Copyright: Copyright (C) 1993 Juan M. Aguirregabiria


Index

Introduction

Copyright

Commands

Procedures

Error and warning messages

Help

Bugs and suggestions


Intoduction
Introduction

Toolbar is intended to provide some features that I found lacking in the Program Manager and File Manager of the retail Windows 3.1. To start with, while working in File Manager, you can drag an item and drop it over some running programs. But if one of these programs is not running and you drop the item over its icon, the program is not started. Instead, the dropped item is added to the corresponding group of Program manager. Of course, sometimes this is just what you expected. One could say that the groups in Program manager are devoted more to organize programs than to run them. On the other hand, most programs still lack the ability to accept dropped files and you cannot use with them this drag and drop feature of Program Manager.

Since my screen tends to be cluttered with windows, I also wanted the possibility to locate (in a permanent and compact way) at a corner of the screen the utilities I use most often. Program Manager groups are nice but big and I do not need to see the names of my preferred utilities: I am able to recognize them by their icons. The utilities should be always at hand ready to be started by double-clicking at them (as in Program Manager) or by dropping an item on them. For instance, this is a nice way to provide the most important facility missing in File Manager: a file viewer.

Toolbar is the answer to these wishes. It provides an alternative to the groups of Program Manager with the following distinctive characteristics:

- It can be used either as a substitute for Program Manager (which, in turn, can be run from Toolbar), or as a normal application installed in Program Manager (or in the current shell program).

- It is more oriented to run programs than to organize them. There are more ways to run programs and more advanced settings can be used.

- All programs in  a toolbar are always visible (as long as the whole window is on the screen). They are held together in a very compact way, to be as unobtrusive as possible. Optionally, you can force a toolbar to be always visible on top of other windows. In order to save space, even the title bar can be used to have at hand useful information.

- Items from File Manager can be dropped virtually on any program installed as a tool. It only needs to be able to accept file names in the command line. Most MS-DOS and Windows programs have this possibility. A program can also be started by double-clicking at it or by using the ENTER key or a user selected accelerator key.

- You can choose among one instance of the program for each dropped file or, instead, a single instance to deal with all the dropped files.

- Programs can be easily added, removed and reordered. The corresponding caption, command line, working directory, icon and other options can be easily changed.

- You can implement a full tree of nested toolbars.

- You can drag files to and from Toolbar. Program Manager does not allow to drag its elements outside its windows.

- Apart from these distinctive characteristics, Toolbar works much in the same way than Program Manager.

- In fact, Toolbar is able to use (and to translate to its own format) group files from Program Manager.


Copyright

The program TOOLBAR.EXE, the help file TOOLBAR.HLP and the documentation file (TOOLBAR.WRI) are copyrighted:

Copyright © Juan M. Aguirregabiria 1993

All rights reserved

However, you are granted the right to freely use and distribute it for non-commercial use, as long as the aforementioned three files are held together and unchanged.

You have to pay nothing for using the program, but if you like it  you could consider spending some time in improving the spelling and writing in this documentation and in the help file. Since English is only a second language for me (well, you are right: only a fourth language), I would specially acknowledge any help in this job. Your work would be duly credited and you would receive future program updates as fast as possible.


Commands

To save space, Toolbar does not have its own menu. It uses instead the system menu that can be accessed in the standard ways (typing ALT+SPACE or clicking at the symbol in the upper left corner of the window). After the standard entries (Restore , Move, etc.) it adds the following entries:

Entry	Meaning	Accelerator key

New element...	Add a tool or toolbar	INS

Properties...	Change current element attributes 	ALT+ENTER

Remove	Delete the current element 	DEL

Options...	Change program preferences 	CTRL+O

Run...	Execute a program	CTRL+R

Use as shell	Use toolbar instead of Program Manager

Help	Open help index window  	F1

About Toolbar...	Version information


Procedures

Installing Toolbar

Using nested toolbars

Running Toolbar

Installing an element

Selecting an element

Changing element properties

Changing element order

Removing an element

Running an element

Using advanced options to run programs

Changing Toolbar options

Running programs

Using Program Manager's group files

Using Toolbar instead of Program Manager

Saving options, commands and tools

Dragging elements

Getting help

Reporting bugs (and suggestions)


Toolbar options dialog box

This dialog box is started by using the Options... entry in the system menu, or the  CTRL+O key combination. Apart from the self-explanatory OK, Cancel and Help buttons,  you can use the following items to customize the toolbar:

Rows: Select here the number of rows used to display the elements.  Columns will be automatically changed to reserve space to display all the elements.

