1993

Newsletters

9302

Visual Basic is Microsoft's low-end programming tool for the Windows environment. It is based firmly on a foundation of GWBasic, but is also fully integrated with the Windows environment. My own experience has been that it is even easier to use than Basic. In Basic much of the program is taken up developing the user interface and looping between sections. In Visual Basic you paint the user interface onto forms and the automation of the forms is done for you. Because of the event-driven, object-oriented nature of Visual Basic there is very little code required for program control and looping. For the most part the code you write is the 'pure' application code.

The major features that distinguish Visual Basic from it's predecessors are compiled code, a graphical user interface (GUI), a user interface tool kit and event driven code.

Some important concepts in Visual Basic are:

Forms: These are the windows that form the user interface.

Controls: These are the objects, like buttons, scroll bars and text boxes, that control the operation of the program.

Properties: These are variables that describe forms and controls, like height, color, font size or title.

Methods: These are actions that change a control or property, like drag or move.

Events: These are actions taken by the user or the program that trigger a reaction, like click, drag, or key press.

The development environment has a menu bar like most Windows applications. There is a project window for keeping track of all the files that make up your project. There is a Form editing window that allows you to paint the controls for your interface and a toolbox of controls to paste from. The property bar allows you to customize your controls. Click on a control and up pops the code window so you can add the action.

Visual Basic includes most of the standard windows controls, from buttons to scroll bars and even the file and directory management controls. All the controls have properties, events and methods predefined. For example the push button has properties like: height, width, color, font and name; events like: click, key press and drag over; and methods like: drag, move and refresh.

Program development proceeds in an orderly process: First you paint the form that will act as the graphical user interface for your application. Next you modify the properties of your controls to meet the needs of your application. If your application has a pull down menu, you must define the commands and the hierarchy that will be used to display them. Last, you type in the code that will respond to the events to make things happen. Note that most of the user interface and program control code is done within Visual Basic's predefined routines. If by some misfortune your program does not perform as intended, there is a full range of debugging tools to help you.

Visual Basic has significant advantages over other products that are available from Microsoft. Compared to Quick Basic it provides a graphical user interface and modular event driven code. And when compared to Quick C for Windows it offers Basic's ease of use, a much more integrated environment and it shields you from the incomprehensible windows programming API.

In summary, I feel Visual Basic is easier to use than GWBASIC because most of the user interface is provided for you and the modular event driven code eliminates all programming but the meaty issues of the actual application. I feel Visual basic is well worth the $150 purchase price. If what I have presented above isn't enough to get you hooked, remember I have only described Visual Basic 1.0. Microsoft has begun shipping Version 2.0 with more controls, faster execution and a better integrated environment that make it twice as good as what I have described. I have had a lot of fun with this program and hope to have more in the future.

Mark Pendergast

9304

Some of you have had trouble using library disks that were archived with PKZIP program, so I offer this Readers Digest condensed version of 'The minimum you can know about PKUNZIP and still retain your sanity'.

How to tell when you are in trouble:

You get this great library disk, and when you go to run it at 11:00 pm on a Sunday night all it has on it is one file with a name like GAME.ZIP. After trying two or three things that fail to get it to go, you call the IBM Club President and get him out of bed. (Take my word for it, you are in trouble...)

PKUNZIP is the companion program to PKZIP. PKZIP takes files a group of files and archives them into one big file. (The .ZIP file) It also packs them tightly together, eliminating any empty space or redundant information. PKUNZIP unpacks the files and adds back in the empty space and redundant information, so the programs will work normally.

The first thing you need is a copy of PKUNZIP. You can get it from the Club Librarian, or most Club members have a copy of it somewhere. It is probably on the BBS, but if you are reading this that may not be of much help to you.

The simplest and ugliest way to use PKUNZIP is to make a subdirectory for the files, copy PKUNZIP to the subdirectory, copy the .ZIP file to the subdirectory, and then run PKUNZIP from inside the subdirectory. (This takes extra disk space and extra steps, but it always works. A typical session beginning at the C: prompt would look like this:

MKDIR GAME

CD GAME

(Insert disk with PKUNZIP in A:)

COPY A:PKUNZIP.EXE C:

(Insert disk with GAME.ZIP in A:)

COPY A:GAME.ZIP C:

PKUNZIP GAME

ERASE PKUNZIP.EXE

ERASE GAME.ZIP

You are now ready to run GAME.

A better way to use PKUNZIP is to put it somewhere that DOS will find it. DOS looks for things using the PATH statement. Use the TYPE command to type your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Look at the PATH statement. It should look something like:

PATH C:\;C:\DOS;C:\UTIL;C:\WORD;C:\LOTUS;

If we put PKUNZIP in C:\ or C:\DOS or C:\UTIL or C:\WORD or C:\LOTUS, then DOS will find it when we want it. (I put mine in C:\ so I can always see it) Just insert the disk containing PKUNZIP.EXE in A: and COPY A:PKUNZIP.EXE C:\PKUNZIP.EXE

Now that we have set up a permanent home for PKUNZIP, the process takes less steps. Just make a subdirectory for the files and then run PKUNZIP from inside the subdirectory. A typical session beginning at the C: prompt would look like this:

MKDIR GAME

CD GAME

(Insert disk with GAME.ZIP in A:)

PKUNZIP A:GAME

You are now ready to run GAME.

