Wayzata's Best of Shareware PC/Windows 1

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Text File | 1992-09-14 | 63KB | 1,270 lines

Smart Menu Version 1.0 Son Productions "Committed to quality shareware at quality prices" Written by John Campion 86 Collins Circle Hanover, PA 17331, USA 9/14/92 Table of Contents 1. Introduction to Smart Menu.....................1 2. Disclaimer.....................................2 3. Hardware Requirements..........................2 4. Installation...................................3 5. General Information............................3 6. Mouse Information..............................3 7. Executable Files and Smart Menu................4 8. Video Modes and Smart Menu.....................4 9. Smart Menu's Built-In Screen Saver.............5 10. Configuring Smart Menu.........................5 10.1. File Sub-Menu................................5 10.2. Entries Sub-Menu.............................6 10.3. Colors Sub-Menu..............................9 10.4. Security Sub-Menu...........................10 10.5. Other Options Sub-Menu......................11 11. Using Smart Menu..............................13 12. Registration..................................15 13. Miscellaneous.................................15 13.1 A Note to OS/2 2.0 Users.....................15 13.2 Credits, Source Code Availability, Etc.......15 13.3 Ways to Contact the Author...................16 13.4 Smart Menu's Future..........................17 13.5 Other Programs Written by John Campion.......17 13.6 Other Programs that are in the Works.........17 14. Registration/Order Form.......................18 Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION TO SMART MENU Smart Menu is a small and easy to use menu program. It was designed for simplicity and the novice computer user. However, even advanced computer users might enjoy Smart Menu. If you are looking for a huge, powerful menu system for networks and need thousands upon thousands of entries then this is not for you. (However, SM can handle at least a few hundred.) On the other hand, this could be just what you wanted. Smart Menu has lots of features and a few minor annoyances. To be completely honest about SM, I will tell you about both. Features: - Numerous Entries. Each menu can have 50 entries and sub-menus The sub-menus can go as deep as 10 levels. - Full Mouse Support. Every aspect of SM can use the mouse. This includes the main program as well as the configuration program. - User Configurable Colors. Virtually every color that you see can be changed. Smart Menu uses one of the easiest methods of color selections available. With this, the user can see every color available, and choose from among them. (Sorry, but this option is not available to monochrome users) - State-of-the-Art Swapping. When running a program, Smart Menu can swap out to EMS, XMS, or disk space. This leaves only 1.8k in conventional memory. However, if you cannot afford a 1.8k loss, SM can also be run in batch mode, which takes no memory at all. - Small Size. Smart Menu, even with 10 sub-menus takes less than 100k of disk space. That is pretty impressive considering all that it does. - DOS Shell. SM contains a DOS Shell that allows users to temporarily shell to DOS. This can be password protected. - Point 'N' Shoot file selection for choosing the file you want to use in an entry. SM will display a listing of the files on the drive, by directories, and you can select one. The files can also be sorted by the user. - Parameters. Smart Menu can automatically ask the user for parameters to be passed to the program that is being run. - Passwords. Almost everything in Smart Menu can be password protected. Each entry can have its own password, the configuration can be protected, and even exiting the program itself can be protected. - A System Password. The System Password can bypass all passwords in SM. This way, only one password has to be remembered by the computer operator. - Password Flexibility. The passwords are very flexible. They can be case-sensitive, and the actual entering of passwords in SM can be visible or not. Also, you can optionally turn off the backspace key. - Password Toggling. This enables the user to temporarily turn off all the passwords except for the configuration and exiting passwords. - Built-in Screen Saver. SM has it's own screen saver that works from any place in the menu. The time that it waits before becoming active is user-configurable. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (INTRODUCTION Continued) Non-Features: - Some people may not like the way the mouse is used in Smart Menu. If you don't, please drop me a line saying so, and I will consider changing it. - Some people may want the option in SM to start in whatever video mode they want. Again, I will consider changing this, if you request it. DISCLAIMER I hate long disclaimers, so I'll make this as short as possible. This software is provided AS IS, and I make no guarantees on it working on every type of computer (from XT's to 586's), or on every monitor (Hercules to XGA). I am not responsible for any damage inflicted by the incorrect usage of this program, although I do not believe that it is possible. However, I do not know if SM will work with a network, as