Columns: Select here the number of columns used to display the elements.  Rows will be automatically changed to reserve space to display all the elements.

Frame: Select here the width, in pixels, of the frame to be drawn around each element. It can be 0 to display no frame and from 1 to 9 to display it with different widths.

Button like: If this entry is checked, Toolbar will display tool icons in the form of standard buttons.

Small font: If this entry is checked, Toolbar will use a small but very readable font to display tool captions (this allows seeing larger titles). If it is unchecked, it will use the same font as Program Manager.

Titles: If this entry is checked, Toolbar will display a caption under each element. If it is unchecked, captions will not be displayed to save space, except for the elements without icon, which will have the caption displayed instead.

Top window: If this entry is checked, the Toolbar window will be always visible over other windows on the screen (well, at least over other not top windows). If it is unchecked, the window can be covered by the active window in the usual way. Note that the property of being a top window is hereditary in Windows: child windows will have it and will be displayed over other windows. This can be a little inconvenient when displaying a help window.

Caption: In this entry you can select the caption to be displayed in the title bar of Toolbar. You can select here an arbitrary string, but some pairs of characters will have a special meaning.

Frequency: In this entry you can select the frequency, in seconds, at which the caption defined in the previous entry is refreshed to display the current values of the above defined information.

After a tool is started Toolbar look may change according to the state of the following four radio-buttons:

Do nothing: If this radio-button is checked, Toolbar will not change when one of its elements is activated by either way.

Minimize: If this radio-button is checked, Toolbar will be shown as an icon when one of its elements is activated by either way. This is specially useful when implementing a full tree of toolbars.

Hide: If this radio-button is checked, Toolbar will hide when one of its elements is activated. This is specially useful when implementing a full tree of toolbars and is a bit faster than the following possibility. To see again the hidden toolbar you try restarting it. The hidden toolbar will be made visible, so this will be a bit faster than the following possibility. This feature is not available when Toolbar is being used as the shell, because the retail Task Manager does not show hidden tasks and, thus, using a tool may lead to a situation in which nothing can be done, not even exiting Windows!

Quit: If this radio-button is checked, Toolbar will exit when one of its elements is activated. This is specially useful when implementing a full tree of toolbars.

When Toolbar ends the installed elements are saved to the INI file. Other options may be also saved according to the state of the following two buttons:

Options: If this entry is checked, Toolbar will save the current options defined in this dialog box as the default to be used in the next session.

History: If this entry is checked, Toolbar will save the last ten commands issued in the Run dialog box. In this way they will be available in the next session.


Rows

 Select in this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box the number of rows used to display the elements.  Columns will be automatically changed to reserve space to display all the elements.


Columns

Select in this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box the number of columns used to display the elements.  Rows will be automatically changed to reserve space to display all the elements.


Frame

Select in this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box the width, in pixels, of the frame to be drawn around each element. It can be 0 to display no frame and from 1 to 9 to display it with different widths.

See also Button like


Small font

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will use a small but very readable font to display element captions (this allows seeing larger titles). If it is unchecked, it will use the same font as Program Manager.


Button like

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will display element icons in the form of standard buttons. But, remember that they are not buttons; for instance, to activate one of them you must double-click at it. (Clicking once will only select it.)

See also Frame


Titles

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will display a caption under each element. If it is unchecked, captions will not be displayed to save space, except for the elements without icon, which will have the caption displayed instead.


Top window

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, the Toolbar window will be always visible over other windows on the screen (well, at least over other not top windows). If it is unchecked, the window can be covered by the active window in the usual way. Note that the property of being a top window is hereditary in Windows: child windows will have it and will be displayed over other windows. This can be a little inconvenient when displaying a help window.


Do nothing

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will not change when one of its elements is activated in either way.


