Windows 95 Secrets (4th Edition)/Windows95Secrets4thEdition.iso/utility/managemt/lens/lens.txt

Text File | 1995-07-05 | 13.5 KB | 402 lines

Lens 2.03: A Windows Magnifier, by Ned Konz, July 1995

This file is mostly the same as the Windows help file (LENS.HLP)
that comes with LENS, except for the part about installing Lens.
You might like to install Lens and look at the help file instead.

Installing Lens

Lens 2.03 comes as a PKUNZIP 2.04g ZIP file. Prior versions were
distributed as self-extracting archives, but the norm seems to be
the .ZIP format.

To install Lens, you should go to the MS-DOS prompt, change to the
directory in which you want to install Lens (or make a directory for
Lens first), and run the PKUNZIP.EXE program from that directory.

For instance, if you want to install Lens to your existing directory
called C:\UTILS, and you had LENS203.ZIP in a directory called
C:\DOWNLOAD, you could do the following:

    c:
    cd \utils
    pkunzip \download\lens203

Alternatively, you could do this:

    pkunzip c:\download\lens203 c:\utils

There are two versions of the .EXE file included: LENS.EXE, which is a 16-bit
version for Windows 3.1, and LENS32.EXE, which is a 32-bit version for Windows/NT
and Windows 95. The main difference besides 16-bit and 32-bit is that the 32-bit
version stores its settings in the Registry.

About Lens

Lens normally magnifies an area of the screen around the mouse pointer. It can
alternately try to track the caret (the "text cursor") in text applications, if you
enable Track Caret mode, or it can display a magnified fixed area of
the screen, if you choose Freeze Location mode.

This is a Windows version of an Amiga program I wrote in 1985. First
written in 1991, it has been updated through the years, thanks to your
support. It was written in C++, and compiled using Borland's compiler (for
the 16 bit version) or Microsoft's Visual C++ compiler (for the 32-bit
version). I have also produced a version of Lens for the OS/2 2.x Workplace
Shell.

Lens for Windows, version 2.03 (this version) adds many features, bringing
the Windows version up to the level of the OS/2 version. It also introduces
a Win32 (Windows/NT or Windows 95) version in the distribution.

If you feel this program has value to you, I'd really appreciate a payment of
$5.00 US sent to me at:

Ned Konz
810 21st Avenue North
St. Petersburg FL 33704
USA

I can be reached on the Internet as [e-mail] or on Compuserve as
76046,223 .



About the Author

I've been working with microcomputers since around 1975 (that is, as long
as there have been microcomputers). I helped build an Altair, helped start
the first computer store in Tampa FL, and started the first computer store in
Daytona Beach FL.

I got into software by bootstrapping myself from being an electronics
technician, through doing electronics design, and then into programming.

I found that I didn't get solder burns as much while programming.

My experience includes a fair amount of embedded systems work, robotics,
and data communications, also publishing, text processing, and typesetting.
I've programmed in several assemblers, C, C++, and a variety of little
languages and tool-specific languages.

So far, I've avoided writing database or business software (and hope to
keep it that way), except for a particularly dreadful 3-month stint doing
magazine subscription fulfullment using Informix.

Currently I'm working in C++, because it seems to be the best general-
purpose language around for the kind of work I'm doing (embedded systems
for robotics and process control).

In real life, I enjoy diving, making beer, cooking, motorcycling, and bicycling
(I rode my bicycle across the US from Florida to Oregon in 1985).

Why do I write shareware/freeware? I enjoy the feedback I get from people
who use my programs. In the case of Lens, many regular users are vision-
impaired, and Lens makes it easier for them to use their computers. It's nice
to know that something I found useful or interesting is also useful or
interesting to someone else.

Other shareware/freeware programs I've written (on a fine BBS near you):

  KEYIN (1985)(DOS) -- run an application and feed it keystrokes.
  INTERCEPT (1985)(DOS) -- intercept and report on interrupt/DOS calls
made by an application.
  LENS (1985)(Amiga)
  SCREENDUMP (1985)(Amiga) -- dump graphics screen to printer
  SWAPDCP (1993)(OS/2) -- allows editing of KEYBOARD.DCP file
  LENS (1993)(OS/2) -- OS/2 PM version of LENS

Let me hear what you think about Lens, even if you don't send any
money... I rely on user feedback to improve my programs, and would like to
get yours.



