Main Index
Using RightOn

Copyright  (c) 1993-1994  Steven J. McCarthy  All Rights Reserved

  RightOn is a Windows 3.1 utility which allows you to turn your right and/or middle buttons of your mouse into a left-mouse double click or virtually any keystroke that you could type from the keyboard.

RightOn also gives you the ability to "push" foreground windows to the background by simply clicking the right mouse button in the caption area of the foreground window.

You might turn your right mouse button into a left-mouse double-click and launch applications at the touch of a button. Or maybe you want to set up the middle button to send the Return key, to make dialog boxes which appear on the screen go away.

Throw in the ability to modify the simulated keystrokes with any combination of the Shift, Alt and Control keys, and you've got a configurable, personalized power tool at your fingertips!

RightOn Overview

Installation

Running RightOn

Setup

Exclude

System Requirements

How to contact the author

How to register

Troubleshooting


Overview

What is RightOn?

RightOn is a user-configurable mouse utility which allows you to turn your right and middle mouse buttons into a left-mouse double click or virtually any key stroke combination that you could perform from the keyboard.

Most of the time your right and middle buttons just sit there, unused.  RightOn allows you to turn them into useful keystroke combinations.  For example, in your favorite editor you can set up RightOn to do the keyboard sequence for copy when you click the right button, paste for Shift+right mouse, cut on Ctrl+right click.

What if I use an application which uses the right [or middle] mouse button?

If an application uses the right or middle button for its own purposes, you should "exclude" that application.  See the Exclude section for more thorough details.

How can I use RightOn to get the window on the top out of the way so I can see another window behind it?

Easy.  Clicking the right mouse button in the title bar of the window will send it behind all other windows. This way you can look at windows which might be obscured behind a window in the foreground without having to drag, resize, or minimize the window.

Does it matter where the mouse is on the screen when I click the right/middle button?

It only matters when you have RightOn set up to send left-mouse double-clicks.  Simulated left-mouse double clicks occur at the cursor location where the button was clicked.  For all other event types, the keystroke sequence gets sent to the currently active window no matter where the cursor was when the event occurred.

It all sounds too good to be true.  What doesn't work?

Sending a simulated Ctrl-Alt-Delete will not reboot your machine.

Simulated system commands (e.g. Alt key combinations) work best when they are sent in response to an unmodified right or middle click, instead of modified clicks (For example, if you want to simulate the sequence Alt+Escape, it works best if it gets sent in response to a middle mouse button click rather than Shift+middle mouse click.).

Installation

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CTL3D.DLL

This is a dynamic link library which provides the three-dimensional look to the dialog boxes, and is an emerging standard.  Microsoft recommends that it be installed in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, where it would be available to all applications on your machine.

RightOn will still run if this file is in the same directory as the RightOn executable, so you do not have to copy this library to the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, but as more applications use this library, it becomes inefficient to have multiple copies on your disk.


Installation
Installing RightOn

To install RightOn, simply run the INSTALL.EXE file from within Windows.  The Installer will prompt for which directory RightOn is to be installed (default is C:\RIGHTON).  After you hit the OK button, the Installer copies all necessary files to the specified directory, gives RightOn its own group in the Windows Program Manager, and adds RightOn to the StartUp group in Program Manager.

The addition of RightOn to the StartUp group means that RightOn will automatically be run every time you begin a new Windows session.  If you do not want RightOn to come up at the beginning of each session, just delete the RightOn program item in the StartUp group.

(Optional) One of the files, CTL3D.DLL, should be copied to your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.  You can accomplish this from either the DOS prompt, or by dragging and dropping in the Windows File Manager.

Important note: If you have other applications which also use CTL3D.DLL, you should check the dates of the files (e.g. from a directory listing) and make sure that the latest version of CTL3D.DLL is installed in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.  Note that the newest version may not be the version that came with RightOn.  Don't be surprised to find that you already have several different versions of CTL3D.DLL scattered about your disk!

If, after installing RightOn or another application, you find you are getting sudden and mysterious application crashes, suspect that one of the applications needs a newer version of CTL3D.DLL than the one that is being used.

Running RightOn

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running the program
Running RightOn

By default, the Installation program will add RightOn to the StartUp group of the Program Manager, and RightOn will be run at the start of each Windows session.  However, if this has been disabled, there are still other ways to run the program:

1.	In Program Manager, go to the RightOn group and double-click on the RightOn icon.

or...

2.	In File Manager, go to the directory where RightOn has been installed (say, c:\RIGHTON) and double click the left mouse button on the file RIGHTON.exe.

or...

3.	In Program Manager, select Run from the File menu.  A dialog box will appear, and in the box marked Command Line, enter C:\RIGHTON\RIGHTON.exe, and hit the OK button.

When RightOn is running, it appears as an icon at the bottom of the screen.  RightOn cannot be restored from its iconic state, nor can it be maximized or hidden.

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Setup

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Setup
Setup RightOn

The Setup dialog box, which is used for configuring both the right and middle mouse buttons is accessed from the System menu by selecting either Setup Right Button or Setup Middle Button.

