Category : OS/2 Files
Archive   : PC2_140.ZIP
Filename : PC2.DOC

******************************************************************************
Announcing

PC/2 - Programm Commander/2 Version 1.40 for
IBM OS/2 2.x Presentation Manager
Copyright (C) by Stangl Roman 04, 1993

Version 1.40 Draft
******************************************************************************

Dear Users!

PC/2 is an addon or replacement (!) for the WPS (Work Place Shell) that adds a
feature, that OS/2 definitly is missing! After PC/2 is loaded you may click
mouse button 1 anywhere on the Desktop to display a user-configurable
Popup-Menu, where you can select an application to start. This simplyfies
starting any application very much - you don't have to click on folders/icons
anymore to launch it - no more messed up Desktop full of folders/icons. You
even don't need to install the memory consuming WPS!

For every application you start, a configuration file contains:
*) Program Data: Title, Path and Filename, working directory and
parameters. For DOS programs you can enter the required DOS
Settings in an entryfield. You may also configure PC/2 to
request commandline parameters before an application is
started. You can also add WPS Objects to be started.
*) Program Style: Default, Maximized, Minimized, Invisible, no autoclose
background execution
*) Program Size & Position: User selectable size and position
*) Program type: WPS default, OS/2 and DOS Window or FullScreen,
Presentation Manager and WPS Object.
Seamless WIN-OS2 without a WPS Object that corresponds to this
seamless WIN-OS2 session is supported.
If you know how to start seamless WIN-OS2 sessions with an OS/2
API directly, p l e a s e let me know.
*) Program priority: Sorry, under the current version you can only select
the default priority, if I find out how to change the priority of
any process, you will also be able to select any priority.

Full help is implemented, so I would suggest to read the help panels to get a
impression of how you can customize PC/2.

Installation:
*) First unpack the archive with UNZIP.
*) Then use the REXX installation script to install PC/2:
Syntax: INSTALL
PC/2's files will be copied into the drive, path and filename
pointed to with . An object is then created on the
Desktop and PC/2 is then started displaying the help panels.
*) PC/2 should be started upon bootup. You can either click on the PC/2
icon and OS/2 will start PC/2 for you the next time you boot. This
holds not true if you have used the statement SET RESTARTOBJECTS=
STARTUPFOLDERSONLY in your CONFIG.SYS, then you must create an
PC/2 object/shadow in the startup folder.
*) PC/2 may be used instead of the WPS, you need either to copy
PC2HOOK.DLL into a path pointed by LIBPATH in the CONFIG.SYS and
to copy PC2.HLP into a path pointed by HELP in the CONFIG.SYS, or
both PC2HOOK.DLL and PC2.HLP must be in the directory where PC/2
is installed. Then edit your CONFIG.SYS to
SET RUNWORKPLACE=[path]PC2.EXE. The next time you boot, PC/2 has
replaced your WPS. (Of course you can then start the WPS from a
OS/2 command prompt by typing START PMSHELL).
*) The syntax of PC/2 is:
PC2 [-Profile Filename.ext] [-[Double|Single]Click] or
PC2 [/Profile Filename.ext] [/[Double|Single]Click]
where Filename.ext may be any filename for FAT or HPFS filname
convention.
If you omit the optional profile name, the default profile
PC2.CFG is selected.
Specifying the option DoubleClick selects that the Popup-Menu
appears after a double-click on the Desktop instead of a single
click. By default double-click is assumed, if you don't specify
any click option.

Version 1.xx Hints:
*) PC/2 is currently under test, so there will be some misspells/
inconsitencies/bugs. PC/2 will NOT destroy any data under no
circumstances!
*) PC/2 only supports seamless WIN-OS2 sessions, if WPS Objects that
correspond the this sessions are created with MAKEOBJ.CMD, a
small REXX-utility supplied with PC/2.
*) PC/2 was developed and tested on two different PS/2s under OS/2 GA
(the version of OS/2 2.0 from 31/03/92). PC/2 was also reported
to work under the December 2.1 beta. I think it should also
work under the March 2.1 beta, although PC/2 uses some tricks,
for which the Toolkit says reserved...

You may contact me via (E-)Mail, if you have problems/suggestions/questions at:
*) [email protected] (this address may become invalid in the
second half of 1993, try finger [email protected] to check)
*) Roman Stangl @ IBM Austria National Support BBS Tel. Number:
((0043) 0222 21145 6600)
*) Roman Stangl
Strebersdorferstr. 46
2103 Langenzersdorf, Austria

If you find this utility useful and want to honor six weeks of work, you are
welcome to send me 50 to 150 Austrian Schilling (about 5 to 15 US Dollar) to
my home address. Of course, you don't need to pay again, if a new realease
comes out.

History:
Version 1.00á: *) First public release
Version 1.10: *) Installation improved
*) IDLE_SECONDS=10 and IDLE_SENSITIVITY=100 added for DOS
sessions
*) Source code now included
Version 1.20: *) All DOS Settings now configurable
*) Standard file dialog can be used to find the application
you want to install to PC/2
*) PC/2 may now be used with or without the WPS - it may even
replace the WPS.
*) I know the bug occuring occasionally when deleting entries
is not removed, but other things have a higher priority.
Version 1.30: *) CR, LF added to DOS Settings, if missing.
*) DoubleClick command line option added, installation prompts
the user, if he wants to install this option into the PC/2
object. PC/2 now pops up after a double-click, if no click
option or the option [-|/]DoubleClick is specified.
*) ShutDown OS/2 entry and dialog box added.
*) PC2.HLP may also be in the directory of PC/2 instead in a
directory pointed by the HELP environment variable. The
same applys for PC2HOOK.HLP and the LIBPATH environment
variable. PC/2 first attempts to find these files, where
it is started from, then in the paths included in the
environment variables.
*) Popup-Menu now don't select an entry, if button 1 is
clicked at the bottom of the screen.
*) PC2.c V1.20: 257, 564: File close of unopened files removed.
Utility.c V1.20: 399, 457: Free of unallocated memory
removed.
*) DOS and OS/2 batch files automatically added as parameters
to their command processors (HPFS names with spaces under
two double-quotes).
*) FAQ list added.
*) Entry-removing bug solved.
*) Directory changed to root if only drive is entered as the
working directory.
*) User enterable commandline-parameter at run-time added.
Now you may enter commandline-parameters immediately before
an application is launched.
Version 1.40: *) WPS Objects may now be started too by PC/2, even if they are
seamless WIN-OS2 session.
*) PC/2 changes to the root of each non-removable media attached
to your system, except for the defined working directory.
*) Drag & Drop is now supported.
*) PC/2 checks every 2.5 if the Desktop window handle changes, so
if you run PC/2 as a WPS replacement you can start PMSHELL
without needing to close PC/2 once after PMSHELL is ready.
*) You can now resort (Sub)menus manually.

Planned enhancements:
*) Seamless WIN-OS2 support. Please email me, if you know how to implement
this! - Thanks!
*) Convert Program Installation dialog to notebook pages.

Please read the help panels and enjoy! Roman Stangl