Copyright: ® Roger Rene Kommer 1993
Citation: RRKMenu


Index

Important / Getting Started

Introduction

Quick Tips

Keyboard

An Example Menu

How To Do

Miscellaneous

Internal commands

The API

The Dialogues

Bugs, Limits, Help


Important / Getting Started
 Index

Important - read at first

Thanks to...

What You have to read / know


Introduction
 Index

About the Author and The Program

 	Installation

 	Introduction to the Features


Installation
 Index
 Introduction

Requirements

Installation of the Menu

Install the Menu in a Net environment

The Files

The Inifile


Elemente der Ini-Datei
The Inifile
 Index
 Introduction
 Installation

General Properties

Submenus in the INI-File


Eigenschaften des Menüs
Introduction to the Features
 Index
 Introduction

Preliminary Remark

Basic functions

The features


Auf die Schnelle
Quick Tips
 Index

What is it?

How to do:

Call the Menu

Ending The Program

Launch Programmes

Configure the Menu


The Dialogues
 Index

The Dialogue Configuration

The Dialogue Menu - General Properties

The Dialogue Menu - Edit Menuitem

The Dialogue Select Icon

The Dialogue - Delete Menuitem

The Dialogue - Delete a Submenu

The Dialogue Menu - Execution

The Dialogue - New Menuitem in an empty Submenu

The Dialogue - Document Association

The Dialogue ShortCuts for Submenus

Der Dialog Hotkeys


Bugs, Limits, Help
 Index

Known Bugs

Abnormal Reactions

It doesn't function - Help!!

??Beep!!

Internal Limits


How To Do
 Index

Customise the Menu

Include The Program-Manager

Using the Sticked Menus

Using Drag'n Drop

Using the Menu without a Mouse

.


Customise the Menu
 Index
 How To Do

Customise the Menuitems

Miscellaneous


Customise the Menuitems
 Index
 How To Do
 Customise the Menu

Insert a New Menuitem

Add a New Menuitem

Edit an Existing Menuitem

Delete an Existing Menuitem

Declare Icons for Non-Windows Programmes

Running a Windows incompatible DOS Program


Using Drag'n Drop
 Index
 How To Do

Open any File

Insert Files as Menuitems


Include The Program-Manager
 Index
 How To Do

The Program-Manager as Menu

A single Program-Group as Menu

Edit Menuitems of a Program-Group


Miscellaneous
 Index
 How To Do
 Customise the Menu

Hide the Program Icon

Only Desktop

Menus with a 3-D-Effect

Choosing the Menu-Font

Use Icons in the Menus

Change the look of the Menu

Starting Options

Using several INI-filest

Using ShortCuts to Submenus

Using Hotkeys

Using the middle Mousebutton

Use the right Mousebutton with a Second (Sub-)Menu

Using a Submenu as a Desktop-Panel

Using Context-Sensitiv Menus

Improve the Speed of the Menu

Avoid Conflicts with other Programmes


Using the Sticked Menus
 Index
 How To Do

Stick Menus on the Desktop

Move the sticked Menus

Minimise the Sticked Menus

Hold sticked Menus on the Top of the Desktop

Popup the local Editmenu in sticked Menus

Arrange all sticked Menu on the Desktop

Refresh the sticked Menus

Using a Submenu as a Desktop-Panel

Stick normal Drop-Down-Menus with a Pin


An Example Menu
 Index

An Example Menu

A Submenu

A Searching Directory

A Program Manager Group

The Program Manager

A Drive Directory 1

A Drive Directory 2

The Menu - Menu Setup

The Menu Tasks


The API
 Index

Internal Commands

Call a DLL-Function

Simulate keyboard actions with a Menuitem

Popup a Menu with an extern Program

Assoziate a Window-Class with a Menu

Send Messages to a Window


RRKMenu  Contents
New Menus for Windows 1.1

© 1993 Roger René Kommer

Dörnbergstr.11

D - 34119 Kassel

Voice. (++ 49 561) 780 150

EMail: roger@architektur.uni-kassel.de

Attention

Reading this help still can damage your good connections to the English language!!

This software and the accompanying files are distributed "as is" and without any warranties.

The user must assume the entire risk of using the program.

For more, see: Important - read at first

Important

Important - read at first

Thanks to...

Getting Started

What you have to read / know

Introduction

About the Author and the Program

Preliminary Remark

Basic functions

The features

Installation

Requirements

Installation of the Menu

Install the Menu in a Net environment

The Files

The Inifile

General Properties

Submenus in the INI-File

Quick Tips

What is it?

How to do:

Call the Menu

Ending The Program

Launch Programmes

Configure the Menu

Keyboard and internal commands

Keyboard

Internal commands

An Example Menu

An Example Menu

A Submenu

A Searching Directory

A Program Manager Group

The Program Manager

A Drive Directory 1

A Drive Directory 2

The Menu - Menu Setup

The Menu Tasks

Bugs, Limits, Help

Known Bugs

Abnormal Reactions

It doesn't function - Help!!

??Beep!!

Internal Limits

How To Do

Customise the Menuitems

Insert a New Menuitem

Add a New Menuitem

Edit an Existing Menuitem

Delete an Existing Menuitem

Declare Icons for Non-Windows Programmes

Running a Windows incompatible DOS Program

Using Drag'n Drop

Open any File

Insert Files as Menuitems

Include The Program-Manager

The Program-Manager as Menu

A single Program-Group as Menu

Edit Menuitems of a Program-Group

Miscellaneous

Hide the Program Icon

only Desktop

Menus with a 3-D-Effect

Choosing the Menu-Font

Use Icons in the Menus

Change the style of the Menu

Starting Options

Using Hotkeys

Using several INI-files

Using ShortCuts to Submenus

Using Hotkeys

Using the middle Mousebutton

Use the right Mousebutton with a Second (Sub-)Menu

Using a Submenu as a Desktop-Panel

Using Context-Sensitiv Menus

Improve the Speed of the Menu

Avoid Conflicts with other Programmes

Using the Sticked Menus

Stick Menus on the Desktop

Move the sticked Menus

Minimise the Sticked Menus

Hold sticked Menus on the Top of the Desktop

Popup the local Editmenu in sticked Menus

Arrange all sticked Menu on the Desktop

Refresh the sticked Menus

Using a Submenu as a Desktop-Panel

Stick normal Drop-Down-Menus with a Pin

The API

Internal Commands

Call a DLL-Function

Simulate keyboard actions with a Menuitem

Popup a Menu with an extern Program

Assoziate a Window-Class with a Menu

Send Messages to a Window


About the Author and The Program

My first experiences in programming I made with macros in Word and Excel two years ago, without any imagination, that I would ever look closer to Computers things. (Normally I busy with the philosophical problems of the Aesthetic of Architecture and Music, and by the way I study Architecture.)

More by accident than by willing I contact in autumn 1992 with Visual-Basic, amazed, how simple programming for Windows can be.

At this time first I had the idea for a Menu, popped up with the right mousebutton, to launch applications - the beginning of my career as a 'leisure time programmer'.

Until the end of the year 1992 I create a version of the Menu in Visual Basic.

This first version supports Submenus and Icons (but not with text and Icons).

But the program could not satisfy me, because it needed a lot of System resources.

How easy Visual Basic might be, it is not usable to realise a popup menu.

The standard in programming seems to be C / C++ (Nothing against to Pascal, really!). In spring 1993 I got a C / C++ compiler, never heard something about Pointers, Classes, sortable trees, or Callback-functions and Windows-Messages before; First to learn the language, and second - because it is boring writing only hello world Programmes - to write this Program: my first and single non-trivial program. So I do.

1 1/2 month ago I got an access to Internet, and I looked for other Programmes, which has the same idea. I saw, the Menu is - seeing it at the historical aspect - a 'Me too' or better 'Me more' program.

(Some of these Programmes - better: all these, I know - have one fundamental problem: They load the Menu and all Submenus at the start of the program. If you want configure several Submenus, it worsts a lot of System resources - and it doesn't matter if you have 32 MB RAM installed at your Computer, the System resources are absolutely limited under Windows. My Menu generates the Submenu first, when you open the Submenu, and frees all System resources by clicking on the desktop.)

Until this time, I assess my Program only as a fingering-exercise to learn C / C++ and the Windows-API, don't think might be very interesting to public. But I saw, other programmers are also not wizards.

I think with the version 1.1 the New Menus for Windows is not only a 'Me more' program (exepting my help-files!), because increasing quantity of essential and detailed features becomes to a new quality. I hope it's usuable for you, and you have fun with it.

Used Literature:

Besides the documentation of Borland C / C++ 3.1 and parts of the Windows SDK I used following literature:

•	Schildt, Herbert; C - Befehlsbibliothek; Hamburg 1987 McGraw-Hill Book Company

•	Petzold, Charles; Programmierung unter Microsoft Windows 3.1 (Programming Windows); München 1992 Microsoft Press

•	Schulman, Andrew; Maxley, David; Pietrek, Matt; Undocumented Windows; Bonn (...) 1992 Addison-Wesley

'Stolen' Ideas:

•	'Open Look' by Open Look Foundation
The Pin to stick Menus on the desktop.

•	'Corel Draw 3' by Corel Corporation
The Roll Up Button.

•	'Informant' by James S. Straub
The idea, that you can simulate a movement of windows in 'real Time' (like NEXT). I improved this simulation through a Message Loop in WM_MOUSEMOVE to restore the uncovered Regions. But it is still flickering.


Preliminary Remark

Why using this Program?

It is a question of taste, not really a question of needing.

The Program Manager of Windows have several aspects, which can't satisfy the (power-?)user.

•	You can't create subgroups in the Program Groups.

•	Often you have to fish the Program Manager out of the overcrowded Desktop.

•	It doesn't to be worth to install Documents of your actual Projects in the Program Manager.

Enough of lamentations! How I tried to compensate this faults, see: Basic function of the Menu


Basic functions of the Menu

Some other Graphic User Interfaces has not a Program Manager, known by Windows. They use a menu to launch programmes. This menu normally appears by clicking on the desktop.

The model for my Menu is the Desktop Menu of OpenLook (may recognisable by the pin).

After popuped the Menu with the right mousebutton, you can start programmes or open documents.

Similar to Program Groups of the Program Manager you can group all the programmes in Submenus: Often used programmes and documents in Submenus and seldom used programmes and documents in SubSubSub...Menus.

For an overlook to the important features of the Menu see: The features of the Menu.


The features of the Menu

•	Permanently only 1 % - 2 % of system resources needed (Program Manager ~ 4 - 5 %).

•	Permanently only ca. ~25 KB non-discardable RAM needed (Program Manager ~16 KB. But in the time of virtual memory this might be more theoretical. If there is enough RAM, the Menu allocates ~140 KB, the Program Manager ~190 KB).

•	A free customisable Menu, with Submenus as many as you like.

•	Supports the right as well as the middle mousebutton.

•	You can use the Menu also without a mouse.)

•	Shows automatically the icons of programmes and documents in the menus in 3 possible sizes.

•	Free customisable Menu-font.

•	Free customisable Menu-Icons.

•	ShortCuts for Submenus

•	HotKeys to launch programmes

•	Supports following generic Menuitems

•	Supports ambiguous filenames (like c:\mydir\*.txt), so you can list all existent files matching a Searching Directory

•	You can include a little generic 'File Manager' in your Menu, in which all Subdirectories of your harddisk showed by Submenus, and all programmes and document of a directory are listed.

•	You can include the Program Manager or single Program Groups in your Menu.

•	Submenus, which becomes too long fitting on the desktop, will break and continued in a new Submenu called More... (It was very hard to realise this. The obvious things are the most complicated.)

•	A Task-List, to switch quickly to an application.

•	You can stick the Menus with the pin on the desktop.

•	It is possible to hold the sticked Menus on the top of the desktop

•	Minimise the sticked Menu with Roll-Up-Button.

•	Supports Drag and Drop with the File Manager to install Files as Menuitems in a sticked Menu.

•	Supports Drag and Drop with the File Manager to open any File with a program, installed in a sticked Menu.

•	You can also stick normal Drop-Down Menus of Win-programmes with a pin.