I have no way of testing it. If someone wants to try out it for me, and let me know, I would greatly appreciate it. I have tried to make the software as bug-free as humanly possible. I believe that it WILL work on every type of IBM compatible computer, with every monitor, but, like I said, there are no guarantees. Smart Menu may be legally distributed and copied without written permission from the author, provided no files in this archive are changed or altered in any way. No one may charge for giving away this program, except for a maximum price of $3.00 for a disk with Smart Menu on it. Smart Menu is shareware, not freeware. This means that you are expected to pay for it, if you use it. See page 14 (Registrations) for details. There, was that short enough? HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Smart Menu requires: o Any IBM Compatible computer with at least 250k of free RAM. (220k of XMS or EMS is also advised, but not needed, for SM's swapping mode.) o DOS 3.3 or greater. Version 3.3 or greater is needed to run SM. SM has been tested with DOS 3.3, 4.01, and 5.0, as well as OS/2 2.0. o A hard drive. Smart Menu was designed to be used with a hard drive, but I am sure that it will also work with floppy drives. o A monitor is not necessary, but it might be helpful to see what is going on. Smart Menu has been tested on, and works with, all types of monitors, including monochrome. However, color selection is not available on monochrome monitors. o A mouse is not needed, but Smart Menu will let you use it, if you have one. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INSTALLATION Installation of Smart Menu is quite easy. Here are the steps: 1. Create a Directory for SM, with the command MD. The name of the directory does not matter. E.G. "MD SM" 2. Extract the files from SM's archive. Usually "PKUNZIP SM10.ZIP" 3. Copy all the files from the extracted archive to the SM directory. E.G. "COPY *.* C:\SM" 4. Change to the SM directory. E.G. "CD\SM" 5. Type "SM" (without the quotes), which will automatically start SM in configuration mode, because there is no SM.CFG configuration file. GENERAL INFORMATION This information is relevant to the entire program. Using Menus: Every menu can be navigated by using the cursor keys, or if the mouse option is on, the mouse. Enter or the left mouse button selects the option that the highlight bar is on, and ESCape or the right mouse button exits from the current menu or function. Dialogue Boxes: Quite often, and especially in the configuration program, dialogue boxes will appear for such things as the entry's title, directory, password, etc. The dialogue boxes are also used when inputting passwords and parameters in the main screen of SM. Some of the standard keys are listed below: CURSOR KEYS: Move the cursor, accordingly HOME: Moves the cursor to the beginning of the line END: Move the cursor to the end of the line ALT-D: Deletes the current line. There are other keys used in certain parts of the program, which will be mentioned in the appropriate section, of this manual. MOUSE INFORMATION Smart Menu makes full usage of the mouse, if one is available. SM has been tested with genuine Microsoft, "fake" Microsoft, Genius, and Logitech mice. SM is guaranteed to work with these. If it does not, drop me a line, and tell me what kind of mouse you have and what symptoms are occurring. A mouse can be used everywhere that the cursor keys can be used, such as in all the menus, selection boxes, etc. The only place it cannot be used is in the keyboard dialogue boxes. Generally, it's safe to say that the left mouse button is the same as the ENTER key, the right button acts as the ESCape key and the up/down/right/left movements of the mouse are the same as the cursor keys. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXECUTABLE FILES AND SMART MENU Smart Menu is compatible with all types of executable files. The only stipulation is, that to use different, or "strange" type of executable files, SM must run in batch mode. Batch mode is where everything is run from a batch file. SM is started from a main batch file and the selected program is run from a batch file. This enables SM to execute virtually any type of file capable of being run by the computer at the command line. (E.G., If you use JP Software's 4DOS, you can run .BTM files from SM.) Another advantage to batch mode is that it takes up no memory from the program that is being run. However, batch mode tends to run a slight bit slower, and if you want a high security system, where no one can break out of SM, then you don't want batch mode, as almost anyone can break out of a batch file. However, to overcome the slowness and security problems, SM also includes a "swapping" mode. This swaps almost all of SM out of conventional memory when running a program, and it is much faster and more secure then running from batch files. However, swapping requires almost 220k of either expanded or extended memory or disk space. It also takes up 1.8k of conventional memory. This is really not much, unless you need every byte you can get. The limitation to this is that you can only run .EXE, .COM, and .BAT files from SM. Some people will not see this as a limitation, but others will. SM lets you decide