PC Shareware 1996 December

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

/ PC Shareware 1996 December / PC_Shareware-1996-12.iso / dos / quikmenu / qm3.cmp / README.DOC < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1996-01-15 | 36.8 KB | 1,047 lines

QuikMenu - Version 3.1 (C)1990-1996 NeoSoft Corp. * IMPORTANT INFORMATION * -------- CONTENTS -------- * About QuikMenu * System Requirements * Starting QuikMenu * Registering QuikMenu * Customer Service & Technical Support * Options for Running Programs From QuikMenu * Modifying Your AUTOEXEC * Command Line Options * Relocating Temporary Files * Using QuikMenu with TSR's * Environment Space Problems * Changing QuikMenu's DOS & Exit Functions * File Conversion Utilities * Acquiring Additional Icons * Using QuikMenu with CGA Monitors * Mouse Driver Problems * Microsoft Windows Considerations -------------- ABOUT QUIKMENU -------------- You're about to activate a menuing system that will make your computer easier, faster and more fun to use. QuikMenu is a graphical menuing system and program manager that lets you interact with your computer system more intuitively. Complex DOS commands are replaced by easy-to-use icons, pop-up windows and dialog boxes. Running programs is easy - just press a single key or click the mouse and you're on your way. You don't have to become a programmer to create or change a menu. QuikMenu guides you through each step with straightforward screen prompts. There's even a List Programs option capable of finding every program on your hard drive or just the one you want. QuikMenu runs on single-user PCs or on PCs connected to DOS-based networks. In this manual, network users will see special notes about networks where applicable. The built-in File Manager utility is one of QuikMenu's most powerful features. With the File Manager, QuikMenu will perform most DOS functions, as well as many functions not available from DOS. The File Manager, combined with QuikMenu's ability to run any DOS command from an icon, means you may never need to see the DOS prompt again. You'll have the convenience of a phone book, calendar, calculator, time log and, on networks, electronic mail all at your fingertips with QuikMenu's Utility command. The phone book even acts as a speed dialer and helps you use your modem to dial the telephone. The calendar pops up with reminders to help you keep those important commitments. On networks, the mail option lets you send and receive messages to and from other QuikMenu users on the network. QuikMenu's Time Log helps you keep track of which programs you use, when you use them and how long you use each one. You may then generate a variety of reports using this information. QuikMenu includes dozens of ready-to-use icons, and with the built-in Icon Editor, you may create as many additional icons as you like. You may also share your icons with anyone else who has QuikMenu. Each menu may have as many as 50 pages or submenus. Each page can have its own title and contain up to 68 programs (memory permitting). You may also create multiple menus to launch an almost unlimited number of programs. Don't forget Help. If you ever have trouble understanding an option while using QuikMenu, simply press F1 for help. All help is context-sensitive. ------------------- SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ------------------- To use QuikMenu you will need the following: * IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 or 100% compatible computer. * CGA, MCGA, EGA, VGA, Hercules monochrome or compatible graphics card and monitor. * 512K RAM * A hard disk * MS-DOS, PC-DOS 3.1 (or higher), DR-DOS or Novell-DOS * Microsoft, Logitech or compatible pointing device (Optional) * Hayes or compatible modem (Optional) * Printer (optional) ----------------- STARTING QUIKMENU ----------------- For the steps below, we assume QuikMenu was installed in the directory C:\QUIKMENU, which is the default directory used by the install program. If QuikMenu was installed in another directory, substitute that name for C:\QUIKMENU below. To start QuikMenu: * If you plan to use QuikMenu with a mouse (which is convenient, though not required), your mouse driver (usually MOUSE.COM) must be loaded first. Please refer to the mouse's manual for instructions. * At the DOS prompt ( C:\ ), type CD\QUIKMENU and press Enter. This places you in the QUIKMENU directory. * Type QM and press ENTER. Starting QuikMenu On A Network ------------------------------ If you plan to use QuikMenu on a network, or on multiple computers, you must purchase a license for each system. NeoSoft has an affordable site license program to allow you to inexpensively run QuikMenu on all the machines on your network or in your office. Contact your dealer or NeoSoft for further information. To start QuikMenu on a network, type QNET [user name] and press Enter. For example, type QNET JOHN or QNET SALLY. Each user name