Copyright: Copyright ® Plannet Crafters, Inc.
Citation: Plug-In for Windows


  Plug-In for Windows Help Contents

Overview  (What Plug-In for Windows Will Do for You)

Features by Category  (A Detailed Reference)

Tips & Techniques  (Lots of Useful Info)

License, ASP Information, Credits  (Legal and Miscellaneous)

Technical Support  (Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!)

How to Contact Plannet Crafters  (Phone, Fax, E-Mail, Snail-Mail, etc.)

How to Purchase Plug-In for Windows  (Dollars, Gilders, Yen, etc.)


Features by Category

General Options

Program Manager Features

Custom Cursors

Resource Alerts

QuickRun Menu

Title Bar

Alarms & Scheduler

Sounds

Plug-In Commands


General Options

These options affect the overall behavior and feel of your Plug-In environment.   It is also the home for some options and features which didn't fit into the other main dialogs.

Startup Behavior

-	Run Plug-In When Windows Starts.  This should normally be left checked.  Plug-In is placed on the LOAD (or RUN) line in your WIN.INI file

-	Hide Plug-In Icon.  This is on by default, but if you like an icon, you can uncheck this box.

Windows Screen Saver Enhancements

-	ShortCut key.  You can select a key-combination that will instantly activate your screen saver.  This is designed to work with the standard Windows 3.1 screen savers.

-	Hotspots.  If enabled, you can place your mouse cursor in the lower-left corner of the screen to activate your screen saver, or the lower-right corner of your screen to cause the screen saver to never be activated.  Your cursor will change to a monitor-shape when it is in one of these corners.

Miscellaneous

-	3-D dialogs.  The default.  If you don't like them, or are running Plug-In on a gray-scale laptop, you may want to disable this feature.

-	Graphic Buttons.  The default.  If you don't like them, or are running Plug-In on a gray-scale laptop, you may want to disable this feature.

-	Show QuickDOS option in Run dialog.  This is a carry-over from the original Plug-In.  It allows you to get quick access to internal DOS commands (e.g, DIR, DEL, etc.).

-	Disable StartUp logo.  This will disable the logo that appears when Plug-In first starts.  This will only take effect if you have registered your copy of Plug-In.

-	Browser Jump To's.  This dialog allows you to define Jump To's, which are paths (directories) that you want to be able to get to quickly when using a Browse dialog from within Plug-In.  There are three different types of Jump To lists (General, Sound Browser, and Icon Browser).

-	International.  This will eventually be a real dialog.  For now, it directs you to the README.TXT file, where there is a description of how to edit the PLUGIN.INI file for international days/month displays.


Program Manager Features

While the current version of Plug-In will work with any Windows desktop, the original was designed to enhance Program Manager.  The major new addition in Plug-In 2.0 is full support for nested groups.   Another welcome addition is the ability to display an instant menu of all items in a group by clicking the right-mouse button on a closed group.  For many, these additions to Program Manager provide everything they need, thus obviating the need for an alternate Windows desktop.

Icons

Change Icon (Group or Program Item)

Program Manager Icon

Nested Groups and Group Management

Nested Groups

Manage Groups

Copy Group

Reposition Groups

StartUp Group

Program Manager Options

Program Manager Options

Program Manager's Menu Commands (as modified by Plug-In)

File Menu

Groups | Copy (see description above)

Groups | Manage (see description above)

Groups | Reposition (see description above)

Groups | StartUp (see description above)

Change Icon (see description above)

Run

Install Application

Exit Windows

Options Menu

Save Settings Now

System Info

Configure Plug-In

Window Menu

Tile Horizontally

Minimize All Groups

QuickRun


Custom Cursors

Select customized cursors to replace the standard mouse pointer and hourglass, as well as enhance other system cursors.

You can select one of the built-in cursors simply by clicking on it and pressing the OK button.  Or, you can browse for an individual cursor file (.CUR).  Plug-In includes several cursor files (and even more when you register!).

Standard Cursor

This allows you to customize the standard mouse pointer (typically an arrow).

Hint:  If you are running  Windows on  a laptop, selecting a larger, bolder cursor is usually much easier to see!

Wait Cursor

This allows you to customize the wait cursor (typically an hourglass).

Other Cursors and Options

Enable Easy-To-See I-Beam Cursor

This allows you to select from one of the three available I-Beam cursors.  The I-Beam is notoriously hard to see for most people.

Enhance Other System Cursors

This option gives you larger and bolder sizing cursors (used when sizing windows).

Cursor Wrap at Screen Edges

This allows your cursor to "push through" the edges of your screen and wrap around to the other side.  Some will find this feature to be wonderful ... and it will drive others crazy!

Reverse Colors in Plug-In's Custom Cursors

This will reverse (switch black-and-white "colors") in cursors.  It will work on any cursor loaded by Plug-In (even for cursors loaded as .CUR files).


Resource Alerts

Resource Alerts monitor available memory, system resources, and disk utilization, and warn you if any of these fall below thresholds which you specify.  This is an easy way to help protect you from unexpected system crashses and other bizarre behavior.   Simply set the alerts as you like and forget about them.  Plug-In will let you know if your resources get too low.

Using Resource Alerts to Safeguard Your System

Alert Configuration Options


QuickRun Menu

The QuickRun menu gives you instant access to launching programs no matter where you are within Windows.

How to Use the QuickRun Menu

The QuickRun menu can be brought up in a number of ways:

-	You can click on the "Power Button"  which appears on the title bar of the currently-active application.

-	You can click your right mouse button (this is configurable) on the Windows desktop to bring up the menu.

-	You can assign a shortcut key so that you can instantly access the menu from the keyboard.

How to Configure the QuickRun Menu

Drag-and-Drop support::  The listbox in the Configure QuickRun Menu dialog is fully drag-and-drop aware.  Instead of using the Move Up/Down buttons, you can simply select the item you wish to move and drag it to the desired spot in the menu.

Operations:

Insert

Menu Item

SubMenu

Separator

Column

Task List

Plug-In Command

Program Manager Group

Delete

This will delete the currently selected item in the menu

Modify

This will allow you to modify the properties of the selected item.

Duplicate

This will duplicate the selected menu item.  This can be very handy when you are creating a number of similar items.

Move

This will allow you to move the selected item up and down the menu.

QuickRun Menu Options

QuickRun Menu Shortcut Key

This allows you to assign a Shortcut key combination so that you can gain instant access to the QuickRun menu.  When you use the Shortcut key, the menu will be centered on your screen.    You can also use the Shortcut key from within a DOS session, although it will switch you back to Windows.

Show <<end sub-menu>> in configuration dialog

This will display <<end sub-menu>> following the last entry in each submenu.  This can make it easier to insert entries as the last item in a submenu.

Show Current Task in Task Lists

This will show the current task in Task Lists.  By default, if you select the Task List by using the Power Button, the current task is not displayed.

 Show Full Text for Items in Task Lists

By default, anything after a " - " is not displayed in the Task List.   This tends to make for a cleaner display.  However, if you wish to see the entire text of the application's title bar, check this option.

