Copyright: Visual Help Copyright® 1993 Firas Bushnaq


CONTENTS
Boom Box for Windows Version 1.0

Copyright © 1994 by John N. Hodges All Rights Reserved

Introduction

Getting Started

Selecting Sounds to be Played

Associating Sounds to Windows Events

Options

Using bbx files

 Play Button

 Edit File Button

 Editor Button

 Help Button

 About Button

 Ok Button

 Exit Button

Version History

Other Programs by Me

The Shareware Concept

How to Order

How to Register

Order Form


Introduction

     Boom Box for Windows is a fun, basically useless utility that can liven up any Windows session.  It will play Wave files based on the sixteen Windows events listed in the Events list box.  I've seen other program around that do the same thing, but I think Boom Box for Windows is cheaper, easier to use and just as good.  I hope you think so, too.

Getting Started

About


STARTED
Getting Started

     To make Boom Box for Wndows work, you must first place the included file BWCC.DLL somewhere along your DOS path.  The best place is probably in your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.  This is the file that provides the colorful buttons and 'chisled steel' look.  If you already have this file, then keep the one that has the most recent time stamp on it.  The other important file is SNDHOOK.DLL.  That file can go along your path or remain in the same directory as Boom Box itself.  This file contains the code that snags the Windows events and allow Boom Box to play all those cool sounds.  Other than that, Boom Box should be easy to get up and running.  Just double click on it and away you go!

     Please remember that Boom Box won't be able to make a peep if you do not have some sort of sound driver installed in Windows.  It will work best with a sound card, though it will play sounds with the Microsoft Speaker Driver.


ABOUT
About Dialog Box

     This button brings up the "About" dialog box.  It gives the current version of Boom Box as well as the obligatory copyright notice.  This program was written by me, Nick Hodges.  I am a Lieutenant in the United States Navy and am currently attending the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, working towards a Masters of Science in Information Technology Management.  I will be attending there until September of 1995.  I don't know my next duty station.  If you are reading this and it is after the above date, you undoubtedly have an older version (at least one without my current address!!!)  Look for the latest one on Compuserve or America Online and register that!

     I wrote this program in Borland Pascal 7.0.  Don't believe what they say about C++ being the only language to write Windows programs, as Pascal is a very powerful and well structured language.  So far I am completely self taught (well, the good people of Team Borland on Compuserve's BPASCAL forum helped a bit!) and am pretty happy with the results.  I really enjoy programming and harbour a secret desire to one day make a living doing it. (I have a few years left in the Navy to do first!!)

     This program may be distributed by any Shareware reseller as long as only a reasonable charge is asked for the distribution disks. BOOMBX??.ZIP itself or any of it's components may not be sold for any price. It may be freely distributed as long as it is not altered in any way and this Help file and the executable file are included with it.

Nick Hodges

How to Register

Order Form


NICK
Post Office Box 221096
Carmel, CA 93922
TEL: 1-408-393-1547
FAX: 1-408-393-9626
Compuserve: 71563,2250
America Online: NHodges


REGISTRATION
Registration Information

     To register Boom Box, select the System Menu by clicking on the little box in the upper left corner of the main dialog.  Select "Register...".  This will bring up the Registration box.

     Enter the name and number exactly as sent.  Once registered, the program won't pester you one bit.  Please contact me if you have any trouble registering Boom Box for Windows.

How to Order

Shareware Information

Order Form


ORDER
How to Order

To obtain a registration number for Boom Box for Windows, send $10 to:

Nick Hodges

PO Box 221096
Carmel, CA 93922
TEL: 1-408-393-1547
FAX: 1-408-393-9626

Compuserve:  71563,2250
America Online: NHodges

     Please send money in US$ or a draft payable in US$.

     You will receive you registration number promptly. Registering gives you the right to operate Boom Box on one computer at a time.  You should not have Boom Box running on more than one computer with the same registration number.  If desired, site lisencing is available.

