HOTWIN Version 1.2 HOTWIN HOTPOP BringToTop copyright (c) 1990-91 TMA Development If your upgrading from version 1.0: 1) The hotkey and hotpop paths in version 1.2 are not saved in the win.ini file any more, so the hotkeys and hotpop menu items will have to be resetup. Enhancements / Fixes: Bring to Top The Hotkey option bring to top has been implemented. This is, if an application is already running and was started through a hotkey combination, pressing the hotkey combination again will bring the application to the top. This option is configurable. Bring to top or start another copy. FindFile: Pressing the escape key will now stop find file. The files are displayed now as they are found. Find File has now been implemented in the HotKey section. Number of menu items increased: The HotPop menu can now have 25 items on it. Number of HotKeys increased: The number of hotkeys that can be linked to files is now 30. Run Box on HotPop menu: Run box will now stay open if an application wasn't launched. HOTWIN is a hot key/hot menu program for windows. HOTPOP is the hot menu part of the HotWin application and provides a complete and easy to configure pop down menu. HotPop can start normal applications or associated files eg. (Readme.txt. or Bill.crd). The menu can be accessed through a hot key combination or a mouse button right or middle. The hot key combination and the mouse button used to open the menu are completely configuarable. The menu also features a built in task list. And a Run option so applications or associated files not on the menu can be opened immediately. The menu items can be easily added or removed through the HOTWIN setup dialog box. The setup features a built in find file. Also theres a feature to only show associated files so that only executable applications or their associated files are shown. A quick enable/disable key combination is built in to easily disable HotWin HOTKEYS HOTKEYS is the second part of the HotWin application and provides an easy way to link applications or associated files to HotKeys so they can be instantly accessed. Up to 30 hotkeys can be assigned. The hotkeys can be assigned to associated files or normal applications. A bring to top option is built in that will let you bring the application to the top, if it's already running by pressing the hotkey combination again. The Hotkeys only work within the graphical windows environment. This is a unregistered version of HotWin. The program is completely functional. When HotWin is loaded the about dialog will appear. HotWin is not to be distributed for money or services. Try the program out and if it makes your windows life easier. Please register it. Reasons to become a registered user: You will be informed of future enhancements and upgrades because there always happening and receive the latest versiion. If there is enough feedback and registrations! I will write a driver so the hotkeys will also work in dos shells. To obtain the latest version of HotWin and become a registered user: Send $25.00 dollars to: TMA Development 520 Washington St #148 Marina Del Rey, Ca 90292 (213) 827-8932 All comments can be addressed to Timothy Adams. Compuserve 70571,454 Business BBS TMA Installation: If your upgrading from version 1.0 delete the old HotWin files first so know confusion happens. The icon has changed in this version so you'll know if your running the latest version because a icon of a window will flash now when loading instead of the old icon. The Zip file downloaded contains 3 files 1) HOTWIN.exe 2) HOTWINL.dll 3) HOTWIN.txt HotWin.exe and HotWinl.dll need to be placed in your windows directory. (Make sure their together). HotWin does not clutter up your desk top with an icon. When it's first loaded the icon will appear briefly meaning HotWin is loading and then disapear. Clicking on HotWin again will open up the HotWin setup program. To start HOTWIN: Create an icon for HotWin through the Program Manager or open file manager and move into your windows directory and select HotWin.exe. Once HotWin is selected, the HotWin icon will appear very briefly in the bottom left corner of the screen. This means HotWin is loading when the icon disappears HotWin is loaded. To setup the menu and hotkeys setup double click on the icon again or the filename and the HotWin setup screen will open. When HotWin is first loaded it looks in the win.ini file for it's settings. If these settings are not found it will create it's own defaults that will be in effect until you have added your own menu items and hot key combination through the HotWin setup screen. The hot key default to open the menu is CTRL-ALT-A and the Right mouse button. