Revision History

Version 2.4

Version 2.3

Version 2.2

Version 2.1

Version 2.0

Version 1.32

Version 1.31

Version 1.3

Version 1.21

Version 1.2

Version 1.1

Version 1.0


v2.4  - April 17, 1994

Added support for multiple, named timers - each with its own rate information.  One or more timers can be running at the same time.  A right click on the timer display will show a listing of all of the timers and the current elapsed time on each.

Added logging of alarms and timers to user specified file.  Useful for tracking timer charges and reviewing what happened during the week or month.

Added hot keys for the Calendar (SHIFT-CTL-C), the Alarm list (SHIFT-CTL-A) and the Timer list (SHIFT-CTL-T).

Right mouse click displays all toggled items in a drop down menu - makes it easier to get around when the number of toggle items is large.

Added City edit field to Time Edit dialog.  This makes it easier to add labeled time zones from around the world.

Added minimize option for launching applications and running them as icons.

Alarm dialog is initialized with most recently used chime and message.

Added option to specify where BarClock files (BARCLOCK.ALM - alarms, BARCLOCK.TMR - timers and BARCLOCK.TXT - log entries) should be created.

If there is a BARCLOCK.INI file in the application directory, it is used instead of creating one in your \WINDOWS directory.

Added option to suppress chimes when standard screen savers are active.

If chimes are turned off, the .WAV file is remembered making it easy to turn them back on again.

Using international settings from control panel for default time and date display as well as for the alarm time and date display.  The control panel is also used for the currency symbol and display information.

Added option for adding 3D look to dialogs if the CTL3D.DLL file is installed in your SYSTEM directory.  This uses a bit more memory but it looks nice.

Calendar dialog stays in front of all other windows when it is displayed.

Added Play button to .WAV file dialog so you can sample the .WAV files before you set them.

Changed documentation to .HLP format and added Help buttons to all dialogs for easy access.

Known problems with v2.4:

There are problems with WinDock, NewCap and CapC10 that cause BarClock not to function properly if BarClock is started first.  The problem can be avoided by starting the other applications before BarClock.

Thanks -

Thanks to all the people who contributed ideas and bug reports - We will continue to listen and respond to all contributions - good or bad!


v2.3  - October 3, 1993

Fixed bug with weekly repeating alarms - they tended to change their trigger dates near the end of the month.

Repeating alarms can be set to start at any date in the future.  Once the date occurs, the alarm will start to repeat with the specified frequency.

If the computer is off, repeating alarms that repeat weekly, monthly or yearly will be displayed when BarClock is started.

Added Bi-weekly to the list of repeating alarm types.

Added Set... button to make it easier to choose an application to run when an alarm is triggered.

Added format keywords for Julian date, day of year (1 - 366), days remaining (365 - 0) and months and days can now be displayed in CAPS.

Shift-click allows edit of date and time format at the keyword level.

Warning levels can now exceed 65535 Kb.

Added ability to set the font that BarClock uses to display its information.

Added full featured count-up, count-down timer - the timer includes automatic hourly rate conversions.

Added ability to test .WAV files by holding the SHIFT key down when pressing the Set... button.

Changed Setup... dialog so that the lists of items can be modified using fewer dialogs.


v2.2  - August 26, 1993

Well, that was a short lived version.  This version includes a fix for a bug introduced in v2.1 that caused alarms to vanish when repeating alarms occurred - not exactly the ideal behavior.

We were using the system settings for AM/PM text but this caused problems when the system was set for 24 hour mode.  We now store the strings in the BARCLOCK.INI file.

Shift-double-click in calendar display will always create a new alarm regardless of whether one already exists for that day.


v2.1  - August 25, 1993

Fixed serious bug that caused random behavior/crashing after (or while) using the File Open dialog to choose a .WAV file.

Fixed bug that caused all "lunchtime" (12pm - 1pm) alarms not to work properly.

Warnings will shut off automatically if resource level is restored.

Fixed bug that caused warnings on other than disk C to always display disk C status in warning.

All alarms are always displayed - this allows you to leave your machine (even turn it off) and never miss an alarm.

Made alarm listing wider so time/date are visible more often.


v2.0  - August 22, 1993

Major revision - new features include

o  requires Windows 3.1

o  new documentation in .WRI format

o  dialogs for all options

o  full featured alarm mechanism

o  popup calendar

o  low resource warnings

o  message display in caption bar

o  support for multiple time zones

o  support for multiple disk drives

o  text/background color support is back

o  "pedestal" background option

o  option to chime once per hour

o  option to have BarClock icon on desktop

Bug fixes include

o  text disappearing from caption bar

o  BarClock menu access from within Excel

o  various compatibility problems

o  free resource readings are more accurate

o  using more robust Windows 3.1 hook functions


v1.32 - April 9, 1993

Really fixed bug in calculation of free disk space on disks that had a large amount of free space!

