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+---------------------------------------+ | | | BLANK-IT(tm) Version 5.1a | | | | Screen Saver Software | | Documentation | | | | Copyright(c) 1990, 1991, 1992 | | Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. | | PO Box 748 | | Woonsocket, RI 02895 USA | | All Rights Reserved | | | | Voice/Fax: (401) 658-4632 | | | | 24-hour Support Bulletin Board | | CONNECTIONS BBS: (401) 658-3465 | | | | Made in the USA | | | +---------------------------------------+ BLANK-IT VERSION 5.1a ---------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- INTRODUCTION ...............................................1 WHAT IS A SCREEN SAVER? ....................................1 WHAT WILL BLANK-IT DO FOR ME? ..............................1 WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT BLANK-IT? .........................2 discarding keystrokes ...................................2 user selective timeout ..................................2 works with all types of monitors ........................2 OVERVIEW OF ADVANCED FEATURES AND IMPROVEMENTS..............3 quick blank "hot key" ...................................3 enable/disable option ...................................3 Windows compatibility ...................................3 mouse support ...........................................3 works with high speed communications ....................3 keeps screen blank ......................................3 enhanced graphics mode support ..........................4 memory usage ............................................4 INSTALLING BLANK-IT VERSION 5.1a ...........................5 executing from the command line .........................5 specifying custom options ...............................5 executing from AUTOEXEC.BAT .............................6 use with other TSRs, programs, and drivers ..............6 A NOTE TO THOSE NOT YET CONVINCED ..........................7 COMMAND LINE OPTIONS .......................................8 Options available at load time only .....................8 mouse support (/M) ...................................8 keyboard management (/K) .............................8 Transient options, always available .....................9 enable (/E) ..........................................9 disable (/D) .........................................9 timeout changes (0 to 59) ...........................10 hotkey selection (/H) ...............................10 hotkey values (0 to 5) ...........................11 Windows compatibility mode (/W) .....................11 normal mode (/N) ....................................11 message suppression (/S) ............................12 Summary of Command Line Options ........................12 BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS - CONTINUED ----------------------------- BLANK-IT's NEW API ........................................13 NEW USE OF ERRORLEVELS ....................................14 ERRORLEVELS defined ....................................14 NEW USE OF VERBOSE ERROR MESSAGES .........................15 error messages explained ...............................15 BLANK-IT VERSION 5.1a FEATURE SUMMARY .....................17 DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE ...................................18 BLANK-IT VERSION 5.1a REGISTRATION INFORMATION ............19 BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION ..................................20 INTERNATIONAL (NON-U.S.) REGISTRATIONS ....................21 European orders ........................................21 Non-European International orders ......................21 US orders ..............................................21 SITE LICENSE INFORMATION ..................................22 FAIR, NO FEAR UPGRADE POLICY ..............................22 HOW TO CONTACT RHODE ISLAND SOFT SYSTEMS, INC. ............23 THE ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS ................24 BLANK-IT 5.1a LIMITED WARRANTY INFORMATION ................25 REPORTING PROBLEMS WITH BLANK-IT 5.1a .....................26 TRADEMARK DECLARATIONS ....................................26 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT .......................................26 BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation Table of Contents Welcome to BLANK-IT Version 5.1a! --------------------------------- BLANK-IT is a memory resident screen-saver program, for IBM PCs and compatibles, that has several special features that make it stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. WHAT IS A SCREEN SAVER? ----------------------- "Screen Saver" programs are programs that can be loaded into memory and then forgotten about. After a certain period of keyboard inactivity, the program will cause the computer screen to black-out. Pressing the space bar will cause the display to reappear, and the user is right where he/she left off before the screen blanked out. The entire purpose of a screen blanker is to stop screen "burn in" which can result from having a computer screen displaying the same image for long periods of time. When a screen becomes burned in, the screen can be read even when the computer is turned off! This sort of burn-in ruins the monitor, necessitating it's replacement, which can quickly become very expensive. For those who have never heard of screen burn-in before, please be warned that it is NOT uncommon. Burn-in risks are especially high in instances where a computer is often waiting at a data entry screen or where one particular program is used often, where the same information stays on the screen for long periods of time. Companies that have a large quantity of IBM Compatible computers that run for long periods of time are extremely susceptible to problems with screen burn-in, so we heavily recommend the use of BLANK-IT. WHAT WILL BLANK-IT DO FOR ME? ----------------------------- BLANK-IT is a program that will black out the computer display after a certain "timeout" so that the computer screen won't become burned-in. BLANK-IT defaults to a timeout of 10 minutes, however this timeout can be changed by entering a new timeout on the command line. Valid timeouts are specified in minutes, and can range between 0 and 59. As long as keys are being pressed, the screen will not blank, and there will be no evidence that BLANK-IT is even running. However, if the timeout period is exceeded since the last key press, then the screen will blank. When the space bar is pressed, the screen will reappear and the user will be right where he/she left off. Please note that this is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, as BLANK-IT has a plethora of advanced features -- read on for details! BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 1 WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT BLANK-IT? ---------------------------------- There are many screen savers available today; however, we decided to write BLANK-IT because we saw flaws in all of the others. We will begin with the basic principles behind BLANK-IT, and present the truly impressive items a bit later. The assumption made in screen-savers is that keyboard activity denotes computer usage. While this is a valid enough statement to base a screen-saver on, it's not entirely true. There are times when a computer is being used, but doesn't require keyboard input. When taking into account the fact that every screen saver we have seen to date PASSES THRU the key that was pressed to reactivate the screen, one will realize our first concern. Some programs begin crunching away on some lengthy task and present a message saying "Press any key to abort." If, ten minutes later, the screen should blank out, the user wouldn't want to press a key to bring back the screen and have that key passed thru to the application -- that would cause the task to be aborted! Also, there are times when a user might get up to take a phone call and get sidetracked, and return to the computer a couple hours later. In the time that has elapsed, the person has forgotten what he/she was doing. Pressing a key to bring up the screen could be dangerous, not knowing what sort of input the program might be waiting for. With the previous arguments in mind, we wrote BLANK-IT so that it will discard the key that is pressed when the screen in blanked. Although the previous feature was reason enough to write BLANK-IT, there were several additional reasons. BLANK-IT, unlike many other screen savers, will work with all display types, including CGA, EGA, VGA, and monochrome. Between work and home, we did not like using many different types of screen savers. The next advantage that BLANK-IT has over some screen savers is that it has the ability to specify a timeout on the command line, whereas others are hard-coded to specific times. Furthermore, many other screen savers use techniques that steal inordinately large amounts of precious memory from other applications. BLANK-IT uses less than 1K of memory when loaded! We have never seen a screen saver, packed with so many features, that is as small as BLANK-IT. Finally, there are several other advanced features and benefits that we've incorporated into BLANK-IT which are detailed in the following section. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 2 OVERVIEW OF ADVANCED FEATURES AND IMPROVEMENTS ---------------------------------------------- BLANK-IT Version 5.1a, unlike most of the other screen savers, has a "hot key" which enhances it greatly, making it two products in one. The "hot key" will cause the screen to blank immediately, and act as if it had timed out, awaiting someone to press the space bar. The "hot key" is user-selective, allowing the user to customize the software to his/her needs and preferences. Such a feature is useful in two instances. The first instance is when the user gets up to leave -- the user knows that he/she is leaving, so why bother waiting for the timeout period? (it could conceivably be set to an hour or so). The second instance where this feature could be useful is when a user is working on something that is confidential -- if someone should approach, simply pressing the "hot key" will insure privacy. BLANK-IT also provides the ability to disable the timer, leaving the "hot key" active, which can stop BLANK-IT from being an automatic screen saver and turn it into a privacy feature! Furthermore, one can also opt to reverse this scenario and disable the "hot key" while turning the timer on to turn BLANK-IT into ONLY a screen saver! In addition to the "hot key" feature above, BLANK-IT now includes several command-line options that can be invoked to enhance BLANK-IT's operation. Such options include the /E and /D options to enable and disable BLANK-IT, respectively. Utilizing such options will allow a user to effectively turn BLANK-IT on and off at will. These command- line options are extremely convenient for use in batch files. With BLANK-IT Version 5.1a we have added other, additional command-line options that provide some very innovative options such as MS-Windows compatibility, the ability to select the "hot key", and much more. Please refer to the section on COMMAND LINE OPTIONS for additional details on all of the new, advanced features. We are pleased to announce that BLANK-IT Version 5.1a now supports a mouse in DOS! Now BLANK-IT will treat mouse movements as being equivalent to keyboard activity. This means that BLANK-IT will not blank a screen during mouse activity, and will unblank a blank screen if the mouse is moved. Of course, mouse support is fully optional. BLANK-IT Version 5.1a has been verified to work properly with high speed communications. It seems that many screen savers have a problem with blanking the screen during high speed communications. Please note that, unlike several other screen savers, BLANK-IT not only blanks the screen, but blanks any information written to the screen after it is originally blanked. Other popular screen savers blank the screen but do NOT handle any data written to the screen after it was blanked. A good example is downloading with Procomm. After the screen blanks, other screen savers don't stop the block counts from popping up in the middle of the black screen. BLANK-IT Version 5.1a handles these situations perfectly. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 3 There is a problem that we had fixed with BLANK-IT Version 4.1a, and remains intact in Version 5.1a, which is not often encountered, but which we have accounted for. When using "remote control" software, the remote PC may blank out while a user is connected to it from afar. As the user types, the keystrokes do NOT reactivate the remote screen. This is perfect since the user does not need the remote screen to be active. However, when using a CGA display, if the user were to issue a DIR command the CGA display would turn the monitor back on. Whenever a CGA monitor scrolls the screen it disables and then enables the screen. As such, the screen would be enabled by the monitor without BLANK-IT knowing about it. There are a few other instances where this sort of situation could arise. There is a slim chance that the average user would encounter this bizarre situation; however, we have accounted for this problem. BLANK-IT is designed primarily for text mode use only; however, we have taken steps to insure flexibility when dealing with graphics mode. Other popular screen savers do not handle graphics mode at all, but most of the graphics applications we have tested to date now work with BLANK-IT Version 5.1a. When the screen blanks, press the space bar and the graphics screen