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Text File | 1994-03-21 | 15.2 KB | 339 lines

------------------------------------------------------------------- Deze copie van Gaze bevat ook een nederlands documentatiebestand ------------------------------------------------------------------- English documentation file with the shareware program - Gaze Version 1.0 - February 1994 by J. Schipperheijn Postbus 1494 5602 BL Eindhoven The Netherlands ------------------------------------------------------------------- RUNNING GAZE Copy ALL files to ONE directory of the hard disk. Run by typing GAZE [RETURN] ------------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION Gaze owes its existence to a large extent to the people who went through the effort of registering Glance, often supported by letters with many hints and suggestions. Glance is the predecessor of Gaze; an easy to handle graphical menu program that looks great, but hardly has any additional functionality. Right now people from twelve (!) countries have registered their copy of Glance. Gaze features almost all the functionality that was suggested to me in several hundreds of letters, plus some more. First of all, there is the new graphical user-interface; for some reason I felt urged to write it from scratch. I don't even dare to say how many hours it took, but I guess it was worth it. While developing Gaze, I carefully set apart and organised the code that could be used in future projects. With the extensive library I have at this moment, it should be possible for me to write a program like Gaze in less than a week. To give you some idea of what it takes to write a program with an interface like that of Gaze, here are some of the things I had to develop in order to do it: a file format for pictures, a file format for fonts, an editor for proportional fonts, an editor to write self-referring help texts, a compiler for help texts, an overlay file manager, and an "off screen cache" - algorithm for very fast text-display routines (probably only Microsoft Windows features stuff like that)! This is apart from the actual code for Gaze.... If you appreciate my work and decide to use Gaze, then register your copy. Within two weeks after registering, you will receive a disk with copies of ALL my shareware programs and of course a copy of the registered version of Gaze. This version features a database, with which you can let your modem dial phone numbers. In order for this function to work your telephone should be connected to the modem. ------------------------------------------------------------------- FILES The unregistered version of Gaze consists of eight files, the registered version has an additional file. As said before, it is very important that all files are in the same directory of your hard disk in order for Gaze to function properly. These are the files: ■ GAZE.EXE Resident program starter ■ GZ94.EXE Main program ■ GAZE.OVL Overlay file with code and data ■ GAZE.LIB Icon library ■ GAZE.HLP Help texts and pictures ■ GAZE.DOC English documentation file ■ GZNL.DOC Dutch documentation file ■ GAZE.DAT Program data and desktop information [■] GAZE.DLR Dial function data (for the registered version only) ------------------------------------------------------------------- SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Gaze should run without problems on all PC's (from 8086/88 on up) with a VGA card, 512 Kb free base memory and DOS version 3.2 or higher. In order to avoid problems with "grannies" (XT's) Gaze does not use EMS or XMS memory. As you can appreciate, this does call on some extra base memory. The resident part of Gaze, when you are executing a program, requires only 5 Kb base memory. Gaze can be fully controlled with the mouse, but a mouse is not required. ------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALS The purpose of Gaze is to offer a complete, attractive and fast graphical menu program for running DOS applications. Functionality with no reference to ease of use in executing programs is explicitly avoided. Instead, Gaze tries to bridge the gap to existing external functionality, for example, your favourite file manager. Gaze has some "circles" for this purpose, with which you can run the most frequently used programs with a blink of the eye. Gaze is mainly meant for use at home. However, the capability to protect program groups against closing with a password (locking all functions except running the programs in that group) makes Gaze fit for use with students or little children. ------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURES In Gaze, programs are divided into groups. This format is particularly comfortable if you devote every group to a specific kind of program. For example, create groups with names such as "Word Processing", "Drawing", "Games", etc. If your computer is used by more people than just you, you can also decide to name certain groups after the individuals that use them, giving every person some private space for their own programs. Gaze can hold 16 groups at most, each of which can contain up to 26 program entries. The six programs you use most frequently can be stored in "circles", on the lower half of the main screen. Groups can be protected - with a password - against opening, editing and closing. Programs can be protected against running and editing. Of course it is not possible to get around entering a password when one is required, so make sure you do not forget them; I can not help you "remembering" them in any way. Groups and programs can be assigned a hot-key. If you press a key that refers to a group, the group will immediately be opened and displayed, after the current group is closed. If you press a hot-key that refers to a program entry, Gaze will run the program. Gaze has a context-sensitive, hypertext-like help function. "Context-sensitive" means that if you activate the help function with F1 Gaze will always display the most appropriate page. "Hypertext" means that certain words and phrases are underlined. If you select one of these areas with the mouse or the keyboard you will get more information on that topic. If you are new to using Gaze, it would certainly benefit you if you took some time to go through the help texts with the Page Up and Page Down keys. You will undoubtedly encounter things like keyboard and mouse shortcuts that will enhance the ease with which you use Gaze. Gaze supports two languages; English and Dutch. You can select a language in the "Communication" window, which can be opened from the Options menu. After you have selected a new language, Gaze will temporarily disable the display to rebuild itself. When it returns, Gaze will be totally translated, except, of course, the text you entered. Gaze will automatically store the modification. ------------------------------------------------------------------- THESE ARE NOT BUGS When you tell Gaze to prompt you for a confirmation when you try to run a program, Gaze will only actually ask you for one if the program is NOT protected with a password