disk, and the name of the icon you want to
      use to represent the program.  File pick-lists make your job even
      easier.  When you're finished, ToyBox II will create a large 3-D
      button with the icon you've chosen.  From then on, you or your
      child can start the program simply by moving the cursor or mouse
      pointer to the button and pressing a key or clicking a mouse
      button.  Children really enjoy being able to start their own
      programs without help.

      You can design your own icons with the easy-to-use icon editor
      built in to ToyBox II, or you can use readily-available Microsoft
      Windows icons.  ToyBox II allows you to set up multiple levels of
      menu pages which can hold several thousand programs (if you have
      that many).  You can password protect individual programs or
      entire menu pages.  You can assign hotkeys to run particular
      programs or open menu pages.  You also have the option of
      providing variable program parameters at the time you run a
      program.  ToyBox II requires no memory for its own use while it is
      running your programs.


      ===================
      SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
      ===================

      - MS-DOS 3.0 or later
      - EGA/VGA
      - 512K RAM
      - Hard Disk
      - Microsoft-compatible Mouse (optional)






                                      2
      ========================
      REGISTRATION INFORMATION
      ========================

      We distribute ToyBox II as a shareware program, which means we
      allow you to try the program out before you pay for it.  If you
      find ToyBox II helpful and continue to use it, please send a $29
      (U.S.) registration fee to:

                            Virtual Magic Software
                                 P.O. Box 615
                           Fort Monmouth, NJ 07703

      We have included an order form (ORDER.TXT) on disk which you can
      print out if you desire.  If you choose not to use the order form
      to register, we need to know your name, address and desired disk
      size (3.5" or 5.25") to fulfill the order.  New Jersey residents
      must add 7% sales tax ($2.03 per copy).  We accept checks and
      money orders in U.S. funds drawn on U.S. banks.  We recommend you
      do not send cash.

      You can also order by credit card (VISA, MC, AmEx, Discover) from
      Public (software) Library by calling 800-242-4PsL (from overseas:
      713-524-6394) or by FAX [phone]) or via CompuServe
      (71355,470).  Ask for item #10535.  These numbers are for ordering
      only.  Virtual Magic Software can NOT be reached at these numbers.
      For information about dealer pricing, volume discounts, site
      licensing, the status of shipment of the product, the latest
      version number or for technical information, or to discuss
      returns, contact Virtual Magic Software directly at the above
      mailing address.  You can also contact us on CompuServe
      (70304,2045) or Prodigy (CJKH33A).  If you have any questions or
      comments about ToyBox II, even if you have not yet registered,
      please let us know.  It is through your comments and suggestions
      that we can make ToyBox II and future products even better.  When
      you register, we'll send you a disk containing the latest version
      of ToyBox II, plus a collection of hundreds of Microsoft Windows
      icons which you can use in ToyBox II.  Registered users are
      entitled to free technical support for as long as we distribute
      the program.  Technical support will be provided via mail,
      CompuServe and Prodigy.  We'll also send you notice of upgrades
      and additional Virtual Magic Software products in the future.

      This program is produced by 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 49442 or
      send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman
      70007,3536.

                                      3
      We encourage you to pass along a copy of ToyBox II to friends,
      associates, computer bulletin board systems, etc.  To ensure only
      unmodified versions are distributed, we ask that you distribute
      only the original, unaltered compressed versions of the program.
      Please encourage others to register their copy if they find the
      program useful.

      For license and warranty information, please see the "License and
      Warranty" section at the end of this User's Guide.


      ====================
      INSTALLING TOYBOX II
      ====================

      Normally ToyBox II is distributed as a single compressed file
      named either TOY202.EXE or TOY202.ZIP.  After you have
      decompressed this file, the following files which make up the
      complete ToyBox II program should be in a single directory on your
      hard disk:  TB2.BAT, TB2MAIN.EXE, SEE.EXE, TB2.INF, TB2-NU.INF,
      TB2-SI1.INF, TB2-SI2.INF, GUIDE.TXT, README.TXT, REGISTER.TXT,
      ORDER.TXT, VENDOR.TXT, FILE_ID.DIZ, TOYBOX.ICO, eight internal
      files that end with a ".TBI" extension, and 30 sample icon files
      that end with a ".ICN" extension.  If you desire you can move the
      text (".TXT") files, the icon (".ICN") files, and TOYBOX.ICO to
      another directory, but the remainder of the files must not be
      deleted and must remain together in one directory.

