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THE MENU DESIGNER Shareware Version 1.1 Software Copyright (c) 1993 by Chad Attermann and Tony Kemp ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Archive filename: MENDES11.ZIP DISCLAIMER The authors of this program, Chad B. Attermann and Tony Kemp, shall not be held responsible for any damages, loss of data or any other loss as a result of using this software. The user, by using this software, takes FULL responsibility and liability for use of and any damages, losses, etc... as a result of this software. Every effort has been made to ensure that this software is free from defects and has been thoroughly tested before release to the general public. REGISTRATION This program is Shareware. Feel free to distribute the program (in it's unaltered form and archive) as Shareware. You are free to use this program for a period of forty-five (45) days. Thus, you are able to try the software for a forty-five (45) day evaluation period to see if it meets your needs. If you use the Menu Designer after the forty-five (45) day evaluation period, you are asked to send the author $15.00 to register the software (Menu Designer + Display Module). The registered version will not contain the [ UNREGISTERED ] trademark in the menu desktop header. Furthermore, the registered version will support a mouse in the Menu Designer Display Module, and the package will include some utilities to enhance your batch files. TABLE OF CONTENTS In this documentation, there are sections on the various stages of the Menu Designer which supplement the on-line help when creating your menus. Following is a table of contents: Introduction..................................... 1 Installing the Menu Designer .................... 2 General Directions .............................. 3 Menu Options .................................... 4 Colors .......................................... 5 Size and Position ............................... 6 Making Entries .................................. 7 Using the environment utilities ................. 8 Using the directory utilities ................... 10 Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Menu Designer! This menu system was created in an effort to make stylized menus without all the hassle, memory and compatibility problems, while still giving you an attractive menu that performs as well as other commercial ones on the market. It saves you time, precious memory, and it's EASY TO USE! * (Registered Version only) You should have the following files: DESIGN.DOC This document MENU.DOC Documentation on the Menu Display Module LICENSE.DOC The license agreement--IMPORTANT! DESIGN.EXE The Menu Designer MENU.EXE The Menu Designer Display Module ENVIRON.EXE Environment Variable Transfer Utility ENVIRGET.EXE Environment Variable Update Utility (store) ENVIRSET.EXE Environment Variable Update Utility (retrieve) DIRGET.EXE Directory Restore Utility (store) DIRSET.EXE Directory Restore Utility (retrieve) DESIGN.HLP On-line help file for the Menu Designer MENU.HLP On-line help file for the Menu Display Module MENU.DFT Default options file RUNMENU.BAT A batch file to run menus EXAMPLE.BAT An example menu These should all be contained in the file: MENUDSGN.ZIP * (Shareware Version only) You should have the following files: DESIGN.DOC This document MENU.DOC Documentation on the Menu Display Module LICENSE.DOC The license agreement--IMPORTANT! DESIGN.EXE The Menu Designer MENU.EXE The Menu Designer Display Module DESIGN.HLP On-line help file for the Menu Designer MENU.HLP On-line help file for the Menu Display Module MENU.DFT Default options file RUNMENU.BAT A batch file to run menus FILE_ID.DIZ Small note on the Designer ORDER.FRM Order form to order the Designer These should all be contained in the file: MENDES11.ZIP Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 2 GENERAL INSTALLATION 1. Make one backup copy of the program disk, and then use the backup copy to install the programs to your hard drive. Keep the backup disk and original disks in a safe place. If your computer does not have a hard drive, use the backup disk for regular use. 2. Copy the file MENUDSGN.ZIP from your backup disk to the directory you want the program and menu files to reside. All menus you make must remain in the same directory with the executable files. This is required for for proper operation of the Display Module. (*Note: Shareware version file is MENDES11.ZIP) 3. Use the decompression program PKUNZIP v204g or higher to decompress the file into the programs mentioned above. (This program is not included.) 4. The DOS environment variable MENU must be set to the complete path of the directory in which you installed the Menu Designer. This variable must be set in order for the Menu Designer and Display Module to execute. Follow the installation specifics corresponding to your setup below. NETWORK INSTALLATION SPECIFICS (Be sure to follow the general installation guidelines before continuing) The most efficient method for setting the DOS variable MENU is using the Netware global login script, or equivalent in other network environments. The Netware command will look similar to the following: DOS SET MENU="F:\MENUDSGN\" If users have disimilar drive mappings, then it may be necessary to set the variable from within the user's personal login script, or through a DOS batch file. A batch command will look similar to the following: SET MENU=F:\MENUDSGN\ STANDALONE PC INSTALLATION SPECIFICS (Be sure to follow the general installation guidelines before continuing) The most effective method for setting the DOS variable MENU on a standalone PC is to include it in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The batch command will look similar to the following: SET MENU=C:\MENUDSGN\ Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 3 GENERAL DIRECTIONS The general way to use the Menu Designer is quite easy. To begin a menu, from DOS type DESIGN and then press the ENTER key. Next, you will need to give the menu a name. The designer will create a file using this name, and this batch file is your menu. You can also type DESIGN, followed by the name of the file you wish to create or edit (without the .BAT extension) on the command line. Examples: F:\MENUDSGN>DESIGN or F:\MENUDSGN>DESIGN MENU1 Here are the keys that used to make and edit the menus. 