Contents

     SmilerShell Help

Welcome to SmilerShell Lite, Bardon Data Systems' entry-level Windows command line utility.  Bardon also offers more powerful Windows command line utilities, SmilerShell Standard Edition and  SmilerShell Pro.  To find out more about them, click here:

To find out more about SmilerShell Lite, choose a topic below:

Introduction

Quick Start / Hints And Tricks

Why Is This A Shell?

Installing SmilerShell

Uninstalling SmilerShell

What Happens When You Start SmilerShell

Menu Items

Submitting Commands

Using Arrows To Retrieve Previous Commands

Editing Commands

Size Of Window

Getting Rid Of Inactive Windows

DOS Commands: Fullscreen Or Windowed

About Internal DOS Commands

Command Stack Files

The Initialization File

Notices


Introduction

Windows makes many things easier, but it also makes some things harder.  Even in this era of the graphical interface, there are tasks that can be done much more easily by typing in a command than by menus and pointing and clicking and such.  That's what SmilerShell is for.

SmilerShell Lite is a Windows command line.  It runs anything (DOS programs, Windows programs, or DOS internal commands), and it supports pipes and redirection.  It has a built-in command line editor with history and search, and helpful Windows functions like a clock in the title bar and a real-time system resources report in the menu bar.

The built-in command line editor saves all submitted commands, allowing you to get back a previously-submitted command, change it, and re-submit it.  You can have SmilerShell  search for a previous command; no need to scan them all yourself to find the one you want.  You can load a command stack from a file when you start, or manually at any time.  You can save the current command stack to a file, to load later or edit as needed.

SmilerShell can stay on top of all other windows, show the current directory and/or a clock in its title bar, display Windows free memory and resources in its menu bar, and directly manipulate the inactive windows that remain when you run DOS commands from Windows.  SmilerShell takes up very little space on your screen, but to save more space you can even remove the menu entirely.

Related Topics:

Quick Start / Hints And Tricks

Why Is This A Shell?

The Initialization File

Menu Items

Submitting Commands

Using Arrows To Retrieve Previous Commands

Command Stack Files


Other SmilerShell Utilities

SmilerShell Lite is the baby in Bardon's family of Windows command-line utilities.  Here's some information on its bigger siblings, the mid-level SmilerShell Standard Edition, and for those who want the very best, SmilerShell Pro, the ultimate Windows command line.  Both versions also include free utilities, special offers, and other bonus gifts, described below

SmilerShell Standard Edition does everything that SmilerShell Lite does, and in addition has these features:

Quick Directory Change: DC is SmilerShell's built-in quick-change tool.  Type DC and the first few letters of the directory you want to be in.  If it's unambiguous, boom, you're there, otherwise a list box pops up with the first possible match highlighted.  DC tracks directories on multiple drives, and changes drive as well as directory if necessary to get you where you want to go.

Hide The Title Bar:  Toggle away the title bar!  It's just as easy as turning off the menu bar in SmilerShell Lite.  And with no title bar, Windows doesn't enforce a minimum window size, and lets you mouse SmilerShell even smaller.

Type-in  Aliases: Hate typing long commands?  Set up an alias list.  An alias is a short command that is replaced by a longer command.   When you press Enter, the first word on the line is compared to your alias list.  If anything matches, the replacement text is substituted for that first word.  Very handy, that..

Function-Key Aliases:  Want to type even less?  You can also hang aliases off function keys; hit the key and the command runs, no need to press Enter.  Either kind of alias can run DOS commands, Windows commands, or even other aliases.

SmilerShell Pro does everything that SmilerShell Standard Edition and SmilerShell Lite do, and in addition adds these features to everything listed above:

Press The Button:  SmilerShell Pro takes up no space on your desktop.  None.  That's because it's usually a tiny button that hops unobtrusively into the titlebar of whichever application is currently active.  Press the button to bring up the command line window.  Click the SmilerShell menubar's Hide item (or type Alt+H) and the command line window vanishes again.

Multiple Commands On One Line: You can type multiple commands on one command line.  Hit Enter and they are submitted in order.  And unlike everything else in Windows, SmilerShell makes sure the previous command ends before it starts the next one.

