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┌──────────────────────────────┐ │ AlacartE (TM) - Version 4.20 │ └──────────────────────────────┘ (C)Copyright SHANIT Australia TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 3. INSTALLATION 4. OPERATION 5. SETUP 6. HINTS AND SPECIAL FEATURES 7. USING THE MOUSE 8. COLOURS SETTING 9. ALADOSKEY 10. LICENSE SUPPORT AND DISTRIBUTION 1. INTRODUCTION AlacartE (TM) is a user configurable menu system, for the IBM PCs, IBM PS/2s and clones, operating under IBM DOS, MS-DOS, DR-DOS, Microsoft Windows and Windows95. The AlacartE menu system provides a friendly, easy to set and operate interface into the DOS environment. For the novice user a preset menu will improve efficiency of the PC day to day operation, by avoiding the need for a time consuming navigation through DOS directories in order to invoke various commands. The advanced user will benefit through the fewer key strokes that the menu system requires, in order to achieve repetitive operations, eg. backups, prints, etc. A preset AlacartE menu may be utilized as a friendly front cover to any software package, or merely as an aid for software distribution. The AlacartE Setup named ALASETUP.EXE is a stand alone utility that may be removed from the disk ensuring that the preset menu is not alterable. Any option activated from the AlacartE menu, will have no further memory constraints, as AlacartE does not remain resident during programs execution. This means that the activated option operates exactly as if it was started from the DOS prompt, making use of the entire available memory space. 2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS * IBM PC-DOS or MS-DOS version 2.1 or higher. * IBM PC or true compatible machine using any off : 8086, 8088, 80286, 80386 or 80486 processors. * Monitor - monochrome, or preferably a colour monitor CGA, EGA, VGA or Super VGA with adapter. * Hard disk installation occupies approximately 300 Kb on the hard disk, (120 Kb ONLY! if the Setup and the User Manual are excluded from installation). * Mouse is optional. 3. INSTALLATION Copy all files on the distribution diskette to the hard disk, preferably to a subdirectory. For example, presuming a subdirectory called AE on the C: drive is allocated to this installation: * Create the subdirectory first : C:\>MD AE<Enter> * Copy files to subdirectory : C:\>COPY A:*.* C:\AE<Enter> * To start AlacartE automatically on switch-on, insert the following lines at the end of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file found in the bootable disk root directory : CD\AE A The following is a list of the distribution files: File name Function ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A.BAT - AlacartE startup batch file. ALACARTE.EXE - AlacartE menu system executable file. ALASETUP.EXE - AlacartE Setup utility executable file. ALACARTE.HLP - AlacartE help file. ALASETUP.HLP - AlacartE Setup utility help file. ALACARTE.CNF - AlacartE example configuration file. ALASCRSV.EXE - AlacartE Screen saver default utility. ALASPACE.EXE - AlacartE Screen saver second option. ALAUREAD.TXT - AlacartE User manual - Help file. 4. OPERATION AlacartE is run with the simple command: "A<Enter>". This command may be inserted as the last line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file of the bootable disk root directory, such that AlacartE is automatically run on start-up. <F1> is the Help key. Help is provided at any stage of operation. The help window position is controllable by press and hold the <Shift> key while striking an arrow key, or by clicking the left mouse button on the arrows displayed on the bottom line of the screen. The screen's bottom line is continuously updated with the active keys. Navigation through the menu options is achieved by striking the arrow keys. Fast horizontal moves may be achieved by press - hold <Shift> or <Alt> key, and pressing a horizontal menu "hot-key". Activation of a pre-defined option is achieved either by selecting the option first and then invoking it by pressing the <Enter> key, or by striking the relevant pre-assigned "hot-key" from the current vertical menu. To quit AlacartE - either press <Esc> or press - hold the <Shift> or <Alt> key and press the <Q> key. Alternatively select the "Quit" option first, using the arrow keys, then press the <Enter> key. Confirm 'Quit' by pressing the <Y> key. 5. SETUP The <F2> key is a "hot key" that switches to and from AlacartE menu and AlacartE set-up mode. The <F10> key serves as Save/Continue key. During operation of the Setup utility the current relevant set-up is displayed and confirmation is required prior to save. While in Setup, pressing the <F2> key will switch to AlacartE menu. Please note that if the <F2> key is pressed, prior to <F10>-Continue, the latest changes that were not confirmed will be discarded and lost. The