Microsoft Programmer's Library 1.3

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Microsoft Programmer's Library 1.3 / Microsoft_Programmers_Library.7z / MPL / os2 / os2getst.txt < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 2013-11-08 | 49.7 KB | 1,244 lines

Microsoft Operating System/2 Getting Started ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Microsoft(R) Operating System/2 Getting Started Version 1.2 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Microsoft Corporation. The software and/or databases described in this document are furnished under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. The software and/or databases may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. The purchaser may make one copy of the software for backup purposes. No part of this manual and/or database may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal use, without the written permission of Microsoft Corporation. (C) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1990. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Patent #4,825,358 Patent #4,779,187 Microsoft(R), MS(R), MS-DOS(R), the Microsoft logo, and InPort(R) are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM(R) is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. SY13238-0490 OEMO786-1Z Table of Contents ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Welcome Chapter 1 Setting Up MS OS/2 and Using the Manuals Chapter 2 A Visual Overview of MS OS/2 Chapter 3 Learning Basic MS OS/2 Skills Welcome ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Welcome to Microsoft(R) Operating System/2 (MS(R) OS/2), the operating system that turns your computer into a powerful tool for your business or personal use. In this guide, you will find instructions on how to set up MS OS/2 on your computer and some information about each of the manuals included with your MS OS/2 package. This guide also provides a visual introduction to MS OS/2 as well as a brief tutorial that gives you practical experience performing basic MS OS/2 tasks. If you are new to MS OS/2, it is recommended that you first install MS OS/2 on your computer and then read Chapter 2, "A Visual Overview of MS OS/2" and work through the exercises in Chapter 3, "Learning MS OS/2 Basic Skills." These chapters will briefly acquaint you with the different operating environments in MS OS/2 and will give you basic information about running applications. If you have used MS OS/2 before, you may want to read Chapter 2 and then skim Chapter 3 for an introduction to the new and enhanced visual features of Presentation Manager. Then go on to the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide for details on these enhancements and the new features added to the applications that come with your MS OS/2 package. Chapter 1 Setting Up MS OS/2 and Using the Manuals ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Introduction This chapter lists the hardware you need to run MS OS/2 and describes some options that you should be familiar with before you install MS OS/2. Following these options are step-by-step instructions for setting up and starting MS OS/2 on your computer. System Requirements To install and use MS OS/2, you need the following: ■ A personal computer with an 80286, 80386, or 80486 processor and at least 2.5 megabytes of memory. (If you'll be running several applications at once, at least 4 megabytes is highly recommended.) If you have added extra memory to your computer, make sure that it is extended memory and not expanded memory (which MS OS/2 does not recognize). See your hardware manuals for more information. ■ At least two disk drives─one hard-disk drive and one high-density floppy-disk drive. (Since the Install disk and the program disks are high-density disks, you must have a high-density floppy-disk drive to set up MS OS/2.) ■ A graphics display adapter supported by MS OS/2. ■ A mouse (recommended). Before You Install MS OS/2 While you are setting up MS OS/2, you will be asked to choose particular options or answer questions about the kind of hardware you have. It may speed up your installation if you take a moment now to familiarize yourself with the following items: ■ Which file system(s) you want to use on your primary partition. You can choose to use the file allocation table (FAT) file system (used by DOS) or the high-performance file system (HPFS). During installation, you will be asked whether you want to reformat your hard disk. If you want to use the FAT file system, you do not need to reformat your hard disk. If you want to use HPFS, you must reformat your hard disk. Once you choose to reformat, you will be given the option of using FAT or HPFS. If you want to use both FAT and HPFS, see the following section, "Installing Both FAT and HPFS." For more information about using the HPFS, see Chapter 16, "Using the High-Performance File System," in the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. ■ The language supported by your keyboard (if you are working inside the United States, it is highly probable that you have a U.S. English keyboard). ■ The amount of space available on your hard disk. You need 12 megabytes to hold your MS OS/2 files and directories. ■ The type of mouse you have. In the installation program, 099 represents a Microsoft(R) mouse with green buttons and 199 represents a Microsoft mouse with gray buttons (or with white buttons if it is a serial mouse). If you are not sure whether your mouse is an InPort, Serial, or Bus (Parallel) mouse, see the manual that comes with the mouse. ■ The type of ports you are going to use (communications and/or printer). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Note In this manual, the term "DOS" refers to the MS-DOS(R) and IBM Personal Computer DOS operating systems. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── In some cases, you will have the choice of setting up your computer to run with both MS OS/2 1.2 and DOS. This is called the dual-boot option, and you set it up from the installation program. This option is only available under the following conditions: ■ Your computer is set up for use with the FAT file system. ■ MS-DOS version 3.2 or later is already set up on your computer, or the dual-boot option for MS OS/2 1.1 is already set up on your computer. For more information on using the dual-boot option, see Appendix B, "Using MS OS/2 Dual Boot" in the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. Installing Both FAT and HPFS If you want to use both the high-performance file system (HPFS) and the file allocation table (FAT) file system, read this section before you install MS OS/2. If your computer's hard disk is already divided into two partitions or if you are using more than one hard disk, you will not need the instructions in this section. Go directly to the section, "Running the Installation Program." The following are instructions for three different hard-disk configurations. Select the description that describes the current status of your hard disk and follow those instructions to install MS OS/2. If your computer's hard disk is unformatted, do the following: 1. Complete the instructions in the section, "Running the Installation Program." During installation, set up a primary partition that is smaller than the total disk space (a minimum of 12 megabytes) and format it as either FAT or HPFS. 2. After installation, run the Presentation Manager Fixed Disk Utility, set up a secondary partition and logical drive, and use the format utility to format it as either FAT or HPFS. If you format your primary partition as FAT, add the following lines to the beginning of your CONFIG.SYS file before formatting your secondary partition as HPFS: IFS=C:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /c:64 RUN=C:\OS2\CACHE For more information, see the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide, Chapter 13, "Setting Up Your Hard Disk," and Chapter 16, "Using the High-Performance File System," and the Microsoft Operating System/2 Command Reference "Format" entry. If your computer's hard disk is formatted as one partition, using all the space on the disk, follow these steps: 1. Back up any programs or data you want to save onto floppy disks. 2. Use the fdisk /d utility to delete the partition (insert the MS OS/2 Install disk, restart your computer, press ESC, and type fdisk /d). 3. Follow the instructions in the section, "Running the Installation Program." During installation, set up a primary partition that is smaller than the total disk space (a minimum of 12 megabytes) and format it as either FAT or HPFS. 4. After installation, run the Presentation Manager Fixed Disk Utility, set up a secondary partition and logical drive, and use the format utility to format it as either FAT or HPFS. If you format your primary partition as FAT, add the following lines to the beginning of your CONFIG.SYS file before formatting your secondary partition as HPFS: IFS=C:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /c:64 RUN=C:\OS2\CACHE For more information, see the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide, Chapter 13, "Setting Up Your Hard Disk," and and Chapter 16, "Using the High-Performance File System," and then the Microsoft Operating System/2 Command Reference "Format" entry. If you currently have DOS installed on a single partition that uses all the space on the disk and you want to use MS OS/2 dual boot in addition to both FAT and HPFS, you will need to do two things: First create a new, smaller partition for DOS and the MS OS/2 system. Then install MS OS/2 and create a second partition for your HPFS drive. Follow these steps: 1. Start DOS from a floppy disk. If you do not have a DOS start-up disk, you will need to create one. (See your DOS manual for instructions.) 2. Back up any programs or data you want to save onto floppy disks. 3. Use the DOS fdisk utility to delete the existing DOS partition and then create a DOS partition that is smaller than the total disk (this allows space for the HPFS drive). The partition must have at least 12 megabytes free after you reinstall DOS and the programs and/or data files you saved on floppy disks. Make the new DOS partition active. (See your DOS manual for instructions on using fdisk.) 4. Reinstall DOS on your primary partition in a subdirectory C:\DOS. (If the installation program does not allow you to choose C:\DOS, install DOS in the root directory, then create C:\DOS and copy the DOS files to that directory.) Copy your programs and/or files from the backup floppy disks into C:\DOS. (See your DOS manual for instructions.) 5. Restart DOS from the hard disk and verify that you have at least 12 megabytes of free space on the C drive. 