If you run PKUNZIP without any other information it will print a very complex and wonderful user guide to the screen. If you understand it, you are an expert.

I have glossed over many fine points of the program and oversimplified things in some cases, but this should help get you going when you get stuck at 11:00 pm some lonely night. If you would like to see more articles of the how-to-do-it nature let me know.

Mark Pendergast

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9305

I just purchased Quicken V2.0 for Windows and Wow! I know we're not in Kansas anymore. I have been using Quicken 1.0 with the Tandy Deskmate interface for about 5 years. The old version is slow, cumbersome and doesn't do much more than write checks. The new Quicken for Windows is fast, slick and does things I hadn't even thought possible.

The basic idea behind Quicken is an automated checkbook. The Windows interface provides a checkbook-like look and feel. You can print checks through Quicken, but I just record my existing checks. Quicken can help you balance your checkbook. It also has a memory of previous transaction information that can be used to minimize data entry.

There are a number of reports that can show you how you spent your money.

The Budgeting system is very flexible. You can alter the level of detail on the fly to make analysis easier. The month-by-month budgeting allows you to budget irregular billings for property tax or licence plates. The sub-category feature allows you to have both detail and simplicity. The budget graphs are easy to read and easy to generate.

Quicken has been expanded to make it easy to track all your financial transaction under one roof. From CDs and Stocks to Mortgages and Petty Cash, the Quicken account system can keep track of it all. Quicken also includes a number of financial calculators for loans, savings and retirement.

Quicken is even plugged into the on-line world of finance. There is a service called IntelliCharge that allows you to use a modem to download your charge card transactions from a database. There is another service called CheckFree that allows Quicken to electronically pay your bills by modem. Quicken can also be plugged into other analysis tools on your PC. It supports DDE links to Lotus and Excel spreadsheets, and links to TurboTax.

I have found Quicken for Windows V2.0 very easy to use. The book is good. The on-line tutorial and on-line help are very helpful. I recommend this software to anyone trying to get a handle on where their money is going. I intend to keep using it in the future.

Mark Pendergast

9306

If you have been patiently waiting for that much needed overhaul of DOS, including: thirty-two character file names, multi-tasking, integrated networking and a standardized thirty-two bit programming API ... you can keep on waiting. MS-DOS 6 is a grab bag of utility programs, tweaks and bug fixes. Now, this is not to say that it isn't worth the price of admission, but if you've invested in many third party utility programs, you may not see much of value.

I got my copy of MS-DOS 6 through Gateway computer, and paid just under $50 for it. I feel that it was a very good investment for me because I own very few third party utility programs. I look forward to using MS Backup and was impressed that they even included a Windows version of the program. I would also like to use DoubleSpace, but will probably wait until I hear more about the problems other people are having with it. I was not very impressed with the lack of a reference manual (available for only $20 more), but the on-line help is very good.

The big news in MS-DOS 6 is the utility programs. They include DoubleSpace, MemMaker, MS Backup, MS Anti-Virus, Undelete, MS Defragmenter, MS Diagnostics, Interlink and Power.

DoubleSpace is a disk compression program. It takes all or part of a disk drive and makes it look larger by compressing the files (much like PKZIP) and then providing a disk device-driver to compress and decompress files on the fly. For hard disks DoubleSpace works transparently and provides a 50 to 100 percent increase in disk space. DoubleSpace also works with floppy disks, but you must mount the floppy with the DoubleSpace program every time you want to use a compressed disk. There have been many rumors of DoubleSpace losing or trashing data, but I have not heard any specifics.

MemMaker works with 386 and 486 computers to free conventional memory for DOS applications. It alters the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to load stuff into upper memory blocks. MemMaker will not help Windows programs, and may even make things worse for Windows because it could limit the amount of extended memory available.

MS Backup is a backup and restore program with full error checking and compression. Both the DOS and Windows versions of MS Backup are included with the upgrade. MS Backup provides for Full, Incremental and Differential backups, keeps track of what has been done. It even allows the use of multiple setup files to keep track of options for various types of backups that you perform. I was not impressed with the 20% compression ratios I saw, but it may have been the mix of files I have.

MS Anti-Virus is a computer virus detection and cleanup program. It also includes a memory resident monitor program called VSafe. MS Anti-Virus has a list of over 800 virus programs it can detect and fix. It will also keep track of the current length and checksum of program files and report any changes. There is even a Bulletin Board number to down load new virus descriptions. MS Anti-Virus includes both DOS and Windows versions.

