Copyright: ® 1991-95 by Graphical Dynamics, Inc.


Title Page
Displaying the date and time

Using alarms...

Creating a new alarm

Changing an existing alarm

Deleting an alarm

Alarm messages

Audible alarms

Action alarms

Setting options

JumpStarting your programs

Setting the system date & time

Power users' secrets!

Common errors and questions

How to order ClockMan

Order Form


 How to Order ClockMan

ClockMan is currently being marketed as shareware.  When you register the program you'll receive these remarkable benefits:

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A special thank-you program called JumpStart.  This lets you launch a program and send it keystrokes, all from within a Program Manager icon!

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Contact us for attractive discounts on quantity & multiuser licenses!

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About the authors


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Shipping Costs


Quantity Discount Pricing

If youre ordering ClockMan for a workgroup or department, oftentimes site licenses are the most economical way to purchase software.  We agree with you!

Your users need not be on a LAN - all we ask is that you designate one ClockMan Specialist within your organization who will handle your users technical support questions.  This specialist is always welcome to call us with the difficult questions.

Our site licenses are called Office Packs.  With office packs, disks and manuals accompany licenses on a 1 to 10 ratio.  So, if you have 20 users, you would receive 2 sets of disks/manuals and 20 licenses.

Office Packs:

Part #	Desc	Licenses	Manual sets	Price ea.	Your cost per user

---------	---------	--------------	------------------	------------	---------------------------

10005	5 pack	5	1	$149	$29.80

10010	10 pack	10	1	229	22.90

10020	20 pack	20	2	349	17.45

10050	50 pack	50	5	649	12.98

10100	100 pack	100	10	999	9.99

10200	200 pack	200	20	1,499	7.50

10500	500 pack	500	50	2,999	6.00

11000	1000 pack	1000	100	4,999	5.00

Filling out the Order Form is similar to a single user license; however you want to note the type of license youre purchasing.

Example:


 About the Authors

ClockMan is brought to you by Graphical Dynamics, Inc., home of Charlie Cursor!

Design team:

Designed by:	Jennifer Palonus & Koll Simonds

Written by:	Jennifer Palonus

Alphatested by:	Koll Simonds & Jennifer Palonus

Special thanks to our beta testers!

Contains up to 15% recycled code.  No animals were killed in the testing of this program.


Displaying the date/time with DateBar & TimeBar
 Displaying the Date and Time With InfoBars

You can have ClockMan display today's date and/or the current time on the caption bar of whichever window is active.  Now the date or time is always visible even when you've maximized an application to full screen; yet it doesn't cover up any of your work!  It won't even block the title if there isn't enough room on the caption bar.

The date and the time show up on opposite sides of the caption bar, next to either the minimize & maximize buttons or the system menu.  You can display hours:minutes:seconds, or just hours:minutes.

To change the TimeBar or DateBar options, you first choose Options... from the System menu to bring up the Options dialog.  In the bottom half of the dialog is the InfoBars section.  Notice the Use TimeBar and Use DateBar checkboxes.

To Turn TimeBar On/Off:

1.	Click the Use TimeBar checkbox (or press Alt+T) to turn the checkmark on or off.

The Show seconds checkbox will be grayed out if Use TimeBar is off.

To Turn Seconds Display On/Off:

1.	Make sure that the Use TimeBar checkbox is checked.

Otherwise the Show seconds checkbox will be grayed out.

2.	Click the Show seconds checkbox (or press Alt+H) to toggle the seconds display on or off.

To Turn DateBar On/Off:

1.	Click the Use DateBar checkbox (or press Alt+A) to turn the checkmark on or off.

To Show InfoBars on Active Window Only:

1.	Make sure that one or both of the DateBar/TimeBar checkboxes are checked.

Otherwise the Active window only checkbox will be grayed out.

2.	Click the Active window only checkbox (or press Alt+V) to toggle it on or off.

To Show InfoBars on the Other Side of the Caption Bar:

1.	Make sure that one or both of the DateBar/TimeBar checkboxes are checked.

Otherwise the left and right radiobuttons will be grayed out.

2.	Click the left or right radiobutton (or press Alt+E or Alt+R) to select which side of the caption bar to display on.

InfoBars Are Hotspots!

The DateBar and TimeBar both respond when you click on them with the mouse.  This way you can hide the ClockMan icon completely and still have full access to ClockMan's features.

A Left click brings up the Set Alarms dialog.

A Right click brings up ClockMan's system menu.

You can disable the hotspots in the Advanced Options dialog.

Related Topics:

Setting the system date & time

Showing date and time in other formats


 Creating a New Alarm

There are two ways to create a new alarm -- "from scratch", or by copying an existing alarm.

Either way, you must first enter the Set Alarms dialog by selecting Set alarms... from the system menu.

To Create an Alarm From Scratch

1.	Click on the New button.

The When... dialog will appear with the date and time initialized to the current date and time.  Make your desired changes to when you want it to occur and click OK or Cancel to return to the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Specify the type of message you want your alarm to display (if any), the text to display, and whether or not to sound a beep.

3.	Choose the type of action you want your alarm to carry out.

4.	Some actions require extra information, such as which program to launch, which exit code to return to DOS, etc.  The proper fields will appear in the Event section depending on which action you chose.

5.	You can test the alarm before it occurs "for real" by clicking the Test button (or pressing Alt+T).

6.	Click on the Add button (or press Alt+A).

7.	Click on the OK button to save your changes, or click on the Cancel button to exit without saving.

To Create a New Alarm From an Existing One

1.	Select the alarm you wish to copy from the Alarms: listbox.

The alarm's details will appear on the left side of the dialog.

2.	Change any information that's different about this new alarm.

You can change the date and time of the new alarm by clicking the [image] button (or pressing Alt+W).

3.	Click on the Add button (or press Alt+A).

The new alarm is added to the list of alarms.

4.	Click OK to save your changes, or Cancel to exit without saving.

You're done!  Go on to something else.  When the proper time comes around, ClockMan will put your alarm into action.

Related Topics:

When will an alarm occur?

Kinds of messages

Audible alarms

Testing an alarm

Changing an alarm

Deleting an alarm


Changing an Alarm
 Making Changes to an Alarm

You can change the behavior of any alarm after it's been created.

To Change an Alarm

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Select the alarm you wish to change from the Alarms: listbox.

The alarm's details will appear on the left side of the dialog.

3.	Make your desired changes to the alarm's information.

4.	Click on the Chg button (or press Alt+C) to apply your changes to the list of alarms.

5.	Click OK to save your changes, or Cancel to exit without saving.

Related Topics:

When will an alarm occur?

Kinds of messages

Audible alarms

Testing an alarm

Creating an alarm

Deleting an alarm


 Deleting an Alarm

You can delete an alarm any time after it's been created.  You delete alarms from within the Set Alarms dialog.

To Delete an Alarm

1.	Select the alarm to delete from the Alarms: listbox.

The alarm's details will appear on the left side of the dialog.

2.	Make sure this really is the alarm you want to delete!

3.	Click on the Del button (or press Alt+D) to delete the alarm from the list.

4.	Click OK to save your changes, or Cancel to exit without saving.

To Delete Several Alarms At Once

1.	Select the first alarm to delete from the Alarms: listbox.

The alarm's details will appear on the left side of the dialog.

2.	Press the Ctrl key while selecting additional alarms.

Notice they are being added to the selection in the listbox.  All the detail fields are now grayed out, as are the New, Add, and Chg buttons.  You can still Test the last alarm you selected before deleting it.