•	Context-Sensitive Menus enhanges the funktionality of Windows controls.

(I can't describe all features of the Menu at this place. For more please refer to chapter How to do in the Index window and to the file ADDONS.WRI. More functions are also described in the chapter The API


Keyboard

The keys to configure the Menu only function, if you have popuped the Menu and highlighted a Menuitem - respectively a sticked Menu has the focus.

If you haven't a mouse look at Using the Menu without a Mouse.

F1	shows the Help

F2	calls a dialogue to change the General Properties

F5	calls a dialogue to Configure the Menu and edit a Menuitem

F6	Edit a Menuitem

F7	Add a Menuitem

Del	Delete a Menuitem

Ins or F4	Insert a Menuitem

F9 or 4 on the Numpad:

Arrange all sticked Menus left on the Desktop

F11 or 8 on the Numpad:

Arrange all sticked Menus left on the Desktop

F12	Refresh a sticked Menu.

Alt + Pause	to popup the Menu by keyboard

Ctrl and Shift

•	while selecting a Menuitem:
to change the Commandline before Execution

•	If don't use the Menu as Windows-Shell, you can also quit Windows with the Menuitem End. If you push the Ctrl-key while selecting this menuitem, Windows will shoot down. If you push the Ctrl- and the Shift-key, Windows will shoot down without a confirmation.

•	If you open the Submenu Tasks while holding the Shift-key down, also the hidden windows will list in the Submenu.
If you click on a Menuitem of the Submenu Tasks and press the Ctrl-key, the corresponding program will be close.

•	If you open a Submenu and push the Ctrl-key, all Submenus will be closed and the Submenu you opened will showed as the 'Main-Menu'.

•	If you click on a Menuitem of a sticked Menu with the Shift-key, the Menu will roll up after executing the Menuitems command line.

•	If the Menu starts and you press Shift-key, Wins DT (saved with Save Wins DT or the internal command MNU_SDT) will not restored. Also - if the Menu runs as Shell - the items in Autostart - will not executed.


Document

A Document is a file associated with a program, declared by the file-extension.

For example: A File with the file extension .wri is a Write - Document.

You can associate Files with Programmes in the dialogue Dokument -Association.


Sticked Menus

You can stick the Submenus on the desktop by clicking on the green Pin. Indeed, it isn't really a Menu, but it reacts quit similar to a menu.

In contrast to normal Menus, the sticked Menus don't disappeared by clicking on the desktop. You can move the sticked Menus by dragging it on the head of the Menu; You can roll it up and down with the red / green arrow button; With another click on the pin you can hold the Menu at the top of the desktop and you can close it by a 3th click on the pin.


More ...

The menus supports an automatically 'menu break'. If a Submenu tends to become too long, at the end of the menu a Submenu called more ... is appended. This Submenu contains the rest of the Menuitems.


Highlight Menuitems to edit a Menuitem

In normal, non-sticked Menus

•	If you want to edit a Menuitem, at first you have to popuped the Submenu, by pressing the right (respectively the middle) Mousebutton.

•	Secondly you have to highlighted the Menuitem with the left Mousebutton.

•	While highlighting the Menuitem, you can use one of the Edit keys (f. e. F5).

•	After the Menu is disappeared an a dialogue appears, you can release the left Mousebutton.

In sticked Menus

Either:

•	Highlight a Menuitem an release the Mousebotton.

•	Press an Edit keys (f. e. F5).

or:

•	In sticked Menus you have only to click with the right (respectively with middle) Mousebutton on the Menuitem to edit.

•	In the popuped Edit Menu you can choose an edit option.


Default Icons

 General program (Windows or DOS), without an own Icon.

 Document of a program, associated with a program without an own Icon.

 A COM-Program (DOS-Program).

 A DOS-Batch-File.

 A DOS-Program with a PIF-file.


Das Menü aufrufen
Popup the Menu

•	If you have select the option only Desktop in the Submenu Menu Setup, you have to move the mouse cursor to a place, where the background of the desktop is visible.

•	Push the right (respectively the middle) Mousebutton.

or:

•	Push the Alt and the Pause - key.

Close the Menu:

•	Click anywhere on the desktop.

or:

•	Push one ore several times the Esc-key.


Menuitem

A Menuitem conventional contains a command like 'File - Open'.

In the Menu normally a Program will be started by selecting a Menuitem.

Some Menuitems contains Submenus (cascading Menus).


Iconfile

Files with the fileextension ICO (sometimes also ICN) contains one Windows Icon. Often also files with the file extension DLL or EXE contains one or more Icons.

Some Icons can be found in the files PROGMAN.EXE and MORICONS.DLL in the Windows directory.


Drop-Down Menus

Drop-Down Menus are the normal Menus of a Windows-program with a menu bar (File, Edit, and so on). If you open a Drop-Down Menu with the right mousebutton, you get a graphic Menu with a pin to stick it on the desktop.

See also: Stick normal Drop-Down-Menus with a Pin.


Stick Menus on the Desktop

•	Click in a popuped (Sub-)Menu on the green pin.

•	To hold the sticked Menu always on the top of the Desktop, click a second time on the green pin, or press the Shift - Esc - keys.

•	To close the sticked Menu, click a third time on the green pin, or press the Shift - Esc - keys.

Execute a Menuitem of a sticked Menu

A click on a Menuitem the corresponding Program will be start, respectively the Submenu will be open. In contrast to normal Menus a Submenu will first open, if the mousebutton is released.

If press the Shift-key while clicking on the Menuitem, the sticked Menu will be rolled up after executing the command line.

If a Menuitem of the sticked Menu is already marked you only have to double-click on the Title bar of the sticked Menu. This also functions, if the Menuitem is a Submenu, or if the sticked Menu is rolled up.


To move the sticked Menus
move the sticked Menus

•	To move a sticked Menu, drag the Menu with the left mousebutton on the Headline of the Menu, or use the Shift and the arrow-keys.

See also: Arrange all sticked Menus


Minimize the Sticked Menus
Minimise the Sticked Menus

•	Click with the left mousebutton on the Roll-Up-Button.

or:

•	Push the Shift and the PgnDown - Key

To restore the size of sticked Menu:

•	Click with the left mousebutton on the Roll-Up-Button.

or:

•	Push the Shift and the PgnUp - Key

See also: Arrange all sticked Menus


Pupup the local Editmenu in sticked Menus
Popup the local Editmenu in sticked Menus

If the mousecursor is over a sticked Menu and you push the right (middle) mousebutton, a local Editmenu is popped up.

If you want to edit a Menuitem in a sticked Menu, you can click with the right (middle) mousebutton on the Menuitem, and select in the Editmenu the edit-command.

(Hint: Click with the left mousebutton on the Menuitems.)


arrange at top

Minimises all sticked Menus and orders them on the top of the desktop.

If an sticked Menu is active, you can also use the 8 on the Numpad or the F11-key.


arrange at left

Minimises all sticked Menus and orders them at the left side of the desktop.

If an sticked Menu is active, you can also use the 4 of the Numpad or the F9-key.


Edit Item

If you want to edit (change) a Menuitem in a sticked Menu, you can click with the right (middle) mousebutton on this Menuitem. Select Edit Item.

In the Edit dialogue you can change the properties of the Menuitem.

See also: Edit an Existing Menuitem


Insert Item

If you want to insert a new Menuitem in a sticked Menu, you can click with the right (middle) mousebutton on the Menuitem, which marks the point to insert. Select Insert Item.

In the Edit dialogue you can declare the properties of the new Menuitem.

See also: Insert a New Menuitem


Add Item

If you want to add a new Menuitem in a sticked Menu, you can click with the right (middle) mousebutton on the Menuitem, which marks the point to add. Select Add Item.

In the Edit dialogue you can declare the properties of the new Menuitem.

See also: Add a New Menuitem


Delete Item

If you want to delete a Menuitem in a sticked Menu, you can click with the right (middle) mousebutton on the Menuitem to delete. Select Delete Item, an confirm the dialogue to delete.

See also: Delete a Menuitem


Configuration

Calls the dialogue Configuration.


Arrange all sticked Menu on the Desktop

If you want to arrange all sticked Menus - excepting the Menus only with icons and the sticked Drop-Down Menus - in lines at the top of the desktop:

•	select in the local Editmenu arrange at top,

or:

•	push the F11-key.

If you want to arrange all sticked Menus - excepting the Menus only with icons and the sticked Drop-Down Menus - in columns at the left of the desktop:

•	select in the local Editmenu arrange at left,

or:

•	push the F9-key.


Hold sticked Menus on the Top of the Desktop

It might be desirable to hold a sticked Menu every time in the foreground of the Desktop.

To doing that, click with the left mousebutton on the pin, so the pin looks like:

You can also use the Shift- and Esc-key.

If you click once more on the pin, the Menu will be close.


Refresh the sticked Menus

In different cases it is usable to refresh a sticked Menu:

•	If you changed the icon- or font size in the Dialogue for changing general Properties

•	If you have a Searching Directory in your sticked Menu, and you create or delete a File.

•	Last but unfortunately not at least, if there is nonsense in the Menu, or the Menu becomes too long.

To refresh a sticked Menu:

•	activate the Menu (there are to thin lines showing, when the sticked Menu has the focus).

•	And push the F12-key.

The Menu might be disappeared, after pushing F12-Key. In this case, the sticked Menu contains a Drive Directory.


The title bar of a sticked Menu


Requirements

The Menu needs following Hard- and Software:

•	Windows 3.1

•	A mouse with 2 better 3 mousebuttons
(It functions also without a mouse)

•	A harddisk cache is recommended.


Installation of the Menu

For installation and deinstallation please look in the README.WRI.

Lock also: Das Menü im Netz Installieren and The Files


Entries in the WIN.INI

The New Menus for Windows doesn't remark its existence in the WIN.INI


Inidatei - General Properties
The Ini-file - General Properties

This chapter documents the switches for general Properties in the RRKMENU.INI

Section [Language]

FirstStart=0
After starting the Menu the first time, it is 0

German=0

1 = German dialogues and help file are used;

0 = English dialogues and help file are used.
(Don't change it by Hand, it's better to reinstall the New Menus for Windows)

Section [General Properties]

Item=default

AsShell=0
0 = Off; 1 = On.
Using the Menu as Shell.
(Don't change this by Hand, it wouldn't function!)

ShowEnhanced=1
0 = Off; 1 = ON.
Shows the Menuitems with a 3-D-effect and customisable Font.

OWL_LIKE=1

0 Standard; 1 OpenLook; 3 beta.

WithIcons=1
0 = Off; 1 = ON.
Shows the Program Icons in the Menu.

IconSize=16
16, 24 or 32
The Icon size in the Menus.

IDXinRAM=1
0 = Off; 1 = On.
Hold the index file RRKIDX.xxx and parts of the REG.DAT in the RAM.

mMouseBotton=0
0 = right Mousebutton; 1 = middle Mousebutton.
The Mousebutton to popup the Menu.

OnlyDesktop=0
0 = Off; 1 = On.
On: The Menu only will popuped, when the cursor is over the background of the desktop

NoClient=1
0 = Off; 1 = On.
If OnlyDesktop=1 and NoClient=1 the menu also can be popuped over a title bar of a window.

IconVisible=1
0 = Off; 1 = On.
Shows or hide the program icon on the desktop (the black arrow).

SaveDT=1
0 = Off; 1 = On.
Saves and restore the sticked Menus on the desktop by ending the Menu, and restore them by restarting the Menu.

KeySub=1
0 = Off; 1 = On.
Using Alt + Pause Hook, to popup the Menu and the Hotkeys.

HookMenus=1

0 = Off; 1 = On.
Normal Drop-Down-Menus of a window application are selectable with the right mouse button.

ClassHook

0 = Off; 1 = On.
Context Sensitiv Menus are available.

RealMove=1

0 = Off; 1 = On.
Simulate a movement of the sticked Menu in 'Real-time', known by the NEXT desktop.

mnu_sdt=1

0 = Off; 1 = On.
Will only has an effect, if the Menu is the Windows Shell.
Controlls if a menuitem in the Submenu Tasks called Save Wins DT is appended. With this Menuitem you can save the positions of all Windows are on the destop. If the Menu (and Windows) restart, all Windows (programmes) are restored. Unfortunatally the documents can't be reloaded.
If you press Ctrl while selecting this Menuitem, all positions will be 'deleted'.