must be unique to QuikMenu. You cannot have two workstations using the same name. For best results, you should use name associated with the user's workstation. In most cases this is also the login name. -------------------- REGISTERING QUIKMENU -------------------- If you purchased a registered copy of QuikMenu, a registration card was included in the package. Please take a moment to fill out the lower portion of the card and mail it to: NeoSoft Corp. Customer Registration 354 NE Greenwood Ave. Suite 108 Bend, Oregon 97701-4631. This will enter you as a registered user in our records and insure that you receive technical support, upgrade notices and information about future products. If you received QuikMenu from a friend, BBS, catalog or anywhere other than from NeoSoft or an authorized commercial software dealer or distributor, you may try the program for a trial period of up to 30 days before registering. To obtain a complete QuikMenu package including registration number and typeset manual call NeoSoft at (541) 389-5489. We can process your order with VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express over the phone. The purchase price of QuikMenu is $35 + $5 U.S. Mail or $9 FedEx 2 Day for shipping & handling. For international shipments: please include $7 Air Mail or $19 FedEx for Canada and Mexico; and $12 Air Mail or $19 FedEx for all other nations. If you prefer, FAX your order to us at (541) 388-8221. If you would like to mail a check or money order, make sure it's drawn against a U.S. bank in U.S. funds. Our address is: NeoSoft Corp. 354 NE Greenwood Ave. Suite 108 Bend, Oregon 97701-4631. You may also purchase QuikMenu from any one of our many dealers world wide. For a list of dealers see the DEALER.DOC file accompanying this program. If you would like to give a copy of this program to a friend or associate please do so, but you may NOT give anyone your registration/serial number. We hope you enjoy the program and share it with your friends. ------------------------------------- CUSTOMER SERVICES & TECHNICAL SUPPORT ------------------------------------- NeoSoft provides its registered software customers with free technical support. We also provide limited technical support to persons evaluating our products during the 30 day evaluation period. We do, however, strongly encourage people to register. Software development and support is very expensive and we need your help if we are to continue to provide quality programs at affordable prices. If you haven't already, please take a few moments to register. This will assure you of eligibility for technical support, product update notification, special discounts, announcements, etc. If you should encounter a technical problem or question not covered in the manual, you may use one of the following avenues to obtain technical assistance: MAIL POSTAL CORRESPONDENCE TO: ------------------------------ NeoSoft Corp. Customer Support 354 NE Greenwood Avenue, Suite 108 Bend, OR 97701-4631 U.S.A. TELEPHONE SUPPORT: ------------------ Technical support and product update information are available between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time), Monday through Friday. Please have the following information available for the support staff when you call: * Brand name and model of your computer system, mouse, video adapter and monitor. * Operating system (DOS) version number. * A listing of the contents of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. * A description of the problem, how it occurred, and how to reproduce it. Telephone support may be obtained by calling (541) 389-5489. You may also FAX your questions to (541) 388-8221. ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD SERVICE: ---------------------------------- Up to date product information, evaluation programs and supplements may be obtained via modem from our BBS. The telephone number is (541) 383-7195. The bulletin board operates using N/8/1/300-14.4 Baud. ------------------------------------------ OPTIONS FOR RUNNING PROGRAMS FROM QUIKMENU ------------------------------------------ QuikMenu gives you a number of very sophisticated and powerful options that you can access when creating icons to launch programs. The following options can be placed on the command line when defining Software Icons: USER INPUT Placing a pair of [ ] brackets on the command line with a question between them will prompt you whenever the icon is activated. For example, a command like: CHKDSK [Which Drive?] will prompt you with the question "Which Drive?" each time you activate the Check Disk icon. Your response, if any, is then passed along to the CHKDSK program. You may even place multiple questions on the same command line. For example: CHKDSK [Which Drive?] [Options?] QuikMenu questions can even include an optional default answer. Users may then easily select the default response by simply pressing Enter when the question appears. Answers are indicated by placing a caret (^) symbol inside the [ ] brackets. For example, to establish A: drive as the default choice for the FORMAT button, use the command: FORMAT [Which Drive?