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M e n u M a s t e r
2.12
Menuing System for IBM-PC Computer and Compatibles
by
John Franck
1200 Jefferson Davis Rd.
Martinsville, Va. 24112
(703) 632-3845
CompuServe 70077,3453
BBS Support 703-632-2079
This is an abbreviated version of the Owner's Manual for persons
evaluating Menu Master for their own use. Not all of the features
are documented here. Registered Users (those who pay the modest
registration fee of $30) will receive the official Program Disk,
printed manual, and will be entitled to free upgrades, telephone
support, information on program "secrets" and other such benefits.
John Franck February 4, 1987
INTRODUCTION
--------------
I used to spend a great deal of time working with new PC users,
trying to get them comfortable with MS-DOS, the IBM-PC's operating
system. Learning to use word processing, database, or spreadsheet
software is tough enough for newcomers to PC's without the added
burden of remembering all those DOS commands.
Most of the PC's at the office were of the hard disk variety.
Since the software programs and files were on the hard disk, I
wrote a Menu Utility program to help people negotiate their way
around the computer. In the mornings when they turned on their
computer, they would automatically see a menu from which they could
run Lotus 123, copy some disks, dial Dow Jones for their favorite
stock quotes, do a little Word Processing, etc., etc. - all without
having to remember or type any commands. Their response was
gratifying, to say the least! The program later evolved into Menu
Master.
Menu Master allows any computer user to create customized menus
that can be a "Control Center" for running application programs and
frequently used DOS routines. For new users it saves a lot of
frustration. For the more experienced it saves a lot of time.
Applications can be run at the touch of a single key instead of
typing in commands. No more forgetting commands or DOS directory
names - all these are entered one time only and Menu Master
remembers the commands for you. It will free you from the burden
of remembering and typing those complicated commands and will let
you concentrate on getting your work done.
MAJOR FEATURES
--------------
- Simple to Learn, Easy and Fast to use
- Enter Menu Settings directly from program, without the need
for text editor
- Clear, clean and attractive screen layouts
- Ability to "chain" multiple menus together
- Up to 24 Menu Items with user-defined Menu Prompts,
Passwords, Directory Paths, and Command Settings
- Up to 7 Command Lines per Menu Item
- Customize the Screen Colors and Individual Menu Prompt Colors
- Personalized Menu Title with your Own or Company name
- Customize On-Screen User Notes
- Optional Date and Time Display
- Clock chimes softly on the hour.
- Menu Screen Blanks after 3 minutes to prevent Screen Burn-in.
- System Password with extensive protection flexibility
GETTING STARTED
---------------
In order for MENU MASTER to work properly, the following 2 files
must reside in the same sub-directory of your Hard Disk:
MENU.BAT - Program Initiation File
MMPRG.EXE - MENU MASTER Program
The program also self-generates a file in the same sub-directory
called MMSTR.STG which contains all of the Menu Settings that you
will enter. (If you ever want to delete all of your Settings, you
can easily do it by deleting the MMSTR.STG file.)
Once the files MENU.BAT and MMPRG.EXE have been copied onto the
Hard Disk, you can run Menu Master by simply typing in the word
"MENU" at the C> prompt.
The following screen will appear (fig. 1):
(Figure 1)
==============================================================
= =
= =
= M e n u M a s t e r =
= =
= Version 2.12 =
= February 4, 1987 =
= (C) Copyright 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 by John Franck =
= =
= If you find this program useful to you, =
= a payment of $30 per system is requested. =
= =
= John Franck =
= 1200 Jefferson Davis Rd. =
= Martinsville, Va. 24112 =
= =
= Please copy this program and share it with others. =
= =
==============================================================
Press any key to continue ...
This TITLE SCREEN appears only once per day, so as to not interfere
with MENU MASTER's ease-of-use. (There's a secret way to
permanently bypass this screen for registered users only.) Just
press any key to continue...
The next screen, MAIN MENU (fig. 2), is the one you will normally
see when using MENU MASTER. It is from this screen that you select
your Applications at the touch of a single key.
(Figure 2)
=============================================================
= =
= 05-16-1985 M e n u M a s t e r 8:06:10 am =
= =
=============================================================
= =
= A - G - =
= =
= B - H - =
= =
= C - I - =
= =
= D - J - =
= =
= E - K - =
= =
= F - L - =
= =
=============================================================
= =
= ESC = DOS ALT-letter = Modify F10 = Colors =
= =
=============================================================
C:\ * Unregistered Copy *
About the MAIN MENU:
The MAIN MENU displays the current Date and also provides a digital
Clock. The Clock chimes softly every hour as long as the menu is
active.
