Table of Contents
  GO version 1.0

copyright 1995 Gregory Coster.  All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

The Gist

The GO window

Quickly get going without reading much

Who and why?

How to...

Run a GO file automatically

Send key hits to a DOS box

Commands

File menu

Edit menu

Options menu


The GO window

The GO window is separated into three components.

At top there is the header area which indicates which action number is currently being edited.  The header also indicates what type of action it is and shows action level options.

A status area at the top right reports useful information to guide user input.

The middle panel is the edit area.  There is a different edit panel for every type of action.

At the bottom is the Actions reference list.  This indicates the sequence of all actions in the current .go file batch.


Run GO automatically
Run a GO file automatically

First of all, GO accepts .go files as command line arguments.  So if you launch GO with the command line

c:\go\go.exe test.go

it will cause GO to open test.go but otherwise start up normally.

However, if you launch GO minimized with the same command line, GO will load up test.go, and immediately execute all of the actions!  If you are using Program Manager, launching this from a group means that you hold down a shift key when you double-click the icon.

To automatically run a GO file from the StartUp group, you would check the Run Minimized box in the icon's Program Item Properties (where the Description, Command Line, Working Directory, etc. are contained).


Option checkbox
checking the Opt box makes GO prompt "Do you want to execute this action?" which gives the user the option of ignoring that action each time that GO file is executed.


DOS Box key hits
Send key hits to a DOS box

To remote control a DOS application requires two GO actions.  First, a Clipboard action is used to set the Windows clipboard text.  Then, a Command line action opens or finds a windowed DOS box and sends "% ep", without the quotes.  Note there is a space after the % character.

It is critical that the DOS application is running in a window and not full screen!  What we have actually done here is pasted the clipboard text into the DOS application.

It should be useful to look at welcome2.go and welcome3.go.  The former automates the creation of a .pif file with appropriate settings, and the latter uses this pif file and pastes key hits into the DOS boxes.  Read the Details on these for more information.


Clipboard action

This action clears the existing contents of the clipboard and places your unformatted text in it.  This is very similar to selecting text with a word processor and selecting Copy from the Edit menu, or by pressing CTRL-C from any text box.


Command line action

The command line is used to launch a program, or to find a program or window that already exists.  After the program is launched or found, or the target window is found, several things can happen.  (See Command line options.)

Selecting between launching, finding, and finding windows is done with the drop-box in the top left corner of the Command line edit area.  Selections are run, find exe, and find title.  The text box to the right will then require, respectively: a program to launch, a program to find (path must be included), or a window title to find.  As always, keep your eye on the status area for reminders.

When entering a program to launch of find, the elipses button to the right of the text box may be helpful.  It invokes a file browse dialog.

Searching for window titles is not case sensitive, and the wildcard characters ? and * are allowed.  Therefore, you can look for 'notepad -*'.  The catch here is that the window title must be unique, otherwise GO has no criteria to decide which window is correct!

Work dir

Enter a working directory name here for the program to run out of.  Leaving this blank causes GO to run the program out of the directory indicated by the command line, if one is given.

Key hits

Once the app has been launched or found, or the window has been found, GO can send key hits to it.  Normal keystrokes for 'A' or '2' can be entered directly, but non-standard keys like braces, ENTER, TAB, or F3 require special tokens, most easily accomplished by the Special character mode.  Note that key hits cannot be sent to system modal windows.  Sending key hits can prove to be troublesome, particularly with slower computers or when pasting text into a DOS session.  Splitting up key hits among several actions can prove useful when dialog boxes are invoked.  Use of the Wait action may also be helpful in some circumstances.


System modal window
window that seizes control of the system and demand user input before any other application can continue running or be accessed.


Special character mode

Special character mode gives the user a simple way to send not so simple key hits to a target app/window from a Command line action.

Enter Special charcter mode by pressing the goofy looking button to the right of the key hits text box, or by selecting 'Special charater mode' from the Options menu.  Exit special character mode by pressing the same button or by pressing the user-defined escape key as defined in the Options menu.  (The escape key will be flashing at you in the status area when in Special character mode.)