3.	Click on the Del button (or press Alt+D) to delete the alarms from the list.

4.	Click OK to save your changes, or Cancel to exit without saving.

Related Topics:

Confirming alarm deletes

Testing an alarm

Creating an alarm

Changing an alarm


 Testing Your Alarm

While inside the Set Alarms dialog, you can test any alarm to see exactly how it will behave when it later goes off "for real".

To test an alarm you've defined

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Select an alarm to test from the Alarms: listbox.

3.	Press the Test pushbutton (or press Alt+T).

The alarm executes exactly as it will when scheduled for.


 When Will an Alarm Occur?

ClockMan gives you great flexibility in specifying when an alarm will occur.

You change the time an alarm occurs in the When dialog, which is invoked by clicking the [image] button (or pressing Alt+W) from the Set Alarms dialog.

Related Topics:

Setting an alarm's time

Setting a one-time alarm's date

Recurring alarms

Daily alarms

Setting today's date and time


 Setting an Alarm's Time of Day

Each alarm occurs at a specific time of the day.

If you have just created this alarm by selecting New from the Set Alarms dialog, the date and time will be set to the current date and time.

To Set an Alarm's Time:

1a.	The time is controlled by a spinfield in the Time section of the dialog.  Edit the hours and minutes fields, or click on the up or down arrows to increment or decrement the time.

The up & down arrows will change the minutes, unless you've already placed the cursor in the hours field.

OR:

1b.	Click on the Now button (or press Alt+N) to snap the time back to the current time of day.

Related Topics:

Setting a one-time alarm's date

Setting a recurring alarm's dates

Setting a daily alarm

Creating an alarm

Changing an alarm

Using spinfields

Setting today's date & time


One-time Alarm's Date
 One-time Alarms

You can set an alarm that will occur only once.  (This is the default when you create an alarm by selecting New from the Set Alarms dialog.)

To Set a One-Time Alarm's Date:

1.	Click on the Once radiobutton (or press Alt+O).

The Date spinfield will be enabled.

2a.	Edit the month, day, and year fields (or click on the spinbutton's up or down arrows) to change the date this alarm will occur.

As you change the date, the new day of week changes to the right of the spinbutton.

OR:

2b.	Click on the Today button (or press Alt+T) to snap the date back to today's date.

Related Topics:

Setting a recurring alarm's dates

Setting a daily alarm

Creating an alarm

Changing an alarm

Using spinfields

Setting an alarm's time

Setting today's date & time


Recurring Alarm's Dates
 Recurring Alarms

ClockMan gives you six different ways in which your alarm can recur:

♦	Every n days

♦	Every weekday

♦	Every weekend

♦	Custom (specific day of the week, specific week of the month, etc.)

♦	Specific day of the month

To Set an Every n days Alarm:

1.	Click on the Every n days radiobutton.

The date spinfield to the right will be enabled.

2.	Specify the starting date for this alarm.  It's not enough to just say how often the alarm occurs; you must specify when is the first date that the alarm will occur on.

To Set an Every Weekday Alarm:

1.	Click on the Every weekday radiobutton.

The month spinfield to the right will be enabled.

2.	Choose which month this alarm occurs in.  (You can also choose "every month".)

To Set an Every Weekend Alarm:

1.	Click on the Every weekend radiobutton.

The month spinfield to the right will be enabled.

2.	Choose which month this alarm occurs in.  (You can also choose "every month".)

To Set a Custom Recurring Alarm:

1.	Click on the Custom radiobutton.

The month spinfield to the right will be enabled.

2.	You specify how the alarm recurs by building a phrase from each of three dropdown listboxes:

Week of Month	Day of Week	in	Month of Year

every	Sunday ... Saturday	every month

1st ... 5th	January ... December

last

3.	Choose which month this alarm occurs in.  (You can also choose "every month".)

To Set an Nth Day of the Month Alarm:

1.	Click on the Day of the month radiobutton.

The month spinfield to the right will be enabled.

2.	Choose which month this alarm occurs in.  (You can also choose "every month".)

Related Topics:

One-time alarms

Daily alarms

Creating an alarm

Changing an alarm

Setting an alarm's time

Setting today's date & time


Daily Alarms
 Alarms That Occur Every Day

A daily alarm is the simplest kind of recurrence to specify.

To Set a Daily Alarm:

Click on the Daily radiobutton (or press Alt+D).

The alarm will now occur each day.

Related Topics:

One-time alarms

Recurring alarms

Creating an alarm

Changing an alarm

Setting an alarm's time

Setting today's date & time


 Alarm Messages

When you create an alarm, you can have it display a message to the user in several ways.  You specify which kind of message to display by selecting it from the Type dropdown listbox in the Set Alarms dialog.

Announcement alarm

TimeSquare alarm

Confirmation alarm

Countdown alarm

Invisible - no message at all


 Announcement Alarms

An announcement alarm displays a message box to the user.  The user can click the OK button (or press Enter) to remove the message box.

If you've also defined this alarm to beep or to run a program, those actions will start at the same time the announcement is displayed.

To Define an Announcement Alarm:

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Find the Message section, go to the Type: dropdown listbox, and select Announce.

3.	Tab to the Text: field and type in the message you want to see when this alarm occurs.

4.	Enter the rest of the information for this alarm and save it.

Related Topics:

TimeSquare alarms alarm

Confirmation alarms

Countdown alarms

Invisible alarms

Audible alarms


 TimeSquare Alarms

A TimeSquare alarm scrolls a message to the user across the caption bar of the currently-active window.  The user can press Esc to stop the message.

If you've also defined this alarm to beep or to run a program, those actions will start at the same time the announcement is displayed.

To Define a TimeSquare Alarm:

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Find the Message section, go to the Type: dropdown listbox, and select TimeSquare.

3.	Tab to the Text: field and type in the message you want to see when this alarm occurs.

4.	Enter the rest of the information for this alarm and save it.

To Stop a TimeSquare Alarm:

1.	Press the Esc key.  The TimeSquare message will disappear.

Related Topics:

Choosing the TimeSquare alarm type

How many times to repeat a TimeSquare message

Confirmation alarms

Countdown alarms

Invisible alarms

Audible alarms


 Confirmation Alarms

A confirmation alarm displays a message box to the user.  Unlike the announcement alarm, a confirmation alarm waits until the user presses OK or Cancel before running a program.  If the user clicks on Cancel (or presses Esc) when this happens, the program won't be launched.

To Define a Confirmation Alarm:

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Find the Message section, go to the Type: dropdown listbox, and select Confirm.

3.	Tab to the Text: field and type in the message you want to see when this alarm occurs.

4.	Enter the rest of the information for this alarm and save it.

Related Topics:

Announcement alarms

TimeSquare alarms alarm

Countdown alarms

Invisible alarms

Audible alarms


 Countdown Alarms

A countdown alarm displays a message box while counting down the seconds.  Normally it would be counting down the seconds until it launches a program or sounds an alarm.

Meanwhile, the user can

♦	click the Now button (or press Alt+N) to execute the event immediately,

♦	click the Hide button (or press Alt+H) to hide the message box while it counts down, or

♦	click the Cancel button (or press Esc) to exit the alarm immediately without doing anything.

To Define a Countdown Alarm:

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Find the Message section, go to the Type: dropdown listbox, and select Countdown.