Finally was able to reproduce, and fix, the problem with not using the system colors for the clock background on all systems - however, there is still a problem if a dialog or other window obscures a portion of the display.


v1.31 - April 5, 1993

Made change so that changes made to the .ini file would not overwritten when the clock exited.

Fixed bug in calculation of free disk space.

Fixed bug that caused small drawing problem when clock was on a dithered background.


v1.3 - March 28, 1993	(Beta Distribution)

Renamed from WinClock to BarClock to avoid conflict with an existing shareware product.  This includes the .ini file which is now "BarClock.ini".

Eliminated flicker when mouse is positioned over display.

Fixed compatibility problem with Ami Pro that caused information to overwrite the text they place in the title bar when selecting from the menu.

Fixed compatibility problem with a handful of applications that would cause them not to redraw properly.

Clock never gets put in a window that is always topmost.

Added full date picture support that is syntactically equivalent to Windows.  See readme.txt for more details.

Added all long and short month and weekday names to a string table in the resource file which can be edited with any resource editor.  This provides support for international days and months.

Added full control of format of the resource, free memory and free disk space strings.  See readme.txt for more details.

Added support for hour, half hour and quarter hour chimes. See readme.txt for more details.

Reduced memory footprint to about 12k.


v1.21 - February 24, 1993

Fixed bug that caused 12 noon and 12 midnight to display as 0 when not using the 24 hour clock.

Fixed bug that caused an invalid HDC to be released.

Fixed compatibility problem with MS Word that caused several items to toggle with one click.

Better support for Norton Desktop - information now appears in main caption rather than the group window captions.

Changed display of memory and disk space to use scaling - can be forced to always use "Kb" with change to .INI file.

Fixed compatibility problem with XVision that caused it clock to ignore all session windows.

Fixed text so that the window title is not overlapped.

Fixed problem that caused clock to appear in some dialog windows.

Save window size and position in .INI file for window that appears when the clock is homeless.

Reorganized code so that memory footprint is about 16k.


v1.2 - February 20, 1993

Hopefully removed bug that caused system colors not to work on certain configurations.  We now default to using the active colors rather than the inactive colors.

Completely tested and compatible with Windows 3.0.  There were a few compatibility issues introduced with v1.1 that are now fixed.

Removed custom colors - the clock now always uses system colors for the background and the text.  Removing this option also eliminated a bug which caused a "COMMDLG.DLG could not be found" message.  (Custom text color is still supported by options in the .INI file.)

Make sure that the clock does not cover the entire caption bar on small windows.  Items on left are given preference over items on right.

When all windows are iconized and clock is left homeless, information is displayed in the clock caption bar.  Can be disabled by setting in .INI file.

Moved all preferences out of win.ini and into WinClock.ini.

Added new display items for displaying free memory, free resources and free disk space on a chosen drive.

Added options for what gets displayed when and where it gets displayed.  Setup dialog is now a collection of radio buttons that allow the setting of these options.

Added better support for international time and date settings.  We now use the system settings for time separator, AM/PM text, and date separator.  In addition, DD/MM/YY and YY/MM/DD formats have been added.  Setup dialog now uses current date for sample.

Added option to disable invalidation of entire desktop on machines running Windows 3.0.


v1.1 - February 7, 1993

Fixed drawing problem that resulted in "ghost" clocks.  This version uses the Windows 3.1 function RedrawWindow() to invalidate the caption of the previous window which had the clock.  If RedrawWindow() is not available (i.e., Windows 3.0 is being used), the entire desktop window is invalidated.  This does solve the problem, but it causes a noticeable flicker.  We will continue to look for a better solution.

Fixed drawing problem in very small windows - the clock would cover the system menu and the window border.  Now it will never extend outside of the caption area.

Added date.  A short click on the clock will display the date in the caption bar for a few seconds before displaying the time again.  There are a couple of date formats available in the Setup... dialog.

Removed flashing colon when seconds are not displayed.

Added ability to position the clock on either the left or the right of the caption bar.  This is controlled by an option found in the Setup... dialog.

Added Setup... dialog so that many options can be set at once.

