Magnum One/Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso/d13/pull217.arc/PULL217.DOC

Text File | 1990-09-20 | 104.3 KB | 2,586 lines

___________________________________________________________________________

                 PullDown Menu Shell System, Version 2.17
                    U.S. ShareWare Release PULL217.ZIP
___________________________________________________________________________






                        Released 20 September, 1990



                               User's Guide




           All Materials, Files, Contents of Distributed Files,
       Software and Documentation (C) Copyright 1989-1990 Sam Horton
                                    and
         Copyright (C) 1990 MicroDynamics Development Corporation
                 1445 Mensch Lane Gilbertsville, PA  19525

                    ASP Membership Application Pending

                             CIS ID 72010,2546
                              GEnie S.HORTON1

                           All Rights Reserved.







___________________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS
___________________________________________________________________________

License, Terms of Use, Distribution.............................  2
     License
     Distribution
     Consultant Dealerships
     Virus Protection

File Description/Librarian's Reference..........................  3

Introduction....................................................  5
     Feature Overview
     Pure Text Files

Installation, ShareWare Version.................................  8

Making Menus....................................................  8
     Basic Menu Definition
     Advanced Menu Definition
     Help Subsystem Use/Definition

Using the SAA Interface......................................... 26
     Keyboard
          Dialog Elements
          Getting Around
     Mouse

Configuring the Menu System..................................... 28
     Option Clusters for Configuration
     Colors
     Passwords/Toggles for screen mode, NumLock, Resume
     Registration System

Command Line Parameters......................................... 31

Technical Support & Registrations............................... 31
     Domestic USA
     Germany (DDR & FDR)

Consultant's Dealerships........................................ 32

APPENDIXES
----------
A: Troubleshooting Guide........................................ 33
     Unexpected return to menu shell, no selection activated
          Unexpected Results of a selection and debugging
          Tips
     Locking system
     Mouse Problems
     Unexpected System Halts/Fatal Errors
B: Files included in package and used by PullDown/LAN Useage.... 37
C: Foreign Versions & Technical Support in Overseas............. 38
D: Technical Notes.............................................. 39
E: Key Word Quick Reference (Complete Summary).................. 39
F: Load Time Minimization/Performance Optimization.............. 41
     Special .DEF keyword
     Considerations
G: Special Thanks............................................... 42
                                                                     Page 1

* All commercial tradenames and trademarks referenced are property of their
respective owners, and MicroDynamics makes no claim to any names or
commercial trademarks commonly known to be held by owners other than
MicroDynamics referenced within this or any other distributed document or
file.  Please note also that the illustrations in this manual do not look
like the REAL menu system, as non line-draw characters are deliberately
unused to support Epson default settings on printers.

LIBRARIAN'S STANDARD FILE DESCRIPTION:
___________________________________________________________________________

     PULL217.ZIP
     A sleek SAA compliant professional-style pulldown menu shell for MS-
     DOS systems featuring a full range of powerful options permitting
     total system customization.  Requires DOS 3.0+, 256K RAM, IBM PC, XT,
     AT, PS/2, PS/1 or full compatible.  80286 or higher recommended.

LICENSE AND TERMS OF USE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHAREWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT ACCEPTED BY YOUR USE:  As a non-commercial
private user you are permitted to use/evaluate this product at no charge
for a period of 60 days.  At the end of that period, if you feel that this
work has some value to you, please consider a donation of $20 (US funds or
your local currency equivalent plus 20%) to register the product.  Print
and return the enclosed form in the file REGFORM.DOC to request upgrade
diskettes, if desired, and registration numbers.  After 50 unregistered
starts, the command line registration system is automatically invoked until
registration.  Unregistered copies are fully functional with the sole
exception of permanent saving of custom colors.  Commercial business users
are restrained from using the product in the unregistered state under ALL
circumstances.  Site licenses and multiple copy terms are covered within
the REGISTRATION section of this document file. MicroDynamics assumes no
liability arising from your use or inability to use this software product,
nor does MicroDynamics assume liability for direct, indirect or
consequential damages resulting from your use.

DISTRIBUTION:  PullDown v2.17 MUST be distributed in its original,
unmodified form on only public-access BBS systems, through non-profit
ShareWare libraries, or APPROVED vendor sites and catalogs.  Any
distribution for remuneration beyond the cost of the diskette/mailing is
strictly forbidden without the written permission of MicroDynamics and the
author. (User group demo and distribution for member donation excepted.)
Consultants/Dealers can obtain an on-site registration system upon
acceptance of the "Dealer" agreement obtained from MicroDynamics.

CONSULTANT DEALERSHIPS: Dealers and Consultants are presently using an
onsite registration system and remitting a percentage of collected
registration fees while providing a very clean professional look to their
client's systems.  If you would like to join that growing list, please
notify MicroDynamics in writing, or call one of the technical support
centers.  A simple contract will be returned to you for approval.  Voice
support is available to registered Dealers and Consultants.

VIRUS PROTECTION:  The authorized shareware distribution copy of this
software is continued within a tamper-proof ZIP file called PULL217.ZIP.
If you did NOT see a banner notifying you that the ZIP file you received is
valid upon invoking PKUNZIP, then assume the worst and find another copy.
In fact, you are strongly advised to run a virus-checking program
immediately after UNZIPPING *ANY* file or files from ShareWare libraries or
Public Domain sources.  However, please don't give in to the unfounded and
frequently hysterical "fear cum mania" associated with the entire issue of
computer viruses.... just be careful, and enjoy!  Finally, if PullDown

                                                                     Page 2

refuses to start, displaying a message "CRC Check Failed!" then immediately
check the system for virus presence.  PullDown contains a measure of anti-
virus self-checking, and should not start if the file is modified in any
way.

INTRODUCTION
___________________________________________________________________________

What are PullDown menus?  In short, they are identical to the familiar
PCTools Deluxe interface, and very similar to the Windows pulldown menus
you are likely already familiar with.

The purpose of the menu shell is to make access to programs contained on
the PC to be effortless.  Moreover, in the case of PullDown, the process
becomes both elegant and efficient.  PullDown is unique among menuing
shells, providing you with the ability to define truly professional quality
menus for any system quickly using a simple text editor (or Word Processor
saving files as text only) and a set of easy to master commands.  Beyond a
reasonable working knowledge of DOS, and the ability to learn, no other
expertise is required to use PullDown.  However, if you should become
confused as your read through the documentation please seek assistance from
a knowledgeable co-worker, a friend, or call one of the Technical Support
BBSs... MicroDynamics wants to serve you in any way possible, and to the
extent time is available even unregistered users can get technical support
from the author of the product.  Please, if you have ANY trouble, or
suspect the menu system of "locking" or otherwise interfering with your
computer, then call for support!

PullDown, in summary, contains the following features:

     * Professional quality SAA compliant PullDown menus with custom color,
     screen mode, dialog, and mouse control.

     * All of the basic menuing system features including password
     protection, command line prompts, and screen blanking, PLUS user-
     defined help for each menu item, defined dialog boxes ranging from
     simple <Ok> and <Yes><No> one-liner messages to full screen scrolling
     message boxes and custom input boxes.

     * Color, Background Fill control, and unlimited upgrades via a command
     line registration system.

     * Support for up to 10 Top Bar menu items with up to 46 selections
     EACH, with unlimited menu file branching--practically limitless
     options can be defined.

     * Automatically resumes the state of the menus as you left them last,
     and can be toggled to turn NumLock off on entry automatically.

     * Non TSR design assures conflict-free operation.  Clear, concise
     manual replete with examples and troubleshooting guide.

To configure the menu system properly, a working knowledge of DOS is most
helpful, as well as some programming background.  The programming
background would help you understand very quickly how to configure the
menus, but is NOT required to operate the system.  More importantly, you
must be familiar with the distinction between so-called "pure" text files
and standard word processing files.  For those who do not know what this
means, let's take a minute to explain the differences, and finally to tell
you how to save a file as pure text--the kind PullDown needs to operate
                                                                     Page 3

correctly.  (If you already intend to use a text editor, then skip on ahead
three or four paragraphs.)

[NOTE: It is assumed that the reader has used a word processor before, and
if you have never used one, then it is likely that you will need some help
setting up this menu system.]

When you edit or create a word processing file, regardless of the word
processor you use, you first LOAD the file, work with it, and then SAVE the
file.  Loading and editing a pure text file is no different from working
with any of your standard word processing files.... it is the SAVE function
that differs.  To save a pure text file instead of the usual format of your
word processor, select the option TEXT ONLY, or TEXT WITH LINE BREAKS as an
option just before you save.  The following paragraphs deal with exactly
how do this in Word Perfect and MS Word.

WORDPERFECT v5.1: [Alt =] [Text Out] [Dos Text]

     Then enter the filename.  The file will be saved without any special
     formatting options as pure text, with line breaks.

MS WORD, v5.0:  [Esc] [Transfer] [Save] [Tab] [Space] [Space] [Enter]

     This selects Text-only-with-line-breaks, which saves a pure text file.
     Using the Text-Only selection will create a file which may not be
     compatible with PullDown's help system.  See your manual for details.
     If you are using WORD for WINDOWS, the process is quite similar, only
     you select the option from within a dialog box instead.

If you use another package, look in the index of your manual for Save
Options/ASCII/Files or SAVE AS TEXT for references on how to do this.  If
you are familiar with the use of text editors such as PE2, PE3, QEDIT, or
ZIA, then simply use on of those to create and maintain the required files.

As an aside, the reason that you cannot simply save in your word
processor's native format it twofold.  First, word processors wrap the
lines for you on screen from long lines.  For example, a paragraph is
wrapped for you when you type it in, you don't have to press ENTER at the
end of each line.  This is achieved by saving the paragraphs on disk (and
memory) as one very long line, and then wrapping them on your screen or
printer on the fly.  Second, certain characters, known as control codes,
are saved within the word processor's document to store attributes of your
text such as bold, underline, indented, left or right justified and so on.
In most cases, "header" information about the overall document format like
margins, running footers etc. is also stored within the file.  If you were
to view one of your word processing files strait, without the benefit of
the word processor's interpretation of the control codes, you would see
smiling faces and other goop on your screen, along with your text.
PullDown is not equipped to interpret the extra formatting information, nor
is it useful to the menu system.  The first thing to check, if a menu
behaves unexpectedly or a defined help screen looks bizarre, is the format
in which you saved the file.  If in doubt, issue the following command at
the DOS prompt to check the file out:

     TYPE FileName.EXT

Where: FileName.EXT is the file you suspect you saved incorrectly.  If you
get any beeping, strange characters you did not type in, or weird
formatting like lines falling off the screen, then the file was saved in

                                                                     Page 4

the word processor's format.  To correct it, load the file again using the
word processor, and then save it in the correct text-only format.