3.	Tab to the Text: field and type in the message you want to see when this alarm occurs.

4.	Enter the rest of the information for this alarm and save it.

Related Topics:

Setting the countdown period

Announcement alarms

TimeSquare alarms alarm

Confirmation alarms

Invisible alarms

Audible alarms


 Invisible Alarms

An invisible alarm doesn't display anything to the user when it occurs.  This would normally be used start an unattended operation, or to just sound an audible alarm.

To Define an Invisible Alarm:

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog.

2.	Find the Message section, go to the Type: dropdown listbox, and select Invisible.

The Text: edit box will be disabled.

3.	Enter the rest of the information for this alarm.

To Turn Off an Invisible Alarm's Tune:

1.	Choose Turn beeper off from the System menu.

If Turn beeper off is grayed out, then the tune has already stopped repeating.

Related Topics:

Announcement alarms

TimeSquare alarms alarm

Confirmation alarms

Countdown alarms

Audible alarms


 Audible Alarms

When an alarm occurs, it can alert you by playing a tune through your PC's speaker.  These tunes range from the little "blip" that most Windows applications sound when an error message is displayed, to tunes lasting 15 seconds or more.  You can also play waveform (.WAV) files if you're using Windows 3.1 and have a sound output device.

Each alarm can have its own tune attached to it, or you can just use the default tune that you specify in the Options dialog.

To Change an Individual Alarm's Tune:

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog and you've chosen an alarm to work with.

2.	Notice the Message section.  Inside is a checkbox labeled Beep.  Make sure it's checked.

If Beep isn't checked, then the dropdown listbox of tunes next to it and the play button will be disabled.

3.	Scroll through the listbox and choose a tune for this alarm.

4.	Click on the [image] (tune) button (or press Alt+U) to try it out.

5.	Choose Chg (or press Alt+C) to save your changes to this alarm.

To Change the Default Alarm Tune:

1.	Choose Options... from the System menu.  The Options dialog will appear.

2.	Notice the Beeper section.  There's a dropdown listbox filled with tune names.  Scroll through it and pick one out.

3.	Next to the listbox is a [image] (tune) button.  Press this button (or press Alt+U) to play the tune.

4.	Click on OK (or press Enter) to make this tune the new default.

Related Topics:

Playing .WAV files

Quieting alarms

Composing your own alarm tunes

"My alarms all say Cuckoo"!


WAV Files
 .WAV Files

An audible alarm can play a Windows 3.1 .WAV file, if your system has the proper equipment or SPEAKER.DRV installed.

WAV sounds show up like this in the Tunes comboboxes:

If your system doesn't support .WAV files, then any WAV tune names will be grayed out.

Related Topics:

Add, Change, or Delete .WAV files button in the Options dialog


Quieting Alarms
 Keeping Alarms Quiet!

Alarms don't have to play a tune when they occur.  You can turn off sounds for individual alarms, or prevent all alarms from sounding.

To Shut Up an Alarm Tune While It's Playing:

1.	Press the Esc key.

To Quiet an Individual Alarm:

1.	Make sure you're in the Set Alarms dialog and you've chosen an alarm to quiet.

2.	Click the Beep checkbox (or press Alt+B) so that it's unchecked.

The listbox of tunes and the play button will be disabled.

3.	Choose Chg to save the changes to the alarm, then choose OK to exit the dialog.

To Quiet All Alarms:

1.	Choose Options... from the System menu.  The Options dialog will appear.

2.	Notice the Beeper section.  To the right of the "Beeper" heading is the Enabled checkbox.  Turn off the checkmark.

The tunes listbox, the play button, and the number of times to play the tunes will all be disabled.

3.	Choose OK to save the options.

To Quiet New Alarms by Default:

1.	Choose Options... from the System menu.  The Options dialog will appear.

2.	Notice the Beeper section.  Within this section is the Beep checked by default checkbox.  Turn off the checkmark.

When you create a new alarm from scratch, the "Beep" checkbox will be unchecked.  You can turn it on for the few alarms you want to stay audible.

3.	Choose OK to save the defaults.


Composing Alarm Tunes
 Composing Your Own Alarm Tunes

The tunes ClockMan can play are defined in the CLOCKMAN.INI file under the [Tunes] section.

The format of a tune definition is compatible with that used by hDC's Alarm Clock MicroApp(tm).

A tune definition begins with the tune's name, followed immediately by an equal sign, and then the notes themselves.  Each note is defined by two numbers -- the pitch and the duration, separated by a slash.  Each note is separated by a comma.

For example, here's the Scales tune definition from CLOCKMAN.INI:

Scales=25/16,27/16,28/16,30/16,32/16,30/16,28/16,27/16,25/16

Defining the Pitch:

A note's pitch is denoted by a number that corresponds to a note on the chromatic scale:

Db	Eb	Gb	Ab	Bb

Octave	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12

13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24

Middle C -->	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36

37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48

49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60

61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72

73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82

A pause is denoted by a pitch of zero.

Defining the Duration:

A note's duration is represented by a number which tells ClockMan which fraction of a whole note it is.  ClockMan will always play the tune with a tempo of 120 quarter notes per minute.

Here's some examples:

Note:	Whole	Half	Quarter	Fifth	Sixteenth	Sixtyfourth

Duration #:	1	2	4	5	16	64

You can take up to 384 characters to define a tune.

Related Topics:

Add .WAV files button in the Options dialog


Event action types
 Action Alarms

An alarm can perform several different kinds of actions.  You specify which action an alarm's event will take by choosing from the dropdown listbox at the top of the Event section.  Different fields will appear depending on which type of action you select:

Related Topics:

Message alarms

Launching or activating programs

Sending keystrokes to a program

Launching a WIL batch file

Exiting Windows

Restarting Windows

Rebooting the system

Adjusting the system time


  .WIL Batch Files

Your alarm can directly launch an alarm batch file.  This is a text file containing a batch script written in Wilson WindowWare's WIL language.  (This is the core language for WinBatch, File Commander, Command Post, and Norton Desktop for Windows' Batch Builder.)


 Launching a Program

Your alarm can run a program, or it can activate the window of an application that's already running.  Your alarm's specific behavior depends on what information you enter into the Pgm line: edit box in the Set Alarms dialog:

To Only Launch a Program

Enter the name of the program and any command line parameters.  (You can enter a datafile name instead of a program name if there's an association for it in WIN.INI.)

Example:

To Only Activate a Currently Running Program

Enter an existing program's main window title in quotes.  You can use either an initial portion or the whole title.

Example:

To Activate a Running Program, or Start the Program if its Window Wasn't Found

Enter the main window title of an existing program in quotes, followed by the program name and any command line parameters desired.  If the window with the specified title is already running when the alarm occurs, then it will be activated.  If there is no window with that title running, then the specified program and command line will be launched instead.

Example:

Related Topics:

Sending keystrokes to a program

Launching a WIL batch file

Exiting Windows

Restarting Windows

Rebooting the system


Sending Keystrokes
 Sending Keystrokes to a Program

You can have ClockMan send keystrokes to a program your alarm launches, just as if you were there at the keyboard in person.  You describe these keystrokes in the Keystrokes: edit box in the Set Alarms dialog.

ClockMan's sendkey syntax is a superset of that used in the Sendkey statement in Microsoft's macro languages and Visual Basic.

To Stop in the Middle of Sending Keystrokes

Press the Esc key and ClockMan will stop sending the keystrokes.  (You can't stop ClockMan from sending keystrokes to a DOS app.)