horizontal menu may contain up to NINE categories each calling up to TEN "commands" that are preset and called via pull-down vertical menus. Any alphanumeric character of the horizontal option title may be set as a "hot-key". Please note, due to limited space in a single line of your monitor, the warning: "Too many characters..." may appear on your screen, while configuring the horizontal menu titles. A change in the field's background colour serves as an indication of such warning. In this event, abbreviate the horizontal menu titles until the warning disappears. The vertical menus may contain up to TEN operations, each initiating a preset command, started from a preset path (drive and directory). Each named operation may be associated with a "hot-key" from the option title. If two or more similar "hot-key"s are selected, a warning: "Key selection error" will appear following <F10>-Save. Answer <N> to the "Confirm..." question, then rectify. Please note, "hot-key"s are case sensitive only when displayed. However, for operating purpose "hot-key"s are non case sensitive, eg. if for "Tools" a "T" was selected as the "hot-key", striking either "T" or "t" will activate the "Tools" preset vertical menu or command. It is therefore advisable that unique hot keys are selected. "Path" is the drive and directory from which the preset relevant command is to be executed, eg. "C:\DOS" or "D:\", "A:\BACKUP", etc. The maximum path length is limited to 80 characters. "Commands" are any DOS internals eg. DIR, COPY, TYPE, etc., or executable files, .COM, .EXE, or .BAT batch files. The command length is limited to 80 characters. 6. HINTS AND SPECIAL FEATURES 6.1 SPECIFIED DOS COMMAND OR COMMAND TAIL A DOS command or a variable command tail execution may be set-up by inserting a "->" in the "Command" field of a vertical menu, eg. "DIR->" will prompt for the rest of the command tail, prior to execution. Type the command or the command tail then press either <F10> or <Enter> to execute. 6.2 BATCH FILES EXECUTION In order to facilitate batch files execution from the AlacartE menus, the following must be performed : * The DOS PATH must contain the path of the AlacartE installation, eg.: PATH = C:\AE. This may be preset in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. * Due to DOS inherent limitations in version prior to 3.30, batch files activated from AlacartE need to include a last line reading: "rprosoft". If your DOS version is 3.30 or later, your batch files will not require any modification in order to be run from the AlacartE menu. 6.3 SHELL TO DOS Any one of the vertical options may be configured as an "Exit to DOS Shell" using the command: "COMMAND". To return to AlacartE from DOS Shell, type: "EXIT<Enter>". 6.4 DELETING HORIZONTAL ALACARTE OPTIONS Options in the horizontal menu are merely titles for categories of functions, or programs. Deleting options from the AlacartE horizontal menu is allowed only if all the attached vertical menu options are cleared. To clear a vertical menu, press <F2> to switch to the Setup utility. Select the "Vertical menu options" from the SETUP MENU. Select the relevant horizontal option. Press the <F4>-Clear All key, then <F10> to continue. Confirm by pressing <Y>, then press <Q> or <Esc> to return to SETUP MENU. Select "Horizontal menu options" by pressing <H>. Delete the relevant horizontal option by pressing <F8> while in the "Title" and the "Key" fields. Press <F10>-Continue, <Y> to confirm, then press <F2> or <Esc> to return to the AlacartE menu. Deletion of multiple horizontal menu options in any one session is allowed only if the deleted horizontal options are grouped together. Otherwise delete only one horizontal option at a time. 6.5 DELETING VERTICAL ALACARTE OPTIONS To clear vertical menu option(s), press <F2> to switch to the Setup utility. Select "Vertical menu options" from the SETUP MENU. Select the relevant horizontal option. Using the mouse or <TAB>, <Shift><TAB>, <Enter> or the arrow keys place the cursor in the "Title" field of the vertical option to be deleted. Press the <F8>-Clear field, then <F10>-Continue. Confirm deletion by pressing <Y>, then press <Q> or <Esc> to return to the SETUP MENU. Press <F2> or <Esc> to return to the AlacartE menu. 6.6 KEYBOARD TIMEOUT AND SCREEN SAVING While in the menu system, press hold the <Shift> key and strike the <Esc> key to start the screen blanking. This invokes the screen blanking utility as defined in the Setup. The default screen blanking ALASCRSV.EXE may be used for both colour and monochrome monitors. This utility displays a pattern at random coordinates on the screen, until any key is pressed or the mouse is moved or clicked. The screen saver is also automatically triggered by a keyboard timeout, defined in SETUP as a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 32000 seconds. ALASPACE.EXE is a secondary option for screen saving. This utility may be run in various ways, depending upon the command line utilized. ALASPACE.EXE defaults to a display of 40 white stars at any time. The number of stars may be selected by the switch -Nxxx where xxx is the number of stars required, minimum is 10 and maximum is 100. The stars may be displayed in colour, if the -C switch is added to the command line. These options are set such as to obtain the best display flavour. Please note that other screen saving utilities may be utilized, eg. slides displays or animated company logo may be invoked at screen saving time. Screen saving utilities should be terminated at the press of any key or by mouse motion or click. 