Added Color... dialog.  This dialog allows you to specify the text and background color of the clock.  It now defaults to using the system colors.  The Set... buttons are enabled if you have the Windows COMMDLG.DLL (We didn't want to create a fancy color dialog).  Otherwise, type in the RGB value of the color you desire.


v1.0	- January 30, 1993

Initial Release


Contents

This copy of BarClock is shareware.  You may evaluate it for 25 days without cost or obligation.  After 25 days, you must send in your registration if you wish to continue using BarClock.

Overview

Description	Installation	Basic Operation

License Agreement	Registration Information 	Technical Support

Command Reference

Setup	Calendar	Alarms

Timers	Other

Additional Topics

Examples	Format Keywords	Common Questions

BarClock PLUS	BarClock SDK	BarClock NT

Revision History


License Agreement

Definition of Shareware

Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual.

Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware.

Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.

Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)

Atomic Dog Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.  Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.

Disclaimer - Agreement

Users of BarClock must accept this disclaimer of warranty:

BarClock is supplied as is.  The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.  The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of BarClock.

BarClock is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation.  Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system.  The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products.  If you find this program useful and find that you are using BarClock and continue to use BarClock after 25 days, you must make a registration payment of $15 to Atomic Dog Software Corporation.  The $15 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time.  You must treat this software just like a book.  An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another.  Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time.

Commercial users of BarClock must register and pay for their copies of BarClock within 25 days of first use or their license is withdrawn.  Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting Atomic Dog Software Corporation.

Anyone distributing BarClock for any kind of remuneration must first contact Atomic Dog Software Corporation at the address below for authorization.  This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering BarClock immediately (However Atomic Dog Software Corporation must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of BarClock.).

You are encouraged to pass a copy of BarClock along to your friends for evaluation.  Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it.


Registration Information

In addition to continued use of BarClock, registration entitles you to free technical support.  Upon receiving your registration, a confirmation letter will be mailed to you along with any late-breaking news regarding BarClock.

BarClock or BarClock PLUS?

When you register, you can choose to register BarClock or purchase the $24.95 retail version BarClock PLUS at a discounted price of $20.  If you choose to register BarClock, we will send you a confirmation letter letting you know how to disable the registration reminder and we will add you to our mailing list.  If you choose to purchase BarClock PLUS we will immediately send you a 3 1/2 inch disk which contains the latest retail version as well as add you to our mailing list.

Upgrades to BarClock PLUS

If you have registered an earlier version of BarClock, the cost to upgrade to BarClock PLUS is $5 plus $3 shipping and handling.

Check/Money Order

Checks or money orders must be drawn on a US bank.  Please fill out the registration form and send it in along with your check or money order.

Credit Card

Registration payment may be made using MasterCard, Visa, Diner's Club or Carte Blanche.  Fill out the registration form and either mail or fax it to the address/number shown on the form.

Purchase Orders

Corporate purchases may be made using a company purchase order.  The terms are Net 30 days.  Atomic Dog Software's tax ID number is 04-3216488.

CompuServe

To register using CompuServe, type GO SWREG at any ! prompt.  Follow the instructions that are given.  BarClock's registration ID is 1324.  NOTE: - multi-user discounts, upgrades and ordering of BarClock PLUS is not available through this service.

Europe

In Europe, BarClock can be registered for 15 Pounds Sterling by sending a check or money order for the Sterling price to:

Hillfoots Data Services, Mains House, Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire  FK13 6PQ, UK

(Note:  the Sterling price is liable to change due to currency fluctuations.  Please contact

Hillfoots Data Services on +44 (259) 750954 to confirm the latest price.)

Japan

In Japan, BarClock can be registered for 2.800 Yen by sending a check or money order for the Yen price to:

P & A Shareware Distribution

302 Bellwins, 1367-23

Nakagami, Akishima

Tokyo, 196 Japan

(Note:  the Yen price is liable to change due to currency fluctuations.  Please contact

P & A Shareware at 0425-46-9141 to confirm the latest price.)


Registration Form
Atomic Dog Software

PO Box 523

Medford, MA 02155

Phone:  (617) 396-2673	Fax:  (617) 396-5761

CompuServe:  70312,743	Internet:  pbreen@world.std.com	AOL:  PBreen

BarClockTM v2.4 Registration Form

Instructions:  Fill out this form and mail it to Atomic Dog Software at the address above with payment to complete your registration.  If you are paying by credit card, you may fax your registration for faster service.  Please call or write for site license information.

(    )  Send me _____ copies of BarClock PLUS for $20 plus $3 shipping per copy - OR -

(    )  Please register _____ copies of BarClock at $15 per copy (does not include disk).

