Help Contents

    	Contents For WinJade 2.1 Help

WinJade is a simple icon palette tool that runs your selected applications at the click of a button.

To learn how to use Help, press F1.

Introduction

A quick guide to WinJade

How to...

Add buttons to the palette

Move buttons around the palette

Delete buttons from the palette

Change the button preferences

Change the button icon

Change the palette preferences

Use the (Control) Menu options

Display the available system resources

Set WinJade as your Windows shell


WinJade

A Quick Guide To WinJade

WinJade is a simple Windows (just another) desktop enhancement that allows the quick launch of applications that have been dragged and dropped on to it. These programs are represented by icon buttons on the WinJade palette.

To start the application, just click on the icon with the left mouse button.

To show the title of the application, click and hold the right mouse button down over the appropriate icon; or pause the cursor over a button if the 'auto button title' feature is enabled (see Changing the palette preferences).

The whole palette can be hidden (and re-displayed) by clicking the left or right mouse button anywhere on the Windows desktop. This can be set by changing the palette preferences.

The set-up of each button can be edited by double clicking the right mouse over the appropriate button; see Changing the button preferences.

Moving the palette is achieved by holding the SHIFT key down and clicking and holding the left mouse button down over any button. The palette can now be moved to the desired position.


drag-&-drop

This is a feature of Windows which allows the 'passing' of selected file names between a 'drag & drop' server, such as the Windows File Manager, and a suitably receptive client, such as WinJade.

Using File Manager, simply select the file (or files) of interest and, holding the left mouse button down, move the cursor to the client application. The cursor will change to an 'arrow-&-file(s)' if the window beneath can handle drag-&-drop operations. Release the left mouse button to 'deposit' the file names.


Desktop
the desktop

This is the name given to the screen background onto which Windows applications are 'placed'.

It is often filled by a user-selected pattern or bitmap picture (wallpaper) that is set via the Desktop options in the Windows Control Panel application.


Adding buttons to the palette

Using File Manager (or an equivalent), simply select the programs, or files that have a program association, and drag-and-drop them onto the WinJade window.

For each of the programs (or files), a button will be created with the default icon of the (associated) executable file.

If a button can not be created, a dialog box should appear with the reason why. This is generally because...

1	The file has no association with an executable file.
2	The file is not of the .EXE, .COM, .BAT or .PIF format and therefore can not be run by Windows.
3	The maximum number of buttons has been reached (in WinJade v2.0, this is set to 40).


associations

These are files that have had their filename extension identified as 'belonging' to a certain application, so that when any file with that extension is opened, the application starts automatically.

To associate files with applications, see the File-Associate facility in the Windows File Manager.


Changing the button preferences

Changing the startup preferences of the palette buttons is done from the Button Preferences dialog box. To display this box...

1	Double-click the right mouse button over the appropriate button OR
2	Select the Button Preferences option from the WinJade control menu
Title	This is the title that is displayed when the right mouse button is clicked and held over the button; or if the cursor is paused over a button when the 'auto button title' feature is enabled (see Changing the palette preferences). Note that this is limited to 40 characters.
Command Line	This is the command line to run the selected application or associated file. Note that this can include command line parameters, separated from the file name by a space.
Working Directory	This is the directory path to where the application's program files and documents are located. A default path is set when the button is first created, and is the directory where the file is located.
Run State	The startup state of the application can be set by clicking on the Run minimized or Run maximized check boxes. If neither box is checked, the application will start in it's normal state.
Save settings on exit	If this option is checked, the current settings will be saved to the INI file when WinJade is closed. Otherwise, changes made after WinJade was started will be lost.

Hit the 'OK' push-button to confirm any changes. Hit 'Cancel' to ignore any changes.

Remember to check the 'Save Settings on exit' box if you want to keep the configuration when WinJade quits.


Deleting buttons from the palette

Deleting unwanted buttons from the palette is done via the Button Preferences dialog box OR by using the CTRL key and the right mouse button.

To display the Button Preferences box...

1	Double-click the right mouse button over the appropriate button OR
2	Select the Button Preferences option from the WinJade control menu

Select the name of the button to be deleted in the scrolling list box and then hit the 'Delete Button' push-button. It's entry will be removed from the list box, but will only be removed from the palette if 'OK' is hit. Hit 'Cancel' to ignore any changes.

Alternately, position the cursor over the button you wish to delete, hold the CTRL key down and click and hold the right mouse button. The cursor will change to [image] Now move the cursor outside the button palette area and release the right mouse button. The button you selected will be deleted.

Remember to check the 'Save Settings on exit' box in either Button Preferences or Palette Preferences dialog box if you want to keep the configuration when WinJade quits.


Changing the button icon

You can change the icon that appears on the face of the button. This is done from the Button Preferences dialog box.

To display the Button Preferences box...

1	Double-click the right mouse button over the appropriate button OR
2	Select the Button Preferences option from the WinJade control menu

Select the name of the button to be changed in the scrolling list box. The current icon will be shown to the right of it. If you now hit the 'Change Icon...' push-button, a Change Icon dialog box should appear. The name of the current icon file will be shown in the edit box - this is often the same as the associated program but can be set to any valid icon file. After editing the filename, hit ENTER to view the icons available. If the file is invalid, you will be prompted to change it. Alternately, you can hit the "Browse" button to select an icon file.

The currently selected icon is shown below the edit box. You can use the scroll bars to view other icons in the same file. In both the Preferences and Change Icon dialog boxes, use 'OK' to confirm any changes or 'Cancel' to abort.

Remember to check the 'Save Settings on exit' box if you want to keep the configuration when WinJade quits.


