Table of Contents

Overview

License and Warranty

Installation and Removal

Hints and Tips

Functions:

Configuring Stiletto

Info

Buttons

Menu/Key Setup

Menu Contents

Alarm Setup

Alarm Details

Sound

Wallpaper

How To:

Setup Stiletto

Access the Configure Stiletto Command

Active Window Switch with a Button Bar

Change Alarm Sounds

Change Button Commands, Format, Position, or Number of Buttons Displayed

Change the Launch Menu Display

Change the Mouse Click Used to Display the Launch Menu

Change the Launch Menu Contents

Change System and Application Sounds

Change Wallpaper

Close an Active Window

Continue to Access the Desktop Menu from Your Program Shell

Cut and Paste Program Manager Commands to Stiletto

Display Button Commands with Flyover Help

Drag and Drop to Start a Command

Drag and Drop a File Rename

Enter Commands

Move Stiletto

Put an Active Window Always On Top

Put Stiletto always on top of the desktop

Restore the Default Stiletto Configuration

Run Commands from Program Manager or Other Shell Groups

Run Many Stiletto Button Bars

Run a Command at a Specified Time

Re-order buttons

Set a Low Resource Warning

Set Alarms

Simulate Middle Mouse Button

Switch to Another Active Window

Start a Command as Always On Top

View Commands for a Button

View Windows Information


Overview

Stiletto (v1.9) is intended for people who want a button bar task switcher/launcher and clock/calendar which always stays at the same place on the desktop and which lets them use any mouse button to run a command.  Stiletto also includes alarms, task scheduling, sounds control, and wallpaper control: it handles all your desktop needs using a single consistent but unobtrusive interface.

Stiletto incorporates these features:

A small-footprint button bar launcher (e.g. fits over title bar of maximized window).

Use of any mouse button to launch commands.

Drag and drop files to start commands.

Up to ten user-configurable command launch menus with submenus.

Attach launch menu to button bar, desktop, title bar, or all three.

Multiple button bars (through multiple instances and configurations).

Floating button bar or choice of many resolution-independent standard positions.

Direct access to program manager or other desktop shell groups and their commands.

Switch to or close any active window using a menu or button bar.

Make any active task or launch any command as always on top.

Text label, icon, clock, date, or resource display on any button.

Built-in commands for drag and drop file rename, windows exit/restart, browsing and running files (with run history), moving the button bar, playing sounds, and others.

Control of Caps Lock/Shift and Scroll Lock behaviour.

Support for file associations.

Alarms, regular chimes, and scheduled activation/termination of commands.

Wallpaper display and switcher/randomizer.

Assignment of sound to application events.

Randomization and testing of system and application sounds.

Random noise making by playing sounds sporadically as specified.

Flyover (balloon) help to display the commands for any button.

Since it does not have internal program icon/group change/add capabilities, Stiletto is not intended to replace Program Manager or another Windows shell that you are using, such as Norton Desktop for Windows (as defined on the shell= line of your System.ini file).  Instead, Stiletto is intended to provide quick, minimal-mouse click access to your most used commands while taking up little desktop space, and to provide utilities related to Windows start-up and time, all in one consistent package.


Stiletto Built-In Commands

Stiletto comes with a set of built-in commands.

You will find the built in commands in the drop down box of the Stiletto command entry controls on the button configuration dialog, launch menu dialog, and alarms dialog.

This drop down box also allows you to select one of the Windows applets, like File Manager or Control Panel.

Following is an explanation of each built-in command:

Menu Separator	Separates displayed menu entries; only available for launch menu.

Start Submenu	Starts a submenu; only available for launch menu

.

End Submenu 	Ends a submenu; only available for launch menu.

Active windows list	Inserts a list of active windows  into the launch menu.  When a list item is selected, that window is activated.  Only available from launch menu

Close Windows List	Inserts a list of active windows into the menu.  When a list item is selected, that window is ended.  Only available from launch menu.

Window On Top List	Inserts list of active windows  into the menu. When list item is selected, that windows window is set to always on top.  Only available from launch menu.

Message Box	Displays a message box containing the text typed into the work directory of the command entry controls.  It is intended for alarms, but can be used anywhere.

Launch Menu n	Displays the Stiletto launch menu number n.  It will only work when associated with a button on the Stiletto button bar.

Move Stiletto	Makes the Stiletto button bar move to the opposite side of the desktop.

Position Stiletto	You can drag Stiletto to an arbitrary position by clicking and dragging on a button which has been assigned this command.

Configure Stiletto	Activates the Stiletto Configuring Stiletto tabbed folder.

Exit Stiletto	Terminates Stiletto.

Browse and Run	Displays a file selection dialog; the selected file is executed.  Stiletto will follow any File Associations when executing the selected file. Optionally, you can put a default starting directory in the work directory edit box. The browse dialog contains a history of commands/parameters and an edit box for new command parameters.

Prog Mgr/Shell Grps	Lets you execute a command from any existing program manager or other desktop shell group.

Hide Program Mgr	Hides Program Manager Window/Icon

Show Program Mgr	Shows Program Manager Window/Icon

Built-In Cmds List	Displays a list box from which you can execute any of the Stiletto built-in commands.

Hide Window	Used to select and then hide a window.

Drag and Drop Rename	Used to rename a file.

Quick Win Exit	Exits Windows to DOS (you will get a chance to save unsaved documents).

Quick Win Restart	Exits Windows to DOS and then restarts Windows (you will get a chance to save unsaved documents).