Aside from entering keystrokes into the Key hits text box, no operations can be performed while in this mode.  The user can go ahead and press any key (F7) or combination of keys (Shift-Alt-F7) and GO will translate these into the proper tokens ( F4, +%F4 ).


DDE action

In order to use DDE, some technical aspects of the target program must be researched.  Although conventions exist, each application's topics and useful messages are unique.

If there is a problem with your DDE setup, GO will respond with a DDE error.

The following example of a DDE execute causes Program Manager to show the group 'Main'.  It assumes you are using Program Manager and that you have a Main group.  Replacing the '1' in the message line with a '2' causes the Main group to minimize.

app = progman

topic = progman

item =  (blank)

DDE message = [ShowGroup("Main",1)]

This example of a DDE poke writes "GO was here!" into row1, column1 of a new Microsoft Excel worksheet.  It assumes you have Excel running with an open sheet named "Sheet1".  If you use GO to launch Excel, you may need to place a Wait action between the Command line and the DDE action because Excel takes some time to initialize.

app = excel

topic = sheet1

item =  R1C1

DDE message = GO was here!


DDE defined
Dynamic Data Exchange, a Windows method for communication between two active applications


DDE poke
the contents of the DDE message are placed into the target application as determined by the DDE topic and item


GoSUB action
GoSUB

The GoSUB action gives the user a way to branch off to other .go files.  Executing this action will actually load another instance of the GO program.  This action can be useful for sharing part of a GO routine, or for the case where a user always requires certain actions but other actions vary.

Add button

invokes a file dialog to select which .go file(s) to choose from when the action executes

Remove button

removes selected files from the GoSUB list

Wait / Parallel options

when a .go file is run from GoSUB, the calling GO can either wait for the GoSUBbed file to complete, or can continue in parallel with it

Force choice checkbox

forces the user to choose from the list by giving to option to Cancel from the GoSUB dialog

NOTE:  If force choice is selected, and only one .go file is in the list, then no dialog will appear but the single .go file will be selected automatically.


GoSUB dialog

When a GoSUB action has been run, this dialog appears (with one exception).  The top list displays the selected .go files the user can branch off to.  At the bottom are the notes for the selected file (as entered in the Details window).

Choose the Pick button to run the selected .go file.  As long as the Force choice option was not selected, a Cancel button will also be available.

THE ONE EXCEPTION:

If the Force Choice option had been chosen, and only one .go file was in the list, the dialog will NOT appear.  Instead, the one file will be run automatically.


Wait action

The wait action simply halts execution for a specified length of time.  Dull as it may be, this action may prove necessary in some circumstances.  When loading up a large spreadsheet application, for example, it may be necessary to wait several seconds before the application is ready to recieve DDE commands.  Sometimes you may just want to pause to allow the user a chance to read something.

Seconds scrollbar

enters the duration to wait, valid between 0 and 50 seconds

Show time window

check to watch a countdown of time remaining

Wait for User

check to require user acknowledgement before continuing

Test button

try it out


Wave action

The wave action simply plays a .wav file.  It always plays asynchrously, that is, GO does not wait for the sound to finish before continuing.

Directory list box, drive drop down box

selects the directory of your .wav file

Source button

moves the directory and drive boxes to the current .wav file's path

Test button

plays the highlighted .wav file, but does not select it

.WAV list box

shows all .wav files in the selected directory;  double-click or press [ENTER] to select


DDE Errors

Following are typical DDE errors generated by using the GO DDE action.

No foreign application responded to a DDE initiate

The app or your topic is incorrect.  Also check to be sure that your target application is actually running!

Foreign application won't perform DDE method or operation

The message wasn't accepted by the target application.  Check spelling thoroughly!

Timeout while waiting for DDE response

The foreign application accepted your message, but did not have time to respond.  Try increasing the timeout value.  Other running apps may slow the target application's response time as well.


Details
File Details

This window gives the user access to notate the GO file as well as update file-specific parameters.  The notes will be visible to a user when choosing from multiple files in a running GoSUB action.   Notes are not mandatory but for user reference only.