        Subtotal	  =  __________

MA Residents add 5% sales tax	  =  __________

---------------------------

Total	  =  __________

Method of Payment:	Credit Card Information:  (PLEASE PRINT)

  (    ) Check/M.O.   	Card Number:	___________________________ Exp. Date _______

  (    ) MasterCard    	Name on Card:	______________________________

  (    ) Visa	Signature:	______________________________

Name:	________________________________ Date:__________________

Company:	_______________________________________________________

Address:	_______________________________________________________

City, State, Zip:	_______________________________________________________

Country:	_______________________________________________________

Day Phone:	_______________________  Eve:  ___________________________

Electronic Mail address:	_______________________________________________________

How did you hear about BarClock v2.4?  ____________________________________________

Comments:


Description

BarClock is a utility that displays useful information in the unused area of the caption bar of the active window. This approach is less obtrusive than using a separate window which is always on top or that can be covered by other windows.

Features Include (bolded items are new to this version):

♦	Time/Date display

♦	World time display

♦	Chimes

♦	Popup calendar

♦	Full featured alarm/scheduler

♦	Multiple timers with built in rate calculations

♦	Timer/Alarm logging to simplify billing

♦	System monitor helps prevent crashes

♦	Fully user configurable display options

♦	Extremely low memory usage (30k and about 1% of resources)


Installation

Installation is very easy.  Create a new directory (such as C:\BARCLOCK).  Unzip the archive into this directory.  Create a new program manager item for BarClock - the command line should read "c:\barclock\barclock.exe".  Double-click the new icon to start BarClock.  If everything is installed properly, you should now see the time and date in the title bar of the active application.

I prefer to add the program item to the StartUp group in Windows 3.1.  This causes BarClock to start every time I start Windows.  Another way to make this happen is to modify the "load=" line in your WIN.INI file (found in your \WINDOWS directory) so that it reads "load=barclock.exe".  (NOTE:  Make a backup copy of WIN.INI before changing it.)

Replacing a prior version:

If you have been using an older version of this program, you may need to replace the old "BARCLK.DLL" or "CLOCKDLL.DLL" with the new "BARCLK.DLL" (the proper version of BARCLK.DLL has the same date and time as BARCLOCK.EXE).  The different versions of the .DLL may not compatible with one another and a message will appear indicating this.  (NOTE:  CLOCKDLL.DLL can be deleted - it has been replaced with BARCLK.DLL.)


Basic Operation

Once BarClock is running, information will appear in the caption of the active window.  Initially, BarClock is configured to display the date and a calculator icon on the left and the time on the right.  To get going, you only need to learn the few basic gestures that BarClock understands.

Clicking on the calculator icon will start the Windows Calculator.

A short click on the date or time will toggle the display.  Initially, the toggle order is free memory followed by free resources, free disk space on drive C and, finally, the timer.

Click and hold the left mouse button on either the time or the date to display the BarClock configuration menu.

Right click on either the time or date to display a shortcut menu that lists the current values of the toggle items and timers.

The configuration menu contains the following items.  For more information on an item, click on its name below.

Setup...

Alarms...

Calendar...

Timers...

Log File...

About...

Exit


Technical Support

If you have any problems with this program or ideas for features that should be added, changed or removed, we can be reached at the following electronic addresses in addition to the mail address, telephone and fax number below.

Internet:	pbreen@world.std.com

CompuServe: 	70312,743

America Online:	PBreen

Atomic Dog Software Corp.

PO Box 523

Medford, MA 02155

Phone:	(617) 396-2673

Fax	(617) 396-5761

For technical support, recorded information or Fax-Back service, please call (617) 396-2673 (automated service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or send a fax to (617) 396-5761.  If no one is able to answer your call, please leave a message that includes both a day and evening (after 7pm EST) number where you can be reached for fastest service.

In addition, we have established an automated mailing list that we use to keep people informed of new products and new versions of existing products.  To join this mailing list, send an e-mail message to majordomo@world.std.com which contains the message subscribe atomicdog.


Setup Dialog

The setup dialog is used to configure BarClock.  At the top, it contains the following buttons for modifying the behavior of BarClock.

General...

Chimes...

Warnings...

Colors...

Font...

The bottom of the dialog lists the items that appear on the left or right of the caption and the items that are accessed by toggling the display.  The buttons below the lists act upon the selected item.  It is important to first select an item (or list) before clicking on these buttons.

Add...

Edit...