Up to 24 Menu Selections can be entered into MENU MASTER,
with their prompts appearing on this screen. Although only 12
selections appear in the illustration (fig. 2), 2 additional
columns of 6 may be added. (The procedure for adding columns is
discussed later in the section "Modifying System Settings".)
Your Menu Selections can be individually Password Protected. If a
selection is protected, the user is prompted to enter the password
before running the selection.
Whenever you finish running a program, MENU MASTER returns you to
this screen so you can quickly move on to something else.
To prevent "Screen Burn-in", the screen will go blank after about 3
minutes of no activity. The Time will continue to be displayed and
updated. To re-display the screen, simply press any key.
The current Drive and Directory are displayed at the lower left of
the screen.
The message "* Unregistered Copy *" will appear at the bottom of
the screen if you have not yet registered your copy of Menu Master.
ENTERING MENU SETTINGS
----------------------
To enter, modify or examine menu settings, hold down the "ALT" key
and press the letter of the item you wish to select.
For example, let's enter a menu setting for Formatting Floppy
Disks. This will allow you to have a permanent menu selection for
formatting disks at the touch of a single key from MENU MASTER's
Main Menu.
In our example, we'll assume the following:
- We want "Format a Disk" to appear as Menu Item A on the Main
Menu
- This Menu Item is to be password protected using "ROSEBUD" as
the password.
- The DOS FORMAT Command is located on a sub-directory entitled
DOS (C:\DOS).
- The DOS Format Command, "FORMAT A:", will format a disk
located in Drive A.
To enter these settings in Menu Item A, hold down the ALT key
and press "A".
press ALT-A
The MODIFY Screen will appear as shown in Fig. 3:
(Figure 3)
============================================================
= =
= Menu Prompt : _ =
= Password : =
= Directory Path : C:\ =
= Command Line 1 : =
= 2 : =
= 3 : =
= 4 : =
= 5 : =
= 6 : =
= 7 : =
= =
= RETURN = Accept Del = Delete ESC = Escape =
= =
============================================================
This MODIFY screen is used to enter new or to modify existing
menu settings. You also can use it to examine settings which
have already been entered. There are 4 fields to enter for
the "Format a Disk" menu setting example. Enter them now as
illustrated in Fig. 4.
(Figure 4)
============================================================
= =
= Menu Prompt : Format a Disk =
= Password : ROSEBUD =
= Directory Path : C:\DOS =
= Command Line 1 : FORMAT A: =
= 2 : =
= 3 : =
= 4 : =
= 5 : =
= 6 : =
= 7 : _ =
= =
= RETURN = Accept Del = Delete ESC = Escape =
= =
============================================================
In our example (fig. 4), the Menu Prompt setting is what you will
see next to the letter "A" on the Main Menu screen. This can be
anything you like describing what the selection does. The maximum
length of Menu Prompts is 60 characters, but this depends on how
many columns of menu selections you have. (We'll discuss how to
change the number of columns later.)
Menu Master will automatically fill in the Directory Path setting
with the current drive and directory. This field will only need
changing if your application resides on a drive or sub-directory
other than the Current Directory (C:\). In the illustration, the
FORMAT.COM file is on the subdirectory called C:\DOS, so we added
"DOS" to this field. (Refer to your DOS manual if you need
information on Directory Paths.)
The Command "FORMAT A:" is the DOS command that will format a disk
in Drive A. Commands can be up to 60 characters in length.
You will notice that we did not enter anything for the 2nd thru
the 7th Command settings. Just leave them blank if you don't need
the extra commands. Menu Master will run every command that it
finds in Commands 1-7. If you use Batch Files for a series of
commands, using Menu Master's 7 settings can be a much better
alternative.
Keep pressing RETURN or TAB to skip through the rest of the command
settings. After the 7th Command field, your settings will be saved
and you will return to the Main Menu screen again. The menu
prompt, "Format a Disk", will appear next to Menu Item A on the
Main Menu as shown in Figure 5.