Undelete is an extension to the delete command. You can use it in 'stupid' mode to just look through the disk and try to find chunks of your file. You can use it in 'tracker' mode where it will track all deleted files and keep a list of which blocks were used for the file. You can use it in 'sentry' mode to actually keep a rolling cache of deleted files for later recovery. This cache can be limited by size or date.

The MS Defragmenter is a program that smooths out the kinks in your disk to speed access. As you create and delete files on your disk, DOS must sometimes break the file into chunks to make them fit. It may get so bad that it can only read one block per rotation of the disk. MS Defragmenter reads all the files on the disk and writes them back so that their blocks are in order.

MS Diagnostics was included in Windows 3.1, and is now available in DOS 6. It checks out your system configuration and reports what you have installed.

Interlink is a simple serial/parallel port networking program. It is intended to transfer files to and from a laptop computer, but could be used with your old XT. It provides for disk sharing and port sharing. By using a device driver approach the disks and ports look like they are on the client machine.

Power is a program that helps you save battery power on laptop computers. It can save 5% on just about any computer, but can save up to 25% if the laptop has Advanced Power Management (APM) hardware.

MS-DOS 6 includes a few improvements and fixes beyond the utility programs. The most interesting feature is a boot manager that allows you to choose between multiple CONFIG.SYS files at boot time, and a new CONFIG environmental variable that allows AUTOEXEC.BAT to react to the correct configuration. The most useful feature is the ability to bypass the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files by holding down the shift key during the boot process. There is also a DELTREE command to delete whole subdirectory systems, a MOVE command to move files (like a delete after copy), and a CHOICE command to add user input to batch files. The memory management and configuration commands, EMM386, LOADHIGH and DEVICEHIGH, have all been enhanced, as has SMARTDrive

I am very happy with my purchase of MS-DOS 6 because I needed the utility programs. I am also very disappointed with the lack of structural improvements made by Microsoft. I guess the label on the back of the MS-DOS 6 Upgrade Guide says it all: "Microsoft Windows Compatible". DOS continues to be a victim of Microsoft's Marketing Department.

Mark Pendergast

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9307

This is a quick overview of running PKZIP and PKUNZIP, and some things you can do with them.

The first step is to get a copy of the programs. These programs are available from the Club Library and are usually available from the Club Bulletin Board System (BBS). The most convenient way to get them is from a friend who has them on their system. Make a subdirectory called zip and copy the program and documentation files into it. Most of the time the programs and documentation are zipped into a self-extracting file that is called something like PKZ101.EXE. If this is the case, just run the archive program from the DOS prompt and watch it extract itself. If you need the space, you can erase the PKZ101.EXE file when you are done.

The next step is to help DOS find the programs when you need them. You can either add the zip subdirectory to your path statement, or copy PKZIP and PKUNZIP to a directory that is already on your path. If you have few path entries, the first alternative is probably acceptable. If you have a large number of path entries and are close to the limit, the second option is your best bet. Good hiding places are C:\ and C:\DOS because they are included on most path statements.

The minimum information needed to run PKUNZIP is the zipfile name. Normally you will begin with the zipfile on a floppy disk and use your current directory as the destination. You type:

CD C:\dest

PKUNZIP a:zipfile

and watch the action. The entire contents of the zipfile should be 'unzipped' into the destination directory. To see more advanced options, run PKUNZIP with no parameters at all. This should display a help screen of all available options. It may also be helpful to read the documentation that comes with PKUNZIP. I rarely use any of the advanced options for PKUNZIP.

The minimum information needed to run PKZIP is also the zipfile name. Normally you will begin with the current directory being the source for the files and the destination for the zipfile being a floppy disk. You type:

CD c:\source

PKZIP a:zipfile

and watch the action. The entire contents of the source directory should be 'zipped' into a zipfile on the floppy disk. To see more advanced options, run PKZIP with no parameters at all. This should display a help screen of all available options. It may also be useful to read the documentation that comes with PKZIP. Some interesting options for PKZIP are: -a : add files to a zipfile, -r : recursively look through subdirectories for files, -x : exclude some files from the zipfile, and -s : scramble the zipfile with a password that will be required to unzip the files.

Some additional tricks with PKZIP are the use of the optional FILES and @LIST parameters. FILES allows you to specify a path and wildcards for the files to zip. For example we could have done the previous example in one step:

PKZIP a:zipfile c:\source\*.*

The @LIST parameter allows you to use a list of files to zip. To get only the files you want just redirect the output of a DIR command to a file, edit the file to eliminate the lines for files you don't want zipped, and then zip the remaining files from the list.

DIR /B c:\source >mydir.txt

EDIT mydir.txt

[make any changes and save the file]

PKZIP a:zipfile @mydir.txt

Note that the /B option is used with the DIR command to eliminate headers and additional detail. This is a good technique if you want to zip the same files over and over, or if there isn't a wildcard that will get just the files you want.