      After you have installed some of your programs to run under ToyBox
      II, you may see some additional files with a ".$$$" extension.  Do
      not move or remove these files.  You should periodically back-up
      these files, as well as the ".INF" files, because they contain
      information on the programs you have installed in ToyBox II.


      ==================
      STARTING TOYBOX II
      ==================


      FROM THE DOS PROMPT

      First change to the directory containing the ToyBox II files (or
      ensure this directory is in the PATH statement in your
      AUTOEXEC.BAT file), then type "TB2".  ToyBox II automatically
      detects whether your system has an EGA or VGA compatible graphics
      card and switches to the highest graphics mode available.  It will
      also detect the presence of a mouse if you have a mouse driver
      installed.  If you have display problems, such as part of the main
      ToyBox II page not being visible, or the mouse pointer not
      displaying, you can force ToyBox II into the correct graphics mode



                                      4
      by typing "TB2 E" for EGA or "TB2 V" for VGA.  If the mouse
      pointer still doesn't display, check to ensure you have a mouse
      driver properly installed.

      You can include the "TB2" command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to
      cause ToyBox II to automatically run when you turn on your
      computer.  If you aren't familiar with the purpose and contents of
      your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, we recommend you have someone help you
      with this.


      FROM MICROSOFT WINDOWS

      We've included a special icon for Microsoft Windows named
      TOYBOX.ICO.  Follow instructions in the Microsoft Windows User's
      Guide to install and run ToyBox II as a DOS application under
      Windows.


      ==========================
      MOVING AROUND IN TOYBOX II
      ==========================

      When you open a window, such as the Helper window described later,
      it pops up on top of the current page and any windows that may
      already be displayed.  The top window is always the active window.
      You can only access objects (normally buttons and text boxes) that
      are in the active window.


      SELECTING OBJECTS - MOUSE

      Move the mouse pointer to the desired object and click any of the
      mouse buttons.  To make it easier for small children, all mouse
      buttons have the same effect.


      SELECTING OBJECTS - KEYBOARD

           1)  ALT Key:  Objects normally have an ALT key combination
      associated with them.  Most objects have one or more words under
      them or to the right of them describing the function of the button
      or box.  One of the letters in the words will have an underscore
      beneath it.  To select the object, hold down the ALT key and press
      the letter that is underscored.  For example, at the Helper
      window, to select the Add Program or Page button, hold down the
      ALT key and press "A".  Some buttons don't have text descriptions.
      The keys to select these buttons are:






                                      5
                - STOP Button:  ALT+S (only at title page)
                - Painter Button:  ALT+P (only at title page)
                - Information Button:  ALT+I (only at title page )
                - Close Window Button:  ESC
                - Helper Button:  ALT+H
                - OK Button:  ALT+O
                - Up-Arrow Button:  Page Up
                - Down-Arrow Button:  Page Down

           2)  Outline Cursor:  In some windows you must use the arrow
      keys on your keyboard to move from one object to the next.  A red
      outline cursor will indicate the current object.  To select the
      current object, press the ENTER key.  (If you have a mouse, this
      red outline cursor can be turned off if you intend to use only the
      mouse to select objects.  See "Setting Helper Window Options"
      below for instructions.)


      EDITING TEXT

      To add programs to ToyBox II, you must enter certain program
      information such as program title, filename, etc., into text
      boxes.  This section describes the general procedures for entering
      and editing text in text boxes.

           1)  Positioning the Text Cursor (Mouse):  Move the mouse
      pointer directly to the desired location within any of the text
      boxes in the active window and click one of the mouse buttons. The
      text cursor (a thin black vertical line) will move to the mouse
      pointer position.

           2)  Positioning the Text Cursor (KeyBoard):  Select the
      desired text box using the ALT key combinations or up and down
      arrow keys as described above.  Move around within the text box by
      using the left and right arrow keys.  Pressing the TAB key or
      ENTER key will move the text cursor to the next text box.
      Pressing the TAB key while holding down SHIFT key will move the
      text cursor to the previous text box.

