CONTENTS

Introduction

Getting Started

Adding an Application to the Launch Bar

Setting Application Functions

Controlling the MS Window Desktop

Where to put the Icons

The Exception File

Running Minimized

Feeding the Author


Introduction

Welcome to WinLaunch.  This application is an icon launch bar much like many others, except this one has the ability to fundamentally change the way Microsoft Windows works.  WinLaunch allows you to control where and what size any application's window starts.  It completely eliminates the need to start an application and then move it to where you want it and then size it to what you want it.  You simply start your application, move it, size it, right click (or <Shift Key> and left click) on the WinLaunch icon button, push the Add button and you are done.  From then on your application will start where and what size you want it.  It's that simple, and once added completely transparent to the user.  The applications DO NOT have to be launched from the icon bar to be controlled.  Another powerful ability is to control the icon parking lot.  This means that WinLaunch can take over from Windows the positioning of icons.  You can choose Icons on Side that will cause a minimized application to be placed on the side of the screen instead of the bottom.  WinLaunch keeps track of all icons and always uses the first available slot.


Getting Started

To get started you need to copy wlaunch.exe, wlaunch.hlp, wcontdll.dll, and except.ini to your Windows directory.  WinLaunch will create wlaunch.ini and wclaunch.ini in your Windows directory.  You may wish to add wlaunch.exe to your startup group.  Start WinLaunch in any traditional current method.  Left click on the WinLaunch icon button to bring up the WinLaunch About Dialog.  From here you can EXIT WinLaunch,  MINIMIZE WinLaunch, bring up this HELP file, ARRANGE ICONS, or EXIT WINDOWS.  Left click on the Next icon button to switch to the next group of icons.  WinLaunch will allow you to fill two groups of application icons.  To start an application after it has been added to the launch bar simply single click with the left mouse button on the applications' icon.


Adding an Application to the Launch Bar

WinLaunch uses Drag and Drop to add applications.  Any Windows application, DOS application, PIF file or BAT file can be added by dragging the application file from the File Manager and dropping it on the launch bar where you wish it to be.  Multiply files can be added at one time.  The application will be placed on the button where you drop it and all applications will be shifted down.


Setting Application Functions

To change various aspects of how an application will run you can right click (or <Shift Key> and left click) the application icon button to start the APPLICATION SETUP dialog.  From here you can modify the application command line, set a startup directory, have the application start when WinLaunch starts, Have the application run minimized at startup, change the icon used on the launch bar, or remove the application from the launch bar.  You can also choose to cache the icons.  If you choose to cache the icons WinLaunch will store the icons in memory and thus greatly speed the re-drawing of the launch bar when necessary.  However, caching icons requires approximately 1KB of memory per icon.


Controlling the MS Windows Desktop

WinLaunch can control several aspects of the desktop.  Some of the things it does are very obvious like controlling the startup position and size of an application or controlling the location of icons when an application is minimized.  Some things are rather subtle like returning focus to the top window in the Window Task List when you exit or minimize an application.  Most of the subtle things will become obvious as you become more familiar with WinLaunch.  The most powerful features are the most useful, however.  To control where and what size an application will start simply start the application, move and size it accordingly and then right click (or <Shift Key> and left click) on the WinLaunch icon button.  This will start the CONTROL SETUP dialog.  The parent window that had the focus when you right clicked will show up in the Controlled Windows list with a "?" in front of it.  If that is the application you wish to control simply push the ADD button.  An application can always be added again with a new size and position later.  To remove an application from the list simply select it and then push the Delete button.  You should occasionally review your list and remove entries that no longer apply.  You should never add an application to the list that can remember where and what size to be on its' own, that is redundant.  WinLaunch will use the stored size and position for the first instance of the application only.  All other instances will revert to that annoying MS Windows default behavior.  From this dialog you can also determine if the icons will be on the side or the normal position.


Where to put the Icons

WinLaunch has the ability to control where icons are placed when an application is minimized.  The choices are on the side or in the normal position.  Icons on Side gives more room for applications in the vertical direction.  When placed on the side the icons begin at the top right side of the screen and go down to the right bottom.  They then begin at the left bottom and go left to right, bottom to top in typical MS Windows fashion.  The choice is made by right clicking  (or <Shift Key> and left click) on the WinLaunch icon button and selecting either Icons on Side or Normal Position.  The number of icons that will fit on the side can be changed by modifying the [Desktop] section of the win.ini file to include (IconVerticalSpacing=) and giving it an appropriate value.


The Exception File

Although WinLaunch works with most applications there are always exceptions.  WinLaunch has the ability to read exceptions from a file called EXCEPT.INI.  This file can list exceptions in two ways.  The first way, and most applicable to end users is to modify the EXCEPT.INI file with notepad or other suitable asci text editor to include the complete path and program name of the application to exclude(i.e. c:\windows\system\mailspl.exe).  The second way to exclude an application is to use notepad or another suitable asci text editor to include the class name or number of an application(i.e. MS Mail Spooler, #32768, etc.).  This allows you to ignore whole classes of applications.  However, the class names are not readily available.

There are currently only two known applications that require an exception listing.  These exceptions are the Microsoft Mail Spooler used in Windows for Workgroups and Rclick, a small utility presented by PC Magazine.  The mail spooler can be excluded in either way described above.  The Rclick utility requires the entry of #32768 to exclude the window class of PopupMenu.


Running Minimized

If you decide to run WinLaunch minimized these are a few things to consider.  If you do not plan to use it as a launch bar but just to control applications then do not add applications to the bar and do not cache icons.  Have the Program Manager start it minimized.  If you may occasionally use it to launch applications then you may wish to not cache the icons to conserve memory.  WinLaunch is still fully functional as a minimized application.  You can access the CONTROL SETUP dialog from the system menu.  The help system and the arrangeicons function are also still available.


Feeding the Author

To feed the starving author of this program please send $15.00 US to Russell E. Holcomb, 8305 Ravenwood, Muncie  IN  47303.