Mouse Assignments

You can select the Left or Right mouse buttons and can also include qualifiers (SHIFT + CONTROL) as the mouse to use when accessing the QuickRun menu on the Windows Desktop.  If you don't want to access it at all from the Desktop, uncheck the appropriate box.

You can also choose to have the QuickRun menu displayed whenver you click the right mouse button on any system menu.  This is convenient, but is turned off by default, because the menu does not "stay" when you let go of the mouse, which some users may find objectionable.


Sounds

If you have a sound card installed on your system, Plug-In provides sophisticated sound features.  At this point in time, only specialized "multimedia" programs use sound.  Plug-In integrates sounds (both WAVE and MIDI files)  into Windows so that it behaves as if it were integral to the operating environment.

Taking Full Advantage of Plug-In's Sound Support

First of all, we recomment a real sound card, and not the speaker driver that is available from Microsoft.  You can use the speaker driver to "play with sounds," but they will be played with very little fidelity.  Also, the speaker driver can cause negative interactions with other software, which is why Microsoft didn't distribute it as a standard part of Windows 3.1

Second, experiment!  There are LOTS of options in Plug-In's sound support.  Try different settings until you find something that is agreeable.

Using the Sound List and the Sound Browser

Event Sounds

General Events

Application Specific Events

Other Events

Time Related Sounds

Chimes

Talking Clock

Miscellaneous Sound Options

Sound List

InstaSound Shortcut Key

Sound Configuration Options


System Information

Displays information on Windows up-time, system configuration, memory utilization, and active Windows applications.

Windows Up Time

The first item tells you how long (in days, minutes, and seconds) Windows has been active.   This is the amount of time since you last loaded Windows.   Just think ... now you can have a contest with your friends and fellow workers to see who can keep Windows alive the longest!

System

The system information consists of DOS version, Windows version and operating mode, Mouse type, Network type, Video resolution and number of colors supported, and Processor type and whether or not a math coprocessor is present.

Memory

The memory information consists of the percentage free of the USER and GDI heaps and the total amount of memory available.  The amount of Free System Resources is calculated as the lower value of the USER and GDI heaps.  These heaps should ideally be completely irrelevant to a non-programmer.  However, due to limitations on the size of the heaps, it turns out that Windows often runs out of heap space before running out of physical memory.  The USER heap is used to store things like windows structures and menus, while the GDI heap is used for graphical things like pens, brushes, regions, bitmaps, etc.

The Detail Button will bring up a dialog of further memory information.  Note that this button is enabled for Windows enhanced mode only.

Windows Applications

The listbox of Windows Applications shows active Windows apps.  If there is an <H> infront of the application's name, this means that it's main window is hidden.  Various system utilities frequently hide their main windows.  As you select each application, the amount of memory it is occupying will be displayed to the right of the listbox.  Discardable memory is the amount of memory that Windows can get rid of when it needs more memory for another application.  Keep in mind that most applications will require a good portion of the discarded memory back when they are made active again.


Alarms & Scheduler

Plug-In's Alarms and Scheduler offer a powerful means of keeping track of your appointments and launching programs at scheduled intervals.  We have used most of the popular packages (PIMs, etc.) that include alarms, and found all of them to be seriously lacking.  We have worked very hard at making Plug-In the ultimate alarm and scheduler...

Managing Alarms

Easy Alarms

Advanced Alarms

Program Scheduling

Configuration Options


Title Bar

The Title Bar display contains two main features:

1)	The Power Button, which is used to access the QuickRun Menu (mouse click), the Control Center (double-click), and the Task List (opposite mouse click).

2)	A left-side and right-side display, which is totally configurable to suit your needs.  If you single-click on the display, it will cycle through the available options.  If you click-and-hold, a Title Bar menu will appear.

The Title Bar Menu

The Title Bar menu consists of the following items:

Configure Title Bar

StopWatch On

StopWatch Reset

Say The Time (only appears if you have a sound card installed on your system).

Easy Alarm

Help

How to Configure the Title Bar

In the main configuration dialog, you can choose what you want displayed on each side.  Note that among the available choices is "Nothing" if you don't want anything displayed.

Date and Time Options

General Options

Display Options


Overview

Plug-In Fills the Holes in Windows!

Plug-In for Windows is an enhancement utility that seamlessly integrates with the Windows environment.  It operates "behind the scenes," but is always there when you need it.

Plug-In for Windows, Version 2.0 is the follow-on to Plug-In for Program Manager 1.x, which won lots of praise and the following industry awards:

-	Windows Magazine 1994 Win 100 Award

-	Windows Magazine 1993 Win 100 Award

-	Byte Magazine / Jerry Pournelle's 1993 User Choice Award

-	Byte Magazine / Jerry Pournelle's 1992 User Choice Award

Plug-In includes the following features:

Program Manager Enhancements

-	Nested Groups and Group Management.

-	Customizable Group Icons

-	Customizable Program Manager Title

-	Instant menus of all items in a group

-	Save Settings Now

Custom Cursors

-	Change the Standard and Wait cursors to a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

-	Enhance other cursors (easy-to-see I-Beam;  larger, bolder sizing cursors)

-	Cursor Wrap at screen edges

-	Reverse cursor colors

Resource Alerts

-	Plug-In automatically tracks memory, system resources, and disk utilization.

-	User-defined thresholds and actions

-	Display a message box, play a sound, and/or launch a program when a resource drops below its threshold.

QuickRun Menu

-	Instant access from any application using Plug-In's Power Button

-	Very easy to configure

-	Supports nested menus

-	Includes ability to display a task list, run an internal Plug-In command, insert Program Manager groups, and much more.

Title Bar Displays

-	Display date, time, resources, stopwatch on the active title bar

-	Full choice of configuration options, including text color, background color, and fonts

Alarms and Scheduler

-	Powerful alarms remind you of important events

-	Schedule programs to run while you are away from your system

-	Display message boxes and play sounds

Sound Support

-	Event sounds ... play specific sounds when you open, close, minimize, move applications

-	Talking Clock

-	Chimes

-	InstaSound shortcut key

Miscellaneous

-	Screen Saver Enhancements.  Instant-on and never-on corners, but a shortcut key.

-	Control Center dialog gives you a central place to configure all of Plug-In's options.


Tips & Techniques

Due to time contraints in getting out Plug-In 2.0 (this product has taken us much longer than we initially anticipated), this section will be empty for this version of the help file.  If you have questions that need answering, please contact us at Plannet Crafters and we'll try to get you an answer asap!


License, ASP Information, Credits

License Agreement, Copyright and Trademark Information

The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)

Program Credits


Technical Support

Technical support for Plug-In for Windows is available to all registered users.  If you are not a registered user, we will provide limited assistance to help you install and become sufficiently proficient for proper evaluation.

Technical assistance prior to registration is only available through electronic mail or regular mail.

Full Technical Support following registration is also available by phone.   However, we encourage you to use electronic mail to contact us.  We have access to most of the common on-line services and we visit them often.   Because it is written, E-Mail allows for more concise questions as well as more detailed answers.

This support will be provided for a period of 180 days (6 months) following registration (there is a limit of 15 minutes for phone support without the purchase of an additional support license).