Delete


Add Item

Clicking this button displays a dialog which allows you to choose which type of item to add.  Choose the desired type of item and click OK.  To change the format of the new item, choose Edit and refer to the instructions below.  (NOTE:  A Miscellaneous item can be text or text which contains any of the keywords described below.)


Edit Item

A dialog appropriate for the selected item allows you to modify how BarClock displays its information.

Time - enter the city name (or leave blank) and choose the desired time format from the list.  If the city is in a different time zone, enter the delta from local time.  The delta is the amount of time that is added to the local time and it can range from -23:59 to 23:59.

Date - choose the desired date format from the list of choices.

Disk Space - type the drive letter of the disk you wish to monitor.

Memory, Resources, Timer, or Miscellaneous - change the supporting text that is displayed with the information.  The text that is enclosed in square brackets [ ] represents a keyword and should not be changed without fully understanding Format Keywords.


Delete Item

Clicking the delete button removes the selected item.  If you change your mind, you can add the item again by clicking Add... and choosing the appropriate item type.


General Setup Dialog

This dialog allows you to configure the behavior of BarClock.  The set of checkboxes control different aspects of BarClock's behavior.  Click below for more information on the various settings.

Show BarClock window if there is no active application

Allow text to overlap window title

Display free memory and disk space in "Kilobytes"

Display BarClock icon on desktop

Don't chime when screen saver is active

Log alarms and timers in BARCLOCK.TXT

Missed alarms occur when program starts

Messages allows you to specify whether messages from alarms and warnings will scroll across the caption bar or display in a message box.  To acknowledge a message that is scrolling through the caption, simply click anywhere in the scrolling message.

Position allows you to adjust the location where BarClock is displayed.  There are a handful of applications that change the layout of the caption bar.  This option specifies the amount of room that BarClock should leave on either the left or the right for those applications.

Menu Access allows you to control how the BarClock menu is accessed.  By default, the BarClock menu appears when you click and hold on the BarClock display.  However, this prevents you from moving a window by dragging an area where BarClock appears.  If this is a problem, change the menu access to Double-click.  This will change the behavior so that a short click will toggle the BarClock display and a longer click will move the window.  When this option selected, the BarClock menu is accessed by double-clicking on the BarClock display.


Chimes Dialog

This dialog let's you specify whether or not BarClock will play chimes.  BarClock can chime on the hour, half hour, quarter hour (15 and 45 past) or any combination of the four.  There is also a check box that will cause BarClock to chime once for each hour (for example, at 4:00pm, the hourly chime will occur 4 times).

The Set... button displays the standard file dialog that allows you to select a .WAV file.  To sample the selected .WAV file, click the Play button that appears in the file dialog.  The selected .WAV file will be played.

In addition to the .WAV files that come with Windows, the BarClock installation program copies a number of .WAV files into the directory \BARCLOCK\WAVES.


Warnings Dialog

This dialog allows you to specify what resources BarClock should monitor.  If the box next to a resource is checked, the resource will be monitored.  When a resource falls below the specified threshold, BarClock will display a message (using the chosen method of message display) indicating which resource is running low.

Refer to Enhanced Crash Protection for an example.


Colors Dialog

This dialog lets you set the colors that BarClock uses for the background and text.  You can choose to use either the default colors or select one of your own.  If you choose Default, the clock will blend into the caption bar by using the same background and text color of the rest of the caption bar.  If you choose Custom, the Set... button displays the standard color dialog which allows you to choose any color you want for either the background or the text.  In addition, the background can be given a 3D look by choosing the 3D Pedestal option.


Font Dialog

This dialog lets you set the font that BarClock uses for its display.  Choose the font that you desire and click OK.  Because of the limited height of the caption bar, font sizes greater than 12 may not be displayed properly.


Alarms

This dialog lists the active alarms.  In addition, the dialog contains a set of buttons for adding, deleting and modifying the alarms.

New...

Clicking this button will cause the Edit Alarm dialog to appear which allows you to create a new alarm.

Edit...

Clicking this button (or double-clicking an entry in the list) will cause the Edit Alarm dialog to appear.  The contents of the dialog represent the current settings for the selected alarm.  Any or all of the settings for the existing alarm can be modified using this dialog.

Delete

Clicking this button deletes the selected alarm.


Edit Alarm

This dialog is divided into two pieces - the first contains information about the alarm and the second contains information on what happens the alarm occurs.

The name allows you to associate a name with the alarm.  The name is displayed in the alarm listing and used to identify the alarm in the log file.

The time that the alarm should occur is specified using either a 12 hour or 24 hour clock depending on your Control Panel settings.  If an AM and PM radio button appear after the time, the 12 hour clock is being used - remember to select either AM or PM!