The applications for PKZIP and PKUNZIP are endless. Besides the more mundane use of unzipping library disks, it can be used for archiving old files you can't bring yourself to delete, compressing your working files as a crude form of backup, compressing files to move them to another system on floppy disks, or compressing data to be uploaded to a BBS. For the present most of my usage of PKZIP falls in the 'mundane' category, but now that I am an 'expert in the field' I expect to use it more and more.

Don't forget that Pkware is shareware. If you like the program and intend to use it regularly, please send in the registration fee to the company.

Mark Pendergast

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9308

Although I have had some trouble finding time to fire up the old PC over my vacation, I noticed that my family has dreamed up some interesting computer projects to keep themselves occupied while I kill grass and mow the weeds. My wife, three year old son and eight month old daughter have all found interesting uses for the computer that have really added enjoyment to their summer.

My wife is a health and fitness aficionado. (A very sophisticated way of saying 'a health nut') She keeps track of her diet and her exercise in logbooks to make sure she maintains a good balanced lifestyle. This summer she has consolidated all her record keeping with some computer generated forms that keep all aspects of her activities in order. The forms she created were a personalized nutrition reference guide, a daily food intake record and a monthly exercise log.

The personalized nutrition reference guide has evolved over the years. It began as an Appleworks word processor document, on my old Apple II. The guide is simply a summary of items from a variety of calorie counter books that includes only the foods we eat regularly, organized in a format that allows easy lookup. When it became time to move it to the PC, I suggested she use the Microsoft Works spreadsheet rather than a word processor. This would simplify column formatting and as an added benefit would allow us to calculate the percentage of calories from fat; a fact we did not have from the diet books. A nice touch we added was to highlight all high cholesterol foods (30mg+), so they would be easy to find and avoid.

For a finishing touch my wife used Micrografx Windows Draw clip art to design a cover for the guide, which she then printed on colored paper to give a professional look. The summary guide saves a lot of time when analyzing food intake.

The daily food intake record began life as a simple spiral notebook. My wife developed a Microsoft Works word processor based form to list column headings and categories. The form was just what she needed, but her writing was too large and she had a hard time listing all the items for a large meal. Again, it was the Microsoft Works spreadsheet to the rescue. We transferred the form to the spreadsheet and turned on the cell outlines to form a grid to guide entry into the form. We constructed three or four different prototypes with various fonts and formats, and decided on a simple format with a large font. This allowed easy manual entry, and implied that having 20 entries for lunch might be overdoing it. She printed and stapled enough sheets to cover the current month. Again, the finishing touch was a colored cover covered with clip art of the four food groups from Micrografx Windows Draw.

For the monthly exercise log my wife took one of the calendar formats from Micrografx Windows Draw and edited it to fit a full page. She stapled twelve of them together and added a colored cover of an aerobics class. The class was generated by cloning a clip art image of a single exerciser into a whole flock.

My three year old son is a budding young artist. He likes to draw, especially trains. One day I noticed a piece of steam engine clip art in Micrografx Windows draw. I stretched it to full page size and printed it out. It was a big hit. He colored it in, added tracks, smoke and scenery. It was a wonderful confirmation that Dad, of course, is the greatest. Well, since then we have printed out fish, dinosaurs, cars, planes and wild animals. They are colored and pasted all over the house. Mom, has since broken the monopoly on 'instant coloring books', but never with quite the same flair as Dad. (wink)

My eight month old daughter has little appreciation of anything that cannot be investigated with her two new front teeth. She has made a few attempts to use my computer power cord as a teething ring, but we have always managed to frustrate her attempts before she has any 'fun'.

I hope this account of my family's life with the computer has opened some new avenues for computer use by your family. I would like to hear from some of you how your family twiddles it's bits. Hope to see you in the newsletter soon.

Mark Pendergast

& Family

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9309

I have put together a compendium of 'stupid' Windows tricks, tips and other cool stuff. Most of this is aimed at the novice user, but there are a few things I just figured out myself. Read and enjoy. I hope these tidbits increase your productivity and enjoyment of IBM computing.

Drag the scroll bar slider:

On scroll bars you can click the arrows at either end to scroll the window, or for bigger jumps you can click the slider background, or you can just grab the slider and drag it where you want it. Many applications will scroll the window at very high speed to keep up with the slider. This is a very fast way to navigate through a long document or list of files.

Use Alt-Tab to switch between Applications:

When you have the screen cluttered with stuff and you need to find a particular application that is running, hold down the Alt key and press TAB to cycle through the running applications. It will even restore applications that were shrunk to an icon.

Create a MY STUFF program group:

This is one of my favorite time savers. Create a new program group called 'My Stuff'. (I call mine Mark's Stuff) Use the Program Manager copy command to copy all your favorite programs into the new group. Then, go ahead and minimize all the other program groups. Now you have an uncluttered screen with all the stuff you want, right out in front of you. If you need something that isn't in your group, just open the group that contains it long enough to use it, then close the group up again. My wife has her own program group too. With the working directory property of the program item you can redirect files from two people into different directories based on what program group they started from.