Additional support and/or training contracts may be purchased.  Please contact Plannet Crafters for further information.

For all questions, problem reports, comments and suggestions, please contact us at Plannet Crafters Contact Info


How to Contact Plannet Crafters

Mail

Plannet Crafters, Inc.

P.O. Box 450

Alpharetta, GA  30239-0450

USA

Phone

(404) 740-9821 (9 - 5 Eastern U.S. Time)

Fax

(404) 740-1914 (24 hours / day)

The Plannet Crafters BBS

Our BBS serves two primary functions:

1)	It is one of the best ways for you to get detailed tech support.  In addition to personal answers to your technical questions, we have a series of Tech Tips available which answer many common questions.

2)	It contains the latest version of Plug-In as well as other products from Plannet Crafters.

It is available 24 hours / day, and supports baud rates up to 14.4 KBPS.

The number is (404) 740-8583

Electronic Mail

CompuServe:	73040,334

Internet:	73040.334@compuserve.com

dmandell@aol.com

America Online:	DMandell

GEnie:	D.MANDELL1

Prodigy:	VSFB48A

MCI Mail:	572-7179


How to Purchase Plug-In for Windows

Plug-In for Windows is being distributed as shareware.  This is also known as "try before you buy" marketing.    The trial-license agreement provides for an ample evaluation period of 21 days.  If you continue to use this software, you must buy it!

We have endeavored to make registration easy and painless.  You may register via Mail, Fax, Phone or Electronic Mail.  For more details on registration, please select the Register Me! menu item in Program Manager's Options menu, or select "Registration Details" from the Plug-In Control Center dialog.

We offer quantity discounts, as well as site and corporate licenses.  Please contact Plannet Crafters for more details


Configure Plug-In

This calls up Plug-In's Control Center dialog, which is the main entry point for accessing all of Plug-In's features.


Save Settings Now
Saves the current state of Program Manager's desktop configuration.

The only documented way to save your Program Manager settings is to select "Save Settings On Exit."  However, you will often find that your Program Manager desktop is a mess when you wish to exit and you don't want it saved.

In general, it is recommended that you do not use "Save Settings On Exit" (on the Options menu in Program Manager for Windows 3.1).  You will find it much more "cleaner" to organize Program Manager the way you like and select "Save Settings Now" to save it.  This way you are assured that Program Manager will always start in the same, organized state.

An additional advantage of turning off "Save Settings On Exit" is that exiting Windows will be  faster!

Note:  If you find that your Program Manager groups have become a mess (e.g., you tiled / cascaded or otherwise resized the groups) and you want to revert to your clean, saved state, simply select Groups / Reposition.


Install Application

Runs an installation program, while first allowing you to view any ReadMe files.

Most manuals for Windows applications instruct you to select File / Run and then enter "A:\INSTALL.EXE" (or something similar) to start the installation process.  With the "Install Application" command, installing a new program is a cinch!

Just place a diskette in either drive A or B or a disc in your CD-ROM player and select the "Install Application" command.    If there are any ReadMe files on the diskette, you will be given a chance to view these before proceeding with the installation (in general, it is highly recommended that you always read the ReadMe files!).

If the installation program is located in another location than drive A or B or a CD-ROM, a dialog, Install Path, will prompt you for the location of the installation program and files.

"Install Application" will look for either SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE.  If Plug-In can't find an installation program on your application diskette, please refer to the installation instructions that came with the new product.


General Title Bar Options

Miscellaneous

Toggle Delay

This controls two functions:

1)	When you click on the left or right side displays to cycle through the items, this will determine how long the item stays until it returns to the default choice (if Auto-return to Default is checked).

2)	The delays between auto-cycling for the Free Resources Toggle item.

Left and Right Side Padding Factors

If you have another utility that places an item on the title bar, you can use these fields to offset the Plug-In displays.  You can enter positive or negative values.  The units are in pixels.

Auto-return to Default

This will cause the display to return to the default choice if you cycle through the item choice using mouse clicks on the display.  It will return to the default after "Toggle Delay" seconds have passed.

Power Button

Enable Power Button

This enables or disables the Power Button, which allows instant access to the QuickRun Menu, the Plug-In Control Center, and the Plug-In Task List.

Plug or Socket

You can choose between a plug and a socket for the Power Button.

Mouse Assignments

Assignment for Power Button and Left-and-Right Title Bar Displays

This controls which mouse click (left or right, with optional modifers) is used for accessing the Power Button and the left and right title bar displays.

Opposite Mouse Button Click on Power Button Brings up Task List

This will cause the Task List to appear if you click the opposite mouse button (as defined above) on the Power Button.


Nested Groups

Nested Groups are a very powerful addition to Program Manager.  It allows you to place groups (folders) inside of other groups.  This gives you much more control over organizing your programs and data files.

How to Create a Nested Group

Nesting groups is very simple because we support the drag-and-drop interface.  All you need to do in order to nest a top-level group inside of another one is to drag-and-drop it from the Program Manager desktop inside of an open group.  Then, this group is "out of sight-and-mind" until you need it, at which point, you simply double-click on the icon representing the group and it will open.

Using drag-and-drop, you can also easily move a nested group from one group to another by simply dragging the item representing the nested group to the new group.  If you wish to make a copy a nested group, hold the control key down as you do the drag-and-drop operation.

You can also use File | New | Nested Group to create and/or copy a nested group.  The other Program Manager File menu commands (Copy and Move) will also work on the items representing nested groups.

Note that there is no limit on the level of nesting.  You can nest a group inside of another nested group (as long as you don't try to nest a group within itself!).

Configure Nested Groups

There are only a few options for nested groups, and they are accessed from the Nested Groups button in the Program Manager options dialog.

Nested Group Identifier

To make it easier to identify items that represent nested groups, we have provided a "Nested Group Identifier"  ... by default this is > and <.  If you nested the group "Accessories", it's icon would have the title, ">Accessories<", making it easy to find.

Note that if you change the Nested Group Identifers, they will not take effect on current nested groups until you modify the properties of the item that represents the nested group.

Allow Nested Group Aliases to be Created

Normally, there is only one item that represents a given nested group.  If you copy this item, you actually make a new nested group that is a copy of the old one.  Aliases allow you to create multiple items that point to the same nested group.  This can be handy for the advanced user who wishes to take advantage of the organizational flexibility this offers.

Save Settings on Minimize / Close Window

This setting allows you to save the position of the nested group window and the placement of the items inside it when the nested group window is closed.  Unless you have a need to change it, it is usually best to leave this option checked.


Manage Groups

Allows instant activation and deactivation of individual groups.   Deactivated groups remain on disk, but are removed from Program Manager.

UPDATE:  Please note that Group Management was a powerful feature provided in the original version of Plug-In.  However, with the new support for nested groups, it is of less value.  It is retained primarily for compatability reasons, but may still be useful in the right situation...

Group management is a powerful feature of Plug-In.  By controlling which groups are active at any given time, you can reduce clutter in Program Manager.