which mode you want it to run in, in each sub-menu. This way, one sub-menu can swap programs, and another can be run in batch mode. You can also tell one sub-menu to swap to XMS, and another to EMS, or whatever. Note that for both mode to work properly, SM.BAT must always be used to run Smart Menu. The choice is up to you. I recommend swapping mode, because it's faster, but I included batch mode because some people may need the extra memory. VIDEO MODES AND SMART MENU Smart Menu is designed to work with all types of video modes, as long as they are 80 columns. SM will work with whatever type of video mode it is started in. It has been tested with 25 lines (everything), 43 lines (EGA/VGA), and 50 lines (VGA). SM should also work with any other "non-standard" modes, such as 28 lines. I was thinking about adding an option in SM to start in whatever mode you choose, but I decided not to. If you disagree with this idea, please let me know. SM has also been tested with monochrome monitors. However, when run in monochrome mode, there is one limitation in SM. That is, you cannot change any of the colors in the program. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SMART MENU'S BUILT-IN SCREEN SAVER Smart Menu has it's own built-in screen saver. This will become effective after an amount of time that you specify in the configuration program. The screen saver will pop-up anywhere in Smart Menu - the main menu, the configuration, the help screen, etc. - anywhere! The screen saver simply clears the screen and prints random, colored dots on the screen. It does not use any graphics modes, so it will work with any monitor, and/or video mode. After the screen saver has popped up, you can press any key, or move the mouse to restore the screen to its normal state. Whatever key you press, or mouse movement you make, is not passed back to Smart Menu, so do not be afraid of pressing a "bad" key. Note that you can optionally turn off the screen saver. CONFIGURATION The configuration of Smart Menu is all run from a series of pulldown menus. These menus use the standard keys for selecting an option. In the middle of every configuration screen, there is a line that shows whether you are working on the main menu or a sub-menu, as well as the title of the current menu. A brief explanation of the menu option that the highlight bar is on is displayed at the bottom of the screen. The explanation of the configuration will go on a menu-by- menu basis, starting from the left. FILE This is the sub-menu for anything that has to do with files, saving, and exiting. EDIT A SUB-MENU Select this option, and a box appears with all of the names of the sub-menus in your current list of entries. Using the cursor keys to move the highlight bar, select a sub-menu to work on. After doing this, a momentary pause will occur, while SM is preparing itself to edit a sub-menu. Then, the main configuration menu will appear again, but everything you add or change applies only to the current sub-menu. Note that when you create a new sub-menu the title line is the same as the Entry Title, initially. However, you can still change it. SAVE This option saves the current configuration file, and continues in the configuration program, instead of returning to SM, or the previous menu. SAVE AS This option allows you to save the current configuration file under a new name. When the input box appears, enter any legal DOS filename. SM will then save the file under that name. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CONFIGURATION-FILE Continued) SAVE AND EXIT This will save the current configuration file and return you back to Smart Menu's main screen, or the previous screen EXIT W/O SAVING This option will return you to SM, or the previous menu, without saving the current file. Note that no confirmation is asked for, so be careful! ----------------------------------------------------------------- ENTRIES This is the sub-menu for adding, editing, deleting, and sorting entries. REVISE/ADD ENTRIES Selecting this option brings up an entry-information screen that allows the user to enter and revise all necessary information about each entry. The difference between this option and "Add Entries" is that this option starts at the beginning of the list, allowing you to edit each entry, where as "Add Entries" starts on a new entry, not revising the old ones. To change between the various lines of information, you can use the up/down cursor keys, as well as TAB and SHIFT-TAB. Pressing ENTER on a blank entry, or pressing ESCape, anytime returns you to the main configuration menu. (Pressing ESCape does NOT clear the current entry, if it is not blank. There are several extra keys used here in addition to the ones mentioned above, in "General Information," and they are also listed at the bottom of the screen, for your reference. Here they are, in alphabetical order. ALT-B : Starts the file browser. This only works when the entry is not a sub-menu. The file browser is used to automatical- ly add the path and file name (command) to the entry. All you have to do is select the file. The default sorting of the filenames can be selected the "Other Options" menu, from the main configuration menu. The file browser only shows the .EXE, .COM, .BAT files, and