Copyright: Diego A. Aranda, 1993


Command Line Help Contents

Welcome to Command Line, a program launcher for Windows 3.1

To learn how to use Help, press F1.

About Bright Ideas! Software Design

Disclaimer

Introduction

Installation

Using Command Line

Configuring Command Line

Revision History

Planned Improvements


About Bright Ideas! Software Design

Bright Ideas! Software Design is committed to providing useful Windows software.

All software produced by Bright Ideas! is entirely FREE.  There are no registration fees to pay, and no annoying nag screens to deal with. Bright Ideas! programs are publicly driven - applications and improvements are based entirely on the feedback and support of users.

Bright Ideas! Software Design can be contacted via:

America Online:       DiegoAA

Internet E-mail:          DAA7365@RIGEL.TAMU.EDU

U.S. Mail:                    Diego A. Aranda

                                       939 Navidad

                                       Bryan, TX 77801-2818

Command Line is the first application from Bright Ideas! to be publicly distributed.


Disclaimer

There are no limitations on the use of Command Line v3.2.  Both individual users and corporations are entitled to use this product without paying any royalties.  However, Command Line is to be distributed in its entirety, without modification. A nominal distribution fee of not more that $2.00 U.S. is permitted.

Command Line is distributed as FREEWARE.  No warranty exists, either expressed or implied.  No liability is  assumed for any damage or loss resulting from the use of this product.  No claims are made regarding  the quality of this product.


Introduction

Command Line is an application launcher, clock, and resource monitor for Windows 3.1.

Command Line features an integrated LaunchBox for executing both Windows and DOS applications, and supports any combination of switches and arguments. Command Line FunctionKeys allow a user to launch up to 48 applications or documents with a single keypress or key-combination. Command Line Aliases allow a user to define up to 50 applications and documents, which are then available from the LaunchBox with just a few keystrokes. Command Line includes an integrated Clock, a Date function, and a constantly updated Free System Resources indicator. Command Line can be configured to stay OnTop of other active windows, and provides a Quick-Exit function from Windows. Command Line can be set as the Windows shell, and Command Line AutoLoad and AutoRun allow a user to define up to 10 applications or documents to execute at the same time as Command Line.


Installation

To install Command Line, place C-LINE.EXE and C-LINE.HLP in any directory on your PATH statement.  Move C-LINE.INI to your Windows directory, and VBRUN200.DLL and THREED.VBX to your Windows system directory.

To run Command Line, double-click on C-LINE.EXE in File Manager, or create a new program item in Program Manager and double-click the icon.

Command Line can be set to run as the Windows shell. Edit SYSTEM.INI with a text editor and change the SHELL=PROGMAN.EXE line to the full pathname where C-LINE.EXE resides. As the shell, however, Command Line will not execute the LOAD and RUN lines of WIN.INI, nor will it execute applications in the StartUp group of Program Manager. Use the AutoLoad and AutoRun features of Command Line to achieve the same functionality.

The file C-LINE.HLP is nonessential, and can be deleted to save disk space.  All other files are required for Command Line to function.


Using Command Line

Aliases

AutoLoad

AutoRun

Clock

Date

Free System Resources

FunctionKeys

LaunchBox

Status Indicator


Configuring Command Line

To configure Command Line,press Ctrl and right-click on the Status Indicator, or type CONFIGURE in the LaunchBox.

Type the macro you wish to use to access a particular application or document in the textboxes in the Alias column.

Type the full file and pathname of each application or document in the textboxes in the Value column.

Type the directory you wish the application or document to load into in the textboxes in the StartUp directory column.

Press the >> and << buttons to move forward and backward (respectively) between the fifty applications.

Press the AutoLoad button to configure Command Line AutoLoad applications.

Press the AutoRun button to configure Command Line AutoRun applications.

Press the Options button to configure Command Line Options.

Press the OK button to save changes and exit Command Line Configuration.

Press the Cancel button to cancel changes and exit Command Line Configuration.

Press the Help button to launch C-LINE.HLP.


Aliases

Command Line Aliases are used in conjunction with the LaunchBox. Aliases are macros which allow a user to execute a command or script using just a few keystrokes.

For example, a user could define:

to be equivalent to:

Command Line stores this value, and executes it every time the alias (dos)is used.

To configure Command Line Aliases press Ctrl and right click the Status Indicator.

Reserved Aliases


Reserved Aliases

The following LaunchBox commands are reserved for use by Command Line, and cannot be defined as Aliases:

ABOUT

EXIT

EXITWIN

CONFIGURE

HELP

RESET


AutoLoad

Command Line AutoLoad allows a user to define up to 5 applications which will be loaded every time Command Line is run. This function is especially useful when Command Line is the Windows shell. To configure AutoLoad, press Ctrl and right-click on the Status Indicator, then press the AutoLoad button.

Type the full file and pathname of each application you wish to load in the textboxes in the Program column.

Type the directory you wish each application to load into in the textboxes in the StartUp Directory column.