6. Check to see that you have the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file, and if not, add it to the file: SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND Check to see that you have the following lines in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and if not, add them to the file: SET COMSPEC=C:\DOS\COMMANDCOPY C:\DOS\COMMAND 7. Install MS OS/2 by following the instructions in the next section, "Running the Installation Program." MS OS/2 dual boot will be installed automatically. (Note: Do not choose to format the primary partition during installation or you will lose your DOS files.) 8. After installation, add the following lines to the beginning of your CONFIG.SYS file by using a text editor (for example, System Editor): IFS=C:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /c:64 RUN=C:\OS2\CACHE 9. Run the Presentation Manager Fixed Disk Utility (in the Utilities group), and set up a secondary partition and logical drive. (This will be your HPFS drive.) Then restart your system. 10. Use the MS OS/2 format utility to format the drive in your secondary partition as HPFS by typing the following at the command line: format d: /fs:hpfs Your system is now set up with dual boot and an HPFS drive. For more information, see the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide, Chapter 13, "Setting Up Your Hard Disk," Chapter 16, "Using the High-Performance File System," and then the Microsoft Operating System/2 Command Reference "Format" entry. Running the Installation Program An installation disk, included with your MS OS/2 package, makes it easy for you to install MS OS/2 on your computer by following these steps: 1. Turn on your computer. 2. Put the disk labeled Install in drive A (drive A must be a high-density drive). 3. Press and hold down the CTRL key. While holding down the CTRL key, press and hold down the ALT key and then press the DEL key (CTRL+ALT+DEL). 4. Release all three keys and then wait for the first screen of information to appear. Your computer may take a moment to read the Install disk. 5. Work through the installation program by following the instructions you see on each screen. After you have completed a screen, press the ENTER key to move to the next screen. To move back to the previous screen, press the ESC key. If you made a mistake, press the ESC key repeatedly until you return to the screen where you made the mistake. When you have corrected your mistake, press the ENTER key repeatedly until you return to the screen where you want to continue working. Getting Help If you need help while setting up MS OS/2, press the F1 function key. Pressing F1 displays Help information for your current screen. For more general help with setting up MS OS/2, you can press F1, followed by F5, to display a list of Help topics. You can then choose the topic you want to learn more about. Starting MS OS/2 To start MS OS/2, simply turn on your computer, or if your computer is already turned on, press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart it. Each time you turn on your computer or restart it, MS OS/2 starts automatically. Shortly after starting MS OS/2, messages will be displayed on your screen while your computer loads MS OS/2 into memory. When the Desktop Manager and the Main-group windows appear, you are in the Presentation Manager session. Guide to the MS OS/2 Manuals Your MS OS/2 package includes the following manuals: ■ Microsoft Operating System/2 Getting Started (this book)─Includes a quick guide to installing MS OS/2 on your computer, a guide to using the manuals, a visual introduction that identifies important parts of the system, and a brief tutorial to demonstrate basic skills. ■ ■ Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide─A complete guide to using MS OS/2 to do your work, organized into three parts: Part 1 "Using Presentation Manager"─Procedures for using the menus and commands in the Presentation Manager windows. Includes basic skills; running applications; managing files, directories, and disks; printing files; and changing system settings. Part 2 "Using Cmd and the DOS Session"─Procedures for using the MS OS/2 full-screen option to type commands, run programs, and create and run batch programs; also, instructions for running your DOS programs. Part 3 "Configuring and Maintaining Your System"─Procedures for system-administration tasks, such as backing up and configuring your system; also, instructions for using high-performance file system and device drivers. ■ Microsoft Operating System/2 Command Reference─An alphabetic reference to all of the MS OS/2 and DOS commands you might use with the system; includes syntax, options, and examples. Where to Go from Here The next chapter, "A Visual Overview of MS OS/2," contains a visual reference to important parts of MS OS/2 1.2. If you are new to MS OS/2, the overview will introduce you to some of the important parts of the interface. For those who have used MS OS/2 1.1, the overview will quickly describe new Presentation Manager features that you should become familiar with. Chapter 3, "Learning Basic MS OS/2 Skills," is a brief, hands-on introduction to MS OS/2. If you are a new user, the exercises in Chapter 3 will give you the basic skills you need to get started using MS OS/2. If you are an experienced MS OS/2 user, the exercises will give you experience working with the improved and expanded Presentation Manager interface. Chapter 2 A Visual Overview of MS OS/2 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Introduction Microsoft Operating System/2 (MS OS/2) gives you more computing power through its enhanced and efficient use of your computer's memory and the 80286, 80386, and 80486 processors. MS OS/2 has powerful multitasking capabilities, which allow you to run several applications at the