Finally, to configure the menu system you MUST know the following about
each of the programs you will place under the shell:

     * The DOS Drive it is contained on.
     * The DOS Directory it is in.
     * The command used to start the application.

And, to have the system start each time you turn on your PC:

     * Where the special DOS file AUTOEXEC.BAT is.
     * Whether or not you are presently using another menu system.

Is is presumed you know the first set of information about your programs,
but just in case you are unclear, here is a short example of the DOS
commands one might type to start Lotus 1-2-3 on drive C: in the directory
LOTUS:

C:                      [ENTER]
CD\LOTUS                [ENTER]
123                     [ENTER]

And 1-2-3 would start.  In order, you typed the drive it was on, the
directory it was in, and the command to start the program.  You will need
this same information about each application you will place under the menu
shell.  In version 3.00 of PullDown, an automated installation routine will
do all of this for you, but for now you will need this information when
configuring the shell.

Making PullDown start each time you turn your PC on is covered in detail
under INSTALLATION below.  It is really easy to do, although it sounds
cryptic when first explained.

This manual is divided into the following general sections:

     - Installation, menu configuration, and interface usage
     - Menu system options
     - Technical Support and Registration
     - Appendixes on Troubleshooting and Technical Details

We hope that you find this reference document lucid and easy to use.  As
always, your comments, suggestions, and feedback on the documentation are
more than welcome.  Enjoy.


INSTALLATION
___________________________________________________________________________

In the ShareWare form, the menu system is typically distributed within a
PKZIP file called PULL217.ZIP.  ZIP files, as they are called, are simply
compressed sets of other files.  To remove the files from the ZIP file, and
make them useful, you must UNzip them using the PKUNZIP utility from
PKWARE.  Assuming that you are installing the menu system for the first
time, follow these steps in order to uncompress the files from a diskette
in drive A: to the subdirectory MENU on drive C:.  If you have the ZIP file
on a different drive, or within a subdirectory, then substitute that
information where you see the A: drive letter below.  Of course, you can
use any subdirectory or drive other than C:\MENU, just substitute your
information in place of C:\MENU.  Where not noted below, press the [ENTER]

                                                                     Page 5

key after each command.... you MUST have a copy of PKUNZIP on your system
and available to UNzip the files for this to work.


1. Place the PullDown installation or distribution diskette in drive A:

2. Type the following at the DOS prompt.

     C:
     MD\MENU
     PKUNZIP A:PULL217 C:\MENU


     ******** IMPORTANT ********
     The files will be extracted, and when the process is finished you
     should see the following message on your screen:

     Authentic files Verified!  # UQL485  (C) MICRODYNAMICS DEVELOPMENT /
     S.HORTON

     IF YOU DO NOT see this message, then you cannot be sure that you
     received a fully functional unmodified VIRUS-FREE copy of PullDown.
     It is suggested that you call the tech support BBS, notify
     MicroDynamics of the problem and where you obtained the file, and
     download the guaranteed clean copy of the system from the BBS.  The
     BBS is on (215)-623-6203 24 hours a day.  If you cannot do this, then
     a diskette containing the program will be sent to you free of charge
     for notifying MicroDynamics of the error(s) you encountered.  Viruses
     and hackers are rightly maligned, and we will do everything we can to
     limit their impact on your enjoyment of the software.

3. Edit the batch file used to start the menu system

     Using your text editor, or a word processor saving files in pure text,
     edit the file PULLDWN.BAT to match your menu system IF you did not
     install it exactly as described above.  That is, if you substituted a
     drive other than C:, or a directory other than \MENU for the system,
     then you will have to modify the batch file used to call the menu
     system.  The DEFAULT contents of that file are the following:

          ECHO OFF
          CLS
          REM PullDown Menu Shell System (C) 1990 MicroDynamics Development
          REM File=PULLDWN.BAT  Modify as required.
          C:
          CD\MENU
          PULLDWN1.EXE %1 %2 %3
          TEMPPULL.BAT

     Again, substitute your drive letter for C:, and your path for \MENU if
     you used something other than the default information described in
     step 2.

4. Copy the file PULLDWN.BAT to C:\, and/or place \MENU in your PATH.

     This is necessary in order to support starting PullDown from anywhere
     you happen to be in your system easily.  If you elect to copy the file
     PULLDWN.BAT to the root (\) directory of drive C:, your system will
     always be able to find it, regardless of the PATH setting in
     AUTOEXEC.BAT.  [If that statement confused you, just follow the

                                                                          Page 6

     directions for copying the file to the root directory and be done with
     it.]  If you wish, you may modify the PATH to include C:\MENU.

          A) Copying the file.

               COPY C:\MENU\PULLDWN.BAT C:\

          B) Changing the PATH command. (Optional but recommended)

               1. Edit C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and modify the path.  Append with
               ;C:\MENU

               2. Save the file as pure text

5. IF you want PullDown to start automatically each time you turn your
computer on, and you have a hard disk on which the first partition is C:
(the first drive letter that is a hard disk) then follow these steps with
care.

     A) Edit the file C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT.  If it does not exist, then create
     it anyway.

     B) IF the file already exists, then perform the following edit:

          1) If you were using another menu system, and it used to start
          when you turned your PC on, then you will have to replace the
          command used at the end (most likely) of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
          with PULLDWN to start the new shell.  Look on the last line, if
          you see AUTO, 3DMENU, 3D, EZ, EZMENU, or MENU, then overtype it
          with PULLDWN.  If you see nothing like that, then add the line
          PULLDWN to the file after the last existing line.  TIP: If the
          menu system fails to start after you have done this, then check
          with an experienced user or send the contents of the file to
          MicroDynamics on the tech support BBS for assistance.

          2) Save the file as pure text.

     C) IF the file does not exist at all, then enter these lines to create
     a sample file that will start PullDown automatically.

          1) Enter these lines.

          ECHO OFF
          CLS
          SET PROMPT=$p$g
          PULLDWN

          2) And save the file as pure text.

6. Decide which text editor or word processor you will be using to
configure and run PullDown with.  Write down the program's drive,
directory, and the command you use to call it up with.  The example below
assumes that you will use QEDIT in the directory C:\QEDIT.  Full paths are
shown as samples only, and do not need to be used if C:\QEDIT is already in
your path.  TIP: If you need to know what IS in your path, then type the
command SET at the DOS prompt and look at the line with PATH on it.

     A) Edit the file EDITOR.BAT in C:\PULLDWN.  You will see the following
     contents:

                                                                     Page 7

               ECHO OFF
          CLS
          REM EDITOR.BAT for inclusion with PullDown menu system.
          C:\QEDIT\QEDIT %1

     B) SAMPLE: If you are using PE2, which is contained within the
     directory C:\EDITOR, then change the file to the following:

          ECHO OFF
          CLS
          REM EDITOR.BAT for inclusion with PullDown menu system.
          C:\EDITOR\PE2 %1

     C) SAMPLE: If you are using WordPerfect v5.1 in the directory F:\WP51
     then change the file to the following:

          ECHO OFF
          CLS
          REM EDITOR.BAT for inclusion with PullDown menu system.
          F:\WP51\WP %1

And be sure to save the files you edit for PullDown as pure text.  (DOS
Text in the case of WP).  You need to modify this batch file so that the
selections in the menus concerning editing of the .DEFinition files is
correct.  (i.e. The selections call "EDITOR FileName.DEF".)


MAKING MENUS
___________________________________________________________________________

The files that contain the definition information PullDown uses to create
menus have the extension .DEF.  The included files are PULLDWN.DEF, which
is the default menu file PullDown will load on startup, ADVANCED.DEF, which
contains several advanced examples, and WINDOWS.DEF, which demonstrates
starting Windows Apps from PullDown.  These files, and the ones you might
create in the future, are pure text files with line breaks.  That is, when
you edit them you MUST save them as described above under the INTRODUCTION
section.  Files in any other format will cause PullDown to fail when
loading the definitions.  These .DEF files are loaded by PullDown and the
menus you describe within them are displayed on screen.  Each title is
defined explicitly, and is followed by the command(s) to be issued to DOS
through TEMPPULL.BAT.  That is, the defined commands you give PullDown in a
.DEF file are written into the file TEMPPULL.BAT, and then that file is
executed when you make a selection.  Recall from above the contents of
PULLDWN.BAT...

          ECHO OFF
          CLS
          REM PullDown Menu Shell System (C) 1990 MicroDynamics Development
          REM File=PULLDWN.BAT  Modify as required.
          C:
          CD\MENU
          PULLDWN1.EXE %1 %2 %3
          TEMPPULL.BAT

That last line ^^^^^^ containing TEMPPULL.BAT is executed after you exit
the menu shell.  PullDown basically creates a batch file called upon by
TEMPPULL.BAT that contains the menu definitions you create.  Now, let's see
how a basic menu is constructed, and then move on to the more advanced
features of the menu shell.
                                                                     Page 8


BASIC MENU DEFINITION
=====================

The basic keywords used by PullDown are:

DEF
     Defines a new title heading to follow, and a new pulldown set.

%TitleString
     1) When immediately following DEF, defines top menu selection
     2) When second through last for a menu, defines the title of the
     selection definition that follows it.

+BatchCommand
     Following a %TitleString defines a DOS batch command associated with
     the preceding selection title.

'CommentString
     Anything preceded by ' is a comment and ignored by PullDown.  Embedded
     comments are not supported, so keep them on separate lines.


To demonstrate how this works, suppose you wanted to create a PullDown menu
for your applications containing 1-2-3, Harvard Graphics, and MS Word 5.0.
The corresponding DEF file would look like this, of course adjusted to
reflect the DOS subdirectories and drive(s) in your system:


DEF
     %Applications

     %Lotus 1-2-3
          +C:
          +cd\lotus
          +123
          +pulldwn

     %Harvard Graphics
          +c:
          +cd\harvard
          +hg
          +pulldwn

     %MS Word 5.0
          +c:
          +cd\word5
          +word
          +pulldwn


And the result on screen would look something like this, but better of
course, as this is just roughed out here for tutorial purposes...

      Applications
 ---------------------
| Lotus 1-2-3         |
| Harvard Graphics    |
| MS Word 5.0         |
 ---------------------
                                                                     Page 9

NOTES: The keyword DEF tells PullDown that a new TOP BAR menu definitionfollows.  See how that first one is Applications, and how all the others
fall in under it?  The keyword DEF is special in that way, and is used ONLY
when you want a new menu selection and attendant subselections to follow.