(Figure 5)
=============================================================
= =
= 05-16-1985 M e n u M a s t e r 8:06:10 am =
= =
=============================================================
= =
= A - Format a Disk G - =
= =
= B - H - =
= =
= C - I - =
= =
= D - J - =
= =
= E - K - =
= =
= F - L - =
= =
=============================================================
= =
= ESC = DOS ALT-letter = Modify F10 = Colors =
= =
=============================================================
You can now "Format a Disk" by pressing the letter "A". Because
you entered a password setting, you'll be prompted to give the
password before you're able to run the selection in A. When
prompted for the password, enter "ROSEBUD" (the password you gave
to A) and you will immediately escape from Menu Master and can
Format the Disk. Try this example on your computer now or enter
another setting of your own. You may have to change the Directory
Path to the proper setting for your particular computer setup,
depending on what directory contains FORMAT.COM.
Note: All passwords in Menu Master are "case sensitive". This
means that the user must enter the password EXACTLY.
Upper/lower case letters and spaces ARE significant.
CHANGING OR DELETING MENU SETTINGS
----------------------------------
To change or delete settings, go from the Main Menu to the Modify
screen by pressing ALT and the letter you wish to modify. The
existing settings will be shown. You can edit settings by using the
Backspace or Delete keys and then re-typing what you want. Press
RETURN or TAB to skip down to the next fields. After the 7th
field, your changes will be saved and you'll return to the Main
Menu again. To leave the Modify Screen without saving any changes,
simply press the ESC key at any time.
CHANGING THE DISPLAY COLORS
---------------------------
By pressing F10 from the Main Menu, you'll activate the Color
Experimentation Window. Using this feature, you can try out
various color combinations to suit your own tastes. The window
displays a representation of the current Foreground, Background,
and Menu Border colors. By pressing the Left or Right cursor keys,
you can see up to 16 different Foreground (text) colors. Up or
Down cursor keys will display the 8 possible Background colors.
Page Up or Page Down will display the 16 Menu Border colors. When
you find the combination you like, just press RETURN to save the
color settings and return to the Main Menu. If you don't want to
save the color settings, press ESC and you'll see the Main Menu
with the old colors.
Menu Prompts and the Menu Title can be given individual colors of
their own by using the Color Over-ride feature. To do this, go to
the Modify Screen of the menu item whose prompt you wish to Color
by pressing ALT-Letter from the Main Menu. Then, simply enter the
2-digit color number you want, enclosed by brackets [], immediately
after the Menu Prompt setting.
For example, in the "Format a Disk" setting described earlier, you
would enter the Menu Prompt as follows to color the prompt Blue:
Menu Prompt : Format a Disk[01]
You can use the Color Experimentation Window as a reference for
color numbers. The numbers are displayed there in addition to the
actual colors. For further reference, a list of valid color
numbers follows:
00 Black 04 Red 08 Gray 12 Lt Red
01 Blue 05 Magenta 09 Lt Blue 13 Lt Magenta
02 Green 06 Brown 10 Lt Green 14 Yellow
03 Cyan 07 White 11 Lt Cyan 15 Super White
Notes: The color number entered in brackets, [], MUST be a 2-digit
number. Also, if you enter a number that is the same color
as the screen Background, the Prompt will become invisible.
By adding 16 to the color number, you can make the prompt
blink. For instance, [17] will display a blinking Blue
prompt.
MODIFYING SYSTEM SETTINGS
-------------------------
There are a variety of System Settings that can be changed to
further personalize and protect your Menu Master setup. To display
the SYSTEM SETTINGS screen, press ALT-Z.
Press ALT-Z
You'll be asked to enter the System Password. Menu Master has a
default System Password of "MMSTR". Enter the password "MMSTR"
(upper case) when prompted. You'll see the following display
(fig. 6):
(Figure 6)
==============================================================
= SYSTEM SETTINGS: =
= =
= =
= Menu Title : M e n u M a s t e r_ =
= System Password : MMSTR =
= Registration Code : =
= =
= PROTECT - ESC to DOS : N =
= Menu Settings : N =
= Screen Colors : N =
= On-Screen Notes : Y =
= =
= OPTIONS - Blank the Screen : N =
= Hide Date & Time : N =
= =
= # of Selection Columns (1-4) : 2 =
= =
= =
= RETURN = Accept DEL = Delete ESC = No Change =
==============================================================
Here's a description of all the System Setting Options (from
fig. 6):
- The Menu Title can be changed to anything you like, up to 58
characters. Use the Backspace or Delete Keys to edit the title
and press RETURN or TAB to skip down to the next field.