           3)  Entering Text:  After positioning the text cursor, begin
      typing.  The text will be inserted at the text cursor location.
      ToyBox II will not allow you to enter more text than will fit
      inside the text box.

           4)  Deleting Text:  To delete a character to the right of the
      text cursor, press the DELETE key.  To delete a character to the
      left of the text cursor, press the BACKSPACE key.


      CLOSING THE ACTIVE WINDOW OR PAGE

      Select the button in the upper left corner of the window/page with
      the mouse or press the ESCAPE key.

                                      6
      SAVING CHANGES

      After you have made configuration changes, such as adding a new
      program or disabling the STOP button, you must save these changes
      to disk.  Do this by selecting the OK button with the mouse or
      typing ALT+O.  If you decide you don't want the changes to be
      made, simply close the window without saving them.


      MOVING BETWEEN PAGES

      Page buttons are treated identically to program buttons.  When you
      select a page button, the page is displayed.  To close the current
      page and return to the previous page, select the button in the
      upper left corner of the page or press the ESCAPE key.


      ========================
      ADDING A PROGRAM OR PAGE
      ========================

      Open the Helper window by selecting the Helper button (the red
      cross) or by typing ALT+H.  Select the Add Program or Page button
      to open the Add Program or Page window.  This window contains the
      following objects:

           1)  Files Button:  Select this button to open a window
      containing a list of files and directories on the current drive.
      Selecting a file from the list will automatically fill in the Path
      and Program text boxes.  Directories are indicated by a backslash
      ("\") at the end of the name.  Selecting a directory will cause
      the files for that directory to be displayed.  Selecting the "..\"
      entry will display the files of the parent directory of whatever
      directory you are currently in.  If the file list contains more
      than 16 files and directories, select the blue arrow buttons (or
      press the Page Up and Page Down keys) to display the next or
      previous 16 files.  ToyBox II can store 1024 directory/file names
      at a time.  If the current directory contains more than 1024
      directory/file names, ToyBox II will only display the first 1024.
      If you wish to add a program from a drive other than the current
      drive, you must enter the Path and Program information manually,
      as described below.

           2)  Icons Button:  This button works the same as the Files
      button except that it lists only ToyBox II icon (*.ICN) files.
      Use this to automatically fill in the Icon text box.

           3)  Copy Button:  Select this button to copy all program
      information currently in the Add Program or Page window to a
      temporary storage area in memory or "clipboard".  This information
      can later be pasted into another program being added or modified.
      The information remains in the clipboard until you: (1) overwrite


                                      7
      it by using the Copy button again, (2) run an application, or (3)
      exit ToyBox.  You cannot copy information if the Page button
      (discussed below) is set to "YES".

           4)  Paste Button:  Select this button to paste clipboard
      information to the program currently being added or modified.
      This is useful if you want to duplicate the same program button on
      more than one page.

           5)  Button Title Text Box:  Enter a title for the program or
      page button.  This title will appear under the button.  If you are
      entering information for a page button, this will also be the
      title at the top of the page when it is opened.

           6)  Password Text Box:  You may enter an optional password
      which a user must enter to start the program or open the page.
      Passwords are always displayed on the screen as a series of
      asterisks.  This prevents someone looking over your shoulder from
      viewing the password on the screen.

           7)  Key Text Box:  You may enter an optional hotkey to be
      used to select the program or page.  You can use any printable
      character as a hotkey.  Upper and lower case letters are treated
      as the same letter.  Ensure that no two program/page buttons on
      the same page have the same hotkey, or ToyBox II will always
      select the first one it finds.  (Note these are not ALT key
      combinations.  If you enter "M" as the hot key to run a "Mickey
      Mouse" program, you will just have to press the "M" key to run the
      program, not ALT+M.)

           8)  Path Text Box:  Enter the drive/directory of the program.
      The easiest way to do this is to use the Files button, which will
      automatically fill in the correct information for both Path and
      Program text boxes.  Drive information is optional if the file is
      on the same drive as ToyBox II.  Directory information is optional
      if the file is in the same directory as ToyBox II or one of the
      directories listed in the DOS PATH statement.  The directory must
      begin with a backslash ("\").

