Copyright: 1995 Softlink Software


Contents

    Command Bar Help

What is the Command Bar?

Note From The Author

Customer Service

Register!

The Basics

  The Toolbar

  The Calculator

  Run a program

  Extended Path

  File and Text Search

  Play a WAV file

 Menu System

 Resource Monitor

 Copy/Move Files

 Disk Monitor

 Notebook

 System Editor

  Exit Command Bar Or Windows

 Always On Top

  Help

Hot Commands


Customer Service

                    Softlink Software

                      81 Jordan Ave.

                  Wallington, NJ 07057

                   TECHNICAL SUPPORT

               Voice & Fax: 201-933-5022

               CompuServe ID: 75272,234

          Internet: 75272.234@COMPUSERVE.COM

If you have any questions, comments or need help using the software you can contact Softlink Software. If possible, send an email with a question. This allows us to offer you superior service by sending a detailed response to your question or problem. For your convenience our support hot line hours for phone support is each evening from 8 pm to 12 am EST.


Note From The Author

by Thomas Ens

So far I've written four programs (including this one) for Softlink Software. The Phone Master was my first program and by far the must successfull one. The two other programs, while doing well, haven't touched the Phone Master with the number of registrations and positive feedback. I think the key to this succcess was that I wrote the Phone Master for myself.

This is the second program I wrote for myself. Why? Well, everyone loves to beat up on DOS.  Yes DOS has it's drawbacks. It's not a multitasking environment. That horrible 640k barrier. Not Gui... Etc.. Etc. Etc..

But remember the good old days when you wanted to run WordPerfect? All you had to do was type "WP" and you were ready to go. I miss that! I hate the Program Manager. OS/2 Presentation Manager is awkward at best. Sure Windows '95 is better but nothing is faster then typing "WP" and bang on the Enter key. And there were other good things about DOS to. I hate trying to copy files using the File Manager. It seems awkward at best. It's much faster to type "COPY *.* A:". So I always find myself at the DOS prompt. But that seems stupid.

What I really wanted was a toolbar which would sit in the corner and allow me to type DOS commands. When I wanted to copy a file I could just type the command. Need to run Excel? Just type "EXCEL".

The problem I ran into quickly was that many of my programs weren't in my DOS path (the path is where files are searched for). So I created a way to extend that path (there's no limit in Command Bar). Of course I got greedy. I wanted a file finder (remember Norton FINDFILE) and a text search and I wanted the program to yell when my resources got low.

I found out that sometimes I still found myself search for a program manager ICON (what was that file name??)  So I developed a fast menu system. There's more. A lot more. But I don't want to give away all the surprises.

If you're not a DOS guro don't worry. This program has many features even if you don't take advantage of the DOS abilities. Probably the best part of the program is what it doesn't do. It doesn't use up all your resources (like other managers which will remain unnamed). Everything the program can do it does with only 5-6% resources!

Future releases (registered copies) will allow you to use this instead of Program Manager as your desktop. And there will be more... I promise because I'm using it too! And the nice part is you can buy it now because Softlink Software gives away

future releases to registered clients free of charge! Just download the shareware version and your registered version is patched automatically with programming changes.


Author Support

You can contact Thomas Ens, the author of The Phone Master, at Softlink Software.

            Softlink Software

              81 Jordan Ave.

          Wallington, NJ 07057

           TECHNICAL SUPPORT

       Voice & Fax: 201-933-5022

       CompuServe ID: 75272,234

  Internet: 75272.234@COMPUSERVE.COM

Softlink welcomes phone calls from registered and unregistered users!


What Is The Command Bar

The Command Bar was designed to offer immediate support for your everyday computer work. It launches programs quickly. You can run programs by name or by clicking on the menu tree which can be customized. It offers support of almost all DOS commands bringing back the power of the command prompt while also offering you a familiar windows interface. No knowledge of DOS is necessary to get the maximum abilities out of this program since it offers a windows tree which you can use to copy files, run applications, associate files and just about anything (and more) that you can do with the file manager and other applications. You get a lot while only giving it 5 % resources. It was designed to be a light application so you can minimize it to a toolbar, allow it to stay on top of other applications, so it's always a mouse click away.