Load File Manager as an icon:

One time saver that I use a lot is to keep a copy of File Manager running as an icon at the bottom of the screen. I find I need File Manager all the time so I save all the load and unload time each time I use it. Just double click on the File Manager icon when you want to use it and then when you are done, don't exit, just minimize the File Manager back to the bottom of the screen. (P.S. you can also use Alt-Tab to fire up the File Manager if it is hidden behind a full screen application.)

Block file select:

In the File Manager's list box, after you select one file you can select a block of files that follow the first by holding down the shift key while clicking the mouse button on the last file in the block. This makes it easy to copy or delete blocks of files. It is really handy when used with the view by type option.

Multi-file select:

In the File Manager's list box, after you select one file you can select additional files by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking the mouse button on the other files. This makes it easy to copy or delete groups of unrelated files.

Drag and Drop file operations:

In the File Manager's list box, you can move selected files to a new directory by holding down the Ctrl key while dragging the files to the new directory in the File Manager's directory list. (Note: If you are using multiple file selections with drag and drop, you must grab the files first and then press the Ctrl key. If you press Ctrl first, File Manager thinks you are making another selection.)

You can copy files, instead of moving them by holding down the Shift key in place of the Ctrl key.

Delete a whole directory:

Those of us that grew up on DOS know that you must delete the files in a subdirectory before you can delete the directory. Not so with Windows. Just select a directory in the File Manager directory list and click File / Delete. Windows takes care of all the dirty work.

Drag a program or document file to desktop:

Want to set up that often used document as an icon, or add a new shareware program to your Program Manager desktop. then just drag the file from the File Manager to the Program Manager desktop and watch the fun begin. If there is an association for the document file, the appropriate icon is selected and the file is given the title of the document. If the program file has an imbedded icon it is used to setup the new program item. This is a much easier and more reliable way to set things up than going through the New / Program Item dialogue.

File Manager Search:

If you loose a file and don't remember where you put it, the File Manager Search command is for you. Just set up a pattern that will match your file and press OK, File Manager will search for your file and report where it was found.

No Wallpaper:

To speed up the Windows startup process and save memory, eliminate your wallpaper. The wallpaper takes time to load and memory space to store. In the Control Panel, under Desktop, select wallpaper file: (none). Instead, use a pattern or a plain background.

Gaining Space:

Erase your .BMP files:

If you have taken my advise to switch from Wallpaper to patterns to speed things up, then you can delete all the Windows .BMP files to save space. Even if you use wallpaper, delete all but the one or two you use on a regular basis. In case you hadn't noticed, .BMP file are HUGE!

Erase unused utilities:

If you haven't used cardfile or terminal since you first upgraded to Windows, you can probably delete them to save space. Delete the .EXE, .HLP, .INI files and any other trash the application left lying about.

Good candidates for the trash are cardfile, terminal, reversi (I hate that game), calendar and wintutor. If you don't use them, example files for various applications are good candidates for removal.

If you don't use it, loose it.

This policy is pretty clear, but could be taken to extremes. It pays to keep things like backup diskettes and the Windows help file around for sentimental value, even if you don't use them much.

MSD.EXE

Windows 3.1 includes a nifty little utility called Microsoft Diagnostics. It works better when run from DOS. It will give you a good detailed look at how your computer is configured and what it thinks is going on. If you are having troubles with hardware or software on your machine, exit into DOS and run MSD. (P.S. It was also included with DOS 6.)

SYSEDIT.EXE

The SYSEDIT utility opens up a set of windows that allow you to edit AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI all at the same time. It is a great time saver when you are trying to reconfigure your system, or reconfigure-out your last reconfiguration.

/BACKUP/AUTOEXEC.BAT

This handy tip has saved me some grief in the past. Create a directory called BACKUP. Copy your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files to the directory as backup copies. If there is any doubt about your real startup files, just check them against the backups. If your originals get erased, as they sometimes mysteriously do, just copy the old ones back in.

Every time you plan to update your system, just pop out a new backup copy of all your files. I have started using the suffix "ymm", where y is the last digit of the year and mm is the number of the current month. This way I can keep multiple backup copies. (ex: AUTOEXEC.309) If you change a lot of Windows stuff, WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI might be good candidates for backup.

The Clock accessory:

The clock accessory that comes with windows can be run as an icon and will show the current time on the icon. I have found this to be an indispensable aid to keeping me on track. I have avoided a number of two AM nights by a casual glance at the clock icon.

Custom Patterns:

Use the control panel / desktop / pattern editor to create new patterns for the desktop, or just use one of the many patterns provided to spice things up.

Use color schemes:

Use the control panel / colors / editor to create new color schemes for your desktop, or just use one of the many pre-defined color schemes to cure your blahs. I tend to change my color scheme every few days or so, just to keep refreshed.

