PMHOTKEY Windows 3.1 Program Manager Hot Key Programmer (also works with Norton Desktop for Windows) ============================================== Description: PMHOTKEY is a freeware utility to allow the user to set a hot key for either the Windows 3.1 Program Manager (PM) or Norton Desktop for Windows (NDFW). Both PM and NDFW allow will let you assign hot keys to all the individual program icons but they don't provide a way to assign a hot key to themselves. PMHOTKEY provides this missing link. Since PM and NDFW are the only real ways to start new programs, whenever you want to get back to these main menus, you have to either Alt-Tab until you find the menu or Ctrl-Escape and select the menu out of a task list. Neither of these options are fast and both can be *really* annoying when you have a lot of programs running at the same time. The hardest part of using this hot key solution is learning to quit using the old way! With PMHOTKEY, anytime you want to get to the program menu, just hit the hot key that you selected and your back at the program menu. Initial Installation Instructions: 1. Put PMHOTKEY in your Program Manager STARTUP Group, but don't set it "Run Minimized" yet. 2. Run the program and set your favorite hot key. I'll make the suggestions that you use CTRL-SHIFT-P since it is doesn't *seem* to conflict with any other programs and at least the "P" part of CTRL-SHIFT-P represents Program Manager makes it somewhat intuitive to use. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Be aware that a screen capture program called SnagIt from � � TechSmith Corporation uses the CTRL-SHIFT-P hot key and they � � don't provide any method to change the setting. My fingers � � still prefer that hot key for Program Manager, so I use the: � � � � "[x] Enable Hot Key" � � � � capability of PMHOTKEY to disable the Program Manager hot key � � while I'm using SnagIt. I'm sure TechSmith will get this � � corrected in the near future. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 3. Now, edit PMHOTKEY's File Properties and check the "Run Minimized" box. Whenever you start up Windows, PMHOTKEY will set the hot key for Program Manager and terminate. If you want to change the hot key values or disable/enable the hot key, you'll have to turn off the "Run Minimized" setting in File Properties. The quickest way to do this is to Alt-Click on PMHOTKEY, uncheck the "Run Minimized" box, Click [Okay] and Double-Click the icon to start the program. Repeat these steps to reset the "Run Minimized" setting. 4. Click on the PMHOTKEY icon within the PMHOTKEY program to display the Help "About..." box. Other Info: PMHOTKEY stores its settings in PMHOTKEY.INI. The following is a sample PMHOTKEY.INI: [Windows 3.1 Hot Key Programmer] Shift=1 Control=1 Alt=0 VirtKeyIndex=27 Enabled=1 None of the values in this file should be modified by the user. But for the sake of completeness, the following should suffice: All the entries, except for VirtKeyIndex, are 0 if False and 1 if True. The VirtKeyIndex entry is an internal value and should not be modified by the user. It represents an index into a Virtual Key table stored within PMHOTKEY. Currently the only Virtual Keys supported are F1-F12 and A-Z. This program requires Windows 3.1 or greater. It should work on future versions of Windows, but hopefully this functionality will be part of a future version of Windows and this program can be thrown in the bit bucket. User Questions: Q. if you PMHOTKEY to assign a hot key and your sitting inside a DOS Box under Windows, will the hot key still work? A. Yes. All hot keys will work, not just the PMHOTKEY assigned hot key. Requirements: Microsoft Windows 3.1 Microsoft Windows 3.1 Program Manager or Norton Desktop for Windows Distribution: Feel free to distribute this program at will and without any restrictions as long as you don't charge for it or delete this text file from the ZIP! Version History: 1.0 - doesn't work reliably. hopefully later beta will include. back-burner 1.1 - "December 11th. Running low on Pop-Tarts. Dry Scalp continues to bother me. Still no word from Publishers Clearing House." playboy or paraphrased "December 11th. Running low on Pop-Tarts. Dry Scalp continues to bother me. It still isn't in the beta release!" bd 1.2 - found previously unknown API call (Thanks, Bill Sobel!) - works great/less filling (original code had gotten out of control)! 1.3 - added the "[x] Enable Hot Key" functionality 1.4 - made the Program, the Source and this Documents versions match! 1.5 - added support for Norton Desktop for Windows c - fixed/expanded minimize detection on invocation from NDFW Known Problems: * occasional warnings that fonts are not being deleted under 3.1 debugger, but I don't think it's me! I removed ALL of the font calls and the message still appears. Who knows? Future Enhancements: * None! We're fat, dumb and very happy at the moment. * May want to prompt and put for the Shell= in the INI file to support more than just PM and NDFW. ============================================================================= If you have any suggestions, send them on. We listen! Bob Duffett CIS: 73730,252 MCI: PRIORITY Priority Software, Inc. P.O. Box 5548 Athens, GA 30604 (404) 548-4039 (404) 543-7250 FAX =============================================================================