Following are some scenarios where Group Management is particularly useful:

1)	You will find that most Windows applications will create a new group when they are installed.   Often, there will be several items in the group, but you may find that you only use one or two of them regularly.  You might wish to add the main application item to another group (e.g., Windows Applications) and deactivate the new group.  If you ever need any of the other items in the group, simply reactivate it.

2)	Some programs / files are not needed on a daily basis.  Deactivating less frequently used groups reduces clutter on your Program Manager desktop, saves memory, and reduces the loadtime of Program Manager.

3)	If you are using Windows 3.0, each group can consume a large amount of system resources.  Deactivating unneeded groups will reduce this resource drain.

Note:  Don't confuse Group Deactivation with the File / Delete operation.  When you delete a group in Program Manager, it is gone for good (i.e., removed from disk).  Plug-In's Group Management allows you activate and deactivate groups without deleting them from disk.


Copy Group

Makes a copy of an existing group and adds it to Program Manager.

To Copy a Group:

1) 	Select an existing group from the list presented.

2)	Enter a description for the new group.  This should be unique.

3)	Optionally enter a group file name.  This is not required as Plug-In will automatically create a unique file name.


drag-and-drop
drag-and-drop is a protocol which allows you to perform operations on objects by "picking up an object and placing it where you want it to be."

You do the following to drag-and-drop:

1)	Place the cursor over the object and click your left mouse button

2)	While keeping the mouse button down, "drag" the object to the place you want it to go

3)	When it is over its destination, let the mouse go and it will be "dropped."

In general, drag-and-drop provides visual cues ... the object will appear to move as you drag it and will turn into a universal "not applicable" symbol if it is not over a valid destination.


Reposition Groups

Repositions all groups to their original positions (at the time of the last save)

This command will reposition all the groups to their saved positions.  This is particularly useful if you

have resized a lot of group windows (through tiling / cascading, etc.) and your Program Manager

desktop is a mess.

Note:  This command will not reposition the items inside of a group, unless you have Auto Arrange

enabled (under the Options menu)

Note:  This command will also reposition Program Manager's main window to it's saved position.


StartUp Group

Changes (or disables) the designated StartUp group that will be executed when Windows starts.

The StartUp group is a special group where all the items contained within it are executed when Windows is started.  This is useful for programs or utilities that you always want running.  For example, you may wish the File Manager and Calendar to be run whenever you start Windows.  Simply copy them to the StartUp group by holding the control key down while dragging the item from the original group to the StartUp group.

The default StartUp group is named StartUp.  However, with the StartUp dialog you can select any group to be the StartUp group.  For example, you might wish to assign a different group as your StartUp group while working on a particular project.

If you wish to temporarily disable your StartUp group, simply select <<No StartUp Group>> from the StartUp dialog.

Warning:  Use this command with care.  If you inadvertently assign a large group as a StartUp group, Windows will try to run every program in that group, which could result in a system crash.


License Agreement, Copyright and Trademark Information

Overview

Non-registered users of this software are granted a limited license to make an evaluation copy for trial use for the express purpose of determining whether Plug-In for Windows is suitable for their needs.  At the end of this 21-day trial period, you must either register (purchase) your copy or discontinue using Plug-In for Windows.

By registering this software, you will ensure continued support and updates of this product.  In addition, registered users will receive a registration number to disable the registration reminder window at startup, technical support, a custom collection of icons cursors and sound files, reduced-cost upgrades to future versions, as well as a disk containing the latest version of the product.

A single Plug-In for Windows license entitles you to install and use the program on one computer (with one exception relating to home and work, which is described in detail below).  To keep it simple, every user of Plug-In must be licensed.

Corporate/Site Licenses (Overview)

All corporate, business, government or other commercial users of Plug-In for Windows must be registered.  We offer quantity discounts as well as site and corporate licensing.

-	Quantity discounts are offered, starting with as few as 10 copies.

-	Site licensing agreements allow duplication and distribution of specific number of copies within the licensed institution.  Duplication of multiple copies is not allowed except through execution of a licensing agreement.  Site license fees are based upon estimated number of users.

-	Corporate licensing agreements allow unlimited duplication, distribution and use of Plug-In for Windows within the licensed institution.

For more information, please contact Plannet Crafters directly.

ALL PRICES AND DISCOUNTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

License (Detail)

(1)	Introduction.  This agreement explains when and how you may use both shareware and registered copies of software products from Plannet Crafters, Inc.  In this agreement:

-	"Program" means the Plug-In for Windows software product you have purchased or obtained for evaluation, including both the software and the associated documentation and other materials;

-	"Shareware Copy" means a copy of the Program distributed by us or by our authorized agents for evaluation purposes and which is described as a shareware copy in the Program's sign-on messages;

-	"Registered Copy" means a copy of the Program purchased from us or from a dealer, and which is not described as a shareware copy in the Program's sign-on messages;

-	"we" or "us" means Plannet Crafters, Inc, a corporation based in Alpharetta, Georgia, USA; and

-	"you" means the end user of the Program.

(2)	Legal Agreement.  This is a legal agreement which allows you, the end user, to use the Program under certain terms and conditions.  If you cannot agree to abide by what this agreement says you should not use or evaluate the Program.

(3)	Copyright.  The Program is copyrighted under US law and international treaty provisions.  You agree that your use of the Program is subject to these laws, which prohibit unauthorized copying or duplication of the Program software, documentation, and other materials.

(4)	Evaluation Period.  You may use a Shareware Copy of the Program for an evaluation period of up to 21 days.  The purpose of this evaluation period is to allow you to determine whether the program meets your needs before purchasing it.  Once the evaluation period has ended, you agree to either purchase a Registered Copy of the Program, or to stop using it.  If you have ordered a Registered Copy of the Program from us or from a dealer, you may continue to use your Shareware Copy beyond the end of the 21-day evaluation period until your Registered Copy arrives.

(5)	Use of the Program.  While you are evaluating the Program, you may use it on as many computers as are required to perform your evaluation.  Your 21-day evaluation period begins when you first install the Program on one or more computers for evaluation purposes.  Once the evaluation period is over and you purchase the program, your use is subject to the following restrictions:

Individual Copies:  You agree not to install and use an individual Registered Copy of the Program on more than one computer at a time.  However, we agree to an exception to this rule if you meet the conditions described in the rest of this paragraph.  You may install your individual copy simultaneously on one computer at work, one computer at home, and one portable computer, if all these computers are used primarily by the same individual, and there is NO POSSIBILITY that the computers will be in use at the same time except while you are actively transferring files between them.  If the Program was purchased by your employer you agree to get your employer's explicit permission before installing the Program on multiple systems as described in this paragraph.