Minimize

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will be shown as an icon when one of its elements is activated in either way. This is specially useful when implementing a full tree of toolbars (see Procedures).


Hide

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will hide when one of its elements is activated. This is specially useful when implementing a full tree of toolbars (see Procedures). To see again the hidden toolbar you try restarting it. The hidden toolbar will be made visible, so this will be a bit faster than Quit. This feature is not available when Toolbar is being used as the shell, because the retail Task Manager does not show hidden tasks and, thus, using a tool may lead to a situation in which

nothing can be done, not even exiting Windows!


Quit

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will exit when one of its elements is activated. This is specially useful when implementing a full tree of toolbars (see Procedures).


Caption

In this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box you can select the caption to be displayed in the title bar of Toolbar. You can select here an arbitrary string, but the following pairs of characters will have a special meaning and can be used to save space by using the title bar to display useful information:

Char pair	will be replaced by

%d	the current day (one or two digits)

%D	the current day (always two digits)

%m	the current month (one or two digits)

%M	the current month (always two digits)

%y	the current year (one or two digits)

%Y	the current year (always two digits)

%h	the current hour (one or two digits)

%H	the current hour (always two digits)

%i	the current minute (one or two digits)

%I	the current minute (always two digits)

%s	the current second (one or two digits)

%S	the current second (always two digits)

%f	the free memory in Mb

%k	the free memory in Kb

%b	the free memory in bytes

%r	the free resources percentage

For instance, %h:%I - %fMb - %r% will display a string in the title bar  in the form 1:02 - 3Mb - 71% indicating the current time, free memory and free resources.

The update rate of this information is defined in Frequency.


Frequency

In this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box you can select the frequency, in seconds, at which the  Caption in the Toolbar title bar is refreshed to display the current values of the displayed information.


Options

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will save the current options defined in this dialog box as the default to be used in the next session. If it is not set, only the installed elements are saved to the INI file.


History

If this entry of the Toolbar options dialog box is checked, Toolbar will save the last ten commands issued in the Run dialog box. In this way they will be available in the next session.


Tool properties and Toolbar properties dialog boxes

These dialog boxes are started when installing a new tool or toolbar (by using the New element... entry in the system menu, or the INS key) or customizing the selected tool or toolbar (by using the Properties... entry in the system menu, or the  ALT+ENTER key combination). Apart from the self-explanatory OK, Cancel and Help buttons,  you can use the following items to change the attributes of the element:

Title: The caption that will optionally be displayed to identify the element. If you do not provide any title, the element will remain installed only during the current session of Toolbar! (This can be useful to install a tool that will be used only during the current session.)

Program: This entry appears only in the Tool properties dialog box and contains the complete file specification of the program to be run, including optional parameters. You can enter directly the program specification or search for it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select program dialog box that will be displayed. Instead of an executable file you can also specify here any (document) file whose extension is associated by the Program Manager to an executable file. For instance, using file.wri you will actually get write file.wri; i.e., the write.exe program with the file.wri file as parameter.

File: This entry appears only in the Toolbar properties dialog box and contains the complete file specification of the INI file used by the nested toolbar. You can enter directly the file specification or search for it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select INI file dialog box that will be displayed.

Directory: The directory in which the program will be started. This entry is optional but highly recommended because many programs do not run properly if they did not started from the right directory.

Icon: This displays the icon that will represent the element in the toolbar. By default, the first icon in the executable file will be used, but you can select another icon by using the Change... button and the Select Icon dialog box that will be displayed.

Minimized: If the entry is checked, the element will start minimized. If it has not been selected,  you can still run the element minimized if  the SHIFT key is held down when the program is invoked.

Multiple: This entry controls the behavior of the tool when several files are simultaneously dropped on it. If the entry is checked, each dropped file will start its own instance of the program. If it is no checked, all the dropped files will be appended to the command line of a single instance of the program. Note that whatever this setting is, if different files are dropped at different times, each of them will get its own copy of the tool.

Fast load key: This optional entry lets you select an accelerator key that will start the element.

Advanced options: This entry lets you specify if you want to use advanced options in the Program command line. See Using advanced options to run programs.