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HotWin toggle key. The hotkey combination: Control Alt Period (CTRL-ALT-.) Pressing this key combination once will disable HotWin (All hotkeys the menu activation keys and the mouse button configured to open the HOTPOP menu. Pressing the key combination again will enable HotWin and all of it's associated buttons and keys. NOTE: The menu or hotkeys cannot be activated when the HotWin setup screen is open. UNLOADING HOTWIN Open the HotWin setup screen and click on the unload button this will remove HotWin from memory. Hot Win Tips The best way to use HotWin is to put it in the load statement of your Win.Ini file. And to put the HotWin.exe on the HOTPOP menu or assign a HotKey to it, so you'll have instant access to the setup screen. MENU SETUP: After HotWin has been loaded. Double click on the icon again or the filename and the HotWin setup screen will open. Select the "Setup Hot Pop Menu" button and the HotPop setup menu dialog box will open. TO ADD A MENU ITEM: 1) Double click on the file to be added in the file list box. 2) You will then be prompted for the title to appear on the menu enter the name and press ok. NOTE: When Show only Associated files is selected only files that have win.ini associations or executables will show up (this is the default) in the file list box. These include all the normal extensions (exe,com,bat,pif) and the extensions that have associations in the win.ini file. eg. if you had a cardfile named TMA.CRD it will show up because the extension .crd is associated with the Cardfile.exe utility. So the file TMA.CRD can appear on the menu to give you instant access to it. TO REMOVE A MENU ITEM: 1) Select the item to be removed from the menu items list box. 2) Click on the Remove button. TO FIND A FILE TO BE ADDED TO THE MENU: 1) Click on the FIND file button 2) Enter a wild card description of the name to ADD eg. *.txt 3) When the file shows up in the list box double click on the line containing the file name. 4) You will be prompted for the name to appear on the menu. 5) Enter the name and press ok. NOTE: FIND FILE finds all files not just executables and their associations HOT KEY SETUP 1) Tab or click to the hot key edit box. 2) Press the desired key combo 3) An echo of the keys will show up. 4) Click ok or tab out of the edit box. MOUSE BUTTON SETUP 1) Click on checkbox with the mouse button name to use. NOTE: If you don't want to use a mouse button or you want to turn the mouse off just uncheck the box. The hot key combo will still open the menu. TO OPEN A FILE NOT ON the MENU 1) Open the HOTPOP menu and select Run...(last menu item) 2) You will be prompted for the name of the application to execute. TASK LIST The task list will show all other applications besides the current one. To switch tasks just select the menu item. The task list is the first item on the menu. ERRORS Screen Flashes during menu Setup Max number of menu items reached. Menu Location If HOTPOP is activated through a hotkey it will show up in the upper left hand corner of the active window. If it's activated through a mouse button it will open at the current mouse pointer location. HotKey SETUP: After HotWin has been loaded. Double click on the icon again or the filename and the HotWin setup screen will open. Select the "Setup Hot Keys" button and the Hot keys setup dialog box will open. To Configure a HotKey: 1) Double click on the file to be added in the file list box or select the add button. 2) The enter hotkey box will now open. 3) Type in the hotkey combination desired. 4) Select what to do if the application has already been started once through the hotkey combination. a) Bring to Top: if application has been started through a hotkey then selecting this option will, when pressing the hotkey combination again will bring the application to the top instead of starting another copy. b) Start another copy: will start a new copy of the application when the hotkey combination is pressed. 5) Press Ok or type enter and the key will be added to the list. To Edit a HotKey: 1) Select from the hotkey list the hotkey to edit. 2) Double click in the list or select the edit button. 3) The edit hotkey dialog box will now open. 4) Make your changes and select Ok. TO REMOVE A HOTKEY: 1) Select the item to be removed from the HotKey list box. 2) Click on the Remove button. Note on Bring application to Top: For bring to top to work the application has to have been started from a hotkey. You can't start a application through program manager and then enter the hotkey combination to bring it to the top. This will start another copy of the application. and then any other time the hotkey combination is entered it will be brought to the top. HOTKEY TIPS: When one hotkey selection is made and you immediately make another hotkey selection. It is sometimes neccessary to lift up on the keys and then press down on them again. ERRORS Screen Flashes during menu Setup The maximum number of HotKeys has been reached.