same time. Not only is MS OS/2 powerful, it is also flexible, giving you several ways to accomplish the same kind of tasks, such as starting applications, configuring your system, and managing your files and directories. The MS OS/2 Presentation Manager environment offers you a method based on pictures and symbols for accomplishing your work, with windows in which you specify information and menus from which you choose commands. Or, if you prefer to type information and commands by using your keyboard, you can use the MS OS/2 command interpreter, cmd. This chapter provides you with a visually based overview of MS OS/2 and explains how the different components fit together. It introduces you to the Presentation Manager screen by using illustrations and definitions that describe the different parts of a Presentation Manager window. This chapter also briefly describes each application that comes with MS OS/2 and shows you how they are arranged into program groups. The Presentation Manager Screen When you start MS OS/2, the Desktop Manager and Main-group windows appear on your screen, running in the Presentation Manager session (a special graphical environment). Here are some terms that describe the elements of the Presentation Manager screen: Art Term/Description ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Pointer If you are using a mouse, an arrow-shaped pointer shows your position on the screen. Scroll bar Scroll bars may appear in a window or dialog box that contains more information than can fit in the work area. If you are using a mouse, you use scroll bars to bring the information that does not fit in the work area into view. System-menu box The System-menu box is used to display the System menu, a list of commands common to all groups and applications that run in a window. It can be used to move and size windows, to quit applications, and to close groups. Menu bar The menu bar displays the names of the menus in a Presentation Manager application or group. Minimize box If you are using a mouse, you can use the Minimize box to reduce a window to an icon. If you are not using a mouse, you can use the Minimize command on the System menu to do this. Maximize box If you are using a mouse, you can use the Maximize box to enlarge a window to fill the entire screen. If you are not using a mouse, you can use the Maximize command on the System menu to do this. DOS and Print Manager icons An icon represents a window that has been reduced by using the Minimize command or the Minimize box. When you start MS OS/2, icons for Print Manager and the DOS session (the environment used to run DOS applications) automatically appear in the icon area located at the bottom of your screen. Working with Presentation Manager Applications To work with Presentation Manager applications, you use the application's menus shown on the menu bar. Each menu contains a list of commands that you can choose from to perform specific tasks. For example, by using the commands on the Group menu in Desktop Manager, you can create your own groups of applications, rename existing groups, and delete groups you no longer want. The Presentation Manager Applications in the Main Group The applications that come with MS OS/2 are organized into two groups─the Main group and the Utilities group. These applications come as part of your MS OS/2 package and are added to the Main and Utilities groups automatically when you install MS OS/2 on your computer. When you first start MS OS/2, the Main group appears in a window on your screen. The Presentation Manager applications included in the Main group are described here. With File Manager, you can look at the directory structure of a disk drive and keep track of files and directories. You can perform several file-management tasks with File Manager, such as creating directories and copying, moving, and deleting files. You can use the MS OS/2 System Editor to create or edit text files such as your CONFIG.SYS file, other start-up files, and any batch files that you create. Command Reference allows you to view the contents of the Microsoft Operating System/2 Command Reference. Command Reference includes information on several topics and commands that you can view on-line while you work. Other Types of MS OS/2 Applications MS OS/2's flexibility allows you to start and use several kinds of applications. In addition to the Presentation Manager applications you have seen so far, you can also start full-screen applications and DOS applications. The MS OS/2 command interpreter, cmd, provides an alternative to Presentation Manager's graphical interface. Instead of choosing commands from menus, you type commands at a command prompt to perform tasks, similarly to the way you use DOS. You can run the cmd program in a window or in a full screen. When you run cmd in a full screen, the Presentation Manager session temporarily disappears from your screen. When you run cmd in a window, it runs in the Presentation Manager session, together with your Presentation Manager applications. Because cmd is not a Presentation Manager application, its window looks slightly different from a Presentation Manager application window─it does not have a menu bar, and the background is black. The DOS session is a special environment where you can run DOS applications. When you start MS OS/2, the DOS session appears as an icon in the lower-left corner of the Presentation Manager screen, showing you that it is available for your use at any time. Print Manager helps you