Exactly as happens in Program Manager, when an MS-DOS application is minimized the icon selected in this dialog will be used, but Windows applications have their own icon displayed. However, there is an exception when using a toolbar that has been installed as element of another toolbar. Though it is a Windows program, if an icon has been selected in the aforementioned Icon entry, it will be used instead of Toolbar's icon and it will be displayed with a special look: as a button. A primary toolbar (i.e., a toolbar that has not been installed inside another toolbar) will use Toolbar's icon, but a power user can change this by adding to the corresponding INI file two lines in the form:

          Icon file=file

          Icon number=n

where file is the complete specification of the file containing the icon and n gives the order number (starting at 0) of the icon in the file. The second line can be omitted if the first icon will be used.


Title

This entry of Tool properties and Toolbar properties contains the caption that will optionally be displayed to identify the element. If you do not provide any title, the element will remain installed only during the current session of Toolbar! (This can be useful to install a tool that will be used only during the current session.)

Since the space used to display the title is so narrow, you can take advantage of the possibility of using two lines. Simply use the pair \n to indicate the line break. For example, One\nTwo will display One in the first line and Two in the second one.


Program

This entry of Tool properties contains the complete file specification of the program to be run, including optional parameters. You can enter directly the program specification or search for it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select program dialog box that will be displayed.

Instead of an executable file you can also specify here any (document) file whose extension is associated by the Program Manager to an executable file. For instance, using file.wri you will actually get write file.wri; i.e., the write.exe program with the file.wri file as parameter.

You can also use advanced options (see Using advanced options to run programs).


File

This entry of Toolbar properties contains the complete file specification of the INI file for the options and installed elements of the nested toolbar. You can enter directly the file specification or search for it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select INI file dialog box that will be displayed.


Directory

This entry of Tool properties and Toolbar properties contains the directory in which the program will be started. Though this entry is optional you should consider filling it, because many programs will only work properly if they started from the corresponding directory (most often their own directory).


Change

By default, the first icon in the executable file appearing in  Program will be used to represent the element in the toolbar, but you can select a specific icon by using this button of  Tool properties or Toolbar properties and the Select Icon dialog box that will be displayed.


Minimized

If the entry  of Tool properties or Toolbar properties is checked, the element will start minimized. If it has not been selected,  you can still run the element minimized if  the SHIFT key is held down when the program is invoked.


Multiple

This entry of Tool properties or Toolbar properties controls the behavior of the element when several files are simultaneously dropped on it. If the entry is checked, each dropped file will start its own instance of the program. If it is no checked, all the dropped files will be appended to the command line of a single instance of the program. Note that whatever this setting is, if different files are dropped at different times, each of them will get its own copy of the tool.

Remember also that MS-DOS programs have very short command lines (less than 128 characters). As a consequence, they can receive only some of the dropped files and the last received file can have its file name truncated. Nothing of this can happened is this entry is not checked.


Fast load key

This optional entry of Tool properties and Toolbar properties lets you select an accelerator key that will start the element.


Advanced options

This entry of Tool properties and Toolbar properties lets you specify if you want to use advanced options in the Program command line. See Using advanced options to run programs.


Using advanced options to run programs

If this entry of Tool properties and Toolbar properties is checked, before starting the tool Toolbar will scan the Program command line (after having appended eventual dropped files) to seek the following special options, which are not case sensitive:

If the Multiple instance option is checked, each dropped file will obtain its own copy of the the tool and you must control the exact location and format in which the file is passed to the tool by using one or several of the following options:

%P will be replaced by the complete file specification, including drive, directory, name and extension.

%F will be replaced by the file specification with the extension (and the corresponding period) removed; i.e., it will include drive, directory and name.

%D will be replaced by the file drive and directory. The trailing \ will be retained only in the case of the root directory.

%N will be replaced by the file name, excluding drive, directory and extension.

%E will be replaced by the file extension (without the starting period).

If the Multiple instance option is not checked, all dropped files will be appended with their complete file specification after the tool program. Nevertheless, you can place some options after all these files by using the following option:

%A The remaining of the command line will be appended after eventual dropped files. This is useful when the program needs options after file names, because by default names are appended to the end of the Program command line. It can appear only once.