That last line on each selection, PULLDWN, ensures that the menu shell will
be restarted for you after you use each program.  If you omitted it, you
would be at the DOS prompt (C:\ or similar) upon exit from an application.
To continue with this example, suppose that you wanted to add another menu
selection containing your utilities.  One for the Norton Utilities, one for
PC Tools Deluxe, FastBack Plus, and finally a selection to format a
diskette in drive A:.  You would then ADD to the above file the following
definitions:                          ---


' Second TOP BAR is Utilities....  (This is a comment ignored by PullDown)

DEF
     %Utilities

     %Norton Utilities
          +C:
          +cd\nu
          +nu
          +pulldwn

     %PC Tools Deluxe
          +c:
          +cd\pctools
          +psshell
          +pulldwn

     %FastBack Plus
          +c:
          +cd\fastback
          +fb
          +pulldwn

     Format Diskette in Drive A:
          +format a:
          +pulldwn


Then, your menu would FIRST appear on screen like this.....

      Applications           Utilities
 ---------------------
| Lotus 1-2-3         |
| Harvard Graphics    |
| MS Word 5.0         |
 ---------------------

Upon pressing the RIGHT arrow key, or sliding the mouse across the top bar
while holding the left button, the menu would switch to the second TOP
selection and appear something like this....
                                                                    Page 10

      Applications            Utilities
                     -----------------------------
                    | Norton Utilities            |
                    | PC Tools Deluxe             |
                    | FastBack Plus               |
                    | Format Diskette in Drive A: |
                     -----------------------------

Thus, the whole file contains:
------------------------------

DEF
     %Applications

     %Lotus 1-2-3
          +C:
          +cd\lotus
          +123
          +pulldwn

     %Harvard Graphics
          +c:
          +cd\harvard
          +hg
          +pulldwn

     %MS Word 5.0
          +c:
          +cd\word5
          +word
          +pulldwn

' Second TOP BAR is Utilities....  (This is a comment ignored by PullDown)

DEF
     %Utilities

     %Norton Utilities
          +C:
          +cd\nu
          +nu
          +pulldwn

     %PC Tools Deluxe
          +c:
          +cd\pctools
          +psshell
          +pulldwn

     %FastBack Plus
          +c:
          +cd\fastback
          +fb
          +pulldwn

     %Format Diskette in Drive A:
          +format a:
          +pulldwn

                                                                    Page 11

And a complete working menu is defined.  But, PullDown contains many morefeatures to spice up the menus, and two of them are the HighLite key and
the unselectable horizontal bar.

HighLite (or HiLite) keys are used to permit quick keyboard access to a
selection.  Like PC Tools, PullDown employes the SAA (standard applications
architecture) definition of their behavior.  That is, if you press
ALT+HighLite Key the selection is made, if you press and release ALT, then
the HighLite keys are lit and stay lit until one is pressed.  (NOTE:
PullDown starts in this state, but the Dialog Boxes require an ALT press)
Pressing a lit HighLite key moves your cursor to the selection indicated.
In the case of multiple keys on screen, the first one encountered moving
down the current menu is selected.  The unselectable bar is there for
aesthetic separation of options only.  First, suppose that you wanted the L
in "lotus 1-2-3" to be a HighLite key.  You would change the portion of the
selection as shown below:  (The dots before and after indicate that the
example is a code fragment, and that other things follow and/or precede
it.)

     .
     .

     %Lotus 1-2-3
          HI=0
          +C:
          +cd\lotus
          +123
          +pulldwn

     .
     .


The only thing changed is the addition of the HI=0 statement.  HI=nn
defines the character position of the highlite character in the preceding
title.  It has no meaning if following the TOP BAR titles APPLICATION and
UTILITIES, but does have meaning in any other context.  Note that the
default for the system, if you do not specify HI= for each selection, is
the HI=0 position.  Now, why is the position 0 in HI=0 and not 1?  Easy, we
start counting the positions in the title at 0, not 1.  So the O in Lotus
is position 1, not 2 as you might suspect.   A good habit to get into is
placing a counter comment line above each selection to avoid confusion.
e.g.

     .
     .
     '01234567890
     %Lotus 1-2-3
          HI=0
          +C:
          +cd\lotus
          +123
          +pulldwn

     .
     .

To drive the point home, what number would follow HI= to highlite the 2 in
1-2-3 above?  The answer is 8, as you can see plainly.  Continuing on the
unselectable divider bars, suppose you wanted to add one between the
FastBack Plus and Format options under the UTILITIES top bar menu... you

                                                                    Page 12

would do this by adding the special %- command which defines the bar likethis:

     .
     .

     %FastBack Plus
          +c:
          +cd\fastback
          +fb
          +pulldwn

     ' The %- below inserts the unselectable bar to separate selections.

     %-


     %Format Diskette in Drive A:
          +format a:
          +pulldwn

     .
     .

And, the menu appearance would CHANGE to this when the UTILITIES menu is
displayed:

      Applications            Utilities
                     -----------------------------
                    | Norton Utilities            |
                    | PC Tools Deluxe             |
                    | FastBack Plus               |
                    |-----------------------------|
                    | Format Diskette in Drive A: |
                     -----------------------------

Examining and modifying the PULLDWN.DEF file will give you a good flavor
for using these and other options.  In summary, the basic keywords and menu
file structure are:

     DEF
          Defines a new title heading to follow, and a new pulldown set.

     %TitleString
          1) When immediately following DEF, defines top menu selection
          2) When second through last for a menu, defines the title of the
          selection definition that follows it.

     +BatchCommand
          Following a %TitleString defines a DOS batch command associated
          with the preceding selection title.

     'CommentString
          Anything preceded by ' is a comment and ignored by PullDown.
          Embedded  comments are not supported, so keep them on separate
          lines.
                                                                    Page 13

And the basic structure of ALL .DEF files is:
---------------------------------------------

DEF
     %TopBar Title One

     %First Selection
          HI=nn
          +batch command
          +batch command

     %Second Selection
          HI=nn
          +batch command
     .
     .

DEF
     %TopBar Title Two, appearing to the RIGHT of the preceding menu

     %First Selection, Menu Two
          HI=nn
          +batch command
          +batch command

     %Second Selection, Menu Two
          HI=nn
          +batch command
          +batch command
     .
     .
And so on, up to 10 total top bar menus, limited in depth down the screen
to the number of rows on the screen minus four.  (Discussed later.)  Of
course indenting the lines is optional, but helps the eye follow selections
and contents easily.  Next, advanced menu elements such as password
protection, command line parameter passing, and dialogs are covered.  After
that discussion, an overview concerning use of the interface with both the
keyboard and the mouse is explained.

ADVANCED MENU DEFINITION
========================

The advanced elements of menu definition are:

PASS=PassWord
     User is prompted for a password to continue.  The selection halts
     execution at the line PASS is encountered if the user cannot enter the
     correct response, or selects <Cancel>/presses ESC.

?QuestionString
     Shows the user PromptString and awaits input.  If the user selects the
     <Cancel> or presses ESC, the execution of the selection halts and the
     user is returned to the menu.  Up to 10 are supported, and passed to
     the batch file on a command line as if keyed.  REQUIRED keyword call
     prior to ? will force a non-blank response to all subsequent ? uses.
     Toggled OFF with NOTREQUIRED keyword call.  Default=NOTREQUIRED.

                                                                    Page 14

OKBOX=PromptString
     Places a single <Ok> dialog box before the user containing only the
     string PromptString.  If the user clicks on <Ok>, or presses ENTER,
     then execution continues.  If ESC is pressed, then the user is
     returned to the menu without action being taken.  HighLite keys are O
     in <Ok> only.

YORN=PromptString
     Places a single <Yes><No> dialog box before the user containing only
     the string PromptString.  If the user clicks on <Yes>, or presses
     ENTER, then execution continues.  If ESC is pressed or <No> is
     clicked, then the user is returned to the menu without action being
     taken.  HighLite keys are Y in <Yes> and N in <No>.

SCROLLBOX=HelpFile,HeaderString
     Presents user with an <Ok> scrolling mouse sensitive dialog box
     containing up to 50 lines of user-defined help in the text file
     HelpFile.  Presents the lines directly following the first encounter
     of HeaderString (so make it unique in the file, or the first
     occurrence) up to the stop marker ### on a line by itself.  User-
     defined help file syntax is covered a few paragraphs from now with a
     complete example.  As an aside, the F1 key calls help in the same way
     for any defined menu selection in the file PULLDWN.HLP.  Again, this
     is covered in detail later.

@MenuFile.DEF
     Loads a the MenuFile[.DEF] menu definition file from the .DEF path.
     This path is either:
          1) The path to PULLDWN1.EXE -or-
          2) The path set in the PULLDWN=Path environment variable, if
          present. (Optional)
     [.DEF] denotes that the extension is optional.  Strongly recommended
     that you follow syntax with .DEF to prevent confusion.

Any of these elements can be used as many times as you like under any title
selection.  The only exception is ?QuestionString, which is discussed in
detail below.  Working from the top of the list, here are complete examples
concerning how to use each command:

PASS=PassWord
- - - - - - -

Description:

PASS=PassWord
     User is prompted for a password to continue.  The selection halts
     execution at the line PASS is encountered if the user cannot enter the
     correct response or selects <Cancel> or presses ESC.


If you did not want just anyone running the Norton Utilities, then you
could protect the selection like this:

                                                                    Page 15
    .
     .
     '0123456789012345
     %Norton Utilities
          HI=7
          PASS=YourWord
          +C:
          +cd\nu
          +nu
          +pulldwn
     .
     .

For those of you who did not catch it, the HI=7 command was added to
demonstrate highlite of the U in Utilities above.  Also, the user is now
asked for the password when selecting this item, and cannot proceed without
entering "YourWord" (no quotes, of course) correctly.  To use multiple
passwords (unlimited) just place PASS=PassWord type statements under the
item repeatedly.


?QuestionString
- - - - - - - -

Descriptions:

?QuestionString
     Shows the user PromptString and awaits input.  If the user selects the
     <Cancel> or presses ESC, the execution of the selection halts and the
     user is returned to the menu.


*NOTICE TO v2.01 USERS*
&BatchCommand
     No longer supported.  Simply the same as using +


In the simplest case, let's say you want to prompt for the file to load
into MS WORD 5.0 when you use it.  Change the MS Word 5.0 selection FROM
THIS:

     .
     .
     %MS Word 5.0
          +c:
          +cd\word5
          +word
          +pulldwn
     .
     .

