Help Index

Finder Help Index

Overview

BackMenu

Run

Config

Help

About

Current Window On Top

Close Current Window

Unload Finder

Exit Windows to DOS

Installation

Registration


Overview

Have you ever lost an application buried under a pile of other windows? Have you ever wanted to double-click the desktop to bring up the Task List, and realised that the current application is maximised? Do you ever forget about Switch-To...? Have you ever used an Apple Mac? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you need Finder.

Finder permanently displays a special icon on the title bar of the currently active window. It looks like this [image], and you'll find it on the left hand side of the title bar next to the system menu icon.

Place the mouse pointer over this icon and click the left mouse button. Finder displays a popup menu that contains a list of all your running windows (except the currently active window). Simply select the window you want. Finder will activate the selected window. If this window is iconised then Finder will automatically restore it to normal size. That's the basics. It's as easy as that.

The Finder menu also displays a list of special options. Each of these is described in the Help Index section. Finder works very nicely indeed with BackMenu and some consider it an excellent replacement for BigDesk.

The Run... option is a major improvement over Program Manager's implementation.

Finder can also display some important additional information on the Title Bar of the currently active window. These data items include the current time, free memory and free resources. Selection of the display format is achieved through the Config menu option.

Holding down the Control key will cause the time display to change to a date display for as long as the Control key is depressed.


BackMenu

If you use BackMenu (and I highly recommend it) then Finder will automatically recognise the fact. Selecting the BackMenu option will display the BackMenu menu which may be used in the normal manner. This is equivalent to BackMenu's Alt-F10 option.


Run

Selecting this option starts an application or opens a document.

Type the application filename, including the path, if necessary.

If you want to open a document, type the application filename followed by a space and the name of the document.

If you don't know the name or location of the application or document file, use the Browse button to open the Browse dialog box.

Finder maintains a list of the ten most recently used command lines. These are automatically written to the Finder.ini file so that they are preserved between sessions.


Config

The Config... option allows you to configure additional Title Bar information. You can select a Free Memory and Resources (or Resources only) display and/or a current time display. This information is automatically updated every second.

Note that Finder will only display this information when there is room on the active title bar. The display is automatically suppressed on small, crowded windows.

Holding down the Control key will cause the time display to change to a date display for as long as the Control key is depressed.

Advanced Options

Advanced users may wish to use the Omit feature. When correctly configured, specified Windows are omitted from the Finder menu. This may be used to prevent menu clutter by hiding Windows which are rarely, if ever, selected. For example, special communications drivers, anti-virus programs, screen savers etc. The following procedure is used to Omit specific programs from the Finder menu:

1.	Run Finder.

2.	Terminate Finder by selecting the Unload Finder option from the Finder menu.

3.	Edit the Finder.INI file in your Windows directory using Notepad (or a similar program).

4.	Identify the lines commencing Omit0=, Omit1=, Omit2= .... Omit9=.

5.	Append the full pathname of a program you wish to omit from the Finder menu to one of the lines giving, for example, Omit0=C:\WIN\OMITME.EXE. A maximum of 10 programs can be omitted and the pathnames are not case sensitive.

6.	Save Finder.INI and restart Finder.


Help

The Help... option displays this Help information.


About

The About... option displays the usual About screen.


Current Window On Top

If the currently active window is in Stay-on-Top mode, then this item on Finders menu will be checked. Selecting this item will toggle the On-Top status of the current window on and off.


Close
Close Current Window

The Close Current Window option closes the currently active application. Don't worry, the application will prompt you to save any changed data files.


Unload
Unload Finder

The Unload Finder... option will unload Finder from Windows.


Exit
Exit Windows to DOS

The Exit Windows to DOS option terminates Windows and returns to DOS (equivalent to Program Manager's Exit command).


Installation

To install Finder simply copy Finder.exe and Finder.hlp to any convenient directory on your 'path'. You can start Finder by any one of the following four methods:

Select the Program Manager Run... option and type Finder ( or use your favourite application launcher).

Select the Program Manager New... option to create a Finder icon which you can double-click to start Finder.

Add Finder to the [Run] section of your Win.ini file to start Finder automatically each time you start Windows.

If you use MS Windows 3.1, add Finder to the "StartUp Group".


Registration

Finder is Shareware. This means you can evaluate it for up to 30 days. After this period you must decide that it is a pile of junk and delete it from your hard disk or, that it is a useful tool in which case you should send me some cash to fund future development of the product.

For a perpetual licence to use Finder on a single machine please send a modest twenty dollars to the author at the address below.

For a perpetual licence to use Finder on up to twenty machines please send  two hundred dollars.

THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. YOU USE FINDER ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK AND THE AUTHOR DENIES ALL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ANYTHING.

You may distribute Finder freely without charge provided that the Copyright is acknowledged and the README and HELP files are included with the software.

Users experiencing any difficulties or making enhancement suggestions are encouraged to contact the author at the following addresses. I will endeavour to respond to any such requests but there are no promises !

Copyright (c) 1991-94 Malcolm Hoar

All Trademarks are acknowledged.

Malcolm Hoar

2001, Oakley Avenue

Menlo Park

CA 94025

USA

CompuServe:   [100010,2761]

InterNet:   Malch @ MDLI.COM