Category : File Managers
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WINDOW MENU tm

copyright (c) 1989


USER'S MANUAL


All rights reserved
by
Texas Computer Cattle Company
P.O. Box 201941
Arlington, TX 76006-1941
214-313-1610



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(c) Copyright 1989 Texas Computer Cattle Company
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America



Window Menu is a registered trademark of Texas Computer Cattle Company.

IBM PC, XT, AT, and PC-DOS are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation.

MS-DOS and Microsoft are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Logitech is a registered trademark of Logitech, Inc.

Turbo Pascal is a registered trademark of Borland International, Inc.

Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders.



This document supports VERSION 1.00 of Window Menu.

Texas Computer Cattle Company PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Some states do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain
transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you.

This publication could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be
incorporated in new editions of the publication. Texas Computer Cattle Company
may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s)
described in this publication at any time.

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Texas Computer Cattle Company Program License Agreement


YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE
OPENING, INSTALLING, AND/OR EXECUTING THIS APPLICATION/DISKETTE(S) PACKAGE.
OPENING, INSTALLING, AND/OR EXECUTING THIS APPLICATION/DISKETTE(S) PACKAGE
INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. IF YOU DO NOT
AGREE WITH THEM, YOU SHOULD PROMPTLY RETURN THE PACKAGE UNOPENED OR DESTROY
ALL COPIES IN YOUR POSSESSION.

Texas Computer Cattle Company provides this program and licenses its use in
the United States and Puerto Rico. You assume responsibility for the
selection of the program to achieve your intended results, and for the
installation, use, and results obtained from the program.


SHAREWARE LICENSE

The following is the shareware license agreement and understanding:

0. You are requested to make a shareware contribution of $40 U.S. dollars
for use of this program (see REGISTRATION at the end of this manual);

1. Texas Computer Cattle Company retains the sole right to sell the
program;

2. You are encouraged to copy and distribute the program within the
following constraints:

- all program files remain unaltered and are distributed
together in their entirety;
- only non-registered versions with the built in time delays and
no copy/cut/paste function keys during menu modification can
be distributed;
- no attempt is made to sell the program, or to make money from
it or any modified version of it;
- the program is not bundled and/or sold with any other hardware
or software transactions without the author's permission;
- recognized users' groups may charge a maximum of $8
duplication or distribution fee;

3. Continued use of the program (more than two weeks) by any individual,
corporation, or institution without a Single User or Site license is
prohibited;

4. Single User licenses are obtained by sending the $40 shareware
contribution (see REGISTRATION at the end of this manual);

5. Corporations and other institutions (including government and
educational) which desire a Site license should contact Texas Computer
Cattle Company for more information.

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TERM

The license is effective until terminated. You may terminate it at any
other time by destroying the program together with all copies,
modifications, and merged portions in any form. It will also terminate
upon conditions set forth elsewhere in this Agreement or if you fail to
comply with any term or condition of this Agreement. You agree upon such
termination to destroy the program together with all copies, modifications,
and merged portions in any form.


LIMITED WARRANTY

THE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK
AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE
PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (AND NOT TEXAS COMPUTER CATTLE COMPANY) ASSUME
THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION. SOME
STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE
EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL
RIGHTS AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

Texas Computer Cattle Company does not warrant that the functions contained
in the program will meet your requirements or that the operation of the
program will be uninterrupted or error free.


LIMITATIONS OF REMEDIES

IN NO EVENT WILL TEXAS COMPUTER CATTLE COMPANY BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY
DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH
PROGRAM EVEN IF TEXAS COMPUTER CATTLE COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY.

SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION
MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.


GENERAL

This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Texas.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT, UNDERSTAND IT AND AGREE
TO BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS AND CONDITIONS. YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT IT IS THE
COMPLETE AND EXCLUSIVE STATEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US WHICH
SUPERSEDES ANY PROPOSAL OR PRIOR AGREEMENT, ORAL OR WRITTEN, AND ANY OTHER
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN US RELATING TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS


INTRODUCTION
About Window Menu...........................................1
Using This Manual...........................................2
Files You Should Have.......................................3
Hardware & Software Requirements............................4
Reserved Keys and Words.....................................5
Mouse Support for Window Menu...............................5

INSTALLATION
Installing Window Menu......................................6
Using WMINSTAL.EXE to Install Window Menu...................6
Finding Window Menu in your Path............................6
Example AUTOEXEC.BAT Files..................................7
After Installation..........................................8

USING WINDOW MENU
Components of Window Menu...................................9
Movement Between Window Menu and Your Selections...........10
F1 Help Key................................................11
Using a Mouse with Window Menu.............................12

BUILDING A WINDOW MENU
Quick Start................................................13
Menu Editing Commands......................................13
Modification Function Keys.................................14
Change Window Menu Title...................................15
Change Menu Colors.........................................16
Change Menu Options -- Titles in the Menu Bar..............17
Change Menu Options -- Selections in a Window..............18
Change Menu Options -- Prompts and Parameters..............21
Change Menu Options -- Cut/Copy/Paste Function Keys........23
Deleting a Menu Title or Menu Option.......................24
Exit Making Modifications..................................25

OTHER FEATURES
Screen Customization.......................................26
Exit to DOS................................................28
Using a Menu Title as a Stand Alone Option.................28
Menu Chaining..............................................29
Shell to DOS during WMBUILD................................30




(continued next page)

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APPENDIX -- Technical Reference
Memory Requirements........................................31
How Window Menu Finds Your Selections......................31
How Window Menu Finds Window Menu Files....................31
How the Window Menu Directory is Determined................31
Networking.................................................32
Mouse Support..............................................33
Documentation..............................................33
APPENDIX -- Error Messages.....................................34

COMMENTS

REGISTRATION

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INTRODUCTION


About Window Menu

Window Menu is a sophisticated menuing system utilizing state-of-the-
art screen windowing to organize your computer system and display the
applications, programs, and commands you use for your access.
Window Menu includes the following features:

- You see your menu as you build it; including all menu titles, menu
options and selections, and all menu colors. There are no command
files to build off-line that must be compiled or executed to
create your menu.

- Window Menu includes complete mouse support with an actual mouse
cursor, not just emulated keystrokes; the cursor moves with the
mouse to give you "point and click" capability.

- You can have up to 105 selections per menu categorized under up to
7 window titles across the menu bar. You can also chain to other
menus, allowing an unlimited number of menu options.

- Your menu selections can be assigned their own immediate execution
keys for "one key" access from any point on your menu (function
keys by themselves or in combination with the Shift, Alt(ernate),
or Ctrl, control, keys).

- Any character from the menu selection name can act as a hot-key
for quick access of each selection within an open menu window, not
just the first character of the selection name.

- Any menu option you set up can prompt for up to four parameters to
be passed to applications.

- You can password protect any menu option you set up, including
exiting to DOS, modifying your menus, and displaying new menus.

- Window Menu provides a help text window to contain a large
description that you write for each menu selection.

- Window Menu supports networking, allowing multiple systems to
share the same Window Menu(s) files.

- Window Menu contains context sensitive on-screen help at the touch
of a single key (F1). When you open the help window, it displays
detailed instructions for the Window Menu area you are using or
the function you are trying to perform.

- During menu building, cut/copy/paste capabilities for ease of menu
creation and movement of your existing menu entities (only
available to registered users).

