Category : Windows 3.X Files
Archive   : ACCE3D.ZIP
Filename : CHANGES.TXT

Except for Registered User Requested bug fixes or bugs that I find, the
revisions to Accesses will be slowing down until I get a new issue of
Archives developed. As far as I am aware, Accesses will satisfy every
need that was requested. If you are a registered user and you wish that
Accesses would do something that it doesn't concerning running or placing
programs, call me. It probably does it already.

CALL ME, CALL ME, CALL ME... I'm not lonely. I need to know what you need
or why you think that the program is almost right. I'm in this to make
$$$$$$ and you're in this to save time and have fun with Windows. A $2
phone call, at your expense, benefits us both. I'm amazed that people will
spend $1000 -$3000 on a computer system and nothing on phone calls....

Call Ted Wall, 510-484-4129 non-emergencies: 8am - 6pm (Pacific Time)

Changes thru 1/27/92 (Version 2.3 versus Version 2.2)

1. Accesses defaults to handling DOS windows just like a "normal" task
manager now. (Thanks for pointing this out Jeffry. My philosophy
on this was all wrong since Version 1.1.)

However, an option is provided for those who want a different
response for the DOS windows. The comments on the
"MAX After Run on/off" switch only concern 386,486 computer
systems. Currently, You will have to manually edit the
ACCESSES.INI file to one of the following number variables:

0 Switch to the DOS SCREEN when full screen and
follow the "MAX After Run on/off" switch. What most
users expected and preferred to happen. The
"MAX After Run on/off" switch is under the Run menu
of the Task List. This is the Default.

1 Switch to the DOS SCREEN when full screen and
do NOT follow the "MAX After Run on/off" switch.
The Dos Window moves to the Restored position, but is
not maximized and moved to the upper left corner of
your screen. Useful for Super VGA or higher resolution
modes of Windows.

2 Switch to the DOS ICON when full screen and
follow the "MAX After Run on/off" switch. Does not
maximize a Full Screen DOS Window, only switches to the
icon.

3 Switch to the DOS ICON when full screen and
do NOT follow the "MAX After Run on/off" switch.
(My preference since it gives me a chance to switch
to a different DOS window if I chose a Full Screen
DOS window by accident. This is how Accesses Ver 2.2
behaved. Some people liked it and most didn't; therefore,
the above variable was developed.)

The above 0, 1, 2, or 3 is added to the 3rd position of the
Keyword STARTUPSTUF2=.

example: add the variable at the "x"

STARTUPSTUF2=F0x
STARTUPSTUF2=F03 (used the value 3 from above case)


- Don't change the first variable from what you have
(showing as "F" above but could be A thru F.)

- If you do not show a 2nd variable, use 0 (zero) as
shown above.

- The third variable probably doesn't exist so add it
otherwise the default is the case 0 above.

Why did the program grow by 200+ bytes due to this change?

Because Accesses avoids maximizing or moving the Full Screen DOS
window when you select the select ALL button on the Task List.
A DOS icon can be running Full Screen on a 286 system (Standard
Mode) or running Full screen or in a window on a 386/486 system
(Enhanced Mode).

2. Added a "+ Repeat" option to the End Task menu item. The
"+ Repeat" sign on the menu item means that the Task List dialog
box will reopen if the Right Mouse button or the Shift Key is
pressed when the End Task Menu item is selected. This is the same
as checking the "Repeat Task List" check box.

This odd duplicity is because I use the "Repeat Task List" check
box option the most for the "End Task" option than any other and
I could never remember to check the Check box before opening the
menu to "End Task".

I almost don't want to tell users about some of these options
because there are so many, but I figure you will remember the ones
that are pet peeves of your own and think that I'm crazy for having
some of the other options...

3. Made a few minor revisions to ACCDRIVE.EXE. Version 1.1 is now the
most current.

Changes thru 1/16/92 (Version 2.2 versus Version 2.1)

1. Added a Sort the Task List. For users who have already initialized
Accesses, their Task List maybe unsorted and will have to press the
following keys to resort their Task List:

Ctrl+Esc, Alt+S, / (the slash key).

2. Saving user changes before reading the INI file during some of the
dialog box functions. I am still minimizing INI writes, I dislike
programs that are always writing to my disk. However some of the
user's settings (eg Show Attached) were not saved until the end of
the session and these settings would be reset to the INI file when
the user executed some of the major ini file update functions
during a windows session. eg. Saving the DEFAULTSIZES of windows.
For some functions, I am writing the revisions and then rereading
the whole INI file to reorganize Accesses' data.

