Calypso task bar 1.0 ==================== Here is my version of the Win95 style task bar. An improved program will be included with version 2 of Calypso, but for now, this should satisfy most '95 addicts. If Calypso 1.1 or later is running in the background, pressing the Start button will bring up Calypso's Start menu, as expected. The other features will work just as well without. I'm rather concerned about the taskbar's appetite for memory, so there might be another version with less frills. Thankfully, you can turn it off to free up RAM when you don't need it. The complete Delphi source code is available, directly from me, and will soon be available from some FTP and web sites which carry Delphi source. I'm holding onto it for the moment because there are a couple of bugs which I would like to sort out if possible. Email : lhh@doc.ic.ac.uk Snail mail : Li-Hsin Huang 59 Bromefield Stanmore Middlesex HA7 1AG England UK Installation ------------ There are 2 essential files : CALTASK.EXE and TASKHOOK.DLL. Copy them to your hard disk. You can put the executable file into Program Manager's Startup group or Calypso 1.2's Startup menu. Usage ----- By default, the taskbar remains hidden until you move the mouse cursor to the bottom of the screen. Pressing a button will activate the corresponding program, either by restoring it (if it was minimized) or bringing it to the top. Stickiness ---------- There are two styles of operation Normal -- the taskbar hides itself when you activate another program Sticky -- it only hides itself when you press one of its buttons Whatever mode you're in, you can force it to disappear by right clicking in between the buttons. The mode can be changed using command line switches or one of the menus. Menus ----- Right click on any button to show a popup menu. Task buttons have menu items to restore, minimize, maximize or shut down a program. The Start button has a special menu, allowing you to quit CalTask, change the stickiness, or terminate a program. Terminating a rogue program --------------------------- Sometimes, programs hang or otherwise refuse to shut down. Even the Windows Task Manager is unable to end them so it's time to get tough! Choosing the "Terminate" command will temporarily disable all the buttons and change the cursor to a circle with a bar through it... - Left click on a task button to end the related program. - Right click or press ESCAPE to abort the operation. Warning: This feature is often effective in killing programs but you should only use it as a last resort -- the dying app might decide to clobber someone else's memory and the system may be left in an unstable state, with unfreed resources and unclosed files. You will NOT be prompted to save your work! Memory and resource monitor --------------------------- Leave the cursor over the clock to show free system resources. Hold down the mouse button over the clock to show free memory. Parameters ---------- /NoSlide Makes the taskbar appear instantly rather than slide up Useful for slower machines /NoHighLight Does not display highlighted (pressed) buttons /Sticky Only hides the taskbar when you press one of its buttons If you activate another program, the taskbar remains /24Hour Uses a 24-hour clock Bugs ---- When the taskbar is in Sticky mode, some tasks might be missed out if their window remains invisible for more than 15 seconds. Most notably, the Windows Help task might not be caught if you enter it from a topic search. Everything should be OK in Normal mode. Also in sticky mode, the button captions don't change to reflect the window captions until you hide the taskbar and activate it again. Some programs which use multiple top-level parent windows will be shown by more than one button. With large screen fonts, the Start menu from Calypso might float some way above the taskbar rather than align with the top of it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CalTask 1.0 is Freeware and is distributed as is with no warranty, express or implied, including but not limited to, fitness for a particular purpose. You may freely distribute copies of this program, provided that it remains in its complete form with all support, documentation, and configuration files.