Order Form

Shareware Information


Order Form

Select "File/Print Topic" from the menu to print an order form

Please send your check or money order (in US Dollars) to:

Nick Hodges
P.O. Box 221096
Carmel, CA 93922
TEL: 1-408-393-1547
FAX: 1-408-393-9626
American Online: NHodges
Compuserve: 71563,2250

Name:___________________________________________________________

Company: _______________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________

City:	 _______________________ State: _____ ZIP: _____________

Country: ____________ TEL: _________________ FAX: ______________

Online:_________________________________________________________

Windows System Backup........$5.00 US x ___ unit(s) =      $ _________
Windows Disk Information.....$1.00 US x ___ unit(s) =      $ _________
Windows Wave Shell...........$3.00 US x ___ unit(s) =      $ _________
Windows Start................$3.00 US x ___ unit(s) =      $ _________
Boom Box for Windows.........$10.00 US x ___ unit(s) =      $ _________
                                 Add $0.50 for 3.5" disk   $ _________
Shipping & Handling (Only if ordering latest version):
           	Within United States.........$ 2.00
                International................$ 5.00        $ _________
                                                Subtotal:  $ _________
                California residents add 7.25% Sales Tax:  $ _________

                                              TOTAL:       $ _________

Please send only US Cash or checks payable in US Dollars!


Shareware Information

     I am distributing this program as shareware.  Take a look at, use it, and if you like it and want to keep using it, please send me ten dollars. That's really not much at all.  I hate looking at a shareware program that is cool but is way over priced.  This one is not.   I am relying on your integrity.   I won't  lay any big guilt trips on you, but don't use shareware if you don't pay for it.  It's only fair.  I don't provide any support or manuals or anything beyond this help file.  That would be a bit ridiculous for this program, don't you think?  Sending in money gives you peace of mind, though.  Pretty nice thing to have.   Plus, I might just write that specific little utility you wished someone would write if I get a reasonable amount of support.

     I distribute this program 'as is' with no guarantees of performance or compatibility with anything at any time.  I won't be held liable for anything that gets broken, damaged, or lost because of this program.  Use it at your own risk.

How to Order

Order Form


Selecting Sounds

Selecting Wave files

You can select any Wave file from any directory on your hard drives, and Boom Box will remember where they all are.  I suggest that you only select files of a short to medium duration, as there are a lot of events happening and they will tend to walk over each other or be skipped.  I suggest having different directories for different types of files.  For example, have your Star Trek files in on directory and then use those files to create *.bbx file using them.  It will make managing you Boom Box files a bit easier.

Selecting <Random>

Selecting Random as an event sound will play a different sound each time that event occurs.  Please note that the Wave files will only be selected from the directory currently selected in Boom Box.  It can't search your drive for files!  If there are no files to be found in the current directory, Boom Box will pester you to selct a directory that has some sounds for it to pick from.

Using bbx Files

Associating Sounds to Events


USING JBX FILES
Using *.bbx files

     Boom Box for Windows allows you to save your favorite sound configurations in files.  They use the extension 'bbx'.  Boom Box can be started by double clicking on a bbx file.  You can also configure Program Manager (or whatever shell you are using) to start up with a specific bbx file by dragging a bbx file from File Manager to Program Manager.  Double Clicking on the icon created will run Boom Box with that file automatically loaded.  In addition, if Boom Box is running, you can drag a bbx file on to it from File Manager and it will be loaded up automatically as well.

     BoomBox contains menu items for managing your bbx files.  It uses Windows' Common Dialogs, so their function should be familiar to you.  You can srore your bbx files anywhere you like, but the Common Dialogs will open to the directory currently currently selected in Boom Box for Windows.  Boom Box will always protect you by ensuring you don't accidently overwrite a file or fail to save changes made.


Associating Sounds to Events

     Boom Box's main function is to associate sounds with Windows events.  Windows itself provides this function in its basic form and Boom Box extends it.  Below is a listing of the events handled by Windows and those handled by Boom Box.

Events Handled by Windows

1	Asterisk Icon in Message Boxes

2	Exclamation Icon in Message Boxes

3	Information Icon in Message Boxes

4	Question Icon in Message Boxes

5	Windows Exit

6	Windows Start

7	System Default Beep

8	Program Launch

Events Handled by Boom Box for Windows

1	Move a Window

2	Size a Window

3	Minimize a Window

4	Maximize a Window

5	Restore a Window

6	Initialize a Dialog

7	Dragging a file to an application

8	Program Close

     These events should be self-explanatory.  Windows messages come fast and furious, so many times the sounds for these events will walk over each other.  The sounds are played asynchronously, so the beginning of one sound will preempt the completion of one already started.
     You can set the sounds for all fifteen events in Boom Box, but Windows is responsible for handling the sounds for the events listed above.  Many of these events are dependent on the behavior of specific applications and won't always occur.  Most applications are good about producing message boxes with the right icon calls, but many message boxes don't call the Windows System events correctly and so you might not get the sounds every time..