Change Your PATH: By default SmilerShell Pro uses the DOS search path.  You can change this by typing a PATH command, just like in DOS.  Later, go back to the old DOS path by typing PATH= (an equals sign but no parameters).  As you'd expect, PATH by itself shows the current path.

A Tiny Window:  Want the smallest possible window?  With SmilerShell Pro, if System Resources is enabled and you toggle off the menu, the resources report will appear in the command line.  Press any key and your command line returns.  The cursor is where you left it, selections are still selected, and the key you pressed is typed into place in the command text.  Turn off the titlebar as well as the menu for an incredibly small SmilerShell, with no loss of information!

It's Fast:  Because of special software technology, SmilerShell Pro runs commands faster than SmilerShell Standard Edition or SmilerShell Lite.

Both SmilerShell Standard Edition and SmilerShell Pro come with a printed manual, support by phone, mail, or Compuserve, and  these Extra Free Bonuses:  two more handy Bardon utilities (WHATSNEW lists files not yet backed up, or directories containing such files; PR/PRFILTER format output for printing, and add a header with filename, size, create date, and print date), discount certificate for JCSM shareware CD-ROMs at half price, discounts on PsL shareware-by-mail (up to 2/3 off!), discount on Shareware Magazine, free Compuserve startup kit, and a disk-full of top  Windows shareware I think you'll like.

SmilerShell Standard Edition usually costs $19.95, and SmilerShell Pro is usually $29.95.  But as a SmilerShell Lite user, you can purchase SmilerShell Standard Edition for $15.95, or SmilerShell Pro for $23.95 (plus $3.50 for shipping), when ordering through Bardon.  Be sure to mention this offer when you order!

Send orders to:

Barry Smiler

Bardon Data Systems

1023 Key Route Blvd.

Albany, CA 94706

With a MasterCard or Visa you can order by phone, at (510) 526-8470.  Or simply mail in your card number and expiration date.

Outside North America please add $6 for overseas shipping charges.


What Happens When You Start SmilerShell

When you start SmilerShell, it first reads the initialization file.  By default this is the file "smishell.ini" in the same directory as the SmilerShell program.  However, you can specify a name and directory for this on the SmilerShell command line.  Values are set, based on your entries in this file.  If you start SmilerShell without an initialization file, you'll be asked if you'd like SmilerShell to create one and fill it with reasonable values, then let you edit it in Notepad before proceeding.

If you have set winwidth to PREV in the initialization file, SmilerShell sets itself up the way you left it  last time, and changes to the directory you were in when you last used it.

Related Topics:

The Initialization File


Menu Items

SmilerShell has five menu items: File, Edit, Options, Info, and Help.  Using the Options menu, you can also toggle another item onto the menu bar: a real-time report of available Windows memory and resources.

Related Topics:

The File Menu

The Edit Menu

The Options Menu

The Info Menu Item

The Help Menu

The System Resources Menu Item


The File Menu

The File menu starts with the traditional items New, Open, Save, and Save As.  These items let you manipulate your current command stack (list of stored commands).  Next on the File menu are the items DOS Box, Run, List Commands, Scan Directories, Edit Ini File, and Exit.

New clears the command stack.  That is, it makes your list of previously issued commands go away.

Open lets you choose a command-stack file and read it in.  It clears the current command stack, and reads in a new command stack from the file.  If you tell it to read an ini file (i.e., give a filename with the extension "ini"), SmilerShell assumes the ini file has a section called [SmilerShell Params] with an entry called cmdstack= that contains commands to read in.  If you tell it to read a file with any extension other than "ini", SmilerShell assumes that it's an ASCII text command-stack file, with one command on each line.

Save saves your current command stack to a file using the most recently set command-stack or ini  file name.  If it's an ini file, the entry is saved in a section called [SmilerShell Params] in an entry called cmdstack=.  If not, the commands are saved in a plain text ASCII file, one command per line.  There is a 300-character limit on ini file command stacks.

You set a command-stack file name (to be used by the Save item) by specifying one in the Open or Save As dialogs during the current session, or by setting the cmdfile= parameter in your ini file.  If you haven't explicitly set a name yet, the name "smishell.stk" is used.  By default it's assumed to be in the same directory as the ini file.

Save As asks for a filename, then saves the current command stack to that file.  If it's an ini file, the entry is saved in a section called [SmilerShell Params] in an entry called cmdstack=.  If not, the commands are saved in a plain text ASCII file, one command per line.  There is a 300-character limit on ini file command stacks.