Multi-System Licenses and Network Use.  You agree to purchase multiple individual copies or a multi-system license before using the Program simultaneously on more than one computer.  When you purchase a multi-system license you agree not to use the Program on more computers than the number included in your license, as shown on your invoice, the program sign-on screen, or other documents from us. You may install the Program on computers attached to a network, or remove it from one computer and install it on a different one, provided there is NO POSSIBILITY that your copy will be installed or used on more computers than it is licensed for.  If you have a network, you don't need to include every computer attached to the network in your license, but you must include every computer on which the Program is installed or used, regardless of whether the user of the computer happens to know that the Program is in use on their system.  If you have single computers which allow multiple users to use the Program simultaneously, you must count each keyboard or terminal separately when determining how many computers are using the Program.  If you have purchased a site license, you may use the Program on any number of computers in the building(s) identified in the license agreement.  If you have purchased a corporate license, you may use the Program on any number of computers throughout the corporation.  Subsidiaries of a corporation shall not be deemed to have a license to use the Program unless otherwise specified.

(6) Making and Distributing Shareware Copies of the Program.  You may make copies of your Shareware Copy of the Program to give to others, as long as you include all of the files that you originally received with your Shareware Copy, as listed in the PACKING.LST file included with your Shareware Copy.  When you give a Shareware Copy of the Program to another person, you agree to inform them that their copy is to be used for a time limited evaluation period, and that they must purchase a Registered Copy if they continue to use the Program once the evaluation period has ended.  You agree not to sell Shareware Copies of the Program or distribute them to others for any kind of compensation or fee unless you are a shareware disk vendor approved by the US-based Association of Shareware Professionals, are a non-profit User Group, or have received written permission from us; and your permission to distribute the Program has not been revoked by us; and you charge a fee of US $8 (U.S. / Canada) or $12 (International) or less per copy (excluding shipping costs).  You also agree not to sell printed copies of any documentation for the Program under any circumstances.

(7)	Copying Registered Copies of the Program.  When you receive a Registered Copy of the Program you may make copies of the Program software which are necessary for normal backup purposes.  However you agree not to make any copies of the printed manual(s) which come with the Program without explicit written permission from us.  You also agree not to give your Registered Copy of the Program to others for any purpose.  This means that you may not sell or give away copies of a Registered Copy of the Program or any part of it in any way, including bundling or re-selling the Program with your own software, or placing such a copy of the Program in any disk library or on any bulletin board or electronic service.

(8)	LIMITED WARRANTY:  The following limited warranty applies to Registered Copies of the Program.  It is included here so you understand what your warranty will be when you purchase a Registered Copy.  This warranty does NOT apply to Shareware Copies of the Program.

Satisfaction Guarantee.  If you are dissatisfied with any product you buy from us under this Agreement for any reason, you may return it at any time up to 15 days after purchase and we will give you a refund.  Refunds will be based on the price you paid, with shipping costs excluded.  You must contact us before returning any product for a refund. This satisfaction guarantee does not apply to multi-system licenses for more than 10 computers, or to purchases of more than 10 individual copies at a time.

Physical Defects.  We pledge that the disks and any printed material we send you will arrive free of physical defects which interfere with normal use. If you find such a defect and report it to us within 30 days after you purchase the Program, we agree to replace the defective   item(s) at no charge to you as long as the defect was not caused by misuse or abuse.

Bugs and Program Errors.  We don't promise that the Program will be free of bugs or program errors, and you agree that bugs or program errors will not be considered "physical defects" in the program.  We agree that if you report a program error or bug to us, we will use our best efforts to correct it.  We also agree that if we can verify and correct the error you report, and we then issue a maintenance release for the Program which includes the correction, we will send you a copy of that maintenance release at no charge if you request it.  However we will only do this for maintenance releases, not for new major releases or other new versions of the Program.

(9)	DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATIONS.  And now the full force legal language:

DISCLAIMER FOR SHAREWARE COPIES.  YOU ARE NOT PAYING FOR THE TRIAL USE LICENSE FOR YOUR SHAREWARE COPY OF THE PROGRAM.  ACCORDINGLY THE SHAREWARE COPY IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

DISCLAIMER FOR REGISTERED COPIES.    EXCEPT FOR THE LIMITED WARRANTY STATED ABOVE FOR REGISTERED COPIES OF THE PROGRAM, WE  DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR  WRITTEN, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  THE LIMITED WARRANTY ABOVE GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, BUT YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW A LIMITATION ON HOW LONG A WARRANTY LASTS, SO SUCH LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR SHAREWARE AND REGISTERED COPIES.  IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF USE OF THE PROGRAM OR YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH US, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY OR ALL DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION OR ANY PECUNIARY LOSS, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR  CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, THEREFORE THE ABOVE IMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.  THE REFUND, REPLACEMENT AND TEMPTED REPAIR REMEDIES FOR REGISTERED COPIES STATED IN THE "LIMITED WARRANTY" SECTION ABOVE SHALL BE YOUR SOLE REMEDY FOR ANY AND ALL PROGRAM DEFECTS, PROGRAM ERRORS, OR DOCUMENTATION ERRORS.

Included Icons, Cursors, and Sound Files

We have included a custom collection of icons, cursors, and sound files with the registered version of Plug-In.  If any party believes that one or more of these files should not be included due to trademark and/or copyright infringement, please contact Plannet Crafters, Inc., and we will immediately remove said files from the product.

Copyright and Trademark Information

Plug-In for Windows is copyright (c) 1992-1994 Plannet Crafters, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Plannet Crafters, Plug-In, Plug-In For Windows, QuickRun, Jump To, "Don't run Windows Unplugged" and "Just place your order and wait for space to catch up with time" are trademarks of Plannet Crafters, Inc.

All other product names may be copyright and registered or unregistered trademarks / tradenames of their respective owners.


Icon Browser Jump To's

Allows you to edit the Jump To's used with the Visual Icon Browser.

Jump To's are used to quickly get to different directories and/or icon libraries.  You can specify paths (directories), or icon libraries.

To use a Jump To, simply select it from the Jump To list when inside the Visual Icon Browser.


Default Group Icon
Select an icon to be used as the default for groups.

This dialog allows you to select the default icon that will be displayed for a group within Program Manager.  If you select "Default Icon" from within the Change Icon dialog, it will be reset to Program Manager's internal default icon.


Repeat Options

Plug-In's alarms offer a very complete range of repeating options.  Most of these options are self-explanatory, but a couple deserve additional explanation.

You can schedule an alarm to occur at fractional parts of an hour, and can restrict the alarms to occur between specific times.  An example of how to use this is in an office environment where you work at  a keyboard all day long.  You don't want to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, so you wish to take a break every 1.5 hours.  So, you might setup an alarm with a message or sound telling you to take a break, and schedule it to repeat every 1.5 hours, between 9 AM and 5 PM on Weekdays.

The Random, occuring once per day, between the hours of x and y is here for fun.  You might schedule a favorite sound file to play once a day, or schedule a fun program to launch randomly.


Program Manager Icon
Configure Program Manager's icon

You are given three choices for configuring the Program Manager Icon (the icon displayed when Program Manager's main window is minimized):

1)	Default Icon.  This just displays Program Manager's default icon

2)	Custom Icon.  This will display a custom icon that you have selected using the Select Icon button.

3)	Icon Display of System Resources / Memory.  This will show you the amount of memory available (top half, in megabytes) and the amount of free system resources (bottom half, as a percentage).  You may use the Background Color and Text Color buttons to choose the colors used for this iconic display.