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Using This Manual

Below is a summary of each chapter in this manual:

INTRODUCTION -- contains a general overview of Window Menu,
details the files you should have, the hardware and software
requirements of Window Menu, the specific components of a
Window Menu screen, and a discussion about mouse support for
Window Menu.

INSTALLATION -- discusses installing Window Menu on to a hard
drive and how to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT to include Window Menu.

USING WINDOW MENU -- explains the screen components of
Window Menu, tells how to move throughout Window Menu and how to
select options, explains how to use the F1 Help Key, and describes
how to use a mouse with Window Menu.

BUILDING A WINDOW MENU -- describes how to build your own
Window Menu including changing the Window Menu main title, the
menu colors, and the menu options.

OTHER FEATURES -- details other features of Window Menu such as
the screen saver, shadowing on/off, displaying hot-keys and
immediate function keys, exiting to DOS, and menu chaining.

APPENDIX -- includes Technical Reference and Error Message
Summary.

COMMENTS -- the Window Menu Comment form.

REGISTRATION -- the Window Menu Registration form.

All examples and discussion throughout this manual will assume you
have installed Window Menu on a hard disk, drive letter "C", and DOS
commands will be shown as you see them on your monitor (i.e. C>path).

We will discuss entering commands and data into your computer, and
these instructions will be concluded by telling you to "press Enter"
(this keystroke is often referred to as the "return" key or a
"carriage return").

There are three keys that are used often throughout Window Menu: Esc,
Alt, and Ctrl -- the escape, alternate, and control keys respectively.
Whenever they are referred to in this manual, they will be written
"Esc(ape)", "Alt(ernate)", and "Ctrl, control,".

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Files You Should Have

The release you received should contain the following twelve (12)
files (if you do not have all files, please contact Texas Computer
Cattle Company immediately for information on how to obtain a complete
release):

WMREAD.ME The latest information concerning Window Menu
updates, known discrepancies, available versions,
and newest features. THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD BE READ
FIRST BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL OR RUN
WINDOW MENU.

WM.EXE Window Menu's main executable module; calls all
other Window Menu programs and files; must reside
within your DOS path or you must execute it from
within a directory containing all the Window Menu
files.

WMENU.EXE Called by WM.EXE to read your Window Menu data
file (*.WMN). Unless another *.WMN file is
specified, Window Menu always executes the last
Window Menu file you used.

WM.CFG The Window Menu configuration file containing
parameters and pointers used by WMENU.EXE

WMBUILD.EXE Window Menu building facility; this program is
used to build and/or modify a Window Menu.

WMINSTAL.EXE The Window Menu installation routine; used to
install all the Window Menu files and create an
initial version of WM.CFG.

WMHELP.TXT Contains the Window Menu help text called from
anywhere inside Window Menu by pressing the F1
function key.

WMSTART.WMN The start-up Window Menu; should be the first
Window Menu you execute; a basis for creating your
own Window Menu.

WMEXAMPL.WMN An example Window Menu file created by
WMBUILD.EXE.

WM.DOC The Window Menu User's Manual.

WMREGIST.DOC The Window Menu Registration form (also contained
at the end of WM.DOC)

WM(C)'89.DOC The Window Menu copyright and shareware license
agreement.

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ALL WINDOW MENU FILES SHOULD RESIDE TOGETHER IN THE SAME DIRECTORY
(see INSTALLATION chapter below).

WNBUILD.EXE creates files with .WMN as their extension. In turn,
WM.EXE looks for .WMN when loading the specific Window Menus you have
designed. So do not rename any .WMN files to another extension, or
Window Menu will not be able to find them.

For further information pertaining to the programs and files described
above, refer to the APPENDIX -- Technical References section.


Hardware & Software Requirements

The following is the the minimum hardware and software configuration
required to run Window Menu:

o IBM PC, XT, AT, or PS/2 computer or 100% compatible;
o 256 kilobytes (KB) of RAM;
o standard display monitor (MDA, CGA, EGA, VGA, MCGA, 8214/A,
Hercules);
o at least one floppy disk drive (360KB or 720KB);
o hard disk with at least 1MB of available space;
o standard IBM or compatible PC keyboard with ten function keys
(F1-F10), arrow keys, Esc(ape), Del(ete), and Ins(ert);
o PC-DOS or MS-DOS version 2.0 or greater.

The ideal/recommended hardware configuration includes the following:

o a color display of some type (CGA, EGA, VGA, MCGA, etc.) to
take full advantage of Window Menu's color highlighting of
menus, selected options, hot-key character, etc.;
o a computer mouse (pointing device such as Microsoft Mouse) to
speed operation and reduce required interaction with the
keyboard.

The ultimate hardware and software configuration includes:

o a butt kicking 33mhz '386 zero wait state CPU with 16MB of
25ns static RAM
o a VGA stud color monitor
o 320MB, 18ms lighting fast hard disk
o disk caching (at least 4MB!)
o a 9600bps modem to upload Window Menu to your friends!

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Reserved Keys and Words

The following keys are reserved by Window Menu and always have a
dedicated usage throughout the menu:

F1 F1 function key is always reserved for HELP. It is executable
anywhere within Window Menu.

^ Up, down, left, right arrows are the MOVEMENT keys used to
< > change menus, move through menu selections, and make color
v choices.

Esc Escape key used to EXIT a menu or function in progress.

Ins Insert key used during menu modification to INSERT a menu
title or menu choice within an existing menu.

Del Delete key used during menu modification to DELETE a menu
title or menu choice within an existing menu.

Additionally, ".exit" and ".newmenu" are reserved words and are used as
special menu option commands (discussed later); never use them as the
command of a menu option without reading the OTHER FEATURES chapter of
this manual.


Mouse Support for Window Menu

Window Menu allows for the use of a mouse. A mouse is a small
pointing device that fits under your hand against a flat surface such
as a table. Except for a few instances when modifying your menus, you
can use a mouse in place of your keyboard to move throughout your
Window Menu and execute menu selections.

Window Menu is designed to support the Microsoft Mouse and has been
tested using Microsoft's mouse driver file called MOUSE.COM. The left
button of the Microsoft Mouse is treated as the Enter key; the right
button acts as the Esc(ape) key.

Window Menu has also been tested with the Logitech Mouse and
Logitech's mouse drive called MOUSE.COM. The left button of the
Microsoft Mouse is treated as the Enter key; the right button acts as
the Esc(ape) key. The center button is inactive.

If you intend to use the Microsoft Mouse with Window Menu, assure that
MOUSE.COM has been installed/executed prior to executing Window Menu.
Upon executing Window Menu, if you wish to remove the mouse driver,
simply type "MOUSE OFF" at the DOS prompt.

If your require further information on using a mouse, please consult

the Microsoft Mouse User's Guide documentation for material concerning
the Microsoft Mouse and its associated driver.

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INSTALLATION


Installing Window Menu

Installing Window Menu is very easy. Simply copy all Window Menu
files into the same directory on your hard disk. Here is an example
copy assuming your Window Menu files reside on a diskette in drive A:
and you want to copy them into an existing directory called "WM" on
drive C:

C>copy a:wm*.* c:\wm\*.*


Using WMINSTAL.EXE to Install Window Menu

WMINSTAL.EXE will perform the installation for you, creating a
directory on your hard disk called "WM". At the DOS prompt type
(assuming the Window Menu diskette is in drive A):

C>a:wminstal

WMINSTAL.EXE will ask on what hard disk you wish to install
Window Menu (likely to be C, D, etc.). Type the drive letter and
press Enter.