SpezialRightMouseButton=(Submenu Name)

Defines a Submenu, you can popup with the right mousebutton over the background of the desktop or over the title bar of a windows.
(This only function, if you normally use the middle mousebutton to popup the Menu.)

OldColorNum=0

It's just to remind the Program Manager to restore it's icons if you changed the number of colors. (Don't change this by hand!!!!)

MinRessource=7

0 = Off; 1 = ON.
Minimal left of resources
(Only used for debugging.)

Zeit=50
General Time Variable
(Only used for debugging.)

[MenuFont]

Name=MS Sans Serif

Size=-11

Weight=400

Width=0

Italic=0

Underlined=0

(Don't change this option by hand)

This Sections may created:

[Wins_DT]

Stores a list of applications with theire coordinates.

[ShortCuts]

A=My Submenu

Ctrl - Char=Name of Submenu.
It's for the ShortCuts to a Submenu.

[ProgrammHooks]

LONG-Number=Command Line

List of defined Hotkeys.

LONG-Zahl: Code of combination of Keys.
Command Line: command line in the same conventions of a Menuitem.


Submenus in the INI-File

Don't delete the sections [MainMenu], [Menu Setup], [Konfig_ResMenu]

This chapter documents the entries for Submenus and Menuitems in the RRKMENU.INI. Indeed, You don't need to edit the RRKMENU.INI by hand. All is editable by dialogues. But I think, it is a standard to document the important files.

The RRKMENU.INI has the normal format of Windows INI files. Using my own format might be improve the speed of Menu for a few milliseconds, but for the disadvantage of human unreadable file format it isn't worth.

Each Submenu are marked with brackets "[" "]". Below the Menuitems are listed.

Following Submenus are reserved:

[MainMenu]
The (Sub)Menu shows at first.

[Menu Setup]
There are some items to configure the Menu.

[Konfig_ResMenu]
The local Editmenu in sticked Menus.

[Autostart]
Running the Menu as Windows Shell, all Items listed will be started at the beginning of Windows. (You can create this Submenu in the same way, as other Submenus.)

[Wins_DT]
The Programmes witch saved with the command MNU_SDT.

[WINCLASSES]
All hooked Windows-Classes are listed here.

[ProgrammHooks]
The hooks to command lines.

[Menu_Desktop]
Sticked Menus on the desktop to restore.

Example:

[My Submenu]

;	The name of the Submenu.

0=0

1=0|Paintbrush|pbrush.exe

2=1|Files|NIX

3=2|*.DOC|C:\D\C\MENU\*.DOC

4=8|c:\windows\|c:\windows

Characteristics of a Submenu:

The first entry 0=n is not a Menuitem, but a number to describe the charactertics of a Submenu. If the entry 0=n is missing, the default for n is 0;

The number n is interpreted as bits:

•	1: The Submenu is showed only with the Icons.

•	2: The Subemenu is showed without the pin to stick the Submenu on the desktop.

•	4: The Submenu is showed without the Icons, only with the text.

•	8: The Submenu is locked and not editable with dalogues.

For a combinations of this characteristics simple add the numbers.

Grammar of a Menuitem:

MenuitemNumber=Typ of Menuitem|Label|File [Arguments][>Working Directory][<WindowSize][;Iconfile Iconpos]

[] = optional

•	MenuitemNumber: individual Number in the order of the Menuitems

•	Type of Menuitem:

0:	normal Menuitem
The Label is showed in the Menu and the File will be executed

1:	Submenu
The Label is showed in the Menu as a Submenu. It links to an other Submenu. The File is a Dummy (NIX == Nothing), produced by the Menu.

2:	Searching Directory
The Label is a Dummy, produced by the Menu. All Files are listed in the Submenu, these are matching to File.

8:	Drive Directory
The Label is showed in the Menu as a Submenu. The File is the starting directory; all Subdirectories of this starting directory are generate as Submenus, all Programmes and Documents are showed as Menuitems.

128:	vertical Dividing Line. Label "-" and Filename "x-"; x is a individual number.

256:	horizontal Dividing-Line  Label "'" and Filename "x'"; x is a individual number.

8193: Program Groups
Generate a Submenu with the Programmes installed in a Windows Program Manager Group.

•	Label: see Type of Menuitem

•	File: see Type of Menuitem
reserved expressions:
For more informations, look at Internal Commands

•	Arguments:
The arguments of a Program
Only used if the Type of Menuitem == 0
Default is no argument

•	Working Directory
default is the directory of the program

•	WindowSize:
The size of starting Program
0 = hidden; 1=normal; 2=minimized; 3=maximized
Only used if the Type of Menuitem == 0
Default is the default of the program.

•	Iconfile Iconpos:
If the Icon of the menuitem is explizit declared, the file which contains the Icon and the IconID

(Comment: "Unsinn" is German and means nonsense. Ignore this entries.)


The Files

Please refer to README.WRI for the actual list of the files.

Following files may created in the directory of RRKMENU.EXE:

RRKDAT.xxx

RRKIDX.xxx

If You use the feature to show the program and document Icons, the Menu extract the Icons from the Programmes and write this information in two database files.

The fileextentions "xxx" are named after a combination of the Icon size and the colour resolution of Your graphic driver.

If You use a colour resolution with two colours (black and white) the Bitmap-file needs 1 Bit for each pixel (.01x) 16 colours needs 4 Bits (.04x) and 256 colours etc. 8 bit (.08x) etc.

If You use an icon size of 16 Pixel the third 'x' is a 1 (.xx1); by using an icon size of 24 Pixel a 2 (.xx2) and for 32 Pixel a 3 (.xx3).

The file RRKIDX.xxx is the index file for RRKDAT.xxx. In last the Icons are stored (Not really a Windows-Icon, res. a Windows- Bitmap, more a Core-Dump of a Bitmap, because real Bitmaps would be to slow. This causes the different xxx's. In the case You use the Icon size of 32 Pixel with a Colour resolution of 16 million colours this file (RRKDAT.243) might be become huge.)

If you change the colour resolution of Windows, or you want to change the Icon size, You can delete the old files. But always delete both files!


Restart Windows

Yes
Windows will be end and restart.
If you have choosed the Option As Shell, instead of the Program Manager of Windows the Menu will start at the beginning of Windows.

No
Windows will not restart.
If you have choose the Option As Shell, instead of the Program Manager of Windows the Menu will start at the next beginning of Windows.

Cancel
Our changes for the option As Shell will be discarded.


Sorry; Drive directories, Searching Directories...
Sorry; Drive directories, Searching Directories and PM-Groups can't be edited in sticked Menus. Use the Edit-Keys.

You can't edit Drive Directories, Searching Directories and PM-Groups in sticked Menus. To change the Menuitem popup the Menu, highlight the Menuitem and use the Edit keys.


There is no Menuitem selected!

You have to select a valid Menuitem, which You want to edit. Use the right (middle) mousebutton and click on the Menuitem to edit.


File-Error - File can't be opened
File-Error - File can't be opened.

Restart Windows to close all files.


A Hint: You can only edit the beginning of a Drive Directory!

You highlighted a Menuitem contains a Drive Directory.

If this Menuitem is not the beginning of the Drive Directory, changes won't have an effect.


You have to declare a Label and a File!

Look: The Edit Dialogue


You use a reserved expression!

The expression as filename "mnu_"... is reserved. You can't edit Menuitems, containing this expression.


Attention! Do you wish to keep the old Submenu?

If you edit (change) a Menuitem containing a Submenu, you have to choose, the old Submenu should be deleted or preserved.


Exit Windows?

Yes:
Exit Windows.

No:
Neither Windows nor the Menu will be ended.


This File-Extension is already associated
This File-Extension is already associated with a Program! Before making a new Association, detach the old one.

Look: The Dialogue Document - Association


You have to declare a Program-File and a File-Extension!

Look: The Dialogue Document - Association


The declared Association is not present!

Look: The Dialogue Document - Association


Known Bugs

Problem:

If you are to fast by selecting Submenus in sticked Menus, it can be ignore your mouse-action.

Solve:

Keep calm, do the same, but a little bit slower.

Problem:

Sometimes (maybe depending on the mouse-driver) the Menu annoy you, popping up, although you don't press the right (middle) Mousebutton.

Solve:

Press the left and after that once more the right Mousebutton.

Problem:

You use an other tool, wich hooking some keys to make some action, if you press one or more speciall defined keys. If you running New Menus for Windows, this tool may not get in action.

Solve:

Disable the option Alt + Pause - PopUp in the dialogue General Properties.

Problem:

Seldom the Menu can corrupt other normal menus. If you recognise, that other menus are changed in an abnormal way, you must restart Windows.

There is a seriously bug in the Windows-Management of the menus. (CreatePopupMenu(), AppendMenu(...) and DeleteMenu(...) seem sometimes to fail in the depth of the Windows-API by stressing out of the normal efforts. Sometimes calling CreatePopupMenu() I even received the HMENU from the System-Menu!!! (That's a Bug!!!(?)) Any idea?)

Problem:

The vertical Dividing Line is do not function in a desirable way. Especially if you stick the a Menu, containing a vertical Dividing Line the sticked Menu can become to long.

Solve:

In this version of New Menus for Windows - if you aren't failed in love with this option - avoid it.


Abnormal Reactions of the Menu

•	Subject: Edit keys.

The Edit keys (F5 etc.) don't function, if a DOS- box is active (maybe depending to the mouse-driver).

•	Subject: Editing of Searching Directory.
It is not possible to edit Sarching Directories in sticked Menus

•	Subject: Association.
If you marked the option Index in RAM in the Dialogue General Properties, the Menu evaluates the file REG.DAT, otherwise the sections in the WIN.INI are used.
If you change the section "Extensions" in the WIN.INI by hand, the menu may  doesn't recognise these changes.


It doesn't function - Help!!

Problem:
The Menu don't popup by pressing the right Mousebutton.

Try it with the middle Mousebutton or deactivate the Option middle Mousebutton

or

You marked the option Only Desktop

Move the Cursor over the Background of the desktop and try it again.
or:
Deactivate the option Only Desktop.


Internal Limits

•	Showed Menus and Submenus at one time:
If you reach the limit of the System resources a Beep will be sound.
(The Menu frees the System resources, if you clicking on the Desktop.)

•	Listed Menuitems in a sorted Searching Directory or an Drive Directory
1000 (only inlcuding programmes and Documents).

•	Maximum of Submenus and Menuitems
The file RRKMENU.INI must not be bigger than 32 KB.

•	Registered (and showed) Icons in the Database file RRKIDX.xxx
The file RRKIDX.xxx must not be bigger than 32 KB.

•	Sticked Menus
50


!!BEEP??

The New Menus for Windows sounds in follow cases:

You selected a Menuitem and execute it,
The Program or document can't be found.

You have selected a Submenu
You reached the limits of the system resources
The Menu frees the System resources, if you click on the Desktop.

Otherwise:
A general trapped fault - I hope it is not serious.


What is it?

The New Menus for Windows are a Popup Menus, in which you can install programmes and documents to launch.

If you push elsewhere the right mousebutton, this Menu will be popuped at the position of your mousecursor.


Call the Menu

Press the right mousebutton!

To close the popuped Menu

Click elsewhere with the left mousebutton on the desktop.

If you push on the green pin, you can stick the Menu on the desktop. If you want to get rid of this sticked Menu, click to times more on the Pin.


Ending The Program

•	Popup the Menu and select End in the Submenu Menu Setup.

or:

•	Select Close in the Systemmenu of the program-icon (a black arrow).


Launch Programmes

The Menu is not configured for your needings.

The Menu at first is only configured, with a few Menuitems. I supposed, your Windows is installed at c:\windows. In the case, my hypothesis is correct, you can access the Menuitems in the Submenu WinProgrammes. Otherwise you have to change these Menuitems.

I also supposed, you have an disk c:\.