                    Example:  C:\NATHAN\GAMES\

           9)  Program Text Box:  Enter the command to execute the
      program, plus any optional parameters.

                    Example:  MICKABC /E

           10)  Icon Text Box:  Enter the complete path and filename of
      the icon to be displayed on the button.  The easiest way to do
      this is to use the Icons button described above, which will
      automatically fill in the correct information.  Drive information
      is optional if the icon file is on the same drive as ToyBox II.
      Directory information is optional if the icon is in the same


                                      8
      directory as ToyBox II.  The directory must begin with "\".  If
      you don't put an extension on the file name, ToyBox II will assume
      a ".ICN" extension.

                    Example:  C:\ICONS\ABC.ICN

      ToyBox II can only use icons in ToyBox format, normally
      represented by a ".ICN" extension.  These icons can be designed
      using the Painter icon editor built into ToyBox II.  A number of
      sample icons are included on the ToyBox II disk.  Some of these
      icons were designed from scratch with Painter.  Others are
      Microsoft Windows icons that were imported and converted by
      Painter.  For instructions on designing and importing icons, see
      the "Painter" section below.

           11)  Page Button:  Setting this to "YES" indicates that
      information being entered is for a button that will open a page
      (submenu).  In this case, anything entered in the Program and Path
      text boxes is ignored.  ToyBox II allows up to five levels of
      pages, which can hold thousands of programs.

           12)  Wait Button:  Setting this to "YES" causes ToyBox II to
      wait for ENTER to be pressed before redisplaying the current page
      after running the program.  This is useful if you need time to
      view the results of the program before ToyBox II reappears.

           13)  Variables Button:  Setting this to "YES" allows you to
      enter additional command line parameters at the time you run the
      program.  This is useful if you sometimes run the same program
      with different parameters.

           14)  Batch Button:  Set this to "YES" if the program is a
      batch file (a file with a ".BAT" extension), otherwise the program
      will not return to ToyBox II after it runs.  Another option for
      running a batch file (and actually the preferable option) if you
      are using MS-DOS 3.3 or later, is to leave this set to "NO" and
      precede the program name with the word "CALL" in the "Program"
      text box.

                    Example:  CALL MCGEE.BAT

           15)  OK Button:  After you have entered all necessary
      information, select the OK button with the mouse or press ALT+O to
      save the information to disk and close the window.  To close the
      window without adding the program/page, select the Close Window
      button in the upper left corner of the window or press the ESCAPE
      key.







                                      9
      ==========================
      REMOVING A PROGRAM OR PAGE
      ==========================

      Open the Helper window by selecting the Helper button (the red
      cross) or by pressing ALT+H.  Select the Remove Program or Page
      button to open the Remove Program or Page window.  This window
      lists the names of all the program/page buttons on the current
      page.  Select the program/page buttons you wish to remove, then
      select the OK button or press ALT+O.  To close the window without
      removing any programs, select the Close Window button with the
      mouse or press the ESCAPE key.  Removing a program from ToyBox II
      does not delete the program from disk.  It still exists and can be
      run normally from DOS or later added back to ToyBox II.  (If you
      try to remove a button for a page that itself has subpages, you
      will get a message saying "Pages containing subpages were not
      removed."  To remove the button in a case like this, you must
      first close the Helper window, open the page containing the
      subpages, and remove all the subpages individually.)


      ===================================
      VIEWING/MODIFYING A PROGRAM OR PAGE
      ===================================

      Open the Helper window by selecting the Helper button (the red
      cross) or by pressing ALT+H.  Select the View/Modify Program or
      Page button to open the View/Modify window.  This window lists the
      names of all the program and page buttons on the current page.
      Select the program/page button you wish to view or modify.  A
      window titled View/Modify Program or Page will pop up containing
      the current information for that program/page button.  You can
      make any desired changes using the same techniques used in the Add
      Program or Page window.


      =============================
      SETTING HELPER WINDOW OPTIONS
      =============================

      All pages have a Helper window which you can use to add, remove or
      view/modify program buttons on that page.  However, the following
      options are displayed only on the Helper window for the ToyBox II
      title page.