Wallpaper:

Yes, I know, wallpaper will slow your system down, but if I was worried about speed, I wouldn't be using MicroSloth Winslows anyway, now would I. Wallpaper can be fun. Not for me, but try it, you may like it.

Custom wall paper:

Using the Paintbrush accessory you can design your own Windows Wallpaper. Put junior's first computer artwork up as a backdrop, or paint your school logo or some abstract art. Just save it to a .BMP format file and use the control panel / desktop to load it.

Qbasic games

DOS comes with two Qbasic games that can be used from Windows: Gorillas, an artillery game, and Nibbles, an arcade type game. Set up a new program manager item for each game that runs the Qbasic interpreter. In the properties section of each item add the /RUN command switch for the game (ex: C:\DOS\QBASIC /RUN C:\DOS\GORILLA.BAS). Then from Qbasic edit each program and add the command SYSTEM just before the program exits. This will return to DOS, or Windows, instead of returning to Qbasic.

Well that's a lot of tips, tricks and whatever. I hope you find some of this useful. I'd like to hear from all of you what you've found to make IBM computing more useful or enjoyable.

Mark Pendergast

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9310

In the file manager you can use the FILE/ASSOCIATE command to cause a program to be run when you double click on a file. Just select the file you want to associate and click FILE on the menu bar and associate on the pull down menu. In the associate dialog box use browse to fine the application you wish to use with this file type and press OK. Some useful associations are:

.ZIP with PKUNZIP

.ARC with PKUNPAK

.DIZ with notepad (for shareware file description files)

.DOC with notepad (if your word processor doesn't already use it)

.TEX with notepad (to rename shareware .DOC files if .DOC is already in

use)

.GIF with your gif viewer

.whatever with whatever (make up your own)

In the File Manager you can open multiple directories at the same time. Use the WINDOW/NEW WINDOW command to open a second file window. Initially this window points to the same directory as the first, but it can be changed to any other directory with the usual commands. This is a very easy way to move or copy files between two directories. You can also verify that two directories have the same stuff, if that's what you want to see.

In file manager many of the objects on the display are drag and drop clients. (What the heck does that mean?) It means that when you drag a file to the object it does something with it. One example is the drive letters. Not only can you click on them to switch drives, but you can drag files to them and have them be copied or moved to the default directory on that drive. This is usually easier than opening two windows to do the transfers.

Another drag and drop client in the File Manager is the directory tree window. Not only can you click on them to switch directories, but you can drag files to them and have them be copied or moved to that directory. This is also easier than opening two windows to do the transfers.

The file manager includes a utility for examining and setting the file attributes for a file. Select a file and click FILE on the menu bar and PROPERTIES on the pull down menu. The dialog box will show all the attributes and properties for the file. Just click on the selector boxes for the properties to change the settings on the actual file.

If you select multiple files with various attribute settings the inconsistent settings will be greyed out. To set a property for all the multiple files just set or unset it and all the files will be changed. I have found this very useful in setting and unsetting the archive bit to prune unwanted files from incremental backups of my hard drive.

In the file manager you can specify that all hidden and system files be shown. Just click VIEW on the menu and BY FILE TYPE on the pull down menu. The dialog box allow you to limit the file you see to certain types, but there is a last option at the bottom that allows you to see the hidden files. Just check the box and you can see all the hidden file with File Manager.

By default the File Manager splits the space available between the directory list box and the file list box. Normally this wastes a large amount of space in the directory box and crunches the files. You can change this ratio two ways.

The first method is to click VIEW on the menu bar and SPLIT on the pull down menu. This will cause a heavy black line to appear on the window. Just move the line to the split that you desire and click the mouse button once.

The second method is to move the mouse pointer to an area just right of the directory box horizontal scroll bar. The pointer should turn into a resizing cursor (something like: <|> ). Just grab and drag the divider to the desired location.

Many times I want to copy some files to a floppy disk and I need to know how much 1.44Meg will hold. The status bar on the file manager window will tell you how much space the currently selected files take up. Just use the Ctrl-<click> selection process to select multiple files and watch the size go up. Select and deselect additional files to get just the right 'weight' for your floppy.

You can fire off a screen saver without waiting for the timeout to occur. Just create a new program item called screen saver. the command line should be the screen saver file followed by /S. for example:

C:\WINDOWS\SSSTARS.SCR /S

You can even set up a shortcut key, like control-s, to fire it off. This is useful for password locking your screen when you leave or just hiding that minefield game from your boss.

In the MINEFIELD game you can clear all the 'obviously' clear squares around a given square by clicking BOTH mouse buttons at the same time on the cleared square. For example: if you have a square with a '1' next to a square with a mine, when you click both buttons on the square with the '1' you will clear all the adjacent squares that could no longer be mines.

