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- Version 5:
- ----------
-
- MakeDemo has graduated to a family of programs. In addition to
- being able to create and present information as an electronic
- book or catalog on disk, now using the same methodollogy, create
- database applications. All you do is design the screens to
- include database information and you can have your real life
- custom designed application up and running in less than an
- hour. We know of no other tool like it.
-
- Also you can use MakeDemo to create an "Install" program
- custom designed to your application. You can tell your users
- about your program along with the actual installation commands.
- You put all the required info right on the screen as yuou do in
- all MakeDemo creations. It's really so simple.
-
- MakeDemo now can more screens into the same disk space. Would you
- believe - almost double. And the screens appear faster,
- especially on the old PCs and compatibles. Its a great
- improvement. MakeDemo now includes a utility to convert your old
- files to the new format.
-
- We have enhanced the runtime modules in response to your comments
- and requests.
-
- 1. The ability to present your own individualized "XXX"
- screen for a more friendly exit.
-
- 2. The ability to recognize a start-up command specifying
- the starting screen. (Useful for a context sensitive
- help system.)
-
- 3. The mouse interface now more closely follows normal
- conventions. (Read: not as sensitive to unintentional
- doodlings.)
-
- 4. Expanded capabilities of the integral "Help" system.
-
- The manual is much improved with more details, especially a
- "Quick Start" section.
-
- In the interests of defining menu selections and screen segments
- somewhat consistant, we've made some minor changes. Now, both are
- defined by the color attribute on the top and right edges. (The
- runtimes do not look at the left edge for determining the height
- of a segment.) And now there's a way to use different colors
- along those edges that doesn't upset the runtimes. As before, a
- menu selection's length is determined by a change in both the
- foreground and background colors, but now the color attribute of
- that last character is included in the length calculation and
- then replaced by the attribute of the previous character, thus
- making selection layouts much easier.
-
-
- Version 4.1:
- ------------
-
- Along with some minor bug fixes, MSHOW now recognizes DOS level
- menu selections. Now the creator of presentations can run DOS
- programsd from within a MSHOW presentations. MakeDemo lends
- itself well toward a DOS menuing systems where a comnprehensive
- presentation might better precede running the actual program.
-
- Along Comes Version 4:
- ----------------------
-
- Now your presentations are totally your design. There are no
- hard-wired screens for prompts, menus, help, etc. All screens
- are kept in the presentation file. That includes your order
- form as well, if you have one.
-
- Now you can assign hot keys and function keys to your menus, as
- you like it.
-
- Your MakeDemo presentation can now have up to 2000 screens in one
- file. And, the first time a presentation is viewed, your
- presentation will create an index of screens to disk. The next
- time your presentation is viewed, MSHOW reads the index into
- memory and is ready to go almost immediately.
-
- There is only one runtime of MSHOW.EXE provided, that for
- presenting only one of your creations at a time. It can be used
- by specifying the file to view at the command line, or it can be
- combined (using a new version of WWP_MAKE.EXE) with your file to
- produce a single executible file. And while creating this file,
- you can "brand" the resulting creation to recognize a validation
- code that, if correct, will cause your presentation to ignore any
- imbedded "nag" screens that you have included in your file.
-
- MakeDemo now has a real manual-on-disk in addition to the
- fragmented "help" files of earlier versions that are now combined
- into one. It is the same manual registered users receive.
-
- The file format for a presentation remains the same. However,
- there are some minor changes in the way menu selections are coded
- on the individual screens. In that respect, this version of
- MakeDemo is not compatible with earlier versions. Converting your
- presentations over should take little effort: NOTE - read the
- manual first to learn if the changes impact you.
-
- And last but not least, we've included a stripped down MakeDemo
- runtime, MLITE.EXE. Weighing in at around 13 k Bytes, this
- executible when combined with a few screen presentation makes an
- ideal front end for your own software. Use it from a batch file
- to get your customer up and running faster and conserve memory
- when your program runs stand-alone.
-
-
- What's new with Version 3:
- --------------------------
-
- One big improvement is the addition of "mouse support," which
- really facilitates the process of creating and/or viewing a
- presentation. The features remain much the same, but the
- execution is even more intuitive. Some of the screen presentation
- methods have been augmented. The number of large fonts has been
- increased and the menus are more complete and self explanatory.
-
- The other big enhancement of version 3 is you now have the
- ability to give your users more control over how they might use
- your creations. You can simulate menu driven software for very
- realistic demos. Or you can create a hypertext sort of system
- for quickly moving through a large presentation, a great asset
- when creating a catalog or book on disk.
-
- For those who might like to distribute their tutorials-on-disk,
- MakeDemo gives you the power to serialize copies of your work,
- much like that of MakeDemo, and put up a "registration
- encouragement message" to discourage any hint of "freeware."
-
- But probably the single biggest enhancement MakeDemo now gives
- you is the ability to create single .EXE files with mouse
- support, interactive menus, and integral "Help.".
-
- Presentations created with earlier versions are not immediately
- compatible. However, MakeDemo automatically converts them to the
- new smaller file format. In addition, previously registered
- users need a new validation number to work with their existing
- serial number.
-
- Moving between screens for editing, etc. is much faster than
- previously. Now, instead of moving the screen to the end of the
- file before allowing any work on it and then returning the
- screen to its rightful place in the file before moving to the
- next screen, you now work on the screen in place. It's much much
- faster.
-
- Version 2 was a major improvement:
- ----------------------------------
-
- The sizes of MDEMO.EXE and MSHOW.EXE is reduced 80%, compared to
- the originals. Version 2 integrates WindhamWoods Publishing
- proprietary screen compression method freeing up disk space for a
- total of 350+ screens on a 360 kByte diskette, segregated in as
- many as 100 files. RAM requirement for ShowDemo reduced to about
- 60 kBytes, MakeDemo to about 120 kBytes.
-
- Any presentation, or portion thereof, can be sent to a printer.
-
- ShowDemo's user-friendliness has been improved: such as allowing
- for jumping around within a presentation, going in and out of the
- "auto" mode, and in general not holding the computer system
- captive for the duration of a presentation.
-
- Both MakeDemo and ShowDemo enables manual override of color
- monochrome display formatting, using the function key, F5. Now,
- when a monochrome display is connected to a color adaptor card,
- you can switch over instantly without first exiting to DOS,
- typing in some modifying commands, and then restarting the
- presentation all over again. MakeDemo also allows viewing a demo,
- being created in color, as it would appear on a monochrome
- display.
-
- ShowDemo now supports a growing number of presentation styles,
- sound effects, and wider range of display timings.
-
- Creators of presentation now can design their own "Help" facility
- as an integral companion to their presentation(s).
-
- From within MakeDemo "view" any ASCII text file or MakeDemo file
- and import any sequence of "screens" into a work in process.
-
- Choose from four large fonts when creating outstanding screens.
- The font library is capable of user additions and customizing
- using almost any ASCII text editor.
-
- Full box creation with automatic correction for crossing lines.
- Box library capable of user additions and customizing using
- almost any ASCII text editor.
-
-