All other % options will be deleted. To have fixed options in this form,

%% will be replaced by a single %. This is useful if your program needs its own % options.

Furthermore, you can prompt the user for additional information:

%Q A Toolbar is about to execute dialog box will be opened to let the user introduce additional options or change the current ones. This is useful when the program needs options that cannot be provided by drag and drop. It can appear only once and the command line will not be further scanned after this option. For instance, if you want to drop files over an archiving program called MyArc, you could use something like MyArc %Q to be prompted for the archive file name where the dropped filename must be added.


Toolbar is about to execute dialog box

This dialog box is started when a tool having the Advanced options property set in Tool properties and the %Q option has been included in the Program command line. You will be prompted with the actual command line that will be executed (including eventual dropped files). The cursor will be at the position indicated by %Q. You can then edit the line to add or change options. If OK is pressed the command line will be immediately executed. You can also choose Cancel to abort the procedure and Help to obtain help.

See also Using advanced options to run programs.


Select icon dialog box

This dialog box is started by using the Change... button in the Tool properties and Toolbar properties dialog boxes. Apart from the self-explanatory OK, Cancel and Help buttons,  you can use the following items to change the element icon:

File name: The complete file specification of the file containing the icon. The default is the program file but you can enter directly a new file specification or search it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select icon file dialog box that will be displayed.

Current icon: This list box lets you select the icon to be associated with the element. You can also select to have no icon.


File name

This entry  of the Select icon dialog box contains the complete file specification of the file containing the icon. The default is the program file but you can enter directly a new file specification or search it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select icon file dialog box that will be displayed.


Current
Current icon

This list box of the Select icon dialog box lets you select the icon to be associated with the element. You can also select to have no icon.


Select program, Select INI file and Select icon dialog boxes
Select program, Select INI file and Select icon file dialog boxes

These dialog boxes are invoked but not provided by Toolbar. They are three instances of  the common dialog box that most Windows 3.1 programs use to find and open a file. You are surely familiar with it and you can find a description in your Windows manual.


Run dialog box

This dialog box is started by using the Run... entry in the system menu of by using the   CTRL+R accelerator key. Apart from the self-explanatory OK, Cancel and Help buttons,  you can use the following items to select the program to be started:

Command line: The complete file specification of the executable file including optional parameters if necessary. You can enter directly a new file specification or search it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select program dialog box that will be displayed. Instead of an executable file you can also specify here any (document) file whose extension is associated by the Program Manager to an executable file. For instance, using file.wri you will actually get write file.wri; i.e., the write.exe program with the file.wri file as parameter. This entry also contains a list of the last ten commands.

Run minimized: Check this button if you want the program started as an icon.

Save command in history list: Uncheck this button if you do not want the command saved in the history list.


Command line

This edit box of the Run dialog box lets you enter the complete file specification of the executable file including optional parameters if necessary. You can enter directly a new file specification or search it through your disks and directory tree by using the Browse... button and the Select program dialog box that will be displayed.

Instead of an executable file you can also specify here any (document) file whose extension is associated by the Program Manager to an executable file. For instance, using file.wri you will actually get write file.wri; i.e., the write.exe program with the file.wri file as parameter.

This entry also contains a list of the last ten commands. They are also available across sessions if History is used. See also Save command in history list.


Run minimized

This check box of the Run dialog box lets you specify if the program to be launched must start reduced to an icon.


Save command in history list

This check box of the Run dialog box lets you specify if the program to be launched must be saved in the list of the last ten commands. See also History.


Installing Toolbar

To install Toolbar:

- Copy to the desired directory the executable file, TOOLBAR.EXE, the help file TOOLBAR.HLP and, optionally, the documentation file: TOOLBAR.WRI. When you execute it, Toolbar will install, in the same directory, the TOOLBAR.INI or the corresponding INI file.

- Install the program in a Windows group. You may want to install it in the StartUp group to have Toolbar automatically started at the beginning of each Windows session.

- You can use the dialog box of Properties (in Program Manager) to append to the command line the name of an INI file to be used instead of the default TOOLBAR.INI. In this way you can install and run simultaneously different copies of Toolbar. You can even install one or several trees of nested toolbars.