Using the Capture Dialog

The Capture dialog allows you to gather information from active applications.  This is often much easier and faster than trying to find the same information manually.  Even using a Browse dialog can be clumsy if you aren't sure what directory the application resides in.  The Capture dialog determines all of this automatically!


Managing Alarms

Alarms in Plug-In are all "named alarms" in that they can be managed by name.  This is especially useful for repeating events.

From this dialog, you can choose to create new alarms.  You can also modify, duplicate, and delete existing alarms.


Alert Configuration Options

Setting the Threshold

Memory

The value is specified in KiloBytes (KB).  1024KB is equivelent to 1 MegaByte.  The default is 500KB.  Keep in mind that the memory as viewed by Windows includes Virtual (swap-file) memory.

System Resources

The value is specified as a percentage (%).  The default is 15%.

Disk Space

The value is specified in KiloBytes (KB).  1024KB is equivelent to 1 MegaByte.  The default is 2500KB.

Alert Actions

You may choose a combination of the following actions when a resource falls below the specified threshold.

Dialog Message

The message you specify will be displayed in a dialog when the alert occurs.  Note that you can use "^" characters embedded in the text to cause a linefeed in the dialog.

Sound

You can play a sound when the alert occurs.   Use the Sound List and Sound Browser to select the sound.

Launch Program

You can launch a program when the alert occurs.  This program could be a custom program that helps to cleanup the cause of the low resource.


Separator
Separator - places a line between menu entries for easier readability.


Column
Column - this will break the menu into multiple columns.  This can be very useful, but you might have to experiment with it to get the desired effect.


Task List

This will place a Task List anywhere you wish on the menu.  When accessed, it will display a submenu with a list of all active, visible applications.  You can "switch to" any application listed by simply selecting the appropriate menu item.


SubMenu

SubMenus allow you to create hierarchical (nested) menus.

The description that you specify will appear in the menu.  When you select that item, a new sub-menu will appear next to it.   You can nest SubMenus within other SubMenus if you wish.

Note that you can move an entire submenu up and down the menu.  You can also delete an entire submenu at once.


Menu Item

This allows you to specify a program to run.

You can use the Capture button to quickly fill in the fields with data gathered from running applications.

The fields and options are:

Menu Name

This is the name that will appear in the menu.  You should generally keep the Menu Name fairly short.  If you want to assign an accelerator key to a given character in the name, simply add an "&" in front of the desired character.

Command Line

This is the command line that specified the program to run.  You can use the Browse button to find a program or file.

Working Directory

This is an optional field where you can specify a working directory.  For example, you might want to run your word processor, but have it default to the directory where you keep your document files.

Window Placement

This controls how and where the main window of the application is displayed when it is first launched.  Fixed Position and Size allows you to control exactly where the window appears.  You can use the Grab button to capture info from currently open windows, or you can use the Draw button to specify where you want it to be.

Special

QuickDOS allows you easy access to internal DOS commands.

Prompt for Parameters will ask you for additional information to be passed to the program every time you run it.

Print File will cause a given document to be printed by the application associated with it.  For example, you could specify SALES.DOC as the command line, and then select Print File to have the associated word processor automatically print the file when you run this menu item.


Plug-In Command

This will insert an internal Plug-In Command into the menu.   For details on what each command does, please see Plug-In Commands.


Program Manager Group

This will insert a Program Manager group into the menu.  You have two basic options when inserting a Program Manager group:

1)	Dynamic.  This will place a single entry in the menu.  When you select that entry, it will obtain up-to-date information on the items in the specified group and build a submenu.

2)	Static.  This will create a static, or editable copy, or the specified group.  It will result in a new submenu with individual items for each item in the group.  Once this is created in the menu, you can freely rearrange, modify, and/or delete individual items.


Exit Windows

Exit or Restart Windows, or Reboot your Computer.

This command will allow you to end your Windows session.  If Program Manager is your Windows shell, you are given the option of saving your Program Manager settings prior to exiting.   However, you might find it easier to create your environment the way you like it and select the Save Settings Now command.

Note that the "Save Settings" option in Program Manager will determine whether "Save Settings" is the default (only if Program Manager is your shell).

You are also given the option to Restart Windows.  This will restart your Windows session without returning to the DOS prompt and is quicker than exiting Windows and typing "win" again to restart.  This can be useful under a number of circumstances.  Many (particularly older) applications don't properly free system resources.  If you notice your system resources dropping over time, restarting Windows will get back those lost resources.  Also, if you find Windows becoming unstable for any reason, restarting it might be prudent.

You can also use the Reboot Your System option if needed.  This might be useful if you changed a driver in CONFIG.SYS or added something to AUTOEXEC.BAT.


Visual Icon and Cursor Browser

The Change Icon dialog is a powerful and easy way to change the icon assigned to a group or item. Please note the usage of the Change Icon dialog in the following situations:

-	When changing the icon for an item inside of a group.  Select (highlight) the item in the group and then select Change Icon.

-	When changing the icon for a group.  Select (highlight) the minimized group and then select Change Icon.  You can also access this by clicking your right mouse button on a closed group and selecting "Change Group Icon" from the menu.

- 	When changing the default group icon.  Select the Default Group Icon button in the Configure Plug-In dialog (accessed via the Options menu in Program Manager).

- 	When browsing for a cursor.  Select the Browse button in the Custom Cursors dialog (accessed via the Configure Plug-In dialog).

Note that the title of the Change Icon dialog will reflect the current operation.

Using the Default Icon Button

Note:  Don't confuse Plug-In's Change Icon command with the under powered Change Icon provided inside of Program Manager's Properties dialog.


Title Bar Date and Time Options

These options are fairly self-explanatory.  They allow you to control how the date and time are displayed in the title bar.


Using the Sound List and the Sound Browser

The Sound List in Plug-In allows you to maintain a list of sounds that you frequently access.  Also, you can use this list to assign meaningful names to the sounds instead of cryptic filenames.

Wherever Plug-In sounds are accessed, you will see the following:

In this example, the current sound is a member of the Plug-In Sound List.  The field for the assigned sound is editable.  You can select a sound by typing the name of the entry in the sound list, or you can select a sound file not in the sound list by typing in its filename.  Another way to access the SoundList is to use the down-arrow next to it to scroll through the list.  Another way to locate sound files not in the list is to click on the "B" button next to the downarrow button.  This will bring up the Plug-In SoundBrowser ... a full featured browser for WAVE and MIDI files, which has a handy "Auto-Test"  button, as well as support for a specific Jump To list just for the Sound Browser.


Plug-In Commands

Miscellaneous Commands

These commands can be accessed in one of two ways. If you are running Program Manager, they can

be found in its menus. If the command is not Program Manager specific, it can also be run by creating a

QuickRun Menu item for the Plug-In command. The item must then be selected from your QuickRun Menu for it to take effect.

Run Command with History List

Install Application

Exit Windows

System Information


Using the Select Color Dialog


Title Bar Display Options


Using the Default Icon Button
The Default Icon button resets an icon to it's original (default) icon.