subdirectories in each directory. If you want something other than these, you will have to manually type it in yourself. If a file is selected and the "Title" field is blank, then the name of the file selected is put in that field, with the first letter capitalized. (E.G., If the file "castles.exe" is selected, then "Castles" is put in the "Title" field Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CONFIGURATION-ENTRIES-REVISE/ADD Continued) Here are some keys that are used here: General Keys: - F1: Displays a small help screen - ALT-B: Changes to the root directory - Up, Down Cursor Keys and Mouse: Moves the highlight bar - Right, Left Cursor Keys and Mouse: Changes the drive (Note: This does not work with floppies) - ENTER or left mouse button: On a Directory: Changes to that directory On a Filename: Selects the current file - ESCape or right mouse button: Exits File Browser Sorting Keys: - ALT-D: Sort filenames by their date - ALT-E: Sort filenames by their extension - ALT-N: Sort filenames by their name - ALT-S: Sort filenames by their size - ALT-T: Sort filenames by their time ALT-C : Pressing this clears the entire entry. Be careful! There is no annoying question asking, "Are you Sure?" because I absolutely hate that! ("Of course I'm sure, otherwise, I wouldn't have pushed ALT-C!" - At least, that's the way I see it.) ALT-D : This deletes the current line. Same thing as above, no questioning, it just does it! ALT-P : This is a toggle switch for "Parameters." When this is on, "(Asking for Parameters)" appears next to the field heading, "Command:". When this option is turned on, every time that particular entry is selected from the menu, SM automatically asks the user for any parameters that he/she wants to pass to the program being run. ALT-S : This is a toggle switch for "Sub-Menus." When this is on, "(Sub-Menu)" appears next to the field heading, "Title:". Also, when an entry is a sub-menu, a path cannot be entered. In place of a command field, there is a field for the name of a con- figuration file for that sub-menu. Only the first eight letters of the filename can be entered, as SM automati- cally adds the extension, ".CFG". Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CONFIGURATION-ENTRIES-REVISE/ADD Continued) SM uses a separate configuration file for each entry. While this may seem strange, it's purpose is to allow each sub-menu to have it's own color selection, among other things. See the menu item, "Sub-Menus" for further information about them. Each of these options can also be set by using a miniature menu that is accessed either by moving the mouse to the right, or pressing CTRL-RIGHT ARROW. Move the mouse to the left or press ESCape or the left cursor key to exit from this menu. The purpose of this menu is to allow the mouse to be used for almost every function in the information box, except for typing in the information for each entry. ADD ENTRIES This option is the same as "Revise/Add Entries" described above, except that this option simply starts adding new entries to current ones. See above for details on editing entries. SORT ENTRIES - ASCENDING This option simply sorts the current list of entries, in ascending order. Just for reference, ascending is : Apple, Book, Cookie... Whereas, descending is : Cookie, Book, Apple... SORT ENTRIES - DESCENDING This option simply sorts the current list of entries, in descending order. Just for reference, ascending is : Apple, Book, Cookie... Whereas, descending is : Cookie, Book, Apple... PICK 'N' EDIT This option provides an easy way to edit one entry, or as many of them as you want. When you select this option, a box of all of the entries appears. After selecting the entries that you want to edit, press "E" to edit them. Then the entry information box appears, where you can edit the information. Here are the keys used here: - CURSOR KEYS and Mouse: Moves the highlight bar - SPACE or ENTER : Selects the current entry (Note: when an entry is selected a check mark is placed next to the entry) - E : Edits the selected entries. - ESCape : Exit to "Entries" menu. The mouse is used in a special way here. Move the mouse up or down to move the highlight bar. Pressing the left button selects or de-selects an entry, and the right button exits to the main menu. To edit the entries you have selected, move the mouse to the right, and a small menu will appear with two choices. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CONFIGURATION-ENTRIES-PICK 'N' EDIT Continued) Select the first choice, "Edit Entries", to edit the entries, or the second choice, "Exit to Main Menu", to return to the main menu. Moving the mouse to the left removes the menu, and lets you continue selecting entries. Note that the cursor keys can also be used instead of the mouse for the menu. DELETE ENTRIES This option provides a way to delete one entry, or as many of them as you want. A box appears with the entries in it, and using the same keys as in "Pick 'N' Edit", above, you can select which entries that you want to delete. The only difference is that you press "D" to delete the entries. Also, as in "Pick 'N' Edit", there is a mini menu that can be accessed via the mouse or cursor keys. As in the Entry Information box, there is NO second chance. So, be sure