TO THIS:

     .
     .
     %MS Word 5.0
          ?Enter file to load, [Enter] for None:
          +c:
          +cd\word5
          +word %1

                                                                    Page 16

          +pulldwn
     .
     .
NOTICE that the ONLY line to receive the %1 variable is the one that
invokes the program, WORD.  To clarify the result, suppose that the user
enters MEMO as the response to the ? prompt.  The resulting SHELL.BAT file,
(called in turn by TEMPPULL.BAT), used to actually start WORD in this case
will be:

     c:
     cd\word5
     word MEMO
     pulldwn

Similarly, if the user had entered nothing (just pressed ENTER alone), then
no file would be loaded.  The resulting PULLDWN.BAT file would be:

     c:
     cd\word5
     word
     pulldwn

Which is what you had by default before you included the prompt.  To use
multiple prompts, simply call ?QuestionString repeatedly.  Up to 10
variables can be passed, and are denoted IN ORDER OF ENTRANCE by %1, %2, %3
. . . %9, %0.  Let's take a moment to digress on the use of those %n
variables for the less expert users.  Skip the following three paragraphs
and examples if you already know about the variables in batch files.

When you invoke a program from DOS, you can typically place a filename or
parameter following the command used to invoke it, and the software will
take some action.  For example, when you start MS Windows you can specify a
program to run by placing it's name on the command line.  Likewise, your
editor or Word Processing application does something similar in loading the
file specified.  All the %1 through %0 symbols mean is "place that string
found on the command line in position X here" where X is the number
following the % symbol.  (With 0 equal to number 10)  Consider the
following batch file....

     echo off
     cls
     echo The first thing on the command line is %1
     echo The second is %2
     echo and the third is %3

Suppose it is called TEST.BAT... if you typed this:

     TEST Hello SecondString ThirdAndLast

you would get this back:

     The first thing on the command line is Hello
     The second is SecondString
     and the third is ThirdAndLast

Further, notice what you get if you type:

     TEST Hello

is only:
                                                                    Page 17

     The first thing on the command line is Hello
     The second is
     and the third is

and this:

     TEST First Second Third Fourth

is only:

     The first thing on the command line is Hello
     The second is SecondString
     and the third is ThirdAndLast

The fourth was carried in, but not used.  All PullDown does is places the
user's responses IN ORDER ENTERED on the command line.  Using multiple
prompts for PullDown menu files is not ANY different from using them in
standard DOS batch files.  i.e. ALL Batch Command Language extensions are
available to you.  To learn more about DOS, the batch language, and how to
use it, try "Supercharging MS DOS" by Van Wolverton, Microsoft Press... it
is a GREAT book on the PC's abilities, and you will learn a great deal
reading it.  Second, try BATCOM, a Shareware DOS Batch extender for more
power in your batch language applications.  Let us turn back to PullDown
now, and go over an advanced example.

Let's use a hypothetical example where you might want multiple prompts:
copying the contents of one disk to another disk where the disks are not
known in advance.

     .
     .

     '0123456789012345678901
     %Copy from Disk to Disk
          HI=10
          ?Enter the SOURCE (First) Disk Letter:
          ?Enter TARGET Disk Letter:
          %1
          CD\
          +XCOPY %1 %2 /S/M
          pulldwn
     .
     .


Suppose the user responded A: and B: in order.  The resulting batch file
is:
     A:
     CD\
     XCOPY A: B: /S/M
     pulldwn

[Look up the XCOPY command to understand why the switches /S/M are
included... essentially the disk is duplicated by "walking the tree" on the
source and creating corresponding subdirectories and files on the target]

Continuing with the example, let's add a second tier of query, which disk
to run CHKDSK on after the copy operation:

                                                                    Page 18

     .
     .
     '0123456789012345678901
     %Copy from Disk to Disk
          HI=10
          ?Enter the SOURCE (First) Disk Letter:
          ?Enter TARGET Disk Letter:
          +XCOPY %1 %2

          ' Clear the variables to get ready for the next question
          ?Enter the disk to run CHKDSK on after completion:
          +CHKDSK %3
          pulldwn
     .
     .

Assuming the user responds A: to the second question, and A: B: to the
first two, The TEMPPULL.BAT contents would result as:

     XCOPY A: B:
     CHKDSK A:
     pulldwn

If the user did NOT respond to the second prompt and just pressed [ENTER]
above, having done everything else the same, the result would be in error
as:

     XCOPY A:
     CHKDSK A:
     pulldwn

If you KNOW that input is required, then place the keyword REQUIRED within
the selection BEFORE you use ? prompts.  If you need to turn REQUIRED off,
place the keyword NOTREQUIRED in the system.  See ADVANCED.DEF for an example.


OKBOX and YORN
- - - - - - - -

Descriptions:

OKBOX=PromptString
     Places a single <Ok> dialog box before the user containing only the
     string PromptString.  If the user clicks on <Ok>, or presses ENTER,
     then execution continues.  If ESC is pressed, then the user is
     returned to the menu without action being taken.  HighLite keys are O
     in <Ok> only.

YORN=PromptString
     Places a single <Yes><No> dialog box before the user containing only
     the string PromptString.  If the user clicks on <Yes>, or presses
     ENTER, then execution continues.  If ESC is pressed or <No> is
     clicked, then the user is returned to the menu without action being
     taken.  HighLite keys are Y in <Yes> and N in <No>.


These two commands are similar in that they pop a message you define to the
user.  Execution of the selection is then in the user's hands, as selecting
<No> in the YORN type box, or pressing ESC in either box halts and returns

                                                                    Page 19

the user to the menus where s/he left off.  To illustrate, suppose youwanted the user to know that other applications such as the NotePad or
COMPRESS are available within PC Tools Deluxe...

     .
     .
     '012345
     %PC Tools Deluxe
          HI=3
          OKBOX=Select APPLICATIONS in PCSHELL for more Utilities
          +c:
          +cd\pctools
          +psshell
          +pulldwn
     .
     .

The user would see something like this on the screen.... (Only it looks
much better)

 -----------------------------------------------------
|                                                     |
|  Select APPLICATIONS in PCSHELL for more Utilities  |
|                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|                        <Ok>                         |
 -----------------------------------------------------

In the case of YORN, the only difference is the bottom line.  For example,
including the following:
     .
     .
     '012345
     %PC Tools Deluxe
          HI=3
          YORN=Select APPLICATIONS in PCSHELL for more Utilities
          +c:
          +cd\pctools
          +psshell
          +pulldwn
     .
     .

Would produce this style box:

 -----------------------------------------------------
|                                                     |
|  Select APPLICATIONS in PCSHELL for more Utilities  |
|                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|           <Yes>                   <No>              |
 -----------------------------------------------------

Of course, YORN is more appropriate for situations where confirmation is
requested.  For example, if you wanted to create you own EXIT TO DOS
selection, you might add the following to your growing .DEF file:

                                                                    Page 20

.
.
DEF
%Exit
     %Exit to DOS
          YORN=Are you sure you want to Exit?
          PASS=YourPass
          +echo off
          +cls
          +echo Type PULLDWN [Enter] to Start the Menu Shell

          ' Notice that NOT calling PULLDWN on the end exits to DOS

     %Load the default PULLDWN.DEF file
          @PULLDWN.DEF

When the user selects "Exit to DOS", they will be prompted to be sure that
this is what they want to do, and then required to enter the password
"YourPass" to proceed with the operation.  The second portion of this
example demonstrates how to load a menu definition file from a menu
selection, which is discussed at length below.


@MenuFile.DEF
- - - - - - -

Description:

@MenuFile.DEF
     Loads a the MenuFile[.DEF] menu definition file from the .DEF path.
     This path is either:
          1) The path to PULLDWN1.EXE -or-
          2) The path set in the PULLDWN=Path environment variable, if
          present. (Optional)
     [.DEF] denotes that the extension is optional.  Strongly recommended
     that you follow syntax with .DEF to prevent confusion.

Branching to another menu file is the feature of PullDown permitting you to
define unlimited submenus for your system.  All that happens is PullDown
loads the file you specify after the @ symbol key.  If the file is not
found, then the user is prompted for a valid file.  If the second file is
not found PullDown exits to DOS displaying help and where to call for
technical support.  This option is amply demonstrated above, and should
prove to be a valuable tool as you build your menu tree.  Of course, you
don't have to use it, but it is worthwhile to split large chunks into
different files if for no other reason to optimize load time of a given
.DEF file.  (See APPENDIX E, PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION for details on why
this is true.)  As a final note on @, you can load PULLDWN.DEF at ANY time
by clicking on the word PullDown at the bottom tag line, or pressing F9.
This was added in the event you define a submenu you call and forget to
allow an exit back to the main menu.  (It happens!)


DEFINING USER HELP SCREENS
============================

It is worthwhile to detour at this point to a feature inherent within the
menu system before explaining fully the SCROLLBOX= command.  PullDown can
call upon defined help within external text files such as the samples
contained within the package SAMPLE.HLP, and the main help system file

                                                                    Page 21

PULLDWN.HLP.  The two are syntactically identical, but serve distinct
purposes.  In short, PULLDWN.HLP is the *ONLY* reserved .HLP file name
within the system, and it holds the help screen text for *ALL* defined menu
selections in any .DEF file you might use.  All others are defined by you,
and called individually in your SCROLLBOX= commands.  First, let's suppose
that you wanted to define a help screen that the user would see if s/he
pressed/clicked [F1] from within your menu while the bar was on "Lotus 1-2-
3".  You would edit the PULLDWN.HLP file to include something like this:


     .
     .

     Lotus 1-2-3
     The world's leading spreadsheet, which has
     about 5,000,000 registered copies sold, with
     roughly that same number bootlegged.
     ###

     .
     .


And, if the user pressed or clicked F1, then the screen would show the
following type of dialog box to the user:

 ------------------- Lotus 1-2-3 ---------------------
|                                                     
|  The world's leading spreadsheet, which has         +
|  about 5,000,000 registered copies sold, with       +
|  roughly that same number bootlegged.               +
|                                                     
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|                        <Ok>                         |
 -----------------------------------------------------

Upon pressing [Enter], clicking <Ok>, pressing ALT+O, or ALT followed by O
and [ENTER], the box is cleared.  This box is scrollable, can contain up to
50 lines of help, and can accommodate up to 69 characters in width.  The
box is self-sized about your text, and centered on the screen for you
automatically.  Of course, the box on screen looks much better than this
one, but you can gather that this is a powerful and useful feature.  Some
rules apply when you define user help screens, and in summary they are:

     1) PullDown will read lines UNTIL *one* of the following conditions is
     met:
          a) The End of Help marker, ###, is encountered ALONE on a line
          b) 50 lines are read into memory
          c) The end of the file is reached

     2) Lines that are too long (up to 100 char) are truncated
     3) The header you define in SCROLLBOX= or the title in the menu system
     should occur at the beginning of the help screen FIRST in the file.
     Otherwise, PullDown stops and reads the text following the first found
     header match.  (See sample of this condition below, this includes
     comments in this version.)
     4) A memory constraint is not anticipated, as memory is allocated for
     these lines when the program starts.
     5) Embedded blanks within the SCROLLBOX=HelpFile,HeaderString are not
     permitted.  i.e. follow the = with the HelpFile, string.

