Pot Pourri

Pot Pourri is an assortment of Windows 3.1 desktop customising features rolled into a single utility.

Pot Pourri is always iconised - it has no main window.

Features are accessed through Pot Pourri's system menu.

Pot Pourri's system menu is shown below.

For help on a specific feature, simply click on the relevant menu item...

Note: All settings and configuration options are automatically saved when you terminate Pot Pourri or exit Windows.


About box

Displays a message box containing the Pot Pourri copyright notice, license conditions and current version number.


Panic Button option

When the Panic Button option is turned on, you can force all running Windows applications to minimise themselves. This is achieved by double-clicking with the right-hand mouse button on any non-client area of any application window, eg. title bar, sizing border, or menu bar.

This option can be turned ON or OFF simply by clicking on the menu item.

The current setting is shown by the check-box to the left of the menu item.

 indicates that the option is turned off.

 indicates that the option is turned on.


System Noises option

When the System Noises option is turned on, Pot Pourri will automatically play an appropriate system sound whenever an application displays a message box. The sound that is played will depend on which system icon the message box contains.

This feature only works on systems with sound cards configured for use with Windows 3.1, or systems using the Microsoft Speaker Driver for Windows.

This option can be turned ON or OFF simply by clicking on the menu item.

The current setting is shown by the check-box to the left of the menu item.

 indicates that the option is turned off.

 indicates that the option is turned on.


Custom Cursor option

When the Custom Cursor option is turned on, the appearance of the mouse pointer will change to an alternative image chosen using the Pot Pourri Configuration dialog.

This option can be turned ON or OFF simply by clicking on the menu item.

The current setting is shown by the check-box to the left of the menu item.

 indicates that the option is turned off.

 indicates that the option is turned on.


Instant Repaper option

When the Instant Repaper option is turned on, you can change the current desktop wallpaper simply by clicking on the desktop using the right-hand mouse button. This causes Pot Pourri to pick the next entry from its wallpaper list. Repeated clicking will cause Pot Pourri to cycle through the list.

This option can be turned ON or OFF simply by clicking on the menu item.

The current setting is shown by the check-box to the left of the menu item.

 indicates that the option is turned off.

 indicates that the option is turned on.


Wallpaper command

The Wallpaper command allows you to change the current desktop wallpaper, by selecting a new wallpaper from the current Pot Pourri wallpaper list. The list appears as a popup menu. A tick mark will indicate the current desktop wallpaper, if it appears on this list.


Wallpaper list

A list of your favourite desktop wallpaper bitmaps, which you enter and which Pot Pourri then saves. The list is set up using Pot Pourri's Configuration dialog. A specific bitmap can be selected from the list at any time using Pot Pourri's Wallpaper command, which presents the list as a popup menu.


Help command

Invokes the help file that you are reading at this very moment.


Close command

Standard system menu option. Closes the application.

NOTE: Selecting the Close command with the Shift key held down will cause all Pot Pourri settings to be saved immediately, without closing the application. This is similar to the undocumented Program Manager save feature.


Move command

Standard system menu option. Allows the application to be moved to a different location on the desktop, using the keyboard rather than the mouse. Use the arrow keys to move the application. Then press Enter to drop the application at the new location.

To move the application using the mouse, simply move the mouse cursor over the application's icon or title bar, hold down the left button, then drag the application to a new location. Release the mouse button to drop the application at the new location.


Switch To command

Standard system menu option. Brings up the Windows Task Manager, allowing you to switch to a different application. Alternatively, you can use Alt+Tab or Alt+Esc to switch to another application - simply hold down the Alt key, then tap the Tab key or Esc key until you reach the required application (Note: Alt+Tab and Alt+Esc work in slightly different ways - try them out!).


System menus

Most Windows applications have a "system menu" containing a set of standard commands that are common to all Windows applications, such as Close, Move and Switch To.

The system menu appears as a special button in the top-left corner of an application's main window. The menu is accessed by simply clicking on this button. When an application is minimised (ie. iconised) the system menu can still be accessed, by simply clicking on the icon.


System Sounds

Windows 3.1 defines a set of system sounds. Each sound is supposed to be played when a certain type of event occurs. Unfortunately, the Windows operating system and most Windows applications do not exploit this facility.

System sounds are configurable through the Sound window of the Control Panel application. From this window, it is possible to assign a specific waveform to each type of system sound.

Standard system sounds include :-

Question

CriticalStop

Exclamation

Asterisk (Information)

Pot Pourri's System Noises option makes up for the lack of use of system sounds, by automatically playing a system sound whenever an application dispalys the corresponding system icon.

System sounds are only audible on systems with sound cards configured for use with Windows 3.1, or systems using the Microsoft Speaker Driver for Windows.


System Icons

Windows 3.1 defines a set of system icons which applications can use to indicate that a certain type of event has occurred, or to indicate the nature of a particular message or prompt. Standard system icons include :-

Question

Exclamation

Information (Asterisk)

Stop (Hand)


Icon Font command

The Icon Font command allows you to change the font that Windows uses for drawing the captions on icons. This affects icons on the desktop (for minimised applications), plus icons for minimised MDI windows such as Program Manager's group windows.

The command produces the following dialog box, which allows you to change the current system icon font :-

Note: Program Manager contains a bug which means that although its group icons will change fonts immediately, the application icons within each group will not use the new font until you have exited and restarted Windows.


Configuration

Pot Pourri Configuration

The Configure command allows you to create and edit your wallpaper list, as well as change certain other Pot Pourri settings. The command produces the dialog box shown below. This is divided into the following three sections :-

Custom Cursor	-	Alternative mouse cursor images for Pot Pourri's Custom Cursor option.

Pot Pourri Icon	-	Controls the appearance of the Pot Pourri icon.

Wallpaper	-	Allows creation and editing of the wallpaper list.


Configuration, Custom Cursor

Pot Pourri Configuration - Custom Cursor

These configuration options define how the mouse cursor should appear when the Custom Cursor option is turned on. Separate images can be specified for the normal (arrow) cursor and the hourglass cursor. Current choices of cursor shape are as follows :-

Normal Cursors	Hourglass Cursors

Standard	Standard

Large	Large

Hand	Hand

Alien	Antique

Star Fleet


Configuration, Pot Pourri Icon

Pot Pourri Configuration - Pot Pourri Icon

These configuration options define the appearance of the Pot Pourri icon itself.

Material

Plastic

Gold

Silver

Wood

Elaborate

When this option is turned on, little objects will appear inside the Pot Pourri

icon representing which of the Pot Pourri toggle-able options are currently active.

Red button	Panic Button option

Musical note	System Noises option

Arrow cursor	Custom Cursor option

Paint brushes	Instant Repaper option


Configuration, Wallpaper List

Pot Pourri Configuration - Wallpaper List

These configuration options are for creating and editing the wallpaper list. The list is maintained in alphabetical order of name. Next to each entry in the list there is a symbol indicating how that bitmap is to be displayed on the desktop :-

Centred (used for large bitmaps)

Tiled (used for small repeating-pattern bitmaps)

Add

Creates a new entry in the list. Produces a dialog allowing you to specify the entry's full name, the path and filename of the desired bitmap, and an indicator of whether the bitmap should be Tiled rather than Centered.

Remove

Removes all selected entries from the list.

Edit

Modifies the selected list entry. Shows the same details as the Add dialog above.