Running Toolbar

You can run Toolbar exactly in the same way as any other Windows program: by double-clicking on it, by using the Run menu entry, etc. If you find yourself using Toolbar on every Windows session, you could install it in the StartUp group to have Toolbar automatically started each time Windows starts.

The first time you run the program it will create the TOOLBAR.INI (or the INI file you selected in the installation process). In this file the program will automatically save information on the window location and appearance and on the installed elements. In this way, the next time you run the program it will start exactly at the same screen location and with the same elements and options.

If the program is running and you try to re-run it, the already running instance will be activated and its size restored if it was minimized. This can help locating the program if it gets lost under other windows. You can only have a running instance of Toolbar for each INI file, because I  cannot think of any advantage of having two exact copies of the program running at the same time. But, of course, by using different INI files, as described in the installation section, you can run simultaneously different toolbars. You can even nest them, (See Using nested toolbars.)


Using nested toolbars

You can implement a full tree of toolbars by simply installing in the main toolbar (which, to be always visible and at hand, would probably have the attribute  Top window set; see below) one or several secondary toolbars (each with a different  INI file and, probably, with the attribute  Minimize or  Quit set). This can be nested to any depth to give a very complete and yet unobtrusive way of accessing your tools. You could even use Toolbar as Windows shell by using the Use as shell command.


Installing tools
Installing elements (tools and toolbars)

To add an item (a tool or a secondary toolbar) to the current toolbar use the New element... entry in the system menu of Toolbar, or press the  INS key. (Alternatively, if there is some space in the toolbar with no element, you can double-click there.) After having selected the type of element in the New dialog box, the Tool properties or Toolbar properties dialog box will appear to let you define the new element. You can also drag a file from the Program Manager and drop it on the title bar of Toolbar. In this case, the Tool properties dialog box will  appear with default values for the  Title and  Program entries.

In any case, if you exit the Tool properties or Toolbar properties dialog box with OK, the new element will be installed and the Toolbar window will be resized to display it. You can change the appearance of this window by using the Options... menu entry.

You can also drag an element from a toolbar to another. It will be copied and no dialog box will be opened.


Selecting a tool
Selecting an element

To select an element you click once at it with the mouse or use arrow keys to change the selection. When an element is selected you can change its properties with ALT+ENTER, delete it with DEL and run it by pressing the ENTER key (or SHIFT+ENTER  if you want it to start minimized).


Changing tool properties
Changing element properties

To change the properties of an element, select it and use the Properties... entry in the system menu, or the  ALT+ENTER key combination. The Tool properties dialog box will appear to let you customize the element.


Changing elements order

To change the position of an element, pick it with the mouse and holding down the left button move the pointer (whose appearance will change to show the operation in course) over the place where you want to locate it; then release the mouse button.


Removing a tool
Removing an element

To remove an element, select it and use the Remove entry in the system menu, or the DEL key. You will be prompted to confirm the deletion.


Running a tool
Running an element

To run an element, you simple use the mouse to double-click at it. You can also select it as described above and use the  ENTER key. The third way to start an element is by using the Fast load key selected in the Tool properties dialog box.

The program will start minimized if you have chosen it as the default behavior in the Tool properties dialog box or if the SHIFT key was held down when the program was invoked.

To start a tool with a data file, you drag the latter from the Program Manager and drop it over the tool icon.


Changing program options

To change Toolbar options use the Options... entry in the system menu, or the  CTRL+O key combination. The Toolbar options dialog box will appear.


New tool...
New element...

This entry of the system menu (or the equivalent INS key) let you add a new tool or toolbar to the current toolbar. After having selected the type of element in New, the Tool properties or Toolbar properties dialog box will appear to let you define the new element.


New dialog box

This dialog box appears when installing a new tool or toolbar (with New element... in the system menu, or the INS key). Apart from the usual OK, Cancel and Help, there are only two radio buttons that let you select the kind of element, tool or toolbar, to be added. If OK is selected, the corresponding dialog box (Tool properties or Toolbar properties) will be opened.


Properties...

This entry of the system menu (or the equivalent ALT+ENTER key combination) let you customize  the current element of the toolbar. A Tool properties or Toolbar properties dialog box will be opened.