What It Does

* A DOS window to type all major DOS commands.

* A toolbar you can customize to launch programs with a click.

* Want to run Excel? Just type in "EXCEL"! (the .EXE name).

* A File Finder which supports standard wildcard file searches and  text searches.

* Resource monitor.  Sounds a warning through the PC speaker or sound system.

* Familiar DOS directory showing all needed info at a glance.

* Disk space monitor for all drives (including network drives).

* A notepad and system editor are a click away.

* Click on a file and it runs the program associated with it.

* Extended Exit support. Exit Windows and...

     - Restart Windows

     - Run A Dos Application and restart windows.

     - Reboot

* Extend your DOS path (beats 128k barrier). Now an unlimited DOS path.

* Toolbar which always stays on top.

* 'Smart' Run menu which lets you know if the program is available when you type it.

**** All this and it only uses 5 % resources!


The Basics

Most of your commands will use the toolbar, the menu system and the list of files. At the top of your screen are the hot key buttons. You can use these to launch utility programs designed to help you navigate your system. These buttons are described in detail in  Contents. The buttons you begin with are just the beginning. You can scroll through your custom toolbars (you have three you can assign files to) by clicking on the down arrow. At first you will have an empty toolbar. To add a program you can right click and selct Modify Toolbar from the pop-up menu. Or you can  click on the menu button [image].

You can type in DOS commands using the command prompt. This prompt

 will accept most DOS commands. If you don't know DOS commands you can use the scroll bars listing the files to copy and execute programs (all features the File Manager supports) but this bar will save you time. For example if Excel is located in your DOS path you can type Excel to run it by typing Excel in the bar (as shown) [image]. This is a very fast way to launch programs. Especially if you have the 'on top' button [image] enabled. If you try to run a program this way and it doesn't run be sure to add the programs location to your path. You don't need to play with your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The Command Bar has a built in extended path (no limit to where the Command Bar will search!). To change your path click on the path [image] button. This will not affect any other programs but will increase where the Command Bar searches for applications.

Don't worry if some of the terms are too much for you. It's all very easy. You can just type in a program name and it will launch. Quick and easy like the good old days (ok that's the authors opinion!). But if you'd rather use the menu system go ahead! It's an advanced system which allows you to click on files to run them. For example, if you click on a file with the .DOC extension the Command Bar will see what file is associated with it and run the Word Processor and launch the program. There are many other features. You can click on a .WAV file and the [image] button and it will play the .WAV file. Right mouse click on a file and you'll see a menu of things you can do with this file as shown below.

There are many other things for you to explore including a file finder (with text search). Disk Space Monitor, resource warning, file association for advanced use, editor, hot key to system files and an advanced menu system.


Toolbar

The Command Bar has four different views! It allows you to click on this button to change these views.When you are working with other applications you can click on this button to show the smaller toolbar. Click on it again and the Command Bar becomes even smaller. You can monitor the time and your resources in this view and also type dos commands (and other commands such as "EXIT" to quit". Click on it again and you have the smallest 'DOS' bar view, an ICON which allows you to see the resources free and the time. This is great for replacing the clock (save even more resources)

See Hot Commands For Small View commands.

Also See Path


Run

This command works like the run command in the Program Manager or the file manager. If you are not sure of a files location you can click on this button to search for it and run it. Although this is one way to search for a file and execute it you can also run a program by using the menu systems and clicking on it. The example below graphically shows how you can run a program without using the RUN key.

If you are going to run a program often you can assign it to the menu system by clicking on the menu button [image]. And lastly, you can run a program just by typing it's name in the command bar box as shown in the example below. In the example below Excel was located in your extended path which meant you can just type Excel to execute it. To change your path you can click on the path button [image].


