Contents

AOL Time

Description

Menu Items:

Always on Top

Show in America Online® Menu

Change AmericaOnlinePath...

Select Communications Port

Reset

Start

Exit

America Online® is a registered service mark of America Online, Inc.


Checking this menu item causes AOLTIME

to always stay on top of all other windows.


Checking this menu item causes the

Total Connect Time to appear in the

America Online® menu bar.


Selecting this menu item prompts

the user for a new path where America

Online® (WAOL.EXE) can be found.

Example: C:\WAOL


Select the same communications

port (COM1 - COM4) as used by

America Online®.


Manually reset the Total Connect Time

counter back to 00:00:00.


Starts America Online® (WAOL.EXE),

using the 'AmericaOnlinePath' found in

the AOLTIME.INI profile file.


Exit AOLTIME and stop calculating

the Total Connect Time.


Description
AOLTIME.EXE is a Windows 3.1 application which calculates the 'Total Connect Time' when using America Online® for Windows (WAOL.EXE).

What is AOLTIME?

AOLTIME keeps a running total of your connect time while using America Online®.  It monitors how America Online® uses the communications ports, and calculates the 'Total Connect Time' based on what it sees.  If the appropriate menu item in AOLTIME is selected, the 'Total Connect Time' will magically appear in the right-most position in the America Online® menu bar.  This is one feature the engineers at America Online® should have included in their software.  Maybe they'll hire me to do it for them. (Ha-Ha).

Why do I need it?

Why do you need such a program?  Well if you're like me, you probably get a little frustrated and tired going through all those menu items in the "GOTO BILLING" section to find your connect time.  There had to be a better way, and so I sat down and wrote this program to calculate and track my connect time without all those GUI menu gymnastics.

Is it hard to use?

AOLTIME is totally transparent to the operation of America Online®.  Just start copy the appropriate files to their directories and start the program.  You will be asked for the communications port used by America Online® (COM1-COM4).  That's it.  If you want to select some options, do so from the 'Options' menu.  AOLTIME does not affect the operation of America Online®, and may be terminated at any time during your session.

How does it calculate 'Total Connect Time'?

The 'Total Connect Time' is calculated as the time America Online® (WAOL.EXE) is transmitting and/or receiving over one of four possible communications ports (COM1-COM4).  Please note, the term 'Total Connect Time' is a relative term and means the time between manual resets of the counter.  This software is meant to help monitor your connect time and should not be used to calculate your actual connect costs.  The program still requires manual user intervention in order to reset the 'Total Connect Time' counter.

The 'Total Connect Time' is saved in the AOLTIME.INI profile file every minute and after AOLTIME is terminated, so that it can be recalled when AOLTIME is started again.  In the event of a system reset (ie CTRL-ALT-DEL), AOLTIME will have updated the AOLTIME.INI profile file, in one minute intervals, with the 'Total Connect Time' .  The time will be accurate to one minute in case of an unexpected system shutdown

What else can I do with it?

AOLTIME normally runs as an icon, and need only be maximized in order to select menu items.  Once started, AOLTIME may remain running even after America Online® has terminated.  You may substitute this application for the America Online® application in the appropriate Program Manager group, as AOLTIME will automatically start America Online® using the 'AmericaOnlinePath' path found in the AOLTIME.INI profile file.  The 'Total Connect Time' must be manually reset using the appropriate menu item.

What is the AOLTIME.INI profile file?

AOLTIME.INI contains the user-configurable parameters needed by AOLTIME.EXE.  Most will default to an initial value.    AOLTIME.INI must be located in the Windows directory.

The 'AmericaOnlinePath' parameter however, requires that the user provide the path name where America Online® (WAOL.EXE) is located (NOTE: Do NOT include the file name WAOL.EXE in the path name).  This is required in order to automatically start America Online® when AOLTIME is started.  One need only select the 'Change AmericaOnlinePath...' item from the 'Options' menu and a dialog box will prompt the user to enter a new path.  In addition, any ASCII text editor (ie NOTEPAD.EXE) may be used to edit the .INI file directly.

Why does it ask me for a communications port?

The user will be prompted initially for the communications port currently used by the America Online® (WAOL.EXE) application.  This is required, as AOLTIME has no way of knowing which port America Online® is programmed to use.

How do I install AOLTIME on my system?

Copy AOLTIME.EXE to any directory you so choose (suggestion: use the same directory where WAOL.EXE is located).  AOLTIME.HLP MUST be in the same directory as AOLTIME.EXE.  AOLTIME.INI MUST be in the Windows directory where your Windows applications are found (ie PROGMAN.EXE, WINFILE.EXE, CONTROL.EXE, etc.).  If the profile file is not found when AOLTIME is started, one will automatically be created as a default.  You may edit it later to configure it to your particular configuration.

Files:

AOLTIME.EXE - Total Connect Time application used with America Online® (WAOL.EXE).

AOLTIME.HLP - Help file.

AOLTIME.INI   - Profile file containing the 'AmericaOnlinePath' path string, etc.

Disclaimer

This software is provided "as is" for the pleasure and benefit of the users of America Online® for Windows.  There is no charge for the use of this program, but we do encourage your comments and suggestions (select 'About AOLTIME...' in the Help menu).  We assume no responsibility for any damage to your equipment or loss of data as the result of using this software.  Enjoy, its FREE.