           1)  STOP Button:  Setting this to "NO" disables the STOP
      button on the ToyBox II title page.  To exit the program when the
      STOP button is disabled, you must press ALT+S.  As an additional
      level of security, you can password protect the ALT+S function.
      See paragraph 6 below.




                                     10
      2)  Helper Button:  Setting this to "NO" disables the Helper
      button on all pages.  To open the Helper window when the Helper
      button is disabled, you must press ALT+H.  As an additional level
      of security, you can password protect the ALT+H function.  See
      paragraph 6 below.

           3)  Disk Access:  Setting this to "NO" disables the Read Icon
      and Write Icon buttons in Painter.  Disabling these buttons allows
      a child (or other user) to use Painter without being able to
      access the disk and possibly corrupting files.  To access the Read
      Icon button when disk access is disabled, you must press ALT+R.
      To access the Write Icon button when disk access is disabled, you
      must press ALT+W.

           4)  Sound:  Setting this to "NO" turns off the occasional
      sounds that ToyBox II makes when certain keys are pressed.  This
      in no way affects the sound in the programs that you run under
      ToyBox II.

           5)  Cursor:  Setting this to "NO" turns off the red outline
      cursor used to indicate the current object on pages.  Users
      without a mouse should leave this set to "YES".  Users with a
      mouse can turn the cursor off if desired.

           6)  Password:  Enter an optional password a user must enter
      when attempting to exit the program with ALT+S or attempting to
      open the Helper Window with ALT+H.  The same password applies to
      both.  This password has no effect on individual programs or
      pages.  Passwords for these are set in the Add Program or Page or
      the View/Modify Program or Page windows.

           7)  OK Button:  After you have set the options the way you
      want them, select the OK button with the mouse or press ALT+O.
      This will save the current settings to disk and close the Helper
      window.  No changes take effect until they are saved to disk.  To
      close the Helper window without saving any changes, select the
      Close Window button with the mouse or press the ESCAPE key.


      ============================
      RUNNING AN INSTALLED PROGRAM
      ============================

      After you have added a program button to ToyBox II, you can easily
      run the program by selecting the program button with the mouse,
      selecting it with the arrow keys and pressing ENTER (if the red
      outline cursor is enabled), or pressing the hot key associated
      with the program.  If you have entered the path and program
      information correctly, the program will start normally as it would
      from the DOS command line.  When you exit the program, ToyBox II
      will take over again and display the current page.



                                     11
      =======
      PAINTER
      =======

      Painter is an icon editor built into ToyBox II.  With Painter you
      can design your own 32x32 pixel, 16 color icons for programs you
      install in ToyBox II, or you can import Microsoft Windows icons
      and convert them to ToyBox format.


      PAINTING ICONS - MOUSE

      Choose a color by selecting any of the 16 palette buttons with the
      mouse.  The current color will always show in the box above the
      palette buttons.  After selecting a color, position the mouse
      pointer in the desired square on the large icon grid box, then
      press any mouse button.  The square will change to the current
      color.  To paint multiple squares with the same color, hold one of
      the mouse buttons down while dragging the mouse pointer over the
      squares you want to paint.  As you paint the icon on the large
      grid box, you will also see the effects displayed on the actual-
      size button to the right of the large grid box.


      PAINTING ICONS - KEYBOARD

      Choose a color by moving the red outline cursor to the desired
      palette button with the arrow keys, then press the ENTER key.  The
      current color will always show in the box above the palette
      buttons.  After selecting a color, press the SPACEBAR to move the
      cursor to the large icon grid box.  Move the small yellow grid
      cursor to the desired square using the arrow keys, then press the
      ENTER key.  The square will change to the current color.  To paint
      multiple squares with the same color, hold down the CTRL key as
      you press the left arrow, right arrow, Page Up, and Page Down
      keys.  The squares will be painted as the grid cursor moves over
      them.  (NOTE:  There are technical considerations with the IBM PC
      keyboard which force us to use CTRL-Page Up and CTRL-Page Down
      instead of CTRL-Up Arrow and CTRL-Down Arrow.  We realize it's
      more awkward than it should be.)  To move the cursor back to the
      palette buttons, press the SPACEBAR again.


      FILL ALL BUTTON

      Select this button to fill the entire grid with the current color.