Automatically unload GO after execution

checking this option causes GO to unload itself after it has automatically run a .go file at startup

Remain minimized after execution

checking this option makes GO stay minimized after execution has finished

Make GO invisible during go

checking this option hides GO during execution of .go files


File Menu

New

start a new .go file

Open

open an existing .go file

Save

save the current .go file

Save As

save the current .go file with a new file name

Details

notate the current .go file and set execution options

Scan running apps

scan all currently active applications and optionally insert command line actions

Go

run the current .go file, do not automatically unload

Exit

exit the program


Scan running apps
Scan running applications

This feature scans all currently running applications and yields a suggested list of Command line actions which can be inserted into the current .go file.

Show invisible apps

check this option to also scan for apps with only inivisible windows

Insert button

pressing this button inserts all selected actions into the current .go file at the current location in the actions reference list

Grab normal coords

when inserting the currently selected actions, the scanned normal window positions will also be inserted with the action;  coords will also be selected automatically

Grab minimized coords

when inserting the currently selected actions, the scanned minimized window positions will also be inserted with the action;  coords will also be selected automatically

WARNING!

DOS boxes will show up in the list incorrectly

go.exe will be in the list

suggested find title command lines may be inadequate

system files may show up (e.g. user.exe)

minimized programs can make "floating toolbar" windows invisible


Edit Menu

Insert

add space for a new action at the current position in the Actions reference list; defaults to a Command line action

Copy action

place the current action into a copy buffer;  will only works when the focus is on the Actions reference list

Paste action

insert and then paste the copied action into the Actions reference list at the current position

Remove

removes the current action

Clear list

just remember, there is no UNDO

Next action, Previous action

navigate through the Actions reference list

Move action down, Move action up

push the current action up or down through the Actions reference list;  you can also use CTRL-UP and CTRL-DOWN when in the actual list


Options Menu

Show reference list

Hot reference list

Special character mode

Set escape key


hot ref list
When this is checked, double-clicking on an item in the actions reference list causes GO to run that action.


set escape key
When in special character mode, only this user defined key and the special character mode button will allow you to exit back to normal usage.


command line ops
Toggles whether the actions reference list is visible.


Actions reference list

This list summarizes the actions in the active GO file.  When scrolling through this list, the index will update in the header area.

TESTING:

Double-clicking on an item out of the list will execute just that item.  This can be useful for testing your batch.  This feature will not work if the Hot reference list option becomes unchecked!

NOTE:

Only when working in this list can an entire action be copied.  (Copy from the Edit menu.)


Command line options

Max

maximize the window

Norm

normalize the window (same as selecting Restore from the system menu)

Min

minimize the window

Hide

hide the window

Coords

position the window to coordinates specified by pressing the Set button

It may be helpful to understand the order of command line operations.


Win coords mode
Window coordinates mode

Pressing the set button from a Command line action toggles the command line edit panel into Win Coords Mode.  Here the user can specify the exact coordinates of the target window.

Left and top coordinates are referenced from the top left corner of the screen.  Therefore if you wanted to place a window in that corner, you would enter 0 for Left and 0 for Top.  Remember, changing video resolution modes will affect the relative sizes of windows!

Press the OK button to toggle back into the standard edit panel.  When in the Window coordinates mode, only actions with the Coords option set will display this edit panel.

TIP:

It is much easier to use Scan running apps from the File menu to automatically grab all information about an already active window, including the normal and/or minimzed coordinates.


Command Line operations

In the instance that you have selected a working directory, key hits, max, min, norm, hide, and coords... it may be useful to know the order in which these operations will occur.

1.  GO moves to the working directory (or the app's directory if none is specified).

2.  GO either executes the command line, attempts to find the command line program, or attempts to find the window, based upon the operation.

3.  If key hits or any command line option has been requested, GO will try to wait until the application becomes visible.

4.  GO sets the coordinatates of the window.

5.  GO Maximizes the window.

6.  GO Normalizes the window.

7.  GO sends the requested Key Hits to the window.

8.  GO Minimizes the window.

9.  GO hides the window.

If a different order is required, then two Command line actions must be used.  The second action must then either use the Find Exe or Find Title option.


