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MENUBAR.DOC
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1993-02-12
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ALPHA FOUR MENU BAR DOCUMENTATION
REQUIREMENTS
These scripts were written using ALPHA FOUR version 2.1.11 and
require this version to operate properly. (continue)
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
This is a "starting point" for you to create your own custom
utility menu bar in your applications. I have found that the
customers really like the "bells & whistles" approach of having
pull down menus with just about every function available to them
that you can imagine. So I have created several of them. This is
a small taste of what you can provide in a menu bar. I have had
as many as 73 different menus, sub-menus, sub-sub-menus, sub-
sub-sub-menus - etc, etc, etc from one eight item menu bar. Use
these scripts as a model for adding, changing and otherwise
creating your own menu-bar. Have fun stretching it to the limit!
Assuming that you are using MS DOS 5.0, here are some ideas to try
out as pull down menu items (keystroke scripts):
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "C:\DOS\QBASIC.EXE",0 ,0}
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "C:\DOS\EDIT.COM",0 ,0}
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "C:\DOS\DISKCOPY.COM",0 ,0}
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "C:\DOS\CHKDSK.COM",0 ,0}
These are but a few that have worked very well. Also, try some-
thing like this:
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "D:\WP\WP.EXE",0 ,0} (WordPerfect)
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "C:\NORTON\SYSINFO.EXE",0 ,0}
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "C:\QUICKEN.BAT",0 ,0} (Quicken 6.0)
I have placed as many as 16 different programs in the menu bar
for my clients. They use our Alpha Four applications as a SHELL
and MENU and never leave Alpha Four at all! They love the con-
venience of it.
The CALENDAR menu-bar item is a variation of Rob McCormack's
EXCELLENT pop-up calendar which can be found on the Alpha Four
Bulletin Board file list along with several other equally mar-
velous scripts that he has written. Rob is a superb A4 script
developer and he pushes scripting to the limit. One can learn a
lot from just looking at the scripts. I included it for demo
purposes only. Please consult Mr. McCormack before including
it with your applications as a professional courtesy for his
time and effort. ( Thanks, Rob )
You should also look at Howard Lower's assorted scripts. If
you want to explore scripting to real depths, you cannot go
wrong by studying his techniques. They are marvelous tutorials
on the Alpha Four scripting language! ( Thanks, Howard)
(continue)
WHAT'S MISSING?
There are several drop-down menu items that are not assigned to
a particular script. For example, the FORMAT DISKETTES sub-menu
script plays "nothing". Why? I have left it open for you to call
your own script for formatting diskettes so that you may dedicate
the unit to your own needs, such as calling the Norton Utilities
Safe Format (as I have done) or, perhaps, the PC Tools formatter
or the DOS format.
( EG: {EXECCLR "C:\NORTON\SFORMAT.EXE", 0, 0} and the like ).
However, there are many menu items that are fully functional.
Try them all and let me know if you have any suggestions.
(continue)
COLORS
The color palette, as used with the menu bar, is set as follows:
UPPER ROW - [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ]
|
red | 0 0 54 63 27 44 50 48
green | 0 7 54 63 30 21 0 48
blue | 0 43 55 63 33 29 0 48
LOWER ROW - [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ]
|
red | 23 0 63 0 63 39 50 63
green | 23 1 63 0 63 0 10 63
blue | 23 63 0 0 0 29 20 63
These are provided so that you may view the MENU BAR in the same
palette as it was written. Of course, you may modify the palette
to your taste. (continue)
SET-UP
Copy the scripts into your script directory. All of the scripts
begin with [ MENU... ] so they can be identified.
Copy the timedate.com and the scrnblnk.com into the
directory which contains the scripts from which you intend to run
the menu bar.
EG: c:\alpha4v2\scripts
Copy the menumem.bat to the ROOT DIRECTORY of your boot drive.
EG: c:\ (continue)
RUN THE MENU BAR
Play the script titled: MENUBAR (continue)
PROBLEM SOLVING
1) Menu bar does not show on screen.
Be sure that your script path is set to the directory or
sub-directory wherein the scripts are located.
2) Cannot reset time or date from the UTILITY menu.
The timedate.com is not located in the current or
proper path. Place it in the script directory or sub-
directory. In the event that this fails to solve the
problem, please check that your operating system (DOS) is
on the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT...
EG: PATH C:\;C:\DOS;C:\ALPHA4V2;.......etc.
I have encountered a couple of cases where this solved
the problem. I don't know why, though, as it isn't a
pure DOS function, but it worked!
3) Screen saver will not blank the screen.
First, check #2 (above). If that does not solve the
problem, then move the scrnblnk.com to your ROOT
DIRECTORY and re-write the MENUSAVR.SCP to read:
{NOCLEAR}{EXECCLR "C:\SCRNBLNK.COM", 0, 0}
This should solve the problem.
If is does not, then there is a possibility that the
scrnblnk.com is conflicting with your video drivers
or your video card. I have tested it with as many diff-
erent combinations as I could with no difficulties en-
countered.
4) The MEMORY CHECK ( menumem.bat ) doesn't work.
You are not using MS DOS 5.0 (or higher) or the batch
file ( menumem.bat ) is not in the root directory of
your boot drive (usually C:\).
If you are not using MS DOS 5.0 (you SHOULD be), edit
the menumem.bat to read "chkdsk" in place of the
"mem /c | more" line. (continue)
ComputeRX
This UTILITY MENU BAR is brought to you by:
Tedd McKeever
ComputeRX
Rt. 7 Box 326-H
Crossville, TN 38555
(615) 484-2444
(615) 456-9609
If we can be of any help to you in developing your ALPHA FOUR
applications or scripts, please feel free to give us a call.
(evenings are OK, but daytime is better)
We specialize in ALPHA FOUR development and scripting.
ENJOY! (end)