ProgramBar 2.20 --------------- Copyright 1995-96 Ian Jefferies. jeffers@teaching.physics.ox.ac.uk Shareware Inspired by the task bar found in Windows95, this program has been written so that the same kind of functionality and ease of use can be brought to Windows 3.1 and Windows For Work Groups. Windows was designed so that you might run several programs together. While doing this you quickly find that you run out of screen real estate. Reading a help file while writing and testing an Excel based macro for example, or more. Switching between applications now means using Alt-TAB, more often than not overshooting the application you want - very annoying. ProgramBar will help you switch between applications quickly, easily and with confidence. It's as easy as using the mouse! For most of the time you will not be aware that it is running on your system. It uses very little in the way of system resources and processor time as it sits in the background, quietly noticing when you load and close down programs. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Features --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following main features are implemented in this release: * Fast access menus for your most frequently used programs, documents and help files. * A `Start' button that gives access to much of the functionality of ProgramBar. * Access to, and running of, any program in your Program Manager groups. * A live desktop allowing frequently used documents to appear on the desktop as icon links. Documents may be dragged from File Manager and added to the desktop. A desktop system menu is available by right clicking on the desktop. * Access to all of the Control Panel configuration applets. * Each running application represented on the front panel as a button. A push of the button makes that application active. Iconic applications may be hidden so as to neaten the desktop. * Right clicking on the ProgramBar panel displays a list of active applications that can be closed. * Shutdown Windows, either returning to DOS, restarting Windows again, or rebooting your machine. * Fast search for files on your hard disk. They may be launched or added to the fast access menus or live desktop. * Run a program specifying the command arguments, or a data file with an association known to File Manager. * The current time and date displayed on the front panel. A calendar window helps you plan and set alarms. * Full configuration of ProgramBar via a popup dialog box. * Ability to run as a limited shell. No support for DDE. Other features that will help you use ProgramBar and Windows better: * Colourful icons help navigation through the main popup menu. * Flyby help hints when you let the mouse hover over part of the ProgramBar interface. * Quick access to this help file (click on the ProgramBar logo on the right hand side of the bar.) * Drag and drop of files from File Manager onto ProgramBar. Automatic separation into Applications, Documents and Help files. * The state of ProgramBar is saved between sessions. * When permanently visible maximized windows may be resized to accommodate the reduced desktop area. * Applications may be excluded from the front panel task switching buttons to reduce clogging up of the panel. * Task switching buttons on the front panel may be stacked onto more than one row. * ProgramBar may be triggered from any of the four edges of the screen. A convenient marker can be displayed on the last triggered edge, or all available triggering edges. * Applications/documents and help files added to the fast access menus may be edited to give more appropriate titles, run time arguments, or different working directories. * Better support for people who use cursor screen wrap: the size of the region that can be used to make ProgramBar popup may be adjusted. The time delay before ProgramBar hides again may be increase. Also a time delay before ProgramBar is displayed may be set, avoiding the `overshoot' problem associated with controls near the edge of the screen. * Menu and front panel fonts may be changed from within ProgramBar. A sample box also shows the suitability of the font for reproducing non-standard characters that may be used in titles. * 3D effect on all dialog boxes though the automatic use of CTL3DV2.DLL if present. Tabbed dialog boxes are adjusted to look more like their Windows 95 counterparts when used in conjunction with this DLL. * Better crash protection. ProgramBar interferes with or supersedes much of the functionality of Windows in order to implement its features. Should another application `fall over' or crash ProgramBar should not be affected. Neither should ProgramBar cause another application to crash. In the unlikely event that ProgramBar crashes it removes all of its hooks and cleans up after itself, thus minimizing the chance of another program crashing. * Hidden out of the way when you don't need it. May also be permanently visible on your desktop. * The Control Panel may be inhibited from running in order that a potential clash between ProgramBar and Control Panel is avoided. The clash arises because the same dialog box may be opened by both applications and different values set. This is a precautionary measure only.