                                     12
      READ ICON BUTTON

      Select this button to read in an already-existing icon from disk.
      Selecting this button will cause a window with a text box to pop
      up.  Enter the path and file name of the icon file in the text
      box.

                    Example:  C:\ICONS\ABC.ICN

      The easiest way to do this is to select the Files button, which
      will cause a window containing a list of files to pop up.  This
      file list behaves exactly as the Files button described in the
      "Addding a Program or Page" section.  Drive information is
      optional if the icon file is the on same drive as ToyBox II.
      Directory information is optional if the icon file is in the same
      directory as ToyBox II.  The directory must begin with "\".  If
      you don't put an extension on the file name, Painter will assume a
      ".ICN" extension.  After you have entered the icon file
      information, press the ENTER key to read the icon file.  The icon
      will be displayed on the large icon grid box and the actual-size
      button to the right.  To close the window without reading an icon,
      select the red Close Window button.


      WRITE ICON BUTTON

      Select this button to save the displayed icon to a disk file.
      Selecting this button will cause a window with a text box to pop
      up.  Enter the path and file name you wish to save the icon as.
      Use the same procedures as described in the previous paragraph.
      The only difference is that you must select the OK button with the
      mouse or press ALT+O to save the file to disk.  To close the
      window without writing the icon to disk, select the Close Window
      button.


      IMPORTING MICROSOFT WINDOWS ICON FILES

      To import a Microsoft Windows icon file (normally with a ".ICO"
      extension), read it in like you would a normal ToyBox II icon.
      Painter will make the conversion as it reads the file in.  After
      you have made any desired changes to the icon, write it to disk.
      If you use the same file name, do not use the ".ICO" extension or
      you will write over the Windows version of the icon file.  If you
      don't specify an extension, Painter will attach a ".ICN"
      extension.

      Thousands of Microsoft Windows icon files are freely available
      from bulletin board systems and on-line services such as
      CompuServe and GEnie, or available for a small charge from
      shareware disk vendors, or available for a substantial charge from
      commercial software vendors.


                                     13
      Painter can only import MS Windows icons that are in 32x32x16
      format (32 pixels by 32 pixels by 16 colors).  The vast majority
      of MS Windows icon files available are in this format.  Most MS
      Windows programs do not have separate icon files.  Instead, the
      icons are included in one of the program files (".EXE" or ".DLL").
      A single program file can have several icons stored in it.
      Painter cannot extract the icons from these files, but there are
      several shareware programs that can extract the icons and put them
      into separate icon files that Painter can import.


      ===================
      TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
      ===================


      RUNNING MULTIPLE COMMANDS

      ToyBox II allows you to directly run one program or DOS command
      per program button.  If you need to set up a button to run a
      series of programs or commands, you can do this by creating a
      batch file containing all the necessary commands and setting up a
      program button to run the batch file.  To easily create batch
      files you can set up a program button to open your favorite text
      editor or word processor.  The editor that is included with MS-DOS
      5.0 provides a quick, easy way to create, view and edit batch
      files and other text files.  Here is a sample setup for a program
      button to run the DOS editor:

           Button Title:  MS-DOS Editor        Page:        NO
           Password:      (your choice)        Wait:        NO
           Key:           E                    Variables:   YES *
           Path:          C:\DOS\              Batch:       NO
           Program:       EDIT
           Icon:          C:\TB2\EDIT.ICN

           *  Setting Variables to "YES" will allow you to specify the
      file to edit as a command-line parameter at the time you run the
      editor.


      FILE MANAGER

      ToyBox II does not include built-in file management features, but
      you can easily set up a program button to access your favorite
      file management program.  The DOS Shell included with MS-DOS 5.0
      provides a graphical file manager for copying, deleting and moving
      files and directories.  Here is a sample setup for a program
      button to run the DOS Shell program:





                                     14
           Button Title:  MS-DOS Shell         Page:        NO
           Password:      (your choice)        Wait:        NO
           Key:           S                    Variables:   NO
           Path:          C:\DOS\              Batch:       NO
           Program:       DOSSHELL
           Icon:          C:\TB2\SHELL.ICN


      DOS COMMAND LINE

      In some cases you may find that you need to execute a program or
      DOS command from the DOS command line.  You have two choices.  The
      first choice is to exit from ToyBox II, execute the command and,
      when you're finished, start ToyBox II again.  A better solution,
      particularly if you will need to do this on a recurring basis, is
      to set up a program button to put you at the DOS command line
      temporarily without exiting ToyBox II.  This is done by using the
      COMMAND function of DOS.  The following sample program button,
      when selected, will display the DOS prompt.  You can run any
      programs/commands as you normally would from the command line.  To
      return to ToyBox II, type EXIT at the command line and the current
      ToyBox II page will reappear.