(But this configuration really don't exhausts the possibilities of the program.)

If you select a Menuitem in the Submenus or Sub-Submenus WinProgrammes, C:\ or Progr. Manager normally a program will start or a Document will open.


Configure the Menu

Because the wishes of the users and also the possibilities of this program are manifold, I give here only a short hint:

If you have popuped the Menu and highlighted a Menuitem with the left mousebutton, you can push the F5-key, to edit, insert, add or delete a Menuitem.

See also Keyboard for more Edit keys

and read the chapters of How to do in the Index window.


 The Dialogue Menu - General Properties

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

•	Press in the popuped the F2-key.

or:

•	Press in the Dialogue Configuration (f.e. F5) gen. Props.


Explanations

In this dialogue you can change the general Properties of Menu.


Comments

Nothing


Index in RAM

If you haven't seriously problems with your RAM, it is recommended to use this option: The menu gets faster by using this option.


Middle Mousebutton

If you have a mouse supporting 3 mousebuttons, it is recommended to use this option. To pop up the menu, you can use the middle mouse-button instead of the right mousebutton.

See also: Avoid conflicts with other Programmes.


As Shell

To use the menu as shell instead of the Program-Manager.

Look also: Starting Options


Save DT. (Desktop)

Saves the sticked Menus on the desktop by ending the menu and restore them by restarting. Submenus build by Drive Directories will not be restored.


Look Like - Graphical

The menu has a 3d-effect.

With Fonts you can choose a Font for the Menuitems.

Comment: The sticked Menus always are showed with the 3d-effect.


Look Like - Icons

One of the highlights of the Menu is the feature, to show automatically the Icons of Programmes and Documents in the Menu.

But if you have a slow Computer, you may don't want this option.

Look also The meaning of the Icons


Iconsize

The Numbers corresponding to the size of the Icons.

The normal size of the Icons - showed also by the Program-Manager - is 32 pixels. 24 and 16 pixels are smaller.


Fonts

A standard dialogue for choosing the menu-font.

The standard font is MS Sans Serif 8 pt.


Realmove

If you have a fast Graphic-System in Our Computer, you can use this option, to simulate a real-time movement of the sticked Menus, known by the NeXT-Systems (Try it, it is just a joke).


Alt + Pause Key (Hotkeys)

Principally the Menu can used without a mouse (on notebooks maybe). Using this option, you can popup the Menu by pressing the Alt and the Pause key. To navigate in the Menu and Submenus, use the Cursors on the keyboard.

See also: Using the Menu without a Mouse

If you want use Hotkeys to launch programmes this option must be activated.


OK

To confirm the changes in this dialogue.


Cancel

Selecting Cancel will undo all changes, except the changes in "Fonts".


Style

Standard is a simple style, but it has the advantage the menuitems are small and the Submenus are build quickly.

The style OpenLook is overtaken from a Unix X-Windows GUI.

The style, called Beta is just an one-evening-production.

If you change the style to or from Standard all icon database files RRKIDX.* and RRKDAT.* are deleted.


MenüHook

If this option is on, you can select a drop-down menu of a normal Windows program with the right mousebutton. This Menus has also an pin to stick in on the desktop.

See also: Stick normal Drop-Down-Menus with a Pin.


Context Sensitiv

If this option is on, the context sensitiv popup menus, descriped in the file ADDONS.WRI are enabled.

See also: Using Context-Sensitiv Menus.


The Dialogue Delete Menuitem
 The Dialogue - Delete Menuitem

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

•	At first press the F5-Key in the popuped Menu and then select Delete;

or:

•	Press the F4- or the Del-Key in the popuped Menu;

or:

•	In sticked Menus select the corresponding Menuitems of the Editmenu.


Explanations

This Dialogue is to confirm the deleting.


Comments

None


(Sub-)Menu

The submenu, which contains the actual selected Menuitem, is showed here.


Label

The Label of the actual selected Menuitem.


Filename

The command line of the actual selected Menuitem.


Working Directory

The Working Directory of the actual selected Menuitem.


OK

To confirm the deletion of the actual Menuitem.


The Dialogue Delete a Submenu
 The Dialogue - Delete a Submenu

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

•	If you have selected a popuped Menuitem, which contains a Submenu and you press the Del-Key, the Menu asks you, if you want only delete the Menuitem, without deleting the whole Submenu (Name), or if you also want to delete the entries of the selected Submenu (All).


Explanations

None


Comment

It is recommended to delete the whole Submenu - conditionally you don't need the Submenu at a other place in your Submenu structure - because the RRKMENU.INI must not became bigger than 32 KB.


Name

Confirming with Name, only the Menuitem, which links to the (Sub-)Submenu in the actual (Sub-)Menu, will be deleted. If you Insert the (Sub-)Submenu in an other (Sub)Menu of your Submenu structure, you can access the old Entries. This might be a way to move whole Submenus.


All

Confirming with All, the whole Submenu will be deleted. This will have the consequence, that other Menuitems with a link to this Submenu will be empty.


 The Dialogue Menu - Edit Menuitem

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

There is more than one way:

•	At first select in the popuped Menu a Menuitem, than press the F5-Key and choose in the dialogue Configuration one of the buttons: Add, Insert or Edit.

or:

•	At first select in the popuped Menu a Menuitem, than press the F6-Key to edit (change) a Menuitem.

•	... the F7-Key to add a new Menuitem

•	... the F4- or the Ins-Key to insert a new Menuitem.

or:

•	Choose in a sticked Menu the corresponding Menuitem of the local Editmenu.


Explanations

In this Dialogue you can insert, add or change a Menuitem.


Comments

In subject with the sticked Menus and the Drag and Drop - method with the File-Manager, you can also add or insert new Menuitems, without needing this dialogue.

Look: Drag'n Drop: Insert files in a Submenu


(Sub-) Menu

The Submenu, which contains the actual selected Menuitem, is showed here.


Label

The Label, which is showed as Menuitem in the Menu. The Label must not longer than 30 chars. Internal (As a link to a Submenu) there is no different in case.


Filename

Normally a program-file or a Document- to execute by choosing a Menuitem.

("MNU_"... is reserved for internal command)


Working Directory

You can declare a standard working path for programmes.

(This will have only an effect for standard Menuitems.)


Menuitem

A normal Menuitem needs a Label and a Filename.

The Label is depending from your imagination. (f.e.: My fine Program)

Use Browse for picking a Program- or a Document- File for Filename. The trial to execute other Files, than Programmes or Documents are receipted by a Beep.

You can also declare Arguments after a whitespace in Filename: f.e.: c:\mydir\myprogr.exe /v /r myfile.dat

In the field Working Directory you can declare a path for the program.

Also you can choose the window size of the starting program in Window-Size.


Submenu

A Submenu is a cascading menu.

Choosing a Menuitem, contains a link to a Submenu, this Submenu will be open. The Submenus are defined by their Labels. f.e.: Games and More

Intern there are no differences between capital and small letters. A declaration for a Filename is not necessary (NIX is 'short' form for "nothing").

Instead of the Window Size you can declare the Style of a Submenu.


horizontal Dividing-Line

Use this, if you want to structure your Menuitems in several sections.

You have to accept the suggested entries in Label and Filename.


Searching Directory

This option generate Menuitems by using DOS ambiguous file-names.

If you write c:\mydir\*.txt in the field Filename, in the Submenu all matching textfiles are listed in a alphabetical order. Entries in the field Label won't have an effect, because they are replaced by the found filenames (without the path).

You can use Browse to select the directory and a file.

(Comment: You can collect your actual project files in a Submenu, stick this Submenu on the desktop, and you doesn't need the Menu 'File - Open' in our application.)


Drive Directory

(The name may be unfortunately)

includes a little 'File-Manager' in the menu. In a submenu at first all directories and secondly all executable files and documents are listed in a alphabetical order.

In the field Filename you have to write the starting directories for example c:\ or c:\mydir\mysubdir.
(After choose this option, you can use Browse to chooese the starting path by selecting a Dummy - file.)

In the field Label you can use the defaults offers by Browse or you can declare your own Label.


Window - Size

The declaration of the Window - Size will have only a effect by using standard Menuitems.

If the Menuitem is a Submenu you can declare the Style of a Submenu at this position.


OK

After editing the Menuitem and confirming with OK the Menu will be change.


vertical Dividing Line

You can use this item to separate the Menuitems below the vertical Dividing Line in a new column.

(This feature is still 'Alpha')

You have to accept the suggested entries in Label and Filename.


Progr.- Manager

You can include the Program-Manager in the menu with this option.

You must accept the suggested default in the field Filename.

You can use the default in the field Label, or you can change it.


Progr.- Group

You can include a single Program-Group from the Program-Manager in the Menu.

Use Browse for searching a existing '*.grp'-file in your Windows-Directory.

In the field Label you can use the default, offers by Browse, or you can declare your own Label.

(Hint: You can edit the menuitems in "Progr. Manager" and "Progr.-Gruppe" in the normal way. But this option has the disadvantage, that the Icons are showed more slowly.)


aktual Icon

The actual Icon of the menuitem is showed here.


Icon...

Opens the dialogue Icons to declare an Icon for the current Menuitem.

See also: Declare Icons for Non-Windows Programmes.


Hotkey

A Hotkey is a combination of keys, to execute the command line - inclusiv parameters, working directories and window sizes - every time.

Put the cursor in the editbox and press the key combination.

See also: Using Hotkeys or The Dialogue Hotkeys.

If the actuall Menuitem is a Submenu, you can use this editbox to declare a ShortKey to the Submenu. To do this, press the Ctrl-key and a char. If this ShortKey is allready associated with an other Submenu, the old association will be overwrited.

See also: Using ShortCuts or Dialog ShortCuts.


Submenu - Styles

Normal

The Submenu and the Menuitems are showed in the default style.

o.Icons

The Menuitems of the Submenu will be showed only with the icons.

o.Text

The Menuitems of the Submenu will be showed only the the describing text.

NoPin

The Submenu will not have a pin to stick it on the desktop.

Locked

You can't edit the Menuitems of the Submenu with dialogues.


 The Dialogue Menu - Execution

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

You have to press the Ctrl- Key while executing a Menuitem.


Explanations

You can change the filename and his parameters in dialogue before executing.

It is also a comfortable replacement for the Program-Managers "File - Execute" (or similar, I haven't the English Version of Windows)


Comments

None


Command line

Here is the Filename of the program or the document.


Parameter

Like a filename or flags, are expected by the program.


Working Directory

Some programmes needs to start in the a special directory, otherwise they can't find their files.


OK

After confirming, the program starts, respectively the document will be open.


The Dialogue Menu - Configuration

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

•	Press in the popuped Menu the F5 Key.

or:

•	Select in the Submenu Menu Setup the item Configuration

or:

•	Select in the Edit-Menu of sticked Menus the item Configuration

or:

•	Select in the system Menu of the program icon the item Configuration

(You see, you can't miss it.)


Explanations

None


Comments

None.


End

Ends the Menu.

If the Menu is running as Windows Shell or if you press the Ctrl-key, after confirming Windows will shoot down.


Edit Menuitem

Opens a Dialogue, to edit the actual Menuitem.

Look: Edit a Menuitem
Dialogue Menu - Edit Menuitem


Delete Menuitem

Deletes the actual Menuitem.

Look: Delete a Menuitem
Dialogue Menu - Delete a Menuitem


Add Menuitem

Opens a dialogue, to add a new Menuitem below the position of the actual Menuitem.

Look: Add a Menuitem
Dialogue Menu - Edit a Menuitem


Insert Menuitem

Opens a dialogue, to insert a new Menuitem above the position of the actual Menuitem.

See: Insert a Menuitem
Dialogue Menu - Edit a Menuitem


General Properties

Opens a dialogue, where general Properties of the Menu can be changed.

Look: Dialogue General Properties


(Sub-)Menu

The Submenu, which contains the actual selected Menuitem, is showed here.


Label

The Label of the actual selected Menuitem.


Filename

The command line of the actual selected Menuitem.


Working Directory

The Working Directory of the actual selected Menuitem.


Browse:

This button will be open a standard-dialogue for picking a file.


