FileBox for WinWord6

Word for WindowsTM is a great word processor handicapped by a poor file management system and the frustrating 8 character file name limits! Several shareware and commercial products attempt to remedy this situation, but they suffer from several common problems. Some cost more than the discount price of WinWord, others throw in the kitchen sink with file management capabilities that bloat NORMALDOT with 200k of needless (but nice to have!) functions and others use C functions that dig deep into the bowels of the Windows API.

I wanted something simple and easy to use. FileBox is my solution to this problem. It works for me. Maybe it will work for you!

Overview

FileBox is a straight forward solution that fits the needs of the moderate to heavy WinWord user! The simple dialog boxes are self-explanatory, help is always a mouse-click away, and your documents are organized into the familiar Folder-File metaphor.

Folders

FileBox organizes your WinWord documents by gathering them into Folders according to criteria you chose! Folders are not subdirectories, so they work with your existing hard disk structure, allowing you to leave your files where they are! When you create folders, you are not in any way changing, adding or editing the structure of your hard disk.

Each folder can have a description of as many characters as you would like! Bear in mind that only the first twenty-five or so characters of the description will appear in the Folders list box; the actual number of characters displayed will vary according to your system configuration.

Files

FileBox identifies WinWord document files by descriptions of thirty or more characters - the actual length is up to you - that you associate with the file. The association in no way modifies the actual DOS file; the association is stored in the FILEBOX.INI.

One thing to keep in mind: FileBox insulates you from DOS file names when it comes time to open WinWord documents. You will long ago have forgotten the contents of SR92493.DOC, but you can remember the description that says, Sales Memo 9/24/93 re: Handling Rejected FOB Shipments.

Working with Files and Folders

To open a folder and browse through the list of folders therein, simply double-click the folders description in the FileBox Folder list box.

To open a file, simply double-click its description. Its just that easy

This means that you can find any file, no matter how obscure its location or its actual DOS file name, with at most two double-clicks of the mouse button!

Installation

Starting FileBox

Uninstalling FileBox

Folder Operations

Adding Folders

Editing Folders

Deleting Folders

File Operations

Adding Files

Editing Files

Deleting Files

Registration


Installation
Installing FileBox(C)

Installing FileBox is a simple matter. You can either put FILEBOX.DOT in your WINWORD\STARTUP directory to make the macros available globally, or you can copy the macros into NORMAL.DOT.

Method # 1

At the DOS prompt simply copy FILEBOX.DOT into the WINWORD\STARTUP directory.

Method # 2

The key to successful installation is that FILEBOX.DOT and NORMAL.DOT must both be in the same directory. If you have declared a USER-DOT-PATH path in the [Microsoft Word] section of your WINWORD6.INI file, make sure that FILEBOX.DOT is in that directory. If you do not have a USER-DOT-PATH path in the [Microsoft Word] section of your WINWORD6.INI file, make sure that FILEBOX.DOT resides where NORMAL.DOT resides.

Installation procedure:

1.	Copy FILEBOX.DOT into the same directory as NORMAL.DOT

2.	Copy FILEBOX.HLP into the Windows System directory.

3.	Click the Install button found in FILEBOX.DOC.

When you click the FileBox Installation macro, this dialog will appear on your screen:

Select the macro or macros you want to install and then click the OK button. For a description of what each macro does, see File Box Macros.

For information about uninstalling, see Uninstall.


Starting FileBox
Starting FileBox(C)

When you run the FileBox(c) macro a simple dialog box pops onto your screen. The two list boxes display your folders and the files in each folder. The first time you run FileBox you will not have any folders declared, so your only options will be to Add a folder, Cancel the operation or ask for Help. If you have created one or more folders, they will be displayed in the Folders list box and the first folder will be selected. If the first folder contains files, a description of those files will be displayed in the Files list box.

The three groups of pushbuttons should be fairly easy to understand, but let me give a brief explanation of each one.

----| Action |------

Open	-	Opens the File selected in the Files List. If no file is selected, it opens the folder selected in the Folders list and displays its the folders contents in the Files List.

Help	-	Produces context sensitive Help.

Close	-	Closes the FileBox Dialog.