Remove

This entry of the system menu (or the equivalent DEL key) let you remove the current element from the current toolbar. You will be prompted to confirm the deletion.


Options...

This entry of the system menu (or the equivalent CTRL+O key combination) let you define some properties of the current toolbar. An Options dialog box will be opened .


Shell

It is the program used to organize and launch other Windows programs. Very often the shell is the Program Manager, but it is possible to use other programs (including Toolbar) for this job.


Run...

This entry of the system menu (which can also be accessed through the  SHIFT+R key combination) lets you run from Toolbar any DOS or Windows program (and not just the installed tools as described in Running an element). The Run dialog box will be displayed. The last ten commands are saved in an history list (and also across sessions if  History  is used).


Running programs

You can run from Toolbar any DOS or Windows program (and not just the installed tools as described in Running an element) Simply use the Run... entry in the system menu (or use the  SHIFT+R key combination). The Run dialog box will be displayed.


Using Program Manager's group
Using Program Manager's groups

Instead of a normal INI file, you can specify a group file from Program Manager (they are usually placed in Windows directory and have extension GRP). Toolbar will do its best to translate it. (To make sure that Toolbar chooses the right number of columns and rows, select Automatic in the Options menu of Program Manager.)

To save its configuration in the ordinary way, Toolbar will not use the group file, but an INI file with the same drive, path and name, but extension INI.

The next time the toolbar is started, it will read both the group file (to find the installed tools, the number of Columns and Rows, and the toolbar Caption) and the INI file (to find the remaining entries in Options).

Note that, in this way, tools that you add to the toolbar or individual Properties that you change will not be used in the next session. On the contrary, changes in the Program Manager's group file will be available in the next session. This may be what you expect, or  you might prefer to instruct Toolbar to use in future sessions instead of the group file the INI file that it has automatically created.

This is specially useful after a new program has been installed. Its group file can be readily converted to Toolbar's INI format.


Toolbar configuration dialog box

This dialog box may appear when Toolbar is using a Program Manager's group file to indicate that the INI file it will use already exists and does not correspond to the same toolbar. So, you are given the choice to overwrite it (pressing OK) or to use no INI file.


Use as shell

You can access this entry in the system menu to install Toolbar as a replacement shell and to recover Program Manager for the same job.

In any case, you will be given the chance to immediately restart Windows with the new shell. If you do not accept this (or if Windows does not actually exits because some DOS box is running or some other application refuses to finish) the new shell will be used only in the next Windows session.

Since after the file specification of the Windows shell program no command line can be added, you can only install as shell an instance of Toolbar that uses the implicit TOOLBAR.INI. Only in this case will be available this menu entry.

Note also that you can also install Program Manager as a tool to be started from Toolbar, much in the same manner as you can install Toolbar in a Program Manager group. Toolbars can be nested to any deep, unlike Program Manager groups (See Using nested toolbars). You may take advantage of the features of both programs.

The auto-start facilities provided by the StartUp group of Program Manager appear in Toolbar in the form of  the STARTUP.INI file, whose elements, after having being installed by Toolbar, will be automatically run when Windows starts if Toolbar is the current shell. The entries [load] and [run] of  WIN.INI are also correctly started.


Using Toolbar instead of Program Manager

If you really like Toolbar, you could try using it as a replacement shell. To do that, simply check in the Use as shell entry in the system menu.

To recover Program Manager as shell, use again the same command.

In any case, you will be given the chance to immediately restart Windows with the new shell. If you do not accept this (or if Windows does not actually exits because some DOS box is running or some other application refuses to finish) the new shell will be used only in the next Windows session.

Since after the file specification of the Windows shell program no command line can be added, you can only install as shell an instance of Toolbar that uses the implicit TOOLBAR.INI.

Note also that you can also install Program Manager as a tool to be started from Toolbar, much in the same manner as you can install Toolbar in a Program Manager group. Toolbars can be nested to any depth, unlike Program Manager groups (See Using nested toolbars). You may take advantage of the features of both programs.