                                                                    Page 22

To conclude, you can pop a scrolling box like this with defined contents
from your custom filename as follows:

SCROLLBOX=HelpFile,HeaderString
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Where:
     HelpFile is any strait ASCII file, and

     HeaderString is the first unique occurrence of the header in the file
     followed by a help screen set of lines, ended by a ### on a single
     line.

Full Description:

SCROLLBOX=HelpFile,HeaderString
     Presents user with an <Ok> scrolling mouse sensitive dialog box
     containing up to 50 lines of user-defined help in the text file
     HelpFile.  Presents the lines directly following the first encounter
     of HeaderString (so make it unique in the file, or the first
     occurrence) up to the stop marker ### on a line by itself.  User-
     defined help file syntax is covered a few paragraphs from now with a
     complete example.  As an aside, the F1 key calls help in the same way
     for any defined menu selection in the file PULLDWN.HLP.


An example might be popping a multiple line notice giving the user specific
directions.  Building on the prior example for the Norton Utilities,
suppose you wanted to tell the user that undeleting a file is supported,
and where to call in your organization to obtain help if s/he cannot
undelete it automatically:

     .
     .
     '012345
     %Undelete a File
          HI=0
          SCROLLBOX=MYHELP.HLP,Undelete a File
          YORN=Do you want to continue?
          ?Enter file to undelete:
          +UNDELETE %1
          +pulldwn
     .
     .


And, within MYHELP.HLP you had placed:

     .
     .

     Undelete a File
     1) Attempt to use this automatic utility first to recover your file
     2) If this fails, then DO NOTHING MORE, but call Tom Guru in MIS at
        x4567 and ask for assistance.  If Tom is not in and you get his
        terse voice mail, then call Shelly at x5678.
     3) Have a nice day.
     ###

     .
     .
                                                                    Page 23


The user would be presented first with your help box, asked if they really
want to continue, and finally prompted for the filename to recover.  You
can see more examples of this in ADVANCED.DEF and SAMPLE.HLP.



DEFINING HELP SCREENS
- - - - - - - - - - -
Help files usually have the extension .HLP on them, and are pure text files
like the definition files.  As shown above, the syntax to call up a help
screen is simple.  In general, the format for each screen is:

     Unique HeaderString
     Help Text
     .
     .
     .
     .
     ###

Rules for use:

1) Lines may be up to 69 characters wide.  This limit is actually defined
by the width of the screen (80) less the number of characters displayed for
the surrounding boxes and shadow(s).

2) Up to 50 lines excluding the header line are permitted.  This limit is
arbitrary and can be raised if you have need.

3) The HeaderString *MUST* be the first occurrence of the header within the
.HLP file, as PullDown scans for it and then displays the following lines
as help.  If you get unexpected text on the screen, it is likely that you
either did not make the header unique, or that there is another occurrence
of the same string before you expected it for the help screen.

4) For ALL >menu selections< F1 help screens in ALL .DEF files, the file to
use is PULLDWN.HLP - and PullDown expects it in the same subdirectory as
PULLDWN1.EXE (C:\MENU unless you installed the system somewhere else on
your PC... see INSTALLATION).

5) SCROLLBOX= statements may call upon any filename, any number of times.

6) Lines with a leading ' are comments, BUT the contents are scanned for
the unique header string.

Ample examples of defining user help are provided in the preceding
sections, but let's take a close look at designing your own system in total
with help for each menu selection here.  Suppose you had a definition file
with these contents:

     DEF
          %Applications

          %Lotus 1-2-3
               +C:
               +cd\lotus
               +123
               +pulldwn

          %Harvard Graphics
               +c:
                                                                    Page 24

               +cd\harvard
               +hg
               +pulldwn

          %MS Word 5.0
               +c:
               +cd\word5
               +word
               +pulldwn

     ' Second TOP BAR is Utilities....  (This is a comment ignored by
     PullDown)

     DEF
          %Utilities

          %Norton Utilities
               +C:
               +cd\nu
               +nu
               +pulldwn

          %PC Tools Deluxe
               +c:
               +cd\pctools
               +psshell
               +pulldwn

          %FastBack Plus
               +c:
               +cd\fastback
               +fb
               +pulldwn

          %Format Diskette in Drive A:
               +format a:
               +pulldwn

It is suggested that you take these steps to create help screens for use
within the F1 HELP screens for your .DEF files, if desired:

     1) Load the .DEF file into your editor or word processor.
     2) Clip out all but the Title definitions (each line contents
     following the % symbols) without the leading % sign.
     3) Set up a ruler to show where character 69 is
     4) Write you help screens, ending each with termination marker ###
     5) Save the file as PULLDWN.HLP, pure text.
     6) Repeat for each .DEF file in your system, appending the file as
     needed.

TIP: Keep the text "balanced" within an imaginary box on screen as you
type.  This will prevent an unprofessional appearance to the help screens
when they are displayed.

                                                                    Page 25

Your help file, in part, might look like this:

' Applications Help
' Ruler:
'                                                       MAXIMUM >>>
*------------------------------------------------------------------|
Lotus 1-2-3
Leading spreadsheet.  Use this option to edit the
monthly operating report in the file RPTFIL.WK1.
Print the report using ALT+P, save with ALT+S,
then exit using /QY.
###

Harvard Graphics
Use this software to make the charts for the
monthly operating and marketing reports.
Load the charts one at a time, and key the
new values.  When they are finished, show
them to Mr. Jones, who will tell you what
to change this month.
###

MS Word 5.0
Use word processor when you need to write long
letters to coworkers or clients.
###

.
.
and so on....

As noted in prior sections, each help text content definition is displayed
in a dialog box that users can scroll through.  Users press [ENTER], [ESC]
or click on <Ok> to clear the box.


USING THE SAA INTERFACE
___________________________________________________________________________

USING THE KEYBOARD
==================

The first thing you see on invocation of the menu system is the PullDown
front interface.  A menu is initialized for you and rolled on to the
screen.  The HiLite HotKeys appear in a different color from the rest, and
if pressed move the HiLite menu bar to the selection.  If you then press
[ENTER] the item is selected and the commands you defined in the
.DEFinition file are executed.  To access the selection directly, press and
hold the ALT key, followed by the HiLite key of the selection desired.
This is the same as pressing [ENTER] with the HiLite bar on that same
selection.  To access any function key, simply press it and the action is
taken.  That is all there is to the standard interface.  On to Dialog
Boxes.

Dialog Boxes appear when you invoke them, and for the [F2=Options]
[Options] [Settings...] setup dialog box.  A couple of concepts need to be
covered here for the less experienced user, and so again if you are a real
"power" user skip ahead three or four paragraphs past the examples to save
time.  For the majority of others, we will take a look at dialog box

                                                                    Page 26

elements, how the keyboard modifies each one, how to move around, and
finally how to select options.

Dialog boxes consist of one or more elements.  An element is simply a type
of dialog box interface that behaves in a certain way.  Let's start with
the most basic, the command button.

A command button is bracketed by less than and greater than symbols on your
screen.  An example is the <Ok> dialog box you saw earlier in the
documentation that looked like this:


 -----------------------------------------------------
|                                                     |
|          This is an <Ok> Dialog Box Example.        |
|                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|                        <Ok>                         |
 -----------------------------------------------------

On your screen the cursor would rest on the O in OK.  Where the cursor
sits, that is called the current focus of the dialog box.  If you press
[ENTER] on a command button where the focus lies, that is the selection you
make.  To move the focus, you press the [TAB] key.  For example, the
<Yes><No> dialog looks like:

 -----------------------------------------------------
|                                                     |
|        This is a <Yes><No> Dialog Box Example.      |
|                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|         <Yes>                      <No>             |
 -----------------------------------------------------

and the focus (cursor) rests on the Y in Yes at first.  If you pressed
[ENTER] you would be selecting <Yes>.  Pressing [TAB] moves the focus to
<No>, and pressing [ENTER] then would be answering <No>.  By the way,
unless otherwise noted, [ESC] is like pressing <No> or <Cancel>.  Besides
[TAB] there is another way to move the focus in dialog boxes.  If you press
and release the [ALT] key, you will see HiLite keys lit on the screen.
Pressing the HiLite key letters moves you around in the dialog box.  For
example, the HiLite keys in the <Yes><No> dialog box are Y and N, just as
you would expect.  Finally, if you pressed and held the [ALT] key down,
followed by the HiLite letter, you would select the option just as if the
focus rested upon it and you pressed [ENTER].  These basic movement
principles hold for ALL dialog boxes, no matter how complex.  Now let's
examine the elements you will encounter in the SETUP options of PullDown
and how to navigate them.  The exact meaning of the options is discussed in
the section coming later on CONFIGURING THE MENU SYSTEM.

Option Button Clusters look like this:

     () Option One of Three  < Current selection
     ( ) Option Two
     ( ) Option Three

When the focus is on this cluster, the cursor will be on the selected
option with the burger dot.  To change options selected, press the [Up] or
[Down] arrows.  Press [TAB] to move on to another element, or press [ALT]
and release it to activate the HiLite HotKeys.

                                                                    Page 27

Check Boxes have this appearance on screen, and are either ON or OFF,depending upon whether or not they contain an X.  (In other interfaces this
could be a check mark, dot, or other character that is not a blank space)

     [X] Selected Option

and one that is inactive looks like this:

     [ ] Selected Option

Move the focus in one of the manners described above, that is with either
the [TAB] key or the HiLite key presses.  To toggle the option status while
in the box, press the [SPACEBAR] key.

Finally, a text box is one that takes user input, like the box that is
popped to screen when you use the ?PromptString command.  The focus
initially rests on one of two places, depending upon whether something is
already in the box when you enter it.  If the box is empty, the cursor
rests on the left margin of the box and is ready for your input.  If the
box contains something already, the text will be in a different color from
the background and the cursor will be on the last character of the string
contained in the box.  At that point, if you want to replace the contents
entirely just start typing.  The old string is erased and you start anew.
If you want to simply edit that string, press the LEFT arrow key.  Then all
standard editing keys take effect.  i.e. [INSert], [DELete], and other edit
keys all have meaning just like they do in your word processor.  To accept
the input AND exit press [ENTER].  To move on to another element press
[TAB].

As a final note, when using the color selection palette move around with
the arrow keys, accept selection with [ENTER] and cancel with [ESC].