Cancel

To cancel the action.


Cancel

To cancel the action.


Help

gives Help for the dialogue.


Associate...

Starts a dialogue to associate Documents (declared by the file extensions) with a program.

See also: Dialogue - Document - Association


ShortCuts

Opens the dialogue ShortCuts.


Hotkeys

Opens the dialogue Hotkeys.


The Dialogue New Menuitem
The Dialogue - New Menuitem in an empty Submenu

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

If you insert a new Menuitem, and you highlighted an empty Submenu, this dialogue appears.


Explanations

To insert the first Menuitem in an empty Submenu, you have to highlight the empty Submenu and press the Ins-key.

After declare the new Menuitem in the Edit dialogue you can choose, if you want this new Menuitem as the first Menuitem in the empty Submenu.


Comments

None.


Normal

The blue Menuitem contains the empty Submenu. If you choose Normal, the new Menuitem (green) will be get the position above. The empty Submenu will be still empty.


Submenu

The blue Menuitem contains the empty Submenu. If you choose Submenu, the new Menuitem (green) will be become the first Menuitem of the empty Submenu.


The Dialogue Document Association
 The Dialogue - Document Association

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue:

•	Press in the popuped Menu the F5-key.

or:

•	Select in the Systemmenu of the programicon (a black Arrow) Configuration.

or:

•	Select in the Submenu Menu Setup the Menuitem Configuration.

or:

•	Press in the popuped the F5-key and select in the dialogue Configuration.

or:

•	Push over a sticked Menu the right (middle) Mousebutton and select in the local Editmenu Configuration.

And:

•	Select Associate


Explanations

In this dialogue You can declare Windows Documents by associate a fileextention with a program.

How to do:

Define a Document

Undefine a Document


Comments

Documents are defined by theire file extension. For example: A file with the file extension .wri is a Write - Document.


File Ext. (File Extension)

In this field You have to insert the File-Extension


List of the existing File Extensions

All File Extensions, defining a Document, are listed.

If You click on one File Extension, in the list Associated Programmes the Program associate with the document will be highlighted.


Associated Programmes

In this field You have to insert the Program.


List of the associated Programmes

Here all Programmes listed, are registered in the REG.DAT


Associate

If You have declared a File Extension in the field File Ext. and a program in Associated Programmes You can define a Document.


Detach

If You have declared a File Extension in the field File Ext. and a program in Associated Programmes You can undefine a Document.


OK

To close the dialogue.


Define a Document

Select in left list a File Extension to detach and push the button detach.


Undefine a Document

•	Declare a File Extension in the field File Ext.

•	Select a Program in the list Associated Programmes

or:

•	Use Browse, to pick up a program file.


Querverweis von VKN_DIALOG_HELP_ID auf vkndlg


Important  read at first
Important - read at first

Copyright:

This software an the documentation is copyrighted.

The files BWCC.DLL and BWCCGER.DLL (german version of BWCC.DLL) are copyrighted by Borland International.

Trademarks are - of course - Trademarks.

Agreement for Using / Warranty

This software and the accompanying files are distributed "as is" and without warranties as to performance of merchantability or any other warranties whether expressed or implied.

Because of the various hardware and software environments into which RRKMenu may be put, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered.

The program still have some bugs, see also Known Bugs.

The user must assume the entire risk of using the program.

Distribution:

This version of RRKMenu may be freely distributed, subject to the following restrictions:

It may be freely used by individuals, educational institutions and charities; use within commercial organisations is not permitted without the written consent of the author. The program may be stored in software archives or posted to Bulletin Board systems, and may be distributed by individuals. Apart from reasonable media and handling costs, no charge may be levied for its distribution.

Is prohibited to distribute the software and/or documentation with other commercial products without prior written permission.

The program should be stored with all the files listed in The Files.

Support:

A special Support is not offered by the Author.

Reports to bugs and mistakes in the program and the help are welcomed.

Registration / Feedback

RRKMenu is FreeWare or ShareWare - How do you wish ;-) - but anyway not public domain.

I think it is neither worth to annoy the user with restrictions (like reminder screens or other limitations) nor to make the user a bad conscience using software illegal. You can 'test' RRKMenu as long as you wish. A different in functionality of RRKMenu between unregistered and registered versions doesn't exist.

But if you want appreciate the work of a 'poor student' with a fee, if you want keeping my nose to the grindstone for next releases, if you want a support regarding RRKMenu and/or if you want the actual version (if there is one), you can register RRKMenu for 30 $ US or 50 DM. It would be the best, to send it cash by normal mail to my surface adress, because the service charge for checks or bank transfer is over half of the sum! (Yes, they are real gangsters in pinstripe suit {:-( )

Inquiries, comments, and suggestions regarding RRKMenu are also welcomed and can be sent to

Roger René Kommer

Doernbergstr.11

D 34119 Kassel

Germany

Voice. (++ 49 561) 780 150

EMail: roger@architektur.uni-kassel.de


What you have to read / know

Following chapters you might have to read, to use the Menu:

•	You can get an overview of the features in: The features of the Menu.

•	In the chapters Getting Started (look at the Index window) the essential functions are described.

•	The chapters Bugs, Limits, Help (look at the Index window) may protect you for unwelcome surprises.

•	The Chapter Avoid Conflicts with other Programmes may give you hints exactly to do that.

•	you have to know the Edit keys for customising your menu.

•	In the chapters How to do (look at the Index window) the important Actions are descripted step by step.


Thanks to...

The first Thanks go to John M. Merrill - the first registered User.

Also my beta-testers Michael Kreitmann and Frank Heil have my thanks.

Also a praise to Schulman et al. Without "Undocumented Windows" I could not write the Menu.


Insert a New Menuitem

In standard, non-sticked Menus:

Comment

•	At first you have to popup the Menu with the right (or middle) Mousebutton.

•	After that, you have to select (highlight) a Menuitem with the left Mousebutton to reference the point of insert.

•	At the same time, push the Ins-Key.

•	and release the Mousebutton.

•	In the following dialogue you can declare the characteristics of the new Menuitem.

In sticked Menus:

Comment

Either:

•	You can highlight the Menuitem.

•	After released the Mousebutton, push the Ins-Key.

Or:

•	Push over the Menuitem to insert the right (or middle) Mousebutton,

•	and select in the Editmenu Insert Item.

•	In the following dialogue you can declare the characteristics of the new Menuitem.

Or:

Use the Drag'n Drop Method with the File-Manager.


Add a New Menuitem

There are the same methods, described in Insert a New Menuitem, with following differences:

•	You have to press the F7-key instead of the Ins-key.

•	The new Menuitem will be add after the current highlighted Menuitem.


Edit an Existing Menuitem

There are the same methods, described in Insert a New Menuitem, with following differences:

•	You have to press the F6-key instead of the Ins-key.


Delete an Existing Menuitem

In standard, non-sticked Menus:

Comment

Comment to delete a Dividing Line

•	At first you have to popup the Menu with the right (or middle) Mousebutton.

•	After that, you have to select (highlight) the Menuitem to delete.

•	At the same time, push the Del-Key.

•	and release the Mousebutton.

•	Confirm following Dialogue.

In sticked Menus:

Comment

Either:

•	You can highlight the Menuitem

•	After released the Mousebutton, push the Del-Key.

Or:

•	Push the right (or middle) Mousebutton over the Menuitem to delete,

•	and select in the Editmenu Delete Item.

•	Confirm following Dialogue.


Comments

•	If you can't remember all the Edit key, you also can choose the actions via F5 and the dialogue Configuration.

•	Naturally you can't edit Menuitems in Drive Directory.

•	If you want to insert a new Menuitem in an empty Submenu, highlight the Menuitem, which contains the empty Submenu and press Ins.

•	If you insert, add, change or delete a Menuitem in a Program-Group, the changes will also effect the Program-Manager.


Comments

•	Searching Directories and Drive Directories can't be edit in sticked Menus.


Comment to Delete a Dividing Line

It is a little bit difficult to select a horizontal Dividing Line, but principle possible. The selection of a horizontal Dividing Line has no visual feedback by highlighted the Menuitem.

To delete a vertical Dividing Line, you have to select the continuation of the Head of the Menu in the second column.


Drag'n Drop:
Open any File using the File-Manager and a Sticked Menu

Often I want to view the contains of a file, that is not a document. If the file is not to huge, I start the notepad and use File - Open. If the file is bigger than 32 KB I have to use an other Editor. This seems me to be to complicated. Wy not use a simple Drag and Drop with the File Manager, to open any file with any Editor?. You can create a Submenu (maybe called 'Browsers') and install all your preferred Text- Hex- and docs-viewer in this Submenu. You can use sticked (Sub-)Menus as Drag'n Drop panel. If you drag files from the File Manager and drop them over an Menuitem, the files are send as arguments to the program installed as Menuitem. Of course, You can also install your Zip- and Unzip batchfiles in one of these Submenus.

•	Open the Submenu, which contains a Menuitem with a file viewer (f.e. NOTEPAD.EXE) and stick it on the desktop by using the pin.

•	It is recommended to click a second time on the pin, so it is complete sticked. The sticked Menu is now every time in the front of the desktop.

•	Open the File-Manager.

•	Choose the file to open in the File-Manager and

•	Drag the file with the left Mousebutton over the menuitem, which contains the file viewer and drop the file.

•	Now the program starts and normally opens the file.

Of course the file viewer must handle the file. Try to open a text file with Paintbrush will fail. Some programmes may also handle more then one File to open.

If you press the Alt-key while dropping the files, the menu will start for each file the applikation. This is usefull, because most of the applikations, which only can handle one document (f.e. Notepad or Paintbrush), also accept only one file as argument.

Otherwise the files are send as one package to the applikation.


Drag'n Drop:
Insert Files as Menuitems in a sticked (Sub-)menu

A very comfortable way to install new programmes or documents in a Submenu is using drag and drop with the File-Manager.

•	Open the Submenu, which should contain the new Menuitem and stick it on the desktop by using the pin.

•	It is recommended to click a second time on the pin, so it is complete sticked. The sticked Menu is now every time in the front of the desktop.

•	Open the File-Manager.

•	Choose in the File-Manager the file(s) to install and

•	drag the file(s) with the left Mousebutton over the menuitem, on which position the program or document should insert.

•	Press the Ctrl-key to add the new Menuitem after the position.

or

•	Press the Alt-key to insert the new Menuitem ahead of the position.

and

•	drop the file(s).


The Program-Manager as Menu
The Program Manager as Menu

Comment

It is possible to include the whole Program Manager as a Submenu containing the Program-Groups as further Submenus with the Programmes as Menuitems. The Icons are supported, but not the short-cuts and the option starting Programmes icon sized.

•	To include the Program Manager in a Submenu as a Menuitem, the same steps are necessary, described in Insert a Menuitem respectively in Add a Menuitem.

•	Select in the Edit dialogue the option Progr.-Manager. The suggested declarations for Filename must, and for Label can be accepted.


A single Program-Group as Menu

Comment

It is also possible to include a single Program-Group (a sub-window of the Program-Manager) as a Submenu in the Menu.

•	To include a Program-Group in a Submenu as a Menuitem, the same steps are necessary, described in Insert a Menuitem respectively in Add a Menuitem.

•	Select in the Edit dialogue the option Program Group.

•	Use Browse to pick an existing Group file (*.grp) in your Windows-directory.
(If you pick Group file not installed in the Program-Manager the Menu may be crashed!)


Comment

I hope the Program-Manager and the Program-Groups are quite transparent implemented, but there are still some problems.

However, you sure recognised, the Icons are considerably build slower than in normal Submenus.

I read in journal, that a serious replacement for the Program-Manager 'must' support the group-files of the Program-Managers. OK, I've done it, although it doesn't make much sense to me.


Edit Menuitems of a Program-Group

Comment

I hope, it is designed transparent to you.

You can use the normal methods to edit the Menuitems in a Program-Group (also Program-Manager) build as Submenus.

You have to notice, that all changes (insert, add, edit, delete) will have also an effect to the Windows Program Manager!! For example: If you delete a Menuitem in a Program-Group, the installation of the corresponding Program in the Windows Program Manager will also be deleted.

