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PC World Komputer 1995 November
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PCWK1195.iso
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iconease.exe
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READ.ME
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1993-03-28
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IconEase Version 1.30
FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR - 2/13/93
Before I even say anything about this utility, I would like to take a moment
to thank everyone for the support and acceptance that I received for my last
adventure into shareware, the Workplace Shell Backup Utility. I've just been
absolutely thrilled to death! I wish that I could afford to do this full time.
That being said, I would like to thank you for trying the IconEase utility. I
would also like to extend a very special thanks to Ron Beauchemin for taking
the time and effort required to place unformatted copies of over 3300 icons
into the public domain by way of Compuserve. Finally, thanks to my willing
testers and long time associates Joe Lynagh and Don Swam.
IconEase is an attempt to take some of the pain out of changing default
icons that appear when you install programs and other objects on your desktop.
I won't go into a lot of discussion here about how IconEase works. First of
all, I tried my best to make it so easy to use that explaining it would be
less than necessary. Secondly, I did spend a fair amount of time putting
together the help file for IconEase. Please, take a couple of moments and
check it out.
I will set aside a little space now to describe installation considerations.
It's a good bet that since you're reading this, there is no need to tell you
to unzip the file into a directory. Here's how you finish up:
- Make sure that your config.sys file has SET statements for the environmental
variables TEMP and TMP. If not, select a drive that has a little bit of
space available and create a directory in its root. For the purpose of this
discussion, let's say that you chose drive D: and created directory \TEMP.
Then, you should add the following two statements to your config.sys file
and reboot your PC:
SET TEMP=D:\TEMP
SET TMP=D:\TEMP
- Open the templates folder, drag a Program Template object and drop it in
a folder of your choice.
- The new program object will automatically open to the settings page.
- Complete the "Path and file name:" entry field by typing in the full path
name of the IconEase program. For example, if you unzip'ed IconEase into
the directory, D:\MYPGMS, then enter D:\MYPGMS\ICONEASE.EXE into the "Path
and file name:" entry field.
- Enter that same directory path into the "Working directory:" entry field.
In keeping with the above example, that would be D:\MYPGMS.
- Mouse click the General tab and enter a title for IconEase that will display
below its icon in the folder you selected. I use IconEase for the title.
- Close the settings notebook and "LET'S GET READY TO RUMMMMMMBLLLLLE!"
Advanced Installation Topic
I've recently learned a little trick that I find convenient for the IconEase
utility. You can add IconEase to the Workplace Shell's popup menu. (That's
the menu that appears when you point the mouse at the desktop and press the
right mouse button.) So, IconEase is always just a couple of mouse clicks
away! Follow this procedure if you would like to update the WPS menu:
- Before you start, follow the above procedure to create a normal program
object for IconEase. Make sure that the folder in which you have placed
the IconEase program object is open.
- Point to the desktop and press the right mouse button.
- Point at the arrow that appears on the right of the Open menu item and
press the left mouse button.
- Point at the Settings submenu item and press the left mouse button.
- Point at the Menu notebook tab and press the left mouse button.
- Press the "Create another..." button located in the CENTER of the page.
It is CRITICAL to press the button in the center of the page. If you
press the top button, you're going on a different mission entirely.
- You've finally arrived at the Menu Item Settings panel. Type IconEase
in the "Menu item name:" entry field.
- Press the "Find program..." button.
- Now, press the "Locate..." button on the Find panel.
- Underneath the words "Select a folder:" you should see the open folder in
which you have already installed the IconEase program object. Make sure
that folder is selected by clicking it with the left mouse button.
- Press the "OK" button.
- Left button click the "Search just this folder" radio button on the Find
panel.
- Left button click the "Find" button.
- Point at the IconEase icon in the "Find Results" window and select it by
clicking the left mouse button.
- Press the "OK" button in the "Find Results" window.
- Press the "OK" button in the "Menu Item Settings" window.
- Close the "Desktop - Settings" notebook.
You're done! Wasn't that fun! At any rate, now when you point at the desktop
and click the right mouse button, you can select IconEase. It should appear
as the last menu item.
================== Revision History ======================================
Rel 1.30 -
- Initial offering of the GenICDB utility that enables registered
users to format their own IconEase catalog files.
- Added some code in the clipboard routine to catch non-PM 1.2
formatted icons.
- Updated the help files as required for GenICDB.
Rel 1.25 -
- Added drag/drop extraction capability
- Moved the Icon Editor launch function to a button control
- Updated Help as required for above
Rel 1.24 -
- Included a workaround for WinSetWindowPos to avoid a problem in
an upcoming operating system release.
Rel 1.22 -
- Fixed the initial logo dialog to honor user system logo time setting.
- Added Help button (due to popular demand.)
- Made misc. and sundry changes in the help file.
Rel 1.21 -
- Discovered that Ron Beauchemin was the original source of the over
3300 icons that I downloaded from CIS. Thanks again, Ron.
- Remembered to give credit to my two willing testers and friends.
- Gosh, sometimes programming is such a pain in the but! I've been
looking for a problem in the program that appeared only on my
associate Joe's PCs. Thought it was rare, but it turned out to be
fairly common in distribution. I've been creating non 8.3 names to
use in the reconstitution of the icon file! The problem showed up
only on FAT systems or systems that had the TEMP and TMP variables
pointed at FAT drives. Nuts! (but it's fixed.)
Rel 1.20 -
- Removed references to Iconic Paste from help file
- Added "how to" instructions to help for icon editor launch
- Added TEMP and TMP environmental variable instructions to read.me
- Added check to IconDB open to avoid opening non-db files
Rel 1.15 - 1st general distribution
================== SUPPORT SHAREWARE =====================================
I hope you find this utility helpful, but (here comes the disclaimer) I am
in no way responsible for any damages the use of this utility may cause.
You are free to use this utility at your own risk with no obligation to me,
the author, for only a short period of time. Please see the Registration
topic in the Help file for IconEase. You can get help for IconEase by
pressing the F1 key anytime that the IconEase application is running.
Thanks, once again, for trying IconEase,
Dave Lester
PO Box 461
New Freedom, PA. 17349 USA
Comments, suggestions and bug reports may be submitted through CIS Mail
ID 75600,237. These will be answered on a "best effort" basis.