However you install Window Menu, the result must be the same:

ALL WINDOW MENU FILES SHOULD RESIDE TOGETHER IN THE SAME
DIRECTORY.


Finding Window Menu in your Path

If you wish to find Window Menu from anywhere in your system, all the
Window Menu files must reside in your current directory or must be
pointed to by your the "path" command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If
you require further information concerning the DOS "path" command,
please consult your DOS reference manual.

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Example AUTOEXEC.BAT Files

Below is an example AUTOEXEC.BAT that runs Window Menu from a

directory called "WM" each time your computer is powered on or booted:

echo off
prompt $p$g
path c:\dos;c:\wm
wm

As in this example, it is always a good idea to specify the disk drive
(C:, D:, etc.) when designating a directory in the DOS path.

Here is an example AUTOEXEC.BAT that incorporates the use of a mouse,
and then removes the mouse driver once Window Menu has been exited
(assumes mouse.com and the Window Menu files are in one of the
directories in the path):

echo off
prompt $p$g
path c:\dos;c:\util;c:\wm
mouse
wm
mouse off
cls

Please remember, Window Menu does not come with a mouse driver (in
this example, mouse.com). You must supply the driver software (see
the Mouse Support for Window Menu section above).

Also remember, these examples are not intended to be substitutions for
your existing AUTOEXEC.BAT, but rather should be used as a guide for
modifying your AUTOEXEC batch file if you would like your Window Menu
to execute each time your computer is started or restarted.

If you require further information concerning the use of AUTOEXEC.BAT,
or batch commands in general, please consult your DOS reference
manual.

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After Installation

After installation is complete, you may wish to delete some files that
are not absolutely necessary to the execution of Window Menu (such as
documentation and example menus). This is only recommended if you
have a space constraint on your system. Otherwise, it is best to keep
all of the Window Menu files together, both for reference purposes and
sharing with other people (an unregistered copy only!).

BEFORE DELETING ANY FILES FROM YOU HARD DISK, BACKUP THESE FILES TO A
DISKETTE AND PLACE IT AWAY FOR SAFE KEEPING.

The following files are not absolutely necessary to the execution of
Window Menu:

WMREAD.ME latest information concerning Window Menu
WMINSTAL.EXE Window Menu installation routine
WMEXAMPL.WMN an example Window Menu
WM.DOC the Window Menu User's Manual
WMREGIST.DOC the Window Menu Registration form
WM(C)'89.DOC the Window Menu copyright and license agreement.

The following files are necessary to the execution of Window Menu and
should reside together in the same directory:

WM.EXE Window Menu main executable module
WMENU.EXE reads Window Menu data files
WM.CFG Window Menu configuration file
WMBUILD.EXE Window Menu build routine
WMHELP.TXT help text for Window Menu
WMSTART.WMN start-up Window Menu

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USING WINDOW MENU


Components of Window Menu

Window Menu consists of a number of visual components used to organize
your system, all of which are quickly and easily set up by you. Below
is a depiction of a sample Window Menu screen followed by a short
explanation of each component:

ÚÄÄÄÄÄ menu bar ÚÄÄÄÄÄ a window title
³ ³
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³DOS Commands ³About Window Menu ³ Exit to DOS Games more->³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ÀÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
³ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿³
menu windowÄÄij³Modify this menu F2ÃÅÄÄ immediate execution key
³³Display WMREAD.ME ³³
³³ ³³
³ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄ menu options


menu bar The menu bar appears across the top of your screen
and contains the window titles/groupings that you
specify for your system. In the above example,
there are five window titles in the menu bar:

DOS Commands
About Window Menu
Exit to DOS
Games
more->

menu window The menu window is any one of the open menus
underneath a selected/highlighted window title.
In the above example, the menu window titled
"About Window Menu" is open.

menu options Menu options are the
applications/programs/commands you specify for a
given menu window. The open window above, "About
Window Menu", contains two choices:

Modify this menu
Display WMREAD.ME

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hot-key letters Hot-key letters are a single letter of a window
title or menu option that when pressed on the
keyboard, open that window or execute that menu
option (hot-key letters must be unique and cannot
already have been used by one of the options of a
given menu window, or by another title in the case
of the window titles in the menu bar).

immediate Immediate execution keys are function keys by
execution keys themselves or in combination with the Shift,
Alt(ernate), or Ctrl, control, keys, that can be
assigned to any menu selection to allow "one key"
access to your applications from anywhere in your
menu.

personalized title The main title of your Window Menu that you set to
personalize your screen (i.e. your name, systems
purpose, type of personal computer, etc.).

help text window The window at the bottom of the screen that
contains a description that you write for each
menu selection and only appears in the window when
that selection is highlighted.


Movement Between Window Menu and Your Selections

To choose a selection from your Window Menu, use the left and right
arrow keys or a mouse to highlight a desired title in the menu bar.
Press Enter to open that menu window. If the chosen menu window only
has one selection, the window will not open; rather, the single
selection will be executed.

Once the desired menu window is open, use the up and down arrow keys
or a mouse to highlight the desired selection. Press Enter to execute
the menu option you have selected.

Upon returning from your selection, you will return to Window Menu at
the same point you exited, window open and the selection you chose
highlighted.

If Window Menu cannot find the executable command for a menu option
you have selected (in the current directory, the DOS path, or the
directory specified by the menu option), or the menu option has been
built incorrectly, Window Menu will display the following message:

"011 - This selection is not currently supported."

To close an open window menu, simply press Esc(ape).

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F1 Help Key

At any point in Window Menu, you can press the F1 function key for
help. The help window will appear in the center of the screen; below
is an example of the help screen that appears for title selection from
the menu bar:

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ TITLE Selection from Menu Bar ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³Use the left & right arrows or a mouse to choose the desired³
³title from the menu bar (highlighted) and press Enter. The ³
³menu window from the selected title will open. ³
³ ³
³If no window is displayed, the selected title has only one ³
³menu option and that option will automatically be selected. ³
³ ³
³ ³
³ ³
³ ³
ÀÄ PgDn ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Esc-exit ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ page 1 of 5 ÄÙ

Pressing both mouse keys simultaneously will also display the help
window. Once the help window is displayed, either Esc(ape) or F1 will
close the help window and return to Window Menu.

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Using a Mouse with Window Menu

As mentioned above, Window Menu supports a two button mouse such as
the Microsoft Mouse. The left button acts as the Enter key; the right
button acts as the Esc(ape) key.

On the screen, movement of the mouse across a flat surface, is
represented by a block cursor (reverse colored character on a color
monitor, blinking on a monochrome monitor). Window Menu will
automatically realize that you are using a mouse if your mouse driver
has already been loaded, and, if so, display the cursor on the screen
when Window Menu is run.

To point at a menu title in the menu bar or menu selection on the
screen, simply use the mouse to move the cursor over that item; when
the cursor touches your selection, press without releasing the left
mouse button; this will highlight the selection; releasing the button
while the cursor is on that selection will act as a Enter, and execute
that choice.

If you click on the selected item, by pressing the left button of the
mouse, it will be the equivalent of pressing Enter, thus performing
that selection.

You can drag across the titles in the menu bar or up and down the
selections in an open menu window by holding down the left button of
the mouse while moving the cursor over the selections; you will see
each selection highlight as the cursor touches it.