^A:] Everything between the caret (^) and the closing bracket (]) becomes the default choice. SELECTING A FILE You may also have the prompt display a list of files to choose from, simply by putting an equal sign (=) inside the [ ] brackets. For example, a command like: WP [Which File?=C:\FILES\*.DOC] allows you to choose from a list of files in the C:\FILES directory that have the extension DOC. The *.DOC is a standard directory mask used by DOS to display only certain types of files. See your DOS manual for more information about masks. By using two equal signs (==) instead of one, you may search for files across an entire drive. For example, a command like: WP [Which File?==C:\*.DOC] will find every file with the DOC extension on C: drive, regardless of which directory it's in. If you use the equal sign (=) or the double equal sign (==) without a mask, the List Files box will display only executable program files (*.BAT, *.EXE and *.COM). For example: [Select a Program=] Three equal signs (===) will display a dialog box that allows you to select only drives and directories. For example: [Path?===C:\] You may also combine the above examples and even place questions within questions. For example: WP [Select a File=C:\FILES\[Type of File?]] ADVANCED OPTIONS There is even more you may accomplish using the command line. QuikMenu includes several command line options that you may use to insure a program doesn't run without advance warning or confirmation. Place these commands inside the [ ] brackets, followed by a comma, and then the message you want to see on the screen. Usage: [x,message] x=one of the options below: Option Title What it does ------------------------------------------------------------------- A Alert Displays a dialog box containing message and waits for the user to press Enter before continuing. C Confirm Displays a dialog box containing message and waits for the user to press Enter to continue the operation or Esc to cancel. Pressing Esc halts execution of the command line. D Delay Displays a dialog box containing message and waits approximately 5 seconds before continuing. You may optionally change the delay interval by placing a number after the D option. Usage: [D,n,message] where n=a number of milliseconds between 1 and 32000. Actual delay times vary according to CPU speed. K Key Stuff Stuffs the keyboard buffer with the keys contained in message and continues execution of the command line. The number of keys that may be stuffed depends on the size of your systems keyboard buffer (normally 15 characters). Several third party utilities are available to increase the size of the buffer. Q Query Displays a dialog box containing message, up to 8 user defined buttons and a Cancel button. User defined buttons are separated by pipe (|) characters and placed at the end of the message text. Usage: [Q,message|Button1|Button2] The Cancel button is added automatically by QuikMenu. When a user selects one of the buttons, the text inside that button is placed on the command line and passed to DOS as a parameter. The Alert (A) option can be handy for warning users when something is about to happen. For example, a command like: FORMAT A: [A,Place a diskette in drive A!] will prompt you with the message "Place a diskette in drive A!" each time you activate the FORMAT button. You may also place multiple commands on the same line. For example: FORMAT [Which Drive?^A:] [A,Place a diskette in drive %1!] The %1 tells QuikMenu to insert the response from the first question. Similarly, you may use the Confirm (C) option to give users the choice of continuing or canceling a QuikMenu function. For example, a command like: WP [C,Do you want to use word processing?] will display a dialog box with the message "Do you want to use word processing?" each time the user selects the word processing icon. If you want to briefly delay the activation of a selected program icon, you may use the Delay (D) option. For example: WP [D,WordPerfect will appear shortly...] will display the message "Wordperfect will appear shortly..." and after a brief delay activate the WP program. You may optionally change delay time by placing a number after the (D) option and before the message. The delay interval can be any number between 1 and 32000. For example: WP [D,800,WordPerfect will appear shortly...] Occasionally, it may be handy to stuff the keyboard with a series of keystrokes before running a program. QuikMenu's Key Stuff (K) option allows you to easily load the keyboard buffer with a series of predefined keystrokes. For example, to load Lotus 123 and activate the File Retrieve menu, use the following command: 123 [K,"/FR"] Characters typed within a pair of single or double quotes ("abc") are normal ASCII character keystrokes. Numbers not in quotes represent standard ASCII decimal codes. The Enter, Esc, Backspace and Tab keys are examples of standard ASCII codes. Extended ASCII codes (128-255) are preceded by the @ character. These are generated by the cursor keys, Alt keys, Ins and Del keys and the functions keys (F1-F11). All keys, except those contained within quote marks, must be separated by spaces. The chart below shows common keystrokes and their corresponding ASCII values: Keystroke Value ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tab 9 Shift Tab 15 Enter 13 BackSpace 14 Esc 27 Ctrl-A..Z 1-26 Alt-Q/W/E/R/T/Y/U/I/O/P @16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25 Alt-A/S/D/F/G/H/J/K/L @30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38 Alt-Z/X/C/V/B/N/M @44/45/46/47/48/49/50 Alt-1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/0 @120/121/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129 Alt-=/■ @131/130 F1-F10 @59/60/61/62/63/64/65/66/67/68 Shift F1-Shift F10 @84/85/86/87/88/89/90/91/92/93 Ctrl F1-Ctrl F10 @94/95/96/97/98/99/100/102/103 Alt F1-Alt F10 @104/105/106/107/108/109/110/111/112/113 F11/F12 @133/134 Shift F11/Shift F12 @135/136 Ctrl F11/Ctrl F12 @137/138 Alt F11/Alt F12 @139/140 Ins @82 Del @83 Home @71 End @79 Ctrl-End @117 Ctrl-Home @119 Up Arrow @72 Down Arrow @80 Left Arrow @75 Right Arrow @77 Ctrl-Left Arrow @115 Ctrl-Right Arrow @116 Page Up @73 Page Down @81 Ctrl-Page Down @118 Ctrl-Page Up @132 Another advanced command line option gives you an elegant way of allowing users to select from multiple options for programs and batch files. The Query (Q) option, displays a dialog box prompting the user with a multiple choice question. For example, the command: MYFORMAT [Q,Disk type to format?|1.2MB|360K] will display a dialog box containing the question "Disk type to format?" along with three buttons for the user to choose from. Two of the buttons are found in the command line separated by pipe (|) characters (i.e. "1.2MB" and "360K"), the third ("Cancel") is added automatically by QuikMenu. The text inside the button selected by the user will be passed to the specified program as a parameter. Selecting "Cancel" returns the user to the QuikMenu screen. In our example above, the program MYFORMAT is a batch file containing the following commands: ECHO OFF IF %1 == 1.2MB FORMAT A: IF %1 == 360K FORMAT A: /4 VIEWING AND EDITING TEXT FILES There is also an option you can use on the command line for viewing ASCII text files. For example, to view your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, use the command: @VIEW=C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT Another command line option built into QuikMenu allows you to create and edit simple ASCII text files. For example, to edit your CONFIG.SYS file, use the command: @EDIT=C:\CONFIG.SYS You may even use the @VIEW and @EDIT options with other command line functions. For example: @VIEW=[View what?=C:\*.*] There is also a READ-ONLY version of the view command. For example: @VIEWRO=CONFIG.SYS SPECIAL OPTIONS To run a program without returning to QuikMenu, place the !BYE option at the end of the command line. For example, to run a hard drive parking utility, you might use the command: PARK !BYE Normally, when QuikMenu activates a software application, it does so by loading a temporary DOS command shell. The command shell typically requires between 2 and 6K of RAM. This method is very reliable and always assures that QuikMenu is reloaded after an application is terminated. There may be instances, however, when a DOS shell interferes with certain functions, such as loading and removing TSR's (Terminate and Stay Resident programs) or programs that require a large DOS environment space. The !NOSHELL option allows QuikMenu to run applications without invoking a DOS command shell. For example, to load WordPerfect using !NOSHELL: WP [File to Edit?=C:\FILES\*.WP5] !NOSHELL If this option is used when running batch files, you will need to use ONE of the following procedures to return to QuikMenu after the batch file is finished: 1. Place the DOS CALL option before the name of the batch file in the software icon's command line. For example: CALL MYBATCH !NOSHELL OR 2. Include commands for returning to QuikMenu at the end of the batch file. For example: C: CD\QUIKMENU QM MULTIPLE DOS COMMANDS You may chain several DOS commands together by placing a tilde (~) character between them on the command line. The command line may contain up to 128 characters including spaces. For example, the command: CATCH -P12~WP~CATCH -Q !NOSHELL will load a screen capture utility, run WordPerfect and then unload the screen capture utility. NOTE: When used with multiple commands the !NOSHELL option affects all the commands. ----------------------- MODIFYING YOUR AUTOEXEC ----------------------- QuikMenu may be added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and