will reappear like you would expect, and all is normal. We do not claim BLANK-IT to fully support all graphics modes as of Version 5.1a, however we have taken measures to make it compatible with everything we have seen to date. If you encounter any peculiarities with BLANK-IT involving graphics displays, please let us know so that we can make BLANK-IT the best product on the market! New in BLANK-IT Version 5.1a, we've added extensive DOS ERRORLEVEL support so that users may write "smart" batch files and programs to test the results of executing BLANK-IT. More importantly, we've added an intense, full-featured Application Program Interface (API) for full, external control of BLANK-IT unlike anything we've ever even HEARD of in another screen saver!! Now, users may write programs, such as DOS shells and menus, etc. that can communicate with BLANK-IT and instruct BLANK-IT! Finally, BLANK-IT Version 5.1a was written in pure assembly language so that it is as fast, as small, and as tight as possible. When resident, it requires less thank 1K of memory. Most of the other popular screen savers require upwards of 4K each, with some requiring even 25K or more of precious computer memory -- and these have even fewer features than BLANK-IT 5.1a! BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 4 INSTALLING BLANK-IT VERSION 5.1a -------------------------------- At this point, please look for all of the files that belong to the BLANK-IT Version 5.1a package. All of the files are listed in the file PACKING.LST. If the PACKING.LST file or any of the files listed in PACKING.LST are missing, please contact us for an official copy of BLANK-IT Version 5.1a -- it would not be fair to either the user or Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. to have a user evaluate an incomplete package. Now for the installation instructions. BLANK-IT Version 5.1a is very easy to use and to install. One method of using BLANK-IT is to simply execute it from the DOS command line like any other executable program -- type in the full path of where BLANK-IT resides on disk. If the current DOS directory contains BLANK-IT, it can be installed by typing: BLANK-IT If BLANK-IT is not in the current DOS directory, then a full "path", to where BLANK-IT can be found, must be entered. For example, if BLANK-IT has been placed in a directory on the C: drive called \UTILS then the following command might be used: C:\UTILS\BLANK-IT As an optional parameter, program name may be followed with a number from 0 to 59. This number is the duration, in minutes, that BLANK-IT should wait after each key stroke before it blanks the screen. The default is 10 minutes. If an alternate timeout period is desired, it may be specified on the command-line. To set a timeout of 3 minutes, for example, BLANK-IT would be installed as follows: BLANK-IT 3 Of course, a timeout can be specified along with a full path. Combining examples above, BLANK-IT might be installed as follows: C:\UTILS\BLANK-IT 3 There are many other command-line parameters which can be used, in addition to specifying a timeout. We will discuss the meanings of each of these options in subsequent sections. To run BLANK-IT with these options, one can simply add them to the end of the command, separated by spaces. To also specify the /E and /N options in the previous example, one can enter: C:\UTILS\BLANK-IT 3 /E /N which would install BLANK-IT with a 3 minute timeout, and make sure it's enabled and running in "normal" mode. Please refer to the section on COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS for more details on the available options and their respective usage. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 5 Although BLANK-IT can be executed from the DOS command line, probably the most common way of installing BLANK-IT is to place it in the root (top level) directory of the boot disk(ette), and placing one of the commands described above in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Placing the command in an AUTOEXEC.BAT file will insure that BLANK-IT is installed every time the computer is turned on or re-booted (reset). If BLANK-IT isn't executed from an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, then it will only be active until the computer is re-booted (reset), or turned off. If BLANK-IT will be executed from an AUTOEXEC.BAT file and a copy of BLANK-IT.COM is not located in top-level directory of the bootable disk (ie. A:\ or C:\ ) then a full path to BLANK-IT must be specified, such as: C:\UTILS\BLANK-IT If several memory resident (TSR) utilities are being used, we suggest that BLANK-IT be installed after any other memory resident utilities. Also, BLANK-IT should always be loaded AFTER mouse drivers if the mouse option (/M) is specified. For best performance, place BLANK-IT as close to the end of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file as possible. Please be careful NOT to place it after programs that do not end, such as a menu program or the DOSSHELL. If BLANK-IT is accidentally placed after the DOSSHELL, for example, the DOSSHELL will take over and BLANK-IT will never run! Please consult a DOS manual for more information on the DOS "PATH" and the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, as needed. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 6 A NOTE TO THOSE NOT YET CONVINCED --------------------------------- More than one person has told us that they are aware of the problem with "burning in" the phosphors in their monitors, so they turn off their monitors whenever they aren't using their computers. Our reply is simply that BLANK-IT accomplishes the same objective without the undue wear-and-tear on the hardware. Clearing the screen is much less strain on a monitor that constantly turning it on and off. Furthermore, BLANK-IT will faithfully remember to blank the screen even in cases where a user is caught away from the computer, unexpectedly, for an extended period of time. In this manner, BLANK-IT acts as a safety net for those times when the user is caught off guard. One user wrote us a letter detailing how he left for vacation on one occasion, and forgot to turn off his monochrome monitor. Fear struck him while he was boarding his plane. A week later he returned to find that BLANK-IT had faithfully saved his screen while he was away. He promptly sent in his registration fee with an explanation, and a letter saying "Thanks! You saved my monitor!" BLANK-IT offers this measure of safety while offering several other benefits (instant blanking, etc.) while requiring almost no resources, and staying out of the way when the user is busy working. Stated in this manner, isn't the safety of an expensive monitor worth the very low registration cost? BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 7 COMMAND LINE