3. No one reported an error in the Run Only One copy of a program,
I guess because it worked when the program was launched from another
program. But it did not work when the program was launched thru
Accesses! Works now. I didn't notice it either for the last few
revisions.

4. Redefined the startup menu so that it matches my current
preferred configuration for Accesses. The Word Processor is
assigned to F2, Text Editor to F3, and the File Manager to F4.
The Accesses.hlp explains the benefits of this assignment in
the Mouse Clicking functions and Tutor.

5. Stopped saving program names in a Folder when the limits of
20 Parent programs were found.

6. Clearing the modem DTR signal after a phone call. I didn't
notice that it wasn't clearing when the phone call function was
1st added.

7. Added ACCDRIVE.EXE, a registered user Requested pop-up displaying the
Free Drive Space. This program is NOT self contained and must be
launched from Accesses Run+Free Drive Space menu on the Task List.
This was done to minimize using your windows resources. Do not
even add the program to Program Manager. It doesn't even have its
own icon. Double click on the AccDrive pop-up window for options.

Setting the "Read Drive Every (so many) Seconds" to too small
a value in the Windows 3.0 mode will noticeably slow Windows. Every
10 seconds in Windows 3.0 for a 20 mHz 386 computer seems acceptable.

8. Deleted an unnecessary check for VGA or better monitors in WM_PAINT.
Unfortunately, this means that you will have to adjust the
iPixelUpDown by -1 to get exactly the same display if you have a
VGA or better monitor and you manually tweaked the iPixelUpDown
variable in the Accesses.ini file.

9. Changed the Name of Accesses as shown in the Task List to
"z Accesses". This way Accesses is at the bottom of the Task List
Display. The AccDrive window (the newly developed Free Disk Space
pop-ups) is also named "z AccDrive" for the same reason.

Then Added an option to exclude all Accesses and AccDrive windows
from the Task List displays under the Setup Menu item. It is
called "Exclude 'z Acc' on/off".

10. Determining the proper Free System Resources for Win 3.1 users.
(eg. Using the GetFreeSystemResources for Win 3.1) Though, Still
compiling Accesses using Win 3.0 SDK. Cheating a little here...

11. Still more improvements to the installation and de-installation
of Accesses for the 1st time user. I interviewed people who
didn't even like Accesses to find what they wanted.

12. Added an "Auto Insert" check box on the Run Dialog box to give the
user control and to indicate when Accesses will insert the filename
selected in the Filename List box to the program name listed in
the Run edit text box. Much, much nicer now...

Checked or grayed means that the dialog box is will be
auto inserting or has already auto inserted.

Not checked means that the user is over riding the default insert
mode. Basically, the Run Dialog box is complicated but makes much
more sense to the user and fewer errors are made due to this
addition.

Also functions very well with the Drag Drop version of Accesses.

13. Discovered and Fixed an error where the correct Focus was not being
established when the user would open the Task List and then close
the Task List by mouse clicking on another window. The symptoms
were, for example, WinWord's cursor would not blink while the user
could still move the cursor and the Notepad cursor in would not
even exist on some Windows systems. My error and not Windows.

14. Accesses is not now showing hidden windows that do not have at least
a minimize box, maximize box, or a thickframe window. I was having
too many users getting into trouble showing and not understanding
hidden windows. Rarely will a window cause a problem when shown
that passes this test.

This isn't taking much away from you. If you really want to see
what Accesses isn't showing press Ctrl+Esc, Alt+S, Shift+D.
However, you cannot do anything with the windows shown this way
since Accesses cancels the Shift+D as soon as the Task List list
box is filled.

This does mean, however, that Accesses will not Hide a Window that
does not have a minimize box, maximize box, or a thickframe window
since it cannot show it. If this causes a problem, call me and we
can add a small INI editable switch (switch is there already, I
just want to understand why you want to do this).

15. Speeded Accesses by carrying about 4K more in non-discardable
Global memory. Accesses still minimizes your resource memory but
I had users request Accesses to be faster. Now, Accesses is as
fast as your Windows' memory for the Task List and Run Dialog box
options.

Changes thru 1/8/92 (Version 2.1 and 2.0 versus Version 1.1A)

1. Added phone calling functions where Accesses now accesses a user
configured phone list.

2. Fixed the Esc key switch to other apps. I fouled this when I
rushed a fix for Norton Desktop before Christmas. Sorry...

3. Completed the Norton Desktop functions for Accesses for the Norton
Desktop users. If you need something else, let me know.

