The World of Computer Software/World_Of_Computer_Software-02-385-Vol-1of3.iso/w/wdlgex.zip/README.TXT

Text File | 1993-01-11 | 16KB | 391 lines

WINDOWS DIALOG EXTENSIONS

Welcome to the Windows Dialog Extensions. This file gives details about
installation and use of the programs and how to register if you find
them useful.

Sections in this are document:-

   FILE PACKING LIST
   HOW TO INSTALL THE WINDOWS DIALOG EXTENSIONS
   ABOUT THE FILE DIALOG EXTENSIONS
   ABOUT DIALOG 3D
   HOW TO REGISTER THE WINDOWS DIALOG EXTENSIONS
   DISCLAIMER AND AGREEMENT
   NOTES
   VERSION HISTORY



FILE PACKING LIST

Two utilities are provided as follows:-

Common File Dialog Extension Library (CFDEL)

This utility adds useful file manipulation buttons to file load and
save dialogs in your windows apps (see below for full description)

Dialog 3d (Dialog3d)

This utility adds grey '3d style' dialogs (as in MS Excel 4 and Access)
to all windows applications.


You should have received the following files:-

   COMMDLG.DLL    The file extensions library
   DIALOG3D.EXE   Dialog3d program
   DLG3D.DLL      Dilaog3d runtime library
   CTL3D.DLL      Microsofts redistributable 3d library
   CFDEL.HLP      Help for common file dialog extenders
   REGISTER.HLP   Help file for registering
   README.TXT     This file



HOW TO INSTALL THE WINDOWS DIALOG EXTENSIONS

Firstly the Windows Dialog Extensions require Windows 3.1 and will not
work properly under 3.0.

Installation of the extensions must be done from DOS (not a DOS box
under Windows) as follows:-

To install the Common File Dialog Extensions:-

   First, rename the file commdlg.dll in the Windows system
   directory (usually c:\windows\system) to commdlg2.dll.

   Next copy the file commdlg.dll from the Dialog Extensions
   distribution to the Windows system directory.

   Finally copy the files register.hlp and cfdel.hlp from the
   Dialog Extensions distribution to the Windows directory
   (usually c:\windows).

To install Dialog 3d:-

   Copy ctl3d.dll and dlg3d.dll from the Dialog Extensions
   distribution to the Windows system directory.

   Copy dialog3d.exe and register.hlp (if not copied above) to
   the Windows directory

   Add the program 'dialog3d.exe' as the first program in the 'run='
   line of the win.ini file (found in the windows directory). Use any
   ASCII text editor (notepad for example) to do this.

When you now run windows the Windows Dialog Extension will automatically
be installed and activated.



ABOUT THE FILE DIALOG EXTENSIONS LIBRARY

The File Dialog Extensions attach a number of buttons to the bottom of
a file load or save dialog from the commdlg.dll library supplied with
Windows 3.1. Most Windows applications use this library for obtaining
file names from the user. Thus when you got to load or save data from
within an application the buttons will be available on the file dialog
displayed allowing the manipulation of existing files without having to
switch to the File Manager. The buttons that appear are configurable, as
is the size that file dialogs are displayed. The buttons that may be
added to the bottom of the file dialogs are:-

   Make Dir
   Delete
   Rename
   File Info
   Make Backup

The extensions library also adds two new items to the System Menu of
file dialogs. These entries are:-

   Options...
   About...


MAKE DIRECTORY BUTTON

Clicking on the Make Dir button will allow a directory to be created in
the current directory (as displayed to the top right of the file dialog).
You will be asked for the name of the directory, enter this and click OK to
create it. If the directory is created successfully the file dialog will
update to show the new directory. If an error occurs when trying to create
the directory an error message box will be displayed. Click Cancel to exit
the Make Directory dialog without attempting to create a directory.


DELETE FILE BUTTON

Clicking on the Delete button will delete the currently selected file. This
is the file highlighted in the file dialogs list of files. If no file is
selected the Delete button will be disabled and no deletions can take place.
If the Confirm Deletes option is enabled you will be asked for confirmation
of the deletion, click Yes to delete or No to abort. If Confirm Deletes is
not enabled the deletion will take place immediately after you click the
Delete button. The file dialog file list will update after the deletion. An
error message box will be displayed if the deletion fails.

If the application using the file dialog allows multiple files to be selected
all the selected files will be deleted. If the Confirm Deletes option is
enabled you will be prompted to confirm deletion for each file in turn.
Selecting Cancel on a confirmation dialog will stop the deletion of the
currently displayed file and all further selected files.