Find Exe
When a Command line action is set to Find Exe, GO will search all active, visible windows and will act on the first one it finds.  It is important to use the entire path and filename when searching for an active executable.  If you know that the application has more than one active window, it may be more precise to Find Title instead.


Find Title
When a Command line action is set to Find Title, GO will search all active windows (even invisible) for a window with the requested title bar.  Wildcards * and ? are allowed.  If two or more windows are found, GO will return an error.


Run exe
When a Command line action is set to Run, GO will attempt to execute the indicated command line, just as if you had typed the command line manually from your Windows shell program (e.g. Program Manager's Run menu command).


CL operations
the drop-down list box which determines whether to run, find an already running exe, or find a window with a known title


  Command line errors

Following are typical errors generated by using the GO Command line action.

File not found

The path / filename given for a Run type Command line action is not valid.

Working directory is invalid

The path given for a working directory is not valid.

Could not locate running program

The requested Find Exe program could not be found.  Remember that an entire path and filename are required!

Could not locate started app before ESCAPE was pressed

The application started but did not become 'avaliable' before ESCAPE was pressed by the user.

Could not locate active window with given title

The requested Find title window caption could not be found.  Be wary of using Scan running apps to automate searching for window titles because the suggested titles may be too exact, e.g., Notepad - (MY_STUFF.TXT).  Remember that the wildcards * and ? are allowed here.

N windows were found.  Go will not assume which is correct!

N stands for some number.  The requested Find title window was not specific enough!  Remember that locating window titles will look at invisible windows, too.

Application unloaded itself!  Go could not act on it.

Some programs will/can not tolerate two running instances of themselves.  If you try to run and then minimize, for example, the Macro Recorder when one is already on this system, then the second instance will start, realize that it is in fact a second instance, then unload itself!  Therefore, there is nothing left for GO to minimize!

GO was instructed to minimize a disabled window

For your safety!  If a window is disabled (as app windows become when a dialog box or message box pops up) GO chooses not to minimize it.  It can often cause the user to be locked out of that application because any message box will minimize with the app, such that the user can never cause the app to re-enable itself.


Quickly...
Quickly get going without reading much

GO will run six different types of Windows actions.  The current action is indicated in the drop box in the header area.

Clipboard

Command line

DDE

GoSUB

Wait

Wave

GO will execute a batch of these actions in sequence.  The sequence is summarized in the list box at the bottom of the window.  This is the Actions reference list.  You can test an individual action by double-clicking an item in this list, so long as the Hot reference list option is selcted from the Options menu.

The following assumes you want to use GO to automate launching and manipulating several Windows apps:

1.  start all the apps manually

2.  minimize, maximize, position them where you like them

3.  start a new GO file and select Scan running apps form the File menu

4.  showing is a list of proposed actions, executables, and window titles;  pick the ones you need and the coordinates options, then press the arrow to select them into your GO list

5.  close the Scan Running Apps window

6.  edit the actions in the GO list to suit your needs

7.  close the appropriate apps and test your GO file

8.  add notes and set options through Details under the File menu

9.  if you want, add an icon to your shell program to run the GO file automatically


Who and why
Who and why...

GO is useful for anyone who wants at anytime to launch several Windows applications and configure where their windows and icons are placed on the desktop.  If you are continually loading the same programs, opening the same templates, setting the same options, moving the same windows about, all before you get to work, then GO is for you.

Placing GO in a Program Manager StartUp group allows you all of the options of the StartUp group, plus the ability to optionally launch programs.

GO is a DDE "server".  After an application is launched, it can be used, for example, to automatically run several macros or to poke data into certain fields.

Using the key hits feature, a GO file can automate tedious routines or even remote control applications for demonstration or configuration.

GO can even completely hide applications from the desktop!  If you use, for example, Macro Recorder or a customized cursor application that leaves icons cluttering about, just use a GO Command line action to launch these programs and check the Hide box!