Always on Top mode

Lens can be made to always stay on top of all other windows, even if it
doesn't have the focus.

To do this, select "Always on top" from the Settings menu, or use the 't'
key.



Changing Magnification

The magnification may be changed with the Zoom In (+) and Zoom Out (-)
menu choices. The available range is from 1X to 40X.

The magnification can also be changed using the '+' or '=' key to
increase magnification, or the '-' key to decrease it.

The .INI file entry "magnification" sets the initial magnification. See
Saving Settings.


Display Cursor mode

Lens can display the location of the mouse cursor, using a cross to indicate
the location. You can select whether or not you want to display the cursor
location, using the "Display cursor" Settings menu choice, or the 'c' key.



Expert mode

By default, Lens prompts you with a message box every time you try to
change a setting. To turn off this behavior, select "Expert mode" from the
Settings menu, or use the 'x' key.

If you select Expert mode, Lens will quietly change its settings when
commanded.



Freeze Location mode

If you choose "Freeze Location" from the Settings menu, (or type the 'f'
key), Lens will change its cursor into a magnifying glass, and wait for you to
position the cursor over an area on the screen and click the left mouse
button.

Until you disable this mode, Lens will then continue to magnify the area you
clicked on. If you have Repeat mode enabled, any changes to
that area of the screen will be represented in the Lens window as they
happen.



Hiding the Menu Bar

You may choose to display or hide the Lens menu bar.

By default, the menu bar is displayed, but you can change this setting using
the Settings menu choice "Display menu bar", or by using the 'b' key.

If you have the menu bar turned off, you can still use the System menu to
change the settings: if you have the title bar displayed, just click on the
upper-left hand corner of the Lens title bar, and the System menu will pop
down. If you don't have the title bar displayed, you can use the
Alt-Space key combination to pop the System menu down.

If you have the title bar turned off, the menu bar is no longer displayed.



Hiding the Title Bar

Lens can be made to hide its title bar (the bar at the top of the window that
includes the system menu/close button, the title of the program, and the
minimize and maximize buttons).

This can be done either by selecting "Hide Title Bar" from the Settings menu
(or the system menu), or by double-clicking on the Lens window.

You can re-display the title bar (and menu bar, if it was enabled) by double-
clicking again on the Lens window.

If you do this, you can still drag the Lens window around using the mouse.

You can also use the System menu to make settings changes, by using the
Alt-Space keystroke combination to pop the System menu down.



Keyboard shortcuts

KEY    ACTION
t    Always on top mode (toggle)
+, =    Increase magnification
-    Decrease magnification
r    Repeat mode (toggle)
k    Track caret mode (toggle)
a    About Lens
v    Save Lens settings (see Saving settings)
b    Hide the menu bar (see Hiding the menu bar)
(toggle)
F1    Lens Help (this file)
x    Expert mode (toggle)
c    Display Cursor mode (toggle)
f    Freeze Location mode (toggle)
Alt-Space    Display the System menu



Release Notes

     Version 2.03, 5 July 1995

Made 32-bit version. Added to standard distribution.

     Version 2.02, 17 December 1994

Changed mail and Internet addresses.

     Version 2.01, 15 October 1994

Bug fix version:

     Re-compiled to work on 80286 processors as well as '386 and
higher.
     Fixed bug where save when iconized resulted in bad restart.

     Version 2.00, 7 May 1994

Added enough new features to warrant a new major version number!

     Finally fixed 256-color StretchBlt palette bug
     Real Windows help file
     Freeze Location mode
     Always-on-top mode
     Hide title bar feature
     Display cursor position feature
     Changed postal address

     Version 1.04, 4 July 1993

     Changed layout of "Usage" message box for better display on NEC
640x400 displays for Japanese users.
     Added explanatory text about StretchBlt bug.
     Removed BIX email address.