The date specifies the date the alarm will occur.  Clicking the Set... button displays a calendar allowing you to easily choose a specific date.

The Repeat checkbox indicates if the alarm should repeat.  Alarms can be set to repeat Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Biweekly, on Weekdays only, on Weekends only, Monthly or Yearly.  If an alarm is specified as a repeating alarm, the alarm will start repeating once the specified date has been reached.  For example, it is possible to set an alarm for some future date that will repeat every hour when that date is reached.

When an alarm occurs, you can have BarClock do any or all of the following.

Play a .WAV file.  Click the Set... button to specify which .WAV file should be played.

Run an application.  Enter the full command (including any of the program arguments) that you wish to run.  If you want the application to run in the background, make sure to check the Minimized box.  The Set... button can be used to browse for the application you wish to run.

Display a message.  The message will be displayed according to the message option specified in the Settings...|General... dialog.


Calendar

This command will cause a popup calendar window to appear.  This window appears in front of all other windows allowing you to view the calendar while continuing to work in other applications.  The scroll bar controls which month is displayed - click on the arrows to move a month at a time, click in the page left/right area to move a year at a time.  The Today button will position the calendar back to the current month and select the current day.

Any day that has one or more alarms is displayed in red.  Double-click on the date to view or edit the alarm using the alarm editor.  The alarm editor contains a Delete button allowing you to delete the alarm.  (NOTE:  If a single day has more than one alarm, only the first alarm can be edited in this manner - use the Alarms... command to view or edit multiple alarms for a single day.)

To add a new alarm, double-click on any day that does not already have an alarm (or shift-double-click if the day does already have an alarm).  The alarm editor is displayed allowing you to create an alarm for that date.


Timer
Timers

This dialog lists the current timers.  In addition, the dialog contains a set of buttons for adding, deleting and modifying the timers.  There is no limit on the number of timers that you can define.

Basic Timer Operation

By default, the timer is the last of the toggled items.  When you toggle to the timer, the display will remain on the timer until you toggle off of it.

To start the timer, click on the green circle.  The circle turns red and the timer begins counting.  To stop the timer, click the red circle.  The circle turns green and the timer stops.  Click the green circle again and the counter will continue counting from where it left off.  If you wish to reset the timer, click on the timer with the right mouse button and choose Reset Timer from the menu that appears.

New...

Clicking this button will cause the Edit Timer dialog to appear which allows you to create a new timer.

Edit...

Clicking this button (or double-clicking an entry in the list) will cause the Edit Timer dialog to appear.  The contents of the dialog represent the current settings for the selected timer.  Any or all of the settings for the timer can be modified using this dialog.

Delete

Clicking this button deletes the selected timer.


Edit Timer

The name allows you to associate a name with the timer.  The name is displayed in the timer listing and used to identify the timer in the log file.

Choose the type of timer from the list of types.  The timer can be set to count up or count down.

If you choose a count down timer, you must specify a starting time or dollar amount to count down from.  For all other timer types, the stop time (or dollar amount) is optional.  If no stop time is specified, the timer will count up indefinitely.

You can associate a rate with timer.  BarClock can display both the time and the dollar amount that it represents making it easy to keep costs down.

When a timer limit is reached (0 for count down timers, or the specified limit if the timer counts up), you can have BarClock do any or all of the following.

Start again.  The timer will reset itself and begin counting again.

Play a .WAV file.  Click the Set... button to specify which .WAV file should be played.

Run an application.  Enter the full command (including any of the program arguments) that you wish to run.  If you want the application to run in the background, make sure to check the Minimized box.  The Set... button can be used to browse for the application you wish to run.

Display a message.  The message will be displayed according to the message option specified in the Settings...|General... dialog.


Other

Log File...

This command displays the log file BARCLOCK.TXT (the default location for this file is in your \WINDOWS directory).  BarClock uses this file to maintain a history of alarms and timers.

About...

This command displays information about BarClock including the version number, copyright information and it lets you know how to get in touch with us.

Exit

This command removes BarClock and ends the BarClock application.  Any alarms that occur while BarClock is not running will occur the next time that BarClock is started.


Examples

To help you get the most from BarClock, we have put together some examples that walk through the steps involved to customize BarClock to meet your needs.

Custom Date/Time Formats

Multiple Time Zones

Enhanced Crash Protection


Custom Formats
Custom Date/Time Format

Everybody seems to have their own favorite format for displaying the date.  We have made some of the more common formats easily accessible in the drop down list that appears when you edit the date.  If the format you want is not in the list, follow these simple steps to create your own custom date format.