you want to delete the entries. ----------------------------------------------------------------- COLORS When an option from this menu is chosen, the screen is cleared and a box appears with all of the available colors in it. The cursor is located in the color box. Using the cursor keys and/or the mouse, you can select any of the available colors for that option. Whatever colors you select will be put into immediate effect. Note that color changing is not available in monochrome mode. Here are the choices on the menu, explained: MAIN SCREEN The main menu screen, the clock, registration and version information, and the help prompt. TITLE LINES The title line "Smart Menu" and your own title line on the main screen. MENU WINDOW The window on the main screen in which the entries are displayed. HIGHLIGHT BAR The highlight bar that shows which entry is currently selected. PASSWORD AND PARAMETER WINDOW The window that pops up whenever a password is asked for, or parameters are to be entered. PASSWORD AND PARAMETER LINE The actual line where anything that is entered is displayed on in the Password and Parameter Window. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CONFIGURATION-COLORS Continued) UTILITY MENU The little menu that pops up, on the main screen, with all of the choices on it, such as Help, Credits, Configuration, etc. UTILITY MENU HIGHLIGHT BAR This is the utility menu's highlight bar. ERROR MESSAGE WINDOW This is the box that pops up whenever a error occurs, or a message needs to be displayed to the user. HELP SCREEN The screen that is displayed when F1 is pressed, or "Help" is chosen from the Utility Menu. CREDIT SCREEN Also the shareware information screen, this is the screen that is shown when "Credits" is selected from the Utility Menu. CONFIGURATION MAIN SCREEN These are the main configuration program colors. CONFIGURATION HIGHLIGHT BAR These are the colors of the highlight bar used in the configuration program. CONFIGURATION ENTRIES WINDOW This is the main color of the entry dialogue box, where all of the information about each entry is entered. CONFIGURATION ENTRIES LINE These are the lines where information is entered in the "Entries Window" ----------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITY This is the sub-menu for all of Smart Menu's security options. Note that all passwords are optional, except for the System Password, and if nothing is entered, this defaults to "SM". Also, all password entry boxes use the standard input keys. Here are the options, in order: CONFIGURATION PASSWORD This allows you to enter or change the password that is needed to access the configuration program. EXIT PASSWORD This allows you to enter the password that is needed to exit Smart Menu. DOS SHELL PASSWORD This allows you to change the password that is needed to use the DOS Shell option. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CONFIGURATION-COLORS Continued) SYSTEM PASSWORD This allows you to enter the one required password. This password will work in place of any other password in the program. This means that whoever is in charge of the menu only needs to remember one pass- word, instead of countless different ones. CASE SENSITIVITY This option allow you to choose whether or not the passwords are case sensitive. (i.e. If they are case sensitive, "PASSWORD" will not be accepted if "Password" is entered as the password. VISIBLE ENTRY This option allow you to choose whether or not the user can see what he/she is entering. If this is set to off, then the user will see a small star for each charac- ter that is entered. This way, people who are watching cannot see the password. ALLOW BACKSPACE The option allows you to determine whether or not the backspace key will be allowed during password entry. If this is set to off, then when the backspace key is pressed, nothing will happen. On the other hand, if the option is on, backspace will delete the previous character. ----------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER OPTIONS These are other miscellaneous options, relating to the configuration and operation of Smart Menu. TITLE LINE When you select this option, a box pops up asking you to enter the title line. The title line is the line that is displayed at the top of the menu screen. You may enter anything you like, using the standard input keys. MOUSE SUPPORT This option allows you to enable or disable SM's built in mouse support. The short delay that you may notice each time you run SM is caused by SM looking for a mouse. By turning off mouse support, if you don't have, or use, a mouse, you save some time at the start of SM. RUNNING MODE This option allows you to choose how Smart Menu runs programs. You must decide between Batch Mode or Swapping Mode. For a detailed description of each of these modes, please see EXECUTABLE FILES AND SMART MENU, on page 4. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CONFIGURATION-OTHER OPTIONS Continued) SWAP DESTINATION This option, which is only available when the run mode is swapping, allows you to tell SM where to swap itself out to. The choices are EMS, XMS, DISK and ALL. They are expanded memory, extended memory, disk, and which- ever SM can find, respectively. When disk is chosen, if the TEMP environment varia- ble is set, SM will swap there. If not, SM swaps to the current directory. FILENAME SORT This option allows you to determine how the files will be sorted in the file browser. This is the default setting, but you can temporarily change it when you are in the file browser. Here are the choices: DOS ORDER: This is the order that DOS has the files in. FILE NAME: Sorted by the file's name. EXTENSION: Sorted by the file's extension. FILE SIZE: Sorted by the file's size. FILE TIME: Sorted by the file's time. Personally, I find the file's name to be the best choice, but you may prefer another sorting method. HIGHLIGHT BAR TYPE This allows you to choose how the highlight bar will look in SM's main menu screen. There are two choices, with an example of each on the screen. The two choices are: FULL LENGTH: This is the entire length of the window. TITLE LENGTH: This is only the length of the entry title. I find the full length to look the best, but you may prefer the title length option. SCREEN SAVER This option allows you to choose the amount of time of inactivity that SM will wait until the screen saver becomes active. You can also completely disable the screen saver. Simply pick the amount of time that you want, or "None" if you want to turn it off. See SMART MENU'S BUILT-IN SCREEN SAVER for more details, on page 5. HOME DIRECTORY This option allows you to specify Smart Menu's home directory, where SM can find it's configuration files. To work properly from a PATH statement or in batch mode, this option must be set correctly. EXIT DIRECTORY This option allows you to specify what directory you will be in when you exit Smart Menu. This must be set to a valid directory, or left blank. If it is left blank, then SM will exit to whatever directory you were in when SM was started. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ USING SMART MENU This is where SM is especially designed to be easy to use. For a quick start, just move the highlight bar by pressing the cursor keys, and press ENTER to execute the program. You can also use the mouse. These options are available in Smart Menu's Main Screen. They are also listed on the F1-Help screen, as well as on the Utility Menu (accessed by pressing F2). UTILITY MENU This menu is used to easily access all of Smart Menu's primary functions in the main screen. Each option that is explained below is available on this menu. The Utility Menu can be popped up through one of several ways: RIGHT Action: This is the simplest way. Press the right cursor key, or move the mouse to the right to pop up the utility menu. Pressing the left cursor key or ESCape, or moving the mouse to the left, removes the menu. F2 or ALT-U: For those without a mouse, or those who like to use the keyboard for everything. Pressing ESCape is the only way to exit out of the utility menu when one of these keys is used to get to it. HIGHLIGHT BAR MOVEMENT There are several ways to move the main highlight bar, in the menu window. They are explained individually, below. UP or DOWN Movement: This can be accomplished with either the cursor keys or the mouse. An up movement moves the bar up, and vice versa when a down action occurs. 0 through 9: Using the number keys, one through nine, you can enter the number of the choice that you want. The way that the number system works is this: (There are 10 entries) The number one is pushed, and the bar moves to entry one. Then when the number zero is pushed, the bar moves to option number ten. HOME and END Keys: Pressing the HOME or END keys moves the highlight bar to the top or bottom of the list, re- spectively. SELECTING AN ENTRY The are two different ways to select an entry: With or without parameters being asked for. (Parameters are the options that are passed to the program that is being run). NORMAL SELECTION To select an entry to run normally, simply press ENTER or the left mouse button to run the program. Note that if the choice is configured to ask for parameters every time it is run, they will still be asked for. ASKING FOR PARAMETERS To select an entry and ask for parameters as well, there are several ways to do it. You can push CTRL-ENTER or ALT-P. You can also select "Parameters" from the Utility Menu. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (USING SM Continued) VIEWING MORE ENTRIES To view move entries, if there are more than the screen can hold, press PGDOWN. To return to the first screen of entries, press PGUP. CONFIGURATION To start Smart Menu's configuration program, press either F3 or ALT-C. You can also start configuration by selecting "Configuration" from the Utility Menu. HELP SCREEN To view a help screen of all these options, press F1 or ALT-H, or select "Help" from the Utility Menu. CREDIT SCREEN To view the credit screen, with the author's name and other information, press F4 or ALT-R. SHAREWARE INFORMATION To view a screen about registering Smart Menu, press F7 or ALT-I. Note that this option is not available in the registered version of Smart Menu, for obvious reasons. TOGGLING PASSWORDS This is an option that I believe is unique to Smart Menu. When you select this option, by pressing either ALT-T or F5, the system password must be entered. If the correct password is given, then no passwords will be required for