manage your printing tasks. When you start MS OS/2, it appears as an icon at the bottom of your screen. MS OS/2 includes multitasking capabilities, which allow you to run several applications at the same time. The Task List displays a list of the applications that are currently running and of the program groups that are currently open. By using the Task List, you can switch from one application or group to another. When you start MS OS/2, the Task List is hidden from view. To display it, click the right mouse button or press CTRL+ESC. The Applications in the Utilities Group In addition to the Main group, Desktop Manager also includes the Utilities group. When you open the Utilities group window, you see a list of the Microsoft Utility programs that also come as part of your MS OS/2 package. Control Panel is a Presentation Manager application that you can use to change country settings, set up additional hardware, change the screen colors in the Presentation Manager session, and perform other system-configuration tasks. Printer Installer is a Presentation Manager application that you can use to install printers. These MS OS/2 Utilities are programs that you can use to maintain your disks: ■ Copy Diskette makes an exact copy of a floppy disk. ■ Compare Diskette compares the contents and the tracks of two floppy disks. ■ Label Diskette assigns a new volume label to a disk. ■ Format Diskette formats floppy disks. ■ Disk Information checks for errors and available storage space on your disks. ■ Fixed Disk Utility partitions your hard disk and sets up different drives. ■ Print Picture prints graphical documents on your printer. ■ Display Picture displays graphical documents in Presentation Manager. ■ Convert Picture converts files from picture-interchange format to metafile format for use with Presentation Manager. Chapter 3 Learning Basic MS OS/2 Skills ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Introduction This chapter briefly introduces you to some basic techniques for using MS OS/2 to run your applications. It contains nine exercises that will give you hands-on experience performing the following skills: ■ Selecting and starting applications ■ Using Help information ■ Switching among applications ■ Opening groups ■ Reducing and restoring application and group windows ■ Quitting applications and closing windows Before beginning the exercises, make sure you have installed and started MS OS/2 on your computer. Also, you may want to read Chapter 2, "A Visual Overview of MS OS/2," for an introduction to the screen elements in Presentation Manager and to the applications that come with your MS OS/2 package. If you have not set up MS OS/2, or if you need a review on how to start MS OS/2, see Chapter 1, "Setting Up MS OS/2 and Using the Manuals," in this guide. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Note All examples of file and directory names in this chapter are for the file allocation table (FAT) file system, which is the one used by DOS and MS OS/2 versions 1.1 and earlier. For information on using high-performance file system (HPFS) filenames and directory names, see the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide, Chapter 16, "Using the High-Performance File System." ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Exercise 1: Starting an Application When you start MS OS/2, the first application to appear on your screen is Desktop Manager. Desktop Manager is the Presentation Manager application you use to open program groups. Each program group contains one or more applications. When you start MS OS/2, the Main group is open, running in its own window. The applications in the Main group are represented by icons, followed by their titles. To start an application from a group, point to the icon or title of the application you want to start and then double-click the left mouse button. If you are using your keyboard, use the UP or DOWN key to select it and then press ENTER. To practice starting an application, start File Manager by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to File Manager in the If File Manager is not already selected, Main-group window, then press the UP or DOWN key until it is double-click the left mouse highlighted, then press ENTER. button. If you have a mouse, the pointer becomes a small hourglass to let you know that File Manager is being started. After a short pause, File Manager appears in a window on your screen. File Manager is a Presentation Manager application you can use to view and manage your files and directories on any disk you choose. For more information on using File Manager, see Chapter 3, "Using File Manager," in the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. Exercise 2: Getting Help If you have questions at any time while working with a Presentation Manager application, Help information about the task you are performing is available. To display Help information, use the F1 function key: ■ Press F1. Help information for File Manager appears in a window on your screen. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Note Another way to display Help information is by using the commands on the Help menu. The commands on the Help menu display specific types of Help information, such as a Help Index or Keys Help, for the application you are using. For more information on using the Help menu commands, see Chapter 1, "Learning Basic Presentation Manager Skills," in the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Scrolling the Help Window The scroll bar at the right of the window shows you that there is more Help information available than can fit in the window. To display more Help information, click the scroll arrows in the scroll bar. If you are using your keyboard, use the UP or DOWN key. To practice scrolling the Help text, use either your mouse or keyboard to scroll the text down one screenful: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the down scroll arrow Press the DOWN key to scroll through the in the scroll bar, then click Help text. the left mouse button to scroll through the Help text, one line at a time. As you continue scrolling, the scroll box moves toward the bottom of the scroll bar, indicating your position within the Help text. Practice scrolling through the Help information by using your mouse or keyboard until you have reached the end. You will know that you are at the end of the text when the scroll box reaches the bottom of the scroll bar. Closing the Help Window You can close the Help window by using either your mouse or keyboard. To close the Help window, do the following: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the System-menu box, Press ESC. then double-click the left mouse button. The Help window disappears from your screen. Exercise 3: Switching Among Applications and Groups In MS OS/2, you can have several applications running or several groups open at once, but you can work with only one application or group at a time. The application or group you are currently working with is the active application or group. When a window becomes active, it appears in front of the other windows on your screen and its borders and title bar change colors. For example, File Manager, now at the front of your screen, is the active application. If you want to use an application or group other than the one that is currently active, you need to switch to it. The most direct way to switch to another application or group is by using the Task List. The Task List contains a list of the applications that are currently running and the groups that are currently open. To switch to another application or group, you first display the Task List and then choose the application or group you want to switch to from those listed in the Task List. Displaying the Task List To display the Task List, you use the right mouse button or the CTRL and ESC keys. Use your mouse or keyboard to practice displaying the Task List: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Move the pointer onto the screen Press and hold down CTRL, then press ESC background (outside a window), (CTRL+ESC). then click the right mouse button. The Task List appears, listing the applications that are currently running and the groups that are currently open. Switching to Desktop Manager The way you switch to another application or group with the Task List is similar to the way you start an application from a group window─you point to the application or group and then double-click the left mouse button. Or, you can use the UP or DOWN key to select the application or group and then press ENTER. To practice switching to another application or group, you'll switch to Desktop Manager. Switch to Desktop Manager by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to Desktop Manager in the Press the DOWN key until Desktop Manager Task List, then double-click the is selected, then press ENTER. left mouse button. The Desktop Manager window appears at the front of your screen. Exercise 4: Opening a Group Two groups are listed in the Desktop Manager─Main and Utilities. The Main group opens automatically when you start MS OS/2. In this exercise, you will learn how to open a group from Desktop Manager by opening the Utilities group. Once you have opened the Utilities group, you'll start Control Panel, another Presentation Manager application. Opening the Utilities Group Opening a group is similar to starting or switching to an application─you point to the group and then double-click the left mouse button. Or, you can use the UP or DOWN key to select the group and then press ENTER. Open the Utilities group by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to Utilities in the Press the DOWN key to select Utilities, Desktop Manager window, then then press ENTER. double-click the left mouse button. The Utilities-group window appears at the front of your screen, with the applications and programs in the Utilities group displayed in the work area. Starting Control Panel Notice that Control Panel is listed in the Utilities group. To give yourself more practice starting applications, start Control Panel by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to Control Panel in the If Control Panel is not already selected, Utilities-group window, then press the UP key to select it, then double-click the left mouse press ENTER. button. Control Panel appears in a window on your screen. Control Panel is a Presentation Manager application that you can use to customize MS OS/2 to your specific needs. Part 1, "Using Presentation Manager," of the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide, describes in detail how to use Control Panel. Exercise 5: Looking at the System Menu All Presentation Manager windows have a System menu. The System menu contains commands that let you size, move, reduce, enlarge, and close a window. In the next exercise, you'll learn how to use the System menu to reduce a window to an icon by using the keyboard. To display the System menu, you click the System-menu box. Or, if you