1) Choose Setup... from the BarClock configuration menu

2) Click once on the date whose format you wish to change

3) Hold the SHIFT key down and click on the Edit... button

4) The dialog that appears no longer has the drop down list of choices.  In its place is an edit field that allows you to construct your own date format using the format keywords.

5) Modify or replace the format string as desired.  For example, if you want to display the date like 03.June.94, change the format string to [dd].[mmm].[yy].

6) If you wish to modify how the time is displayed, you can do so by using the same sequence of steps.


Multiple Time Zones

BarClock makes it easy to keep track of the time in more than one location.  To add a new time in a different time zone, follow these steps.

1) Choose Setup... from the BarClock configuration menu

2) Click once in the middle list of items labeled Toggle.

3) Click the Add... button and make sure that Time is selected before clicking OK.

4) Enter the name of the city in the edit field

5) Enter the number of hours and minutes difference between your local time and the new city - the difference can be either positive or negative.

6) Click OK

7) Now, a click with the right mouse button will allow you to quickly view the time.

8) Repeat this sequence to add additional cities.


Enhanced Crash Protection

The warnings offer protection against crashes by letting you know when the system is running low on the resources it needs.  To enhance your protection, you can cascade the warnings to provide an early warning of danger followed by a more serious warning should the resources continue to fall.  To do this, follow these steps.

1) Choose Setup... from the BarClock configuration menu.

2) Click on the Warnings... button to access the Warnings dialog.

3) Enable the system resource warning and set the warning level to 35%.

4) Enable both the User and GDI warnings and set their warning levels to 25%.

Now, when either resource falls below 35%, youll get your first warning.  If that resource should then fall below 25%, a second warning will appear.


Format Keywords

This section lists the keywords that BarClock recognizes in the format strings.  On display, BarClock will replace each occurrence of a keyword with its appropriate value.  For example, the format string [mmm] [d], [yyyy] would display as Jan 12, 1994 on the 12th of January of 1994.  The BarClock SDK allows you to define your own format keywords.

[m]	- Month (1-12)

[mm]	- Month (01-12)

[mmm]	- Month (Jan - Dec)

[MMM]	- Month (JAN - DEC)

[mmmm]	- Month (January - December)

[MMMM]	- Month (JANUARY - DECEMBER)

[d]	- Day (1-31)

[dd]	- Day (01-31)

[ddd]	- Day (Mon - Sun)

[DDD]	- Day (MON - SUN)

[dddd] 	- Day (Monday -Sunday)

[DDDD] 	- Day (MONDAY -SUNDAY)

[yy]	- Year (00-99)

[yyyy] 	- Year (1900-2040)

[HH]	- Hour (00 - 24)

[H]	- Hour (0 - 24)

[hh]	- Hour (1 - 12)

[mm]	- Minutes (0 - 59) (following either [HH], [H] or [hh], otherwise, month)

[ss]	- Seconds (0 -59)

[AM]	- AM/PM indicator

[day]	- Day of year (1 - 366)

[rem]	- Days remaining (365 - 0)

[jul]	- Julian date

[drive]	- Drive letter indicator

[fdisk]	- Free disk space

[udisk]	- Used disk space

[tdisk]	- Total disk space

[fmem]	- Free memory (includes virtual memory)

[spct]	- Free system resources (percent)

[gpct]	- Free GDI resources (percent)

[upct]	- Free User resources (percent)

[name]	- Timer name

[timer]	- Current timer value

[rate]	- Current dollar amount


Common Questions

What are User and GDI resources?

The terms "User" and "GDI" are the names of heaps (or memory) that is used by the system.  These heaps are a fixed size of 64Kb and they shared by all applications.  When either value runs low, you should quit one or more applications to avoid the risk of a system crash.  The minimum of the two values is often referred to as "System Resources" and is the value that can be found in the Program Manager's About dialog.

The free memory displays more memory than I have.

This is because the value includes both physical (RAM based) memory and any virtual (disk based) memory that you have available.  This is proper behavior and the number you see matches the number displayed by the Program Managers About dialog.

The free memory/disk space value is too low.

This is most often caused by a trying to equate bytes with kilobytes or megabytes.  Keep in mind that a kilobyte is 1024 bytes and a megabyte is 1024 kilobytes.  So, if the DIR command in DOS states that you have 46,452,342 bytes free, BarClock will display the value as 44.3 megabytes.

Is there more?