running any of the entries. The system password must be entered again if you want to turn the passwords back on. Some people may find this option useful, especially if someone like a teacher wants their class to do a certain program one day, and then the next day, they can do whatever they want. This way, all the teacher has to do is turn off the passwords. Note that passwords will still be required for configuration, exiting, and the shell to DOS option. SHELLING TO DOS This option allows the user to temporarily exit to DOS, by pressing ALT-S or F6. This allows you to enter any DOS commands that you want, and quickly return to SM, without having to restart it. Note that to return to SM from DOS, type "EXIT" at the DOS prompt. EXITING THE CURRENT MENU To exit the current menu, whether it is a sub-menu or the main menu, press ESCape or the RIGHT mouse button. If the menu that you are exiting from is the main menu, then you will be returned to DOS. EXITING SMART MENU To exit Smart Menu, press ESCape from the main menu, or press ALT-X or F10 from any menu, either the main menu or a sub-menu, to exit directly to DOS. You can also select "Exit SM" from the Utility Menu to exit to DOS. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REGISTRATION Smart Menu is a shareware program. This means that it is not free, and you are expected to pay for it after a three week trial period. The shareware version of Smart Menu is fully functional, and the only differences are the shareware notices. These "annoyances" will disappear upon registration. Registration is good for life. This means that you only pay once. All future updates are free! Upon receipt of your registration, I will promptly mail you your serial number and registration number. (Notice: No disk is sent, unless specified.) When a major upgrade of Smart Menu is released, you will be notified by mail, or electronic mail, if applicable. Registered users of Smart Menu are also eligible for discounts on any future programs written by me. Numerous hours of work went into Smart Menu. If you like and/or use Smart Menu, please register it! See the file ORDER.FRM or the form at the end of this file. MISCELLANEOUS 1. A Note to OS/2 2.0 Users. Smart Menu has been tested with, and works with OS/2 2.0. Howeverm in order for the mouse to work properly in SM, you must tell OS/2 to give SM complete control of the mouse when it is being run. You can do this in the DOS setting box. Other than that, SM works fine in OS/2. 2. Credits, Source Code Availability, Programming Stuff, Etc. A) Program Language Smart Menu is the end result of hundreds, if not thousands of hours of work in Turbo Pascal. Version 6.0 of TP was used, as well as several public domain programming libraries. SM was programmed on a 80286 with 2 megs of memory, SVGA graphics, a 165 MB Hard Drive, a mouse, modem, and a Sound Blaster Pro sound board. B) Source Code Availability Source Code Availability is non-existent. Source is not available to anyone at any price. After all the work that I have put into this, I do not want to distribute source at this time. Perhaps I will at a future date. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (MISCELLANEOUS Continued) C) Credits There are many people I would like to give some credit to. So, here they are, in random order: 1) My Family. My family has provided me with much support in my efforts. They also provided the computer that SM was written on. 2) The Caplingers. This whole family was of great help to me, primarily by letting me test Smart Menu on all sorts of hardware (386's, 486's, all sorts of video modes, Windows, OS/2, etc...). They have also provided tremendous support. 3) Dave Durant. He assisted me with debugging a few problems, as well as being my primary Beta Tester. 4) Thomas Wagner. Although I have never met this man, I would still like to thank him for his excellent public-domain swap unit for Turbo Pascal. This unit is available for download on many fine BBS's as "EXEC32A.ZIP". It was this unit that made SM's swapping mode possible. D) Other Stuff, That's Not Really Important, but Worth Saying Anyhow. 1) This manual was written on the Breeze word processor/text editor, Version 4.5. This is a superb editor, and I highly recommend it as one of the, if not THE best around. Wordstar 5.0 was used for page layout and other things. 2) I'm a programmer and not an English major, or a document writer. If you have any questions, what-so-ever, that this manual does not explain clearly, please drop me a line through one of the sources below. I will do my best to answer your question promptly and clearly. If you think you could do a better job on this manual, be my guest and try. Mail a completed copy to me, and if I like it and use it, I will mail you a registered copy of Smart Menu, on disk. 3. Ways to Contact the Author A) U.S. Mail My address is: John Campion 86 Collins Circle Hanover, PA 17331-3448, USA. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Page 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (MISCELLANEOUS-WAYS TO CONTACT THE AUTOHR Continued) B) Support BBS My Support BBS is: Ed's Home Exchange BBS in Columbia, MD. Sysop: Ed Bachmann Node 1 - (410) 730-2917 - 1200/2400/9600/14400 With a USRobotics Dual Standard Node 2 - (301) 854-3076 - 1200/2400/9600 bps With a USRobotics 9600 (Node 2 is PC-Pursuitable through WASHDC) Many thanks to Ed for letting me use his board. 