DOS Box gives you a full screen DOS session.  Type Exit at the DOS prompt to return to SmilerShell.

Run lets you choose a program from a file/directory dialog box.  The filename you choose is placed on SmilerShell's command line, where you can add any needed parameters before submitting it.

List Commands shows a list of every command you ran from the command line during this session, plus any commands preloaded at startup.  You can submit a command from here by clicking on it, or fetch it into the main window for editing.  There's also an Edit Ini File pushbutton.

Edit Ini File sets you up to edit your initialization file in Notepad.

Finally, the File menu has an Exit item which terminates SmilerShell.


The Edit Menu

The Edit menu starts with five standard Windows features: an Undo item, Cut, Copy, and Paste items for sending information to and from the Windows clipboard, and Clear to delete selected text in the input window.

There is also a Remove Inactives item, which searches out and closes all the "(Inactive..." windows on your desktop.  If you've toggled the Options menu item  Inactives Stay Visible to display inactive DOS windows after their command terminates, you'll find that these windows accumulate quite rapidly.  Remove Inactives (or its keyboard equivalent Alt+R) makes them all go away.

Related Topics:

The Options Menu


The Options Menu

The Options menu items toggle on and off various SmilerShell features.

Clock (Alt+C) puts an hour:minute clock in the title bar.

System Resources (Alt+S) shows available system resources in the menu bar: memory, GDI, and User resources.

Directory (Alt+D) show the current directory in the SmilerShell title bar.

Overtype (Alt+O) toggles the command line between insert mode and overtype mode.  When it's in overtype mode a flag appears in the title bar, over the second 'e' in 'SmilerShell'.

Topmost (Alt+T) makes SmilerShell a topmost window, so even when inactive, it sits on top of other windows.

Menu (Alt+M) hides the menu bar, making SmilerShell even smaller.  When the menu bar is hidden, a "Show SmilerShell Menu" item is added to the System menu.  Or use Alt+M to get it back.  The other keyboard accelerators (Alt+C, Alt+D, etc.) also continue to work properly when the menu is hidden.

Inactives Stay Visible (Alt+I) controls whether, after SmilerShell runs a DOS command, the command's inactive window sticks around or goes away.  Keeping those inactive windows around can be quite handy, letting you see the results of previous commands, but they do eventually clutter your screen.  True, you can make them all go away using the Remove Inactives item on the Edit menu (or simply type Alt+R).  But if you don't want to see them in the first place, you can simply toggle Inactives Stay Visible off.  Or to run one command as if Inactives Stay Visible is set to the opposite of its current value, start it with an asterisk (for example *dir).

DOS In Window (Alt+W) controls whether  SmilerShell's DOS commands run fullscreen or in a window.  Or to run one command as if DOS In Window is set to the opposite of its current value, start it with a right-bracket (for example >copy foo.bat b:).

Related Topics:

Submitting Commands

DOS Commands: Fullscreen or Windowed


The Help Menu

The Help menu has two items: Help and About SmilerShell.

Use the Help item (or press F1) to get on-line help about SmilerShell.

The other item, About SmilerShell, is a typical About box.  It shows the SmilerShell version number and  contact information.


The System Resource Menu Item
The System Resources Menu Item

When you toggle this on, using the Options menu item System Resources, the System Resources Menu Item provides a report on three key Windows resources: bytes of available memory, GDI resources, and User resources.  It changes in real time to show your currently available resources.  Although it is on the menu bar, it has no menu associated with it.

You may wonder why the System Resources menu item doesn't display System resources, as displayed in Program Manager's About box and other places.  It turns out that "System resources" is just Windows shorthand for "the smaller of User and GDI resources."  Why take up screen space with information you've already got?

Related Topics:

The Options Menu


Submitting Commands

When SmilerShell has the input focus, simply type any command, just as you would at the DOS prompt.  You can run Windows programs, DOS programs, or DOS internal commands like DIR or TYPE.  You can use CD or CHDIR to change SmilerShell's current directory.

DOS commands will run fullscreen or in a window, depending on how you have set  the DOS In Window menu item.

Or you can start any command with a right-bracket to toggle DOS In Window for just that one command (for example >copy foo.bat b:).