Move the cursor outside of an open menu window and release the left
button if you do not want to select any option in that window, but
leave the window open.

You can adjust the speed sensitivity of your mouse's movement in
relation to how rapidly the block cursor moves on the screen (see the
Screen Customization section this manual).

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BUILDING A WINDOW MENU


Quick Start

To start building your own Window Menu, at the DOS prompt simply type
(assuming you are in the directory containing the Window Menu files or
it resides in your DOS path; see the INSTALLATION chapter for further
information):

C>WM WMSTART

This will run the Window Menu program (WM.EXE) using a START
Window Menu (WMSTART.WMN, titled "WINDOW MENU (tm) START MENU
(WMSTART.WMN)") that you will be able to modify and make your own.


Menu Editing Commands

To edit the START Window Menu, select the menu title "Modify this
menu" from the menu bar. This is the equivalent of running
WMBUILD.EXE, the Window Menu building facility to modify WMSTART.WMN:

C>WMBUILD WMSTART

In other words, the menu WMSTART already contains an established
option that executes the WMBUILD program to modify itself; this will
become more apparent as you continue to read about modifying menus.

The modification window will appear in the center of the screen:

ÚÄ Modification Window Ä¿
³ Change Menu Title ³
³ Change Menu Colors ³ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ the modification window
³ Change Menu Options ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

As you can see, you can change the main title of your Window Menu (the
default title of the start Window Menu is "WINDOW MENU (tm) START MENU
(WMSTART.WMN)"). You can change the colors of your Window Menu. Or
you can change the titles and options of the menu windows themselves.


To select an item from any menu, use the arrow keys to highlight the
menu item you want, followed by pressing Enter; or point and click
using the mouse.

Always remember, the Esc(ape) key is your way out of making changes to
a menu. If you find yourself somewhere you don't want to be, press
Esc.

And the F1 function key will display help at any point while building
a Window Menu. Esc(ape) or F1 will close the help window.

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Modification Function Keys

The following table summarizes the function keys used during the
"Change Menu Options" feature of the Window Menu Building Facility:

F2 Modify the highlighted/selected menu title or menu option.

F3 Add a new menu title to the end of the menu bar or a new menu
option to the end of the existing menu window list.

Ins Insert a new menu title to the left of the highlighted title
or a menu option above the highlighted menu option.

F4 Edit the prompt/parameter information associated with the
highlighted menu option.

Del Delete the highlighted menu title (and all menu options in its
associated menu window) or the highlighted menu option.

The following function keys are ONLY AVAILABLE TO REGISTERED USERS:

F5 Cut the highlighted menu title (and all menu options in its
associated menu window) or the highlighted menu option.

F6 Copy the highlighted menu title (and all menu options in its
associated menu window) or the highlighted menu option.

F7 Paste/Insert the cut or copied menu title to the left of the
highlighted title or menu option above the highlighted menu
option.

F8 Paste/Add the cut or copied menu title to the end of the menu
bar or menu option to the end of the existing menu window
list.

F9 Shell to DOS any time while modifying a menu; Window Menu
automatically exits to the DOS command processor
(COMMAND.COM), though you can specify another default
application to execute (by creating WMSHELL.PGM).

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Change Window Menu Title

To change the main title of your Window Menu:

1. select "Change Menu Title" from the modification window;

2. a window will open with the existing title in it. Simply type
over the existing title with your new title. The title cannot
be larger than the editing window (70 characters), but can be
any length that fits within the window.

Don't worry about centering the title, Window Menu will do
that for you;

3. if, at any time while entering a new title, you would like to
quit without making changes to the existing title, press
Esc(ape); you will return to the modification window;

4. once you have changed your Window Menu title, press Enter; you
will return to the modification window.

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Change Menu Colors

To change a menu color:

1. select "Change Menu Color" from the modification window;

2. the following table of menu components that can be changed
will appear:


ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Color Modification Window ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³Background ³Parameter Entry ³
³Title ³Password Entry ³
³Menu Title Text ³Shadow Intensity ³
³Selected Menu Title ³Help Text Line ³
³Menu Title Hot-Key ³Immediate Execution ³
³Menu Option Text ³Reset to Defaults ³
³Selected Menu Option³Set Defaults ³
³Menu Option Hot-Key ³Background Character³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
color modification window


Using the arrow keys or a mouse, highlight the menu component
you want to change;

3. pressing Enter will change the actual color of the menu
component right on the screen; each Enter changes to the next
color. After repeated Enters, you will loop back to the color
you started at (8 colors for some components, 16 colors for
others);

4. when you settle on the color you desire, stop pressing Enter.
You may now highlight another menu component using the arrow
keys or mouse and change its color the same way;

5. you may establish default values for all colors by
highlighting "Set Defaults" from the color modification menu.
Pressing Enter will store all the current color settings that
you are seeing on the screen as the default settings.

If you have been modifying your screen colors, but would like
to return to your default settings, select "Reset to Defaults"
from the color modification menu. Press Enter and all screen
components will immediately reset to the default color
settings;

6. press Esc(ape) to return to the modification window.

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Change Menu Options -- Titles in the Menu Bar

To add to or modify menu titles in the menu bar:

1. select "Change Menu Option" from the modification window;

2. using the arrow keys or mouse, highlight the menu title in the
menu bar you wish to modify, or highlight the menu title you
wish to insert a new menu title next to in the menu bar;

3. press F2 to MODIFY the existing highlighted menu title,

or press Ins to INSERT a new menu title to the left of the
highlighted title,

or press F3 to ADD a new menu title to the end of the menu bar
(NOTE: you can only have seven (7) titles across the menu bar
per Window Menu).

The Menu Title Modification window will open;

4. TITLE -- Window Menu will prompt you for a new menu title; the
HELP TEXT window will say:

"Enter the Menu TITLE to appear in the menu bar"

The maximum length of a menu title depends on the amount of
available space in the menu bar. If 25 or more characters are
available, the maximum length of a menu title can be 25;
otherwise the maximum length will be the amount of available
space. Blank menu titles are not allowed;

5. HOT-KEY -- next, use the left and right arrow keys to select
the desired hot-key character; the HELP TEXT window will say:

"-><--Choose <ÄÙ Select position of HOT-KEY Character"

6. HELP TEXT -- finally, enter the help text you want to appear
in the HELP TEXT window across the bottom of the screen; the
HELP TEXT window will say:

"Enter the Menu Title HELP TEXT to appear in this box"

7. after all parameters have been entered:

TITLE
HOT-KEY
HELP TEXT

press Enter to close the Menu Title Modification window, then
Esc(ape) to return to the modification window.

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Change Menu Options -- Selections in a Window

To add to or modify an option in an open menu window:

1. select "Change Menu Options" from the modification window;

2. using the arrow keys or mouse, open a window menu from the
menu bar and highlight the menu option you wish to modify, or
highlight the menu option you wish to insert a new menu option
above;

3. press F2 or Enter to MODIFY the existing highlighted menu
option,

or press Ins to INSERT a new menu option above the highlighted
menu option,

or press F3 to ADD a new menu option to the end of the
existing menu window list (NOTE: you may only have 15 menu
options per window);

4. the Menu Option Modification window will open with eight lines
for eight (8) parameters that need to be set for a menu
option. After entering each parameter as described below,
press Enter to advance to the next parameter.

At any time, pressing Esc(ape) will exit parameter entry
without saving any changes or updates you have begun to make.