Item Icon

The default icon for an item is the first icon which appears in an application's executable file.   For example, if you change the icon of File Manager and later want to reset it to it's original icon, simply select the Default Icon button.

Group Icon

When changing a group icon, selecting the Default Icon button will reset the icon to whatever you have defined as the

Default Group Icon.

Default Group Icon

When changing the Default Group Icon, selecting the Default Icon button will reset the Default Group Icon to Program Manager's default.


Using Resource Alerts to Safeguard Your System

Resource Alerts are a simple way to prevent disasters...

Strange things can happen if your resources get too low.  Following is an example of symptoms that might occur for each of the resource-types that Plug-In monitors:

Memory

Many applications do not recover gracefully from low-memory situations.  The result is often a complete-and-total system crash.

System Resources

System Resources are used the basic "things" that make up what you see on your screen ... windows, text, colors, bitmaps, etc.  When system resources get low, you will often notice painting problems first.  Windows will leave parts of themselves behind when you move them, or parts of a window (borders, etc.) won't be painted properly.  If system resources get seriously low, your system is likely to crash.

Disk Space

Many programs store temporary files on disk.  As with memory, few applications react properly to low-disk-space situations.   If your system doesn't crash, you might end up with corrupted data files.  Also, low disk space tends to slow your system down, because files tend to become very fragmented.


Title Bar General Options


Easy Alarms

This is a simple dialog which allows you to enter alarms that only need a message and can use the default settings.  This dialog can be accessed by clicking on the Title Bar menu, and can also be added to your QuickRun menu as a Plug-In Command.

You can always convert an easy alarm to an advanced alarm by selecting the "Advanced" button.


Advanced Alarms

This dialog presents you with the full set of features offered by Plug-In's alarms.

The Name field is what will appear in the Manage Alarms listbox.  If you don't enter a name, and there is a Dialog Message, it will use a portion of the message as the default name.

Retain will keep an alarm in the Manage Alarms listbox even after it has occurred..  It will show as "Unscheduled" in the list.

Ignore Event if Past Due will ignore an alarm more than 30 minutes has elapsed since it was scheduled to occur.   As an example, let's say you have a repeating alarm that tells you to leave the office at 5 PM.  One day you go home at 4:30 (the boss was out of town) and you turned off your system.  When you arrive at work the next morning and turn your computer back on, it is rather silly to have a message come up saying, "Time to go home!"...

Repeat Options

The Dialog Message can be any text you desire.  You can embed "^" characters in the text for insert linefeeds into the text.

You can play a Sound when the alarm occurs.  If you have a sound driver installed, you will have access to the full range of Plug-In's sound features.   For those of you without a sound card, we have provided a small set of speaker sounds for your use.

You can Launch a program if you wish.  The dialog for selecting the program is similar to the Insert Menu Item dialog in the QuickRun configuration dialogs.


Program Scheduling

You might wish to run a network utility once  a day, say at midnight.  Or, you can schedule unattended backups without having to load another scheduling program.  Please refer to the discussion in Advanced Alarms for more details on scheduling a program launch.


General Events

Assign Sounds to General Windows Events

This will let you assign sounds to common Windows events, like opening and closing applications, minimizing and maximizing windows, and moving windows.  In addition, you can also use this dialog to assign sounds that will play when Plug-In (i.e., Windows) starts and exits.  This has an advantage over the assignment that can be made through the Windows Control Panel in that you can choose MIDI as well as WAVE files.


Application Specific Events

Assign Custom Sounds to Specific Application's Events

Whereas the General Events dialog lets you set sounds that occur for all windows events, this dialog lets you fine tune those events for specific applications.  Depending on your needs and desires, you might wish to disable General Events, and only assign sounds to specific applications.  Or, on the other hand, you can also use this dialog to disable sounds for specific applications.

The Application Description can be anything you choose ... this field is only used for displaying the items in the list of application-specific events.

The Identification Criteria is what Plug-In uses to identify a particular application.  You can choose to base it on the application's file name (ONLY the 8.3 name is used ... no directory information is needed or allowed).  Or, you can base it on the text that appears in the application's title bar.

Use the Capture Button to quickly gather info on active applications.


Other Events

Manage Events Not Under Plug-In's Control

Plug-In does not directly control some sound events.  For example, an application may add entries to the Sounds section in WIN.INI, specifying particular sounds it may use when it is running.   Even though Plug-In doesn't control these sounds, this dialog lets you do two main things:

1)	Use Plug-In's Sound List and Sound Browser to assign sounds to these events

2)	Change the descriptions of these events.


Chimes

Set chimes to occur every  quarter hour (or as you specify)

You can play a sound or say the time as desired.  On the Hour, you can also set a counting chime that will sound once for each hour.  Note that you can set the chimes to occur only during specified hours (so you don't wake up at 3:00 in the morning because your computer is going BONG BONG BONG.  Also, you can set an option so that chimes will not play if a non-windows application is active.


Talking Clock

Say the Time!

Plug-In's talking clock is very flexible, supporting different prefixes and suffixes, as well as both 12 and 24 hour time.  You can choose from a variety of voices (two are supplied with the base product, but we plan to make others available in the future).


Sound List

Maintain the Sound List

The use of the Sound List is described in Using the Sound List and the Sound Browser.  This dialog allows you to manage the entries in your sound list.

While this dialog is fine for normal operations, it is somewhat lacking for massive changes.  Let's say you move all your sound files from drive C to drive D.  You can make the changes with this dialog, or you might wish to use a text editor to do a "search and replace" in the [Sound List] section of PLUGIN.INI.


Sound Configuration Options

The Sound Browser Jump To's allow you to maintain the Jump To List used by the Sound Browser (allows quick access to directories where you store your sounds).

The PlayBack mode is synchronous or asynchronous.  In Synchronous mode, sounds are played as the specified event is occuring.  In Asynchronous mode, the sound is played when the system becomes idle.  The effect is usually more pleasing in Synchronous mode, but Asynchronous mode has a slight performance advantage on slow systems as it doesn't interrupt processing during busy system times.

The Debug Support option displays a message box when a sound can't be played.  This is a very handy way to determine why a given sound isn't occuring as you would expect.  The only negative of this support is that it will pop-up the messagebox whenever a sound can't be played because the sound driver is busy. Thus, causing events to occur in quick succession (i.e., moving a window quickly) will pop-up this message box.


InstaSound Shortcut Key

Assign a Shortcut Key for a specific sound.

This dialog allows you to assign a shortcut key to a sound or to say the time.


Alarm Configuration Options

You can place a Temporary HOLD on all alarms if you don't want to be interrupted for a period of time. By default, this option is temporary, and will be reset when you next start Windows.  If you want it to stay on for longer periods of time, hold down the SHIFT key while checking this option.

You can delay an alarm Message Box if there is keyboard or mouse activity.  We found in our examination of other products that the alarms often went off right in the middle of your typing, which can be very disrupting.  This option requires that 10 seconds pass with no keyboard or mouse-click activity before the alarm will occur.

You can also choose to delay all alarms while a non-windows application is active.  This will keep you from getting forcefully returned to Windows from a full-screen DOS session.

