ForeWarn version 1.0 beta test version Beta Version limitation: MMPM is not supported in this release. Selection of sounds for a record will be stored but no sound will be played. The final release is anticipated to have this feature completed. Like a publication for a conference, I have worked with the text and code of this program for many late nights and I know that I have overlooked numerous cosmetic flaws in the program. Spelling of various embedded messages will probably be found to be in error. After you stare at a user interface for just so long, the errors cease to exist. Please report all cosmetic flaws to the author. Installation: To install the OS/2 version of ForeWarn you must have os/2 version 2.1 (beta or GA release) installed on the target system. The following system variables must be set: FOREWARN_INI FOREWARN_DAT These two variables can be set in the system config.sys so that they will be available to all OS/2 sessions by adding the following lines: set FOREWARN_INI=d:\driectory\forewarn.ini set FOREWARN_DAT=d:\directory\forewarn.dat and replace the "d:" with the drive to store the respective files and "directory" with the target directory. The file referenced by the variable FOREWARN_INI is the file to store initialization information between sessions. The file FOREWARN_DAT is used to store the data used by the program. The names of the files can be anything legal to the file system used on the particular disk. If the file system is of type FAT, the file name specification must be limited to the 8.3 FAT format. If the file is HPFS the filename can be anything legal to OS/2 HPFS format. If the destination for the data file is on a FAT formatted partition the file cannot have an extension if the option for creating backup files is selected. ForeWarn will not lose data, it will simply warn the user of the problem and stop. In this case, select the Options dialog and turn off backups. Starting ForeWarn: Like its DOS counterpart, ForeWarn uses command line options to tell it whether it should simply check the dates or if it should enter the edit mode. Unlike the DOS version (which had a multitude of options) the OS/2 version has only two parameters: -e: enter edit mode -c: check dates only (default) Forewarn does not run as a background task and only checks the data at the time that the program starts. It is not meant to replace a pop-up calendar. This may change in future versions when the author learns how to use threads. It is easiest to simply add the following line to the startup.cmd file: start d:\directory\forewarn.exe The ForeWarn.HLP file must be located in the help path or an error will be displayed when the program starts. Upgrading from the DOS version of ForeWarn Some noticable differences will be found between ForeWarn for OS/2 and DOS. These are listed in the following sections. Data File Format In order to allow for selective sounds a new field has been added to the ForeWarn data file. This field has been added just before the message text. In the event that the DOS versio loads the data file for the OS/2 version, this will simply appear as a number before the text of each message. The data file can be maintained in the DOS format by selecting the Options dialog and turning on the DOS compatibility. This will eliminate the additional field but will force ForeWarn to ignore all sound specifications in the Edit Dialog box. User Interface: The DOS version of ForeWarn utilized a Text based grouping of windows to allow for separation of displayed data and edit fields. This necessitated doubling up the use of the function keys which proved to be awkward. To remedy this, the OS/2 version has a full edit dialog feature that leads the user through the setting of dates. Additionally, the edit dialog box has been set up to be as close to the OS/2 Application Design Guide as possible. To further enhance the user interface, Forewarn does not go through normal checks to display the warnings in dialog boxes when the edit mode is chosen. ForeWarn now utilizes colors to indicate the status of events. There are three colors that are used: red: Active dates which meet the criterion for advance notice (i.e. the current date plus the advance is greater than or equal to the target date) blue: Expired events. If the option to delete expired events has been specified in the options dialog box, these lines will be deleted when the data is saved. Expired events are events in which the deadline includes a specific year and that year or the actual date has passed. black: Normal data that meets neither of the above. Future planned enhancements: Sounds using MMPM or the DOSBEEP functions. Multiple threads User selectable colors for events Window size and position recall Contacting the author: This product has been developed in the author's spare time and not as a result of any funding or cooperation by the author's employer. All tools (including the compiler, development environment, and equipment) necessary to develop this system were purchased by the author. Comments for corrections and enhancements are welcomed by the author and can be sent to: William Scott Hiles 2 Savannah St. King George, VA 22485-9331 or via email at: whiles@relay.nswc.navy.mil Terms of agreement: Like the DOS version of ForeWarn, the OS/2 version of ForeWarn has been developed by WiSHware Inc. and may not be distributed as part of another product without written permission by the author. This product is distributed as FreeWare and the author does not expect monetary compensation. Donations are welcomed to support the development of FreeWare products; but is not required.