- The default System Password is MMSTR (case sensitive). This
password can (and should) be changed to anything you like up to
15 characters. BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN YOUR SYSTEM PASSWORD and
hide it away somewhere. You won't be able to modify System
Settings without it.
- The Registration Code is a special code you will receive when you
register your copy of Menu Master. Entering the Registration
Code will disable the annoying Title Screen that keeps asking for
the modest registration fee. It will also disable the
* Unregistered Copy * message that continually haunts the bottom
of your menus.
- You can password protect 4 different activities with the System
Password, in addition to protecting access to the System Settings
screen. By placing a "Y" next to any of the activities listed,
protection is enabled and the user will be asked for the System
Password when he tries to do the activity.
"ESC to DOS" protection is a way to prevent unauthorized users
from having access to DOS.
"Menu Settings" protection will keep unauthorized users from
seeing or altering your Menu Settings.
"Screen Colors" protection will keep unauthorized users from
tampering with the Main Menu's screen colors.
"On-Screen Notes" is a facility that lets you write up to 3 lines
of notes in the bottom rectangle of the Main Menu screen. This
feature can be useful if you have special instructions that need
to be seen by your users. The default for this setting is "Y"
(enabled).
- Two other Options can be set at the System Settings screen:
After several minutes of inactivity, Menu Master will blank its
screen to prevent screen burn-in. Normally, the blank screen
will continue displaying "Menu Master 2.12" and the Time.
Placing a "Y" next to the "Blank the Screen" option will
COMPLETELY blank the screen, and "Menu Master" and Time will not
be displayed. The default setting is "N".
"Hide Date & Time" will remove the date and time display from the
Main Menu Screen. The default setting is "N".
- " # of Selection Columns (1-4)" allows you to change the number
of available menu selections. Each column contains 6 selections,
so you can increase the number in multiples of 6. The default is
2 columns, or 12 selections. Menu Master ALWAYS remembers the
settings for 24 selections, regardless of whether or not they are
available for use. Menu Prompts can be up to 60 characters, but
if more than 1 column of selections is displayed, not all of the
60 characters will be visible. The following table lists the
Menu Prompt lengths that will be displayed:
Active Characters
# Columns Selections Displayed
1 6 60
2 12 30
3 18 18
4 24 12
Note: You can "hide" menu selections by reducing the number of
columns. If the selections are not visible on the Main
Menu, they will not operate. However, the settings for
hidden selections are still saved. Increasing the number of
active menu selection columns will re-activate the hidden
selections.
After the number of columns is selected, the System Settings are
saved and you'll return to the Main Menu.
ON-SCREEN NOTES
---------------
As previously mentioned, On-Screen Notes is a facility that lets
you write up to 3 lines of notes in the bottom rectangle of the
Main Menu screen. This feature can be useful if you have special
instructions that need to be seen by users.
To activate On-Screen Notes, press ALT-Y.
Press ALT-Y
After entering the System Password (if protected), you'll see a
cursor appear in the Main Menu's lower rectangle. Type up to 75
characters per line, using the Backspace and Delete keys to edit if
needed (similar to entering Menu Settings).
You will notice the 2nd note line already contains the default Main
Menu instructions, "ESC=Return to DOS ALT-Letter=Modify...etc."
This line can also be modified. If you delete the 2nd line and try
to leave it blank, the default will re-appear. To keep it from
re-appearing, enter at least a blank space character (space bar) on
the line.
MULTIPLE MENUS
--------------
What if several people use the same PC, but each one wants his own
menu? Or what if you want to set up a sub-menu for all of your
utility programs? No problem! You can link Multiple Menus with
Menu Master. The procedure for doing this is documented in the
"official" Owner's Manual you will receive after registering your
copy of Menu Master.
BATCH FILES
-----------
Currently, Menu Master supports a maximum of 7 commands for a
single Menu Item (in addition to the Directory Path setting).
Having this many available commands per setting should normally
keep you from having to create any Batch Files. If you have used
batch files much in the past, you'll really appreciate this
feature!
For routines longer than 7 commands, a Batch File can be created
using DOS's EDLIN utility or a Text Processor. See your DOS manual
for more instructions on Batch Files. Use Menu Master to execute
your Batch File by placing the Batch Filename (without the .BAT
suffix) in your command setting.
Note: Batch Files sometimes prevent you from returning to Menu
Master after the file is executed. Be sure to include the
command "MENU" as the last command in your Batch File so
that it will return you to Menu Master.