The Setup dialog box is where you can tell RightOn which keys you want it to send to the target window when the right or middle mouse button is clicked.

Below is the dialog box for setting up the Right mouse button.  Click your mouse on the picture of the dialog box below for more information on the various parts of the Setup [Right or Middle] Button dialog box.

How to Exclude Applications

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Modifiers

For each simulated keystroke that RightOn sends, you can turn on any combination of "modifier" keys.  This means that instead of just sending an Enter key to a dialog box, you can now send Alt-Enter, for example, which has special meaning in Windows.


Configuring RightOn

These four combo boxes are where you tell RightOn what keystroke you want it to send when the right (or middle) mouse button is pressed and released.

At any given time this gives you four possible keystrokes options in response to your mouse event, depending whether you are also holding any combination of the Shift or Control keys.


OK Button

The OK button signifies that everything in the dialog box is to your liking, and you want RightOn to continue with the configuration selected.  If you exit the program after selecting OK, then the configuration will get saved and recalled the next time that RightOn is run.


Help Button

The help button will bring up context-sensitive help about the Setup dialog box.


Cancel Button

The Cancel button tells RightOn to disregard any changes made during the time the dialog box was displayed.


Exclude

It is not always desired to have RightOn sending keystrokes to applications which themselves use the right or middle mouse button.  For example, the Paintbrush application which comes with Windows uses the right mouse button to select background colors.  Some word processors and spreadsheet programs use the right mouse button to pop up a menu.  It is less common that applications will be using the middle mouse button.

In general, it is not desirable to program RightOn to send a keystroke to the program, when the program itself is looking for a right (or middle) mouse button click.  In some cases this conflict can lead to a program or system crash.

To tell RightOn not to send the programmed keystrokes to a particular application, bring up the Exclude dialog box by selecting Exclude... menu item from the System menu.  In the edit box for the right and/or middle buttons, enter the name of applications as they appear in the title bar of the window, separated by commas.  It is not necessary to enter the dash and name of any document which is specified after the application name.

You may exclude the Windows Desktop by specifying "Desktop" (without quotes).

Right Button Exclude List

This textbox is where you specify which applications you want RightOn to leave alone when you press the Right mouse button.  You would do this if an application you frequently use already uses the Right mouse button for its own purposes.

Middle Button Exclude List

This textbox is where you specify which applications you want RightOn to leave alone when you press the Middle mouse button.  You would do this if an application you frequently use already uses the Middle mouse button for its own purposes.

Since it is possible to set up the exclude list for the right and middle buttons independently, and most applications do not use the middle mouse button, you may not need to enter anything in this textbox.

System requirements

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System Requirements

RightOn requires that you have a two- or three-button mouse and Windows 3.1.  RightOn will not work in Windows 3.0 or earlier.

How to contact the author

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How to contact the authors
How to contact the author

If you have any comments, problems, and most important, any suggestions for improvement, please contact Steven J. McCarthy.

Steven J. McCarthy
1733 127th Ave. SE
Bellevue, WA 98005 USA

(206) 644-6486

Please note:  The address and phone number have changed since the last version of RightOn was released, but the e-mail address is still the same.

Internet E-mail (preferred)
smccrew@connected.com
smccrew@hebron.connected.com

CompuServe users can send mail to:
74264,3441	-or-
INTERNET:smccrew@connected.com
INTERNET:smccrew@hebron.connected.com

How to register your copy

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Troubleshooting

The following are some of the problems that you might encounter and some possible solutions.

RightOn doesn't work at all!

I have a three-button mouse, but the middle button doesn't work.

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Program doesn't work!
RightOn doesn't work!

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, RightOn will appear not to work as advertised.  The following general test is recommend to first verify that RightOn is working with your mouse buttons:

1.	Launch RightOn.  The RightOn icon should be running as an icon at the bottom of your desktop screen.  I can't see the icon.

2.	Bring up the RightOn menu by left-clicking once on the RightOn icon.

3.	Choose "Setup Right Button...".  This will bring up the Setup dialog box.

4.	In the first list box at the top, select the letter "A" so that RightOn will send a simulated letter "A" when you click your right mouse button.

5.	Choose "OK" to exit the Setup dialog box.

6.	If you have a three-button mouse, do a similar task for the middle mouse button.  Choose "Setup Middle Button..." from the RightOn menu which appears when you left-click once on the RightOn icon.

7.	In the top list box, select the letter "B", and then press the OK button to exit the dialog box.

8.	Launch a copy of Notepad.

9.	Go into Notepad, and click the right button down and up once.  The letter "A" should appear.

10.	Only if # 9 above was successful and you have a three-button mouse, click the middle button.  The letter "B" should appear immediately following the letter A (see above).

NOTE:  If the letter "A" does not appear in response to a right mouse click and/or a letter "B" does not appear in response to a middle mouse button click then RightOn is not working with your system and further investigation is necessary to find out why RightOn is not responding.

