Specifications and Requirements ------------------------------- Software Title: Dialog Extensions for Windows Version 1.40 Author or Company: SP Services P.O. Box 456 Southhampton SO17 1LP United Kingdom E-Mail: 100016.1625@COMPUSERVE.COM Registration Fee: $20.00 Location: Windows Forum Software Library (WIN) Filename: DLGX14.ZIP Filesize (ZIPpped): 112,577 bytes Filesize (unZIPped): 189,920 bytes Keywords: Wollard, 3D, Control Panel, Utility, Win 3.1, Top Pick Requirements: Windows 3.1, mouse recommended. Rating (1-10): 9.5 Date of Review: 5/28/95 Installation Proceedures ------------------------ Installation Rating: 5 Description of Installation Process: (Manual Installation Only) You need to install the files for this program from DOS (not from the DOS prompt through Windows). This is because some of the files you need to change are used by Windows while it is operating. Therefore you will not be allowed to alter these files from within Windows. This has to be done from DOS. The program does come with a very thorough "readme" file which explains the installation and modification processes most clearly. I recommend printing the readme file and reading it over carefully before attempting any changes. If you do this you should have no problems. The benefits added by this program are well worth the couple of minutes it takes to install it correctly. Features -------- Listing/Description of Features: Dialog Extensions for Windows adds a "Make Directory" (creates a directory within the currently selected directory), "Delete File" (deletes the currently selected file), "Rename File" (renames the currently selected file), "File Information" (displays filename, size, time and date of last modification and file attributes for currently selected file), and a "Make Backup" (creates a backup of an existing file giving it the extension .BAK) button to the bottom of every Windows application's "File Open" and "Save File" dialog box. (It also adds these same features to the System Menu of all "File Open" and "Save File" dialog boxes along with Options, Help and About menu items). It also allows you to adjust the size of these dialog boxes to either small, medium and large. The small box is the same size as Microsoft's(tm) version (displaying a single column of files). The medium box displays two columns of files and the large box displays three columns of files! These boxes scroll horizontally instead of vertically (as in the single column list). Dialog 3D adds the gray 3D look to all other Windows dialog boxes. You can change the appearence of these 3D dialogs by using the 3D control feature which is added to Windows Control Panel. You can selectively disable either Dialog Extensions or 3D dialog boxes from an application if there are any program confilicts (or if you do not desire it in a particular application). Help/Documentation Rating: 8 Extensive "readme" and Windows format Help files answer almost any question you may have about the program. Summary ------- Dialog Extensions v1.40 adds those features to your Windows Open and Save dialogs you wish Microsoft(tm) had thought of. Let's say you want to save a file in a new directory but, forgot to create it before hand. Or you have just saved a new version of a file and now you want to delete the old one. Or maybe you want to rename a file your working on. What would have been the answer to this before? Open Windows File Manager! Well, you no longer need to enter File Manager to delete/rename a file or create a new directory. All these features are added to Windows' Open and Save dialogs! (The ability to show multiple columns of files in its list box is worth the price of registration alone!) You will not be disappointed downloading and registering this beauty (which is already on my list of all-time favorite/best Windows shareware programs). I completely recommend this wonderful Windows add-on. If you love Windows you will fall in love again. If you do not love, Windows then Dialog Extensions may help you like it - a lot. Problems and Suggestions ------------------------ List of Problems found: There is a mistake printed in the readme.txt file on how to use the selective disabling features of both programs. It tells you what line(s) you need to add to your "WIN.INI" file for it to work. This is INCORRECT.. You do NOT add them to your WIN.INI file. These lines are added to the SP-SERV.INI file instead. The correct information is given in Dialog Extensions' Help file. Adding the lines to your WIN.INI file will not do any harm but, it will not run the selective disabling either. Suggestions for improvements: A correction of the misprint in the readme.txt file listed above. (NOTE: I have contacted the distributors of Windows Dialog Extensions and they will correct this misprint in future releases of the program). Technical Support ----------------- Technical Support Rating: 9 Description: Questions I had about the program were answered within 24 hours (via E-Mail) with comprehensive and helpful responses. What do you get when you register? ---------------------------------- You receive a registration and serial number which eliminates the Shareware reminders (your name and serial number will also appear in the "About" box). If you wish to receive a floppy disk containing the registered version of the program it costs an additional $10.00 (this disk also contains other shareware programs by SP Services, so it is well worth the cost. You also have to take into consideration the high cost of mail from Europe to the USA). Disclaimer ---------- (DISCLAIMER: This review is provided for information/entertainment purposes only. The author will not be held responsible or liable for any problems which may occur in the use of any of the reviewed software. The author will also not be held responsible if the program reviewed does not operate, in the way stated. With there being so many system configurations possible confilcts/problems can arise which may prevent the reviewed software from operating in the way indicated. This is not the responsibility of the reviewer.)