Supported Browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator
Author: Steve Jenkins
WHAT IS WIN95NAV?
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The Windows95.com Navigation Bar (Win95Nav) is designed to make using your favorite Web site (Windows95.com, of course) even easier! Just run the program, and you'll have a floating toolbar that will let you jump to all the main pages of Windows95.com with the click of a mouse - no matter which Web browser you use! The program is in early beta testing, but is very stable. This is my first attempt at programming anything, so if you've got any suggestions for making the program better, I'd love to hear them.
HOW (AND WHY) WAS WIN95NAV CREATED?
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Win95Nav was created using the latest version of Microsoft's Visual Basic 4.0. It is my first attempt at programming anything (at least since the days of programming my Commodore 64 to print "HELLO STEVE" over and over and over and... well, you get the picture). Basically, it's an excuse for me to learn Visual Basic - something I've been promising myself I'd do for years. Debugging it and adding new features will give me a chance to learn much more. Sorry, but source code for Win95Nav is NOT available.
INSTALLING WIN95NAV
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INSTALLING THE SMALL VERSION:
To install the Small Version of Win95Nav (just the EXE file), simply copy it to any directory you choose. To run it, just double click the WIN95NAV.EXE icon. To make things easier, you may want to create a Shortcut on your Windows Desktop that points to "C:\Program Files\Win95Nav\WIN95NAV.EXE" (or wherever you copied the file) so you can start surfing Windows95.com even faster.
INSTALLING THE FULL VERSION:
To install the Full Version of Win95Nav (which includes the EXE and all the required Visual Basic Runtime Files), simply run the included SETUP.EXE program. This will install Win95Nav and place an icon in your Start Menu to access it. To make things easier, you may want to create a Shortcut on your Windows Desktop that points to "C:\Program Files\Win95Nav\WIN95NAV.EXE" (the default installation spot) so you can start surfing Windows95.com even faster.
USING WIN95NAV
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Using Win95Nav couldn't be easier. Simply start it from your Start Menu, or double-click the shortcut on your desktop if you decided to create one. Choose the page you'd like to visit first from the toolbar, and your browser will open it. You don't even need to start your Web browser before opening Win95Nav - it will automatically open your default browser for you!
To use the search feature in Win95Nav, simply select the Search item from the menu. This will open a search dialog box. Type in the word(s) you'd like to search for, then select which section of Windows95.com you'd like to search from the drop-down list. Press the Search button, and your Web browser will display the results of your search. Cool, huh?
You can choose whether or not you want Win95Nav to stay on top of your desktop or not. Simply choose the "Always on top" option from the "Main" menu.
PAYING FOR WIN95NAV
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Win95Nav is FREEWARE! The best way to pay for it is to enjoy using it. The more you use it, the more you'll visit Windows95.com - that's all the payment I need! :)
NEW FEATURES
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Added in 1.0 Final:
Added some missing pages from the 32-bit Shareware Collection menu, plus added a menu for the Virtual Servers, Inc. Web site. I also added in an "Always on top" option so you can choose how you want Win95Nav to act. Win95Nav now always starts in the middle of the screen horizontally, and 1/4 way down from the top of the screen.
Added in 1.0 Beta 5:
This is a small fix to once again make the app stay on top by default. Those who want this feature outnumbered those who asked me to disable it. I'm still working on a way to provide an option for you to choose which way you want it.
Added in 1.0 Beta 4:
The biggest new feature of Version 1.0 Beta is the addition of an improved Search feature which allows simple access to the search indexes at Windows95.com. It also features some rearranged menu items, and fixes the bug that was pointing to the wrong filenames of the Desktop Themes shareware pages. Another highly requested feature that I implemented this time around is the fact that Win95Nav no longer floats on top of everything. I'm working on a feature that will let you enable and disable this feature at will, but for now, it's disabled.
UPCOMING FEATURES
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My next big addition (for version 2.0 beta 1) is the ability for Win95Nav to reside in the System Tray. I'm still trying to figure out a way to provide an option during setup that will allow you to automatically create a shortcut for Win95Nav on your desktop. I'm working on adding more features to the Search dialog box, too. If anyone has any ideas of how to do any of these features, or can send me some source code to push me in the right direction, I would much appreciate it. I'd also love to hear your ideas for additional features you'd like to see!
KNOWN BUGS
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There is a bug in how the toolbar is sized on startup sometimes. It hides some of the menu items unless you resize the toolbar. I'm trying to fix this for an upcoming version. For now, just grab the edge of the toolbar to resize. If you find any additional bugs, please let me know.
PROVIDING FEEDBACK
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If you've found a bug, have a suggestion, or just want to let me know what you think of Win95Nav, please send your feedback to webmaster@windows95.com, or use the online form at http://www.windows95.com/feedback.html.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Q: "Is the source code for Win95Nav Available?"
A: No - it is not. This is for a number of reasons, but especially because it is in early development.
Q: "How do I learn how to make VB applications?"
A: Check out Microsoft's DevOnly Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/devonly/. It will give you a nudge in the right direction.
Q: "Can I please have the source code?"
A: Sorry, but no. Hey - you get the app for FREE! What more could you want?
Q: "GIVE ME THE SOURCE CODE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL DIE!"
A: My condolences to your family - but the source code stays locked up with me.