But there are following differences:

•	In contrast to normal Menuitems it doesn't make a different using Add or Insert. At all: the positions of the menuitems are taken over in an accidental order.

•	Of course you can only insert normal Menuitems (no Submenus or else) in a Program-Group. In the Edit dialogue this limitation is presented with the option PM-Item.


Comments

•	The Icons are supported, but the short-cuts and the option starting Programmes icon sized will have no effects.


Menus with a 3-D-Effect

Comment

Instead of the normal appearance of Windows Menus you can supply the menus with a 3-D-Effect (At first it was only a fashion, it becomes more and more a standard. The programmers do anything for the users!).

Than you can also customise the Font, using by the Menu.

•	Select in the dialogue General Properties the option Graphic.

If You like the Look of the Desktop Menu of OpenLook, you can change the appearance of the Menus.

Unfortunately this option is not changeable in a dialogue.

Use the editor Notepad, open the file RRKMENU.INI and change in the section [General Properties] the entry OWL_LIKE=0 to OWL_LIKE=1. Before restarting the Menu, it is recommended to delete all the files RRKIDX.* and RRKDAT.*, because the Icons are different processed with this look.


Choosing the Menu-Font

Comment

To change the Menu font, it is necessary to check the Option Graphic.

•	Select in the dialogue General Properties the button Fonts and choose in the Windows standard dialogue your preferenced font.


Use Icons in the Menus

Comment

Comment 2

One of the highlights of the Menu is the feature, showing Programmes and Documents automatically by their Icons. For Programmes, which haven't an Icon, like DOS-applications, default Icons are used.

The first call needs a little bit more time to extract the Icon and write it in the database (RRKDAT.xxx and RRKIDX.xxx in the directory of RRKMENU.EXE). But normally the appearance is quite fast.

If you have a very slow computer you may deactivate this option.

•	Select in the dialogue General Properties the option Icons.

•	In the field Icon Size you can choose the preferenced icon size. 32 pixels is the normal size, also showed by the Program Manager. 24 and 16 pixels are equivalent smaller.


Comment

If you change the Font- or the Icon size, while sticked Menus exist on the desktop, you can refresh this sticked Menus with the F12-key. (This may be fixed in a later version.)


Starting Options

As Shell:

Normally Windows starts at first the Program Manager for Windows Shell.

If you like the Menu, and find the Program Manager unnecessary for you, you can use the Menu as Windows Shell:

(Comment: At my experience the menu is more economically with the System resources as the Program Manager.)

•	Select in the dialogue General Properties the option As Shell and restart Windows.

You can enjoy the purity starting Windows with a complete empty desktop (All wishes to order and purity tend to negate all things to nothing), and like a deus ex machina the Menu waits for you in the background.

But the Menu also supports a Submenu, called Autostart. It functions in the same way as in the Program Manager of Windows. Create this Submenu, if you want start applications at the beginning of Windows. The Menu also supports the run and load directives in the WIN.INI.

Save the Desktop by ending the Menu

If you have collected our preferences Applications and our Project-Files (may realised with Searching Directories.) in sticked Submenus on the desktop, you can induce the Menu to restore these sticked Submenus by restarting the Menu.

Submenus, build by Drive Directories, will not be restored.

•	Select in the dialogue General Properties the option Save DT.


Using the middle Mousebutton

Although the Microsoft Mouse has only 2 mousebuttons, 3 mousebuttons are supported by Windows. (It depends also by the used mouse driver)

If you have a mouse with 3 mousebuttons, it is recommended using the 3th, middle mousebutton to popup the Menu.

•	Unfortunately you can't test the 3th mousebutton in the Windows Control. For precaution at first it is recommended to unhide the Menu icon (the black arrow) by using Hide Icon in the Submenu Menu Setup or stick the Submenu Menu Setup on the desktop.

•	Select in the dialogue General Properties the option middle Mousebutton.

•	Test the middle mousebutton.

•	If your Mouse doesn't support the 3th mousebutton, undo this option.

Look also: Avoid Conflicts with other Programmes


Improve the Speed of the Menu

If you haven't serious problems with our RAM (286 / 1 MB) you can improve the speed of the Menu by

•	selecting in the dialogue General Properties the option Index in RAM.

Without this option the Menu needs permanently only ~25 KB non-discardable RAM, with this option ~ 100 KB more (It depends by the number of Document-Associations and registered Icons in the Menu-Database).

Commend


Avoid Conflicts with other Programmes

The Menu is a kind of TSR, hooking the mouse actions.

Unimportant which application is actual active, pressing the right (middle) Mousebutton the Menu comes up.

This may be causes problems.

To minimise these problems, the Menu is very jealous of other Programmes using the right (middle) mousebuttons. More and more Programmes supports the right mousebutton for local edit options. In this case, you normally can't access this features of the Programmes, because every time the Menu is popuped.

•	If you have a mouse with 3 mousebuttons, it is simple to solve this problem: Use the middle Mousebutton for the Menu!

•	Otherwise can use the Option Only Desktop in the Submenu Menu Setup. Then the Menu only will popuped, when the mousecursor is over the background of the desktop. In the applications the right mousebutton will function in the normal way.
If you select the option Alt + Pause PopUp in the dialogue General Properties, You can still popup the menu independent of the position of the mousecursor by pressing the Alt- and Pause- Key.
If you set the entry KeySub in the section [General Properties] with the value 2 or 3, the Menu will only popuped, if the cursor is over an non-client-region (f.e. the Titelbar of a window). In the client-regions of a window the local Popupmenu of the application then works in a normal way.


Comment

This option is used by default.


Hide the Program Icon

One of the aim of the Menu is, to clean up the overcrowded Desktop. By consequence you can also hide the program icon of the Menu (a black arrow).

Either:

•	Select in the System menu of the program icon the menuitem hide Icon.

or:

•	Select in the Submenu Menu Setup the Menuitem hide Icon.

To unhide the Icon:

•	Of course you can unhide the icon only with the Menuitem in the Submenu Menu Setup.

 visible.

 hidden


only Desktop

If you want, that the Menu will only popuped, when the mousecursor is over the background of the Desktop, you can select only Desktop in the Submenu Menu Setup.

1. The Menu will popuped on every place of the desktop.

2. The Menu will only popuped, if the mousecursor is over the background of the desktop.

3. The Menu will only popuped, if the mousecursor is over the background of the desktop or if the mousecursor if over a title bar of a window

You can tongle between 2 and 3 with pressing Ctrl while selecting only Desktop.

Look also: Avoid Conflicts with other Programmes


Using Hotkeys

To launch Programmes or execute Internal Commands with the keyboard, you can use Hotkeys. In contrast to ShortCuts for Hotkey it is not necessary, that a Menu is popuped.

If you want use Hotkeys, the option Alt+Pause-Popup (HotKeys) in the dialogue General Properties must be activated. It is also recommended that the option Index in RAM is activated, otherwise the reaction of the keyboard may be slower.

You can define Hotkeys in two ways:

1. In the Edit-Dialogue:

If you define a new Menuitem or edit an existent Menuitem, you can also define a Hotkey in the editbox Hotkey to execute the command line with a key combination. If the editbox Hotkey has the focus, push the key combination.

If for command line (also the parameter, working directory, window size and the Icon is relevant) a Hotkey is defined, the key combination is showed in the editbox Hotkey. If you declare a new Hotkey, and the key combination is already defined for another command line, the old association will be overwrite.

2. In the Dialogue Hotkeys:

If you want to have an overview of the defined Hotkeys, you can use the Dialogue Hotkeys to define and undefine Hotkeys.


Kontext-Sensitive Menüs verwenden
Using Context-Sensitive Menus

Context-Sensitive Menus extent the functionality or the comfort of access of a defined Window-Class like EditBoxes, ListBoxes or the DOS-Box. You can get the associated Context-Sensitive Menu with the right mousebutton, if the mouse cursor is over a defined Window-Class.

All defined Context-Sensitive Menus are described in the file ADDONS.WRI.

If you want you the Context-Sensitive Menus, the option Context-Sensitive Menus in the dialogue General Properties must be activated.


Using the Menu without a Mouse
Using the Menu without a Mouse.

If you want to use the Menu on a Computer, which haven't a mouse, it is principle possible.

•	You can use the Alt - Pause-keys to popup the Menu.

•	Use the Esc-key (maybe several times) to close the Menu. (excepting the sticked Submenu)

•	To launch a program use the Return-key.

•	Use the Up and Down Arrows on the Keyboard to highlight a Menuitem.

•	Use the Right Arrow or the Return-key on the keyboard to open a highlighted Submenu.

•	Use the Left Arrow or the Esc-key to close the last Submenu.

•	To stick a Menu use the Return-key, when the Menu head is marked (look at the pin).

For the next actions a sticked Menu must have the focus (showed by two thin lines in the Menu head).

•	Use the Shift-PgnUp-keys to roll up the sticked Menu.

•	Use the Shift-PgnDown-keys to roll down the sticked Menu.

•	Use the Shift-Esc-keys to hold a sticked Menu on the top of the desktop.

•	Use one or two times the Shift-Esc-keys to close a sticked Menu.

•	Use the F9-key to arrange all sticked Menus on the left side of the desktop.

•	Use the F11-key to arrange all sticked Menus on the top of the desktop.

•	Use the Shift and the Arrow- keys to move a sticked Menu


Install the Menu in a Net environment

If you want to install the Menu on a File-Server, you can declare the place of the RRKMENU.INI as the argument of RRKMENU.EXE

Supposing the File-Server is associated with d:\ and the Menu is installed at d:\windows\rrkmenu and the local users harddisk with the users INI-files is associated with c:\, so f.e. you can install the Menu in the Program Manager with the commandline d:\windows\rrkmenu\rrkmenu.exe c:\windows\rrkmenu

In this directory c:\windows\rrkmenu the Menu will also create the Files RRKDAT.* and RRKIDX.* for the Icons database.


Declare Icons for Non-Windows Programmes

DOS-Programmes, PIF, COM and BAT-Files don't have individual Icons.

These Programmes are showed with standard icons.

But there are two ways to declare individual icons:

The first way is to declare an Icon in the edit dialogue.

•	Highlight the menuitem containing the program.

•	push F6,

•	and choose via Icons a icon-file.

This way has the disadvantage, that the Icon is only declared for the current icon-size and colour-resolution. The information about the new icon will also be deleted, if you change the Style from or to Standard in the general Properties dialogue.

Another way to declare a new icon for a DOS-application is to create an icon with an Iconeditor. Store the icon with the same name of the application in the path of the application. F.e. if you want to declare an new Icon for c:\progpath\dosapplic.exe create an Icon c:\progpath\dosapplic.ico.

If you don't see an effect in the menu, you have to delete the files RRKDAT.* and RRKIDX.* in the directory of the menu.

(Comment: Don't use both methods parallel, because if you delete the files RRKDAT.* and RRKIDX.* all Icons, you declared with the first method, are discarded.

I know, the two methods aren't very outperformed. Maybe it becomes better in the next releases.)


Using ShortCuts

You can assign Hotkeys for your Submenus.

If you push a combination of Ctrl and a char, while the menu is popuped up, the declared Submenu is popuped up as the main - Popupmenu.

•	Call in the popuped Menu with F5 the Configuration dialogue.

•	Push the button ShortCuts: The dialogue ShortCuts will come up.

•	In the left list all declare Hotkeys and in the right list all Submenus are listed.

•	Write a char below Ctrl - and select a Submenu, (f.e. T)

•	Push the button Associate (f.e. Tools).

If you no push Ctrl - t in the popuped Menu the Submenu Tools will appears.


Use the right Mousebutton with a Second (Sub-)Menu

If you normally use the middle mousebutton to popup the Menu, you can declare a second (sub-)Menu for your right mousebutton. This second Menu you can popup up with your right mousebutton over the background of the desktop or over a title bar of a window.

•	Use Notepad to open the file RRKMENU.INI.

•	Look in your INI-file for the name of the Submenu, you will popup with the right mousebutton.