automatically loaded when your computer is turned on. If you've never done this before, you may want to consult with someone who has. To modify your AUTOEXEC file, you will need some type of editor or word processor. DOS includes a simple line editor called Edlin that is well suited for the task. Consult your DOS manual for information about using Edlin. If a word processor is used, the file must be saved in either ASCII, Non-Document, or DOS-Text mode. Otherwise, your computer will not be able to recognize the file. A typical AUTOEXEC.BAT file may look like this: PROMPT $P $G PATH C:\;C:\DOS;.. If your AUTOEXEC looks different than our example, don't worry. These files vary widely from computer to computer. To add QuikMenu to the sample AUTOEXEC above, three lines need to be added to the end of the file. First, load the mouse driver, (assuming you're using a mouse, the driver is called "MOUSE" and is located in the root directory). Next, change to the directory where you installed QuikMenu (C:\QUIKMENU). Finally, load QuikMenu (QM). The new AUTOEXEC should look something like this: PROMPT $P $G PATH C:\;C:\DOS;.. MOUSE CD\QUIKMENU QM NETWORK USERS: replace QM with QNET [user name]. For example: QNET SALLY NOTE: If your AUTOEXEC already contains a menu system or auto loading program, it should be removed to prevent it from interfering with QuikMenu. -------------------- COMMAND LINE OPTIONS -------------------- You may specify several options when starting QuikMenu. An option consists of a slash (/) followed by an option letter followed by information about that option. Up to 4 command line options can be used at the same time. Display Default Directory (/A) Employing this option will cause the default directory (see below) to be displayed on the Status Bar at the bottom of the QuikMenu screen. Usage: /A Example: QM /A QuikMenu allows you to change the default directory. This DOS subdirectory may be used as the initial default location (path) QuikMenu will look for accessing programs, DOS commands, etc. By using the /A command line option, the default directory will be displayed at the bottom of the menu screen on the Status Bar. As you change directories using the File Manager, the last directory accessed becomes the default directory. The @CHDIR option may be used to set up icons which switch the default directory, or to go to a different directory from the File Manager. To create an icon which changes the current subdirectory, you should leave the Location field blank and use the @CHDIR option in the Command field. E.g., the command, @CHDIR=C:\DOS will make the C:\DOS subdirectory the current, default directory. You may also combine the @CHDIR option with other command line functions. E.g., the command, @CHDIR=[Select a directory===C:\] will ask the user to choose a subdirectory. Finally, you may also use the !PATH option to access the Default directory. It can be used in the Location field or in the command line itself (e.g., WP [FILE TO LOAD=!PATH\*.*]). Starting QuikMenu With A Macro (/C) Use this option to load QuikMenu and automatically run a macro. Usage: /Cx (substitute your macro's filename for the letter x) Example: QM /CSTARTUP.QMM Text Mode Screen Blanker (/D) When used in conjunction with the ■Dead of Night■ menu screen saver selection, this option causes QuikMenu to blank the screen in text mode (non-graphic) instead of the normal graphics mode. This option is provided for those using third party screen blankers or other TSR programs that are unable to function properly in graphics mode. Usage: /D Example: QM /D Using Expanded Memory (/E) The QuikMenu overlay file (QM3_PROG.OVR) can be loaded into expanded memory, thus speeding up execution of some QuikMenu functions. When running software applications or DOS options, the overlay is removed from memory and reloaded upon return to QuikMenu. Usage: /E Example: QM /E Video Mode Selection (/G) QuikMenu automatically determines what type of monitor you have and loads the appropriate software driver. If you have an unusual video card, you may want to override the built-in video detection routine. The /G command allows you to run QuikMenu in a variety of different graphics modes. WARNING: Choosing an incompatible driver may cause unexpected results and in some extreme cases, damage your monitor or video card. Don't try this unless you know exactly what you are doing. Usage: /Gx (where the letter ■x■ equals one of the options below) Video Mode Command ------------------------------ Hercules 7.0 CGA 1.4 EGA 640x200 3.0 EGA 640x350 3.1 EGA 64K 4.0 VGA 640x200 9.0 VGA 640x350 9.1 VGA 640x480 9.2 AT&T 8.5 IBM 8514 640x480 6.0 IBM 8514 1024x768 6.1 Example: QM /G1.4 Starting QuikMenu With A Hello Message (/H) The /H option displays a simple greeting message the first time QuikMenu is loaded. Messages include: "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon" and "Good