5. DESCRIPTION -- Window Menu will prompt you for a menu option
description that will appear in the menu window; the HELP TEXT
window will say:

"Enter the Menu Option DESCRIPTION"

The maximum length of a menu option description is 50
characters; blank descriptions are not allowed;

6. HOT-KEY -- next, use the left and right arrow keys to select
the desired hot-key character; the HELP TEXT window will say:

"-><--Choose <ÄÙ Select position of HOT-KEY Character"

7. HELP TEXT -- next, enter the help text you want to appear in
the HELP TEXT window across the bottom of the screen; the HELP
TEXT window will say:

"Enter the Menu Option HELP TEXT to appear in this box"

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8. WORK DIRECTORY -- next, you must specify the directory where
the menu option being executed can be found. If the command
is in the current directory or can be found in a directory
that is part of your DOS path, this can be left blank. The
HELP TEXT window will say:

"Enter the WORK DIRECTORY to execute application from
within"

Remember, it is always good practice to include the disk drive
label when specifying a directory path (i.e. c:\wm). If an
invalid directory path is specified, it will be ignored and
the current directory will be used when the command is
executed.

9. COMMAND -- next, enter the exact command that will execute
this menu option when selected from the open menu window; the
HELP TEXT window will say:

"Enter the COMMAND to execute"

Do not enter the command extension (i.e. ".bat", ".com", or
".exe") when specifying the command to execute.

Remember, Window Menu must be able to find the command in the
DOS path or the work directory specified on the previous line.

10. PASSWORD -- if you desire that a password be required before
this menu option can be executed, you may enter up to an eight
(8) character password (A-Z, a-z, 0-9; passwords are case
sensitive); the HELP TEXT window will say:

"Enter the required PASSWORD to execute menu option"

11. IMMEDIATE EXECUTION -- if you desire an associated immediate
execution function key, press that key or key combination.
Valid functions keys include (NOTE: the F1 function is
reserved for Window Menu help):

F2 - F10
Alt-F1 - Alt-F10
Ctrl-F1 - Ctrl-F10
Shift-F1 - Shift-F10

The HELP TEXT window will say:

"Press the IMMEDIATE EXECUTION Function Key"

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If the function key you have selected is already in use, the
following message will appear:

"010 - Function Key is used for another application"

If you wish to remove a function key that has already been
specified, press the space bar to clear the entry.

12. PAUSE/NO PAUSE -- finally, after executing your selection, you
must specify if you would like a pause to occur before
returning to Window Menu. Think of it as an announcement that
the application/command you were executing is complete. The
pause message will read:

"Press any key to continue"

"No pause after executing" is the default value. To change to
"Pause after executing", simply press the space bar; pressing
the space bar will toggle between the two choices; the HELP
TEXT window will say:

"Press space bar to toggle between PAUSE/NO PAUSE"

13. after all parameters have been entered:

DESCRIPTION COMMAND
HOT-KEY PASSWORD
HELP TEXT IMMEDIATE EXECUTION
WORK DIRECTORY PAUSE/NO PAUSE

press Enter to close the Menu Option Modification window, then
Esc(ape) to return to the modification window.

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Change Menu Options -- Prompts and Parameters

Each menu selection you specify can prompt for and pass to the
executing command up to four (4) parameters. To add or modify a menu
option parameter(s):

1. select "Change Menu Options" from the modification window;

2. using the arrow keys or mouse, open a window menu from the
menu bar and highlight the menu option who's parameters you
wish to add or modify;

3. press F4 to EDIT PROMPT INFORMATION for the highlighted menu
option;

4. the Prompt/Parameter Window will open displaying the four
current menu option prompts and associated parameters (if any)
on the four lines numbered 1-4. Use the up and down arrow
keys or mouse to highlight the prompt/parameter you wish to
modify and press Enter;

5. for the selected prompt/parameter, the Prompt Information
Modification window will open with four (4) parameters that
need to be set for a menu option. After entering each
parameter as described below, press Enter to advance to the
next parameter.

6. Allow User Entry? -- if you would like the prompt you are
creating to be displayed to the user when its associated menu
option is executed, press the space bar for "yes".

If you do not want the prompt displayed -- in other words, you
just want a parameter passed to the command you are executing,
press the space bar for "no". The HELP TEXT window will say:

"Press space bar to toggle allow USER ENTRY"

7. Allow Blanks? -- If a prompt string is displayed that must be
answered, then the user should not be allowed to be enter
blanks; press the space bar for "no".

If you want to be able to enter blanks, requiring no other
answer to the prompt, press the space bar for "yes". The HELP
TEXT window will say:

"Press space bar to toggle allow BLANK parameter"

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8. PROMPT STRING -- If you desire a prompt to be displayed to the
user when the associated menu option is executed, enter it
here (maximum length 40 characters); the HELP TEXT window will
say:

"Enter the PROMPT STRING to appear on the screen"

If a prompt exists and you wish to delete it, you must blank
the entire line by pressing the space bar repeatedly;

9. PARAMETER -- If you wish there to be a parameter or a default
parameter for the prompt string being displayed, enter it here
(maximum length 35 characters); the HELP TEXT window will say:

"Enter the PARAMETER DEFAULT VALUE"

If a prompt exists and you wish to delete it, you must blank
the entire line by pressing the space bar repeatedly;

10. after all parameters have been entered, press Enter to close
the Prompt Information Modification window; you will return to
the Prompt/Parameter Window. If you wish to modify another
prompt/parameter, follow the instructions above (#4); or press
Esc(ape) to exit the Prompt/Parameter Window, Esc(ape) to
close the open menu window, then Esc(ape) to return to the
modification window.

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Change Menu Options -- Cut/Copy/Paste Function Keys

The cut (F5), copy (F6), and paste (F7-insert, F8-add) function keys
are ONLY AVAILABLE TO REGISTERED USERS (see REGISTRATION at the end of
this manual).

To cut and/or copy menu titles/options and paste them into the menu
bar or a menu window (respectively):

1. select "Change Menu Options" from the modification window;

2. using the arrow keys or mouse, highlight a menu title from the
menu bar (includes all menu options in its associated menu
window) or a menu option from an open menu window that you
wish to cut/copy;

3. press F5 to CUT the highlighted menu title from the menu bar
(includes all menu options in its associated menu window) or
the highlighted menu option from an open menu window -- "cut"
removes the highlighted title or option from its current
location on the screen so you can "paste" it elsewhere.

You will be asked if you are sure you want to cut:

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Cut Selected. Are you sure? (Y/N) ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

If you are sure, type "Y" for yes; if not, "N" for no.

Or press F6 to COPY the menu title or menu option -- "copy"
leaves the highlighted title or option where it resides on the
screen and makes a copy for you to "paste" elsewhere;

You will be asked if you are sure you want to copy:

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Copy Selected. Are you sure? (Y/N) ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

If you are sure, type "Y" for yes; if not, "N" for no;

4. highlight the menu title in the menu bar you wish to insert to
the left of or the menu option in an open menu window you wish
to insert above and press F7 to PASTE/INSERT the cut/copied
title or option,

or press F8 to PASTE/ADD the cut/copied menu title to the end
of the menu bar or the cut/copied menu option to the end of
the existing menu window list.

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Remember, you are only allowed seven (7) menu titles in the
menu bar and fifteen (15) menu options per menu window.
Window Menu will prevent you from pasting beyond these limits;

5. press Esc(ape) to close the open menu window (if any), then
Esc(ape) to return to the modification window.


