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1996-11-01
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AppWait Readme Copyright 1996, Darren V. Croft
Version 1.0 (10/30/96)
================================================================
Description
-----------
AppWait allows applications stored on a network drive to be
placed in the OS/2 startup folder. Until the executable and
working directory drive letters are available, AppWait presents
a dialog that displays, "Waiting for X:".
Program icons set up with AppWait behave just like normal
program icons. For instance, if the application is minimized,
double clicking on the icon brings the application to the
foreground.
Shareware version
-----------------
There are only visual differences between the shareware version
and the version you will receive upon registration.
On the shareware version the waiting dialog displays the
following additional words:
"Unregistered shareware"
"dvc@ibm.net"
You may use the shareware version only for evaluation purposes.
At the conclusion of your evaluation please register as detailed
in Register.txt ($10 personal license, $100 site license).
Limitations
-----------
OS/2 executables work very well with AppWait. OS/2 command files
and DOS and Windows executables currently have some limitations.
There is no way to specify DOS or Windows Settings -- the
defaults are always used.
Windows applications, DOS .bat files, and OS/2 .cmd files wait
only for the working directory drive. This is fine if the
executable is on a local drive or on the same drive as the
working directory you specify.
How does it work?
-----------------
AppWait is a small PM program. It takes as parameters the
information needed to run your application.
Simply create a program object for AppWait with the application
info, put it in the startup folder, and you're done.
AppWait Useage
--------------
OS/2 or DOS executable:
AppWait APP_NAME APP_WORKING_DIRECTORY PARAMETERS_FOR_APP
OS/2 .cmd file:
AppWait cmd.exe WORK_DIRECTORY /cCMD_NAME PARAMS_FOR_CMD
DOS .bat file:
AppWait command.com WORK_DIRECTORY /cBAT_NAME PARAMS_FOR_BAT
Windows programs:
AppWait winos2.com WORK_DIRECTORY APP_NAME PARAMS_FOR_APP
(if this doesn't work on Warp red spine, try win.com
instead of winos2.com)
The following are step by step instructions to set up a program
object with AppWait:
1. Create a new program object
You can drag a program object off the Program template
in the templates folder
You can click on a program object and type create another.
Or, you can modify a program object you already have for your
app.
2. On the program page of the object, fill in the path and file
name field with AppWait.exe
If you haven't installed AppWait to a directory on your path,
you must enter the full path name. (For instance, if you have
Appwait in c:\utilities, enter c:\utilities\appwait.exe)
3. In the parameters field, supply information about your
app.
For OS/2 or DOS executables, this information should be
entered in the following order:
a. Full path to the executable
b. Full path of the working directory
c. Parameters for your app
For OS/2 .cmd files, enter the following in the parameters
field:
a. cmd.exe
b. Full path of the working directory
c. /cFILENAME.CMD where FILENAME.CMD is the name of your
command file. (You can include the path if needed.)
d. Parameters for your command file.
For DOS.bat files, enter the following in the parameters
field:
a. command.com
b. Full path of the working directory
c. /cFILENAME.BAT where FILENAME.BAT is the name of your
batch file. (You can include the path if needed.)
d. Parameters for your batch file
For Windows programs, enter the following in the parameters
field:
a. winos2.com (try win.com if this doesn't work)
b. Full path of the working directory
c. The executable name. (You can include the path if needed.)
d. Parameters for your app
4. The working directory field of the AppWait object can be left
blank. It is overidden by the working directory passed to
appwait.
5. Set the icon for the program object.
This can be done in several ways. Here is one method:
a. Open the settings of an object that has the correct icon.
b. Change to the general page.
c. Press the edit button and the icon editor should open.
d. Choose File Save, and enter a temporary name.
e. Use the drives object to open the folder where you
temporarily saved the icon.
f. Change to the general page of the AppWait object you are
creating, and drag and drop the icon from the folder onto
the icon area of the general page.
Useage Examples
---------------
The following examples assume you have AppWait.exe in the
c:\util directory, and the c:\util directory is not in your
path.
** Example: OS/2 executable **
A program object with the following settings will start Describe
from the h: drive with a default directory of c:\describe. The
file name c:\describe\data\todo will be passed as a parameter.
Path and file name field:
c:\util\appwait.exe
Parameters field:
h:\describe\describe.exe c:\describe c:\describe\data\todo
Working directory field:
** Example: DOS executable **
A program object with the following settings will start
Wordperfect from the h: drive with a default directory of
h:\wpData, and the file name h:\WpData\todo will be passed as a
parameter.
Path and file name field:
c:\util\appwait.exe
Parameters field:
h:\wp51\wp.exe h:\wpData h:\WpData\todo
Working directory field:
** Example: OS/2 command file **
A program object with the following settings will run the
command file copyNew.cmd with a working directory of
f:\newfiles, and pass c:\latest as a parameter.
Path and file name field:
c:\util\appwait.exe
Parameters field:
cmd.exe f:\newfiles /ccopyNew.cmd c:\latest
Working directory field:
** Example: DOS batch file **
A program object with the following settings will run the batch
file copyNew.bat with a working directory of f:\newfiles, and
pass c:\latest as a parameter.
Path and file name field:
c:\util\appwait.exe
Parameters field:
command.com f:\newfiles /ccopyNew.bat c:\latest
Working directory field:
** Example: Windows Program **
A program object with the following settings will run America
Online with a working directory of m:\aol30.
Path and file name field:
c:\util\appwait.exe
Parameters field:
winos2.com m:\aol30\aol.exe m:\aol30
Working directory field:
Possible Enhancements
---------------------
The following enhancements will be considered if there is enough
demand.
1. Specify DOS and Windows program settings.
2. Wait on the the drive where the command file, batch file, or
Windows program resides (when different from working drive).
3. Execute a specific command file or other program when a
drive isn't available (With this capability, you could have
an object that would NET USE the drives if needed.)
4. Wait on other drives in addition to the executable and
working directory drive.
5. Have an application wait for another specific application in
addition to waiting for the network drives (In this way you
could enforce startup order for network apps.)
6. A new WPS class that would create a "Network Program"
Object providing ExeWait functionality and a settings page
to control it.
Please let me know your needs by sending email to dvc@ibm.net