Computerworld 1996 March

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Welcome to BackDesk V3.10 ========================= BackDesk is a suite of utilities to enhance your Windows environment and make your work easier. BackDesk is not free; it is distributed as Shareware, allowing you to try before you buy. The files included in this package are: BACKMENU.EXE Pop-up menu BIGDESK.EXE Virtual desktop BACKDESK.HLP Help file for the "textually challenged" ORDERNOW.WRI Registration order form BDUNINST.EXE A simple "uninstall" program Required file for BigDesk: BIGDESK.RUL The default rule-base for BigDesk Required files for BackMenu: PMGROUPS.DLL Program Manager group file reader SAMPLE.MNU Sample pop-up menu file XKEYMAN.DLL External keyword manager BMKEYW.DLL External Keyword Library containing system keywords Required files for any part of BackDesk: BACKDESK.DLL Back-end engine for BigDesk and BackMenu BACKDROP.DLL Drag'n'drop library BDCONFIG.CPL BackDrop control panel applet BDCONFIG.HLP Help for control panel applet CTL3D.DLL Flashy 3D dialog boxes Optional files - BackDrop tools: WALLPAPR.EXE Change your wallpaper every few minutes DROPCLIP.EXE Stack-up multiple files for a single drop DUSTBIN.EXE Drag'n'drop dustbin T2ALIAS.EXE Create an alias from a running program COPYTOOL.EXE Gather files into a single destination Optional files - other: POPGROUP.EXE Display a .GRP file as a pop-up menu BDSHELL.EXE BackDesk shell stub to avoid Windows "feature" README.TXT This file BDX.EXE Execute a BackDesk command line from another application BME.EXE A WYSIWIG menu editor Optional files - external keywords: DEFPRN.DLL Choose the default printer from a menu XK_NET.DLL Add/Delete/Browse the network from a menu Optional files - DOS tools: WCOPY.EXE Copy a file/stdin to the Windows clipboard WPASTE.EXE Paste the Windows clipboard to stdout WRUN.EXE Run a Windows program from a DOS box. WRUNSERV.EXE Windows server required for WRUN.EXE WINSTART.EXE Stub for programmers incorporating WRUN Quick'n'Dirty Installation instructions ======================================= Either Run SETUP.EXE - the comprehensive set-up program. Or i) Decide where you want BackDesk to live - you can create yourself a directory or use an existing one (e.g. c:\windows) ii) Copy most of the above files to that directory. Some of these files have to live in the Windows system directory, namely:- BDCONFIG.CPL BDCONFIG.HLP BACKDROP.DLL CTL3D.DLL iii) if you want the external keywords available straight away, edit SP-SERV.INI (it is in your Windows directory) and add the following:- [External Keywords] XKeywordManager=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\xkeyman.dll Groups=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\pmgroups.dll Tasks=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\bmkeyw.dll ExitWindows=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\bmkeyw.dll About=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\bmkeyw.dll DefaultPrinter=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\DEFPRN.DLL NetConn=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\xk_net.dll NetDisc=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\xk_net.dll NetLinks=C:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\xk_net.dll iv) if you want to use BME.EXE as your menu editor either:- 1) Use the $SetOptions dialog to make it your default editor, or 2) Add MenuEditor=c:\WINDOWS\BACKDESK\BME.EXE to the [Back-Menu] section of SP-SERV.INI v) Read BACKDESK.HLP to find out how to make BackMenu the shell and do all sorts of other interesting things. Which files live where? ======================= In the install directory (e.g. c:\windows\backdesk):- BACKMENU.EXE BIGDESK.EXE BACKDESK.HLP BIGDESK.RUL PMGROUPS.DLL SAMPLE.MNU BACKDESK.DLL WALLPAPR.EXE DROPCLIP.EXE DUSTBIN.EXE T2ALIAS.EXE COPYTOOL.EXE POPGROUP.EXE BDSHELL.EXE README.TXT BDUNINST.EXE XKEYMAN.DLL BMKEYW.DLL DEFPRN.DLL XK_NET.DLL WRUNSERV.EXE BME.EXE The following files will work better if you add the install directory to your path. BDX.EXE WCOPY.EXE WPASTE.EXE WRUN.EXE In the Windows system directory (e.g. c:\windows\system):- BACKDROP.DLL BDCONFIG.CPL BDCONFIG.HLP CTL3D.DLL What's New in Version 3.10 ========================== V3.10 of BackDesk has several new features/enhancements as well as many bug fixes. The major new enhancements are:- * Installable external keywords * Disabling Drag'n'Drop aliases/tools (to work with other desktop applications) * An Uninstall option * You can "Nail" aliases and tools to the desktop (see $AliasOptions for details) * You can use the BackDesk command line syntax from other applications using BDX. * You can edit your menu using BME - a WYSIWIG menu editor * BackMenu is "NT friendly". See the section below for more details A few new keywords have been implemented. $DefaultPrinter Displays the printers avaialable and allows you to select the default. $NetConn/$NetDisc A set of network keywords that allow you to $NetLinks add/browse/delete network resources. $XKeywordManager Allows you to add/edit/delete the external keywords available within BackMenu And a new attribute LITeral stops BackMenu from interpreting any wild-cards (* and ?) it finds in the application parameters And some bug fixes * BigDesk will now cope if you change video resolution while