Related Topics:

Displayable keys

Shift, Ctrl, & Alt keys

Special keys

Non-standard keyboards

Pausing the keystrokes

Sending keystrokes to a DOS app


Sending Displayable Keys
 Sending Displayable Keystrokes

You send "normal", displayable keystrokes to a program by simply typing in the characters into the Keystrokes: edit box as if you were typing them directly into the program's window.

"Normal" Characters:

A thru Z

a thru z

0 thru 9

`  !  @  #  $  &  *  -  =  \  _  |  [  ]  }  ;  :  '  "  ,  .  <  >  /  ?

However there are a few displayable characters (shown below) that are used to describe the special keys that ClockMan also lets you send.  If you want to send one of these displayable keys to a program, you must put them inside curly braces (treat them like special keys themselves) to keep ClockMan from getting confused:

To Send These Keys:	Use These Names:

+	{+}

^	{^}

%	{%}

~	{~}

(	{(}

)	{)}

{	{{}

Related Topics:

Shift, Ctrl, & Alt keys

Special keys

Non-standard keyboards

Pausing the keystrokes

Sending keystrokes to a DOS app


Sending Shift, Alt, & Ctrl Keys
 Sending Shift, Ctrl, & Alt Keystrokes

You can send Shift, Control, and Alt-key combinations to the program.  You denote these key combinations by prefixing the affected characters with these symbols:

KEY	DENOTED BY

Shift	+

Control	^

Alt	%

Example:

To send a program Alt+FO in order to have it open a file from the File menu, use the string %FO.

You can make a key combination affect more than one keystroke at a time by enclosing the affected keystrokes in parentheses ( ).

Related Topics:

Displayable keys

Special keys

Non-standard keyboards

Pausing the keystrokes

Sending keystrokes to a DOS app


Sending Non-displayable Keys
 Sending Non-Displayable Keystrokes

In addition to the "normal" displayable characters, your alarm can simulate pressing special keys.  These special characters have names, which you place within curly braces { }:

To send this key:	Use this name:

* on the numeric keypad	{numpad*}

+ on the numeric keypad	{numpad+}

- on the numeric keypad	{numpad-}

. on the numeric keypad	{numpad.}

/ on the numeric keypad	{numpad/}

0 thru 9 on the numeric keypad	{numpad0} thru {numpad9}

Backspace	{backspace}  or  {bksp}  or  {bs}

Break	{break}

CapsLock	{capslock}

Clear	{clear}

Del or Delete	{del}  or  {delete}

down arrow	{down}

End	{end}

Enter	{enter}  or  ~

Esc	{esc}  or  {escape}

function keys F1 thru F12	{f1}  thru  {f12}

Home	{home}

Ins or Insert	{ins} or {insert}

left arrow	{left}

NumLock	{numlock}

PageDn	{pgdn}

PageUp	{pgup}

Pause	{pause}

Print Screen	{prtsc}

right arrow	{right}

Scroll Lock	{scroll}

Tab	{tab}

up arrow	{up}

Example:

You create an alarm that starts Notepad and initializes it to read:

The Keystrokes field would look like this:

Shortcut:  Sending a Special Key More Than Once in a Row

Add a number after the keyname, but before the closing curly-bracket, such as {tab 6} in place of {tab}{tab}{tab}{tab}{tab}{tab}.  You can also repeat a displayable character by putting it inside curly brackets, e.g. {A 5} instead of AAAAA.

Related Topics:

Displayable keys

Shift, Ctrl, & Alt keys

Non-standard keyboards

Pausing the keystrokes

Sending keystrokes to a DOS app


Sending Non-standard Keys
 Sending Keystrokes From Non-standard Keyboards

Some keyboards ("OEM keyboards") contain keys that are not found on the standard IBM-compatible 102 enhanced keyboard:

On 122-key kbds:	Use this name:

Attn	{122attn}

Clear	{122clear}

CrSel	{122crsel}

ExSel	{122exsel}

ErEOF	{122ereof}

function keys F13 thru F24	{f13}  thru  {f24}

no name	{122noname}

PA 1	{122pa1}

Play	{122play}

Zoom	{122zoom}

On Olivetti "ICO" kbds:	Use this name:

00	{ico00}

Clear	{icoclear}

function keys F17 thru F18	{icof17}  thru  {icof18}

Help	{icohelp}

On Nokia kbds:	Use this name:

Print	{nokprint}

Reset	{nokreset}

Jump	{nokjump}

PA1 thru PA3	{nokpa1} thru {nokpa3}

WSCtrl	{nokwsctrl}

CuSel	{nokcusel}

Attn	{nokattn}

Finnish	{nokfinnish}

Copy	{nokcopy}

Auto	{nokauto}

ENLW	{nokenlw}

BackTab	{nokbacktab}

Some keyboards may contain keys that don't have any defined names at all.  If you need to send an application an unnamed keystroke, place the decimal number corresponding to its virtual key code within curly brackets.  For example, certain non-U.S. keyboards generate a virtual key code of 226 when you press the "<" key.  To send that keystroke, you would use {226}.

You can also repeat these keytrokes by adding a repeat count after the key code.  In the above example you'd use {226 2} to represent the < key being pressed twice in a row.

Related Topics:

Displayable keys

Shift, Ctrl, & Alt keys

Special keys

Pausing the keystrokes

Sending keystrokes to a DOS app


Pausing Keystrokes
 Pausing the Keystrokes

You can make ClockMan pause while it sends keystrokes with the string {#wait seconds}, where seconds is a number from 1 to 32767.  Other programs can run while the keystrokes are paused.

Related Topics:

Displayable keys

Shift, Ctrl, & Alt keys

Special keys

Non-standard keyboards

Sending keystrokes to a DOS app


Sending Keystrokes to a DOS Box
 Sending Keystrokes to a DOS App

If you're running Windows in Enhanced mode, ClockMan can send keystrokes to a DOS app running in a window.  You can send any keystroke to a DOS app that you would to a Windows app (unlike trying to use the Edit|Paste selection in the app's System menu).

Turn the Exclusive Flag Off

You must ensure that the DOS application or .PIF file runs with the Exclusive flag turned off; otherwise the keystrokes will never get sent.  The Background flag can be on or off.

Don't Overrun the Buffer

Unlike when sending keystrokes to a Windows app, you must take care to avoid overunning the DOS box's keyboard buffer, which is only 16 characters long.  Get to know the {#wait secs} command.

Give the DOS App Time to Start Up

There are two parameters you can change to slow down the keystrokes when sending to a DOS app - the delay before the first keystroke, and the delay between keystrokes.  You change these in the Advanced Options dialog.

Related Topics:

Displayable keys

Shift, Ctrl, & Alt keys

Special keys

Non-standard keyboards

Pausing the keystrokes


 Exiting Windows

Not all DOS apps will run correctly when Windows is running.  Some disk optimizers, tape backups, and other low-level disk utilities can cause serious damage if launched from within Windows.  To accomplish this, ClockMan provides you with the Exit Windows option:

This command exits Windows and returns to DOS with a DOS exitcode.  If you don't specify an exitcode, it will return 0 to DOS.  If you run Windows from a DOS batch file, you can test this exit code and run the DOS app depending on which exit code was returned:

:runwin

c:

cd \windows

win /3

if errorlevel 10 if not errorlevel 11 goto optimize

if errorlevel  9 if not errorlevel 10 goto tapebackup

if errorlevel  8 if not errorlevel 9 goto etc.