The auto-start facilities of the StartUp group are provided by the file STARTUP.INI whose elements, after having being installed by Toolbar, will be automatically run when Windows starts and Toolbar is the shell. The entries [load] y [run] of WIN.INI are also correctly started.


Saving options and tools
Saving options, commands and elements

To minimize disk access Toolbar usually saves the list of installed elements, the current options (if  Options is On) and the last ten commands (if  History is On) only when the program exits. If the Windows session is ended abruptly (because some program crashes, for instance) you will lost the changes performed during the current session. To avoid this, you can save at any moment the current configuration without actually exiting by using the same trick that you can use in Program Manager and File Manager: simply try closing the program while holding down the SHIFT  key. In consequence, it is enough to press SHIFT+ALT+F4  to have the configuration saved.


Dragging elements

You can drag any element from a toolbar onto another toolbar (it will then be copied there) or, unlike from Program Manager onto any another program accepting dropped files. The result of the latter action will depend on the program. Nevertheless, some programs (including Program Manager and File Manager) incorrectly assume that they are the only programs able to provide dragged files. This can make less useful this feature of Toolbar when used with these programs.


Error and warning messages

The following messages are issued by Toolbar when necessary:

Cannot run another instance

A tool refused to start because only one instance of the program (or a necessary library) can be run.

Could not create a window

Improbable error that indicates that a window could not be created (perhaps by lack of memory).

Could not register

Improbable error that happens if it was not possible to add Toolbar window class to the Windows database.

Could not run the program

A tool refused to start. Perhaps there was not enough memory or the executable file was missing or incorrect.

Exit Windows?

If your answer is affirmative, Windows session will finish. It is only possible if Toolbar is the current shell.

File not found

A tool refused to start because the specified file has not been found.

Incorrect Windows version or mode

A tool refused to start because it was created for another version of Windows or because it cannot be run in the current (standard or enhanced) mode.

Invalid program file

A tool refused to start because the program file was corrupt or was created for another operating environment  (OS/2, for instance).

Missing or invalid file

An INI file must be indicated for each toolbar installed as a tool inside another toolbar.

No association defined for this extension

A tool refused to start because the specified file has an extension that is not associated to any executable program. Specify the latter or define the association in File Manager.

No program defined for this tool

A tool refused to start because you have not specified the file to be run.

No timer available

A kind of resource necessary to run Toolbar correctly is exhausted.

Not enough memory

There is not enough memory to pass files to a tool (or to perform other tasks). Try closing other applications.

Path not found

A tool refused to start because the path of the specified file has not been found.

Remove element name?

or

Remove the current element?

Last opportunity before deleting a tool from the toolbar.

Restart Windows now?

If your answer is affirmative, Windows will restart with the new shell.

This element has no name

It will not be available

in the next Toolbar session

Warning recalling you what will happen with nameless tools.

This file has no icon

Use icons in Program Manager?

If your answer is positive, Toolbar will show you the icons in PROGMAN.EXE.

Toolbar has no element

To add an element, press Ins

To get help, F1

Warning indicating that the current toolbar is void.

Two elements have now the same name

Only one of them will be available

in the next Toolbar session

Warning recalling you what will happen if tool names are repeated.


Help

You can access the Toolbar help index by using the Help entry in the system menu of Toolbar, or the  F1 key. From a dialog box the Help button gives access to the corresponding help topic.

You may want to consult the Using Help topic.


About Toolbar...

This entry of the system menu let you know the current version of Toolbar and some copyright information.


Browse...

This button of the Tool properties, Toolbar properties and  Select icon dialog boxes lets you search through your disks and directory tree for a file containing a tool or an icon. A Select program or Select INI file or a Select icon file will be opened.


Suggestions and bugs

The Author would highly appreciate receiving information about any bug or problem found in the program. Suggestions to improve Toolbar in future versions are also welcome. Write to:

Juan M. Aguirregabiria

Fisika Teorikoa. Zientzi Fakultatea

Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

P.K. 644, 48080 Bilbo (Spain)

Internet address: wtpagagj@lg.ehu.es

If you experience problems when minimizing non-Windows programs and are using an very low (CGA, EGA) or very high (8514, etc.) resolution card, try adding to the [Options] section of the INI file an entry in the form:

Use DDE=0