Deleting a Menu Title or Menu Option

To delete a menu title from the menu bar (which will also delete all
of the menu options in its associated menu window) or an individual
menu option from a menu window:

1. select "Change Menu Options" from the modification window;

2. using the arrow keys or mouse, highlight the menu title in the
menu bar you wish to delete (which will also delete all of the
menu options in its associated menu window), or open a window
menu from the menu bar and highlight the individual menu
option you wish to delete;

3. press the Del(ete) key; Window Menu will open a window
containing a delete warning (it will also "beep" at you),
asking if you are sure you want to delete the highlighted
selection:

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Delete Selected. Are you sure? (Y/N) ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

If you are sure, press "Y" for yes; if you do not want to
delete the highlighted selection, press "N" for no.

Remember, IF YOU DELETE A MENU TITLE, YOU ALSO DELETE ALL OF
THE MENU OPTIONS IN ITS ASSOCIATED MENU WINDOW.

Also, if a menu window contains a single menu option, you
cannot delete that option -- you must delete its associated
menu title, which will in turn, delete the option;

4. press Esc(ape) to return to the modification window.

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Exit Making Modifications

To exit making modifications and return to your Window Menu, press
Esc(ape) at the modification window. If you have made changes to your
Window Menu, you will be asked if you would like to save these
changes:

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³Do you want to save changes? (Y/N)³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

To EXIT AND SAVE all changes/modifications, type "Y" for yes.

To QUIT WITHOUT SAVING all changes/modifications, type "N" for no.

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OTHER FEATURES


Screen Customization

You can tailor such features as window shadowing, screen saver, etc.
by invoking the screen customization window. To enter the screen
customization window, press the Alt(ernate) and "C" keys at the same
time ([Alt][C]). The following text will appear in a window in the
center of the screen:

Shadow Effect : on
Increase Screen Saver Delay : 0300
Decrease Screen Saver Delay : 0300
Hot-Keys : Enabled
Immediate Execution Keys : Enabled
Increase Mouse Sensitivity : 35
Decrease Mouse Sensitivity : 35

To exit the screen customization window, press Esc(ape); changes you
have made will become permanent.


SHADOW EFFECT -- When you run Window Menu, you will notice that each
window has a shadow that appears on the screen. This shadow can be
turned off by highlighting/selecting "Shadow Effect" with the arrow
keys or mouse and pressing Enter; pressing Enter again will turn on
shadow effect. You can toggle between on and off by repeatedly
pressing Enter.

"On" is the default shadow effect.


SCREEN SAVER -- Window Menu comes equipped with a Screen Saver -- a
way to put your screen "to sleep" so the constant image of the
Window Menu does not "burn" itself into your screen. You specify the
time (in seconds) between the last action taken in Window Menu
(returning from a selection, a keystroke, or a mouse click) and when
you want your screen to blank itself "to sleep".

When your screen is asleep, a periodic message will flash randomly
somewhere on your screen and display for ten (10) seconds. The
message will look like this:

Screen Saver
xx:xx:xxam

where xx:xx:xxam is the current time.

If you specify "off" as the number of seconds until the screen saver
is invoked, the screen saver is turned off. The maximum time delay is
3600 seconds (60 minutes).

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To increase the screen saver time, highlight/select "Increase Screen
Saver Delay" with the arrow keys or mouse; press Enter to increment
the time by five seconds; each Enter will increase the time by another
five seconds.

To decrease the screen saver time, highlight/select "Decrease Screen
Saver Delay" with the arrow keys or mouse; press Enter to decrement
the time by five seconds; each Enter will decrease the time by another
five seconds.

"0300", screen saver invoked in five minutes, is the default value.


HOT-KEYS -- You may not want hot-keys activated on your screen. By
disabling hot-keys, you turn off their use and they no longer appear
as a unique character/color in menu titles and selections within a
menu window.

To disable hot-keys, highlight/select "Hot-Keys" with the arrow keys
or mouse and press Enter to disable; pressing Enter again will enable
hot-keys. You can toggle between enable and disable by repeatedly
pressing Enter.

"Enable" is the default value for hot-keys.


IMMEDIATE EXECUTION KEYS -- As with hot-keys, you can enable/disable
the immediate execution keys; when disabled, they will no longer
appear to the right of their assigned menu option.

To disable immediate execution keys, highlight/select "Immediate
Execution Keys" with the arrow keys or mouse and press Enter to
disable; pressing Enter again will enable the immediate execution
keys. You can toggle between enable and disable by repeatedly
pressing Enter.

"Enable" is the default value for immediate execution keys.


MOUSE SENSITIVITY -- You can adjust the speed sensitivity of your
mouse's movement in relation to how rapidly the block cursor moves on
the screen. The range is 1 (slowest) through 50 (fastest).

To increase mouse sensitivity, highlight/select "Increase Mouse
Sensitivity" with the arrow keys or mouse; press Enter to increment.

To decrease mouse sensitivity, highlight/select "Decrease Mouse
Sensitivity" with the arrow keys or mouse; press Enter to decrement.

"35" is the default value for mouse sensitivity.


Remember, to exit the screen customization window, press Esc(ape);
changes you have made will become permanent.

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Exit to DOS

To exit to DOS from your Window Menu, you must set up a menu option
that uses a special Window Menu command (".exit") that terminates
WM.EXE and returns control to the DOS operating system. WMSTART.WMN
has an option already set up to do this; it may be helpful to enter
WMBUILD.EXE (C>WMBUILD WMSTART), select "Change Menu Options" from the
modification window, and look at how the option "Exit to DOS" is set
up.

If you are setting up a menu option to exit to DOS, the following
components are necessary:

1. DESCRIPTION -- either "Exit to DOS" or something similar;

2. HOT-KEY -- in a vast amount of PC software, "x" is often used
as a command for exit, but any letter not already in use will
suffice;

3. HELP TEXT -- something informative such as "Exit Window Menu
and return to DOS";

4. WORK DIRECTORY -- leave blank;

5. COMMAND -- the special Window Menu command ".exit";

6. PASSWORD -- only necessary if you wish to password protect
this option;

7. IMMEDIATE EXECUTION -- any available function key (in our
Window Menus, we use F10);

8. PAUSE/NO PAUSE -- set to "No pause after executing".


Using a Menu Title as a Stand Alone Option

Often you may wish a title in the menu bar to represent an option by
itself without needing to open a corresponding menu window, displaying
a single selection.

In Window Menu, if you set up only one selection in a menu window for
that window's title in the menu bar, that window will not appear to
open when that title is highlighted in the menu bar; instead, by
pressing Enter on that title in the menu bar, the window is invisibly
open and the single selection is executed. This gives the appearance
that the title in the menu bar is an executable option rather than the
title of a window with various established selections.

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Menu Chaining

Window Menu allows you to chain to multiple .WMN Window Menu files; in
other words, you can execute another .WMN file from a Window Menu
already in use. This is accomplished by a special Window Menu command
(".newmenu") that terminates the current .WMN file and executes the
newly specified .WMN file.

If you are setting up a menu option to chain to another menu, the
following components are necessary:

1. DESCRIPTION -- something descriptive, yet brief such as "Chain
to next menu" or "more->" or "New Menu";

2. HOT-KEY -- any letter not already in use;

3. HELP TEXT -- something informative such as "Chain to the next
menu" or possibly describe the contents of the next menu like
"Chain to menu containing spreadsheets and word processors";

4. WORK DIRECTORY -- instead of specifying a directory, specify
the name of the .WMN file you wish to chain to, but leave off
the .WMN extension (i.e. if you wish to chain to a menu file
called MENU2.WMN, you would type "MENU2" for the work
directory).

