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SECCHNCE.DOC
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1991-07-22
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SECOND CHANCE TO CLICK ON A FILE -- Version 2.0
INTRODUCTION
Do you have a problem deciding which of your word
processors should handle a given .DOC file ? Do you
want to run a .BAT file, or would you prefer to view it
first ? Second Chance lets you associate multiple
candidate application programs with a given suffix.
Second Chance opens your Windows by spawning
the application of your choice when you click on a
given data file.
ADDING AN ASSOCIATION BY MENU
The easy way to configure Second Chance is to select
the Associate entry under the Second Chance's Control
Menu. The Associate dialog box shows a listbox
containing all current multiple associations known
to Second Chance. Regular, single associations made within
Windows are not listed. Enter a suffix of 1 to 3
characters, for example, DOC. Next, enter from 2 to 16
application names (e.g. NOTEPAD) which Second Chance should
associate with that suffix. Select the "Add" button to put
the association into effect.
If you enter only one application, Second Chance
associates the application directly with the suffix.
The next time you click on a file with that suffix,
you will bypass Second Chance. If you don't include a
suffix on an application name, Windows assumes the
suffix .EXE.
CHANGING AN ASSOCIATION BY MENU
Alternately you may change an association by selecting its
entry from the Associate listbox. Second Chance copies the
listbox entry to the "Suffix" and "Applications" edit fields.
If you delete all application names for a given suffix,
Second Chance will break all of its associations with the
suffix. After entering the desired new values, select the
"Change" button to put the association into effect.
You can use this scheme to modify the association currently
displayed on Second Chance's button menu!
DELETING AN ASSOCIATION BY MENU
In the Associate menu, you may enter a suffix to delete,
or you may select a suffix from the listbox.
Select the "Delete" button to direct Second Chance to
break all of its associations with the suffix. Second Chance
updates your WIN.INI file and signals Windows that it has
done so.
EXITING THE ASSOCIATE MENU
Selecting the "OK" button informs Second Chance that you
have no more associations to update.
CONFIGURING SECCHNCE MANUALLY
To configure Second Chance manually, edit your WIN.INI
file with an editor such as "notepad." Once in the
editor, move to the [Extensions] section. For suffixes
which should associate with multiple application
programs, replace the command field of the [Extensions]
parameters with secchnce.exe instead of the usual
application program. For example,
[Extensions]
doc=secchnce.exe ^.doc
txt=secchnce.exe ^.txt
pcx=secchnce.exe ^.pcx
Elsewhere in the WIN.INI file, create a [secchnce]
section, adding a list of candidate application programs
for each suffix. Secchnce handles up to 16 applications
per suffix. For example,
[secchnce]
doc=notepad.exe write.exe wp51-286.pif
pcx=paint.exe gcp.exe pbrush.pif
txt=notepad.exe write.exe wp51-286.pif
Save your WIN.INI file, exit Windows, and re-enter
Windows for configuration to take effect.
RUNNING OR EDITING .BAT FILES
You can alternately run, edit, or view batch files, but
they take special handling. First, remove the reference
to "bat" from the 'Programs' line under the [Windows]
section of your WIN.INI file. Using Second Chance's
Associate menu, add an association between the suffix BAT
and the applications BATRUN.PIF, NOTEPAD, and any other
applications. [Notice that you must type BATRUN.PIF;
not just BATRUN.] Copy the included BATRUN.PIF and
BATRUN.BAT files to a convenient directory on your PATH,
perhaps your Windows directory. The next time you click
on a .BAT file, you can run it by selecting BATRUN, or
you can view/edit it by selecting NOTEPAD.
[Thanks to Jorge Codina for this tip!]
HOW TO START UP APPLICATIONS FASTER
If you specify the full pathname of an application to
Second Chance, Windows loads it slightly faster;
otherwise, Windows searches in the following order: the current
directory, the Windows directory, the Windows system directory,
directories on the PATH environment variable, and the list of
directories mapped in a network.
You may use Second Chance's "Display Path" and "Display
Suffix" option to show only the base application name within
Second Chance's button menu.
USING SECOND CHANCE
As usual, double click on a filename displayed by
MS-DOS or File Manager. The Second Chance menu buttons
will appear. Click on (or arrow key to) the desired
application program. On a successful selection,
Second Chance displays an hourglass while spawning your
selection then immediately exits. If a problem occurs,
Second Chance displays a diagnostic message box.
KEYBOARD SPEED-UPS
When the "Display Path" option is not active,
Second Chance's "button" menu allows the user to launch
the preferred application by typing the first character in
the application name. If multiple applications begin with
the same letter, typing that letter allows you to skip among
them. After coming to rest on the preferred application,
launch it by typing either the Enter key or the space bar.
WINDOWS RELEASES SUPPORTED
Second Chance runs under Windows 3.0
in real, standard, and 386 enhanced modes.
LIMITATIONS
Second Chance passes only a single filename as a parameter
but no flags or switches.
LEGAL
Second Chance's users take all responsibility for using it.
The author is not responsible for lost profits, etc.
TRADEMARKS
386 -- Intel Corp.
MS-DOS, Windows -- Microsoft Corp.
WHAT'S NEW IN 2 ?
The Associate menu has been enhanced considerably to display
and manage all the current associations. The "Display Path"
and "Display Suffix" options provide borderline aesthetics.
New keyboard speed-ups let you work quickly without the mouse.
Thanks to all Version 1 users and Version 2 beta testers who
sent in comments and suggestions.
[Confidential to B.G. of Redmond, WA: the multiple associations
thing would look good in a future version of Windows.]
DISTRIBUTION OF SECOND CHANCE
I place the Second Chance executable, SECCHNCE.EXE, and
its documentation, SECCHNCE.DOC, in the public domain.
Please distribute them freely to anyone who would like
to use them.
--Robert A. Heath