1. Use the ARROW keys to navigate through the entries in the menu. 2. Press the INSERT key to insert a new entry above the one that is currently highlighted. 3. Press the DELETE key to delete the entry that is currently highlighted. 4. Press ENTER to edit the entry that is currently highlighted. 5. Press the F1 function key for the on-line help facility. 6. Press the F2 function key to run the Options Editor. With the Options Editor, you can change the menu title, subtitle, footer, external screen saver, time in minutes until a screen saver is activated, and fill character options. 7. Press the F3 function key to run the Colors Editor. With the Colors Editor, you can change the foreground and background colors of the menu window, highlight bar, desktop, and footer. 8. Press the F4 function key to run the Size and Position Editor. With the Size and Position editor, you can change the width, length, horizontal position, and vertical position of separate menus. Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 4 OPTIONS EDITOR When you begin to create a menu, you will be prompted for the menu TITLE, and SUBTITLE. Type in the title of your choice for the menu you are creating. The menu TITLE will appear in the header of the menu, and is required for all menus. The menu SUBTITLE, will appear directly below the title in the header. If you do not want a subtitle, you can leave this option blank. The FOOTER will appear in the bottom right corner of the desktop. The footer for the main menu will override the footers for any submenus. Leave this option blank if you choose not to display a footer in your menu. The EXTERNAL SCREEN SAVER is the name of any screen saver program that you want to execute after the specified number of minutes. Because there are no means for specifying command line parameters at this time, the screen saver must have a default setting. If you don't have another screen saver or just don't want to use one, leave this option blank to use the built in screen blanker. Your screen will go black after the specified time, and pressing any key brings your menu back. The MINUTES option specifies how long the menu stands idle before it becomes a screen saver or executes your external screen saver. This number must be from 1 to 255. The DESKTOP FILL CHARACTER is the decimal code for the character that you ould like to fill the desktop with. You can choose the character you wantfrom the ASCII table found in the online help under the options editor. Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 5 COLORS EDITOR To use the color editor, use the ARROW keys to select the combination that you want to edit, then press ENTER. Use the UP/DOWN ARROWS to change the foreground color. Use the LEFT/RIGHT ARROWS to change the background color. Press ENTER or ESC to select a new combination to edit. Press ESC again to exit the Colors Editor. You will then be prompted to either accept the changes or cancel them. The MENU WINDOW is the menu itself. The foreground color is the color of the border, normal entries, prompts in the status bar at the bottom of the desktop, and the clock in the header box in the upper right corner of the desktop. The background color is the background of the menu, the status bar, and the header box. The HIGHLIGHT BAR is the color of the currently selected entry. The foreground color is the color of the entry name. The background color is the color of the bar surrounding the name. The DESKTOP is the color of the underlying screen. The foreground color is the color of the fill character. The background color is the color surrounding the fill character. The FOOTER is the foreground color of the footer in bottom right corner of the status bar. Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 6 SIZE AND POSITION EDITOR To use the size and position editor, press F4 and the menu options will temporarily disappear. You can then move the menu anywhere on the desktop except for the header area in the upper right corner of the desktop. Use the ARROW keys alone to move the menu around on the desktop. Hold down the CTRL key while pressing the ARROW keys to resize the menu. Hold down a SHIFT key while pressing the ARROW keys for justification. This will justify the menu all the way up, down, left, or right, depending on which arrow key you use. Pressing the PAGEDOWN key will center the menu horizontally, and pressing the PAGEUP key will center the menu vertically. * Hint: When centering the menu, center it horizontally first, then vertically. This will keep the upper left title box from interfering. Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 7 ENTRY EDITOR When making entries, use the ARROW keys or TAB/SHIFT TAB to navigate through the Entry Editor. The NAME is what will actually appear on the menu. This should be a descriptive title pertaining to the function of that entry. You must supply a name. The COMMAND is what DOS uses to invoke the program or command. Separate commands can be specified if they are separated by a semicolon (;). The names of submenus can be entered without any extension, because the extension .BAT is assumed. In the case of menus named after users, the full username can be specified, even if it exceeds 8 characters. Environment variables can also be used to make dynamic submenus by using the DOS %variable% convention. When calling batch files in the command ine, be sure to include the .BAT extension. This is necessary for proper functioning of the batch files. * Note - When specifying a submenu on the command line, it must be the first command, you may only specify one submenu on the command line, and you must check the SUBMENU check box. The DIRECTORY is the DOS directory that you want to run the commands from. This directory will be switched to before the program is executed. This line can be left blank provided that you have a network search mapping, or DOS PATH statement set to the directory in which you installed the Menu Designer. Check Boxes: Press the SPACE bar or the "X" key to toggle the check marks on and off. The SUBMENU check box should be checked if the command is a submenu call. This takes care of appending the necessary parameters in the menu file. The RETURN check box should be checked if you would like to return to the menu after executing the command. Leave this box unchecked if you are making an "Exit" or other such entry. The program will return you to the DOS prompt after execution. Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 8 USING THE ENVIRONMENT UTILITIES (* Registered Version only) The files ENVIRON.EXE, ENVIRGET.EXE, and ENVIRSET.EXE have been included with this package for your own use. They effectively transfer and/or update the environment variables from one instance to another. Following is a detailed desription of each and it's function. ENVIRGET/ENVIRSET UTILITY (* Registered Version only) The files ENVIRGET.EXE and ENVIRSET.EXE are to be used together to update your original environment instance after running and modifying a new one. To do this, follow the steps below. 1. Run ENVIRGET while still in the original environment. The program accepts a command line that specifies which directory to use when writing to disk. You can either specify an actual drive and directory, or use the DOS convention of %variable% , where variable is a DOS environment variable containing a valid directory path, such as the MENU variable used in the Menu Designer. A data file named ENVIRON.DAT will be created in the directory that you specify, or the current one if none is specified. You do not need to concern yourself with this file. It will be deleted when it is no longer needed. 2. Run ENVIRSET from the new environment, after you have finished using the environment. Be sure to specify the same directory or variable on the command line as you did for ENVIRGET, or that you are in the same directory if you excluded the directory command line parameter. A batch file named ENVIRON.BAT will be created in the directory, which you will use to update the original environment in the next step. 3. Run the batch file ENVIRON.BAT once you have exited the new environment, and returned to the original one. This will set or remove the necessary variables in the original environment. You can delete this file after running it if you wish. The original environment is now updated with the changes made to the previous environment. Once again, remember to include the same directory on the command line of both programs, or run them from the same directory if not including a path on the command line. Following is a sample batch file to demonstrate the process: ┌─── (RUN.BAT) %MENU%ENVIRGET.EXE %MENU% │ │ SET PRINTER=DOT COMMAND.COM /C RUN.BAT ────┘ │ SET PROMPT= CALL %MENU%ENVIRON.BAT │ %MENU%ENVIRSET.EXE %MENU% Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 9 ENVIRON UTILITY (* Registered Version only) The utility ENVIRON.EXE is similar to ENVIRGET/ENVIRSET, with a few exceptions. ENVIRON is easier to use, but instead of updating the original environment with changes made to the previous environment, it simply copies the new environment to the original one. The only major thing this effects is that any variables that were present in the original environment, but removed in the new environment, will NOT be removed from the original environment upon returning to it. This will not present a problem in most cases, so ENVIRON would be the better choice in those cases. One advantage of ENVIRON is if a copy of your original environment is not past to the new one, then using ENVIRON would be a better choice, because ENVIRGET/ENVIRSET would remove any variables in the original environment that were not passed to the new one. Following are the steps for using ENVIRON. 1. Run ENVIRON from the new environment, AFTER you have finished using the environment. The program accepts a command line that specifies which directory to use when writing to disk. You can either specify an actual drive and directory, or use the DOS convention of %variable% , where variable is a DOS environment variable containing a valid directory path, such as the MENU variable used in the Menu Designer. A batch file named ENVIRON.BAT will be created in the directory, which you will use to copy the new environment to the original one in the next step. 2. Run the batch file ENVIRON.BAT once you have exited the new environment, and returned to the original one. This will set any variables in the original environment that have changed in the previous one. You can delete this file after running it if you wish. The previous environment has now been copied to the original one. Following is a sample batch file to demonstrate the process: ┌─── (RUN.BAT) COMMAND.COM /C RUN.BAT ───┘ │ SET PRINTER=DOT CALL %MENU%ENVIRON.BAT │ %MENU%ENVIRON.EXE %MENU% ** Note - Use the switch /ND switch on the command line of any of the environment utilities to disable output display to the screen. Menu Designer version 1.1 Page 10 USING THE DIRECTORY UTILITIES (* Registered Version only) The files DIRGET.EXE and DIRSET.EXE are to be used together to restore a directory. The current directory when DIRGET is run will be restored when DIRSET is run. Follow the steps below for using the directory utilities: 1. Run DIRGET.EXE while in the directory you would like to return to. The program accepts a command line that specifies which directory to use when writing to disk. You can either specify an actual drive and directory, or use the DOS convention of %variable% , where variable is a DOS environment variable containing a valid directory path, such as the MENU variable used in the Menu Designer. A data file named CURDIR.DAT will be created in the directory that you specify, or the current one if none is specified. You do not need to concern yourself with this file. It will be deleted when it is no longer needed. 2. Run DIRSET.EXE when you would like to return to the preset directory. Be sure to specify the same directory or variable on the command line as you did for DIRGET, or that you are in the same directory if you excluded the directory command line parameter. The directory is now restored. Once again, remember to include the same directory on the command line of both programs, or run them from the same directory if not including a path on the command line. Following is a sample batch file to demonstrate the process: %MENU%DIRGET.EXE %MENU% %MENU%MENU.EXE %1 %MENU%DIRSET.EXE %MENU% ** Note - Use the switch /ND switch on the command line of either of the directory utilities to disable output display to the screen. Copyright (c) 1993 by Officesoft Innovative Systems, All rights reserved.