•	Write this name (f.e. My Submenu) behind the entry SpezialRightMouseButton= in the section [General Properties]:
(f.e.: SpezialRightMouseButton=My Submenu).


Change the style of the Menu

In the dialogue General Properties you can choose one of three graphical styles for the Menu.

Standard is a simple style, but it has the advantage the menuitems are small and the Submenus are build quickly.

The style OpenLook is overtaken from a Unix X-Windows GUI.

The style, called Beta is just an one-evening-production.

If you change the style to or from Standard all icon database files RRKIDX.* and RRKDAT.* are deleted.


Using a Submenu as a Desktop-Panel

 There is the posibility to install the importent programmes in one or more submenus and stick these Submenus on your desktop.
(Komment: In Drag'n Drop: Drag'n Drop: ... in Sticked Menus you can read how to use sticked Menus.)
If you mean the description of the menuitems are not needed, you can let the Menu to show Submenus without the text.

To do this, there are two posibilities:

1.

•	While sticking a Submenu on the desktop press Strg+Shift.

2.

The first method has the disadvantage, that the pinned Menus not automatically restored without the description-text. (See Starting options)

If you want a Submenu allways showed only with the icon you have to:

•	open the RRKMENU.INI with Notepad.

•	and look for the section [My Submenu], which shall showed without the description-text and insert the line
0=1
below.

Using Drag'n Drop-Panels

Because the title bars of Drag'n Drop-Panels are to small to show the pin and the Roll-Up-Button, you have to tongle the aktive part of the title bar with the Tabulator-key

At first the panel looks like:

In this state you can roll up and down and move the panel with the mouse.

After pressing Tab:

Now you can only move the panel with the mouse.

One time more pressing the Tab you can see following picture:

In this state you can click one (to hold the sticked Menu on the top) ore two (to close the sticked Menu) times the pin.

If you push a third one the Tab you reach the first state again.

Of course also the keys descripted in Using the Menu without a Mouse in the normal way.


Running a Windows incompatible DOS Program

Some DOS programmes you can't run with Windows, because they use theire own DOS-Extender or the 32-bit Modus of the 386 (like Autocad, gcc or some Databases), or they need a direct access to the Hardware (like some Disk-Utilities or many games).

Now, the Menu really doesn't have an genius windows-driver, to solve all this problem, but anyway, you can start such programmes with a menuitem.

You can declare the DOS-Program in the command line of the Edit dialogue in this way:

MNU_WIN_REBOOT c:\command.com /c c:\my_dir\my_progr my parameters

c:\command.com ist der Standard-command interpreter of DOS.

If nessary change the location and the name of your DOS command interpreter. The flag /c tells command.com of MS DOS to execute only the command c:\my_dir\my_progr my parameters and exit after that itself.

(Look in the documentation of your command.com for an equal switch)

Schauen Sie in der Dokumentation ihres Befehlsinterpreter nach dem entsprechenden Parameter). At least c:\my_dir\my_progr my parameters is the program to execute.

The Label of this Menuitem is ad libitum.

You can also declare an indiviual Icon for this menuitem, but not - naturally - a windows-size.

If you now select this Menuitem, Windows will shoot down and the program c:\my_dir\my_progr will execute. If my_progr ends Windows will automatically restart.

If you declare in the command line only MNU_WIN_REBOOT, Windows will immadiataly restarts after shooting down.

If you press the Shift-key selecting this Menuitem the system (computer) will be rebooted.


An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)


A Submenu
An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

A Submenu


A Submenu

If you click on a Menuitem containing a Submenu, the Submenu will be open.

You can group our applications and documents in several Submenus, similar to the Group Windows of the Program Manager.

A Submenu can contain all other types of Menuitems, including more (Sub)Submenus.

A Submenu is similar to a Subdirectory of the harddisk with one difference:

Submenus with the same name in the hierarchy of the Menu have only two references to one Submenu. Submenus have more likeness to links, known under UNIX systems, than to a DOS - path. This have f.e. the consequence, that a Submenu named My Submenu can contain recursive the Submenu My Submenu.

Every Submenu (excepting the Submenu Tasks) can be sticked with the green pin on the desktop.


Submenus

More SubSubmenus


standard Menuitem

A standard Menuitem contains a Program or a Document to launch.


A Searching Directory
An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

A Searching Directory


 A Searching Directory

All files are listed matching to a DOS-ambiguous file name (here f.e. c:\d\c\menu\*.doc)


A Searching Directory

Searching Directories are useful to hold all document-files of you actual project in one Submenu, so you have a quick access to your often used files.

F.e. I create a Submenu named Help files, and insert only one Menuitem in this submenu. This Menuitem is a searching directory with the filename c:\d\c\menu\*.doc. In the Submenu Help files all my help-files are listed. I sticke this Submenu on the desktop, and arrange it on the top of the desktop. Now the circumstance of the use File / open in Winword is obsolete. I have only to roll down the sticked menu, to choose a file to open in Winword, and to roll the menu up.


A Program Managers Group
An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

A Program Managers Group


The installed Programmes of a Program Group

All installed Programmes of a Program Group are listed with theire icons.


A Program Group

A Program Group takes over its Items from a Program Managers Group file (*.grp). With Program Groups you can extract a single Subwindow of the Program Manager and include it in your Menu.


The Program Manager
An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

The Program Manager


The content of the Program Manager

In this Submenu all Subwindows of the Windows Program Manager are listed as Submenus.


The Program Manager

With the Menuitem Progr. Manager you can insert the whole Program Manager in your Menu. All Program Groups (Subwindows) of the Program Manager are listed as Submenus.


A Drive Directory
An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

A Drive Directory 1


Drive Directory

All founded Subdirectory of current Subdirectory are listed as further Submenus. Similar to the File Manager, you can open this Submenus to look the contents of the Subdirectory.


An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

A Drive Directory 2


Drive Directory

All programmes and documents of a subdirectory are listed as Menuitems.


Drive Directory

You can automatically present the contents of a path of your harddisk in a structure of Submenus. The beginning of a Drive Directory can be a path like c:\letters\new or the beginning of an harddisk like c:\.

In this Submenus at first all directories as further Subdirectories and second all programmes and documents as Menuitems are listed.

Every time, the Submenu gets too long fitting on your Desktop, a Submenu called more... will be append at the end of the Submenu. In this Submenu the rest of the founded Subdirectories and files are listed.


Menu Setup
An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

The Menu - Menu Setup


Menu - Menu Setup

This Submenu is reserved for functions of the Menu. Click on the Menuitems to get more information.


Only Desktop

If you want, that the Menu will only popuped, when the mousecursor is over the background of the Desktop, you can select only Desktop in the Submenu Menu Setup.

1. The Menu will popuped on every place of the desktop.

2. The Menu will only popuped, if the mousecursor is over the background of the desktop.

3. The Menu will only popuped, if the mousecursor is over the background of the desktop or if the mousecursor if over a title bar of a window

You can tongle between 2 and 3 with pressing Ctrl while selecting only Desktop.

See also: Avoid Conflicts with other Programmes.


Hide Icon

 Visible.

 Invisible.

One of the aim of the Menu is to clean up the overcrowded Desktop. By consequence you can also hide the program icon of the Menu (a black arrow).

Normally the program-icon is showed at the bottom of the screen. If don't want it on your desktop, hide it.


Info

Shows the program information.


gener. Properties

Opens the dialogue general Properties to change several customisable features of the Menu.


End

Ends the Menu.

If the Menu is running as Windows Shell or if you pressing the Ctrl-key while selecting End, after confirming Windows will shoot down.

See also: Running a Windows incompatible DOS Program


The Menu Tasks
An Example Menu

(Hint: Click on the Menuitems.)

The Menu Tasks


The Menu Tasks

In this Submenu - the only one without a pin to stick the menu on the desktop - you can switch between the programmes running actually at Windows. (Click one one Task for more information.)

If you use the Menu as Windows Shell, a menuitem Save Wins DT is added.

With this menuitem you can save all positions of the applications (windows) on the desktop. If you restart Windows, all Application will be restored exactly ín the same positions (exeption of the applications are in [Autostart]. If you push Shift-key while selecting Save Wins DT the menu will not restore the windows at the following starts of Windows.

This option has only one disadvantage. Of course (?!) the Menu can't figure out, which documents are loaded in the applications, the document-based applications will be restored empty.


The Tasks

All visible windows (Programmes) are listed in the order of theire appearance. If press the Shift-key while opening the Submenu Tasks, also the invisible windows will listed. By selecting a Menuitem the window will be bring in to the top of the desktop. But if you press the Ctrl-key while selecting a Task, the corresponding Programm will be ended, respectivally the corresponding window will be closed.


Free RAM

Shows the free RAM of Windows.

This menuitem has no further function.


Free Resources

Shows the free Windows-system-resources of the graphic engine (GDI) and for the windows-organisation (USER). The System resources, also showed by the Program Manager under Info, is the less value of both.

This menuitem has no further function.


 Der Dialog - Select Icon

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue

Push in the dialogue Menu - Edit the button Icon...


Explanations

After choosing a Iconfile in the file-dialogue, all Icons of the file are listed. After selecting one of these Icons the program, declared in the Editdialogue will showed with this Icon.

If you have declared a document in the Editdialogue, the change of the Icon will not have any effect in the Menu.


Comments

If you change the size of the icons showed in the menu or if you change the number of showed colours under Windows, the declared Icons for programmes showed in the Menu are discarded.

Another - independent of the iconsize and the colour-resoulution -  way to show non-Windows with an Icon is described in Declare Icons for Non-Windows Programmes.


Icons

All Icons of the selected Iconfile are listed. The black triangle shows to the selected Icon.


OK

The new Icon for the program is only overtooked, when you confirm the Editdialogue


Cancel

Close the dialogue without defining a new Icon


Browse

Opens a Standard-Dialogue to choose an Iconfile (*.ICO;*.EXE;*.DLL).


The Dialogue ShortCuts for Submenus
The Dialogue - ShortCuts for Submenus

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue

Select in the dialogue Configuration the button ShorCuts.


Explanations

If you popuped the Menu you can jump to a Submenu with a Hotkey.

These Hotkeys you can declare in this dialogue.

See also: Using ShortCuts.


Comments

It is also possible to declare the right Mousebutton with a second Submenu.


Ctrl - Hotkeys

All Hotkeys declared for the menu are listed. Click on an item to look the assoziated Submenu


Submenus

All Submenus, defined in RRKMENU.INI, are listed.


Assoziate

If you write a char below Ctrl- as the hotkey and you have selected a Submenu you can assiate the Hotkey with the Submenu.


Detach

Select a Hotkey-char (the assoziated Submenu will automaticly be selected) and push Detach, to detach the Assoziation.


Der Dialog Hotkeys
The Dialogue Hotkeys

(Hint: Click on the buttons and fields for more Information.)

How to get the Dialogue

Explanations

Comments


How to get the Dialogue

Select in the dialogue Configuration the button Hotkeys.


Explanations

In this dialogue all key combinations for Hotkeys, which are associated with a command line, are listed.

It is also possible to declare Hotkeys for a Menuitem in the Edit - dialogue.

In the field Commandline are all command lines - inclusive the parameters, the working directory and window-size valid. You can also declare an Internal Command as a command line.

A new key combination for a Hotkey you can define, if you put the cursor in the filed KeyComb.: and press the keys.


Comments

It is also possible to declare Hotkeys for a Menuitem in the Edit - dialogue. But it may be better to have an overlook to all declared Hotkeys, because the command line - Hotkey - association may be ambiguous.


KeyCombination

All defined Hotkeys are listed.


Command Line

All command lines, which are associated with a Hotkey, are listed.


Associate

If You have declared a key combination for a new Hotkey and a command line (maybe via Browse) you can use Associate to define a new Hotkey.


Detach

If you want to undefine a Hotkey select the Key Combination and push Detach.


Hotkey

With a Hotkey - a key combination with the Alt and/or Ctrl- and the Shift-key with a char - you can launch Programmes or execute Internal Command with the keyboard every time.

For a valid Hotkey the Alt- or the Ctrl-key and a char must be defined.