Path

Click on the path button to make any adjustments to your path. You will be shown your current extended path along with your DOS path (which there is no need to modify). Just type in the path you want to add followed by a a semicolum (;). You can also set your path by using the directory tree and clicking on the add button.

The path command can be used to extend the DOS path (while in Command Bar) to an unlimited length. This is helpful because it allows you to run programs by just typing in the name. For example, if you want to run Excel you can do this several ways. By finding it in the directory tree and clicking on it.  Or by adding it to the menu system. Both of these methods are very quick. However, it's even faster to type E-X-C-E-L. This is especially fast if you have the Command Bar setup as a toolbar. The example below graphically displays using the Command Bar to run Excel.


Search

The Search button can be clicked to quickly search for files. Just select the path (all sub-directories are also searched) and type in the type of file you would like to search for. Wildcards are accepted (example: FILE*.??? would find FILENAME.TXT, FILENAME.DOC, FILECAB.DOC). What makes this program stand out is not only it's speed but it's ability to allow you to search for text in the files you find. By default the file finder will locate all files no matter what text they have.  However, if you type in the text box the type of text you want to seach for the file finder will require that the text is found in the file before it will display it. Once the file is displayed you can click on it to view the text it has found.


WAV Playing

The Command Bar has built in sound support. If you machine supports multimedia sound you can use the Command Bar to sample sounds. Just click on the file and click on the [image] toolbar. If you click on this button and you have not selected a WAV file the program will display all WAV files for you so you can select one.


Menu

The Command Bar menu is designed to easy to modify and give you the ability to quickly launch applications. It also gives you the ability to assign long file description no matter what operating system you are using. To launch a program you have set up is very simple. You have for toolbars available to you. The first toolbar (the default) is the menu system for the Command Bar. You can not modify this toolbar. To switch to a custom toolbar click on the arrow next to the toolbar. If this is the first time viewing it you will see just an empy bar. Click back to the main toolbar and click on the menu icon [image].

You will now be shown the current toolbars (you have three available to you). If this is the first time editing your toolbar you will see three empy toolbars. We want to add a program as shown in the example below with the sample program.

d:\commandb\menu2.bmp

First you need to click on the location you want to place your program. The button will appear as raised. Next click on NEW. This will allow you to set up the properties. You can set the following properties. The only required property is the name of the file you want Command Bar to run when you click on it. The remainder just help you determine what the button will look like and how you want to describe it. You can set the following properties:

* File Name (name of executable to run)

* Description (long description of program. Shown when the button is highlighted)

* Bitmap (optional picture on the button. Sample bitmaps are included with program)

* Caption (also optional. A 3 letter abbreviation shown on toolbar (like DOS).

After you set your properties and return to the main menu you can click on the up and down arrows to view your updated toolbar. To launch a program just click on the button.


Resource Monitor

The Command Bar will monitor your resources. Every second it quickly checks your resources and displays your current available resources on the screen. Experts suggest that you always keep your resources (for Windows 3.1) above 20 percent. Below this unexpected things can happen including losing data and unexpected crashes.

The Command Bar helps prevent this from happening by sounding a warning tone and dialog box when your resources fall below the value you set (20 % by default) and playing a siren noise and a dialog box when you get below the alarm setting (10 % by default).

You can change the default times when the Command Bar warns you and sounds alarms by clicking on the resource monitor button [image]. In this window you can type in the warning and alarm levels. The Command Bar does not require a sound card to sound alarms. You can modify the pitch and tone of the alarm through your PC speaker (great for the office) or specify the WAV file to play (great for home) when it is time to play an alarm.


Copy or Move Files

The Command Bar makes it easy to copy and move files. It features wildcard support and the ability to show the progress of your copy. It is helpful to know the DOS copy command to give you the ability to quickly type commands. But it is not necessary since the Command Bar offers full menu support.