;if we get this far, they exited Windows manually -- exit to DOS

goto exit

:optimize

c:\pctools\compress c:

c:\pctools\compress d:

goto runwin

:tapeback

c:

cd \tape

tape.exe

goto runwin

etc.

:exit

When Other Apps Are Still Open

The Exit Windows event closes down other apps safely before exiting to DOS.  If another app has a file open, the app will ask if you want to save the file, exit without saving, or cancel the restart.  (The drawback is that the process won't proceed unless you are there to respond.)

Related Topics:

Restarting Windows

Rebooting the system


 Restarting Windows

ClockMan provides your events with the Restart Windows command to exit Windows to DOS and immediately start Windows back up again.

This is useful if you have an event that changes the SYSTEM.INI file in order to run properly.  In this case you would set five events to occur in succession (perhaps one minute apart):

1.	A WIL event that switches your SYSTEM.INI file with another.

2.	An event that restarts Windows so that the new SYSTEM.INI file can take effect.

3.	An event to perform some processing that takes advantage of the new SYSTEM.INI file.

4.	A WIL event that switches your SYSTEM.INI file back to its original place.

5.	An event that restarts Windows so the original SYSTEM.INI file can take effect.

When Other Apps Are Still Open

The Restart Windows command closes down other apps safely before restarting.  If another app has a file open, the app will ask if you want to save the file, exit without saving, or cancel the exit.  (The drawback is that the process won't proceed unless you are there to respond.)

Related Topics:

Exiting Windows

Rebooting the system


 Rebooting Your System

You can have an alarm reboot your computer by selecting the Reboot the system option:

This command reboots the computer as if you had pressed Ctrl+Alt+Del on the keyboard.

When Other Apps Are Still Open

The Reboot command closes down other apps safely.  If another app has a file open, the app will ask if you want to save the file, exit without saving, or cancel the reboot.  (The drawback is that the process won't proceed unless you are there to respond.)

Related Topics:

Exiting Windows

Restarting Windows


 Adjusting the System Time

You can have an event adjust the system time up or down to periodically correct for clock drift:

This command bumps the system time up or down by the specified number of minutes:seconds.

Related Topics:

Setting the system date & time


 Setting Program Options

The Options dialog lets you customize the way ClockMan works.  Within this dialog are three main areas -- one to control how audible alarms behave, messages, and one to control the InfoBars.

You bring up the Options dialog from the System menu.

Beeper Options:

Enabling/disabling audible alarms

Changing the default alarm tune

Adding/changing/deleting .WAV files

How many times a tune is repeated

Message Options:

Default message type

TimeSquare message type

How many times to repeat a TimeSquare message

How long to countdown

InfoBar Options

Advanced Options


Repeating Tunes
 How Many Times to Repeat Tune

When an audible alarm occurs, it will keep repeating the tune every 30 seconds, until you either acknowledge the alarm or select Turn beeper off from the System menu.  You set an overriding maximum number of repeats in the Options dialog.

To Set the Maximum Times aTune Will Repeat:

1.	Select Options... from the System menu to bring up the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the [image] spinfield in the Beeper section in the upper half of the dialog.

3.	Change the number of repeats in the edit field or click the up or down arrow in the spinbutton.

You can make alarms sound up to 999 times.

Related Topics:

Quieting alarms

TimeSquare alarms

Using spinfields


 Adding, Changing, and Deleting .WAV Files

As your collection of .WAV files grows, you can easily add them to your repetoire of alarm sounds.  First, make sure you're in the Options dialog.  Notice the Add .WAV Files button in the Beeper section.  Click this (or press Alt+W), and the Add .WAV Files dialog will appear.

To Add a .WAV File:

1.	Find your desired file in the .WAV files listbox on the left.

2.	Click the [image] (or press Alt+U) to try out this .WAV tune, if desired.

3.	Click the Add button (or press Alt+A) to add this to the list of active .WAV files.

The filename shows up in the Selected .WAV files listbox as the default tune name.

4.	Change the tune name in the edit box, if desired.

5.	Press OK (or press Esc) to exit back to the Options dialog.

Any additions you make are "live" - you can't Cancel out of them.

To Change an Existing .WAV Tune's Name:

1.	Select your desired file from the Selected .WAV files listbox on the right.

The tune's name will show up in the edit box above the listbox.

2.	Click the [image] (or press Alt+U) to try out this .WAV tune, if desired.

3.	Change the tune's name in the edit box.

4.	Press OK (or press Esc) to exit back to the Options dialog.

Any changes you make are "live" - you can't Cancel out of them.

To Delete an Existing .WAV Tune:

1.	Find your desired tune in the Selected .WAV files listbox on the right.

2.	Click the [image] (or press Alt+U) to try out this .WAV tune, if desired.

3.	Click the Delete button (or press Alt+D) to delete this tune.

4.	Press OK (or press Esc) to exit back to the Options dialog.

Any deletions you make are "live" - you can't Cancel out of them.

Related Topics:

Composing your own alarm tunes


 Default Message Type

This option sets the default alarm message type you get when you create a new alarm.  This is useful if most of the alarms you set up are confirmation alarms, for instance, or invisible alarms.

To Set a Default Message Type:

1.	Choose Options... from the System menu to bring up the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the Default message type listbox in the Message section of the dialog.  Select the message type you want for your default.

3.	Click the OK button (or press Enter) to save the option, else click Cancel (or press Esc).

Related Topics:

Announcement alarms

TimeSquare alarm

Confirmation alarms

Countdown alarms

Invisible alarms- no message at all


Setting the TimeSquare scroll type
 TimeSquare scroll type

A TimeSquare alarm will scroll across the active window's caption bar in one of several ways:

Right-to-left    •    Left-to-right    •    Up-to-down    •    Down-to-up    •    Split left and right    •    Split up and down    •    Converge from left and right    •    Converge from above and below    •    Stretch left and right    •    Squeeze in from left and right    •    A random selection of all the above

To Set the TimeSquare Scroll Type:

1.	Choose Options... from the System menu to bring up the Options dialog.

2.	Choose the desired scroll type from the TimeSquare scroll type dropdown listbox in the Message section in the lower half of the dialog.

Related Topics:

TimeSquare alarm

How many times to repeat a TimeSquare message


How Long a TimeSquare Alarm Will Repeat
 How Many Times to Repeat a TimeSquare Message

When a TimeSquare alarm occurs, it will keep repeating the message until you acknowledge the alarm by pressing Esc.  You set an overriding maximum number of repeats in the Options dialog.

To Set the Maximum Times a TimeSquare Message Will Repeat:

1.	Select Options... from the System menu to bring up the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the [image] spinfield in the Message section in the lower left section of the dialog.

3.	Change the number of repeats in the edit field or click the up or down arrow in the spinbutton.

You can make TimeSquare alarms repeat up to 999 times.

Related Topics:

TimeSquare alarms

Default TimeSquare message type

Using spinfields


 Setting the Countdown Period

You can change how long countdown alarms will count down before they carry out their action.  This is a global option that affects all countdown alarms.

To Set the Countdown Period:

1.	Choose Options... from the System menu to bring up the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the Countdown spinfield in the Message section in the lower half of the dialog.

3.	Change the number of minutes and seconds in the edit field or click the up or down arrow in the spinbutton.

You can make alarms count down for up to 59 minutes and 59 seconds.

Related Topics:

Countdown alarms

Using spinfields


 Advanced Options

This dialog contains the more esoteric options you can set.  You get to the Advanced Options dialog by clicking on the Advanced... pushbutton in the Options dialog.