4. Closing Accesses on a WM_ENDSESSION instead of WM_QUERYENDSESSION,
especially since Accesses is a Task manager.

5. Eliminated switches from a switch if running statement. eg
Winword.exe /n would fail the switch if running statement in the
prior version of Accesses.

6. Built a minor function to launch the user's menu if it was not
running when the pop-up window is Left Mouse Double Clicked for the
CMDPOST users and for other menus that can be closed without exiting
Windows.

7. Fixed the user defined save window position for Top ½, Bottom ½,
etc. Worked in Ver 1.0 but fouled in Ver 1.1A, again Christmas rush.

8. Allow the user to change the name of the "Show+Middle Right" and
"Show+Middle Left" menu items of the Task List. This way the user
can replace the "Show+Middle Right" with, for example, a
"Show+Above Icons" menu item.

9. NOTE, THE FOLLOWING HAS LIMITED DOCUMENTATION...
(A "semi-undocumented" procedure?)

Established a primitive "start a program without a filename in a
user defined directory" function. The format for starting a program
in a particular directory is as follows:

accesses.exe notepad.exe*d:\textfile\

or when running from Accesses RUN PROGRAMS dialog box or adding to
Accesses Menu, the same example is as follows:

notepad.exe*d:\textfile\

(You don't have to include accesses.exe when running
the program from Accesses.)

Where the directory follows the program name and is separated by an
asterisk. You cannot enter a filename for this function. The last
backslash is required since Accesses will not append the last
backslash.

If you enter a filename, Accesses always starts the program in the
directory of the filename.

Otherwise, Accesses will always start the program in the directory
that the program was launched from if you do not use the
*drive:\directory\ or enter a filename when launching programs.

eg. If you launch a program from Program Manager using the following
command line:

accesses.exe notepad.exe

then Accesses will launch that program from the directory specified
by Program Manager or from the directory that Program Manager is
currently in depending on what you specified in the Program Manager
options of Program Manager.

10. Added an "ExcludeWindowNames" application heading to the
Accesses.ini file. This section allows the user to add up to 10
Window Titles to exclude from all Task List displays. This is
especially useful to the Norton Desktop users or to those folks that
run programs that have hidden windows that the user would never want
to show.

Another example, if you get tired of Dr.Watson's dialog box popping
open when you select the Restore All Windows function from Accesses,
you can "ExcludeWindowName" from all Task List displays using this
function.

Accesses can show hidden windows on your system and you may be
surprised by the Hidden Windows you never knew about. Accesses has
only one window on your system and this is called "Accesses". The
other hidden windows you'll see are from other programs. One that
surprised me was Winhelp.exe. When you close Winhelp.exe it is
actually hiding itself (my Winhelp Version 3.07 is doing this.)

The following programs are automatically added to this list:

[ExcludeWindowNames]
01="Norton Task Manager"
02="TheUlitmateMrSlate"
03="QAddeRegName"
04="Srvr"

If you never run Norton Desktop, then you can delete all the
above names from this list.

To save a window to this list press Ctrl+Esc, then select the window
name from the Task List display, then press Alt+U, V, Alt+F, Alt+S.

You will have to manually delete the Excluded Window Title from the
[ExcludeWindowNames] if you ever want to re-include a window that
was saved to the Accesses.ini file for Exclusion. To delete a
Window Title from the ExcludeWindowNames list, select Ctrl+Esc,
Alt+U, V, then press the 'Edit List' button located at the Lower
left of this dialog box.

11. Improved the installation of Accesses for the 1st time user and
improved the de-installation of the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI changes
for the unregistered user. I was asking too much from the user
that was "trying out Accesses" in prior versions.

12. Fixed an infinite loop if a WIN.INI extension was incorrectly
included Accesses.exe but not another program name following.

eg. txt=accesses.exe ^.txt will now open the Run Dialog Box when
a *.TXT file is double clicked on from another program like
File Manager or Norton Desktop.

13. Fixed the "Delete Document from Title" check box on the Save one
Window Position dialog box.

14. Changed the "Keep dialog box open" check box on the Phone Call dialog
box to always enabled for user input.

15. Added a "Destroy a Task function" where Accesses can Destroy the
applications one at a time so you can monitor what is happening.
However, temporary files, handles etc. may be left open if the
program does its cleanup work on a WM_CLOSE command verses the
WM_DESTROY. It is up to the user to determine if all is going well
for each case.

I HIGHLY recommend that you use the 'End Tasks' to normally close
windows. Programs will not notify you if you forgot to save a file
or normally not of anything else if your use the Destroy Task
function! Communications programs may leave a port open, etc.