RENAME FILE BUTTON

The Rename button allows the renaming of the currently selected file. This
is the file highlighted in the file dialogs list of files. If no file is
selected the Rename button will be disabled and no renaming can take place.
Clicking on the Rename with a file selected results in a dialog asking for
the new name for the file. This should be entered and OK selected to rename
it. Click Cancel to abort renaming of the file. An error message box will
be displayed if renaming of the file fails.

If the application using the file dialog allows multiple files to be selected
you will be prompted for a new name for each selected file in turn. Click Yes
to rename, No to skip to the next file and Cancel to cancel the renaming of
the current and all further selected files


FILE INFORMATION BUTTON

The File Info button will display information about the currently selected
file. This is the file highlighted in the file dialog list of files. If no
file is selected the File Info button will be disabled. The information
displayed for a file is its name, size, time and date of last modification
and its file attributes. This information is not editable. Click on OK when
finished viewing the information.

If the application using the file dialog allows multiple files to be selected
you will be shown details of each selected file in turn. Click OK to move to
the next file and {\cf1Cancel\cf0} to stop viewing the selected list of files.


MAKE BACKUP CHECKBOX

The Make Backup checkbox is only enabled when saving. If it is checked
before selecting OK to save a file, a backup will be made of any existing
file with a name matching that of the file being saved. This is done by
copying the existing file to a similarly named file with the extension .BAK.
An error message box will be displayed if the backup fails.


ABOUT DIALOG

Selecting About... from the System Menu of a file load or save dialog will
bring up the file extensions About dialog box. If the copy is registered it
will show the registered user and serial number. If it is unregistered it
will show *** UNREGISTERED COPY *** and Serial Number : XXXXXX. Clicking
OK on an unregistered copy of the extensions will result in the Shareware
Reminder dialog being shown, offering the user the chance to register the
program. Clicking OK on a registered copy simply returns to the file dialog.


OPTIONS DIALOG

Selecting Options... from the System Menu  of a file load or save dialog
will bring up the file extensions Options dialog box. This dialog allow the
customisation of the extensions and covers three areas. Firstly, the Show
checkboxes control which of the possible five extension buttons are added
to file dialogs. The next section is the Options checkboxes. Currently this
has one checkbox allowing the enabling or disabling of the Confirm Deletes
dialog when deleting files. The final set of buttons allow the selecting of
the dialog size. This may be Small, Medium or Large. Small is the same as
the standard commdlg.dll file dialog, Medium has two columns in the file
list box and is slightly deeper and Large is almost full screen on a VGA
monitor and gives three columns in the file list box.

Note that the file list on the medium or large settings is a multi-column
list and you scroll it horizontally to display any files 'off screen'.

Sometimes you will find the size buttons disabled (shown shaded), this
occurs when the library is being used with an application that supplies
its own dialog template rather than using the one in commdlg.dll. Because
of this the extensions library doesn't know what the dialog will look like
and so does not attempt to resize it and also disables disables the size
buttons on the Options dialog when called from such a file dialog. The
library still attaches the file buttons to the bottom of such a dialog
and these can be used as normal.

Click OK to set the selected options and Cancel to ignore the changes.

The options selected in the dialog are saved in a section in the win.ini
file and will be used in later windows sessions.



ABOUT DIALOG 3D

Not much to say really, once installed all the dialogs in all apps you
run will appear grey with 3d controls and look really nice ! If you'd
prefer a colour other than grey alter the Windows 'Button Face' system
colour (use the colour applet from the control panel) and this will become
the background colour of your dialogs.



HOW TO REGISTER THE WINDOWS DIALOG EXTENSIONS

Registration and initial support contact for this software is handled by
the software publishers SP Services. A wide variety of payment options
are available; choose the method most convenient to you. Please note that
payment is required with order except from UK government organisations
and UK plc companies, who may request invoicing at an additional charge of
5 pounds per month unpaid after 30 days.