If you have toggled Inactives Stay Visible to allow it, then after SmilerShell runs a submitted DOS command, the final results are displayed in an inactive window.  That is, a window titled "(Inactive SOMETHING)".

When an "(Inactive..." window gets the focus as a result of  running a command, SmilerShell actively takes the focus back again, so you can continue running commands from SmilerShell.  Because Windows requires it, SmilerShell pauses briefly before attempting to take back the focus.  By default this pause is 1000 milliseconds (1 second), but you can set it by using the ini file parameter restoretime=.  How fast can you get away with on your system?

You can use the Edit menu option Remove Inactives (or simply press Alt+R) to destroy all the "(Inactive..." windows on your desktop.

Or you can start a command with an asterisk (for example *copy foo.bat b:) to toggle Inactives Stay Visible for just this one command.

An easy way to remember what the command line flags does is:

*  Flash! It's gone! (or, Flash!  A window appears!)

>  Moves from larger to smaller, or smaller to larger

The flags can be in any order.  For example, ">*dir *.exe" could be run.

Related Topics:

Using Arrows To Retrieve Previous Commands

Editing Commands

DOS Commands: Fullscreen Or Windowed

The Initialization File


Using Arrows To Retrieve Previous Commands

When you submit a command by pressing Enter, SmilerShell stores it internally in a command stack.  To retrieve a command, press the up/down arrow keys until the command you seek is displayed.  Press the up-arrow to see the previous command, or the down-arrow to see the next command.

You can search for a particular previous command to be displayed.  Let's say you want to find the command "dir \windows\system\*.ini /p" that you ran some time before.  Just type D before you press the up-arrow.  SmilerShell will find the most recent command that started with D.  You are not limited to just the first letter; you can type as much of the previous command as you need to specify the match you want.  If the first match isn't the command you are looking for, press that arrow key again until the command you want comes up.  The same match-string is used until you type something that changes a displayed command.  Matches are not case-sensitive.  The command-line flags (* >) are ignored when checking for a match.

To simply retrieve all commands in order, just make sure the command line is blank when you first press the arrow key.  You can clear the command line by pressing Escape.

You can also use the File menu's List Commands item to gain access to your entire command history.

Related Topics:

Submitting Commands

Editing Commands


Editing Commands

The normal editing keys allow you to move within the command line.  Use Home, End, left-arrow and right-arrow to move within the command line.  Ctrl+left-arrow move one word to the left, and Ctrl+right-arrow move one word to the right.  You can clear the command line by pressing Escape.

SmilerShell's command line can be in either insert mode or overtype mode.  Toggle this with the Options menu item Overtype, or just type Alt+O.  In overtype mode, a flag appears in the title bar, above the second 'e' in SmilerShell.

Related Topics:

Using Arrows To Retrieve Previous Commands

Submitting Commands

The Options Menu


Size Of Window

SmilerShell will accept commands of up to 128 characters (the DOS command line limit).  You can make the command line window as wide as you like.  However, there is never any need to make it more than one line high!  If you try, it snaps back.

When maximized, SmilerShell takes up only the top line of your screen.  You can set up a very useful configuration by setting SmilerShell as a topmost window, then maximizing it.

For a smaller SmilerShell window, use the Options menu to toggle off the menu bar, then mouse the window as small as you like.


Getting Rid Of Inactive Windows

The Options menu item Inactives Stay Visible controls whether, after SmilerShell runs a DOS command, the command's inactive window sticks around or goes away.  Use the initialization file parameter showinactives= to set this to your preference at startup.  If you don't specify a preference, then at startup SmilerShell sets the menu toggle to match the current systemwide  value found in the "_default.pif" file in your Windows directory.

If you've toggled Inactives Stay Visible to allow it, each DOS command ends by firing up its own "(Inactive..." window.  This is handy, letting you see the results of previous commands, but it does eventually clutter your screen.  To make them all go away, use the Remove Inactives item on the Edit menu, or simply type Alt+R.

To toggle Inactives Stay Visible for just one command, start the command line with an asterisk (*list foo.txt for example).  You can use this with the right-bracket flag if you want to (for example *>dir).  The flags can be in any order.