Well, yes, actually there are a few options and settings in the BARCLOCK.INI file that can not be changed by any of the dialogs.  Typically, these are settings for very specific situations or environments that would add unnecessary confusion if they were added to one of the dialogs.  If there is something that you would like to do, let us know, there may already be a way to do it!


BarClock PLUS

BarClock PLUS adds features not available in the standard version of BarClock.  Some of these features are listed below.

♦	AutoChronTM for WinCIM tracks extended forum charges

If you use WinCIM, youll love this feature.  BarClock PLUS is smart enough to recognize when you enter and leave extended services and automatically start and stop its timer.  This allows you to easily track your CompuServe charges and review them at the end of the month.

♦	Integrated application launcher

Add your favorite applications to the title bar!  How many times have you had to switch back to Program Manager to launch a utility such as Calculator while working in another program?  This feature eliminates this problem by allowing you to add your favorite utilities to the title bar so they are always just a mouse click away!

♦	Integrated task manager

Do you work with several applications at the same time?  If you do, youll love the integrated task manager.  This feature puts the icons of the running tasks in the title bar.  To switch to another running task, just click on its icon and that application is activated.  What could be easier!

Please call or write for more information.

Atomic Dog Software

PO Box 523

Medford, MA 02155

Phone: (617) 396-2673   Fax: (617) 396-5761

Internet: pbreen@world.std.com   CompuServe: 70312,743   America Online: PBreen


BarClock SDK
BarClock Software Developers Kit (SDK)

The BarClock SDK allows you to customize BarClock and/or tightly integrate BarClock with software you are developing.  The package includes documentation, header files and example files that allow you to use C or C++ to:

Extend BarClock with new format keywords

Extension DLLs are dynamically loaded at runtime

Display any statistic in the title bar you can write code for

Access the following BarClock features from remote applications

Scrolling messages

Start & stop timer

Respond to BarClock events including

Resource warnings

Message acknowledgment

Host window change

Button clicks

Alarms

Timers

Includes license for 10 users of BarClock.

Please call or write for more information.

Atomic Dog Software

PO Box 523

Medford, MA 02155

Phone: (617) 396-2673   Fax: (617) 396-5761

Internet: pbreen@world.std.com   CompuServe: 70312,743   America Online: PBreen


BarClock NT

BarClock is also available for NT!  The same set of features found in the Windows version are available in the NT version.  In addition, there are additional keywords specific to the NT environment.

Please call or write for more information.

Atomic Dog Software

PO Box 523

Medford, MA 02155

Phone: (617) 396-2673   Fax: (617) 396-5761

Internet: pbreen@world.std.com   CompuServe: 70312,743   America Online: PBreen


This check box controls whether BarClock will display it's own window when it cannot not find a "host" application.  This is useful if you often leave your applications minimized.  This is checked by default.


This check box controls whether BarClock is allowed to obscure the application window's title text when it displays it's information.  (NOTE:  If this option is not checked, BarClock may not display all of the information on either or both sides - this is proper behavior.)


This check box affects disk and memory display.  If checked, the memory and disk space are always displayed in kilobytes, otherwise, the values are scaled to the best display value.


This check box controls whether a BarClock icon appears on your desktop.  This is useful if you need to exit BarClock using a macro or scripting language.


This check box controls whether BarClock will play chimes when a standard screen saver is running.  This allows you to leave your computer running for long periods of time without being disturbed.  This is checked by default.


This check box controls whether BarClock updates the file BARCLOCK.TXT when an alarm occurs or when a timer is stopped.  This is useful for maintaining a history of meetings or tracking charges.  This is checked by default.


This check box controls whether BarClock will display any alarms that occurred while the computer was off.  Any alarm (except those which repeat hourly) that was scheduled to occur while the computer was off will be displayed in sequence when the computer is started.  This is checked by default.


NOTE:  If you do not have a sound driver, BarClock will not be able to play .WAV files and will beep instead.  Microsoft has a sound driver available that let's you play .WAV files using the internal speaker - the quality is not great but it works!  The driver can be found in a self-extracting archive called "speak.exe" (sometimes speakr.exe or speaker.exe) and it is available from a number of sources including ftp.cica.indiana.edu and the WINSHARE forum on CompuServe.  If you can't find it, drop us a line and we'll point you in the right direction.


NOTE:  If you wish more flexibility with the date and time, hold down the SHIFT key before clicking Edit... (or double-clicking on the date or time in the list).  This will bring up a dialog that allows you to edit the keywords that are used to define the date and time format.  In this dialog, you can also add additional text or identifiers that you may desire.