Index
Topics Index

WPWINF's help system includes the following topics:

Introduction

The introduction summarizes the purpose and use of WPWINF.

Installation

The installation instructions provide detailed information about installing WPWINF, including installation in the Windows Program Manager and the PC Tools File Manager.

Operations

The operations section gives information about how to operate WPWINF's menus and commands.

Caveats

The caveats section gives some cautions and information about how to contact the author.

(C) Copyright 1993, PC Technology Associates


Introduction

WPWINF.EXE is a little Visual Basic Project designed to facilitate your use of WordPerfect for Windows. All rights to WPWINF are reserved by PCTA, but you may copy and use release 1.0 of WPWINF, as you wish, provided no charges above $5.00 (U.S. Dollars) are made for the media containing it (e.g., disks, BBS usage and/or download charges, etc.).

The problems WPWINF addresses are:

* WPWIN usually takes a long time to initialize, even if you start it by mistake.

* WPWIN file management can be cryptic and slow. From a time management standpoint, it makes sense to select your file and start WPWIN, as opposed to waiting until it becomes ready to select your file.

* WPWIN  gives a cryptic error message about being unable to execute the .EXE filewhen you attempt to start it from the Windows Program manager, and it is already running.

WPWINF addresses all these problems by providing a front end for WPWIN that helps you do the right thing.

WPWINF can be used as a miniature file manager for WPWIN. If you create an icon for it with a startup directory, then it will speed editing files in that directory.

WPWINF increases user productivity by faciliating users leaving WPWIN up and loading files into it as needed. This eliminates WPWIN's long initialization time.

In addition, WPWINF is a useful addition to Central Point PC Tools for Window's File Manager. If you assign WPWINF to its button bar,you can select a file and click that button, and be sure that the right thing will happen.

Other file managers with similar facilities to PC Tools will also benefit from the use of WPWINF.


Installation

There are two major steps to installing WPWINF in Windows:

(1) Installing WPWINF program files

(2) Installing WPWINF in the Windows Program Manager

Installing WPWINF Program Files

WPWINF.EXE is as completely self-contained as any Visual Basic 2.0 Project. In other words, if you have not already done so, you should obtain VBRUN200.DLL, and copy it to the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory.

VBRUN200.DLL  may be freely copied, and is probably available from the same source as you obtained WPWINF. WPWINF is not distributed with VBRUN200.DLL because VBRUN200.DLL is so freely available, and is reasonably large (>200 kilobytes). WPWINF is about 10 times smaller.

You need to copy WPWINF.EXE and WPWINF.HLP some place where Windows can readily find it, such as the \WPWIN subdirectory.

Installing WPWINF in the Program Manager

Install WPWINF in Program Manager using the File, New, Program Item menu selections to get to the Program Item Properties menu. If you are familiar with the procedure, skip reading the rest of this item and just do it.

* First, select the program group (such as WordPerfect Applications) you want to have the WPWINF icon in. Single click any item in the group. It will be highlighted.

* Second, select File, New, and Program Item.

* Third, use the Browse Button on the Program Item Properties menu to find where you copied WPWINF.EXE.

* Finally, use the OK Button to confirm creation of the WPWINF icon.

Installing WPWINF in PC Tools for Windows

Installing WPWINF Optional files


PC Tools
Installing WPWINF in PC Tools for Windows File Manager

Installing WPWINF in the PC Tools for Windows File Manager

There are two major steps to installing WPWINF in the PC Tools for Windows File Manager, beyond copying the WPWINF.EXE file to your disk:

(1) Creating a Toolbar command

(2) Assigning the command to the Toolbar

Creating the WPWINF Toolbar command in the PC Tools for Windows File Manager

* Select Options, Customize

* Press the Commands button

* Press the New button

* Fill in the blanks:

     Command Name:       WPWIN

     Command Line:       (use the Browse button to find WPWINF)

     Working Directory:  (set to where you keep WPWIN documents)

     Description:        Run WPWIN (or what you want)

     Button text:        WPWIN (or what you want)

     Menu text:          &WPWINF (or what you want)

     Show style:         Normal

* WPWINF.ICO contains an appropriate icon

Assigning the WPWINF command to the Toolbar

* Select Options, Customize

* Press the Toolbar button

* Use the Toolbar scroll bar to the place in the toolbar to add WPWINF

* Select WPWINF from the Commands menu

* Press the Insert button

* Press the Save button


Operation

WPWINF 1.0 Processing

WPWINF checks to see if WPWIN is started, and verifies the parameters you have provided it with. You will be given the chance to select a file or change your selection. If WPWIN is already started, WPWINF will add the file you have selected to WPWIN's multiple document interface (MDI). If WPWIN is not already started. WPWINF starts it with the file you specify.

If WPWIN is not already started, and a file is specified, then WPWIN starts with its defaults. If WPWIN is already started, and no file is specified, an informative message is put on the screen. WPWINF ends once WPWIN commences loading or starts to add the specified file to its MDI interface.

WPWINF is a small Visual Basic 2.0 project, and most of the resources it uses are a consequence of using Visual Basic. Visual Basic 2.0 applications use no less than 75 kilobytes and 5% Free System Resources.


Optional WPWINF Files

WPWINF.INI file

If you put a file called WPWINF.INI in Window's startup directory (usually C:\WINDOWS) then this file will override some defaults that WPWINF to start WPWIN.

This file is composed of 1 record. The record contains two items separated by a comma:

* The first item is used to start WPWIN and defaults to WPWIN.EXE.

* The second item is any optional WPWIN parameters you wish to use,  such as the /U parameter for network users.

If either parameter is null, then WPWINF's defaults will be used instead.

VBRLOAD.EXE

VBRLOAD.EXE is included with WPWINF. It is a trivial application thatcauses much of VBRUN200.DLL to be resident as long as VBRLOAD is resident. You may want to put it in your startup group to speed subsequent loading of Visual Basic 2.0 applications. If you do this, remember to select the Run Minimized option.

VBRLOAD uses about 5% FSR's and 75k of Windows memory. If you run low,ending it will recover 100% of these resources.


Caveats

 This is release 1.1 of WPWINF, and you may find some bugs or things you don't like about how it works. The author reserves its copyright,but is letting people use and copy release 1.1 subject to the conditions mentioned at the top of this file. For further information contact the author  by FAX at PCTA, 313-881-1347.