           Button Title:  MS-DOS Prompt        Page:        NO
           Password:      (your choice)        Wait:        NO
           Key:           S                    Variables:   NO
           Path:          C:\DOS\              Batch:       NO
           Program:       COMMAND
           Icon:          C:\TB2\DOS.ICN


      MICROSOFT WINDOWS PROGRAMS

      If you run Microsoft Windows, but also have a number of DOS (non-
      Windows) applications, you may find it convenient to run Windows
      as a program under ToyBox II.  You can install program buttons in
      ToyBox II for each of your DOS applications and set up your
      AUTOEXEC.BAT file to automatically open ToyBox II.  Since ToyBox
      II loads much faster than Windows, you won't have to wait for
      Windows to load before you access your DOS programs.  You can then
      set up a program button to open Windows as follows:

           Button Title:  Microsoft Windows    Page:        NO
           Password:      (your choice)        Wait:        NO
           Key:           W                    Variables:   NO
           Path:          C:\WINDOWS\          Batch:       NO
           Program:       WIN
           Icon:          C:\TB2\WIN.ICN






                                     15
      Another technique is to set up a page called "Windows Programs"
      and create separate program buttons for each of your Windows
      applications.  To automatically load Windows and run a specific
      Windows application, enter the Path and Program information as you
      would for a normal DOS application, then precede the program name
      with "WIN".  Here is a sample program button set up to load
      Windows and run Quicken for Windows:

           Button Title:  Quicken              Page:        NO
           Password:      (your choice)        Wait:        NO
           Key:           W                    Variables:   NO
           Path:          C:\QUICKENW\         Batch:       NO
           Program:       WIN QW.EXE
           Icon:          C:\TB2\QUICKEN.ICN


      ===================================
      COMPATIBILITY WITH EARLIER VERSIONS
      ===================================

      The configuration files for ToyBox II are incompatible with
      earlier versions of ToyBox.  If you are upgrading from an earlier
      version, you must reinstall programs in ToyBox II.  The icon files
      are compatible.  You can use the icons supplied with earlier
      versions, as well as any icons you have created yourself.


      ====================
      LICENSE AND WARRANTY
      ====================

      THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPLIED AS IS.  THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL
      WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
      THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
      THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT OR
      CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM.

      ToyBox II is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to
      the user for evaluation.  Feel free to share it with others, but
      please do not give it away altered or as part of another system.
      The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal
      computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet
      to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new
      products.

      If you find ToyBox II helpful and you continue to use it after a
      reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of
      $29 to Virtual Magic Software as described in the "Registration"
      section of this User's Guide.  The $29 registration fee will
      license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time.  You
      must treat this software just like a book.  An example is that
      this software may be used by any number of people and may be
      freely moved from one computer location to another, as long as

                                     16
      there is no possibility of it being used at one location while
      it's being used at another.  Just as a book cannot be read by two
      different persons at the same time.

      Commercial and organizational users of ToyBox II must register and
      pay for their copies of ToyBox II within 30 days of first use or
      their license is withdrawn.  Site licenses can be arranged by
      contacting Virtual Magic Software.

      ToyBox II is a copyrighted program distributed as shareware.
      Distributors approved by the Association of Shareware
      Professionals (ASP) may immediately distribute ToyBox II.  Others
      wishing to distribute ToyBox II for payment must first contact
      Virtual Magic Software for authorization.  Not-for-profit users
      groups may distribute ToyBox II, and charge a fee for copying and
      disks, without prior authorization.  Electronic bulletin board
      systems (BBSs) may distribute ToyBox II without prior
      authorization.





      ToyBox is a trademark of Virtual Magic Software.
      Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
      MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
      Quicken is a registered trademark of Intuit.


























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