Press OK to save changes and exit Command Line AutoLoad.

Press Cancel to cancel changes and exit Command Line AutoLoad.


AutoRun

Command Line AutoRun allows a user to define up to 5 applications which will be executed every time Command Line is run. This function is especially useful when Command Line is the Windows shell. To configure AutoRun, press Ctrl and right-click on the Status Indicator, then press the AutoRun button.

Type the full file and pathname of each application you wish to load in the textboxes in the Program column.

Type the directory you wish each application to load into in the textboxes in the StartUp Directory column.

Press OK to save changes and exit Command Line AutoRun.

Press Cancel to cancel changes and exit Command Line AutoRun.


Clock

Command Line provides a 12-hour format Clock which displays the current hour, minute and second, as well as AM/PM indicator.

Right-clicking on the Clock will launch Command Line Help.


Date

Command Line provides a Date counter in the format Month/Day/Year.

Right-clicking on the Date Indicator will launch Command Line Help.


Free System Resources

Command Line provides a Free System Resource indicator which is updated once each second. If the current resources fall below 30 percent, the Status Indicator will glow yellow. If resources fall below 15 percent, the Status Indicator will glow red.

Right-clicking on the Free System Resources Indicator will launch Command Line Help.


FunctionKeys

Command Line FunctionKeys allow a user to launch an application or script with a single keystroke.  The function keys  F1 to F12, Alt-F1 to Alt-F12, Ctrl-F1 to Ctrl-F12, and Shift-F1 to Shift-F12 may be used.

FunctionKeys must be defined by the user before they can be used.  To do so, press Ctrl and right-click on the Status Indicator.


LaunchBox

The LaunchBox allows a user to launch Windows and DOS applications simply by typing in the application name, or by typing a Command Line Alias. As Command Line can be configured to be always present at the bottom of the screen, this method of launching applications (especially via Aliases or FunctionKeys) can be faster than displaying the Program Manager window, then finding the proper icon and double-clicking it. Windows and DOS .EXE, .COM, .BAT, and .PIF files may be launched directly. Documents may be launched by typing the application name, a space, and then the document name (for example: cardfile default.crd).

Reserved Aliases


Status Indicator

The Status Indicator shows the status of the Command Line LaunchBox. When a user begins to type in the LaunchBox, the caption changes from READY to STANDBY.

Pressing Alt and right-clicking once on the Status Indicator will immediately exit Windows if no DOS applications are active.

Pressing Ctrl and right-clicking once on the Status Indicator will launch the CONFIG.EXE program to configure Command Line.

Double-clicking the Status Indicator will cycle through various commands. These are (in order):

To execute any of these commands, double-click the Status Indicator until the proper command appears, then right-click once on the Status Indicator.


Revision History

v3.2

Integrated C-LINE.EXE, CONFIG.EXE, and ABOUT.EXE into a single file.

Added AutoLoad, AutoRun and StartUpDirectory Enable Options to increase speed.

Improved the appearance of the configuration window.

Improved performance an additional ten percent.

Minor bug-fixes.

v3.1

Decreased CONFIG.EXE code size by approximately 15,000 bytes and improved performance by twenty percent.

Decreased C-LINE.EXE code size slightly.

Minor bug-fixes.

v3.0

Added built-in configuration program, CONFIG.EXE.

Increased the number of FunctionKey definitons to fourty-eight.

Added functionality to Status Indicator.

Aesthetic improvements to both executables and documentation.

Decreased C-LINE.EXE code size by approximately 5,000 bytes and slightly improved performance.

v2.2

Reduced the total number of Aliases to fifty.

Reduced total number of FunctionKeys to twenty-four.

Reduced the total number of AutoLoad and AutoRun applications to 5 each.

Decreased code size by an additional 20,000 bytes.

Major performance increase (better than fifty percent).

Corrected caption centering defects in the Status Indicator, Clock, Date, and Free System Resources.

v2.1

Fixed bug in StartUpDirectory code.

Decreased code size by approximately 20,000 bytes.

Moderate performance increase.

Minor refinements to C-LINE.HLP.

v2.0

Added AutoLoad, AutoRun, FunctionKeys, Options, ABOUT.EXE, and C-LINE.HLP.

Added code to resize the LaunchBox, Status Indicator, Clock, Date, and Free System Resources panels for different screen resolutions.

Created C-LINE.INI to preserve changes.

Added StayOnTop and FontBold options.

Added automatic variable refresh after C-LINE.INI is edited.

v1.0

Never publicly released.

Introduced LaunchBox, Status Indicator, Clock, Date, and Free System Resources.

General appearance was designed.


Planned Improvements

C++ code port for maximum speed, power, and versatility.

User-definable FunctionKeys (not limited to F1-F12).

FunctionKeys will not require Command Line to have the current focus in order to operate.

File copying and deletion, as well as directory changing, creation, and removal from the LaunchBox.

Greater customization of the appearance and colors.

Improved performance and smaller size.