You can run Menu Master automatically whenever you turn on your
computer by including the command "MENU" as the last item in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Your DOS Manual has a section which covers the
AUTOEXEC file.
Menu Master's Program Intitiation File, MENU.BAT, is a very simple
batch file that initiates the program's batch sequence. If ever
misplaced or altered by mistake, the MENU.BAT file can be re-
created as follows:
ECHO OFF
CLS
MMPRG
RUN
INFORMATION ON DISTRIBUTION AND UPGRADES
----------------------------------------
Menu Master is distributed under the consideration that people
enjoy sharing software with each other. It takes some experimenting
with software to see if it fits your own work environment and it's
really not fair to have to pay for something before you know it
works for you.
You are encouraged to give a copy of Menu Master and its
documentation to anyone you like. You must tell the person to whom
you give the copy that this is a User-Supported program and urge
them to promote the spirit of what that means.
For those of you evaluating Menu Master for the first time, please
feel free to call me if you have any questions or suggestions.
Evaluate the program at your own pace. If you decide it doesn't
suit you needs, erase the disk, or better still, give it away to
someone else.
If you find Menu Master useful and intend to keep it for your own
use, you must register your copy within 45 days after receiving it.
To register, fill out the Registration Form and send it along with
a $30 check, payable to John Franck.
Those who register will receive a Program Disk containing the
latest version of Menu Master and a nicely printed manual. They
also will be notified by mail as newer versions are released and
can obtain a free upgrade by sending in a blank disk - quite a deal
for just 30 bucks !
Corporations, schools, or any other groups are required to register
copies of the program for each computer system using Menu Master.
Discount rates are available for registering multiple copies.
Please be sure to provide a name of an individual who is your
corporate or group contact for support and upgrade purposes.
For those of you who participate in the User-Supported concept and
send in the few bucks to authors who work so hard for you - THANK
YOU! The rest of you who continue using User-Supported programs
without "bucking up" (and you know who you are), well... shame on
you!
I plan to continue upgrading and improving Menu Master, especially
since so many of you have thrilled me with your honesty by sending
in the modest registration fee. I've received good ideas from many
of you that I plan to include in later versions.
In summary, Menu Master is just a plain and simple good deal! The
User-Supported concept lets you decide for yourself whether the
program is suitable for your use. It also allows me to keep
distribution and advertising costs to a minimum and share these
savings with you in the form of a very low price. For only $30,
you get an original Program Disk, printed manual, and most
importantly - peace of mind ! In addition, you can get the latest
developments or upgrades sent to you FREE of charge.
Thanks,
John Franck
INVOICE
-------
For those of you who need an invoice for Tax or Accounting
purposes, the following Invoice can be used. It is not necessary
to return this invoice with your registration form. You may retain
this copy for your own records.
For your information, applicable Federal and State taxes are paid
on any proceeds from Menu Master registration fees.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVOICE
M e n u M a s t e r 2.12
Custom Menu Software
(C) 1987 by John Franck
Date: ____________ INVOICE # 45231
Remit to: John Franck
1200 Jefferson Davis Rd.
Martinsville, Va. 24112
Unit Extended
Item Qty Price Price
---------------------------- ----- ----- --------
Menu Master Software
Version 2.12 Registration Fee _____ 30.00 ________
Add 4.5% State Sales Tax
Virginia Residents Only ________
Total Amount ________
Make Check payable to: John Franck
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTRATION FORM
-----------------
M e n u M a s t e r 2.12
Custom Menu Software
(C) 1987 by John Franck
I'm honest! I have looked Menu Master over and have decided to
keep it as part of my PC software library. Please register my
copy. My check for $30 per system using Menu Master is enclosed.
I understand that registration entitles me to the latest Program
Disk and documentation, free upgrades of Menu Master, telephone
support, program "secrets", and other such benefits.
Name _________________________________________________________
Street or PO Box _____________________________________________
City ____________________________ State ________ Zip _________
Version Number _________
Where did you obtain your copy of Menu Master ?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
You should have 3 files on your disk: MMSTR.DOC, MENU.BAT, and
MMPRG.EXE. Are they all there ? ___________
Any special needs, comments or ideas for improvements ?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Name of Contact Person (for Corporations, schools, etc.):
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Send this Registration Form with payment to:
John Franck
1200 Jefferson Davis Rd.
Martinsville, Va. 24112