Related Topics:

The Edit Menu


About Internal DOS Commands

SmilerShell runs most DOS commands in a subshell.  For internal DOS commands that affect the working environment, this is tricky.  The subshell starts up with a copy of the parent's environment, things like current directory, environment variables, settable DOS version, etc. If you alter an environment variable or change directory in a subshell, the parent shell's information does not change.  SmilerShell can support all the internal DOS commands you're likely to want. In addition, there are four "semi-supported" internal DOS commands: CHCP, SET, PATH, and VER.  In DOS, these can both set and show environment values.  If you enter one of these, SmilerShell will show their current value.  However, because you are in a subshell, not your actual environment, you can't change these values in your actual working area through SmilerShell (or through Windows generally).

SmilerShell handles CD/CHDIR by itself. It changes the current directory on the specified drive, or its own current directory if no drive letter is given.  CD/CHDIR with no parameter shows the current directory.

To summarize:

Supported Internal DOS Commands: CD, CHDIR, COPY, DATE, DEL, DIR, ERASE, MD, MKDIR, PATH, REN, RENAME, RD, RMDIR, TIME, TYPE, VOL

Semi-supported Internal DOS Commands: CHCP, SET, PATH, VER

Unsupported Internal DOS Commands: CLS, CTTY, EXIT, PROMPT, VERIFY and the batch file commands.


Command Stack Files

If you have a set of commands you'd like to be able to load into SmilerShell, create a command stack file.  This is simply an ASCII file with one command per line.  By default, the command stack file name is "smishell.stk" and it is in the same directory as the ini file.  However, you can use any name, location, or extension you like.

You can load a command stack file automatically when you start SmilerShell by putting the file's name in the cmdfile=  line of your ini file.  Command stack files can also be loaded or saved at any time from the File menu.  Alternatively, if you want to pre-load just a few commands when SmilerShell starts, you can use the cmdstack= ini file parameter to list the commands right in the initialization file itself.

Related Topics:

The File Menu

The Initialization File


The Initialization File

You can initialize SmilerShell by setting parameters in an initialization file.  This is a plain-text file, so use Notepad or another ASCII text editor to edit it.  A convenient way of getting to your ini file is to use the Edit Ini File item on the File menu.  This sets you up to edit your initialization file in Notepad.  If you started SmilerShell without an initialization file, you'll be asked if you'd like to create one, filled with reasonable defaults, before proceeding. Then it'll set you up to edit it in Notepad.

If you want SmilerShell's initialization file to be named something other than "smishell.ini" or be somewhere other than the same directory as the SmilerShell program, give that information on the command line.  To do this, edit the SmilerShell icon's Properties using Program Manager's Properties dialog (it's under the File menu).  Add a space after "smilite.exe", then the flag "/ini=" and the drive and directory in which to find the ini file, with no embedded spaces, as in the following example:

         Command Line:	c:\smilite\smilite.exe /ini=c:\dir1\subdir2\myfile.ext

If you don't specify otherwise (in the initialization file), SmilerShell looks for any startup command stack file in the same directory as the initialization file.

SmilerShell's initialization file is set up just like every other ini file in Windows.  For each section, there's a section header in brackets, under which are entries that are set to values:

[SmilerShell Params]

cmdfile=smishell.stk

cmdstack=dir \dos;type \autoexec.bat;copy \config.sys junk.tmp;

confirmexit=TRUE

DOSinWindow=FALSE

overtype=FALSE

prevdir=<set by SmilerShell when exiting>

prevposition=<set by SmilerShell when exiting>

restoretime=400

showclock=FALSE

showdir=FALSE

showinactives=TRUE

showmenu=TRUE

showresources=TRUE

timeformat=12

topmost=TRUE

winwidth=500

You don't have to have all of the parameters.  They don't have to be in the order shown above.  If you don't specify a parameter, the SmilerShell default is used for it.  If you specify a parameter, you can comment it out by putting a semicolon at the beginning of its line.

The defaults, and the parameter meanings, are:

cmdfile=  File from which to pre-load commands.  By default, no filename specified, so no commands are pre-loaded.  The cmdstack= setting takes precedence over the cmdfile= setting.  That is, if commands are listed in the ini file using the cmdstack= parameter, they will replace any commands read in from a file named with the cmdfile= parameter.  This parameter is only read at startup.

cmdstack=   You can list the commands to be pre-loaded right in the ini file.  By default, no commands are listed, so no commands are pre-loaded.  Commands to be pre-loaded are all on one line, separated by a semicolon (see the example ini file above).  The ini-file command list is a convenience feature.  You can have up to 300 characters in this entry.  If you need more commands loaded, use a cmdfile= file.  This parameter is only read at startup.

confirmexit=TRUE   If this is TRUE (the default), you'll be asked to confirm that you really do want to exit from SmilerShell.