Just F.Y.I. some of the card sets in solitaire do weird things as the game goes along. I have seen the card-dealer deck produce an ace out of the dealers sleeve every 20 seconds or so, and seen the sun make faces at me on the desert card backs every 50 second or so. What does this mean? Don't ask me!

Windows includes a program called Sysedit that allows you to open Autoexec.bat, Config.sys, Win.ini and System.ini all at the same time and edit them.

To install Sysedit from File Manager just open the File Manager and open the Windows directory. Locate SYSEDIT.EXE and drag it to the Program Manager desktop. It should turn into the Sysedit icon.

To install Sysedit from Program Manager click FILE on the menu bar and click New on the pull down menu. In the New Program Object dialog box: select Program Item and click OK. In the Program Item Properties dialog box: enter Sysedit as the Description and click the BROWSE button. In the Browse dialog box go to the Windows directory and select sysedit.exe and click OK. In the Program Item Properties dialog box: click the CHANGE ICON button and click OK in the change icon dialog box. In the Program Object Properties dialog box: click OK. The Sysedit icon should appear on the desktop.

Windows includes a program called Wintutor that walks you through mouse usage and menu navigation.

To install Wintutor from File Manager just open the File Manager and open the Windows directory. Locate WINTUTOR.EXE and drag it to the Program Manager desktop. It should turn into the Wintutor icon.

To install Wintutor from Program Manager click FILE on the menu bar and click New on the pull down menu. In the New Program Object dialog box: select Program Item and click OK. In the Program Item Properties dialog box: enter Wintutor as the Description and click the BROWSE button. In the Browse dialog box go to the Windows directory and select wintutor.exe and click OK. In the Program Item Properties dialog box: click the CHANGE ICON button and click OK in the change icon dialog box. In the Program Object Properties dialog box: click OK. The Wintutor icon should appear on the desktop.

If you are bored with the same old program manager icons and want some new ones, Windows includes a grab bag of icons in the file moricons.dll. To use the extra icons when installing a program from Program Manager click FILE on the menu bar and click New on the pull down menu. In the New Program Object dialog box: select Program Item and click OK. In the Program Item Properties dialog box: enter the program's Description and Command line and click the CHANGE ICON button. In the Change Icon dialog box: click the BROWSE button. In the Browse dialog box go to the Windows directory and select moricons.dll and click OK. In the Change Icon dialog box: You should see a whole new set of icons so go ahead and select one and click OK. In the Program Object Properties dialog box: click OK. The new program's icon should appear on the desktop.

Believe it or not, most 'well behaved' DOS programs can be run under Windows without a PIF file. Just enter the DOS program name on the command line field in the FILE/NEW/PROGRAM ITEM program object properties dialog box or drag the DOS program from the File Manager to the Program Manager desktop. Windows uses a set of default PIF settings to make it work. If your program does weird things with extended memory or oddball graphics stuff you may need to construct a PIF file to get Windows to loosen it's control of the machine, but many programs will run without PIFs.

If you would like to see more articles on this kind of thing, please let me know. Or if you have some tips of your own, just write them up and earn your own user bux. I would like to see a good article on Autoexec.bat and Config.sys setup. I would guess you could write a whole article just on Smartdrive or Emm386 alone.

Mark Pendergast

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9311

Save Program Manager Configuration without exiting:

When you have your Program Manager groups just the way you want them, don't waste time by setting 'save configuration on exit' and exiting windows and restarting windows and clearing 'save configuration on exit'. Just hold down the shift key and double-click on the window control button on the left end of the Program Manager Title Bar. Tada, it's saved.

Quickly organize unruly program groups:

When you have opened a number of program groups and have them scattered all over the screen and are beginning to wonder where the heck everything is, just use the WINDOW/CASCADE or WINDOW/TILE command from the menu bar. Window/Cascade stacks all the groups in order with only the title bars showing. Window/Tile fills the screen with all the open program groups having their own corner to sit in. My favorite is Cascade, because it seems neater.

Find out what's happening with Task Manager:

If you want to know all the Windows programs that are running on your system, and see them in a neat little list, just ask the task manager. You access the task manager by double-clicking on the screen background (the area where no windows are open). The task manager will pop up a little window with a list of all the currently running tasks. Just double-click on a task in the list to switch to it.

Quickly organize unruly tasks:

When you have opened a number of applications and have them scattered all over the screen and are beginning to wonder where the heck everything is, just ask the task manager to sort it out for you. You access the task manager by double-clicking on the screen background (the area where no windows are open). The task manager will pop up a little window. Use the CASCADE or TILE button. Cascade stacks all the applications in order with only the title bars showing. Tile fills the screen with all the open applications having their own corner to sit in. I don't use this much, but that's minutia for you.

A quick way to 'blow up' your applications:

To maximize your application just double click on the tile bar. No, this isn't any faster than clicking once on the maximize button, but it is easier to hit the title bar. Double-click on the title bar again to restore the original size.