are using your keyboard, you press SHIFT+ESC. Display the System menu in Control Panel by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the System-menu box in Press and hold down SHIFT, then press the Control Panel window, then ESC (SHIFT+ESC). click the left mouse button. The System menu appears in the Control Panel window. In the next exercise, you'll learn how to reduce a window to an icon by using the Minimize command on the System menu. Exercise 6: Reducing and Restoring Application or Group Window Whenever you are not currently using an application or group, you can reduce it to an icon without quitting the application or closing the group. You reduce a window to an icon by using the Minimize box in the upper-right corner of the window. Or, if you are using your keyboard, you can use the Minimize command on the System menu. To practice reducing a window to an icon, use your mouse or keyboard to reduce the Control Panel window: .NE 30P Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the Minimize box in the The System menu should be displayed on upper-right corner of the window, your screen. If it is not, press then click the left mouse button. SHIFT+ESC to display it, then press N to choose the Minimize command. Control Panel is reduced to an icon at the bottom of your screen, next to the DOS and Print Manager icons. The Utilities-group window, now the active window, appears at the front of your screen. Control Panel is still running, but it occupies less space on your screen than before. Restoring an Icon If you want to work in an application or group that is running as an icon, you first need to restore it. You restore an icon with your mouse by double-clicking the icon. If you are using your keyboard, you can use the Task List to switch to an application or group. Switching to an application or group that is running as an icon automatically restores it. To practice restoring an icon, restore the Control Panel icon to a window by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the Control Panel icon, 1 Press CTRL+ESC to display the Task then double-click the left mouse List. button. 2 Press the DOWN key until Control Panel is selected, then press ENTER. Control Panel is restored to a window on your screen. So far you have learned some basic techniques for starting applications, reducing and restoring windows, and switching between them. While learning these skills, you were briefly introduced to two applications, File Manager and Control Panel, in the Presentation Manager environment. In the next two exercises, you'll practice these skills while you learn how to work in two other MS OS/2 environments─in the DOS session and in a full screen. Exercise 7: Looking at the DOS Command Interpreter The DOS command interpreter, command, is the program you use to run applications designed for MS-DOS or some other manufacturer's version of DOS. Command runs only in the DOS session, a special environment for running DOS applications. To run DOS applications, you can either add the application to a program group and start it from there, or you can switch to the DOS session and then type the command that starts the application. In this exercise, you'll practice switching to the DOS session. For information on adding applications to program groups, see Part 1, "Using Presentation Manager," of the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. The DOS session is represented by the DOS icon in the lower-left corner of your screen. To switch to the DOS session, you can restore the DOS icon or you can use the Task List. Use either your mouse or keyboard to switch to the DOS session: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the DOS icon, then 1 Press CTRL+ESC to display the Task double-click the left mouse List. button. 2 Press the DOWN key until DOS is selected, then press ENTER. The Presentation Manager screen temporarily disappears and you are switched to the DOS session. Switching to the DOS session automatically starts the DOS command interpreter, command, as shown by the DOS prompt in the upper-left corner of your screen. For more information about using command and the DOS session, see Chapter 2, "Running Applications with MS OS/2," and Part 2, "Using Cmd and the DOS Session," of the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. Returning to Presentation Manager When you are using a DOS application, you can quickly return to Presentation Manager at any time by displaying the Task List. To display the Task List, do the following: ■ Press CTRL+ESC. The Presentation Manager screen reappears, with the Task List displayed. Exercise 8: Looking at the MS OS/2 Command Interpreter The MS OS/2 command interpreter, cmd, is another program that you can use to run full-screen applications (applications that do not use Presentation Manager menus and commands). In addition to starting a full-screen application from a program group, you can also start cmd and then type the command that starts the application. You can also use cmd commands and utilities to perform system-maintenance and file-management tasks. The cmd program can run in two different ways─in a full screen or in a window. In this exercise, you'll learn how to run cmd in a full screen. In order to start cmd, you need to switch to the Main group where it is located. Switch to the Main group by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to Group-Main in the Task Press the DOWN key until Group-Main is List, then double-click the left selected, then