Evening" depending on what time of day it is. Usage: /H Example: QM /H Adjusting The Icon Cache (/I) This option may be used to set the size of QuikMenu's internal icon buffer. The cache works by keeping a list of the most recently used icons in your computer's RAM. This significantly speeds up screen rewrites. The default cache size is 30; however, you may change this to any value between 1 and 200. Increasing the icon cache size reduces the amount of space available for menu items. However, this option has no bearing on the amount of RAM available for software applications. Usage: /Ix (where x represents a number between 1 and 200) Example: QM /I40 Using Multiple Menus (/M) This option may be used to create or access other QuikMenu desktop menu (*.MNU) files. Usage: /Mx (substitute the menu's filename for x) Example: QM /MC:\QUIKMENU\MYMENU.MNU If you specify a non-existent file name, QuikMenu will create a new menu. Be sure to include the complete drive and path when using this feature. QuikMenu will use the new menu file until you tell it not to. To return to your original menu type: QM /MC:\QUIKMENU\QM.MNU You may even use the /M option from within QuikMenu by creating a special Software Icon. For example, an icon with the following commands: Location: C:\QUIKMENU Command: QM /MC:\QUIKMENU\MYMENU.MNU !BYE will exit and reload QuikMenu with the file MYMENU.MNU. To return to your original menu, simply create another icon replacing MYMENU.MNU with QM.MNU. NOTE: You may also load additional menus by using the Load command. Disable COM Port Checking (/O) This command option disables the COM port checking that QuikMenu does before attempting to dial the modem. If you have trouble dialing your modem with QuikMenu, try using this option. Usage: /O Example: QM /O Returning To Page One (/P) The /P option forces QuikMenu to return to page one after running a program or DOS option. Usage: /P Example: QM /P Turn Exploding Effects Off (/S) This option turns off the exploding zoom effects which accompany many QuikMenu actions. Usage: /S Example: QM /S Turn Clock Display Off (/T) You may use this option to turn off the on-screen clock display. If you are using a screen saver utility other than from NeoSoft, you may need to turn this feature off. Usage: /T Example: QM /T Update Network Passwords (/Z) The /Z option may be used by network administrators to update QuikMenu password settings across an entire network. Begin by loading QuikMenu with the /Z option in the command line. Next, use the Setup/Password command from the Modify mode to change or update the security settings. The new passwords will take effect the next time each user leaves and returns to QuikMenu. Usage: /Z Example: QM /Z -------------------------- RELOCATING TEMPORARY FILES -------------------------- QuikMenu allows you to relocate its temporary and information files on both network and stand-alone systems. These files include QM_APP.BAT, QM.INF, etc. For example, to change the location of the temporary files to C:\TEMP, follow these instructions: Stand-Alone PC Users -------------------- Use an ASCII text editor to change QuikMenu's QM.BAT file to read: ECHO OFF QM3_PROG %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %QUIKMENU%QM_APP Next, place the following command into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:<%0> SET QUIKMENU=C:\TEMP\ Be sure to include the backslash (\) at the end of the path and don't use any spaces. Network Users ------------- Use an ASCII text editor to change QuikMenu's QNET.BAT file to read: ECHO OFF QM3_PROG /N %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %QUIKMENU%%1 Next, place the following command into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: SET QUIKMENU=C:\TEMP\ Be sure to include the backslash (\) at the end of the path and don't use any spaces. You may specify a different directory (local or network) for each person if you like. NOTE: Some early versions of DOS may have trouble with this option. ------------------------- USING QUIKMENU WITH TSR'S ------------------------- This option is for those who like to use those handy Pop-Up calculators, note pads, outliners, etc. These are commonly known as terminate and stay resident utilities or TSR's. Many TSR programs are written to function using the text video mode, and not in a graphics mode such as used by QuikMenu. However, QuikMenu does include a handy TSR window which allows easy access to TSR utilities. Simply load your TSR's as you normally do, then activate QuikMenu. From the main QuikMenu screen, press the F3 function key. QuikMenu's graphical display is replaced by a plain text-only window. At this point, input the key combination required to bring up your TSR. When you're finished, exit your TSR and press the Esc key to return to QuikMenu. -------------------------- ENVIRONMENT SPACE PROBLEMS -------------------------- If you experience an "OUT OF ENVIRONMENT