4. Smart Menu's Future Smart Menu is by no means complete. I have many things in store for a later version, possibly version 2.0. Some of those things are: - Usage tracking. So you can keep track of who did what with Smart Menu. - A different way of using the mouse, with a mouse pointer. - Preset video modes. You can select what text mode that you want SM to run in. - An extended help system. For more complete help. - When building a new menu, SM will automatically detect what programs are on your hard disk, and put them in appropriate sub-menus. 5. Other Programs Written by John Campion - PrintFile 2.0A. A small, free file printer with over fifteen useful options. This is the first program in the "*File" Series. 6. Other Programs That Are in the Works - CopyFile 1.0. A small, free, quick file copier. This program is at least as fast as DOS, and it has a few nifty features, like the total size of all the files copied, and more. This will be the second program in the "*File" Series, and it is due out by the middle of October. - ViewFile 1.0. Another small, free program. This program simply lets you view ASCII files, as well as search through them, and several other features. This will be the third program in the "*File" Series, and it is due out in the middle of November. Smart Menu Version 1.0 Pages 18-20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Smart Menu Order Form Version 1.0 --------------------- About Share Ware... ------------------ Share Ware (also known as user supported software and other names) is a concept not understood by everyone. The authors of Share Ware retain all rights to the software under the copyright laws while still allowing free distribution. This gives the user the chance to freely obtain and try out software to see if it fits his needs. Share Ware should not be confused with Public Domain Software even though they are often obtained from the same sources. If you continue to use Share Ware after trying it out, you are expected to register with the author and pay a registration fee. What you get in return depends on the author, but may include a printed manual, free updates, telephone support, etc. Only by paying for the Share Ware you use do you enable the Share Ware author to continue to support his software and create new programs. Considering that the Share Ware registration fees are almost always far less than the purchase price of comparable commercial software it's obvious that Share Ware is a good deal for everyone. There are real advantages to you in the Share Ware system. You get to try out software to make sure it is compatible with your hardware and that it fits your needs before you "buy" it with your registration. The author saves the expense of advertising, packaging and distribution and passes the savings on to you. Plus, most Share Ware authors are much more accessible than commercial software sources so that your questions and suggestions are much more likely to be responded to. SMART MENU BENEFITS Upon registration of Smart Menu (SM), you will receive a Registration Number and Serial Number, with instructions explaining how to register SM. No disk will be sent, unless you specify. There is no difference between the registered and unregistered version of SM, except that registered version lacks the shareware screen, and the owner's name and serial number are displayed on the main screen. Registration of Smart Menu is fifteen dollars ($15.00), U.S., and is for life. You can register all future versions of Smart Menu with the same Registration Number and Serial Number. To register Smart Menu, please fill out this form, and mail it, along with the appropiate amount, in a check or money order (Please, no cash), made payable to John Campion, and your order will be shipped promptly after receiving it. See the form for info about Site Licenses. Please print this file, and return the last page. Thank you for your support! Smart Menu Registration Version 1.0 Name: __________________________________________________________________ Company: _______________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ State/Country: ________________ Zip Code: _______________ (9-digit, if available) Phone Number: (optional) ____________________________________ Current Version of Smart Menu that you have: ____________ Are you a member of the RIME Network? ___________ If so, under what name? _______________________________________ Number of Copies: _____________ Price Each: _____________ Pricing: 1-5 copies: $15.00 each. 6-9 copies: $12.00 each. 10-?? copies: $9.00 each. [ ] Check here and include an additional $2.00 to cover shipping and disk expenses, if you want : _____________ a disk with the latest version of SM shipped to you, if there is a newer version. Include $5.00 for orders out of the United States: _____________ Total: _____________ If checked above, Disk Size: _____________ Mail completed form, along with payment, to: John Campion Phone: (717) 633-1244 86 Collins Circle Hanover, PA, USA 17331-3448 All orders processed within 24 hours, and shipped the following day. Thanks again, for your support!