Troubleshooting


A does not appear

If the letter "A" does not appear, make sure that RightOn is turned on.  You can verify this by clicking once on the RightOn icon, and when the menu pops up, the last item should say: "Turn Off!".

If RightOn is turned on, and all the other steps have been followed in order, then either your right mouse button is not being recognized, or RightOn is not working with your system.


B does not appear

If the letter "A" did appear OK, then see the section on Middle Button does not work.


Where is the icon?

Make sure that your Program Manager main window is not taking up the whole screen.  If RightOn is running, it will be hidden behind the Program Manager out of view.


Middle button does not work

The most likely cause that your middle button is not being recognized is because you are running it in Microsoft compatible mode and/or using the Microsoft mouse driver.  Because a "true" Microsoft mouse only has two buttons, the driver for the Microsoft mouse only generates events for the left and right buttons, and not the middle button.

Many three-button mice have a switch which allows them to be switched between running in Microsoft-compatible mode, or in a mode compatible with another three-button mouse, say Mouse Systems or Genius Mouse.  To be able to use your middle button, you must be running your mouse in its three-button mode (not Microsoft-compatible mode!) and using a mouse driver which supports all three of your mouse buttons (not the Microsoft mouse driver!).

Troubleshooting


How to register your copy of Righton

Check Orders

For orders by check, please fill in the information requested in the REGISTER.WRI file included in the distribution .

Credit Card Orders

Credit card orders are described in the file CREDTCRD.WRI.  Registrations made with credit card orders cost slightly more than check orders to cover transaction fees imposed by third parties.

You can order directly from Steven McCarthy or from Public (software) Library with your MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover by calling 800-242-4PsL (from overseas:  713-524-6394) or by FAX to 713-524-6398 or by CompuServe to 71335,470.  These numbers are for ordering only.

Steven McCarthy can NOT be reached at those numbers.  To contact Steven McCarthy for information on dealer pricing, volume discounts, site licensing, bundling with your hardware product, status of shipment of the product, the latest version number, or for technical information, send Internet e-mail to smccrew@hebron.connected.com, call (206) 644-6486, or write 1733 127th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA 98005.  E-mail is preferred and is possibly fastest.

CompuServe Users: Register Online!

CompuServe users can go to the Shareware Registration Forum (GO SWREG) and have RightOn registation charged to your CompuServe account.  You will be asked for search criteria, and the following should aid you in the process:
TITLE	RightOn
FILE NAME	RITEON23.ZIP
AUTHOR'S COMPUSERVE ID	74264,3441
AUTHOR'S NAME	Steven J. McCarthy

More detailed information on CompuServe's Shareware Registration forum can be found by clicking here.

Volume discounts and site licenses are available.  Please contact the author for current rate schedules.

Troubleshooting

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CompuServe Registration

(The following instructions were taken directly from CompuServe)

INSTRUCTIONS TO REGISTER SHAREWARE

The Shareware Registration database contains descriptions of hundreds of shareware programs designed for a variety of platforms and purposes. To register a program, you must first find its description in the Shareware Registration database.

To begin, select "Register Shareware" from the previous menu.  A list of search criteria will be displayed to you. You may search for your program's description by its TITLE, FILE NAME, AUTHOR'S COMPUSERVE ID, and AUTHOR'S NAME.  You may also search for your description by its KEYWORDS (categories).  For example, to find the description of a Macintosh utility, you might use the keyword: utility. (For information about registering by your program's REGISTRATION ID, see below.)

After you enter your search criteria, you are usually displayed a list of programs that meet the criteria in the database. Select the program that you wish to register from the list.

Sometimes after you enter earch criteria, you are displayed a menu of choices. This occurs when your search yields a large number of "matches" in the database. The menu offers you the ability to NARROW your results further, to DISPLAY the list of "matches," or to BEGIN AGAIN.  After you select your program from the list, you are displayed the program's description, with a prompt:

"Would You Like to Register? (Y/N)."

Read the description carefully to verify that you wish to register the program. The description details the program, its capabilities, and the benefits of registration. Be sure to note the program's registration fee. When you register any program, the registration fee is charged to your CompuServe account.

Enter "Y" at the prompt to register; enter "N" at the prompt to ensure that you do not register the program, and to return to the previous menu.  When you enter "Y" to register, you will be prompted to enter your full name, company name (optional), your complete address, your phone number (optional) and the total number of copies of the program that you wish to register. When you finish entering this information, you can VIEW, CHANGE, SEND or CANCEL it.

Select VIEW to confirm that the information you entered is correct. Select CHANGE to edit any of the information you entered. Select SEND to complete your registration, receive a detail of your total charges, and to send the information to the author. Select CANCEL to cancel registration of the program. When authors submit their descriptions to the Shareware Registration database, their descriptions receive a REGISTRATION ID. If you know the REGISTRATION ID of the program description in the database, you may enter it under option #1 on the search criteria menu. You will then navigate directly to the program's description. This is the easiest and fastest method of registering a program.

If you have any questions or concerns about shareware registration, send a message to the Shareware Administrator by selecting the "Provide Feedback" option at the main SWR menu.

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