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TOOLS FOR C Application Development Package MENUGEN Interactive Window and Menu Generator Shareware Distribution Version 1.0 This version of TOOLS FOR C and it's associated manuals and support files may be freely copied and distributed as long as it is distributed in it's entirety and no fees other than nominal handling fees are charged. The routines in this library are NOT Public Domain. This is copyrighted material. The intent behind distributing this version of TOOLS FOR C is to allow you to use the package on a trial basis and determine if it meets your needs. If you find yourself using this package, you MUST register by sending $45.00 to the address listed below. Upon receipt of your registration fee we will send you an expanded manual, compiled libraries for all of the memory models available with your compiler, and the complete source code to the library. In NO EVENT may you use any of the routines in TOOLS FOR C for commercial purposes until you register your copy. We feel that you will find the value of TOOLS FOR C far exceeds the registration fee and we at BP SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. thank you in advance for your support. BP Software Solutions, Inc. 642 N. Commodore Drive Plantation, Fl. 33325 Copyright (C) 1987 BP Software Solutions Inc. All Rights Reserved INTRODUCTION MENUGEN is a program which, in concert with the TOOLS FOR C function library, allows you to quickly and interactively design pop-up windows and menus for your 'C' programs. Because it generates 'C' code which you "#include" in the source code of your program, implementing these windows and menus is a snap. What you see on the screen is what you get when the file that is produced by the generator is incorporated into your 'C' code. MENUGEN has the power you need to exercise full control over the development of menus and windows for your programs. You can control the size of the window, it's location, type of graphics used for the window borders, attribute of the border and the attribute of the area inside the window. There is no limit to the number of menu selections allowed in a window. If you can fit it into the window, it will work! You can put the menu selections anywhere within a window you wish... e.g., single columns, double columns, triple columns, etc., or even random placements! Included in the TOOLS FOR C Application Development Package is a copy of MENUGEN.EXE, three object module libraries, and necessary reference manuals in DOS text form. There is an object module library for the small memory model of each supported compiler (Lattice C (R) version 3.x, Microsoft C (R) version 4.0, and Turbo C (R) version 1.0). These are all you need to start building your Menus and Windows. As a matter of fact, this was all that was used in producing the MENUGEN program. MENUGEN has two main sections. The first allows you to define a window structure. If a window is all you need, then you simply write the structure to an #include file and leave the program. If you want to define a menu, then you must first define a window for it. After it's window is defined, you enter the other section of the program. This section allows you to define the menu's cursor type, title, and the positions, video attributes, and functions of each of the menu selections. After you are satisfied with your menu you write it's structures to an #include file, just as you would for a window. We recommend that you work through the tutorial to get an overview of MENUGEN'S capabilities. TUTORIAL Getting Started First, load and run the program "MENUGEN.EXE". When you're through reading the title page, press any key to continue. The next screen you see will be mostly blank except for the Help Lines (two lines on top of the screen) and the Cursor Status (an area on the bottom of the screen). These can be toggled on and off independently by pressing [F1] or [ALT-F1]. The [F1] key toggles the Help Lines, and [ALT-F1] toggles the Cursor Status Area. Cursor Movement The cursor can be moved around the screen using the arrow keys, HOME, END, PGUP and PGDN keys. As you move the cursor around the screen notice that the cursor position is being displayed near the lower left hand corner of the screen. The cursor location is relative to 0,0 being the upper-left-corner of the screen. The UP,LEFT,RIGHT and DOWN arrow keys will move the cursor one character position. The HOME, PGUP, END and PGDN keys will move the cursor to the corners of the screen. Key Screen Location Col Row ====================================================== HOME Upper Left Corner of screen 0 0 PGUP Upper Right Corner of screen 79 0 END Lower Left Corner of screen 0 24 PGDN Lower Right Corner of screen 79 24 Set Anchor The 'Anchor' represents one corner of your window. The SET ANCHOR key, [F2], toggles the Anchor ON and OFF. When the Anchor is toggled ON, the "Anchor Set" message is shown in the lower left corner (assuming you haven't toggled the status area OFF with [ALT-F1]). To begin defining a window, move the cursor to an area on the screen which will represent a corner of your window. Set the Anchor (Press [F2]). Draw your box using the cursor movement keys. Swap Anchor Press [F3] to "Swap Anchor". This function swaps the current cursor position with the Anchor. The original Anchor position becomes the new cursor position and the original cursor position becomes the new Anchor position. This greatly adds to the flexibility of the window definition. Border Type Press [F4]. A window will pop up in the middle of the screen. By pressing the UP and DOWN arrow keys, you can scroll through the selection of border types for the window. The border type of your window will change as you move up and down the selection list. (The border of the window which popped up in the middle of your screen will change also). When you find a selection you're happy with, press ESC. You'll be left with the selected border type. Border Attribute Press [F5]. A menu will pop up with attribute options. The UP and DOWN arrow keys will move you through the menu selections. Press [RETURN] when the desired selection is high-lighted. An alternate method of selecting an option is by pressing a number (1-6) for the 6 predefined attributes or the letters 'U'or 'u' for 'User Defined '(if the desired attribute isn't