SPACE" error when using the QuikMenu DOS Shell you need to increase the size of your DOS environment. Try inserting the following command into your CONFIG.SYS file: SHELL C:\COMMAND.COM /E:1024 /P CAUTION: If you're not comfortable modifying the CONFIG.SYS file please find someone who is knowledgeable about such things to help you. If it isn't done correctly it may seriously affect the operation of your computer system. If you're experiencing an "OUT OF ENVIRONMENT SPACE" error when running a specific program or batch file from QuikMenu, try using the !NOSHELL option. ---------------------------------------- CHANGING QUIKMENU'S DOS & EXIT FUNCTIONS ---------------------------------------- Normally, when you select QuikMenu's Exit command you end up in the root directory of your hard drive. Suppose you'd rather end up in another directory or perhaps run a hard drive parking utility each time you exit. To accomplish this, simply create a batch file containing all the commands you wish to execute. Name the file QMEXIT.BAT and place it in the QuikMenu directory. If this file exists, QuikMenu will execute those instructions in place of its normal exit routine. To restore QuikMenu's normal Exit routine, delete or rename the QMEXIT.BAT file. Similarly, you may also change the behavior of QuikMenu's DOS command by creating a file called QMDOS.BAT and placing it in the QuikMenu directory. However, unlike the Exit command, QuikMenu will attempt to reload the menu after executing the QMDOS.BAT file. To restore QuikMenu's normal DOS routine, delete or rename the QMDOS.BAT file. ------------------------- FILE CONVERSION UTILITIES ------------------------- QuikMenu includes several utility programs that may be used to convert your Time Log and PhoneBook database files into a format that can be imported by most third party word processing, spreadsheet and database programs. For further information, see your individual wordprocessor, spreadsheet or database documentation for instructions on importing ASCII files. Program What it does ----------------------------------------------------------------- LOG2ASCI.EXE This program converts QuikMenu Time Log files to delimited ASCII format. Converted ASCII files can be imported into a variety of spreadsheet and database programs. Usage: LOG2ASCI [Log File] [ASCII File] Example: LOG2ASCI QM.LOG REPORT.ASC PB2ASCII.EXE This program converts QuikMenu PhoneBook files to delimited ASCII format. Usage: PB2ASCII [PhoneBook File] [ASCII File] Example: PB2ASCII QM.PB DATA.ASC ASCII2PB.EXE This program converts delimited ASCII files to QuikMenu PhoneBook format. The ASCII file to be converted should contain the following fields: Index Name or Company Name Note1 Address, Notes, Etc. Note2 " Note3 " Note4 " Note5 " Note6 " Phone Desc1 Description of Phone #1 Phone #1 Phone #1 Phone Desc2 Description of Phone #2 Phone #2 Phone #2 Each field must be surrounded by quotes and separated by commas. Usage: ASCII2PB [ASCII File] [PhoneBook File] Example: ASCII2PB DATA.ASC QM.PB -------------------------- ACQUIRING ADDITIONAL ICONS -------------------------- A library of 500 additional icons for QuikMenu is available from NeoSoft for $10 + $5 ($10 outside United States) shipping and handling. To order these icons contact NeoSoft at (541) 389-5489. -------------------------------- USING QUIKMENU WITH CGA MONITORS -------------------------------- When running QuikMenu on systems equipped with CGA or compatible monitors you will NOT see any colors. Although CGA is in fact a color mode, it is limited by its low resolution when running graphics applications. QuikMenu requires a good portion of screen space for its dialog boxes, command buttons and help screens. In order to even run QuikMenu in CGA it is necessary to use the highest available resolution. In this case 640 x 200. Unfortunately, this mode allows the use of only two colors - black and white. While many games may run fine in the lower 320 x 200 four color mode, that space is simply too small to accommodate QuikMenu. --------------------- MOUSE DRIVER PROBLEMS --------------------- If your mouse behaves strangely when using QuikMenu you may need to update your mouse driver software. Problems such as an invisible cursor or a pointer that leaves a trail of pigment on the screen are typical of certain older mouse drivers. Contact the computer store where you purchased your mouse or the manufacturer for information about updating your mouse driver. -------------------------------- MICROSOFT WINDOWS CONSIDERATIONS -------------------------------- Programs that run under Microsoft Windows are not automatically installed by QuikMenu. You can, however, create icons to run them like any other program. When adding an icon for a windows program the word WIN or WIN386 must preface the program command in the command line. For example to load Microsoft Excel: WIN EXCEL or WIN C:\WINDOWS\EXCEL [Select a file=*.XL?]