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Text File | 1987-03-09 | 22.6 KB | 487 lines

EZ-Menu Version 3.0. March 9, 1987 By Michael Perry, (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 2. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 INTRODUCTION: "What is EZ-Menu? Do I really need it for my computer?" If you own a computer, especially one equipped with a hard disk, you will soon wonder how you ever did without EZ-Menu. Think for a minute about what makes a computer so useful; the answer is simple: unlike dedicated word processors or calculators, the computer is designed to be able to perform many different tasks. In the morning you turn on your computer to use your spreadsheet, then switch to your word processor to write some letters, then later use your communications capability to connect with another system, and so on. With all of these (and many more) applications, you soon realize how tedious it can be to remember those commands to type to call up the program you want to use. If you are tired of looking through your DOS manuals to find the correct syntax for formatting or backing up disks, you will appreciate how easy life can be with EZ-Menu. Whether you're an experienced programmer or an "idiot" when it comes to computers, EZ-Menu will help you organize all of your applications. If several people use your computer, now you can ensure that your precious data is safe and secure. EZ-Menu consists of an extremely fast, user-friendly menu system that can be set up to appear when you turn on your computer. All of the programs and applications that you use your computer for can be easily entered into the menu. After which, if you want to use your word processor, simply highlight "Word Processor" on the menu and press the <RETURN> key. Instantly your word processor "pops up" and is ready for use. When you exit your program you are then immediately returned to EZ- Menu. You no longer need to worry about DOS commands. If you're like most people, you don't really want to bother with all of the intricate commands used by the computer; you just want to work on your accounting or other applications and can't afford to spend the majority of your time studying the computer manuals. You need a simple menu to point you to where you want to go. This is EZ-Menu. I'm sure you want to get started, but take a few minutes to look over this documentation so you are aware of all of EZ-Menu's features. EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 3. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 COPYRIGHT AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION: A lot of hard work and effort went into the development of EZ-Menu. If you are using EZ-Menu and find it of value, PLEASE PLEASE take the time to register yourself as a user and send $30 to help cover the costs of continued support and development. Registered users will receive updates free-of-charge, free telephone support, as well as information on upcoming programs and news from Progressive Computer Services. All of this is a great deal, but unfortunately most people don't ever register or send in the money. Although it is not required (except as noted below), it helps to pay the bills and gives me continued faith in the generosity and compassion of the human race. So please, at the very least, drop me a line and let me know that my efforts are appreciated. EZ-Menu Version 3.0 is distributed in the "Public Domain" with the following restrictions: * EZ-Menu can be distributed to, and be available for downloading on any public bulletin board system (which does not solicit a fee for use). The exceptions to this rule are The Source and CompuServe, which EZ-Menu can be downloaded from or uploaded to. * EZ-Menu cannot be distributed in any form, by any individuals or companies soliciting a fee for its distribution (without written permission from Mike Perry/Progressive Computer Services). * The $30 registration fee is REQUIRED if EZ-Menu is used on any computer in a business/commercial environment. At any business location $30 is required for initial registration and $10 for each additional computer it is used on at the same address. * Progressive Computer Services / Michael Perry assumes no responsibility for any damages caused by using such software (although very unlikely). There are no warranties either expressed or implied other than warranty of merchantability and fitness for its purpose. * EZ-Menu may not be altered in any way, or distributed without this documentation NOTE TO COMPUTER COMPANIES AND CONSULTANTS: It is possible to obtain permission to distribute EZ-Menu by contacting Mike Perry at the addresses listed below. EZ-Menu can be customized to display your business name also. If you have any further information, or wish to register yourself as a user, contact Mike Perry at any of the addresses/numbers below: MICHAEL PERRY PROGRESSIVE COMPUTER SERVICES 3611 Gentilly Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 282-0634 (Voice) or (504) 282-5753 (Bulletin Board System) SOURCE: BCD623 Alternate Address: 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126, (504) 246-9787 EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 4. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 PROGRAM HISTORY AND AUTHOR INFORMATION: EZ-Menu was developed in 1982 by Michael Perry, an independent computer consultant and programmer. Initially written in BASIC and later compiled, EZ-Menu was intended for use by Mike to distribute to his clients. After its introduction it was immediately acknowledged as a valuable tool not to be without for hard disk users. Soon others developed similar software, but EZ-Menu has remained the original, easiest-to-operate menu system. Here is a short breakdown of EZ-Menu's progression and features: Version 1.0 Sept., 1982 first version released Version 1.0a July, 1983 separate color and monochrome versions released Version 2.0 October, 1984 additional features introduced: password protection, alternate keys used, batch file and password protection capability, fixed printer reset problem. Version 3.0 March, 1987 As of March 9, 1987, EZ-Menu has been totally re-written. It is smaller in size, and over twice as fast as previous versions (as well as other similar