DOSinWindow=TRUE or FALSE; default is whatever the systemwide "_default.pif" flag is set to.   Do you prefer to run DOS commands fullscreen or in a desktop window?  If you don't specify,  the current systemwide value, found in the file "_default.pif" in your Windows directory, is the initial setting.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the DOSinWindow parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.   This parameter governs the initial setting of the DOS In Window item on the Options menu.  It is temporarily toggled when you use the right-bracket command line flag.

overtype=FALSE   By default, SmilerShell's command line is in insert mode, not overtype mode.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the overtype parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.

prevdir=<previous drive and directory>   You never need to touch this parameter.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, SmilerShell creates the prevdir parameter and saves its current directory there at exit.  Next time, SmilerShell starts up in this directory.  If you've set winwidth to PREV but there's no prevdir parameter at startup, SmilerShell starts up in the program directory.  This parameter is only read at startup.

prevposition=number, number, number, number   You never need to touch this parameter either.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, SmilerShell creates the prevposition parameter and saves its current location there.  The four numbers saved are the x, y, height, and width in screen coordinates.  If you've set winwidth to PREV but there's no prevposition parameter at startup, SmilerShell chooses its location as if winwidth wasn't specified.  This parameter is only read at startup.

restoretime=1000   How many milliseconds to pause before trying to regain the focus from an "(Inactive..." window.  Windows needs a little pause here.  How little can your system get away with?  Default is one second (1000 milliseconds).

showclock=FALSE   By default, the hour:minute clock on the title bar is not displayed.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the showclock parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.  By default, SmilerShell's clock uses a 12-hour (am/pm) format.  To use a 24-hour format, set timeformat=24.

showdir=TRUE   By default, the current directory is displayed as part of the SmilerShell window's title.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the showdir parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.

showinactives=default is TRUE or FALSE, whatever the systemwide "_default.pif" flag is set to.   After a DOS command ends, do you want to see the inactive results window or just have it vanish?  If you don't specify a preference, the current systemwide value, found in the file "_default.pif" in your Windows directory, is the initial setting.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the showinactives parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.  This parameter governs the initial setting of the Inactives Stay Visible item on the Options menu.  It is temporarily toggled when you use the asterisk command line flag.

showmenu=TRUE   By default, the menu bar is displayed.  If you've set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the showmenu parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.

showresources=FALSE   By default, resources are not displayed.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the showresources parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.

timeformat=12   By default, SmilerShell's clock uses a 12-hour (am/pm) format.  To use a 24-hour format, set timeformat=24.

topmost=FALSE   By default, SmilerShell is not always on top of other windows.  If you have set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time, the topmost parameter will be updated when SmilerShell exits.

winwidth=number or PREV   The initial width of the SmilerShell window, in Windows device units.  If you don't specify a winwidth, SmilerShell sets it wide enough to show the menu items.  This works out to about 500 Windows device units if showresources is TRUE, 300 if it's FALSE.  You can also set winwidth to PREV, indicating that you want SmilerShell to come up next time with the same location and status as it ended this time.  If you have, then at exit the system updates the parameters DOSinWindow, showclock, showdir, showinactives, showmenu, showresources, and topmost, and saves its current location and directory as the prevposition and prevdir parameters.  If you've set winwidth to PREV but there's no prevposition or prevdir parameter at startup, SmilerShell chooses its own location and startup directory as if winwidth wasn't specified.

Related Topics:

Command Stack Files


Why Is This A Shell?

The word shell is sometimes used for a wrapper that surrounds another application and hides it.  SmilerShell is the opposite of that.  It makes all the power of the command line available from an environment in which that power is not otherwise accessible.  But since it makes things more visible, rather than less visible, why is it called a shell?

It's a shell in another sense.  Maybe you've seen programs that let you "shell out" to DOS, for example WordPerfect's Ctrl+F1 command, Shell.  When you "shell out" it's like having a window into another environment, a pathway to a different level of functionality.  That's what SmilerShell is, and that's why it's a shell.