16. Added a switch that will Maximize the application after it is
launched and placed in the user defined position.
(the switch is ignored when launching !folders)

17. Added a dialog box to edit the DEFAULTSIZE table so you can find
"almost duplicate" Titles and can discover why something is being
sized the way it is.

18. Added a "New and Improved" (sounds like I'm selling soap) dialog
box to edit the !Folders and the Run User List found on the Run
dialog box.

19. Fixed an error in the Phones, where Accesses would terminate if
the user made a call and the call was busy, then the user tried to
add a phone # to the list.

20. Added an "Add/Subtract Pixel Width" and an "Add/Subtract Pixel
Height" variable to Accesses. This number will adjust the width
and height of the pop-up either + or - pixels for those who want to
tweak the pop-up size to absolute perfection. These numbers can be
changed only using a text editor like notepad.

The format for the keyword is:

PixelUpDown=iTextUpDown,iWidthPopup,iHeightPopup

and an example is: PixelUpDown=2,-12,-3

See Accesses.hlp for more...

21. The interaction of the 'List Apps on/off', 'List Icons on/off', and
'List Hidden on/off' is changed and added a 'List All of Above'
menu selection to the Show Menu of the Task List. The changes
should be obvious and considered an improvement in understanding.
ie. when you select one option, the others are selected or
de-selected automatically to avoid the user from having to keep
opening this menu item to select or de-select Hidden, or Apps, or
Icons.

22. For the Run Program dialog box:
Fixed the Run User List selection so that you can include sizing
information for a program in the Run User list and that that sizing
information is appended to the document selected in the Run program
with filename list box.

23. Added a Repeat the Run Dialog box to be used for launching multiple
programs not in a !folder.

24. Found and Fixed a fatal error when a document was launched with a
program that was in the root directory...

25. Removed the Delete key option to close Accesses to avoid accidental
closing of Accesses.

26. Compiled a Version of Accesses that will receive WM_DROPFILES
messages for Versions of Windows 3.0 where users have SHELL.DLL and
to Beta test with Windows 3.1 beta. This version of Accesses is
stored in ACCE2D.ZIP (version 2.2 dated 1/18/92)

27. Fixed a Registration problem where a Registered user could not
register Accesses in Win 3.1 Final Beta Release.


Changes thru 12/21/91 (Version 1.0 versus Version 1.1A)

1. Found an error in identifying the Norton DLL Windows that would
cause the window to be accidentially hidden.

Changes thru 12/20/91 (Version 1.0 versus Version 1.1)

1. Fixed the problem with Norton Desktop where the User Menu
name could not be found. Also prevented a similar problem
with other "Menu" programs. NORTON USERS, please read NORTON.TXT.

2. After buying Norton's Desktop, I Added functions that support and
greatly enhance Norton Desktop. These functions are transparent
although still available to non-Norton Desktop users. eg.
Displaying only "Children" windows under the Show Window functions
of Accesses.

3. Collecting directory information for programs that are launched
thru Accesses from another application without a document. When
a document is launched I am starting that program in the document's
directory.

4. Fixed a fatal Windows exit when the user answered NO to the very
1st question on Startup.

5. Added an undo to the taskman.exe=accesses.exe line in the SYSTEM.INI
file. This question is asked every time Accesses is closed for
Unregistered Users.

6. Added a section to Accesses.hlp covering the Norton Desktop features.

7. Added a Selection mode for displaying just windows that are
"Children" on the Task List dialog box. "Children" includes DLL
windows of Norton Desktop and Pop-up windows of any program where the
Parent is Enabled for user input.

8. Increased the number of Windows that Accesses will process
from 50 to 100 during a single Windows session after seeing the
number of Windows that Norton Desktop will open.


apps in the Top Left, Bottom Left, Top Right, and Bottom Right
positions in the respective sequence.

15. The x,y,w,h data are now optional for DESKTOPx keywords in the
ACCESSES.INI file. The DEFAULTSIZEx keyword is used for the program
if a default size is listed in the ACCESSES.INI file.

16. Eliminated the upper right as a default, Default Position for
applications that were not listed in the DEFAULTSIZEx keywords.

17. Added a Ctrl+Shift+Esc key combination to bring up a run dialog box.

18. Changed the cursor to display the Double Mouse Click function to be
executed when the cursor is over the Pop-up window.

19. Add one more variable to the Accesses DEFAULTSIZES to:
0=Use Max after Run setting
1=minimize the application after placing
2=restore the application after placing
3=maximize the application after placing

Add this to the folder stuff

Can be edited from the Edit - RunUserList and Edit- DefaultSize list