     Version 1.03, 8 August 1992

My first bug report! Fixed bug where repeat mode was never saved. Also
made it so that changing magnification from the keyboard using the +
and - keys would cause a window repaint. So now you can leave your
mouse alone and use the + and - keys to get the magnification you
want.

     Version 1.02, June 1992

Changed text of About box.



Repeat Mode

Repeat mode continues to magnify even if the cursor has not moved. This
mode should be set if you wish to magnify contents of a window which is
changing on its own without the mouse or the caret being moved, for
example when magnifying animation. This mode may be a resource hog and
slow down your system if the timerInterval setting is too short (see Saving
Settings).

Repeat mode may be turned on or off using the menus, or by using the 'r'
key (see Keyboard shortcuts).




Saving Settings

Lens saves its settings in its initialization file (or registry entry) when you
choose "Save Settings!", or use the 'v' key. This initialization file (or
registry key) may be named as a command line parameter to Lens (see
Starting Lens), otherwise it will default to "LENS.INI", in your
Windows directory.

If you're using Lens32 (the 32-bit version of Lens), the registry key you
specify will be under the key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\NedKonz".
If you have specified a key name as a command line parameter, this will be
the subkey name, otherwise it will be "Lens32".

The "timerInterval" setting in this initialization file sets the minimum
time between magnifications (in mSec). Setting it too low, especially with
repeat mode ON, will cause your system to slow down. The default setting
for the timer interval is 200 msec (1/5 second).

A default LENS.INI (for VGA) file follows (with comments)

[Lens]
; top, left, right, and bottom are
; the initial position of the lens window.
; These default to 0, 0, screenwidth/2, and screenheight/2.
top=0
left=0
right=320
bottom=240
; this is the initial magnification (1-20)
magnification=2
; repeatMode and trackCaret are either 1 or 0.
repeatMode=0
trackCaret=0
; timerInterval sets the minimum time
; between magnifications.
; It defaults to 200 mSec (1/5 second)
timerInterval=200
; Setting displayMenuBar to 0 inhibits
; the display of the menu bar in the Lens window.
displayMenuBar=1
; setting displayTitleBar to 0 makes the window
; appear without any title bar or menu bar.
displayTitleBar=1
; setting alwaysOnTop to 1 makes the Lens window
; always appear on top of other windows,
; even if it is not the active window.
alwaysOnTop=0


Starting Lens

Lens may be started from its own icon like any other Windows program.

16-bit version

If you want to use a specific initialization file (see Saving
settings), name this file in the Command Line entry for the
program Properties in Program Manager.

For instance, if you wanted to run Lens from the C:\LENS directory, and use
an initialization file in that directory, you would use a command line of:

C:\LENS\LENS.EXE C:\LENS\LENS.INI

in the Program Properties settings.

By naming specific initialization files, you can have multiple Lens windows,
each with their own different settings.

32-bit version

If you want to use a specific registry key (see Saving settings),
name this key in the Command Line entry for the program Properties in
Program Manager.

For instance, if you wanted to run Lens from the C:\LENS directory, and use
an registry key named "Fred" (that is,
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\NedKonz\Fred"), you would use a
command line of:

C:\LENS\LENS.EXE Fred

in the Program Properties settings.

By naming specific registry keys, you can have multiple Lens windows, each
with their own different settings.

Since the registry keys are saved under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, each user
has his or her own sets of Lens32 settings.



Track Caret Mode

Lens can be told to try to track the caret (the "text cursor") in some text
applications. To do this, enable Track Caret mode using the menus or the
'k' key on the keyboard (see Keyboard shortcuts). You can try
Track Caret mode with Notepad. It also works with the Borland C++
integrated development environment.

This mode does not work with all applications. It will not work, for instance,
with Word for Windows, which doesn't use the built-in Windows calls for
displaying and moving the caret. Also, since it is impossible for Lens to tell
whether the caret is actually being displayed, this setting may cause a lack
of Lens motion when a non-text program is active.

Lens will track the mouse cursor if the caret position in the active window is
at the upper left hand corner (0,0), otherwise it will track the caret.