Bubble-Up alarms will display the alarm message box if it hasn't been acted upon.  This way you can be sure that it won't get stuck behind other applications, never to be seen again...

You can Round the Default Times Up to a specified hour increment whenver you schedule an alarm.

The Snooze Time is fully configurable.

You can select a default sound which will be played whenever an alarm occurs.

The Shortcut key is used to quickly access the Easy Alarm dialog.


Jump To's


Launch Program


The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)

ASP -- What is it

ASP, the Association of Shareware Professionals, was formed in April 1987 to strengthen the future of shareware (user supported software) as an alternative to commercial software. Its members, all of whom are programmers who subscribe to a code of ethics or are non-programmers sincerely interested in the advancement of shareware, are committed to the concept of  shareware as a method of marketing.

ASP's primary goals are:

-	To inform users about shareware programs and about shareware as a method of distributing and marketing software;

-	To encourage broader distribution of shareware through user groups and disk dealers who agree to identify and explain the nature of shareware;

-	To assist members in marketing their software;

-	To provide a forum through which ASP members may communicate, share ideas, and learn from each other; and

-	To foster a high degree of professionalism among shareware authors by setting programming, marketing and support standards for ASP members to follow.

ASP Ombudsman Information

This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you.  If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help.  The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.  Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.


Program Credits

"Just Place Your Order and Wait for Space to Catch Up With Time"

This program was produced by Plannet Crafters, Inc.  We have specialized in Windows programming since Windows 3.0 was released and plan to ride the crest of the GUI-Wave into the future...

Plannet Crafters firmly believes that high-quality software products can be produced and marketed by small companies with dedicated employees who don't like much of the bureaucracy that pervades most corporations.   We don't wear suits or ties, we avoid overly long meetings, and we make our own hours.  However, we work long and hard to produce outstanding software.

We have growing line of Windows utilities that assist you in making the most of your computer.  Look for them!

In addition to the hardworking staff of Plannet Crafters, we must give sincere thanks to the following people:

The Plug-In 2.0 Beta Testers:  This was a phenomenal group of people.  In many ways, they really designed the product.  For a small company, this is an invaluable resource.  Thank you!

Jeff Peters:  This gentleman designed some of the new custom cursors included with Plug-In 2.0.  His cursors demonstrate creativity and attention to detail.  It is amazing what one can do with 1024 bits of black-and-white...


Tile Horizontally
Tiles open group windows so that they are wide rather than tall.

The Window / Tile menu item in Program Manager will tile your group windows in a vertical (taller rather than wider) fashion.  Tile Horizontal allows you to tile the group windows so that they are wide rather than tall.


Program Manager Options

Minimize Program Manager when Plug-In Starts

This will cause Program Manager to minimize to an icon immediately after Plug-In loads.

Allow Fine-Grain Program Manager Window Alignment

Windows 3.1 Program Manager uses a technique called "byte alignment" that allows for slightly faster drawing of bitmaps within its main window.  However, there is one problem with this method ... the main window of Program Manager cannot be smoothly aligned on the left side of the screen!  Our research has shown that the speed benefits of byte alignment in Program Manager are very small on most systems.

To use this feature, check the box, select the OK button, and then position Program Manager's main window exactly where you want it.  If you save Program Manager's settings (Save Settings Now), the window will be automatically repositioned to this saved position whenever Plug-In is started.

Enable Menu Bar Display of Memory / System Resources

This will display the available memory and system resources on the menu bar of Program Manager.  This is a leftover from Plug-In 1.x and is provided for compatability.  With the new ability to display this same information on every active title bar, you may find that you don't want to enable this option.

The format of the display is xx.xMB/yy%, where xx.xMB is the amount of free memory on your system (this includes virtual swapfile memory if you are running Windows in 386-Enhanced mode), and yy% is the percentage of free system resources.

Double Mouse Click on Program Manager Desktop Runs Task Manager

With this option checked, you can easily access the Windows Task Manager by clicking anywhere on Program Manager's Desktop (the window on which Program Managers Groups and icons reside).

Right Mouse Click on Closed Group Produces Menu of Items in Group

This will bring up a menu of items

Program Manager Shortcut Key

Program Manager Title

Nested Groups Options

ProgMan Icon

Default Group Icon

Icon Browser Jump To's


Run Command with History

This is an enhanced version of the standard Run command.  In addition to more features (Window Placement, QuickDOS, and a better Browse), it also sports a history list which contains the last 25 commands you have entered.


Minimize All Groups
Minimizes all groups to icons.

This will minimize all open groups to their iconic state.  This is particularly convenient if you have several groups open and they are overlapping each other.

Shortcut Key:  Alt+N


QuickDOS

QuickDOS executes a DOS command (including DOS internal commands) directly from within the Run dialog.

You can use the QuickDOS feature of the Run Command to quickly execute a DOS command.  For example, you can enter "del c:\*.tmp" in the Command Line, check the QuickDOS box, and press enter.  This will create a DOS command shell and execute the command line you specified.

Some examples:

1)	Enter "dir a:\*.doc" in the "Command Line" and select QuickDOS.   Doing a quick directory list in DOS might often be quicker than using File Manager for some tasks.

2)	Enter "Copy c:\mydocs\*.doc a:\savedocs" and select QuickDOS.  You might select "Run Minimized" and put this in the QuickRun menu.  Then you could do backups of your documents quickly and in the background (assuming you are running Windows in Enhanced mode).

You can use the QuickDOS feature when you define items in the QuickRun menu.


Memory Detail Button

Provides details on memory configuration and utilization (Enhanced mode only)

Physical Memory

This section gives you details on how the actual memory on your computer is being utilized.

"Total Memory" is the amount of memory installed on your system.   The first figure is in kilobytes (1024 bytes is equal to 1 KB).  The second figure is the number of megabytes (1024 kilobytes is equal to 1 MB), and may be rounded up or down to adjust for small anomalies in the way the memory is used by your system.   If you have an EMS board, the amount of EMS memory on the board will not be included in this total.

"Managed By DOS" includes all memory "owned / managed" by DOS before Windows is started.  Many things can be included in DOS memory, including DOS itself, Smart Drive, TSR's, etc.  If you start DOS applications from within Windows, the memory used by the DOS app is taken from the Windows memory pool.

"Managed by Windows" includes all memory "owned / managed" by Windows.

Virtual Memory

"Swap File Size" is the actual size of your swap file.  A swap file is a disk-based file that is used to swap (or page) chunks of memory to when the system is low on memory.  A swap file is used by Windows when running in 386-Enhanced mode.  Using a swap file can allow you to run many more programs than can actually fit in your physical memory, and is a big benefit of the advanced Intel processors.  Swap files are setup using the Control Panel (386 Enhanced icon).

"Swap Threshold" is an indicator of whether or not you are actively swapping to disk.  If this value is very small or negative, there is a good chance that you are actively swapping memory.  You may not notice much activity until you switch to an application that has been dormant for some time ... at which point you may notice the disk chugging.   If it seems that your applications have slowed down substantially, take a look at the swap threshold.  While virtual memory (swapping) is of substantial benefit, it does tend to slow things down a bit.