----| Folders |------

Add	-	Click this button to add a new folder. See Adding Folders

Edit	-	Click this button to edit the current folders description. See Editing Folders

Delete	-	Click this button to delete the current folder. The files will not be deleted from the disk, the folder will merely be deleted from the Folder list! See Deleting Folders

----| Files |----

Add	-	Click this button to add a new file to the current folder. If a Word document is already open, FileBox will add it to a folder of your choice. If no files are open when you click this button, FileBox will present the FileOpen dialog box and add the file you select to the folder of your choice. See Adding Files

Edit	-	Click this button to edit the description of the file selected in the Files list. See Editing Files

Delete	-	Clicking this button presents another dialog box which asks if you want to delete the current file from the current Folder, the disk or both. This operation works on the file selected in the Files list. See Deleting Files

Move 	-	Presents a dialog box which lets you move files from folder to folder. See Moving Files

Copy	-	Presentes a dialog box which lets you copy files from one folder to another folder. See Copying Files

Purge	-	Purges FILEBOX.INI entries that point to files which no longer exist on disk. See Purging Files

New	-	Presents the FileNew Dialog box so you can create a new document.

See Also

FileBox Macros


Adding Folders
Adding Folders to FileBox

If you want to add a new folder to your list, click the Add button in the ----| Folders |---- button group. Enter a description for this folder in the text box and either press the ENTER key or click the OK button. To cancel this operation, click the Cancel button.The Folder list is updated immediately to display your new folder.

The description that you enter for this folder can be as long as you want. It can include spaces and all characters except the plus and equal signs (+ =).


Editing Folders
Editing Folders in the FileBox

If you want to change the description of a folder, click the Edit button in the ----| Folders |---- button group. Enter the new description in the text box and either press the ENTER key or click the OK button. To cancel this operation, click the Cancel button.The folder description is updated immediately.

The description that you enter for this folder can be as long as you want. It can include spaces and all characters except the plus and equal signs (+ =).


Deleting Folders
Deleting Folders from the FileBox

To delete a folder from the file box, simply select that folder in the Folder list box - make sure that it is highlighted - and then click the Delete button in the ----| Folders |---- button group.

Be careful with this one! Once a folder has been deleted there is no way to retrieve it; it and its file descriptions are wiped out of the FILEBOX.INI! It might be a good idea to make a back-up copy of FILEBOX.INI prior to using this one!

This operation does not remove files from the disk. They are still there and can be added to any other folder.


Adding Files
Adding Files to the Folder

Adding files to folders is a three step process. First, select the folder you want the file stuck in. Second, enter a descriptive title for the file. Third, click the OK button and it is done!

FileBox(c) assumes that you want to add the current file to a folder. If you want to add another file to a folder, select that file (if it is open) or close all files and run FileBox(c). If no files are open when you run FileBox, clicking the Add button will present the FileOpen dialog box. You can then browse your directory tree and select the file you want to add to a folder.

#1 - Enter a description of the file - Not the File DOS name!

When you click the Add button, a dialog box appears to display the current folders in a list box. In a separate text box, below the list of folders, the current files Title - the title you entered in the Summary dialog box - will appear as a suggested file description.

If you didnt enter a title for this file, nothing will appear in the description text box. If no Word documents were open when you clicked the Add button, nothing will be in the description text box even though you selected a file to add.

Enter a description that will remind you of the file contents when you see it listed later on. The description can be of any length, but only about 35 to 40 characters will appear in the Files list box. You can use any symbols and spaces you want in the file description, except the plus and equal signs (+ = ).

#2 - Select the folder

In the list box, scroll through until you find the folder you want the selected file stored in. Click on that folder so that it appears in the text box above the scroll list.

Click the OK button

When you have entered the description and selected the folder you want the file stored in, click the OK button.


Editing Files
Editing Files in the Folder

If you want to change the description of a file, click the Edit button in the ----| Files |---- button group. Enter the new description in the text box and either press the ENTER key or click the OK button. To cancel this operation, click the Cancel button.The file description is updated immediately.

The description that you enter for this file can be as long as you want. It can include spaces and all characters except the plus and equal signs (+ =).


Deleting Files
Deleting Files from the Folder and/or Disk

You can delete files from folders, from the disk or from both. Delete operations will be performed on the file that is currently selected - highlighted - in the Files list box. If the file is open you will be prompted to close it.

You have the option of deleting the file from the folder, from the disk or from both. The action depends upon which of the option buttons you have selected when you click the OK button. To cancel the delete operation without deleting the file, click the Cancel button.


Copying and Moving Files

FileBox facilities moving and copying files between folders without actually having move them on your diskette! The first dialog box displays the folder you will be either moving or copying from. The second dialog box displays a list of files in the folder that has been selected in the first dialog box. The third dialog box lists folders to which the selected file will be either moved or copied.

To move or copy a file, select the folder that contains the file you want moved or copied. When the folders contents are displayed in the second dialog box, select the file and then click on a destination folder in the third dialog. Thats all there is to it!