Confirm alarm deletes

Log to file

Confirm missed events

Display missed messages by up to hh:mm

Delay 1st DOS key for nn 1/10ths of a sec.

Delay betw. DOS keys nn 1/10ths of a sec.

Client mode polls alarm file every nn secs.

Hide icon

Icon title

Language

Refresh the InfoBars nn times per second

InfoBars are hotspots

Use 3-D Dialogs

Related Topics:

Using spinfields

Options dialog


Confirming alarm deletes
 Confirm alarm deletes

You can have ClockMan display a confirmation box whenever you delete an alarm from the Set Alarms dialog.

To Confirm All Alarm Deletes:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  Click the Advanced... pushbutton (or press (Alt+A) from the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the Confirm alarm deletes checkbox.  Check the box to display the confirmation box; otherwise uncheck it.

3.	Click the OK button (or press Enter) to save the option, else click Cancel (or press Esc).

Related Topics:

Deleting an alarm

Options dialog


Logging activity to file
 Log to file

ClockMan can keep a log on disk of everything important that happens to your alarms:

ClockMan starting and stopping

How many alarms were read in from the file

Whether an alarm occurred successfully

Whether a program was launched and keystrokes were sent successfully

When an event adjusts the system time

To Enable Logging to Disk:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  Click the Advanced... pushbutton (or press (Alt+A) from the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the Log to File checkbox.  Check it on to enable logging, else uncheck it to stop logging.

The log file has the same name as the alarm file, but with a .LOG extension.

Related Topics:

Options dialog


 Confirm missed events

If you're unable to have ClockMan running 24 hours/day, then sometimes an event will get missed.

ClockMan will never completely skip a missed event.  However, by default ClockMan forces you to confirm each missed event before launching it.  You can change this so that ClockMan will run all missed events automatically.

To Confirm Missed Events:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  Click the Advanced... pushbutton (or press (Alt+A) from the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the Confirm missed events checkbox.  Check it on to confirm missed events; else uncheck it to run all missed events unconditionally.

Related Topics:

Options dialog


Displaying missed messages
 Display missed messages by up to hh:mm

If you're unable to have ClockMan running 24 hours/day, then sometimes an alarm will get missed.

By default, when ClockMan starts up it displays the message if it's been less than 15 minutes after it should have displayed.  You can change this so that ClockMan will display messages that were missed by more or less time.

To Display Missed Messages:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  Click the Advanced... pushbutton (or press (Alt+A) from the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the Display missed messages by up to hh:mm spinfield.  Spin the hours or minutes up or down to increase or decrease the time after which a missed message won't be displayed.

Related Topics:

Using spinfields

Options dialog


Sendkeys to DOS - delay before 1st character
 Delay 1st DOS key for nn 1/10ths of a sec.

This spinfield controls how long ClockMan will wait before sending keystrokes to ae DOS box.  This is in 1/10ths of a second.  The default value is 60, meaning ClockMan will wait 6 seconds after launching the DOS box before sending any keystrokes.

If DOS apps take a long time to load on your machine, you may want to increase this number.  If you're running Windows 3.1 with FastDisk you may be able to shorten this wait and still have the DOS app see the first keystrokes reliably.  You can also place a {#wait secs} command at the beginning of the Keystrokes: line to give an individual DOS app more time to initialize.

Related Topics:

Sending keys to DOS boxes

The {#wait } command

Using spinfields

Options dialog


Sendkeys to DOS - delay between characters
 Delay betw. DOS keys nn 1/10ths of a sec.

This spinfield controls how long ClockMan will wait in between each keystroke.  This is in 1/10ths of a second.  The default value is 0, meaning ClockMan will send keystrokes at top speed.

Especially slow machines may require a wait of 1 (1/10th second between keystrokes).  You can also place a {#wait secs} command in the Keystrokes: line to give an individual DOS app more time to process a particular keystroke.

Related Topics:

Sending keys to DOS boxes

The {#wait } command

Using spinfields

Options dialog


Interval to poll alarm file
 Client mode polls alarm file every nn seconds

This spinfield controls how often ClockMan checks if the alarm file has been updated by another user.  (ClockMan only polls the alarm file if it's running in (-C)lient mode.)

If you have many workstations on a LAN running ClockMan in (-C)lient mode with one common alarm file, you may want to have ClockMan poll the alarm file less often than the default 10 seconds in order to decrease the effect on LAN traffic.

Related Topics:

Features for LAN users

Using spinfields

Options dialog


Hiding the icon
 Hide icon

This checkbox lets you can hide ClockMan's icon.  If you have the Date or TimeBars enabled, then you'll still be able to see the time of day in the active window's caption bar.

While the icon is hidden, you can still access ClockMan's system menu by right-clicking on the TimeBar (as long as you have InfoBars are hotspots enabled).

To Hide ClockMan's Icon:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  Click the Advanced... pushbutton (or press (Alt+A) from the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the Hide icon checkbox.  Check in on to hide the icon, or uncheck it to show the icon again.

Related Topics:

InfoBars

InfoBar hotspots

Options dialog


Changing the icon's title
 Icon title

You can change the title that appears under ClockMan's icon by entering a line in the Icon title edit field:

The title can be up to 79 characters long.  You can insert extra information into the icon title with these codes:

&fn	The alarm filename.

&fp	The alarm file's full pathname.

&dt	Today's date (short form).  The format is taken from the Control Panel's International section.

&y4	The full 4-digit year.

&yy	The current year (00-99).

&MO	The current month's name (January-December).

&mo	The current month's abbreviated name (Jan-Dec).

&mm	The current month (1-12).

&0m	The current month (01-12).

&DA	Today's full day of the week (Monday-Sunday).

&da	Today's abbreviated day of the week (Mon-Sun).

&dd	Today's day of the month (1-31).

&0d	Today's day of the month (01-31).

The default title is "CM - &fn", where &fn is replaced by the actual alarm file loaded.

Related Topics:

Options dialog


Customizing the language
 Language

You can have ClockMan display the dates and times in a language other than English.

The ClockMan package includes several "custom language" files that replace the default English day and month names.  These files are named CLOCKMAN.xxx, where xxx is the 3-letter language code that represents which language you've installed into Windows.  (This code is found in the WIN.INI file's [intl] section, sLanguage= line).  For instance, if you are running German Windows (or you've installed the German language via the Control Panel), your language code is DEU.  When ClockMan starts, it will look for the file CLOCKMAN.DEU in your ClockMan directory.  (If it doesn't find one, ClockMan will use English days & months by default.)

To Override the Default Language:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  (Click the Advanced... pushbutton or press (Alt+A) from the Options dialog.)

2.	Enter the desired language code into the Language edit field.

3.	Load the appropriate custom language file from your ClockMan diskette into the ClockMan directory.

To Show Dates in a Language that Windows Does Not Recognize:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  (Click the Advanced... pushbutton or press (Alt+A) from the Options dialog.)

2.	Think of three letters that can stand for your desired language.

These letters will become the extension of your custom language file.

3.	Enter this new language code into the Language edit field.

4.	Copy an existing ClockMan custom language file to CLOCKMAN.xxx (where xxx is your new language code).

Choose a custom language file that's closest to the language you want to create.

The custom language files contain lines that look like this: (French, in this example)

;(long) months of the year...

1050=chaque mois

1051=Janvier

1052=Février

1053=Mars

etc.