You can use GO to place text on the Windows clipboard or to play .WAV files.  GO supports a branching action which may be useful for some individuals or workgroups.

GO is NOT a full featured command line / batch program.  It is geared around getting you up and going fast by automating the things you do every time you boot up.


Action level options

Aside from setting the type of action, the header area of the GO window also lets the user set two action-level options.  Neither of these options affect the "test run" feature of double-clicking in the Actions reference list.

Active checkbox

this option is useful for temporarily disabling an action

Opt checkbox

checking this option for any particular action causes GO to prompt "Do you want to execute this action?" when that action is being executed


Registration info
Registration Information

GO is distributed as shareware.  You can freely pass it along to others and evaluate it yourself for a 45 day period.  But it is a copyrighted program that is not free.  You should review the licenee agreement.  If you like GO and find it useful, please register it!

What you get:

a registration number for each license

upgrades free for all of eternity (just download from wherever)

notification of new releases (if an e-mail address is given)

How to do it:

print and fill out the registration form and send in the stuff

wait for your registration info (e-mail or conventional)

run GO_REG.EXE (it's in the directory with GO.EXE)

type in your name and registration number as it appears in your registration info

that's it- there is nothing new to install

Remember!!!

Your registration number is important.  Don't lose it.  If you upgrade computers, swap hard drives, etc. you will need to run GO_REG.EXE on the new machine with your old number!


GO_REG.EXE

This supplied program is used to register GO.  It should be in the same directory as GO.EXE.  Just fill in the blanks after you have received your registration information, then press the Register button.


Registration form
GO version 1.0

Registration Form

To order GO send this form and a check to the following address. Payments must be made by check in US dollars drawn on a US bank.  This form can be printed by selecting Print Topic from the File menu.

Gregory Coster

PO Box 24449

Cincinnati, OH 45224-0449

single copy	1 copy @ $20 =	________

2 to 9 copies	___ copies @ $15 =	________

10+ copies	___ copies @ $12 =	________

Ohio residents add 5.5%	+	________

Total Payment	________

__  E-mail my registration information

__  Mail my registration information

Name  ______________________________________________

Company ____________________________________________

Address 1  ___________________________________________

Address 2  ___________________________________________

City, State, Zip  _______________________________________

Country  ____________________________________________

E-mail address  ______________________________________

I obtained GO from:

__ a BBS

__ an online service

__ from a friend

__ other _____________________________________________

Comments, suggestions, gripes

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________


License agreement
License Agreement and Disclaimer of Warranty

For ordering information, please see Registration Information.

License Agreement

You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using GO.  If you do not agree to the terms in the following License and Disclaimer of Warranty, you should erase all of your copies of GO and not distribute it.

You are licensed to use GO unregistered for a 45 day evaluation period.  You may make as many copies of it as you like and may freely distribute the COMPLETE and UNMODIFIED version by any means, so long as ALL of the ACCOMPANYING FILES are INTACT and UNMODIFIED.  However, you may not charge a fee or request donations, except for a reasonable duplication and distribution charge.

A single registered copy of GO may be used by a single person exclusively on one or many computers, or may be used non-simultaneuosly by several users on a single computer, but not both.  However, the registration will not expire and will be valid for any and all subsequent releases of GO.

You are prohibited from reverse engineering, or disassembling the software in any way.

Any copying or redistribution of GO that is not in accordance with this Agreement is in violation of federal copyright law.  Unregistered use of GO after the 45 day evaluation period is in violation of federal copyright law.

Disclaimer of Warranty

"GO" AND ALL OF ACCOMPANYING FILES (HEREAFTER REFERERED TO AS "THE SOFTWARE") ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  THIS INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  THE USER WILL ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF ANY AND ALL USES OF THE SOFTWARE.  TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS,  LOSS OF INFORMATION, OR ANY SPECIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY USE OR MISUSE OF THE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR LOSSES.  IN ANY EVENT, THE AUTHOR'S ENTIRE LIABILITY WILL BE EXCLUSIVELY LIMITED TO THE REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE.

USE OF "GO" FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE LICENSE AGREEMENT AND THE DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY.

This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.