among the selections). Choose an attribute using selections 1-6. Notice that the attribute of the border changes as the selection is made. Now choose the "-USER DEFINED-" option. A window will open which will prompt you for a 'Border Attribute'. Enter a number in hexadecimal form and press [RETURN]. The window will be updated with the new attribute and you'll be returned to the 'BORDER ATTRIBUTE' menu. When you've completed your selection, pressing ESC will exit this function. Fill Attribute Press [F6]. A menu will pop up with the Fill Attribute Options. You can define the attribute of the inside area of your windows (fill attribute). Selections are made in this menu the same way they're mad in the 'Border Attribute Menu' above. You can choose one of the selections offered, or enter the attribute via the '-USER DEFINED-" option. Again, pressing ESC will exit this function. Write (Generate) the code. You've just defined a window! Let's write the code to a file. Press [F9]. A window will open prompting you for a header file name. Enter the name of a file you wish to save this to. (This must be a legal DOS file name format... no spaces allowed, 8 characters plus an optional 3 character extension separated by a period). Let's call the file "TEST1.HDR". (Type TEST1.HDR as the file name and press [RETURN]). If the name you've entered as the file name already exists, a window will pop up warning you of this. You're given the options of either 'Replacing' the file, 'Browsing' the file, 'Appending' to the file or aborting this function. For this example, choose the "Replace" option to make sure we have a fresh file called "TEST1.HDR". You'll next be prompted for the name of the window. This is the name which you'll use to identify this window in your code. It's length should conform to the limits set by your compiler. Let's call our window "testwndw". Enter "testwndw" (without the quotes, of course) as the window name. The Menu/Window Generator will create a file that can be included in your 'C Code'. Its contents will resemble ... /****** Include file for testwndw Window ******/ struct WNDW testwndw_structure = {'║','═','║','═','╔','╗','╚','╝',' ',0x7,0x7,5,4,72, 20,0,0,0,NULL,NULL,NULL}; WNDW *testwndw = &testwndw_structure; This file when #include'd in your code can be used as demonstrated in the following code fragment... #include <stdio.h> #include "tools4c.h" #include "test1.hdr" main() { vid_type(); /* necessary call to determine */ /* type of video adaptor */ open_window(testwndw); . . . close_window(testwndw); } if preferred, the file can be physically included in your code... #include <stdio.h> #include "tools4c.h" /****** Include file for testwndw Window ******/ struct WNDW testwndw_structure = {'║','═','║','═','╔','╗','╚','╝',' ',0x7,0x7,5,4,72, 20,0,0,0,NULL,NULL,NULL}; WNDW *testwndw = &testwndw_structure; main() { vid_type(); open_window(testwndw); . . . close_window(testwndw); } File Browse 'File Browse' allows you to view any text file. You can scroll up and down through the file a line at a time or a page at a time. It allows horizontal scrolling, (good if your text is wider than 80 columns), and it allows you to jump to the beginning or end of the file. You can safely use browse to view your program code or any other text file without worrying about altering the file. Key Function ================================================= UP Arrow Scroll UP one line DOWN Arrow Scroll Down one line RIGHT Arrow Scroll Right LEFT Arrow Snap to beginning of the line PGUP Scroll up one Screen PGDN Scroll down one Screen HOME Goto beginning of the file END Goto end of the file ESC EXIT DOS Shell Pressing the DOS shell key, [F10], loads and executes another copy of COMMAND.COM above MENUGEN. Type "exit" at the DOS prompt to return to MENUGEN. DOS must be able to find a copy of COMMAND.COM in the path defined by the environment variable "COMSPEC". Define Menu Pressing [F7] drops you into the menu definition subsection of the program. Before beginning to define a menu, you should define the menu's window completely. Window size and position are the only changes you can make to the window after entering the menu subsection. When you press [F7], you will notice the cursor now moves inside the window. Use the cursor, Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn keys to move to the starting position of the first menu selection. Pressing [F7] again begins the selection definition process. From here on, the best way to learn the power of MENUGEN is to experiment. The help lines on the top of the screen will direct you through the each phase of the process. Pop-up windows and sub-menus allow you to define the menu's video attributes, title, screen position, window size, and each selection's screen position, video attributes, function calls, etc. Once your menu is defined, pressing [F9] allows you to write the structure code for the menu to an #include file, just as you did for a window. Conclusion This tutorial is not a complete reference manual for MENUGEN, but is instead intended only to get you started. Most of MENUGEN's features are obvious from the help line's prompts. With a little experimentation, you will be efficiently defining windows and menus in no time at all. A complete reference manual on MENUGEN, an expanded Reference and User Manual for the TOOLS FOR C Library, the complete source code to the library and compiled libraries for all of the memory models for your compiler is included in the package sent to you when you register your copy of TOOLS FOR C. Use the form below to register your copy today. THE TURBO LIBRARY USER REGISTRATION FORM ============================================================ Please list this form to your printer and use it to register your copy. Send the completed form and a check for $45.00 to: BP Software Solutions, Inc. 642 N. Commodore Drive Plantation, Fl. 33325 Florida residents please be sure to include the 5% FL. state sales tax ($2.25). ------------------------------------------------------------ Name ______________________________________________________ Company ___________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City _________________________ State _______ Zip __________ Compiler_______________________________ Version __________ Comments: _________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________