5.	In your favorite text editor, change the days of the week, months, month abbreviations, etc. to your desired language.

Be sure to change only the text on the right of the "=" signs, not the numbers on the left.

6.	Restart ClockMan.

The dates will now show up in your desired language.

Related Topics:

Displaying the date and time in different languages

Options dialog


How often to refresh the InfoBars
 Refresh the InfoBars nn times per second

This spinfield controls how often ClockMan repaints the InfoBars.  The default is 5 times per second.

If you find the InfoBars don't appear immediately after a new window becomes active, you might want to increase this number.  If ClockMan is taking up too much CPU time in refreshing the InfoBars (which is highly unlikely), then you might want to decrease this number.

Related Topics:

InfoBars

InfoBar hotspots

Using spinfields

Options dialog


Hotspots in InfoBars
 InfoBars are hotspots

Normally, you can left-click on an InfoBar to bring up the Set Alarms dialog directly.  You can also right-click an InfoBar to bring up ClockMan's system menu.  When the mouse is over a hotspot, the cursor changes to an arrow with a clock behind it.  When this checkbox is turned off, the InfoBars are no longer hotspots.

You shouldn't turn this feature off if you are also hiding ClockMan's icon, unless you want it to stay hidden permanently.  (If this happens, you'll have to change entries in the CLOCKMAN.INI file to bring back either the icon or the hotspots.)

To Turn Off the InfoBars' Hotspots:

1.	Make sure you're in the Advanced Options dialog.  Click the Advanced... pushbutton (or press Alt+A) from the Options dialog.

2.	Notice the InfoBars are hotspots checkbox.  Check it on to re-enable hotspots, or uncheck it to turn hotspots off.

Related Topics:

InfoBars

InfoBar refresh rate

Options dialog


3-D dialogs
Use 3-D Dialogs

By checking this option, you can control how the dialogs look.  They can either have the 3-D look, or they can retain the standard Windows look.  This is strictly a matter of personal preference.

When you enable the 3-D dialogs, the effect takes place immediately.  However, due to technical issues, when you revert to normal dialog display, youll have to re-start the program for the change to take effect.

To Enable 3-D dialogs

1.	Make sure youre in the Advanced Options dialog.  Click the Advanced... pushbutton (or press Alt-A from the Options dialog).

2.	Notice the Use 3-D Dialogs checkbox.  Check it on to enable the 3-D dialog effect, or uncheck it to turn 3-D dialogs off.

Related Topics:

Options dialog


Setting the System Date & Time
 Setting the System Date and Time

You can easily set your system date and time using ClockMan instead of going through the Windows Control Panel.

To Set the Date and Time:

1.	Select Set date & time from the Main System menu.

The System Date and Time dialog will appear.

2.	Notice the Time section.  It contains an hours/minutes spinfield attached to a spinbutton.  To the right of the spinbutton are two radiobuttons for specifying AM & PM.

3.	The Date section is below the Time.  It contains three fields attached to a spinbutton -- Month, Day, and Year.

As you change the date, the new day of week changes to the right of the spinbutton.

4.	 Click on OK (or press Enter) to change the system date and time, or click Cancel (or press Esc) to keep the date and time as is.

Related Topics:

Displaying the date and time with DateBar & TimeBar

Displaying time in different formats

Using spinfields


Using JumpStart
 JumpStarting Your Programs

As soon as you register ClockMan, you can take advantage of JumpStart, a handy little thank-you utility that gives your programs a head start by automatically sending keystrokes to them when they're launched from a Program Manager icon.  JumpStart can send the program any keystrokes a ClockMan alarm would send it.  JumpStart can also exit/restart Windows or reboot the system.

To Run JumpStart:

Run the program JSTART.EXE from a Program Manager icon, Command Post menu, or any other shell program that lets you run a program with command line parameters.  These parameters specify what program to launch or window to activate, how to show it, command line parameters to pass through to the program, and which keystrokes to send it.

JumpStart Syntax:

jstart.exe  program [-ddir] [-a"windowname"] [-sshowcmd] [-c"cmdline"] [-k"keystrokes"]

jstart.exe  -x DOScode

jstart.exe  -r

jstart.exe  -b

(The square brackets [  ] denote optional items.)

program	The pathname of the program to launch.

dir	The working directory to change to before launching the program.  This directory path can include a drive letter.  If a window is activated instead of the program being launched, then the directory won't be changed.

windowname	The title of a program's window to activate.  If the program is already running, JumpStart will activate this window instead of launching another copy of the program.  Windowname need not be the whole title.  For instance, "Note" will match "Notepad - mytext.txt".

Note:  If you want to activate a window that contains a quote mark ( " ), you must use two quotes together (""), since the windowname here is already within quotes.

showcmd	A one-letter code for how to show the program:

-sf	Show the program fullscreen.

-sn	Show it "normal" size.  (Windows chooses the exact size and position.)

-si	Show it as an icon.

-sh	Show it "hidden".  You can't Alt+Tab to a hidden window from the keyboard.  Most task switching programs won't even find it.

Note:  Windows can't force a program to show itself in a particular way.  Not all programs will obey the showcmd parameter.

cmdline	Any command line parameters to pass through to the program you're launching.

Note:  If you want to send a command line that contains a quote mark ( " ) to the program, you must use two quotes together (""), since the cmdline parameter here is already within quotes.

keystrokes	Any keystrokes you want sent to the program as it starts up (or when JumpStart activates its window).  You use the same syntax for specifying these keystrokes as you would in setting up a ClockMan alarm.

Note:  If you want to send a quote mark ( " ) to the program, you must use two quotes together (""), since the keystrokes here are already within quotes.

-x DOScode	Exits back to DOS from Windows.  DOScode is a number from 0 to 255, and is the "errorlevel" that is returned to DOS.  If you launched Windows from a batch file, it can test this code to run DOS programs that can't have Windows running at the same time.

Note:  Don't use a DOScode of 66 or 67.  These are reserved by Windows.

-r	Restarts Windows.

-b	Reboots your computer.

Related Topics:

Running a program

Exiting Windows

Restarting Windows

Rebooting the system

Sending displayable keys

Sending Shift, Ctrl, & Alt keys

Sending special keys

Pausing the keystrokes

Sending non-standard keys

How to order ClockMan


 Power Users' Secrets!

Using a different alarm file

Creating your own alarm tunes

Features for LAN users

Using ClockMan in Different Countries and Languages


 Using a Different Alarm File

Normally when you run ClockMan, it will save the alarms in a file called CLOCKMAN.ALR, located in the same directory as your CLOCKMAN.EXE file.  However, you can also run ClockMan with a different alarm file.  You can even have multiple ClockMans running at the same time, all using different alarm files.

To Run ClockMan with a Different Alarm File:

clockman.exe server.alr
clockman.exe static.alr
clockman.exe daily.alr
clockman.exe susan.alr

Run ClockMan with the new alarm file's pathname on the command line.

You'll get an error message if a copy of ClockMan is already running with the same alarm file.


 Features for LAN Users

You can use these command line options to enhance ClockMan's usefulness on a LAN:

-C	Client mode.  Checks alarm file periodically to see if it's been updated.  If it has, it reloads the alarms from the file.  Useful when another user is broadcasting alarms by running ClockMan on the same alarm file in a common server directory.

-R	Read-only.  The user can view the alarms, but can't change them himself.