Note: You cannot copy or move files if the same folder is selected in the first and third dialog boxes.


Purging Files

From time to time your Filebox folders may get cluttered with entries for files that no longer exist on your hard drive. You could go through each folder, one file at a time and delete them manually, but that can be a time consuming project! The Purge button will do all this automatically.

The operation of the purge function is very simple. Using the FILEBOX.INI [Sections] as a guide, it steps through each folder, one at a time. It examines every file listed in each folder and, if the actual disk file for that file entry doesnt exist, the entry is deleted from that folders [Section] in FILEBOX.INI.

The purge function has several safety features to make sure no harm is done. First, a backup copy of FILEBOX.INI is made. If you dont like the results of the purge operation, simply delete the FILEBOX.INI and rename FILEBOX.BAK to FILEBOX.INI. Things are restored to the condition they were in before the purge. Second, no files are actually deleted from the hard disk; the entries that point to those files are simply deleted from the FILEBOX.INI. Third, you have the option of confirming each purge action if you like. When you start the purge, simply answer the first dialog box by pressing the Y key; then you will be asked to confirm each purge. If you answer by pressing the N key, all purges will be done automatically.


This dialog box displays a list of folders.

The folder selected in this list is the one that

files will be moved from.


This dialog box displays a list of folders.

The folder selected in this list is the one that

files will be moved to.


This dialog box displays a list of files in the

folder selected in the first dialog box. The file

selected in this list will be the one that is moved

or copied.


This button presents the FileNew Dialog box.


Registration

FileBox(c) is distributed as Shareware. You are granted a free trial for thirty days. At the end of the thirty day trial period I'd appreciate it if you would either register your copy or delete it from your computer.

To register your copy of FileBox you can either

Register via U.S. Mail Send $ 20 in U.S. funds to: Word for Windows FileBox % L. E. Brown, Jr. 120 Deer Trail Drive Sedona, AZ 86336	Register via CompuServe Go SWREG Register product # 1364 Your CompuServe account will be billed $20.00
As soon as I receive notice of your registration I will send you the validation key through private e-mail.

See Also

Other Products

Now for the legal stuff......

FileBox

Copyright © 1993 by L. E. Brown, Jr.
All rights reserved.

FileBox consists of the main interface and all of its component macro applications and libraries.

FileBox and all its components are copyrighted to L. E. Brown, Jr. All rights reserved.

Software License

FileBox is not public domain software, nor is it free software. The use of FileBox except in demo form (free trial) for the 30-day trial period, requires registration. Non-licensed users are granted a limited license to use the demo version of FileBox on a 30-day trial basis for the purpose of determining whether FileBox is suitable for their needs. The use of FileBox even in demo form, except for the initial 30-day trial period, requires registration. The use of unlicensed copies of FileBox demo or non-demo versions, outside of the initial 30-day trial period, by any person, business, corporation, government agency or any other entity is strictly prohibited.

A single user license permits a user to use FileBox only on a single computer. Licensed users may use the program on different computers, but may not use the program on more than one computer at the same time. No one may modify or patch the FileBox code in any way, including but not limited to de-encrypting, disassembling, or otherwise reverse-engineering the program.

A limited license is granted to copy and distribute demo (free trial) version copies of FileBox only for the 30-day trial use of others, subject to the above limitations, and also the following:

1.	FileBox must be copied in unmodified form, and the demo version only may be copied. Users with registered copies of FileBox may not copy their installed version of the program for the use of others, even on a trial basis.

2.	The full machine-readable FileBox package, including the files: FILEBOX.DOT, FILEBOX.DOC, FILEBOX.HLP, ORDER.DOC and README.TXT, complete with this license information must be included with program package copy.

3.	Demo versions of FileBox may not be distributed in conjunction with any other product without a specific license to do so from L. E. Brown, Jr. Distribution of non-demo versions of FileBox  is strictly forbidden.

4.	No fee, charge, or other compensation may be requested or accepted, except as authorized below:

a.	Operators of electronic bulletin board systems (sysops) may make demo versions of FileBox available for downloading only as long as the above conditions are met. An overall or time-dependent charge for the use of the bulletin board system is permitted as long as there is not a specific charge for the download of FileBox .

b.	Vendors of user-supported or shareware software may distribute demo versions of FileBox , subject to the above conditions, without specific permission. Vendors may charge a disk duplication fee, which may not exceed five dollars per disk.

c.	Non-profit user groups may distribute copies of the FileBox demo diskette to their members, subject to the above conditions; additionally, L. E. Brown, Jr. must be notified of this distribution.