6.7 CONTROLLING SOUND. Whenever an invalid key is pressed, a short sound is activated as a warning to the user. Some TSR programs may be activated using "hot keys" that combine <Shift> and/or <Alt> thus interfering with the "quick" AlacartE horizontal selections. It therefore is imperative that in such case the "Invalid key stroke sound" is turned OFF. The sound may be turned ON or OFF by Setup. 6.8 CHANGING USER INTERFACE STYLE. Two modes of display are available, CUI (Character User Interface) or GUI (Graphics User Interface). The GUI mode is marginally slower, thus it is more suited for faster processors ie. 80386 or 80486. GUI is available on VGA and Super VGA displays only. 7. USING THE MOUSE The use of the mouse is optional but very convenient. The left hand button is used to Select, while both the right hand button and the centre button (if available), simulate the <Esc> key. The mouse may be used to either 'point and click' or 'drag and drop' to select any of the menu options displayed on the screen or any of the options displayed on the screen's bottom line. 8. COLOURS SETTING The AlacartE menu colours are fully selectable when run on a colour monitor. Select and activate the 'Colors setting' option from the SETUP MENU and select colours as indicated. If at any stage you decide that it might be easier to restart from the default colours selection activate this option from the SETUP COLORS menu. Some 'badly written' TSR programs address the graphics display and terminate prior to restoring the previous setup. If the AlacartE menu colors blink upon return to the menu from a TSR program, selection of eight colors rather than sixteen will solve this problem. This setup is achieved via the SETUP COLORS menu. 9. ALADOSKEY - Advanced users. This is a perfect alternative to the MS-DOS DOSKEY.COM utility that stays resident and occupies about 4Kbytes. Unlike the traditional DOSKEY, AlaDOSKey is a built in feature of the AlacartE menu. It is therefore neither memory resident nor limited in commands storage. Each AlaDOSKey option will store the latest 550 commands and paths, with the most recent on the top of the list, for quickest selection. Multiple AlaDOSKey options may be configured. To configure an AlaDOSKey option, press <F2> to switch to Setup, then press <V> to select the 'Vertical Menu options' from the SETUP MENU. Select an horizontal option under which the AlaDOSKey is to be configured. Type in a title of your choice and set an appropriate hot key for it. In the 'Path' field type '*' preceded by a file name that will store the paths. If no file name is entered following the '*' a default file name (ALAPATH.TXT). The file storing commands is configured by entering a '*' in the 'Command' field, optionally preceded by a file name, or else it defaults to ALACMND.TXT. The last paths and commands are viewed and selected from a pull down combo list that is opened by pressing the Down arrow key while in the relevant field. Selection using the mouse is fast and convenient especially when many options were already stored. The AlaDOSKey text files may be deleted so that a clean set of paths and commands is started. 10. LICENSE SUPPORT AND DISTRIBUTION The AlacartE (TM) software is licensed to use on a single IBM PC system. To run AlacartE on a network it is recommended that each user keeps a full copy of the AlacartE files either on his own work station, or in a private directory on the file server. Multiple users license or site license for AlacartE is only available on special application. Software upgrades will be available, only to registered licensed users. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── * IBM, IBM-DOS and PS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc. * Microsoft, MS and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── AlacartE was written for you, enjoy it... Our address is : SHANIT Tedy Shalev P.O.Box 292 CROWS NEST NSW 2065 AUSTRALIA Telephone: (612) 9498-2236 eMail: tedysh@ozemail.com.au PLEASE NOTE: AlacartE software is distributed as shareware. If you find AlacartE suitable to your needs, please register it, by sending $10 to the above address. Thank you for your support.