Moving buttons around the palette

If you want to change the button order on the palette...

Position the cursor over the button you wish to move, hold the SHIFT key down and click and hold the right mouse button. The cursor will change to

Move the cursor over another button and it will be swapped with the original button you selected. Note that you can move outside of the WinJade window to swap with a button on the other side of the palette. Release the right mouse button to terminate the Move-Button mode.

Remember to check the 'Save Settings on exit' box in either Button Preferences or Palette Preferences dialog box if you want to keep the configuration when WinJade quits.


Changing the palette preferences

Changing the appearance and operation of the palette is done from the Palette Preferences dialog box. To display this box...

1	Double-click the right mouse button over a button OR
2	Select the Palette Preferences option from the WinJade control menu
Always visible	If this option is checked, the palette will always be visible. Clicking the left or right mouse buttons on the desktop have no effect on WinJade
Show/hide with left mouse button	If this option is checked, the palette will be shown or hidden by the action of clicking the left mouse button on the desktop.
Show/hide with right mouse button	If this option is checked, the palette will be shown or hidden by the action of clicking the right mouse button on the desktop.
Show palette at cursor	If this option is checked, the palette will be shown at the current cursor position when made visible by a left or right mouse click on the desktop. This is disabled if the 'Always visible' option (see above) is checked.
Show Jade cursor when hidden	If this option is checked, the WinJade cursor, [image], will be shown over the desktop when the palette is hidden. This acts as a reminder that WinJade is running. If you use third-party software that manipulates the desktop cursor (such as Neko, MetaMouse, etc.) then you might find that this option is best left cleared. This is disabled if the 'Always visible' option (see above) is checked.
Hide palette after running app	If this option is checked, the palette will hide itself after an application is run from WinJade. This is disabled if the 'Always visible' option (see above) is checked.
Enable auto button titles	If this option is checked, the associated title will popup if the cursor is paused over the button for just less than 1 second. This title will disappear if the mouse is moved or 5 seconds elapse.
Enable button drag and run	If this option is checked, it is possible to open files with an existing button. Just drag a file (or files) from the File Manager and drop it (them) onto a selected button. For example, if you have a Windows Notepad button on the palette, you could open a MS-DOS batch file for editing by simply dragging and dropping it onto the Notepad icon.
Palette Title	This is the title for the WinJade palette window. Note that this is limited to 40 characters and may appear truncated depending on your chosen palette sizing.
Show Title Bar	If this option is checked, the palette is shown with a title, or caption, bar containing the Palette Title text (see above). Without the title bar, the palette takes up minimum desktop space. Access to the control menu is then via the right mouse button.
Keep palette on top	If this option is checked, the palette will keep itself on top of any other windows and thus will not be obscured (unless another application is set to be top-most).
Use mini-buttons	If this option is checked, the palette will reduce the buttons to 75% of their normal size. This is useful for systems using 800 by 600 pixel resolutions or less; or just to maximise your desktop space.
Group File	Enter the name of the Program Manager group file you wish to run when WinJade starts. Normally, this should be 'startup.grp', but any valid group file can be entered. Note that running up large numbers of applications can reduce your free Windows resources severely!  You can specify the full path to the file if it does not reside in the Windows directory.
Run the startup group	If this option is checked, the group file entered above will be run when WinJade starts.
Hide palette on startup	If this option is checked, the palette will appear hidden when WinJade is first started. This is disabled if the 'Always visible' option (see above) is checked.
Save settings on exit	If this option is checked, the current settings will be saved to the INI file when WinJade is closed. Otherwise, changes made after WinJade was started will be lost.

Hit the 'OK' push-button to confirm any changes. Hit the 'Cancel' push-button to ignore any changes.

Remember to check the 'Save Settings on exit' box if you want to keep the configuration when WinJade quits.


Displaying available system resources

Displaying the available system resources

You can keep track of how much free disk space, Windows memory and Windows resources are available via the popup Resources window.

This is shown when the right mouse button is clicked either in the...

Title, or caption, bar	IF the title bar is visible (see Changing the palette preferences) OR
Window border (excluding the top left sizing corner)	IF the title bar is hidden.

Releasing the right mouse button hides the Resources window.


Setting WinJade as the Windows shell

Normally, Program Manager (or similar) is used as the Windows shell. This provides the means to organise your workspace and launch applications.

WinJade is also capable as acting as the Windows shell. It also processes any 'load and 'run' entries in the WIN.INI file - 'load' entries are run minimized, 'run' entries are run normally. A Windows Program Manager group will also be run if selected (see Changing the palette preferences).

Setting WinJade as the Windows shell involves modifying the SYSTEM.INI file. First make a back-up of this file and then make the following changes using a simple text editor such as Notepad...

(BEFORE)

[boot]

...

...

shell=progman.exe

...

...

(AFTER)

[boot]

...

...

oldshell=progman.exe

shell=C:\WINDOWS\winjade.exe

...

...


Menu options

(Control) Menu options

In order to save space, menu options are 'attached' to the WinJade control menu. To display this, click the left mouse button on the

Restart Windows	This option will cause Windows (not your PC!) to be restarted. A dialog box will appear first asking you to either confirm or cancel the restart.
Palette Preferences...	This displays the Palette Preferences dialog box, allowing the palette settings to be changed.
Button Preferences...	This displays the Button Preferences dialog box, allowing the button settings to be changed.
Help	This displays the Help sub-menu that most Window applications are equipped with.
Even without a title bar, it is still possible to access the control menu. Right click on the top-left sizing corner and the control menu will appear (see below).This may need a little more finer mouse control than normal. All the menu options function as normal.