Limited Warranty

L. E. Brown, Jr. guarantees your satisfaction with this product.I will refund the purchase price (excluding shipping and handling) for a period of  30 days from the date of original purchase. If you are unsatisfied with FileBox  at any time within that period, please contact me for a refund.

I warrant that the program will perform in substantial compliance with the documentation supplied with the software product. If a significant defect in the product is found, the Purchaser may return the product for a refund. In no event will such a refund exceed the purchase price of the product.

EXCEPT AS PROVIDED ABOVE, L. E. Brown, Jr. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, THE PURCHASER ASSUMES THE RISK OF PAYING THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION AND ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT WILL TOTAL SYSTEM SOLUTIONS, INC. BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT.

Use of this product for any period of time constitutes your acceptance of this agreement and subjects you to its contents.

U.S. Government Restricted Rights

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subdivision (b)(3)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at 252.227-7013. Contractor/manufacturer is L. E. Brown, Jr., 120 Deer Trail Drive, Sedona, AZ 86336

Trademarks

Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Word for Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.


Other Products

By accident I have developed several other Windows programs that many people have found useful.

WinScribe

A Windows hosted management program for Pastors, professional clergy, graduate school and Bible college professors and students. This powerful program stores all data about your library, illustrations, sermons, periodical articles and filing cabinet folders.

WinScribe handles all of the filing and indexing for you, automatically. Gone forever are the days of trying to decide where to store data. Gone forever are the days of trying to remember where you stored it, how you indexed it, which database to search or which index key to use!

Comes with sample files. Registered users get 2,000 indexed sermon illustrations and DDE links to Word for Windows.

Shareware $55.00

Available through PsL, the New Light BBS, CompuServe's Religion Forum or directly from the author.

HELP.DOT

A popular WinWord template eliminates help file hassle. Powerful macros, custom toolbar, extensive help file and generous samples make help file creation a "point and shoot" operation. Includes custom toolbar for VGA/SVGA; map topics to integers; eliminate duplicate context strings; faster operation; 60k sample .RTF file;  bitmap viewer & much more!

Requires VBRUN200.DLL Shareware $15.00 Register SWREG # 1211

Available in PsL, CompuServe's MSBASIC, WINSDK, WINSHARE, BCPPWIN, PROGMSA and MSLANG Forums or from the author.

TBARLIB.DOT

A template for WinWord 2.0 that manages an unlimited number of customized Toolbars. Each toolbar can have its own button and macro assignments and toolbars can be swapped with two clicks of the mouse! Gone are the days of lost toolbar configurations because you forgot to save the correct document template. Gone are the days of tediously reconstructing unique templates for two or three of your many different document templates.

Shareware $15.00 Register SWREG # 1268

Available through CompuServes WINSHARE, PROGMSA, MSWORD and WUGNET Forums or from the author.


Macros
FileBox(C) Macros

The FileBox(c) document template has three macros that work in concert to handle all aspects of file management from within WinWord.

FileBox

This is a macro library of functions that paint the FileBox dialog; add, edit and delete folders; and add, edit and delete files in the folders. When you install the FileBox, this macro is appended to the WinWord Tools menu.

You may wish to bind this macro to a toolbar button and add this macro to the NORMAL.DOT AutoExec macro.

To run the FileBox when WinWord starts, add the following line to the NORMAL.DOT AutoExec macro:

ToolsMacro .Name = "FileBox", .Run, .Show = 1

FileSaveAs

This macro replaces the FileSaveAs command so that, after you save a file for the first time or under a different name, you are asked if you would like to add the file to a FileBox folder.

FileOpen

This macro replaces the FileOpen command with a dialog box that presents you with a dialog box which lets you open WinWord documents in the normal way or through the FileBox.


File Open Macro
FileBox File Open Macro

The FileOpen macro allows you to chose the method you want to use for opening files. Clicking the File Box button opens the FileBox dialog window so you can rummage through your folders to find the file you want. Clicking the Standard button opens the default WinWord File Open dialog box. Cancel cancels the File Open operation

See Also

File Box Macros


Uninstalling File Box

It is easy to uninstall the File Box from NORMAL.DOT. When you open the FILEBOX.DOC and click the button that says

Click Here to Uninstall FileBox

FileBox will present a dialog box with four options for you to select. Select which macro or macros you want uninstalled, and FileBox will remove those you have selected from NORMAL.DOT. If you want the FileBox initialization file deleted, be sure to select that too! Then, simply click the OK button and in a matter of seconds FileBox removes itself from your NORMAL.DOT.

Not to worry, though. The macros remain in FILEBOX.DOT and can be re-installed at any time.

See Also

File Box Macros

Installation