-H	Runs ClockMan hidden.  The user can't see the icon, nor can he change the alarms.  You can't Alt+Tab to a hidden ClockMan from the keyboard.  Most task switching programs won't even find it.  The program will end when you close down Windows.

-B	Broadcast-only mode.  The user can add, change, and delete alarms like normal, but isn't bothered by the alarms she sets.  You do not have to run ClockMan in (-b)roadcast-only mode in order for other (-c)lients to be notified of the alarms you set.

Optimizing LAN Traffic

Starting LAN-Based ClockMan When Windows Starts

If you're running ClockMan with LAN options enabled, you probably also want to start it automatically when Windows starts.  You won't be able to do this from the WIN.INI file's Load= or Run= lines, since you can't specify command line parameters there.  You can accomplish this in two ways:

1.	Put ClockMan in a Windows Startup group (if you're running Windows 3.1).

2.	Use Superload. This free utility we developed looks for a [SuperLoad] section in your WIN.INI file, where it gives you a full line for each program you want to launch.  You can also change the working directory for programs that aren't in your DOS Path.  You can find Superload in the \Zip directory on your ClockMan diskette, or on better BBSes worldwide.


International Formats & Languages
 Using ClockMan in Different Countries & Languages

Date and Time Formats

When ClockMan displays the date and time, it uses whichever format is set up by Windows.  You can change these formats by running the Windows Control Panel and selecting the "International" icon.

Languages

You can also have ClockMan display the days and months in a language other than English.  See the topic on the Language edit field in the Advanced Options dialog.

Related Topics:

Displaying the date/time with DateBar & TimeBar

Setting the current date & time

Language setting in Advanced Options dialog


 Common Errors & Questions

Here's some common problems users can run into and their appropriate solutions:

I get this blank box and a tune and THAT'S IT!

A tune starts playing and I can't shut it up!

Every tune I select just plays "Cuckoo"!

High speed downloads get interfered by an alarm!

"Date and time already occurred"?

"Program file not found"!

"Can't find a window to activate"?

How can I get technical support?


Problem - blank box and a tune
 I get this blank box and a tune and that's it!

Problem:

An alarm must have occured, because a blank box came up and a tune started playing.  But there's no message in the box.

Solution:

You probably didn't put any text in the Msg: text box when you defined the alarm.  Or perhaps you wanted the alarm to be invisible but you didn't select a message type of "invisible".  (The default alarm type is "announce".)

Related Topics:

Creating an alarm

Changing an alarm

Deleting an alarm

Alarm messages


Problem - can't stop a tune
 A tune starts playing and I can't shut it up!

Problem:

An alarm tune keeps playing, but there's no message box to click on to stop the music.

Solution:

Choose Turn beeper off from the system menu.  If you don't, the tune will eventually stop playing anyway after a certain number of times.

Related Topics:

Quieting alarms

How many times to repeat tune


Problem - date & time already occurred
 It says the date and time have already occurred!

Problem:

You've created an alarm, or changed the alarm's date and time in the When dialog.  You click OK, only to see a message box that says, "That date and time has already occurred.  Use it anyway?"

Solution:

If you've defined a one-time alarm with a date & time that comes before the current system date & time, the alarm will never go off.  Check the numbers in the spinfields.  Or perhaps you should choose PM instead of AM.

Related Topics:

When will an alarm occur?

Using spinfields

Changing today's date & time


Problem - program file not found
 Program file not found

Problem:

You've defined an alarm that will run another program.  But when the alarm occurs, you get the error message "Program file not found".

Solution:

Either the program you wanted the alarm to launch wasn't in the current directory, wasn't in the DOS Path, or else had a typing error in it.  Double check the error and try it again.  And don't forget to use the Test button when creating your alarm!

Related Topics:

Launching a program

Testing an alarm


Problem - can't activate a window
 My alarm can't find a window to activate!

Problem:

You've defined an alarm that will activate a program's window.  But when the alarm occurs, you get the message "Can't find a window whose title starts with text to activate".

Solution:

Finding the correct Windows title can be a little tricky.  Crosstalk for Windows is a perfect example.  When iconized, it says "XTalk" - probably to save space.  But when it's restored to its normal size, its title says "CROSSTALK for Windows"!  You'll have to pay close attention to what you're entering in the Set Alarms dialog's Pgm: edit box.

Related Topics:

Launching a program


Problem - all tunes play "Cuckoo"
 Every tune just plays "Cuckoo"!

Problem:

You can't find any tunes in the dropdown listbox, either in the Options or the Set Alarms dialogs.  If you press the [image] button, all you hear is "Cuckoo".  When an audible alarm occurs, it sounds "Cuckoo" even if a different tune had been defined for it.

Solution:

Alarm tune definitions are stored in the CLOCKMAN.INI file.  This file must be located in either the same directory CLOCKMAN.EXE is in, or your Windows directory (usually C:\WINDOWS).

If ClockMan can't find an alarm's tune definition in CLOCKMAN.INI, it plays "Cuckoo" as a default.

Related Topics:

Audible alarms

Composing your own tunes


Problem - high speed downloads
 Alarms interfere with my high-speed downloads!

Problem:

You're downloading files at high speeds (usually 9600bps or faster) in a DOS session run from Windows.  An alarm occurs and sounds a tune.  Your download loses characters.

Solution:

Generating sound on a PC is a processor-intensive task.  We have taken pains to make ClockMan work well in a multitasking environment, but sometimes a real-time process running in a DOS session can get interrupted long enough to lose information.  Try using shorter tunes for your alarms, or turn audible alarms off from the Options dialog before running a high speed real-time process.  You can also press Esc while the tune is playing to cut it off.

Related Topics:

Quieting alarms


 Technical Support

Technical help with ClockMan can be answered many different ways:

If you call bulletin boards, a quick answer can be had by your local computer guru.  She'll know!

If you call CompuServe, you can address a message in the Windows Advanced Users forum (GO WINADV).  Technical support on CompuServe is handled by Koll Simonds (CIS 70144,1540).

We can be reached via Internet at 70144.1540@compuserve.com.

There's always The Graphical Dynamics Support BBS - (206)938-2398  (Seattle) - 24 hrs, 9600 8N1.

If you've registered your copy of ClockMan, you can call Graphical Dynamics Technical Support line:  (206) 935-6032  9:00am - 6:00pm PST (1700h - 0200h GMT).  (Be sure to have your license number handy.)


Spin Fields
 How to Use Spinfields

A spinfield is a special type of dialog control that makes it easier for you to cycle through numeric information, such as the time of day or how many times to repeat an alarm tune.

A spinfield consists of one or more edit fields with a [image] button immediately to their right:

You can enter data into these fields with either the mouse or the keyboard.

To Change Data with the Mouse:

Simply click on either the up or down arrow in the [image] button.  This will increment or decrement the associated field.

If a [image] button is associated with more than one edit field (such as in a date or time field), then clicking on the button affects whichever edit field has the input focus.

To Change Data with the Keyboard:

Change the data in a spinfield just as you would a normal edit box.  However, you can also press the up or down arrow keys to increment or decrement the number.


An alarm is an event that occurs at a specific time, either once on a particular date, or many times on specific recurring days.


A special key is any key that doesn't correspond to a standard alphanumeric character:

* + - . / and 0 thru 9 on the numeric keypad, Backspace, Break, CapsLock, Clear, Delete, down arrow, End, Enter, Esc, function keys F1 thru F16, Home, Insert, left arrow, NumLock, PageDn, PageUp, Print Screen, right arrow, Tab, up arrow.