Options

Enable Boom Box

This option will cause Boom Box to begin playing sounds based on Windows events.  De-selecting it will silence Boom Box.  Enabling and disabling Boom Box will also change the setting in WIN.INI that causes Windows to play the sounds that it is responsible for.  NOTE:  If this is selected when you leave Boom Box, Windows will continue to play its sounds even after Boom Box is closed.

Save to Win.ini

Select this option if you want Boom Box to write your Wave choices to the [sounds] section of your WIN.INI file.  It will not unless you select this option.  If no bbx file is specified at startup, then the settings in your WIN.INI file will be loaded.

Hide Icon

Select this option if you want Boom Box's icon to be hidden while it is minimized.  To bring Boom Box back in view, simply run it again.  It is smart enough to only allow one instance to run at a time.

Load Same File

Selecting this option will cause Boom Box to open the *.bbx file that was open when you last closed Boom Box.

Play Asynchronously

This option will toggle between playing the wave files synchronously and asynchronously.  When files are played asynchronously, they will walk over each other if one is started before the other is fininshed.  Synchronous play will not, though this will depend on how you sound driver plays wave files.  Choosing to play sounds synchronously may cause some events to be missed.

Using bbx files


Play Button

This button will play the Wave file selected in the Wave list box.  It's that simple!


Edit File Button

This file will bring up your Wave Editor and pass to it as a parameter the file currently selected in your Wave list box.

Selecting a Wave Editor


Editor Button

     This button brings up a dialog box in which you can enter the path to any Wave Editor.  The program will default as seen below.  The Wave Editor must be capable of accepting Wave files as parameters in order for Boom Box to be able to edit the file with the Edit File button.  Boom Box won't care if you enter an invalid path; it just won't let you edit any files.  As always, the Cancel button causes the program to ignore any changes you made.

Editing a Wave File


Help Button

     This button brings up this help file.  But you already knew that, or you wouldn't be here.


Ok Button

     The Ok button minimizes Boom Box and continues making noise!  Minimizing will either display or hide the icon, depending on the status of the "Hide Icon" checkbox.

Options


EXIT
Exit Button

This button will exit Boom Box. What else did you think it would do?!?

Note that if the icon is hidden, you need to first run Boom Box again before you can exit.  Kinda ironic, I know, but that's the way things work!

Check out how the door opens when you push the button!!! (It won't work on the button above!)


VERSION
Version History

Version 1.0 - March 15, 1994
Original Version


OTHER
Other programs by me:

Windows System Backup

Windows System Backup is a multi-featured Windows utility.  It's main function is to quickly and easily backup your important Windows files like *.ini, *.pif, *.grp, autoexec.bat and config.sys .  It will also allow you to set custom backup directories and extensions so you can quickly and easily backup the file types that you choose.  In addition, it makes it easy to edit your *.ini and *.pif files and to print the most important Windows initialization files.  You should be routinely backing up these files anyway, and Windows System Backup makes it easy!

Windows Wave Shell

Wave Shell is quite simple -- it plays *.wav files quickly and easily.  It now supports drag-n-drop and can play wave files directly from File Manager with a simple double click!  It will also call up any Wave Editor with a selected wave file.  Quick, cheap, and simple!

Windows Start

Windows Start allows you to customize your Windows start up.  When placed in your startup group (or the 'run=' line of Windows 3.0), it will run specified programs on specific days.  For example, since Thursday is a good day to run anti-virus software (Friday is a big day for viruses!), it will automatically run your anti-virus software on Thursdays.  You might need to run a specific Excel file every Monday
morning, etc.  It is a good way to remind you to do certain tasks on specific days.  It accepts parameters and file names for programs who run them.  You can configure up to seven programs to run on any day or days of the week.

Windows Disk Information

Disk Information monitors disk space on any or all of your hard disk and network disk drives.  It can be set to monitor one disk or cycle through them all.  You can vary the update time and monitor free space, used space or total disk space available.

How to Order

Order Form


bbx

The extension for Boom Box for Windows files.


Borland Pascal

Borland Pascal is Copyrighted by Borland International


Team Borland

Really great guys that help support Borland products on Compuserve.  They are not Borland employees.


United States Navy

Hoooooh Rahhhh!