USING THE MOUSE
===============

Using the mouse with dialog boxes is the most natural way to select options
and change the focus of the dialog.  To select command buttons like <Ok> or
<Cancel> just click and release the left mouse button on them.  The same
holds true for the SAA front end, the [Function] keys on the bottom row,
and the word PullDown in the lower left, which loads the default
PULLDWN.DEF menu regardless of your current menu load status. (The key
equivalent is [F9] for selection of the default menu file.)  To change
option's status AND focus, click on the desired selection, and to change
focus to text input boxes, just click the left button on them.  The SAA was
designed with the mouse in mind, and you will find it the most natural
extension of the keyboard allowing speed and accuracy of selection in a
very easy to comprehend interface.


CONFIGURING THE MENU SYSTEM OPTIONS
___________________________________________________________________________

Pressing or clicking [F2=Options] on the bottom row of the screen invokes
PullDown's setup system.  The menus are, of course, PullDown in style and
reflect the exact colors of the system as they will appear on exit back to
the menu shell.  The first set of color options are changed by selecting
each in turn and reconfiguring the colors with the sample box that pops up
on the right side of the screen.  Click or select with the keyboard the
color you want for each element, or press [ESC] to back out.  The menus
will instantly reflect your changes, and by iterating through this process

                                                                    Page 28

you will arrive at your own color configuration.  If you are a registered
user, you may save the colors as the defaults and exit the setup system by
pressing [F10], clicking the [F10=Save & Exit] option on the bottom row, or
lastly by selecting the SAVE option from the EXIT pulldown menu on the far
right.  You may abort at any time.  If you are an unregistered user, the
SAVE of ONLY the colors is withheld.  ALL OTHER OPTIONS FUNCTION NORMALLY
even if you never register the system.  Let's go over the other options
available under the second pulldown menu and what each means.

First selection, second menu, SETUP options, brings a large dialog box to
the screen.  Each option cluster is clearly marked, and will contain
rational defaults.  The box looks roughly like this in layout, and each
cluster is numbered below for reference as the options are explained below:


    () Normal Mouse                    () Normal Screen Mode (25 Lines)
    ( ) Fast Mouse                   -> ( ) 43 Line EGA/VGA Mode
 -> ( ) Very Fast Mouse             |   ( ) 50 Line VGA Mode
|   ( ) No Mouse Support            |   [X] Show Blanker Flag
|                                   |
|                                   |
|                              Cluster Two, with check Box, Option 2
Cluster One, Mouse Options. Option 1


And the lower section has two check boxes and two text boxes in it:


[X] Turn NumLock OFF on Entry to Menu System   <- Check box, Option 3
[X] Resume Status of Menus on Entry            <- Check box, Option 4


                                            -----------------------------
 ----> Number of Minutes to Screen Blank   |                             |
|                                           -----------------------------
|                                           -----------------------------
|  --> Password Required to Modify Options |                             |
| |                                         -----------------------------
| |
| Password to get to [F2] options, Option 6
|                                           -----------------------------
|   --> Password Required to Exit to DOS   |                             |
|  |                                        -----------------------------
|  |
|  Password to exit to DOS, Option 7.
|
Screen Blanker Countdown Timer Option 5.

The options, and their impact on the menu system are:

     1) The mouse speed of movement across the screen as you move the
     device is defined in units called Mickeys.  (No kidding!)  PullDown
     let's you select your speed to taste from normal to very very fast.
     The second box, the very fast option, is likely your best bet in 43/50
     line mode as you can get around that big screen more quickly.  The
     final option disables the mouse completely (makes it invisible,
     really) for those who hate rodents or have MS incompatible hardware
     that they want disabled.

     2) The number of screen lines is limited by the type of display
     adapter you have.  PullDown automatically detects your monitor type,

                                                                    Page 29

     and will not permit you to select a mode that is unavailable to you.
     This option also limits the number of %Titles you can have DOWN the
     page, as the number down the page is equal to the number of screen
     rows less four (top line, second line for box, lower line for box, and
     shadow... four).  If you select 50 line mode, load a 46 line menu file
     definition, and then select 25 lines, the menu system will refuse to
     change screen modes.  If this happens, load a smaller menu file and
     then change back to a lower number of screen rows.  Selecting the 50
     line mode on EGA systems results in the 43 line mode being invoked.
     Finally, SOME clone systems MAY give PullDown a "false" impression of
     the type of monitor and video card installed within the system.  If
     this happens, then the menu system will refuse to continue and issue a
     detailed fatal error message instructing you to call for technical
     support.  The check box allows you to turn the screen blanker flag
     that rolls across the screen OFF as you wish.

     3) PullDown can turn off that annoying NumLock key on startup.  Toggle
     this option ON to have PullDown do this each time it starts.

     4) PullDown can resume the menus exactly where you left them when you
     selected an option.  This is the default setting, and if you turn it
     OFF, then the system will load PULLDWN.DEF and show the first
     selection of the first menu when you enter the shell.

     5) Acceptable minute to blank settings are 1-99.  Values less than one
     are returned as the default value of three minutes, as are values
     greater than 99 or less than zero.

     6) A password can be required to protect option settings from children
     who enjoy changing colors or users you do not want to have access to
     the options.

     7) This password, if entered, is required to exit to DOS using the
     [ESC] key.  CAUTION: Don't set a password to modify options and a
     password to exit to DOS and then forget them.  If this happens, and
     you defined passwords as required to exit from all available
     selections, you can get trapped in the shell!  [See Appendix A,
     Troubleshooting, if this happens to you!]

The other options available in the OPTIONS pulldown are Registration, How
to Register, and Return Colors to Default Values.  The latter option just
returns the colors to something sane if you get too far gone (!) when
setting the colors up, and the others are self-explanatory.  Essentially
you need to send the $20 registration fee for a matching registered name
and number if you want to register the product.  The number you need is
based upon a non-linear algorithm of the ASCII encrypted values of your
registered name.  Lines under a certain length are not even acceptable, and
repeated attempts to register without a valid MicroDynamics issued number
will invariably fail.  When it comes time to register your copy, you can
start the menu system with the word REGISTER behind it to obtain the
registration system screen without going all the way into the SETUP
screens.

Finally, the EXIT option contains the two options SAVE & EXIT or ABORT.
Selecting ABORT cancels all changes EXCEPT registration.  Registration is
final after the registration system is run once.  (As you might suspect,
the registered name and number are saved in a double-encrypted binary
format in PULLDWN.CNF.  Deleting that file voids your registration.)

                                                                    Page 30

COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS
___________________________________________________________________________

Formal PullDown Syntax is:

     PULLDWN [DEBUG] [CANCEL] [HELP]

Where:

     DEBUG - Causes PullDown to display stages of messages concerning the
     activities carried on startup.  Used when the program locks a clone
     system for an unknown reason to debug remote.

     CANCEL - Erases the PULLRES.FIL file containing the resume status of
     the menu shell, thus cancelling the resume feature on startup.  Used
     when it is known that the .DEF file that was loaded on exit no longer
     exists.  Specifically, PullDown creates this file each time you exit
     when the [ ] Resume Status box is checked ON, and the contents of that
     file define which menu file to load (the one you were in when you
     selected an option) and the specific item your cursor was on when you
     left the system.

     REGISTER - Invokes the command line registration system.  Used when
     registering the product.  See the following section for details on how
     to obtain your registration number.

     HELP - Displays a help screen concerning DEBUG and CANCEL


TECHNICAL SUPPORT & REGISTRATIONS
___________________________________________________________________________

Even unregistered users are welcome to ask any and all questions, provide
suggestions, and test BETA copies of the software without charge.  You can
contact MicroDynamics on the follow electronic systems via modem:

* CompuServe ID 72010,2546

* GEnie Mail S.HORTON1

* RunWay BBS (215)-623-6203 8n1
     - 2400-14,400 HST 3 Nodes, No Fee for Technical support or to download
     the latest versions
     - This BBS is subscription only for general downloads. Enter
     conference number FIVE (5) for MicroDynamics Technical Support and new
     offerings, including all BETA versions for general download.  There is
     no charge at all to access the technical support SIG and any files
     contained therein.
     - Leave mail for SAM HORTON in any conference for help, preferably the
     MAIN or tech support conference #5.  PLEASE do not leave messages to
     the Sysop (although they too will be answered quickly) as
     MicroDynamics is NOT the owner/sysop of the system.

* DelChes BBS (215)-363-6625 8n1
     - Public Node, no fee required, mail-in registration a MUST in advance
     - All latest posted under MicroDynamics SIG.  Select from main menu
     these keystrokes to enter the conference:
          MSCS
                                                                    Page 31

* EXEC-PC
     - Leave E-MAIL to Sam Horton
     - Answer not guaranteed in under one week
     - Latest release always posted on this premier BBS

BY MAIL:
MicroDynamics Development
1445 Mensch Lane
Gilbertsville, PA  19525


To register, print and return the form contained in the disk file
REGFORM.DOC.  If you are unfamiliar with this process, type the following
at the DOS prompt, assuming that you used the defaults to install the
system as described earlier in INSTALLATION:

     C:
     CD\MENU
     TYPE REGFORM.DOC > PRN

     *IF* you know your printer is on a serial port on COM1: (unlikely, but
     check if you are uncertain), type:

     C:
     CD\MENU
     TYPE REGFORM.DOC > COM1:

Turnaround is almost always less than one week, (often one day) and if you
provide a valid CIS ID, or are a GEnie or EXEC subscriber, then you will
get your registration number electronically.  Diskettes are mailed at extra
cost, and 3.5" DSHD diskettes carry a premium over 5.25" DSDD diskettes.
The reason for the charge is simple: diskettes, stamps, mailers, and the
labor cost money.  You can save the charge by picking up the latest version
on the tech support BBS or CIS electronically.  MAJOR upgrades are always
announced and chances are excellent you will receive a letter notifying you
of their availability.  Upgrade diskettes, again, are mailed for a fee.  IF
you find a virus infected copy, your diskette is FREE when you disclose the
source of the file you obtained.

Your registration number will be valid for all future releases, unless a
code change is required to support a smaller faster link library.  IF the
code changes, you will be sent a new number in the mail upon release.  In
any case, if you upgrade an existing copy, the registration upgrade is
automatic.  Back up your PULLDWN.CNF file when you register, as this is the
key file containing your user information.

VOICE:
Available shortly to registered users, always available to registered
consultants and dealer sites.

MULTIPLE SITE COPIES:

Number of Copies         Price Per Copy in Range
----------------         -----------------------
     1-20                          $20
    21-50                          $15
    > 51                           $10

                                                                    Page 32

LANs registered by number of nodes on system with access to the menu shell
in the same structure.  Technical support is presumed to be first handled
on site, and second through MicroDynamics for multiple site copies.