it is running * If you use wild-card parameters on a BackMenu command line and press cancel, a spurious error is no longer given. * Numerous other bug-fixes which I've forgotten As well as these additions, all of the original features which make BackDesk V3.xx great are still present with one exception. The system menu entries, which allowed you to activate BackMenu and/or BigDesk from the system menu in any other application has been removed - it caused too many problems with other applications. Sorry! What's New in Version 3.00 ========================== V3.00 of BackDesk has many new features, all of which are covered in the help file (which is itself new!). BackMenu ======== The syntax used within BackMenu has been revised as we were running out of strange characters to use as tokens. Instead the syntax uses an attribute system, where the attributes and any associated values are placed at the start of the command. The new syntax is:- @{attribute List}Command parameters The @ is used, as before, for auto-start and is optional. The command and parameters are self explanatory. The attribute list allows you to modify the manner in which the application is run. With them you can specify the size and position of the window, the start-up directory or any number of other things. The current set of attributes is described in the help file. New Keywords ------------ A few new keywords have been implemented. $AliasOptions Change BackMenu alias settings $AliasToBack Send the aliases/tools behind all other windows $AliasToFront Bring the aliases/tools above all other windows $ArrangeAlias Arrange the aliases along one side of the screen $EditMenu Edit the current menu. $HideAlias Remove all aliases/tools from the screen. $LoadMenu Load in another menu-file to replace the current. $NewAlias Create a new alias $RestartWindows Restart Windows $RunFile Execute a set of commands contained within a file $SaveAlias Save all the alias/tool positions. $ShowAlias Bring all aliases/tools back onto the screen $SnapAlias Position aliases using a grid. $StartSaver Start the Windows screen saver And a few keywords have been enhanced $Execute Choose an application to execute $Groups Display a menu containing the Program Manager Groups $SetOptions Set various BackMenu options Drag and drop aliases --------------------- Aliases may be made between files in the system and icons displayed on the desktop. These icons have a raised look and italicised caption. These aliases are created by dragging files from an application that is a Windows 3.1 drag'n'drop source (e.g. File Manager) and dropping them onto the desktop. An alias icon is created using any association information or an icon from an executable. These aliases are stored as part of the BackMenu settings and so persist from session to session. Once created, an alias may:- * Be moved around the screen. Simply click-and-drag the mouse over the alias to move it. Multiple aliases can be dragged as one, by using SHIFT+Click to select more than one. * Be double clicked. This executes the file associated with the alias. For example, an alias for NOTEPAD.EXE will execute Notepad when double clicked. Aliases for data files rather than executables will use the associations defined using File Manager. For example, double clicking on an alias for WIN.INI will start notepad with WIN.INI loaded. * Be dropped on from File Manager. This executes the file associated with the alias, as with double clicking, but also passes the name of the file dropped as a command line. If the file is an executable, the dropped file will be passed as a command line parameter and the program should start up with that file loaded. For example, dragging SP-SERV.INI from File Manager and dropping it on an alias for NOTEPAD.EXE will start up Notepad with the SP-SERV.INI file loaded. * Be dropped on from other aliases. Exactly the same rules apply as for files from File Manager as each alias is an indirection to a file. * Be dragged and dropped onto other executing applications. Any application that already understands the Windows 3.1 drag'n'drop protocol may have aliases dropped onto it in exactly the same way that files dragged from File Manager may be dropped. For example, dragging an alias for WIN.INI and dropping it onto a Notepad application will cause Notepad to load in WIN.INI. Each alias may also be configured. A menu allows you to change the alias details or icon. The alias can also be closed and thus destroyed. Note that closing an alias does not delete the associated file, but only gives up some screen real estate. The icon for an alias may be changed by selecting a file containing one or several icons and then choosing one. The icon may be in an executable, dynamic link library or icon file. If no icon can be found, a default is used. The name of the file and icon number are stored as part of the alias. Move the file and BackMenu will no longer be able to locate the icon and so it will revert to the BackDrop one. The alias details dialog box allows you to change the caption for the alias and the associated file. This is shown as the alias command line with the file as the first item. By changing this item, the file associated with the alias is changed. You can also modify the command line, by adding in parameters etc. There is a special symbol (#) which denotes the location in the command line of a file if one is dropped onto this alias. E.g. the alias command C:\COMMAND.COM /C COPY # a: will expand into C:\COMMAND.COM /C COPY FOO.TXT a: if the file FOO.TXT is dropped onto this alias. Note that the command line may contain any of the attributes described above. BigDesk ======= You can drag a file from any Windows 3.1 drag'n'drop source (e.g. File Manager or a BackMenu alias) and drop it onto the virtual desktop. The program will be started up at the location dropped. Simple as that really. The Save/Load Window Positions item from the Desktop menu allows you to save the positions of all executing applications and restore them later. This option generates a file called BIGDESK.DTF (for Desk Top File) in the same directory as BIGDESK.EXE. There's also an 'expert system' which uses a file called BIGDESK.RUL (for RULebase) to decide what items to store in .DTF files and how they should be stored. CTRL+Left click on the background of the window when the title bar is removed and the system menu will appear. BackDrop Tools ============== The drag'n'drop system also allows tools to be written, which may then interact with the rest of the drag'n'drop environment. This appear as icons on the desktop in the same manner as aliases, except the caption is not italicised. The tools act in the same manner as aliases. Each can have files or other aliases dropped onto them. The tools, however, are windows programs and perform some set function with these files. Tools may also be saved along with aliases and so can be automatically reloaded when the system is started once more. BackDesk comes with five of these tools:- * WallPaper is a tool that accepts bitmap files (by dropping) and then cycles through each as the background wallpaper. The delay between changes can be set in minutes. You can fiddle with settings for each wallpaper (i.e. whether it is tiled or centred). * DropClip allows a batch of files to be "saved up" over a period of time, and then dragged onto another application. This tool is useful if you want to drag files from File Manager in one desktop to another program in another desktop. As the virtual desktop does not dynamically scroll, the files can be dragged and dropped into DropClip, the desktop focus moved, and dragged out of DropClip and into the other program. * Dustbin is a drag'n'drop file and alias remover. Simply drag the aliases or files that are to be removed and drop them onto the dustbin icon. Note that files dropped into the dustbin are irretrievably deleted. * TaskToAlias is a tool to create an alias from a program that's already running. Double click on it and you'll get a spyglass cursor. Position this over any other window and click and an alias will be created for you from the details of the program over which you clicked. * CopyTool is a tool to help you gather together a set of files for copying to somewhere else. Drag any file from a program like File Manager, drop onto CopyTool. Set the options in CopyTool to tell it where and when to copy the files. * PopGroup is not really a tool but there's nowhere else to tell you so... This program pops up a menu listing the contents of the Program Manager group file (.GRP) supplied to it as a command line parameter. Associate it with the .GRP extension in File Manager. Running BackDesk under Windows NT ================================= It is possible to use the 16 bit version of BackDesk on Windows NT as well as Windows 3.10 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11. At present the only limitations are :- * BackMenu will not be able to show your Windows NT Program Manager groups. If you have installed Windows NT over Windows 3.10/3.11, BackMenu will display those groups, otherwise your $Groups menu entry is removed from the menu. We're working on this one. * Setting BackMenu to be your default shell will have no effect, you will always have Program Manager loaded. * $ExitWindows and $RestartWindows will log you out, not exit or restart Windows NT. * If you have full window dragging enabled, you may notice it takes time for the background to be repainted as you drag a window around. Don't worry, this is purely cosmetic and we're working on a solution. All you have to do to make BackDesk work under NT is tell BackMenu. To do that, you simply place the -NT switch on the command line for BackMenu. You can do this by editing the BackMenu entry in the BackDesk 3.10 group. Select the icon in the group and choose File/Properties. In the edit box entitled 'Command Line' move the cursor to the end of the line and add -NT. Be sure there is a space between the end of the BackMenu application name and -NT. Choose OK, and that should be it. If you run BackMenu without this switch, everything will still start up but you will not be able to display the BackMenu menu. The simplest way to remedy this problem is to log out and log back in again (this will close down the errant BackMenu, its the easiest way to be sure). It is also a good idea to do this if you get the error 'Unable to create background window'. Please note this is late-breaking code added to BackDesk 3.10, so there may be problems we have not foreseen. Please drop us a line if you encounter any problems running BackDesk under Windows NT (see the help for details)