software by other companies). New features included are easier editing capabilities, encrypted passwords, use of alpha keys to choose options, and configuration of colors and other options. The new version of EZ-Menu represents over 5 years of development. And as of this writing a new super-enhanced version is in the works. In the future, menu files for many different applications will be introduced. No word processor or text editor is needed to set-up EZ-Menu. The entire system is self-contained. EZ-MENU COMPATIBILITY INFORMATION: EZ-Menu requires a minimum of 128K RAM and will operate under MS(PC) DOS 2.1 or higher on IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible machines. EZ-Menu supports the Monochrome monitor, Color Graphics Adapter/monitor, and the Enhanced Graphics Adapter and monitor. It will probably also work on the Professional Graphics Adapter but as of this writing has not been tested. EZ-Menu will operate on floppy disks, but to unlock its full potential, a hard disk system is recommended. EZ-Menu supports multiple-subdirectories with names up to 70 characters in length. The total number of menu items available is limited only by DOS's limitations (but is in upwards of 500,000 different selections). To this date, I have not found any program/application that could not be referenced from the menu, but there are items to be taken into consideration when you set-up a menu so please be sure to consult the documentation if you have any problems. EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 5. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 SETTING UP EZ-MENU: To setup EZ-Menu so you will get the menu when you reset or power-up your computer, you need to add the command MENU in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you don't have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file you can create one by type in the following commands at the dos prompt: COPY CON:AUTOEXEC.BAT Press <RETURN> SET PATH=C:\DOS;\ Press <RETURN> You may want to modify the set path command to reflect your drive and subdirectory assignments where the dos utilities are, or you can omit this statement altogether. SET PROMPT=$P$G Press <RETURN> MENU Press F6, then Press <RETURN> You now have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file that will call up EZ-Menu when the computer starts-up. You can also add any additional utilities you normally load into memory by adding the commands to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. SPECIAL NOTE: EZ-Menu and all of it's support files (MENU.BAT and any files with the .MNU extension) should be located in the ROOT directory of your disk drive ( i.e. C:\ ). EZ-MENU WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IF YOU INSTALL IT IN A SUBDIRECTORY; IT MUST BE IN THE DOS ROOT DIRECTORY otherwise when you exit your applications, you will not return to EZ-Menu. Also any batch files ( with .BAT extension ) used by EZ-Menu should also be in the root directory. USING EZ-MENU: Once you have set up your menu system (adding entries is discussed later in this document) the following keys are active: ARROW KEYS - Moves the pointer up, down, left, or right PgDn - Switches display to next page (if there are more than 1 page of entries) PgUp - Switches display to previous page Home - Move pointer to first entry on page End - Move pointer to last entry on page A-Z - Moves the pointer to the next entry whose first character matches the key pressed + or <RETURN>- Executes the entry that is highlighted F1 - Permits you to add entries to menu F2 - Switches to edit mode for highlighted entry F3 - Switches display to Main Menu F4 - Display program information F9 - Re-configure EZ-Menu EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 6. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 INTRODUCTION TO EZ-MENU'S OPERATION: To call up EZ-Menu, simply type MENU and press <RETURN> at the dos prompt. If there is no file named MENU.BAT in your directory, type EZMENU and press <RETURN> and you will be prompted to configure the system, after which EZ- Menu will create a MENU.BAT file which will be used to invoke EZ-Menu from that point on. All of the choices in your menu selection are one of the three types of menu entries: a Program/Command, Batch file, or Sub-Menu. Most of your entries will be of the Program/Command type, but for special purposes there are two other kinds of entries which are described later. FILES INCLUDED WITH THE EZ-MENU PACKAGE: The following files are used by EZ-Menu: EZMENU.COM This is the EZ-Menu program. MENU.BAT This files is used to invoke EZ-Menu, if it is not present, type EZMENU at the dos prompt and it will be created. MENUEXC.BAT This file is created by EZ-Menu. MAIN.MNU This is the file containing the selections for the main menu. If it is not present, then a new one will be created and the display will say 'There are no entries in this menu' when you invoke EZ-menu. At that point you should press F1 to add entries to the menu. EZMENU.DOC The file you are reading now, which is the EZ- Menu documentation. To print this file you can type COPY EZMENU.DOC PRN: at the dos prompt. Any other files with a .MNU extension are sub-menu files containing other selections accessible from EZ-Menu. In the future the EZ-Menu package will contain MNU files for such applications as Dos Commands, special printer setups, etc. EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 7. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 SETTING UP MENU FILES: I will now go over the various types of menu entries and how to create a menu of your applications. Normally if you're a computer has a hard disk, to call up your word processor (for example WordStar), you would type the following commands and the dos (C>) prompt: CD\WS ( change to the WS subdirectory where WordStar is located ) WS ( type the program name/command to execute the program ) If you wanted to put this application on EZ-Menu, you would press F1 (after starting EZ-Menu) to add entries to the menu. Then enter the name you would want to appear in the menu (for example: WordStar Word Processing ). You are then prompted to define the type of menu entry, either P for Program/command, B for Batch file, or S for Sub-menu. In most cases (such as the example above), you would select P for Program/command. EZ-Menu then asks you where the program is located (what subdirectory), in the case above you would type WS then press <RETURN>. NOTE: You do not need to enter a backslash (\) before the name of the sub-directory. EZ-Menu automatically does that for you. After entering the subdirectory name (if the program is in the root directory, simply press <RETURN> without entering anything for subdirectory) you are then prompted to enter the exact filename/command that invokes your application. In this case, type WS, which is the name of the WordStar program. Finally you are prompted to enter in a password if you want to keep unauthorized individuals from accessing your application. The characters you type for a password are not echoed to the screen (in case somebody is looking over your shoulder). If you do not want your menu entry password protected, simply press <RETURN> without typing anything at the Password prompt. If you elect to use a password on your entry, whenever you select it (either to execute or edit) you will be prompted to enter in the password. NOTE: Don't forget your password, if you do there is no way to find out what it is. There are special cases when you type in the name of a batch file to call your program, or if you want to execute SEVERAL commands by selecting a menu entry. In that case you would select the type of entry as a B for Batch file. Make sure then that the batch file you want to execute is located in the root directory, and when prompted to enter the exact filename, please make sure you add the .BAT extension. The third kind of entry is called a Sub-menu. This is a special feature used by EZ-Menu so you can group similar programs together without cluttering them up on the main menu. For example, let's say you have 3 different word processing programs that you use regularly. Instead of putting all 3 on the main menu, you could create a menu entry that was listed as "Menu of Word Processing Programs", and when you select that item, you are taken to another menu consisting of your word processing options. When creating this kind of entry, simply specify S as the type, then enter in the menu filename (up to 8 letters). When you select this item initially from the menu, the screen will say 'There are no entries in this menu'. At that point you should press F1 and add entries to your sub-menu. When you are viewing a sub-menu, you can return to the main menu by pressing F3. EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 8. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 Here are a few examples of typical menu entries. Please note that where a particular item is not shown (SUBDIRECTORY for example) it is blank, or the user is not prompted to type in a response. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: Format A Disk in Drive A: ENTRY TYPE: P SUBDIRECTORY: ( none, <RETURN> pressed or something such as DOS entered ) EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME: Format A:/v ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: Lotus 1-2-3 ENTRY TYPE: P SUBDIRECTORY: 123 EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME: lotus ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: Start-Up FIDO Bulletin Board ENTRY TYPE: B EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME: runbbs (in this case you may have to modify RUNBBS.BAT to put in a command that changes the directory to the one where the FIDO programs are located ) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: Menu of Games ENTRY TYPE: S EXACT COMMAND/FILENAME: GAMES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry......................System Documentation, Page 9. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 EDITING ENTRIES: If you have a need to modify any information pertaining to a menu entry, simply highlight the selection you wish to edit, then press F2. If the entry is password protected, you will have to enter the password before continuing. Once you are in edit mode, the various fields of the menu entry are displayed, each one labeled with an alphabetic character from A to E. To edit the description, simply press A, and the cursor prompts you to re- enter in the descriptive entry. When finished, you are once again brought to the edit prompt. Here the available keys are: A - Change the description B - Change the entry type C - Change the subdirectory D - Change the program/command filename E Change the password (to remove protection select E, then press <RETURN>) <RETURN>- Save the entry with the appropriate changes and exit <ESC> - Abort editing and exit, leaving entry unchanged While editing an entry you will notice that if there is a password, it is displayed. This is the only section of the program where you can actually see what the password is on the screen. NOTE: There is no way to erase a menu entry. You can however, erase an entire menu by deleting the .MNU file. For example, if you want to erase the main menu and start over, simply exit to dos and type DEL MAIN.MNU and press <RETURN>. The next time you start EZ-Menu you will have to add entries. EZ-Menu 3.0 By Michael Perry.....................System Documentation, Page 10. (c) 1987, Progressive Computer Services 7501 Creighton Pl., New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 282-0634 / (504) 246-9787 SUMMARY: EZ-Menu was named appropriately. It was designed to help computer users manage applications without having to memorize a large amount of syntax and technical information, therefore it would be ironic for this documentation to be fairly comprehensive. In most cases you should be able to navigate throughout EZ-Menu with a minimum of confusion. If you have any problems, the first option is to check your spelling of file and subdirectory names, then make sure the appropriate subdirectories and files exist. If you have any entries of batch type, make sure the appropriate batch files are in the root directory. If problems persist, please contact Mike Perry at (504) 282- 0634 or at the addresses listed earlier in this text. NOTE: This is the preliminary release documentation for EZ-Menu 3.0. A more comprehensive guide will be distributed later. Please direct any comments or criticisms to Mike Perry.