Notices

VERSION: SmilerShell Lite version 2.0, Special Ziffnet Edition.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Requires Microsoft Windows 3.1

SOFTWARE LICENSE: This version of SmilerShell L:ite is released through Ziffnet to be freely distributed to Ziffnet subscribers, who are welcome to distribute copies of SmilerShell Lite, in its entirety as distributed with this file, as long as none of the files in this package are modified or deleted.  Distributors must stop distributing SmilerShell Lite if asked to do so by the author.

DISCLAIMER: The author of this software package, Barry Smiler, has used his best efforts in producing this software and documentation.  These efforts include the research, development, and testing of the software, and production of the documentation.

WARRANTY: The author makes no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, with regards to the software or the documentation.  The author shall not be liable in any event for incidental or consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of this software package.

COPYRIGHT: All software and documentation copyright 1994 Barry Smiler.

PRICING: All prices subject to change without notice.

CONTACTING THE AUTHOR:  Barry Smiler, the author of SmilerShell, can be contacted through Compuserve email (72340,375), Internet email (72340.375@compuserve.com), U.S. mail (Bardon Data Systems, 1023 Key Route Blvd., Albany CA 94706), or phone (510-526-8470).


Uninstalling SmilerShell

SmilerShell tries to be considerate of the rest of your Windows system.  It does not put any file in any directory other than the directory you've installed it into.  To purge SmilerShell from your system, simply delete the SmilerShell icons from your Windows desktop and delete the SmilerShell files from the directory you put them in.  If you have put the SmilerShell ini file in another directory, delete it.

Related Topics:

Installing SmilerShell


Installing SmilerShell

SmilerShell includes the following files:

smilite.exe	the program

smilite.hlp	the documentation, in Windows Help format

readme.txt	overview and installation instructions

install.exe	automated SmilerShell installer

invoice.wri	how to purchase SmilerShell Standard Edition or SmilerShell Pro

You can install SmilerShell automatically, using the enclosed auto-installer.  To do this, simply run install.exe from within Windows.  You can run it using File Manager, or the Run item on Program Manager's File menu, or in whatever other convenient way you choose.  Give it the directory to put SmilerShell's files into, and the Program Manager group name for the SmilerShell icons (appropriate defaults are suggested).  It'll do the rest.

If you prefer, you can install SmilerShell manually:

1) Copy the files to a convenient directory on your hard disk.  (Actually, only smilite.exe and smilite.hlp need to be in this directory.  The others are not required to run SmilerShell.)

2) Put the SmilerShell icon into a program group.  To do this, bring up File Manager and set it to the convenient directory you chose in the previous step.  Then drag-and-drop smilite.exe into your favorite Program Manager group.  The SmilerShell icon should appear there.

(How to drag-and-drop: While the mouse is pointing at the word "smilite.exe" in File Manager, press and hold the left mouse button.  While continuing to hold the button down, move the mouse to point into your favorite Program Manager group.  Let go of the button.  The SmilerShell icon should appear in the group.)

Optionally, you can set up an initialization file.  See The Initialization File.  But if you start without an initialization file, SmilerShell will offer to create one and fill it with reasonable values, then let you edit it in Notepad before proceeding.

Optionally, give a non-default location for the initialization file.  See The Initialization File.

Optionally, you can create a command stack file, a list of commands you want pre-loaded into SmilerShell when you start.  See Command Stack Files.

Related Topics:

Uninstalling SmilerShell


Quick Start
Quick Start / Hints And Tricks

SmilerShell Lite is a Windows command line.  It's just like shelling out to DOS.  You type a command and press Enter.  It supports pipes, redirection, and internal DOS commands (and runs Windows programs too).  It works just like the DOS command line.  SmilerShell Standard Edition or SmilerShell Pro provide the best command line you've ever seen, as if the plain-vanilla DOS prompt was enhanced by lots of handy utilities.  SmilerShell Lite has fewer of these built-in utilities, but is still quite useful.   Here's how to get the most out of it.