OPTIONS -------------------- This section details the command line options that can be used to customize BLANK-IT. Several of the options can be used to alter BLANK-IT's behavior, while some can only be specified the first time BLANK-IT is loaded into memory. We will discuss these two varities separately. OPTIONS AVAILABLE AT LOAD TIME ONLY ----------------------------------- BLANK-IT offers two new command line options which determine how it will load itself, and what pieces of code are needed. The first option is the /M option which instructs BLANK-IT to monitor mouse activity as well as keyboard activity. For BLANK-IT to monitor the mouse, an appropriate mouse driver (usually supplied with the mouse) must already be loaded, and the /M option must be supplied. If either of these two conditions are not met, BLANK-IT will not install the code necessary to monitor the mouse. Providing mouse support as a command line option allows two major advantages: 1. If mouse support is not desired, the code is not loaded resulting in less memory usage (why load it if it's not being used?) 2. Some people might explicitly want not to use the mouse support even if a mouse is present -- BLANK-IT offers the option to not use it if desired. Because BLANK-IT uses the /M option to decide whether or not to load the mouse code, it can only be specified when BLANK-IT is first loaded. Once loaded, it's too late to try loading extra code. Please make special note of the fact that BLANK-IT must be loaded after a mouse driver. BLANK-IT is unable to monitor a mouse under Windows because Windows ignores the installed mouse and loads it's own mouse support. The second option that BLANK-IT offers at load time is the advanced option of keyboard managment, the /K option. Perhaps the most difficult problem we've had to deal with is that of other programs loading after BLANK-IT and "stepping on" BLANK-IT. There are some programming techniques that are frowned upon, but which other software companies sometimes employ. These techniques are frowned upon because while they do not usually affect the program that uses them, they can often cause problems for other programs running on the system. One such example is that of programs which deliberately "take over" the keyboard and stop other programs from "seeing" keyboard activity. If such a program were to run, BLANK-IT would never know keys were being pressed resulting in the screen eventually blanking without the ability to restore it (since BLANK-IT would never be allowed to see the spacebar being pressed). This situation is quite unfair -- BLANK-IT works properly yet another program can effectively disable it! BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 8 In BLANK-IT 5.1a we've added some sophisticated protection against this problem, which can be activated with the /K option. The /K option will instruct BLANK-IT to install it's keyboard management procedures to help prevent other programs from conflicting with BLANK-IT. Please note that our /K option addresses the issue as best as possible, using some interesting system-level programming techniques, but that it is not "fool proof". There are some tricks that some programmers use (against good practices) that we cannot prevent. Fortunately, most of these programs are older ones, and the authors have since updated them with newer versions in which the offending code has been removed. Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. suggests not using the /K option unless a user finds a conflict with another software package, such as described above (there is no sense in activating extra code if it's not needed). If a user runs into a keyboard conflict, we would suggest testing BLANK-IT with the /K option with the offending program. Please note that, if the /K option still does not solve the conflict, there are a few more options that can be employed, as described in the next section. As wit hthe /M option, the /K option greatly impacts BLANK-IT functionality and is therefore only allowed at load time. TRANSIENT COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS ------------------------------ There are many new command line options that have been added to BLANK-IT in Version 5.1a, which are consdiered "transient" in that they can be altered at will. Perhaps the most useful options are the /E and /D options which enable and disable the loaded copy of BLANK-IT, respectively. If a copy of BLANK-IT were loaded with a 5 minute timeout, for example, one could issue the command: BLANK-IT /D to disable BLANK-IT. The active, loaded copy (in memory) would be updated to be disabled in that both the hotkey and the timer would be disabled -- the system would appear as if BLANK-IT had never been loaded. Pressing the hotkey would yield no results and the screen would not blank after the 5 minute timeout. BLANK-IT remains in memory, but in an idle state. Issuing the command: BLANK-IT /E would then enable the active, loaded copy so that the hotkey would be active again, and the software will blank after the 5 minute timeout. Please note that in previous versions of BLANK-IT we BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 9 intentionally left the hotkey active when the software was disabled, but many of our customers were not pleased with that behavior so we've enhanced BLANK-IT to offer both methods! By using the /D option, a user can disable BLANK-IT entirely, both the hotkey and the timer. Many people, however, preferred the ability to disable the timer but leave the hotkey active. We have enhanced BLANK-IT 5.1a to allow for this option as well, by allowing a user to specify a 0 minute timeout! By using a zero minute timeout while BLANK-IT is enabled (/E default) BLANK-IT will allow an instant blanking hotkey to be used, while not automatically blanking the screen after a timeout period. Such functionality turns BLANK-IT into a "Privacy" keeper -- for sensitive items one can hit a hotkey to blank the screen when someone approaches, yet the screen will not "timeout" unwanted. This added feature makes BLANK-IT two products in one! Note there is an additional option: the timer can be active with no hotkey -- we'll explain this option in detail a little later. As we've just introduced, it is now possible, beginning with 5.1a, to change the timeout after BLANK-IT is loaded in an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If BLANK-IT is loaded with a 5 minute timeout, for example, a user can later issue the command: BLANK-IT 30 to change BLANK-IT to use a 30 minute timeout instead. Of course, note that after rebooting, BLANK-IT will load again with a 5 minute timeout if the AUTOEXEC.BAT file isn't modified! The next command-line option we'll introduce is the /H option which allows the user to select his or her preferred hotkey! In previous versions of BLANK-IT the instant blanking hotkey was fixed, and not customizeable. As it turns out, the hotkey sequence in older versions (Ctrl-Left Shift) was quite convenient and easy to use, but it caused problems for many users when the sequence conflicted with other programs that used a similar sequence. Unfortunately, just about every other combination caused conflicts with one program or another. Therefore, in BLANK-IT 5.1a, we have introduced a new hotkey format. We've alpha tested the new hotkey format on many users -- some admitted feeling it a bit awkward at first, but 100% of the respondents agreed that they preferred the new format after "getting used" to it. The new format, which is 3 presses of a single hotkey, allows total freedom from any conflicts with other software packages, and allows users to choose their favorite setting. We believe our users will agree that while it might take a little getting used to at first, it is a significant improvement. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 10 Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. has taken great pains to make 5.1a "look and feel" exactly like previous versions by default, however we decided it was in our users' best interest (after reading the comments) to modify the hotkey sequence. Please notice that the default options make 5.1a look like 4.1a. The /H option takes a single parameter, which is the hotkey choice preferred. Possible options are listed in the table below. Value Hot Key -------------------------------- 0 Disabled 1 Left Control 2 F11 3 F12 4 Left Shift 5 Right Shift To use the F12 key for example, one would specify: BLANK-IT /H:3 Note the colon (":") between the H andthe 3. Option 0 in the table demonstrates that by specifying 0, one can disable the hotkey sequence. In this scenario, the software can be enabled in that the timer will automatically blank after the proper timeout, but the hotkey will be inactive. Combining this with the /D and /E options and the 0 minute timeout, it becomes clear that the user now has total control over BLANK-IT's behavior! Now one can disable either just the hotkey, just the timer, both, or neither! The final two command-line options work together in a fashion similar to the /E and /D options. The new options are the /W and /N options for selecting "Windows Compatibility Mode" and "Normal Mode", respectively. BLANK-IT installs itself in normal mode by default. In Windows compatibility mode, BLANK-IT becomes "Windows aware" and will blank and unblank Microsoft Windows sessions! BLANK-IT is not written explicitly for Windows, and is really a DOS-based application, however the /W mode allows BLANK-IT to continue functioning under Windows in a "compatible" mode. In this mode there are 2 changes: 1. The hotkey is not available 2. The ALT key reactivates the screen in Windows instead of the spacebar. When using /W in DOS, the hokey is available and both the ALT key and the spacebar function to reactivate the screen. The reason for these stipulations is that windows "takes over" the system when it loads, BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 11 and BLANK-IT must do some fancy footwork to "stay alive". As noted, we agree that this is not optimum, and we are investigating ways of enhancing windows support, but currently we must live within these guidelines. Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. is currently investigating providing a true windows-based screen saver as an alternative. As described, the /N selects "normal mode" which basically just disables /W mode, and is the default setting. Finally, the /S option allows suppression of all messages so that BLANK-IT can be used in a batch file without a user ever even seeing it. (To enable and disable, or change timeouts, etc.) SUMMARY OF OPTIONS ------------------ As we've demonstrated, we've added a lot of new features and functionality to BLANK-IT. We've also taken steps to help address problems in compatibility between BLANK-IT and other software. Most of the problems are out of our hands, however we've taken steps to avoid many problems so that BLANK-IT can operate in environments where other screen savers fail. In the example of the program that intercepts keystrokes, as previously presented, BLANK-IT allows 3 avenues for dealing with the problem, whereas other programs would surrender. First, one might use the /K option. In many instances BLANK-IT can "manage" the problem. If that fails, try operating in "Windows Compatibility" mode, since many programs employ similar strategies as Windows. Finally, if all else fails, BLANK-IT's new command line options allow a user to use /D to disable BLANK-IT before using the offending program, then /E to re-enable if afterwards. This is very convenient if placed before and after a call to the program within a batch file -- BLANK-IT can be turned off and on again automatically without the user having to remember, or even knowing about it! A summary of the available command-line options can be found in the syntax synopsis below: BLANK-IT [timeout] [/M] [/E | /D] [/S] [/K] [/H:#] [/W | /N] BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 12 BLANK-IT'S NEW API ------------------ Now that we've discussed all of BLANK-IT's fancy new command line parameters, we are now going to present a phenomenal new feature unlike anything we've ever seen in a screen saver program -- BLANK-IT's application program interface (API)! BLANK-IT's API allows user-written programs to interface with BLANK-IT and utilize BLANK-IT under their own control! Imagine having your menu program call BLANK-IT to blank or unblank the screen at strategic times, to get passwords, or have programs change timeouts depending on which part of the program the user is running. The possibilities are endless. With 5.1a, we now provide external access to all of BLANK-IT's inner workings and features. Perhaps the most interesting use will be in other utilities - one can create a program to lock/unlock the keyboard, making it password protected - call BLANK-IT to handle the job of blanking/unblanking all types of monitors, etc. Programming details on our API are very technical in nature, so we will not present them here in the user manual. However, the specifications will be made freely available to anyone requesting the information. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 13 NEW USE OF ERRORLEVELS ---------------------- In Version 5.1a we have introduced the utilization of DOS "ERRORLEVELs." Any time BLANK-IT exits, it sets an appropriate DOS ERRORLEVEL which can be queried to determine the results of the command. If BLANK-IT terminates properly it returns an ERRORLEVEL of zero (0). A zero would indicate that BLANK-IT either loaded properly (if it was not previously loaded) or that it has been properly updated with the new parameters. If any errors occur, BLANK-IT will now return an ERRORLEVEL indicating the cause of the error. Such processing now allows for "smart" batch files, and for other programs to make calls to BLANK-IT and check a return code. The following table lists the ERRORLEVELs and their meanings. Please refer to the next section for additional information and explanations of the messages. Errorlevel Meaning ------------------------------------------------------ 0 Normal execution 1 Nothing to do - already loaded 2 Both /D and /E 3 Both /W and /N 4 Invalid command syntax 5 /M used after already loaded 6 /K used after already loaded 7 /M but no mouse driver loaded BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 14 NEW USE OF ERROR MESSAGES ------------------------- New with 5.1a we have added more verbiage -- more descriptive messages regarding the results of the BLANK-IT commands. These messages are explained below. Message: Can not install BLANK-IT with mouse option unless mouse driver is loaded. Meaning: BLANK-IT can not be installed with the mouse option (/M) unless an appropriate mouse driver has already been loaded. Typically a driver such as MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS is loaded in either an AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file. Besides displaying this message, BLANK-IT will set ERRORLEVEL 7. Message: BLANK-IT (tm) Version 5.1a timer has been set to the new value. Meaning: Simply reporting that BLANK-IT was already installed, and the user has run BLANK-IT again to select a new timeout. Message: BLANK-IT (tm) Version 5.1a now in Windows-compatibility mode. Message: BLANK-IT (tm) Version 5.1a now in normal (DOS) mode. Message: BLANK-IT (tm) Version 5.1a has been updated with the new hot key value. Message: BLANK-IT (tm) Version 5.1a has been disabled. Meaning: Neither the hotkey nor the timer will function. Message: BLANK-IT (tm) Version 5.1a has been enabled. Meaning: The timer will be reset to it's previous value (0 to 59) and the hot key will also be reset to it's initial value (0-5). Message: Can not install mouse support once BLANK-IT is already loaded! Meaning: The /M option can only be used the first time BLANK-IT is loaded into memory (usually in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file). Once BLANK-IT is already loaded into memory, the /M option can not be used. This is because the /M option informs BLANK-IT to load additional programming code, which can only be done at load time. Besides displaying this message, BLANK-IT will set ERRORLEVEL 5. Message: Can not install keyboard management option once BLANK-IT is already loaded! Meaning: The /K option can only be used the first time BLANK-IT is loaded into memory (usually in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file). Once BLANK-IT is already loaded into memory, the /K option can not be used. This is because the /K option informs BLANK-IT to load additional programming code, which can only be done at load time. Besides displaying this message, BLANK-IT will set ERRORLEVEL 6. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 15 Message: Invalid command line option for BLANK-IT (tm) Version 5.1a Meaning: An error was detected in the command line options that were specified. Either an invalid option was specified, or an invalid range was specified (such as /H:6 because 6 is not a valid value), etc. Please double check the syntax of the options that were specified. Besides displaying this message, BLANK-IT will set ERRORLEVEL 4. Message: Please do not specify both /E and /D Meaning: Trying to both enable and disable BLANK-IT at the same time is not a valid option. Besides displaying this message, BLANK-IT will set ERRORLEVEL 2. Message: Please do not specify both /W and /N Meaning: Trying to select both Windows Compatibility mode and DOS Normal Mode at the same time is not a valid option. Besides displaying this message, BLANK-IT will set ERRORLEVEL 3. Message: Error - no parameters were specified, and BLANK-IT (tm) is already loaded. Meaning: This message is displayed when BLANK-IT is run with no parameters, and BLANK-IT has already been loaded in memory. Once BLANK-IT is loaded in memory, the only point to running BLANK-IT again is to alter parameters. If BLANK-IT is loaded in memory and then run again without parameters, then there is nothing for BLANK-IT to do. Besides displaying this message, BLANK-IT will set ERRORLEVEL 1. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 16 BLANK-IT VERSION 5.1a FEATURE SUMMARY -------------------------------------- The features of BLANK-IT Version 5.1a are summarized as follows: o It DISCARDS the reactivating keystroke instead of passing it through to the application o It DISCARDS all other keystrokes until the screen is reactivated o It uses less than 1K of memory! o The timeout is user-selective o Works on all display systems! o "Hot Key" to blank screen immediately o "Hot Key" is user-selective o Works great during high speed communications where others fail o Blanks the screen and KEEPS it blank o Added support for graphics modes o Safer than constantly turning a monitor on and off o Fully supports/recognizes a mouse in DOS o Blanks/unblanks under MicroSoft Windows!!! o Parameters can be customized on the fly (timeout, hotkey, etc.) o Keyboard Management o Detailed ERRORLEVEL support for creating "smart" batchfiles o Intense, full-featured API for total control and interaction o Many new command-line options for use in batch files or directly from the command-line BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 17 DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE ----------------------- Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 18 BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a REGISTRATION INFORMATION ------------------------------------------ BLANK-IT is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. You are encouraged to pass a copy of BLANK-IT along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. Please refer to the VENDOR.DOC file for details on distributing BLANK-IT. If you find this program useful and find that you are using BLANK-IT and continue to use BLANK-IT after a reasonable trial period (60 days maximum), you must make a registration payment of $15 to Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. The $15 (U.S.) registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. If you do not have a copy of the BLANK-IT Version 5.1a program, or are missing any of the files listed in the PACKING.LST file, you may obtain a full registered version of BLANK-IT 5.1a on diskette directly from Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. for $20 (U.S.). Due to the nature of this product, the registration requirements for BLANK-IT are slightly different than for most other products. The entire reason for BLANK-IT's existence is to run when you are NOT using your machine. Hence, we require that you register BLANK-IT for each machine that you use it on. Whereas many word processors, for example, allow you to register just one copy (since you only use one at a time), we require that you register for each machine that you use BLANK-IT on, since you in fact ARE using BLANK-IT on all of them simultaneously. Unless you have multiple computers, this stipulation will mostly apply to businesses. Site licenses, however, are available to cover these situations. Please refer to the section on Site Licenses for more information. Users of BLANK-IT must register and pay for their copies of BLANK-IT within 60 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Please refer to the file REGISTER.DOC for a complete registration form. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 19 BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION ------------------------ What will registration yield? Besides rightfully paying for a product that is being used, a user will actually receive some very important benefits. Upon receiving a registration, Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. will immediately return a written receipt, a letter of acknowledgment thanking the user for registering the software, literature on any special offers available at the time of registration, and the latest issue of RISS News, our company newsletter! The user is immediately placed in our database of registered users from which we generate mailing lists for our newsletter which is used to announce upgrades to our products, or new products altogether. This is very important since many users have registered "old" versions of our software, not knowing that a newer version was available. We were able to provide them with a new version which they might not have received otherwise. Please note that we do NOT sell or otherwise distribute our mailing list. Registered users are provided with discounts on other products, as they are released, as well as limited-time special offers that we are able to grant at the time of registration. (In the past we've been able to grant major discounts on several different magazines, free subscriptions to CompuServe, free CompuServe usage credits, and more!) Registered users are encouraged to take advantage of our Corporate BBS. Of course, your registrations provide us with the capital necessary for us to continue providing new versions of BLANK-IT as well as other new products. While we courteously answer all letters we receive, registered users are provided with the highest possible degree of customer support for their questions and concerns. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 20 INTERNATIONAL (NON-U.S.) REGISTRATIONS -------------------------------------- While it is true that we are based in the United States of America, we highly value our International Users! We've learned the "hard way", however we firmly believe that we are now in a much better position to serve our International customers more effectively. EUROPEAN AND AUSTRALIAN ORDERS ------------------------------ We now have an agent in the United Kingdom who will handle all European orders. All European users should refer to the special European registration form, and mail it with payment to the name and address listed on the European registration form. Registrations should be made out in British Pounds whenever possible. Please consult the European registration form for additional methods of registration. Similarly, we have an agent in Australia who will handle all Australian orders. All Australian users should refer to the special Australian registration form, and mail it with payment to the name and address listed on the form. Registrations should be made out in Australian dollars whenever possible. Please consult the Australian registration form for additional methods of registration. ALL OTHER (NON-EUROPEAN, NON-AUSTRALIAN) INTERNATIONAL ORDERS ------------------------------------------------------------- For all non-European and non-Australian orders, we request that you register directly with Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. via the appropriate registration form listed in REGISTER.DOC. This includes all U.S. Registrations. For International Orders mailed directly to Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. the most convenient method of payment would probably be to charge the order to a Visa or MasterCard credit card. However, we do accept checks of course. We request that, whenever possible, all checks or money orders be made out in U.S. currency and drawn on a U.S. Bank. Often it is not possible to have a check drawn on a U.S. Bank, and we understand that. We request, as an alternative, that we be provided with a "Postal Money Order" from your National Post Office, or an American Express International Money Order. "U.S. Currency" or "U.S. Dollars" should be clearly marked on the check. If none of the options above are possible, then we require an extra U.S. $10 check-cashing fee be added to the cost of registration. We apologize for this extra charge, however we are charged US$10 just to cash an International Check. When writing a check or money order in non-U.S. currency, please make the necessary monetary conversions so that when we cash the check/money order we receive the full cost of the registration plus the equivalent of US$10 to cover the check cashing fee. Users will only be credited for the amount received after conversion. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 21 SITE LICENSE INFORMATION ------------------------ Site licenses/volume discounts are available. Screen Savers are of paramount importance to computers being used in the work place. Businesses report the highest frequency of burn-in. For a small cost, you could save your business from having to buy an endless supply of new monitors. The cost of registering BLANK-IT will more than pay for itself, and continue to save you large sums of money in the future. For your convenience, we do accept Purchase Orders on Site Licenses from Schools and businesses. Please refer to the file SITELICE.DOC for full details on our fantastic discounts, and a copy of the site license registration form. OUR FAIR, NO FEAR UPGRADE POLICY -------------------------------- At Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. we strive to provide quality software and the best customer service possible. As such, we have instituted an upgrade policy which we believe to be very fair to our valued users. Due to the nature of shareware, many users are still receiving and registering "outdated" versions of BLANK-IT. Upon receipt of registration we promptly inform the user of the availability of a newer version, and allow the user the option of upgrading to the new version for only the difference in price between the new version and the old. That is to say, anyone registering Version 4.1a at $10.00 will be provided the option of upgrading to Version 5.1a for only $5.00 (the difference between the old registration price of $10.00 and the new registration price of $15). The user is in no way obligated to upgrade, however if he/she chooses this option, the user is able to register the new version for the same total cost as if he/she had registered the newer version to begin with. Upgrading does not cost the user ANYTHING over the normal registration price of the newer version. Due to this policy, our users should not be wary of registering BLANK-IT Version 5.1a. If a newer version of BLANK-IT should be available at the time of registration, all users will be provided the option of upgrading to the new version for only the difference in registration fee. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 22 HOW TO CONTACT RHODE ISLAND SOFT SYSTEMS, INC. ---------------------------------------------- At Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc., we believe excellent customer service to be our primary objective. We make ourselves available for customer support via several methods. Please use the method that best suits you, and feel free to forward a copy of the COMMENT.DOC form if appropriate. U.S. MAIL --------- Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. PO Box 748 Woonsocket, RI 02895 USA VOICE/FAX --------- (401) 658-4632 COMPUSERVE ---------- Via CompuServe Mail to ID 73770,1633 DELPHI ------ Via Delphi Mail to EGROBICHAUD GENIE ----- via GEnie mail to E.ROBICHAUD1 CONNECTIONS BBS --------------- If you have an questions or comments you may contact Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. on our 24-hour customer support BBS. CONNECTIONS BBS always contains the latest version of BLANK-IT, which can be downloaded even by un-registered, first time callers. We hope to hear from you on CONNECTIONS! CONNECTIONS BBS Supports up to 9600 bps with MNP Optional. Use No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit (commonly referred to as N,8,1). The phone number is (401) 658-3465. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 23 _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER BLANK-IT(tm) Version 5.1a is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). The ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, the ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at: ASP Ombudsman 545 Grover Road Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 U.S.A. or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe MAIL to ASP Ombudsman - 70007,3536. For more information on the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) please refer to the SHR-WARE.DOC file that accompanies the BLANK-IT 5.1a software. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 24 BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a WARRANTY INFORMATION ------------------------------------- *** PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY *** TRIAL USE (SHAREWARE EVALUATION VERSION) WARRANTY: -------------------------------------------------- The Shareware evaluation (trial use) version is provided AS IS. Rhode Island Soft Systems MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. REGISTERED VERSION ONLY WARRANTY: --------------------------------- Rhode Island Soft Systems warrants the physical diskette(s) and physical documentation provided with registered versions to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ninety days from the date of registration. If Rhode Island Soft Systems receives notification within the warranty period of defects in materials or workmanship, and such notification is determined by Rhode Island Soft Systems to be correct, Rhode Island Soft Systems will replace the defective diskette(s) or documentation. The entire and exclusive liability and remedy for breach of this Limited Warranty shall be limited to replacement of defective diskette(s) or documentation and shall not include or extend to any claim for or right to recover any other damages, including but not limited to, loss of profit, data, or use of the software, or special, incidental, or consequential damages or other similar claims, even if Rhode Island Soft Systems has been specifically advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event will Rhode Island Soft Systems's liability for any damages to you or any other person ever exceed the lower of suggested list price or actual price paid for the license to use the software, regardless of any form of the claim. Rhode Island Soft Systems SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. USE OF THE BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a SOFTWARE IMPLIES ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 25 REPORTING PROBLEMS WITH BLANK-IT 5.1a ------------------------------------- At Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. we strive to provide the highest quality software we possibly can. Due to the proliferation of IBM-compatible systems, however, we can not possibly test our software on every single system under every possible combination of hardware and software configurations. As such sometimes a problem does arise, with a particular configuration, which we are able to investigate and solve. We greatly appreciate the feedback that we receive from our users, and have begun distributing a special form as of this release of BLANK-IT. The form can be found in the file COMMENT.DOC. If any user should have a particular question, comment, or problem we request that a copy of this form be filled out and included with a letter. Receiving a copy of this form will provide us with exactly the information which will help us on the road to diagnosing a problem. We are always interested in hearing comments from our users on ways in which we can improve our product. The form in COMMENT.DOC can also be used to mail in suggestions and requests. TRADEMARK DECLARATIONS ---------------------- BLANK-IT(tm) and all Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Rhode Island Soft Systems, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Windows, as used in this documentation, shall refer to Microsoft's implementation of a windows system. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ------------------- This software and accompanying documentation are protected by United States Copyright Law and also by International Treaty Provisions. Any use of this software in violation of Copyright Law or the terms of the BLANK-IT limited license will be prosecuted to the best of our ability. BLANK-IT(tm) 5.1a Documentation PAGE 26