OUTSIDE THE USA?  See APPENDIX C: FOREIGN VERSIONS/TECHNICAL SUPPORT
OVERSEAS below.

CONSULTANT'S DEALERSHIPS
___________________________________________________________________________

Several consultants worldwide are presently installing PullDown for clients
to differentiate themselves from the pack using the old "A" "B" "C" or
rolling one style menus.  The arrangement involves significant margin for
the consultant, and increased customer satisfaction.  Please call or write
for details if you are interested in joining the growing list of authorized
dealers.

APPENDIX A: TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
___________________________________________________________________________

As with all software, you may have trouble configuring PullDown to suit
your needs.  The following guide is designed to get you through the vast
majority of problems you might encounter, and the design of the product
often includes a full help screen describing critical conditions that cause
failures.  However, there are some things the software is not presently
capable of trapping as errors, and you will find this section helpful when
you encounter one.

PROBLEM: Option is selected and nothing happens--you just return to the
menu shell without the application starting as expected.

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS:
     1) Batch contents are in error.  Examine the option in the .DEF file
     loaded for:
          a) Spelling errors and typos
          b) Erroneous contents... e.g. wrong directory for startup, bad
          drive letter(s), incorrect syntax.
          c) Commented out contents.  Leading ' characters cause the line
          to be ignored as a comment.
          d) Situations where REQUIRED for input should have been used

     TIP: If you cannot determine what the problem is in short order, try
     modifying your batch definition for debugging as follows:

     Original Contents:
          .
          .
          ?Enter File to Load:
          echo off
          cls
          cd\word5
          word %1
          pulldwn
          .
                                                                    Page 33

     Suggested contents to "debug" the definition:

          .
          .
          ?Enter File to Load:
          echo ON                                                                    Page 33
          cd\word5
          pause
          word %1
          pause
          pulldwn
          pause
          .
          .

     Then execute the selection again.  This time you will see ALL DOS
     errors and each command followed by the PAUSE message "Press Any Key
     to Continue".  Look for your errors and correct them as required, then
     when you have the selection working remove the pause commands and
     change echo ON to echo OFF so that the commands are no longer visible
     as they execute.  A short guide to debugging in general follows below.

     What to look for as the selection runs:

          a) After the cd\word5 command, see if DOS says "Invalid
          Directory".  If so, fix the path in your command to match the
          path to WORD.
          b) After the word %1 command, see if DOS says "Bad Command or
          Filename".  If so, change the command to the correct name of the
          program.  (May happen if you determine (a) above is the problem.)
          c) After the PULLDWN command, the menu shell should start.  If
          not, likely DOS returned "Bad Command or Filename" -- if so
          modify your PATH as described in INSTALLATION.

     2) You started the menu shell using PULLDWN1 instead of PULLDWN.  Use
     the batch file PULLDWN to start the shell, or the temporary files are
     never executed.  You will know if this is the problem as the shell
     will just exit to DOS when you select anything at all and never
     restart.

     2a) Start the shell using PULLDWN1 as the command, and then check the
     contents of SHELL.BAT to make sure that you are getting the expected
     contents.  If you are, and the system is supposed to pass a command
     line variable, then check TEMPPULL.BAT to make certain the command
     line parameters are going through.  Remember, it is up to you, the
     batch file author, to trap bad command line parameters.  If you know
     that the paramaters being passed into the batch MUST be non-blank,
     use the keyword REQUIRED before the ?Prompt call.  See ADVANCED.DEF
     for a working sample.

     3) All runs well, but you cannot get back to the line containing
     PULLDWN to restart the menu shell.... caused by a program that "clears
     the stack" on exit, thus erasing the batch file from memory.  To
     circumvent this, modify your batch contents to use a command shell to
     invoke the program ONLY.  e.g. modify the sample above to look like
     this:

                                                                    Page 34

          .
          .
          ?Enter File to Load:
          echo off
          cls
          cd\word5
          command/c word %1
          pulldwn
          .
          .

     This should solve the problem.  An alternative is to compile your
     batch files using a utility from PC Mag called BAT2EXE.  A discussion
     of its usefulness is beyond our scope here, but if you are an advanced
     user you should check that utility out.  You can get a copy on just
     about any major BBS in the country, or on CompuServe in the PCMAGNET
     forum.


PROBLEM: System locks up or "freezes" permanently.

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS:
     1) If you are running ANY TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident Programs,
     like SideKick, PC3270, CXI, PCOX, PCSHELL in TSR mode.) uninstall it
     and retry the menu shell.  If it starts, reload each TSR in order
     until the conflict arises again.  While PullDown is known to be well-
     behaved and stable on IBM hardware, there are clone BIOS chips out
     there that will cause conflict when certain TSRs are running.  [If
     this is too technical, and you suspect the problem on your system,
     consult an expert or call for technical support... we will be glad you
     help.]

     2) If you are using PC3270 or 3270 as a TSR gateway to your mainframe,
     invoke it only with the T command line option.  Using the R option and
     invoking the HotKey over PullDown will cause a crash every time.
     Suffice it to say IBM did a less than perfect job with the keyboard
     handling in the 3270 program.  If you know you have this problem,
     simply never pop up the 3270 as a TSR while inside the shell.  A
     future version of PullDown may solve this problem for you, but it
     remains to be seen.  The problem is also specific to some but not all
     genuine IBM PS/2's.

     3) If all fails and the system locks continually, try the DEBUG
     command line parameter, note the last message on the screen after the
     crash and report circumstances to MicroDynamics.  There are some AMI
     BIOS chips in some 80286 clones KNOWN to lock every time PullDown is
     run.

     If you call MicroDynamics technical support with a problem like this,
     please have the following handy:

          - BIOS manufacturer and date (shown on boot up)
          - Contents of CONFIG.SYS (in C:\ most likely)
          - Contents of AUTOEXEC.BAT (also in C:\)

     4) Zenith Z series PC clones are notorious for being incompatible
     beasts.  PullDown will undoubtedly crash on these machines, and the
     Zenith video ROM debugger will appear on the screen.  If this happens,
     it means you cannot use PullDown on your computer.

                                                                    Page 35

PROBLEM:  Help system or main menu system displays unexpected or bizarre
results.

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS:
     1) You used a word processor to save the file without converting it to
     pure text.  Reopen the file with the same word processor used to
     create the file in error, and then resave it as text.  See
     INTRODUCTION section.

     2) .DEF file is corrupt.  Check to ensure nothing is wrong with it,
     and that it is in fact pure text.

     3) You have a string occurrence of the exact menu title or search
     string used to define the help header BEFORE the header itself.
     Remove the duplicate occurrence of the help header, or change the
     header to be unique within the file.

     4) You have an exact match of menu titles within the system.  Each
     %TitleString in this version must be unique, just as headers in help
     files need be unique.

PROBLEM: Mouse intermittently disappears, but reappears after you select F2
options and reenter the menu system, or the mouse does not select correctly
when clicked on a menu item.

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS:
     1) Your IBM mouse driver is outdated.  Get an update from a current
     copy of WINDOWS or directly from IBM.  Versions dated 1897 or earlier
     do this routinely in high resolution screen modes on IBM PS/2s.
     2) You are using a Logitech C7 mouse. There is an acknowledged bug in
     the mouse... to see if this is the case, gently shake the mouse, then
     try again.  If this works, call Logitech for a driver upgrade, or a
     new mouse.
     3) You are running an MS 200 DPI mouse in emulated graphics mode.
     When you do this, you must select a pixel within a menu item exactly
     to get the system to function correctly.  PullDown is simply not
     designed anticipating a character mode emulated in 200 DPI graphics!
     Use the system in text mode to avoid the problem, or stick to the
     keyboard.  A future version may address this problem directly and
     solve it.


PROBLEM:  System halts and exits unexpectedly with an error message in the
format "Fatal Error at ####:####"

CAUSE:
     Fatal internal error.  Might be a bug, and should be reported with all
     circumstances to MicroDynamics.  Our policy is that if it is a
     PullDown bug that can be solved, we will solve it and ship a working
     copy to you free of charge in under one week.

     TRY FIRST:

     If you are using a CLONE VGA card: restart the menu system.  Likely
     the system is returning VGA to the menu shell and does NOT correctly
     support the 43 or 50 line video mode.  If the system fails again,
     delete the file PULLDWN.CNF.  It is a read-only file, and thus you
     will have to use a PCTools or Norton utility to delete it, or use the
     DOS attribute command to strip the attribute and delete the file.

                                                                    Page 36

The vast majority of internal errors are elegantly handled within the
system, and the fault tolerance is very high.  Most errors are not "fatal"-
- that is they do not cause the system to exit to DOS.  Those that are,
like corrupt .DEF files with no ensuing valid user response as to what file
to load, corrupt configuration files, completely invalid .DEF files, and
more are handled internally.  IF the system ever exits to DOS with a fatal
error, a detailed screen describing the problem and where to call for
technical support is likely to follow.  If not, the reason is technical,
and you should call MicroDynamics for help.  We will be happy to assist
even unregistered users as time becomes available.  Debug requests and help
calls from registered users, of course, take priority, but we want you to
be happy first, and THEN register the product if you are having problems.

APPENDIX B: FILES INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE OR CREATED BY PULLDOWN v2.17
___________________________________________________________________________

Files used to run the system:
----------------------------
PULLDWN.BAT    .......... Main command to start the menu system
PULLDWN1.EXE   .......... Executable called upon in PULLDWN.BAT
PULLDWN.DEF    .......... Default menu definition file.
PULLDWN.HLP    .......... Main help file for ALL F1 help menu definitions
EDITOR.BAT     .......... Used within sample .DEF files to call your editor

Files created by PullDown to run the system
(Not on disk or in .ZIP file):
-------------------------------------------
PULLDWN.CNF   ........... Binary encrypted file containing colors etc.
PULLRES.FIL   ........... Binary file containing resume information
TEMPPULL.BAT  ........... File called upon in PULLDWN.BAT with SHELL.BAT
SHELL.BAT     ........... User-defined batch file.  Parameters passed to it
                          within TEMPPULL.BAT as SHELL %1 %2 .... %0
Documentation:
-------------
PULL217.DOC   ........... This file, the main documentation file on disk
QREF.DOC      ........... A quick reference one sheet card to keep by your
                          keyboard when first using the system.
UPGRADE.DOC   ........... Specific instructions for v2.01 or earlier users
                          who are upgrading to v2.17
REGFORM.DOC   ........... Registration mailers.  IF YOU NEED AN INVOICE,
                          WE WILL BE HAPPY TO BILL YOU IN LIEU OF RETURNING
                          THIS FORM.
PULLDWN.REG   ........... Registration help screen for OPTIONS pulldown

Extras:
------
ADVANCED.DEF  ........... Advanced samples for your inspection
WINDOWS.DEF   ........... A mock MS WINDOWS menu for your inspection
SAMPLE.HLP    ........... A sample external help file for SCROLLBOX calls
VFILE.EXE     ........... Quick generic but elegant file viewing utility
VENDOR.DOC    ........... Small description file for PSL and sysops.
                                                                    Page 37

NOTES ON FILE LOCATIONS AND LAN SUPPORT
---------------------------------------
     PullDown EXPECTS the following in the path to PULLDWN1.EXE unless a
     SET PULLDWN=Path environment variable is used to override:
     [Use the SET env. command on networks that support private user
     directories when you use PULLDWN on a NOVELL network or similar.]