against running, and if you told Gaze NOT to prompt you for parameters also. This is because when Gaze asks you for parameters or a password, you already have the opportunity to cancel the operation. When a group is protected with a password against opening and closing, and you try to open it, Gaze will, of course, prompt you for the password. However, if the group is NOT protected against opening, Gaze will still ask you for a password. This is to protect users from being able to open a group without knowing how to close it. Opening a close-protected-group without knowing the password would be like asking for a reboot. If you run a DOS shell with the File | Run command, Gaze does not tell you to type EXIT to return. This is because Gaze does not know whether you are really running a shell, or executing a command. So remember: to return from a DOS session; type EXIT at the prompt. ------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTERING Gaze is a shareware program. This means you can freely copy and distribute the original, complete and unmodified version. It also means that you can evaluate Gaze for personal use. If you like it and decide to use it, you should register your copy. Although you already have the product you pay for, I will send you a disk with copies of ALL my shareware programs and, of course, a copy of the latest, registered version of Gaze. This version contains a small database with which you can let your modem dial phone numbers. For this function to work, your phone should be connected to the modem. ------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTER If you live in The Netherlands; transfer Fl 37,50 to GIRO 6266751 addressed to J.Schipperheijn, Eindhoven please mention : "Gaze". ■ ABROAD Send CASH money, Fl 37,50 or US$ 20 or Sterling £15 or equivalent to J. Schipperheijn Postbus 1494 5602 BL Eindhoven The Netherlands You will receive the disk with the registered version of Gaze and the other programs within two weeks after registering. Please check the Giro number and address with the About window in Gaze. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CONDITIONS Gaze is a Shareware program. You can freely copy it and pass it on to friends if you want to, but ONLY if you make sure Gaze is complete and unchanged. Gaze may not be distributed or sold by anyone but the author for any amount of money higher than the duplication/dispatch costs. The author is not responsible for any damage claimed to be caused by Gaze. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER SHAREWARE PROGRAMS FROM THE AUTHOR * * * DAYWATCH * * * Daywatch is a sort of thinking calendar, to keep track of birthdays and other events. It consists of two separate parts: an extensive and professional editor for creating and modifying calendars, and a second program with which you can 1) check one or more calendars for events to come (you can set the number of days you want to be warned in advance) and 2) configure Daywatch. Daywatch is meant to be called from autoexec.bat, so that if something is about to happen, you will get a message when you turn on your system. All tools required to add or remove calls from autoexec.bat are internally provided by Daywatch. Daywatch is NOT a resident program; it is just started when you turn on your system, warns ONLY if there is an upcoming event and after that terminates like any other program (freeing all allocated memory). Daywatch comes with a demonstration calendar with the names, birthyears and birthdays of about three hundred pop-stars. To register Daywatch, transfer Fl 10,- to Giro 6266751 if you live in The Netherlands. Otherwise, send cash money, £5 Sterling or foreign equivalent suggested, to J.Schipperheijn, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Do not forget to mention "Daywatch". If you want me to send you a copy of the latest version, please add some extra money. Daywatch is NOT the two pages of Basic listing you associate with £5, but a functional and complete application program of about 130 Kb. It will definitely be worth your money. If you register Gaze, you will get a copy of Daywatch for free. * * * GLIMPSE * * * Glimpse is the predecessor of Glance; a mouse-supporting menu program which is almost entirely written in assembler language. Glimpse can contain a maximum of 42 application programs and uses text modes only (it works with all videocards). Glimpse is, without doubt, the fastest menu program you will ever see. It is a razor-sharp no-nonsense tool that has proven to be particularly appreciated by experienced users, programmers and anyone who just wants to be able to switch between applications without being aware of it. Glimpse is written for users who like to be as close to the DOS prompt as possible. The whole concept points in this direction, including the visual part; Glimpse only uses the right half of the screen, leaving directory information and the prompt clearly visible. All programs can be started by pressing ONE key only. Registering Glimpse; if you live in The Netherlands, transfer Fl 19,- to Giro 6266751, addressed to J.Schipperheijn, Eindhoven. Abroad; send CASH money, £10 or equivalent suggested, to the above adddress. Do not forget to mention "Glimpse". If you want me to send you a copy of the latest version, add some extra money and make sure I know what you want. If you register Gaze, you will get a copy of Glimpse for free. * * * GLANCE * * * The follow-up of Glimpse and the predecessor of Gaze. Glance is a graphical menu program, specifically created for the standard VGA 480-line mode (VGA required). Glance can contain up to 84 program entries, divided into 4 groups. The main goal of Glance is to provide a good-looking, attractive and easy-to-use program, whilst avoiding letting the looks get in the way of speed. All graphics routines and most of the others have been directly written in assembler specifically for use in Glance. Glance is as fast as it can possibly get. I seem to have reached my goals; Glance has been reviewed and/or published by several major and minor magazines and "disks" all across Europe, like the "PC Plus" Superdisk. To date it has been registered by people from twelve countries. The many letters with compliments, hints and suggestions led directly to Gaze, which I actually wrote to "reward" Glance users who registered their copy, and to incorporate their suggestions. Registering Glance; if you live in The Netherlands, transfer Fl 29,- to Giro 6266751, addressed to J.Schipperheijn, Eindhoven. Abroad; send CASH money, £10 or equivalent suggested, to the above address. Do not forget to mention "Glance". If you want me to send you a copy of the latest version, add some extra money and make sure I know what you want. If you register Gaze, you will get a copy of Glance for free. ------------------------------------------------------------------- I want to thank Mr. Gary Trudeau from Polperro, Cornwall, England, for proof-reading this documentation file. ------------------------------------------------------------------- End of file.