To register a copy of the file dialog extenders send your name and address
plus either a Cheque, Postal Order or International Money Order for the
required sum, made payable to SP Services, or your Visa, Mastercard or
American Express number plus the card expiry date, to:-

   SP Services
   PO Box 456
   Southampton
   SO9 7XG
   United Kingdom

or fax the card number, expiry & address details to  0703 550037
(international:  [phone]), or send them by e-mail to
[e-mail] or to account 100016,1625 on CompuServe, or
transfer sterling funds pre-paid to the following account:

Royal Bank of Scotland, 1 College Place, Southampton,
Sort code 16-31-37, account 00237689, name SP Services

Payment may be made (fully pre-paid please) in US dollars to account
number SPSERV-USDC at the same bank.  If you use bank transfer,
please also fax or mail confirmation of the transfer and order.

Pricing for the file dialog extenders is a follows:-

   Up to 5 copies    10.00 pounds each
   6-10 copies        8.50 pounds each
   over 10 copies     8.00 pounds each

All credit card payments are charged in pounds sterling; conveniently, your
credit card company conduct all the messy business of currency exchange for
you at relatively low cost.

Cheque, postal order and bank draft payment may be made in pounds sterling or
US dollars, pricing in dollars to be calculated at 2 dollars to the pound.
Please indicate whether you need a receipt when you order.  VAT is not charged
by SP Services at this time.

You can calculate the price for the number of copies required by entering the
number of copies you require into the 'copies' field on the programs
Registration dialog. The price will then be displayed on the dialog.

When you receive your registration details enter the name, registration number
and serial number as supplied into the appropriate fields on the Registration
dialog and click on OK. These must be entered exactly as supplied. Once
entered successfully the Shareware reminder and timeout will be disabled and
your name and serial number will appear on the About dialog box.

You get the registration dialog by selecting the Register button from the
Shareware Reminder dialog box. This will appear after closing the About dialog
on an unregistered copy of the program. The About dialog is available from the
system menu of a file open or close dialog of an application (that uses
commdlg.dll) when the File Dialog Extensions are installed.



DISCLAIMER AND AGREEMENT

Users of the Windows Dialog Extensions must accept this disclaimer of
warranty. If you do not accept this disclaimer, do not use the programs.

THE WINDOWS DIALOG EXTENSIONS LIBRARY 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 THE WINDOWS DIALOG
EXTENSIONS, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES.

THE LICENCE AGREEMENT AND WARRANTY SHALL BE CONSTRUED, INTERPRETED AND
GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AND WALES. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS
WHICH VARY FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER.

The Windows Dialog Extensions are shareware, and are provided at no charge
to users for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends and
colleagues, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another
system. The essence of shareware software is to provide computer users
with quality software without high prices, and at the same time to
provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products.

If you find the Windows Dialog Extensions useful, and you are continuing
to use it after the trial period of 28 days, you must make a registration
payment as indicated in the How to Register section of this document. In
return you will be given a user name, serial number and registration
number to disable the shareware reminders. This information will be good
for all future shareware releases of the extensions. You will be informed
when such releases become available.

A site licence for over 10 copies may be obtained at a reduced cost by
contacting SP Services by post or email.

Any person or organisation wanting to distribute the File Dialog Extensions
for profit must first contact SP Services by post or email for authorisation.


Copyright for this software remains the property of:

   Mark Woollard
   29 Baskerville Lane
   Lower Shiplake
   Henley-on-Thames
   Oxon RG9 3JY
   United Kingdom

All contact should be made with SP Services in the first instance.


Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.



NOTES

Dialog3d has no effect with Microsoft Word. This is because MS Word does not
use the standard Windows dialog routines but its own internal routines and
methods to achieve the same result.



VERSION HISTORY

Windows Dialog Extenders Bundle

11/1/93            First release


Common File Dialog Extensions

21/11/92   V1.0  - First release
23/11/92   V1.0a - Fix for problems with Rename error dialogs
24/11/92   V1.0b - Fix for problems with Make Dir, timeout increased
                   to 45 mins
30/11/92   V1.0c - Timeout removed and replaced with occasional
                   reminder dialogs
22/12/92   V1.0d - Fix for problems with PM and FM browse dialogs
23/12/92   V1.0e - Fix for problems with MS QuickC for Windows edit
                   project dialog
9/1/93     V1.1  - Support for multi selection dialogs and addition
                   of help menu entry. Now bundled with Dialog3d as
                   Windows Dialog Extensions


Dialog 3D

3/1/93     V1.0  - Initial release
5/1/93     V1.0a - Sorts out problems with SS_SIMPLE Static controls +
                   works with MS access.
11/1/93    V1.0b - Bundled with Dialog3d as Windows Dialog Extensions, fix
                   for static controls with < 256 chars (bypasses bug in
                   ctl3d).