Examples for valid Hotkeys key combinations:

Ctrl+D; Alt+1; Alt+Shift+T; Ctrl+Shift+Z; Alt+Ctrl+Shift+O

Not valid are following combinations:

Shift+A; Ctrl+#

The Hotkeys only function if in the dialogue general properties the option Alt+Pause-Popup (Hotkeys) is activated.


Internal Commands

MNU_ADD

It doesn't make a sense, to use this internal command at an other place, as in the Edit-Menu of sticked Menus.

MNU_ARRANGE_LEFT

Minimises all sticked Menus - excepting the Menus only with icons and the sticked Drop-Down Menus - and orders them at the left side of the desktop.

MNU_ARRANGE_TOP

Minimises all sticked Menus - excepting the Menus only with icons and the sticked Drop-Down Menus - and orders them on the top of the desktop.

MNU_BACKGROUND

See Only Background

MNU_CALLDLL

Calls an extern DLL-function.

See also: Call a DLL-Function

MNU_COMMAND:

Doesn't exist! because you don't need it. If you want to prompt for a command-line, select a menuitem, and press the Ctrl-key while release the mousebutton.

In the dialogue Menu - Execute you can declare a commandline.

MNU_CONFIG

Calls the dialogue Konfiguration.

MNU_DEL

It doesn't make a sense, to use this internal command at an other place, as in the Edit-Menu of sticked Menus.

MNU_EDIT

It doesn't make a sense, to use this internal command at an other place, as in the Edit-Menu of sticked Menus.

MNU_END

Ends the Menu or Windows; with or without confirmation.

If you use the Menu as Windows-Shell, Windows will shoot down after a confirmation. If you press the Shift-key while selecting this menuitem, Windows will shoot down without confirmation.

If the Menu is a normal Windows-application, the Menu ends. You can also quit Windows if you press the Ctrl-key. If press the Ctrl- and the Shift-key Windows will also shoot down without confirmation.

MNU_HIDEICON

(Symbol verstecken = Hide Icon)

See Hide the Program Icon

MNU_INFO

Calls the info dialogue.

MNU_INS

It doesn't make a sense, to use this internal command at an other place, as in the Edit-Menu of sticked Menus.

MNU_KB

Send keyboard actions to the activ window.

See also: Generate keyboard actions with a Menuitem

MNU_MTW

Sends a message to a window.

See also: Send Messages to a Window

MNU_PROGMAN

Generate a Submenu with all Programm-Groups of the Program-Manager.

MNU_SDT

With this command you can save all positions of the applications (windows) on the desktop. If you restart the Menu (or Windows), all Application will be restored exactly ín the same positions (exeption of the applications are in [Autostart]). If you push Shift-key while selecting Save Wins DT the menu will not restore the windows at the following starts of the Menu. If you if hold down the Shift-key, while starting the Menu, the Desktop won't also restored.

This option has only one disadvantage. Of course (?!) the Menu can't figure out, which documents are loaded in the applications, the document-based applications will be restored empty.

At the end of the Submenu Tasks is a Menuitem save Wins DT, which has the this internal command.

MNU_SETUP

It is only used to declare for the Submenu Menu Setup a special Icon.

MNU_TASKS

Generate a Submenu with all Windows (programmes), also the free memory and System-Resources are showed.

If you press the Ctrl-key while opening this submenu also all hidden Windows are showed.

If you click on one of this Tasks-menuitems, the corrosponding programm comes into to the front. If you press the Strg-key while selecting a Tasks-menuitem, the corrosponding programm will be end.

Normaly the syntax for MNU_TASKS in a Menuitem is:

4=1|Tasks|MNU_TASKS

But it is also possible to declare a Submenu in this way:

[My Tasks-Submenu]

1=MNU_TASKS

MNU_WIN_REBOOT

Shoot down Windows without confirmation and restart windows.

You can also execute a DOS-Programm or DOS-command.

If you want to execute a DOS-Programm it is importent to declare a command-interpreter (normally command.com). Otherwise the system halts!

A command-line can look like:

MNU_WIN_REBOOT c:\command.com /c c:\my_dir\myprogram

c:\command.com is the command-interpreter of DOS. /c tells the command.com, that it only have to execute one program c:\mein_dir\meinprog and after that, to terminate itself.

This option is useful to execute a DOS-Program, which can not run in a DOS-Box of Windows.

If you don't declare parameters after MNU_WIN_REBOOT, Windows will restart with no action on the DOS-level.

If you press the Shift-key, while selecting a MNU_WIN_REBOOT-Menuitem, your computer will reboot (similar to Ctrl-Alt-Del).


Simulate keyboard actions with a Menuitem

If you want generate system-wide keybord actions with a menuitem, you can use the internal command MNU_KB.

MNU_KB Char,Schiftstatus secondChar,secondSchiftstatus ...

•	Char:
The key (a char or a VK_scancode declared in windows.h).

•	Schiftstatus:
Shift-, Alt- and/or Ctrl-key as bit-combination.

•	0 = no Shift

•	1 = Shift-key

•	2 = Ctrl-key

•	4 = Alt -key

The Shift-Ctrl-Alt-combinations results out of the sum of the bits. To produce f.e. the key-combination d-Alt-Ctrl, you have to declare D,6 .

•	The single key-statements are seperated with a whitespace.


Call a DLL-Function

It is also possible to call a function you have wrote in a DLL or call a system function of the Windows API with a menuitem.

The grammar of a command line of a menuitem:

MNU_CALLDLL Modulname Functionname Parameter

•	MNU_CALLDLL is the internal command to point to function in Pascal-konvention.

•	Modulname is the name of the DLL, f.e. my_own.dll (maybe the path to the DLL is required.)
The most used moles of the Windows-API are USER, GDI and KERNEL.

•	Functionname is either the name of the function or its exported ordinal-number.

•	Parameter is a list of the parameter of the function. (The parameters are overgiven in the Pascal-konvention.)
For the typ of the Parameters you have consider follow conventions:

•	Integer number are written as normal numbers. Negative numbers get an minus sign (f.e. 123 or -321)
If you want write an number in hex you have to beginn the number with 0X (null-x): f.e. 0X1A4C)

•	Long Interger (long) ends with a L (1234L or 65L)

•	Floating point numbers are written with a point (2.14 oder 12.0).

•	Bytes (a char) are started with a inverted comma ' ('c or 'x).

•	char strings are enclosed with cuotation marks ("hallo").

Warning!!

Be carfull with the parameters. If you declare the wrong type and numbers of parameters you get an GP-fault!

Examples:

A beeping Menuitem:

MNU_CALLDLL USER MESSAGEBEEP 0

A Menuitem calls a MessageBox:

MNU_CALLDLL USER MESSAGEBOX 0 "And good Beye" "Hello" 4

Even undocumented Function of Windows can be called:

A Menuitem to arrange all minized Windows at the bottom of the desktop:

MNU_CALDLL USER ARRANGEICONICWINDOWS 0XE8C

(0XE8C is the HWND of the desktop)

Arrange all not iconsized Windows next to each other:

MNU_CALLDLL USER TILECHILDWINDOWS 0XE8C

Arrange all not iconsized Windows overlapping:

MNU_CALLDLL USER CASCADECHILDWINDOWS 0XE8C 0

The command:

MNU_CALLDLL USER SENDMESSAGE 0XFFFF 0X0011 0 0L

with 0XFFFF=HWND_BROADCAST and 0X0011=WM_QUERYENDSESSION,

has the function to ask all win-programmes, if they has some unsaved changes.

(You can add this command line to the Submenu Menu Setup if find it is useful.)

The Label of a Menuitem with MNU_CALLDLL in the command line is ad libitum, also you can declare an other icon.


Popup a Menu with an extern Program

It is also possible to popup a Submenu of the Menu out of another program. But it is nessary that the RRKMENU.EXE is already running.

To do this, use the function:

int CallRRKMenu(char far *Submenu);

of the DLL RRKMNDLL.DLL.

Submenu is the name of the Submenu, wich shell appears as the main menu. If Submenu = NULL, the normal MainMenu of RRKMenu appears.

Using C as programming language, you can use following procedure:

BOOL PopupRRKMenu(char *Submenu){

HANDLE hrrkmdll;

FARPROC callRRKMenu;

BOOL result;

static BOOL (FAR PASCAL *CallRRKMenu)(LPSTR Submenu) = 0;

if (!(hrrkmdll = LoadLibrary("RRKMNDLL.DLL"))){

return FALSE;

}

if (!(CallRRKMenu = GetProcAddress(hrrkmdll, "CallRRKMenu"))){

FreeLibrary(hrrkmdll);

return FALSE;

}

ergebnis = CallRRKMenu(Submenu);  /* f() == (*f)() */

FreeLibrary(hrrkmdll);

return result;

}

Friends of MS's Basic dialects (f.e. Word-Basic or Visual Basic) can use follow prozedure:

Declare Function CallRRKMenu Lib "RRKMNDLL.DLL"(Submenu As String) As Integer

Sub MAIN

Submenu$ = "TOOLS"

REM calls the Submenu "Tools"

result = CallRRKMenu(Submenu$)

Print result

End Sub

Comments:

Please don't use implib or similar to link your C or Pascal programm to RRKMNDLL.DLL, otherwise you may get problems with future versions of the Menu. Prefere the described method.

The return value of this function is by success TRUE.


Assoziate a Window-Class with a Menu

New Menus for Windows is not only a Windows-Shell, but has some qualities to enhance Windows. If you can write a DLL and/or you know some details of Windows-Messages, you can customise and enhance the Windows-functionality of Windows standard elements (like EditBox, ListBox or Window-Classes of your application) with a Popup Menu. If you want participate to New Menus for Windows with your application, you haven't change any line of your code.

How this function, I demonstrated with the Window Classes EditBox, ListBox, ScroolBar an tty (the DOS-Box in the 386-modus).

If in the dialogue General Properties the option Context-Sensitive Menus is activated, the Window Classes, listed in the section [WinClasses], are customised with a local Menu. This Menu can be popuped, if the mouse is over an registered class-window with the right mousebutton.

In the file ADDONS.WRI the defined context-sensitive menus are described.

In the command line of a menuitem you can call via MNU_CALLDLL any function of DLL. You can use the expression @HWND for the Handle of class window as a parameter to a function.

But if you only want to send a message (via PostMessage(...)) to this window you can use the internal command MNU_MTW.

It is also possible to send keyboard events to this window with MNU_KB.

If you have some ideas to enhance Windows functionality or if you want use Menus for your applications, please contact me.


Send Messages to a Window

With the internal command MNU_MTW (Message to window) in a command line of a Windows Class Menu you can send Message to the Class-Window. (Of course it would also function with: MNU_CALLDLL USER POSTMESSAGE @HWND (and so on.)).

MNU_MTW Parent message wParam lParam

•	MNU_MTW sends the message with PostMessage to the Parent^ of the Window. This means if Parent=0, the message will be send to @HWND (the Class Window). If Parent=1 the message will be send to GetParent(@HWND), if Parent=2 to GetParent(GetParent(@HWND)) and so on.

•	message is the message to the window (almost WM_- constants) as UINT.

•	wParam is the first parameter of the message as WORD.

•	lParam is the second parameter of the message as LONG. (Exceptionally you haven't to sign this LONG with a 'L' after the number).

You can also declare message, wParam and lParam as hexadecimal numbers (f.e.: 0X1234).


Stick normal Drop-Down-Menus with a Pin

This feature is only available, if in the dialogue General Properties the option HookMenus is activated.

If you select a Menu of a normal program with a menu bar not with left, but with right mousebutton, instead of the normal menu a Menu know by New Menus for Windows appears.

F.e.: If you select the menu 'File' of Write with the right mousebutton, you can stick this menu with a needle on the desktop. The sticked Menu is hold in the foreground every time. But if you change the focus to an other application the sticked Menus of Write would be hidden.

Attention:

The Menus of an application can be changed (f.e. the menu 'Window'), so the sticked Menus are not up to date and send wrong commands to the application. This maybe cause unexpectable reactions and effects. The menuitems, which are not accessible (normally showed greyed) have no special representation in the sticked Menus. Anyway this feature is not very outperformed!