5. COMMAND -- the special Window Menu command ".newmenu";

6. PASSWORD -- only necessary if you wish to password protect
this option;

7. IMMEDIATE EXECUTION -- any available function key;

8. PAUSE/NO PAUSE -- set to "No pause after executing".

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Shell to DOS during WMBUILD

The Window Menu Building Facility (WMBUILD.EXE) utilizes the F9
function key as a way to exit temporarily, or "shell", to the DOS
operating system.

This is useful when setting up menu options; if you can't remember the
name of a command or which directory it resides in, you can shell to
DOS, quickly find the application -- even execute it -- and return to
Window Menu to finish modifying your menu.

This feature is ONLY AVAILABLE TO REGISTERED USERS (see REGISTRATION
at the end of this manual).

When pressed, the F9 function key defaults to the DOS command
interpreter, COMMAND.COM, allowing you to executed DOS commands at the
DOS prompt. To exit the command interpreter, type "exit" and press
Enter. You will return to where you left off from in the build
facility.

You can change the default command that is executed by F9 by creating
an ASCII text file named WMSHELL.PGM. This file should contain one
line with the name of the program you wish to execute whenever F9 is
pressed. The command should like this:

c:\xxxxxxxx\yyyyyyyy.zzz

where c:\xxxxxxxx is the directory path where the command can be
found, yyyyyyyy is the application name, and zzz is its file
extension.

WMSHELL.PGM must reside in your Window Menu directory where all the
other Window Menu files are found.

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APPENDIX -- Technical Reference


Memory Requirements

Window Menu is written in Borland's Turbo Pascal version 5.0. It
requires approximately 119KB of free random access memory (RAM) to
execute under a DOS environment.

When a non-batch application or command is executed from Window Menu,
approximately 9K of Window Menu remains in memory. A batch command
requires an additional 3.5KB. Add these requirements to those of the
executed application or command to determine total memory
requirements.

The Window Menu build facility, WMBUILD.EXE, requires approximately
121KB of free RAM to execute.


How Window Menu Finds Your Selections

When a menu option is selected from an open menu window, Window Menu
searches for the command associated with that selection to determine
if, in fact, the option is supported (is present on your system).
First, Window Menu searches the specified WORK DIRECTORY (or, if none
was specified, the current directory); then all directories in the DOS
path for the first occurrence of the command with the ".BAT", ".COM",
and ".EXE" extensions.


How Window Menu Finds Window Menu Files

When Window Menu searches for a .WMN menu file (either when a new menu
is chained to, or one is specified upon execution of Window Menu), the
directory containing WM.EXE is searched first, followed by all
directories in the DOS path, for the first occurrence of a file with
the specified menu name (that has an extension of ".WMN").


How the Window Menu Directory is Determined

When Window Menu executes (WM.EXE), it expects to find certain
programs and files in the directory where it resides. This directory
need not be known by the user, but, in order to enhance speed of
execution, you may find it useful to know how this directory is found
by Window Menu.

When executed, the first thing Window Menu does is test to see if the
"WM" environment string exists. This string may be specified by using
the DOS "set" command prior to running Window Menu. Below is an
example of its use:

set wm=c:\wm

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where c:\wm is the directory in which the Window Menu files reside.

If the "WM" environment string is not found, the current directory
followed by all of the directories in the DOS path are searched for
the existence of the WM.EXE file. The directory in which it is found
first will be considered the Window Menu directory and Window Menu
will expect the accompanying Window Menu files and menus to reside in
this directory. Keep in mind that this search will not take place if
the "WM" environment string exists.


Networking

If you are using a computer network, it may be desirable to keep the
Window Menu programs, files, and menus (.WMN files) on a shared drive
so that all computers on the network may use them without having to
keep a copy on each individual computer. This is especially desirable
if all of the users will be using the same menu(s) so that the efforts
of making the menu do not have to be duplicated on each machine.
Since all Window Menu run-time parameters are resident, there will
never be a conflict with other users.

It may also be desirable for each user to be able to have his/her own
Screen Customization options (see the Screen Customization section
above). On a single user system, the Screen Customization options are
saved to WM.CFG in the Window Menu directory (see the How the Window
Menu Directory is Determined section above). If every user on the
network used the same Window Menu directory for their WM.CFG file, in
essence they would be using the same Window Menu configuration and
would be forced to use the same screen customizations.

To store WM.CFG unique to each user, each computer on the network must
point to its own WM.CFG file. This is done by placing the DOS "set"
command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file of each computer:

set wmcfg=c:\util

In this example, Window Menu will find WM.CFG in a directory on drive
"C" called "util". If Window Menu is being run for the first time on
this system, it will create WM.CFG in c:\util.

If you utilize the F9 function key in WMBUILD.EXE to run a program
through DOS (only available to registered users), the WMSHELL.PGM file
must reside in the same directory containing WM.CFG.

WM - Window Menu User's Manual
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Mouse Support

Window Menu is designed to use a mouse; it supports the Microsoft
Mouse and has been tested using Microsoft's mouse driver file called
MOUSE.COM. The left button of the Microsoft Mouse is treated as the
Enter key; the right button acts as the Esc(ape) key.

If you intend to use the Microsoft Mouse with Window Menu, assure that
MOUSE.COM has been installed/executed prior to executing Window Menu.
Upon executing Window Menu, if you wish to remove the mouse driver,
simply type "MOUSE OFF" at the DOS prompt.

If your require further information on using a mouse, please consult
the Microsoft Mouse User's Guide documentation for material concerning
the Microsoft Mouse and its associated driver.


Documentation

The Window Menu documentation (WMREAD.ME, WM.DOC, WMREGIST.DOC) was
created using Microsystems Engineering Corporation's MASS-11pc. The
source document was then converted to an ASCII text file with no left
margin and a page length of 64 lines.

The printed version of the user's manual available to registered users
is printed on a laser printer using a proportional Helv2 typeface,
primarily utilizing 10 point characters.

WM - Window Menu User's Manual
version 1.00 page 34 of 37





APPENDIX -- Error Messages


001. Window Menu Help Text file was not found -- The Window Menu
help text file (WMHELP.TXT) was not found in the Window Menu
directory when then F1-Help key was pressed. Copy this file
from the Window Menu diskette into the Window Menu directory.

002. File WMENU.EXE was not found -- The main window menu program
was not found in the Window Menu directory. Check the Files
You Should Have section in this manual and make sure your
Window Menu directory complies with those requirements.

003. Not enough memory to run WIndow Menu -- Although Window Menu
only occupies approximately 9K of RAM while executing your
applications, it still requires at least 119K to execute the
main module. Remove any memory resident programs that are not
being used and rerun Window Menu.

004. DOS Error xx -- An unanticipated error condition occurred
during execution of Window Menu. Make sure that installation
instructions were followed accurately and rerun Window Menu.

005. Menu Bar Title description may not be blank -- An attempt to
enter a blank menu bar title description when adding or
modifying a menu bar title was made. Enter a non-blank menu
bar title description or press Esc(ape).