press ENTER. mouse button. The Main group becomes active. Now you can start cmd in a full screen by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to OS/2 Full Screen, then Press the DOWN key until OS/2 Full double-click the left mouse Screen is selected, then press ENTER. button. The Presentation Manager screen temporarily disappears and the cmd prompt appears, indicating that cmd has been started. In addition to running the cmd program in a full screen, you can also run cmd in a window so that it shares the screen with your Presentation Manager applications. For more information on running cmd in a full screen and in a window, see Chapter 2, "Running Applications with MS OS/2," and Part 2, "Using Cmd and the DOS Session," of the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. Now, return to Presentation Manager by doing the following: ■ Press CTRL+ESC. The Presentation Manager screen reappears, with the Task List displayed. The cmd program is now running as an icon at the bottom of your screen. Now that you have been introduced to two Presentation Manager applications and three different ways of working with MS OS/2, the next exercise will demonstrate how to quit Presentation Manager applications and close windows. Exercise 9: Quitting Applications and Closing Windows In Presentation Manager, you quit an application or close a group window by double-clicking the System-menu box or by using the Close command on the System menu. To see how this works, you'll quit Control Panel. Quitting Control Panel Before you can quit an application, you must switch to it. Switch to Control Panel by using your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to Control Panel in the Press the DOWN key until Control Panel Task List, then double-click the is selected, then press ENTER. left mouse button. Control Panel becomes the active application. You can now use either your mouse or keyboard to quit Control Panel: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the System-menu box in 1 Press SHIFT+ESC to display the System the Control Panel window, then menu for Control Panel. double-click the left mouse button. 2 Press C to choose the Close command. When you double-click the System-menu box or choose the Close command, the Control Panel window disappears, showing you that Control Panel is no longer running. If you have been working through these exercises in sequence, the Utilities group window becomes active, moving to the front of your screen. Quitting All Applications at Once If you have several applications running at once, you can quit all of your applications in one step by using the Close All command in Desktop Manager. To use the Close All command, you first need to switch to Desktop Manager. Do this by using either your mouse or keyboard: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 1 Move the mouse pointer onto 2 Press CTRL+ESC to display the Task the screen background and click List. the right mouse button to display the Task List. 3 Point to Desktop Manager and 4 Press the UP or DOWN key to select double-click the left mouse Desktop Manager, then press ENTER. button. Desktop Manager becomes the active window. To practice quitting several applications at once, use the Close All command to quit File Manager and the cmd program: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 1 Point to the Desktop menu in 2 Press ALT, then D to display the Desktop Manager, then click the Desktop menu (ALT,D). left mouse button. 3 Point to the Close All command, 4 Press the A key to choose the Close then click the left mouse button. All command. A message appears, asking you to confirm your decision to close all of your applications. Respond to the message by doing the following: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the Close All button, Press the LEFT key to select the Close then click the left mouse button. All button, then press ENTER. A message appears, asking you to confirm your decision to quit cmd (OS/2 Full Screen). Respond to the message by doing the following: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the Yes button, then Press the LEFT key to select the Yes click the left mouse button. button, then press ENTER. The OS/2 icon disappears, indicating that the OS/2 command interpreter, cmd, is no longer running. Another message appears, asking you to confirm your decision to quit File Manager. Respond to the message by doing the following: Mouse Keyboard ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Point to the Yes button, then Press ENTER. (The Yes button is already click the left mouse button. selected, so you do not need to press the LEFT key to select it.) The File Manager window disappears, indicating that File Manager is no longer running. The Utilities group becomes active. Summary This chapter has introduced you to some basic MS OS/2 skills so that you can get started working with your OS/2 and DOS applications. By working through the exercises, you learned how to start applications from a group, reduce and restore applications and groups, and switch among them by using the Task List. To learn how to perform additional Presentation Manager skills, such as sizing and moving windows and using dialog boxes, see Chapter 1, "Learning Basic Presentation Manager Skills," in the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. For more detailed information on running applications, see Chapter 2, "Running Applications with MS OS/2," in the Microsoft Operating System/2 User's Guide. .EM