LOADER version 1.0 ------ by Steven Feinstein CompuServe ID: 72007,624 WHAT IS LOADER -------------- Loader is a task launcher for Windows. Once loaded, Loader is a mouse-click away Both Windows and DOS applications can be launched from Loader. REGISTRATION ------------ Loader is distributed as shareware. If you find the program of value, please register a copy by sending $5.00 to: Steven Feinstein 72 Katherine Drive Hamden, CT 06514 By registering Loader, you will be given free technical support (via e-mail through CompuServe) and all updates will be free of charge (I will notify you when an upgrade is available). FILES ----- loader.exe - Loader application mclick.dll - DLL required by Loader, should either be in the same directory as loader.exe or in the Windows directory or any directory in the path loader.txt - Documentation for loader INSTALLATION ------------ Copy the Loader files into their own directory or into the Windows directory (the Windows directory is good for mclick.dll because Windows will search there if it can not find the file). In Program Manager, choose the group that you want to store Loader in or create a new group, and choose File New. Choose Program Item. For description enter Loader (or whatever you want), for Command Line enter d:\path\Loader.exe, where d: is the drive Loader is stored on and path is the directory. Press OK. You can also add Loader to the Win.ini file. You should read the Windows manual for instructions on how to modify this file. Loader should be placed in the line beginning with load=. HOW TO LOAD LOADER ------------------ Loader is launched just like any other Windows application. Double-click on its icon from within a Group or add Loader to the WIN.INI file in either the load= or run= line (refer to the Windows manuals on how to modify the win.ini file). Once loaded, Loader will appear as an icon on the Windows Desktop. You can access Loader in one of 4 ways: 1 - By double-clicking on the icon. 2 - By clicking once on the icon and choosing restore. 3 - By clicking the right mouse button while the mouse cursor is over the desktop (the cursor can not be over an application's window). 4 - By clicking the right mouse button on a window's caption bar (this works on a DOS window as well). This last choice is useful if you are running a Window zoomed to full screen. Instead of unzooming the Window to get access to part of the desktop, just click the right button on the caption bar. HOW TO USE LOADER ----------------- When you access Loader, a dialog box will appear. The dialog box contains 7 buttons and a scrollable list box. List Box -------- The list box contains a list of programs you have defined that can be launched. You can scroll through the list box by using the scroll bar (if the list does not exceed one screen full, there will not be a scroll bar) or by using the cursor keys. To load one of the programs, hilite it and press enter or double click on the item. You can also select an item and press the LOAD button. Buttons ------- The 7 buttons are: LOAD, ADD, REMOVE, EDIT, CANCEL, QUIT, and ABOUT LOADER. You can select a button by clicking on it, by using the Tab key to move to the button and pressing enter or space bar, or by holding the ALT key and pressing the underlined letter in the button (for example L for Load). LOAD - launches the hilited item in the list box. Loader will become an icon and the hilited item will be the active application. ADD - Displays a dialog box that allows you to add an application to the list box. REMOVE - Removes the hilited application from the list box. A dialog box will appear asking you for confirmation of the removal. EDIT - Displays a dialog box that allows you to change the values and parameters of the hilited item in the list box. CANCEL - Puts Loader back into an icon. QUIT - Stops the Loader application. It will no longer be available with a mouse click. You will have to load Loader from the Program Manager again in order to use it. ABOUT LOADER - Displays a dialog box with version and author information. ADDING/EDITING -------------- A dialog will appear with 3 data-entry fields: Description, Command Line, and Startup directory. Description - Enter the text that you would like to appear in the list box to choose this application. Command Line - Enter the command used to load the application. Startup directory - Enter the drive and directory that should be set before loading the application. Examples -------- Description: My Note Pad Command Line: d:\windows\notepad.exe Startup Directory: The list box will display My Note Pad. The command line for notepad (which is stored in the Windows directory of my D drive) is notepad.exe. I did not enter anything into startup directory because I don't care what the default directory is. I could have entered the information as: Description: My Note Pad Command Line: notepad.exe Startup Directory: d:\windows The only difference between these two examples is that in the second example, Loader switches to d:\windows before loading notepad. Some programs use more than 1 file and would not know where to locate the files unless you set the startup directory. If you don't set the startup directory to the same path as the location of the program, and you get messages that a file can not be found, try setting the startup directory. More examples ------------- Description: Word for Windows Command Line: d:\winword\winword.exe Startup Directory: d:\docs The list box will display Word for Windows. Word will be loaded and the default directory will be set to d:\docs which is where I store my Word documents. Description: Phone Book Command Line: cardfile.exe phone.crd Startup Directory: d:\windows Phone book is displayed in the list box. Loader executes cardfile but passes a parameter of phone.crd. This will cause cardfile to load phone.crd (my phone list) automatically. The startup directory is set to where phone.crd is located. Description: Lotus 123 Command Line: lotus.pif Startup Directory: d:\windows Lotus 123 will appear in the list box. Lotus.pif (stored in d:\windows) will be executed. This example assumes that lotus.pif was already created using the PIF Editor. Description: DOS Command Line: command.com Startup Directory: c:\ DOS will appear in the list box. command.com will be run and the drive and directory will be set to c:\. DISCLAIMER ---------- This program comes with no warranty. The author is not liable for any problems, losses or damages (including loss of business profits, loss of business information, or other financial losses). If there are any problems with the software, I will do my best to correct them.