006. Menu Bar Title Hot-key is used by another Menu Bar Title --
The chosen hot-key of the menu bar title currently being
updated is already being used by another menu bar title. Keep
in mind that the hot-key is not case sensitive and that a
character, whether upper or lower case, may only be used once
as a hot-key for a menu bar title. Use the left and right
arrow keys to choose another hot-key character or press
Esc(ape).

007. Menu Option description may not be blank -- An attempt to
enter a blank menu option description when adding or modifying
a menu option was made. Enter a non-blank menu option
description or press Esc(ape).

008. Menu Option Hot-key is used by another Menu Option -- The hot-
key of the menu option currently being updated is already
being used by another menu option in the current menu window.
Keep in mind that the hot-key is not case sensitive and a
character, whether upper or lower case, may only be used once
as a hot-key in an open menu window. Use the left and right
arrow keys to choose another hot-key character, or press
Esc(ape).

WM - Window Menu User's Manual
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009. Command to execute may not be blank -- An attempt to enter a
blank command for the menu option currently being updated was
made. Enter the command associated with the menu option as
you would at the DOS prompt without a directory or extension.

010. Function Key is used by another Menu Option -- The function
key entered for the menu option currently being updated is
being used by another menu option. Each function key may be
used only once in an open menu. Select a new function key (or
press the space bar to clear the function key and indicate no
function key) or press Esc(ape).

011. This selection is not currently supported -- The command
associated with the menu option selected was not found in
either the associated work directory or the DOS path. Check
to make sure that the work directory and command are specified
correctly for this menu option (in the Menu Building
facility), or that the DOS path was entered correctly prior to
executing Window Menu. Changing the DOS path from within
Window Menu does not effect any subsequent references to it.

012. This program is not a stand alone program -- An attempt was
made to execute the WMENU.EXE program from the DOS prompt.
WMENU is dependant on other Window Menu modules and should not
be executed except by those modules. Try running WM.EXE from
the DOS prompt instead.

013. Not enough room to add Menu Option -- An attempt was made to
add a menu option to a menu window that already has the
maximum number of menu options allowed (currently 15).

014. Not enough room to add Menu Bar Title -- An attempt was made
to add a title to the menu bar when one of the following two
conditions exist: 1) the maximum number of titles (7) have
already been used, or 2) the combined length of the existing
titles in the menu bar, along with the required spacing
between them, occupy all of the space of the menu bar. In the
event of the latter, you may want to abbreviate existing
titles to give yourself enough room to add a new one. Or you
can create a new menu and chain to it from the your existing
menu (see OTHER FEATURES, Menu Chaining section above).

015. XXXXXXXX is not a valid menu file -- An attempt was made to
display a menu that was not of the correct Window Menu file
format (where XXXXXXXX was a name you specified). Only
Window Menu files created by the Window Menu menu building
facility will fit this format. It is recommended that another
menu name is used.

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016. Menu file not found -- The menu file specified either on the
command line or through the .NEWMENU chaining function was not
found in either the Window Menu directory or anywhere in the
DOS path. Check to see if the menu file specified is the
correct one.

017. Not enough memory available to run selected option -- A menu
option was selected that required more memory than was
available. Remove any unnecessary memory resident programs
(this may require restarting your computer), rerun
Window Menu, and select the option again.

018. Error loading program selected -- An unanticipated error
occurred when Window Menu tried to execute the program
associated with the menu option selected. Try to run the
program from the DOS prompt, and, if successful, notify Texas
Computer Cattle Company of the discrepancy. Window Menu has
been extensively tested on hundreds of programs without any
problem and SHOULD be able to execute any program that can be
run from the DOS prompt.

019. Error in Window Menu help file -- The Window Menu help file
(WMHELP.TXT) has been corrupted and is no longer usable. Copy
this file from Window Menu diskette into the Window Menu
directory.

020. No Menu Title has been copied or cut -- An attempt has been
made to paste (with F7 or F8) a menu title, but no menu title
had been previously copied or cut to the menu title paste
buffer. Make sure that the desired menu title has been copied
or cut before re-trying the paste function.

021. No Menu Option has been copied or cut -- An attempt has been
made to paste (with F7 or F8) a menu option, but no menu
option had been previously copied or cut to the menu option
paste buffer. Make sure that the desired menu option has been
copied or cut before re-trying the paste function.

022. Shell program was not found -- An invalid drive, path, and/or
program name/extension was specified in the shell to DOS
program file (WMSHELL.PGM). Make sure that the entire path
name (including the drive, path, name, and extension) is
specified correctly before using the shell to DOS function
again (F9 from the Window Menu Building Facility,
WMBUILD.EXE).

023. Not enough memory to run Shell Program -- The shell program
specified in WMSHELL.PGM required more memory than was
available when F9 was pressed while in the Window Menu
Building Facility. Either specify a smaller shell program, or
remove any memory resident programs that are not needed before
attempting this function again.

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024. DOS Error XX -- An unanticipated error occurred when the shell
to DOS function (F9 in the Window Menu Building Facility) was
selected. Make sure that the shell program is specified
correctly in the WMSHELL.PGM file.

025. Must have at least one Menu Title in the menu bar --There has
to be at least one menu title in the menu bar. If you desire
to remove the menu completely, you may want to just delete the
window menu file (.WMN file).

026. Must have at least one Menu Option in the Menu Window --There
has to be at least one menu option in every menu window. If
you wish to delete all options for an open menu window, close
the window (by pressing Esc(ape)) and delete the menu title
from the menu bar. All menu options of that menu title will
also be deleted.


Window Menu tm
COMMENTS

send comments to:
Texas Computer Cattle Company
P.O. Box 201941
Arlington, TX 76006-1941



NAME _______________________________________ DATE ________

ADDRESS _______________________________________

_______________________________________

CITY _______________________________________

STATE __________________ ZIP _______________

PHONE ______________home ______________work


Please tell us about the computer system you are using:

CPU _______________________________________

DISPLAY ________________ DISK ________________

OTHER _______________________________________



We welcome your comments, suggestions, discovered discrepancies, bugs,
suggested enhancements, etc. concerning Window Menu! If you find a bug, tell
us as much about the circumstances surrounding its occurrence as you can.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________



Window Menu tm
REGISTRATION

send orders to:
Texas Computer Cattle Company
P.O. Box 201941
Arlington, TX 76006-1941
214-313-1610



NAME _______________________________________ DATE ________

ADDRESS _______________________________________

_______________________________________

CITY _______________________________________

STATE _________________ ZIP _______________

PHONE ______________home ______________work


Method of payment: we can only accept CHECKS or MONEY ORDERS in U.S. dollars
made PAYABLE TO TEXAS COMPUTER CATTLE COMPANY:

Window Menu tm $40.00 per copy x ______ no. of copies = $__________
includes:
- Single User license w/o screen delays
- printed copy of User's Manual

User's Manual $10.00 per copy x ______ no. of copies = $__________

Texas residents add 8% sales tax = $__________

TOTAL $__________


Please specify (5 1/4" assumed if nothing is specified):

360KB 5 1/4" diskette_____

720KB 3 1/2" diskette_____



NOTE: the Window Menu User's Manual is printed on a laser printer using fonts
and line drawings and is also included on diskette as an ASCII text file
(WM.DOC). Additional copies of the manual are only available to registered
users; this cool manual alone is worth the registration fee, especially if you
printed a copy of WM.DOC on some junkie dot matrix printer with an old worn out
ribbon that not even Xerox could love...