Progman-Groups 1.5 - Groups in groups with program manager Copyright 1992,93 by Andreas Furrer ========================================================== This is version 1.5 of Progman-Groups. Progman-Groups gives you the possibility to have groups in groups in the progam manager of Windows. Because PRGGRP uses normal progman groups, you don't have any limitations. Installation ============ 1) Copy PRGGRP.EXE and PRGGRPH.DLL into your windows directory 2) Create an item for PRGGRP.EXE in your startup group and restart Windows. Creating Subgroups ================== The use of PRGGRP is very simple. For each subgroup you want, create a program item in the parent group with program managers new command and the following settings: Name : name of the subgroup Command: PRGGRP.EXE For example if you want to have a subgroup 'Graphic Tools' in the group 'Tools', you have to create a program item in the group 'Tools' with: Name : Graphic Tools Command: PRGGRP.EXE Graphic Tools Now if you open the new created item, you will be asked if the new subgroup should be created. If you click on Yes, the new group will be created and you can use it as a normal program manager group. Because PRGGRP has to distinguish between top level groups and subgroups, the name of a subgroup must begin with a space or must end with a period. Now, if a subgroup will be created, and you don't add a period at the end of the commandline, the name of the subgroup will begin with a space. If you add a period at the end of the commandline, the name ot the group will not begin with a space but will end with the period. Example: The command PRGGRP.EXE Graphic Tools will create a group with the name ' Graphic Tools' and PRGGRP.EXE Graphic Tools. will create a group with the name 'Graphic Tools.'. If you want to have a different icon for a subgroup you can change it in the properties dialog of the item. Now, if you minimize the subgroup, it will disappear and if you doubleclick at its icon in the parent group, it will be visible again. You can have as many subgroups you want, but they must all have an unique name. Also you can have a group in a group in a group.... in group. Advanced features ================= If you open a subgroup with pressed, the parent group will be closed. This is very useful if you want to open a program in a child group and you don't want to have the parent group open. If you want, that the parent group is closed every time the subgroup is opened, you can check the button 'Run minimized' of the icon of the subgroup. If you close any group with pressed, all child groups will be closed. This will also work when closing a group with + (just use ++) More Options of PRGGRP ====================== IF you start PRGGRP twice you can see an icon with a system menu and if you start it again the icon will be hidden and so on. (If you like the icon, you can place TWO PRGGRP-icons in the startup group and you will always see the icon.) In the system menu of the icon you will see the following items: - Enabled: This menuitem is checked if PRGGRP is enabled. With this menuitem you can disable PRGGRP. IF you disable PRGGRP, all hidden groups are shown. The next time you enable PRGGRP, the groups are hidden again. Disabeling PRGGRP is usefull, if you want to arrange icons or want to change the properties of hidden groups. - Hide desktop icon This will hide the desktop icon of Progman-Groups. - About Shows the about dialog Known bugs ========== PRGGRP works very fine, but there is one little restriction - The submenu 'windows' of the program manager shows ALL groups and not only the visibles. How does PRGGRP work? ===================== The main function of PRGGRP is very simple. If you start PRGGRP with a parameter, then PRGGRP only shows the group which is named by the parameter. If you minimze a group window, then PRGGRP checks if the group is a subgroup (Here is the reason why a subgroup must have a blank as the first or a period as the last character of its name. With this naming convention PRGGRP can say that the group is a subgroup or not). If the group is a subgroup then PRGGRP hides the group. Freeware-Note ============= You can use and distribute PRGGRP free, as long as the following files are not changed and you distribute all files together - prggrp.exe - prggrph.dll - prggrp.txt I am programming PRGGRP because I have fun and not to make any profit. That's why PRGGRP is free and you don't have to pay more or less high registration charges.I think it is a bad habit, that more and more program authors want to have money even for the smallest programs. Long live Freeware! If you have problems, comments, suggestions or you detect one error, please E-Mail to s_furrer@ira.uka.de (c) 1992,93 by Andreas Furrer Version history =============== 1.5: - Added the function of closing the parent group everytime a subgroup is opened and the button 'Run minimized' of the icon of the subgroup is checked. - Added the automatic creating of a subgroup if it doesn't exist. This will make the creating of subgroups more easier. - Changed the system menu. Now it is more clear and easier to use. ( Thanks to Ronald Beekelaar for the ideas for the new features) - Fixed a bug: If you opened a group with pressed, all subgroups were hidden. 1.4: - The 'More windows' dialog of program manager will now switch to the right group window. - You can now use the 'Minimize on run' option of the program manager - Now if you want to open a subgroup which is already open, the subgroup will be brought to the top. - Added the function to close the parent group when opening a child group with pressed. - Added the function to close all child groups when closing one group and holding down . - After a complete redesign, the program has now a more compact code (only 1/3 of version 1.3 !!). 1.3: Fixed a bug that will prevent PRGGRP to start on some ATs 1.2: Now you can have blanks in the name of groups 1.1: The first good version of PRGGRP: - Now, subgroup icons will disappear. - You can now arrange your icons and have progmans 'arrange automatically' enabled. 1.0: First version of PRGGRP. This was a only a simple version of PRGGRP.