Instant Install:  You can install SmilerShell automatically, using the enclosed installer.  To do this, simply run install.exe.  You can run it using File Manager, or the Run item on Program Manager's File menu, or in whatever other convenient way you choose.  Give it the directory to put SmilerShell's files into, and the Program Manager group name for the SmilerShell icons (appropriate defaults are suggested).  It'll do the rest.  The installer will make no changes to your system setup.  It just copies files to the directory you specify, and adds icons to the Program Manager group you specify.  If you choose to uninstall, just delete these files and icons.

Command History and Search: Every time you run a command, it is saved on the command stack.  To find a previous command of interest, type the first letter or two of that command, then press the up or down arrow key.  Up-arrow searches back, down-arrow searches forward.  It's a circular buffer, the last command is connected to the first, so you can search in either direction.

Command Line Editor: A retrieved previous command, or anything else you type, can be edited to suit.  Think of SmilerShell as a one-line word processor.  It supports insert mode, overtype mode, and clipboard cut/paste.

Get Small:  SmilerShell has a very small window, but you can make it even smaller.  Use the Options menu to get rid of the menu bar (or type Alt+M).  If you like, you can then mouse SmilerShell as small as it will go, about as big as two icons.

SmilerShell Never Forgets:  In the ini file, set winwidth=PREV and SmilerShell will start up next time in the same directory, in the same screen position, and with the same settings, as when you shut it down this time.

Change Ini File Settings On The Fly:  Click the Edit Ini File item on SmilerShell's File menu.  It'll start up Notepad with your ini file (and create an ini file first, if none exists).  When you're done editing and you close Notepad, SmilerShell will know.  It'll read the ini file and reset itself as indicated there.

DOS In A Window:  Do you prefer to have DOS commands run fullscreen or in a window?  Toggle this on the fly with the Options menu's DOS In Window item.  Or to run one command as if DOS In Window is set to the opposite of its current value, start that command with a right-bracket (for example >dir \dos).

Inactives Stay Visible:   After you run a DOS command, do you want the command's inactive window to stick around, or immediately vanish?  Toggle this from the Options menu.  Or to run one command as if Inactives Stay Visible is set to the opposite of its current value, start that command with an asterisk (for example *copy *.* b:).

Remove Inactives: Too many inactive windows cluttering your screen?  Get rid of 'em with this Edit menu item, or just type Alt+R from the keyboard.

Clock:  Toggle the titlebar clock from the Options menu, or just type Alt+C.  Prefer 12-hour or 24-hour time?  Use the timeformat ini file parameter.

Current Drive/Directory:  Toggle this onto the titlebar from the Options menu, or just type Alt+D.

System Resources:  Toggle the System Resources display onto the menu bar from the Options menu, or just type Alt+S, to see a real-time running report of your available Windows memory and resources.

Insert Or Overtype Mode:   Toggle this from the Options menu, or just type Alt+O.  In overtype mode a flag appears in the title bar, above the second 'e' in 'SmilerShell'.

Topmost Window:  Make SmilerShell a topmost window from the Options menu, or just type Alt+T.  That way, it's always visible and ready for use, even when you're working in another window.

Save Your Stack: You can save the current command stack to a file and reload it automatically at startup, or at any other time.  The startup loading is set up in the ini file.

Handy Configurations:  Make SmilerShell topmost, turn on the clock, turn off the menu, mouse it as small as it goes (about as big as two icons) and stick it in the corner.  The clock shows, and it's always ready for action.  Or make SmilerShell topmost and maximize it.  When maximized, it only takes up the top line of your screen, not the whole display.


DOS Commands Fullscreen Or Windowed
DOS Commands: Fullscreen Or Windowed

The Options menu item DOS In Window (Alt+W) controls whether active DOS commands called from SmilerShell run fullscreen or in a window.  Use the initialization file parameter DOSinWindow= to set this to your preference at startup.  If you don't specify a preference, then at startup SmilerShell sets the menu toggle to match the current value of the "_default.pif" flag.

To toggle DOS In Window= for just one command, start the command line with a right-bracket (example: >dir \dos). You can use this with the asterisk flag if you want to (for example *>dir).  The flags can be in any order.

Related Topics:

Submitting Commands

The Options Menu

The Initialization File


The Info Menu Item

SmilerShell Lite is the baby in Bardon's family of Windows command-line utilities. Choosing this menu item provides information on its bigger siblings, the mid-level SmilerShell Standard Edition, and for those who want the very best, SmilerShell Pro, the ultimate Windows command line.