Windowed DOS programs:

When you run DOS programs in full screen mode sometimes you need to pop into windows for a peek at something else. Just press Alt-Enter to windowize the DOS session. Some programs run quite well in a window, some do not.

BIG selections in your favorite editor:

When you are editing text in Windows and you need to select 'everything from here to the end' just use Ctrl-Shift End. To select 'everything from here to the beginning' use Ctrl-Shift Home. This is much faster than dragging your mouse from the mousepad into the basement or attic.

Error Report:

I got a new AST 486 computer at work. It is loaded with AST's version of Windows 3.1. I tried to use the 'instant on screen saver' tip I reported a few issues back, and to my amazement it didn't work. I have no idea why, but be aware that Windows isn't always Windows compatible.

Well I have just about run out of stupid Windows tricks. I hope you have enjoyed then all. I must admit this last batch has been pretty obscure. Maybe someone else will pick up the torch and amaze us with a new generation of cool stuff.

Mark Pendergast

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Rename 'harsh' commands:

Some DOS commands are so harsh in their consequences that they are like ticking time bombs on your system, just waiting for a novice user, or worst yet, yourself, to set them off. Things like FDISK, RECOVER or FORMAT can be very nasty. To protect yourself rename these commands to something else, or put them in a hidden directory.

FORMAT Batch files:

To access the format command with reduced risk create a set of format batch files, one for each removable disk you have. Get in the habit of using the format batch files instead of the format command to reduce the risk of typing FORMAT C: when you wanted FORMAT A:. So, it you rename FORMAT.EXE to FOURMATH.EXE, and you have two floppy drives, just create two batch files:

FORMATA.BAT

FOURMATH.EXE A:

FORMATB.BAT

FOURMATH.EXE B:

Then type FORMATA to format the A drive. If you want a reminder create a third batch file called FORMAT.BAT like this:

FORMAT.BAT

ECHO OFF

ECHO

ECHO Hey stupid use FORMATA and FORMATB not me !!!!

ECHO

PAUSE

Quick construction of short batch files:

If your DOS does not have an edit command you can use the copy command to create short batch files. We will use the fact that DOS recognizes the psudo-file CON as the keyboard. Just type "COPY CON XXX.BAT". Then type the lines of the batch file you wish to create. On a blank line after the last line of your batch file type a Ctrl-Z and Enter to end the copy. For example:

C:> COPY CON AUTOEXEC.BAT

PROMPT $P$G

PATH C:\;C:\DOS;C:\GAMES

MENU.EXE

^Z

C:> TYPE AUTOEXEC.BAT

PROMPT $P$G

PATH C:\;C:\DOS;C:\GAMES

MENU.EXE

I hope this helps some of the XT jockeys that have been feeling left out due to all my Windows Tips columns.

Mark Pendergast

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I have gotten lazy in my old age and have developed a trick that saves me from bending over up to two times per session on my computer. I plugged the outlet strip for my computer peripherals into a Radio Shack X10 remote power control module. I just hit the remote control push-button and it fires up my monitor, printer, modem and desk lamp. Then I hit the main power switch on my system unit, and off I go. It may not be a biggie, but we have to get our kicks somehow.

Mark Pendergast

9312

I had a chance to read an article that described the blurring of the line between traditional computing and consumer electronics. They predicted that by 1997 there would be no line at all. The computers were becoming more 'media' aware and the consumer products were becoming smarter.

I have seen more and more move towards 'digital' appliances. Today, the average washer/dryer combo is smarter than my first computer. The High Definition TV (HDTV) standards will make more sophisticated TV presentations possible, and the movement to a digital standard will almost guarantees a merger between TV and computer monitor offerings.

The digital world is becoming more 'analog' (if you can cope with this term) as time goes on. The sound capabilities of computers have moved from beeps and boops to CD quality sound. The ability of the computer to incorporate graphics and even live action video are just beginning to blossom. Toss in the upcoming move to infra-red networking technology (ala the remote control) and you just can't find a line to draw anymore.

The wild card in all this is the information super highway and wireless communications that are lurking on the horizon. This blend of take-it-anywhere, use-it-everywhere and tap-into-everything are almost beyond the dreams of most consumers today. Just like George Washington would have a hard time with telephone, television, VCRs and computers, we will be blown away by our laptop visionphone, videomail, database tapper, personal ATM machine, watch the ball game, bet on the horses and portable voting booth, and by the way, did I mention virtual reality glasses are optional?

I don't know when all this stuff will be available, but I do know most of the glimmerings are here today. As long as you are willing to pay though the nose and stay in one spot we can do all this stuff today. By 1997 we should be able to do all this for a small fee while we are sky diving.

I know this seems fantastic, but I have faith that we will see it all in my lifetime.

If any of you have read interesting articles, I would like to hear about it. Just write up your review or thoughts in ASCII or Windows Write format and drop it off at the next meeting. I would love to hear from you.

Mark Pendergast