=============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FileBar -- An OS/2 Application Launch Facility and Shell Replacement Written By Eric A. Wolf - Copyright (C) 1995 - All Rights Reserved Revision History ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Versions 1.0 through 1.91 - not documented here Version 2.00 - complete rewrite of the previous FileBar. While it retains the same functionality*, it also has a number of new features. - complete rewrite - uses improved memory handling for increased stability while remaining a small application. - possibility of 9 virtual desktops (switch via hotkey or click) - print spooler - much improved startup list handling - system lockup option (and lockup on start option) - support for sub-menus - ability to set background color when FileBar is shell - vastly improved handling of DOS settings - no more messing with ASCII SETTINGS.INI files. Everything is automated through a familiar DOS settings dialog. - improved stability in configuration file handling (no more configuration file corruptions) - revised FileBar menu (to decrease clutter) - ability to specify the configuration file to use on start Great for network environments! Use either on command line or on RUNWORKPLACE= line of config.sys. - ability to open and save different configuration files without closing and relaunching FileBar - support for separate and common seamless WIN-OS/2 sessions - ability to edit menu items by right-clicking them off menu - misc. memory, stability and performance gains *The calendar/scheduler is no longer in FileBar Version 2.01 - Desktop correctly resize when FileBar exits or when FileBar is moved from top to bottom of screen - launching items from popup menu sometimes caused that item to be edited rather than launched, this has been fixed - added option for whether or not to remove FileBar from task list when it is the shell - added accelerators to FileBar menu - revised way menus are drawn on menubar to address an incompatability with OS/2 2.11 - When editing items, specifying a working directory as "X:\" (where X is a valid drive letter) now works correctly. - spooler is disabled when FileBar is not the replacement shell - DOS settings loading and saving revised to avoid system errors - old FileBar 2.00 DOS settings files SHOULD NOT BE used with 2.01 Version 2.02 - Windows in virtual work areas (2-9) are now moved back to work area #1 when FileBar closes if option is set. Option is under the work area option menu. This way, windows aren't "abandoned" after FileBar closes - Launching apps via the keyboard sometimes brought up editing item dialog by mistake. That is now fixed. - items closed from the task list are first sent a WM_CLOSE, then a WM_QUIT, and if that fails, it is killed forcefully. - once again addressed weird problems with DOS settings. Stability looks very good now - all settings are now being written out and DOS_DEVICEs and DOS_AUTOEXEC work ok. - missing Windows DOS settings are now in the settings dialog box - unlocking system no longer shows previously hidden windows - FileBar will now attempt to launch WPS items even if it knows it is the replacement shell - this way, users can launch WPS Shell as a FileBar item and WPS items still work via FileBar. - nag window pops up less often (every hour instead of every 1/2 hour) - added more complete installation instructions for installing FileBar both as a replacement shell and as a normal application - virtual work area control box now has 3 different arragement types (3 x 3 grid, horizontal row and vertical row) - virtual work area control box resizing now has no default minimum size - only c/r stripped from task list menu instead of any char < ' ' (ASCII 32) - toggling Windows standard or enhanced mode in DOS settings will now pass on that change to the edit menu item dialog - "WPS Shell" has now been added as a default item under the OS/2 in both the FILEBAR2.INI and SAMPLE1.INI included files so users can easily launch the WPS from within FileBar - FileBar not being removed from tasklist when shell (even when requested) is now fixed - FileBar no longer dies if an '=' is placed in an item's argument list - nag screens no longer pop up every 1/2 hour. Now, every 10 FileBar functions you engage, the nag will appear. - added (CTRL+SPACE) hot key to bring up FileBar in any application - fixed problem with Spooler not starting under OS/2 2.1 - fixed SYS 3175 errors when editing menu items using FileBar|Edit Menu Version 2.03 - minimizing from FileBar task list now correctly draws minimized icon - User customized colors are now read from OS2.INI and correctly set when FileBar is launched as the shell - cancelling the addition of a new menu item no longer leaves 'New Item' in your menu list (it -really- is cancelled now) - warning added in docs so that users DO NOT have FileBar in their WPS startup folder when using FileBar as their replacement shell AND trying to launch the WPS from inside FileBar (weird results happen!) - using ALT keystrokes to launch items from FileBar now works after locking up system via FileBar and then unlocking - added a Kill option for tasks so that you have the option to either send it a WM_CLOSE message or use the Kill command to forcefully kill the process - multiple registration reminders no longer appear if one is on-screen and the user flips to another virtual work area (via CTRL+#). - registration info now shown in lockup dialog box - added error messages for when specified executable or settings file does not exist - Windows applications specified for a common session now really do start in a common session - Refresh option added so that desktop can be redrawn in the case some app leaves garbage on the screen (usually WIN-OS/2 apps) - selection focus no longer lost when the spooler dialog is refreshed - code changed so that taking focus off modal dialog boxes won't cause input delay - Added to documentation the common question of "What to do when Win-OS/2 sessions are not redrawn correctly" when switching to them from desktop. (Solution, as added, is to set VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION to ON in the DOS Settings for that session). - sample DOS settings file now supplied with FileBar (WIN-OS2.SET) for use with Windows/WIN-OS/2 applications - added option so user can select whether to launch WIndows apps via WIN.COM or WINOS2.COM (under general options) - changing orientation of virtual work area window selector now redraws the window correctly (no longer cut off) - revised shutdown code (less code - less possibility for problems!) - menubar flicker removed when time and/or date updates - menubar flicker removed when opening new configuration file - focus no longer taken from active app for long lengths of time when the chime sound plays (top of the hour chime) - added Copy Item to the menu item edit dialog box in order to allow copying individual menu items to different menus/submenus - added Move Item to the menu item edit dialog box in order to allow moving individual menu items to different menus/submenus - due to users' requests, new option added to enable spooler even when FileBar is not the shell - added CONVERT.EXE application to convert 1.xx configuration files to 2.xx configuration file format (menu structure only) - added option to enable/disable CTRL+SPACE hotkey - accelerators added to dialogs to aid users who prefer keyboard traversal - added safeguard to avoid enumeration errors in startup list - added option for virtual work area control box to float on top whenever FileBar does - added option so user can now use the mouse to change virtual work areas. Moving the mouse to an extreme on their desktop will cause the work area to change (relative to their motion) if the option is enabled under the Work Areas... option dialog.