          *.DEF - i.e. ALL definition files
          PULLDWN.CNF
          PULLDWN.HLP
          PULLRES.FIL

     PullDown writes the following files to the DEFAULT DOS directory when
     running:

          TEMPPULL.BAT
          SHELL.BAT

     PullDown expects PULLDWN.REG to be in the default directory.

DISK/FILE I/O ERRORS
--------------------
IF PullDown encounters an unexpected file condition, you will be prompted
to either input the correct file, or sent to DOS with a specific help
screen concerning what is wrong and how to fix it.  If you do get a
somewhat technical error message like "Error Cnf() FOpen() [1]" then call
for technical help.  It may mean you are out of disk space, but most likely
a hardware error has occurred and you should seek assistance in fixing the
condition.


APPENDIX C: FOREIGN VERSIONS/TECHNICAL SUPPORT OVERSEAS
___________________________________________________________________________

First, if you are registering the product outside the USA, you must either:

     1) Remit in United States Dollars
     2) Remit in your local currency by check or money order PLUS 20% to
     cover currency conversion and handling charges here in the US.
     3) Contact your local country/region distributor.  To date, only
     Germany has a distributor, so that is the only country in which you
     may to contact them directly.

If you are in Germany, (DDR or FDR), contact:

     MicroServe, GmbH
     Leher-Laempel-Weg 41 A
     D-2800
     Bremen 41, West Germany (FDR)

     CompuServe ID: 73727,475
     BBS: [phone]

A German language version of the documentation will be available in the
future, and there is a strong possibility a full German language operating
version will be made available in 1991.

In any other country, contact MicroDynamics Development directly as
described within the preceding section REGISTRATION AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT.

                                                                    Page 38

APPENDIX D: Technical Notes on PULLDWN1.EXE Creation.
___________________________________________________________________________

PullDown was created entirely within the QuickBASIC Extended environment in
conjunction with the Assembler Library QuickPak/Professional for BC7 from a
fine company called Crescent Software located at 32 Seventy Acres, West
Redding, CT 06896, (203)-438-5300 CIS 72657,3070.  The dialog boxes were
created using DIALOGIC from DIALOG Software.  The DIALOGIC system can also
be purchased from Crescent.  The AutoHelp system used to display the help
screens is a commercial product available from MicroDynamics development,
and may be included in the upcoming utilities pak for DIALOGIC owners
through Dialog software.  The final .EXE for versions over 2.17 will be
created using PDQ v2.0 also from Crescent, God willing, and with a little
luck on the command line.  Conversation concerning QuickBASIC is also
invited on the tech support BBS systems.  Enjoy, and happy coding!  (Source
for AutoHelp is available to DIALOGIC owners for the asking.... so call or
write if you want a copy.  Full source for PullDown is not presently
available.)


APPENDIX E:  Key Word Crossreference/Quick Reference Long Format
___________________________________________________________________________

By Usage:

Menu Definition Commands:
-----------------------
     DEF
          Defines a new title heading to follow, and a new pulldown set.

     %TitleString
          1) When immediately following DEF, defines top menu selection
          2) When second through last for a menu, defines the title of the
          selection definition that follows it.

     +BatchCommand
          Following a %TitleString defines a DOS batch command associated
          with the preceding selection title.

     'CommentString
          Anything preceded by ' is a comment and ignored by PullDown.
          Embedded  comments are not supported, so keep them on separate
          lines.

And the basic structure of ALL .DEF files is:
---------------------------------------------

DEF
     %TopBar Title One

     %First Selection
          HI=nn
          +batch command
          +batch command

     %Second Selection
          HI=nn
          +batch command
          +batch command
     .
     .
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DEF
     %TopBar Title Two, appearing to the RIGHT of the preceding menu

     %First Selection, Menu Two
          HI=nn
          +batch command
     %Second Selection, Menu Two
          HI=nn
          +batch command
     .
     .

And so on, up to 10 total top bar menus, limited in depth down the screen
to the number of rows on the screen minus four.

Where: HI=nn is the HiLite key number, counted in left to right starting at
zero.  Example:  %Lotus 1-2-3 followed by HI=6 highlights the 1.

PASS=PassWord
     User is prompted for a password to continue.  The selection halts
     execution at the line PASS is encountered if the user cannot enter the
     correct response or selects <Cancel> or presses ESC.

?QuestionString
     Shows the user PromptString and awaits input.  If the user selects the
     <Cancel> or presses ESC, the execution of the selection halts and the
     user is returned to the menu.  Up to 10 are supported, and passed to
     the batch file on a command line as if keyed.  REQUIRED keyword call
     prior to ? will force a non-blank response to all subsequent ? uses.
     Toggled OFF with NOTREQUIRED keyword call.  Default=NOTREQUIRED.

OKBOX=PromptString
     Places a single <Ok> dialog box before the user containing only the
     string PromptString.  If the user clicks on <Ok>, or presses ENTER,
     then execution continues.  If ESC is pressed, then the user is
     returned to the menu without action being taken.  HighLite keys are O
     in <Ok> only.

YORN=PromptString
     Places a single <Yes><No> dialog box before the user containing only
     the string PromptString.  If the user clicks on <Yes>, or presses
     ENTER, then execution continues.  If ESC is pressed or <No> is
     clicked, then the user is returned to the menu without action being
     taken.  HighLite keys are Y in <Yes> and N in <No>.

SCROLLBOX=HelpFile,HeaderString
     Presents user with an <Ok> scrolling mouse sensitive dialog box
     containing up to 50 lines of user-defined help in the text file
     HelpFile.  Presents the lines directly following the first encounter
     of HeaderString (so make it unique in the file, or the first
     occurrence) up to the stop marker ### on a line by itself.

@MenuFile.DEF
     Loads a the MenuFile[.DEF] menu definition file from the .DEF path.
     This path is either:
          1) The path to PULLDWN1.EXE -or-

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           2) The path set in the PULLDWN=Path environment variable, if
              present. (Optional)

     [.DEF] denotes that the extension is optional.  Strongly recommended
     that you follow syntax with .DEF to prevent confusion, and to remain
     compatible with future compiler versions which WILL expect .DEF files
     only.

APPENDIX F: Performance Optimization (Load Time Minimization)
___________________________________________________________________________
Some guidelines and a special .DEF command are given below to help you
minimize the time it takes PullDown to parse and load the text files used
for menu definition... all .DEF files, that is.  In a future version, a
separate compiler will be included, and PullDown will flash to your screen
with the menus you define.  However, for now, a performance hit occurs when
the text file is parsed.  Some optimizing techniques can be used to
minimize the load time for you, and if you use all of them you will be
happier with the performance.  [Remember, PullDown loads large amounts of
information relative to most menuing systems....]

1) After you have settled on a particular .DEF file definition, place the
number of DEF statements present in the file on the FIRST line of the .DEF
file, preceded by MAXDEFS=.  Sample:

     MAXDEFS=4

Misdefining here does nothing fatal, but will result in a dialog box
telling you of an error.  The maximum is 10, anything higher is ignored.
An example is included in ADVANCED.DEF.

2) Use the letter combination DEF a minimum number of times in the .DEF
file.  The reason is somewhat technical, but in lay terms the system stops
and looks for the keyword DEF on a line by itself EVERY time it encounters
the three letters DEF in sequence.  It is not a noticeable performance hit,
and is vastly superior to testing the first three nonblank characters of
each line, but if even the embedded three letters DEF occur many times, you
are slowing the system down for no reason.  This comment applies really to
those who might otherwise overcomment the file and refer to the DEF file
etc. many times.

3) Minimize the overall size of the .DEF file.  Do not include huge sets of
batch commands, place them in separate batch files and call those files
from within PullDown.  .DEF files larger than about 20K are not really
useable due to the performance decrease on non-80386 or higher machines.

4) Minimize the number of comments within the .DEF or .HLP files.  Again,
more to scan, more to load.

5) Don't bother putting the menu system on a RAM disk.... it does not help
you much.  PullDown is very efficient in loading the .DEF files into
memory, and that operation is a small portion of the total time it takes
PullDown to start.  In the compiler versions, it might be a factor, because
then the time to load the .EXE and .DCF files will be relatively important.

6) If you are using an IBM mouse, or some clone mice, the load time on a
serial unit is likely to be impacted by the version of the mouse driver you
have.  Be safe: just get the latest.  MS makes the driver available to
users many ways, the latest of which is the new driver included with
Windows v3.0.

                                                                    Page 41

7) Scanning of .HLP files for the header and reading the lines is very
fast, and will mostly depend upon disk access time.  Slower disk, longer
time to scan.  Larger files are not likely to cause a detectable
performance decrease on newer 80286 or higher based hardware.

8) Use a version of DOS over 3.0.  There are several file I/O goodies in
that version not available in 2.xx DOS.  The system is untested under v2.xx
of DOS, but should function normally.  To date, no trouble has been
reported to MicroDynamics under any v2.xx of DOS.  Note: Leading blanks and
tabs do NOT contribute to slowing PullDown in general.

APPENDIX G:  A SPECIAL THANKS
___________________________________________________________________________

- Crescent Software and Dialog Software for support and superior tools

- Ted Rosenberger of TARGET Software for performance tweaks and advice

- Ray Novino for excellent Sysop support on RunWay BBS

- Peter Rucci for great support and fine Sysop help on the DelChes BBS

- Conrad Kreyling for code, help, encouragement and vital testing

- John Hanks of Skagit Valley Computer Solutions for testing and assistance

- One hundred ShareWare authors I cannot name, and the ASP, for setting
fine examples to follow over the last four years.

- Brenda Donovan (and Ed) for testing v2.01 BETA

- The many registered users and sites that provide the economic incentive
to continue the insane pursuit of product development

* Dedicated to Pat.
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