To copy a file you can simply type the command at the command bar [image]. The bar supports many other commands as well and also stores a history of the commands you typed. To copy a file using the DOS command just type the copy command (example: COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS A:).

To use the menu system you can select the file. Right Mouse click. And select copy from the pop-up menu. A dialog box will be displayed prompting you for the destination. You can type it in or click on BROWSE to select a file to overwrite.

If you want to move the file just click on the MOVE button. Copy is the default selection.

You can also use wildcards in this dialog box. For example, if you wanted to copy all the files from your directory called games to the a: drive you can put "C:\GAMES\*.*" for the source path and "A:\" as the destination path. Full wildcard characters is accepted. See the example below.


Disk Monitor

The disk monitor is a helpful utility for tracking your disk usage. It updates the disk space for all available drives on a regular basis. You can watch the disk usage 'live' while files are being copied. The registered version offers even greater flexibility including warnings when space is low and specs. about the drive including network information and other features.


Notepad

This button is designed to offer you quick access to a text editor. Just click on it and you can begin typing. The registered version offers even more information including the ability to pop-up a text reminder file as the default file.


System Editor

The system editor offers you easy access to all key system files. You can modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI.


Exit

The exit command allows you to exit the Command Bar or windows. When you exit windows you can restart, reboot or run a DOS application and return to windows.

The registered version allows you to specify the Command Bar as your program manager. Since it only uses 5 % resources it will give you more room to run other applications!


Always On Top

You can click on this button and leave enabled to position the Command Bar to be always on top of other applications. This is helpful because you have an easy way to be able to execute other applications.


Help

Help is available within the application by hitting the F1 key or click on a HELP button.


Register

Register the Command Bar now and you will receive the commercial copy of The Command Bar and FREE upgrades.

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If you register you will receive:

The latest commercial version (registered in your name) of The Command Bar!

FREE Support and services!

FREE automatic upgrades! If you download a shareware version of the Command Bar your commerical version will automatically be updated with the newest programming changes!

FREE trial of other products available from Softlink Software.

A commercial grade product without any interruptions!

** Registration costs only 25.95! **

*** Network Version Available! ****

Network cost is only $25.95 for the inital software package and just $5 per additional node. To order a network version you must purchase at least a three node version (add $15).

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Easy To Order from the US and Europe:

IN THE USA

----------

BY MAIL:

 Softlink Software

 Command Bar Registration

 81 Jordan Ave.

 Wallington, NJ 07057

 Please send only American checks or money order to this address.

 Credit cards are welcome at the location below.

BY PHONE:

  Northstar Solutions

  1-800-699-6395

  or CompuServe: 71561,2751

  Visa or Mastercard Accepted

Please specify your address, disk size and include $4 for shipping + handling ($6 outside the US.) You may click on REGISTER to automate this procedure.

Please don't hesitate to contact us by:

        Voice & Fax: 201-933-5022

IMPORTANT NOTE

This is a shareware program and as such you are permitted to distribute it without charge provided that all files are distributed together, and due copyright is observed. This program is provided as is without any warranty, expressed or implied, including but not limited to fitness for a particular purpose.

You may trial this application at no charge for one week. After one week you must register it or discontinue use.


The Calculator

Clicking on this runs the calculator program.

Note: It will run the program named 'CALC.EXE' in your Windows path. By changing this program you can upgrade the calculator which Command Bar executes.


Hot Commands

These commands are short-cut keys and extra commands you can use at the Command prompt.

Full to show the full view.

Stat to show detailed system info.

Help to show DOS Help  (more commands supported in registered version)

? to show the Command Bar Help.

Type and a file name to show a text file in Notepad.

CLS Clears the last system message displayed (so you can see full path).

Bye to quickly exit windows

End to quickly exit Command Bar.

Restart to restart windows.

Type Exit to exit Command Bar or Windows (normal exit).