Quick System Boot	Exits Windows and re-boots DOS (you will get a chance to save unsaved documents).

Confirmed Win Exit	After asking you to confirm, exits Windows to DOS (you will get a chance to save unsaved documents).

Confirmed Win Restart	After asking you to confirm, exits Windows to DOS and then restarts Windows (you will get a chance to save unsaved documents).

Confirmed System Boot	After asking you to confirm, exits Windows and re-boots DOS (you will get a chance to save unsaved documents).

Change Paper	Changes the wallpaper using the method selected in the Wallpaper dialog.  If no change is selected, the wallpaper is changed to a random wallpaper (bmp file) in the same directory as the current wallpaper.

Change Sound	Changes the sound files associated with all sounds in the Sound dialog that are not set to the no change sound method.  Note that this is different from the Change Wallpaper command:  the  Change Wallpaper command always changes the wallpaper but the Change Sound command only changes sounds where the method for changing is not set to no change.

Play Sound	Plays a wav file drag/dropped onto the button. Stops any playing sound if no file is drag/dropped.

Show Wallpaper	Shows wallpaper drag/dropped onto the button.  Does not save it (use Wallpaper  dialog for this).  If no file dropped, shows wallpaper saved in configuration file.

Prog Mgr Files	Lets you execute a command from any existing program manager group.  Windows program manager need not be running; this command works directly from the program manager files.


Command Entry Controls

Stiletto uses the same set of controls to enter commands for button configuration, launch menu, and alarms.

With these controls you enter the file to be run when you press a button, or select a menu item, or when an alarm rings.  You can enter a program file (.exe file) or a file name with an associated command (eg .xls file for Microsoft Excel). Stiletto provides many ways to find the file name:  you do not need to type it in.  You can browse for it, drag and drop it from file manager, cut and paste it from a program manager command, or capture it from a currently running program.  You can also select a built-in  command.

You also use the controls to set the start up (working) directory for the command and the initial window size for the command.

You can indicate that Stiletto should always launch a new instance of a program, or should switch to an already running instance if it exists.  (Note, however, that many programs will only allow one instance of themselves to be launched).

Click on the following graphic of the command entry controls to learn about them.

To enter the command you want to run:

If you know the file name (ie the .exe file for commands or your file name for documents with associated commands:)

type it directly into the edit box,

or Browse for the command using the Browse Button,

or drag and drop it from file manager onto the command edit combo box.

If you want to use a built in command or a Windows applet like File Manager:

select one of the built-in  commands from the drop down box.

If you do not know the file name (.exe file) for your command:

cut and paste it from a program manager group,

or start the command you want to use and then use the capture button.

Stiletto supports file associations, so you can enter the name of a document file and Stiletto will run the associated command.  For example, if you are working on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet called mysheet.xls, you can insert this file name as a command (or browse for it and select it).  Stiletto will run Excel on mysheet.xls when you select the command or when the alarm corresponding to the command rings

You can put command parameters after the command name.  Or, to prompt for command parameters, put a question mark (?) after the command name (after a space). You can put a ? in the midst of other command parameter text, and Stiletto will replace the ? with the prompted-for text.

To determine how the window will look when the command starts:  Using the drop down box under the command entry combo box, you can determine whether the command starts in an ordinary window, minimized, or maximized.  You can also specify that the command windows should start as Always On Top.  Finally, you can specify that the window from the command be hidden: this is intended for commands started by alarms.

To set the work (start-up) directory for a command: type the directory name into the work directory edit box or press the button underneath this edit box to set the work directory to the same directory as the command directory.

You also use the work directory edit box to:

Enter a message for the Message Box command built-in.

Enter a default group for the Program Mgr Groups built-in.

Enter a default starting directory for the Browse and Run built-in.

Enter *close or *wait for close and wait alarms.

Enter |filepath.wav to play the sound filepath.wav when the command is started.  If you also want to use a work directory, put the |filepath.wav immediately after the work directory name.  (Works for all commands, including built-ins, except for above four).


Switching to another Active Window

Stiletto provides the capability to switch among active top-level windows using either a menu or a button bar.

To use the menu, you need to put the built-in command Active Window List directly into the launch menu or as part of a submenu of the launch menu.  When the launch menu is activated, a list of currently active windows is displayed.  Selecting one of the windows causes that window to be activated.  Its windows will be opened and put on top of the desktop if it is minimized or hidden beneath other windows.

Use the Menu Setup dialog to control whether or not hidden windows appear on the active window list, what prefix text to put in front of each entry of the menu to remind you that the selected entry will be activated, and whether Stiletto centers the window when it is activated.


Submenus

The Menu Contents dialog allows submenus to be created.  When a launch menu is activated, the titles for these submenus are shown in the main menu.  If you select one of these submenu titles, the submenu will be displayed and you can then select one its entries.

The entries for submenus are shown indented in a launch menu list.  The start of the submenu is marked by >> in the left margin.  The end of the submenu is marked by << in the left margin.

To create a new submenu:

Select the Begin Submenu built-in in command.

Set the menu name to the submenu title.

Insert the Begin Submenu into the launch menu list box with the Replace or Add buttons.

Insert all commands for the submenu.

Select the End Submenu command.

Insert the End Submenu command

To change an existing submenu: delete, cut, copy, add, replace any of its entries.

To remove a submenu: delete the Begin Submenu and End Submenu commands.

To move existing commands onto a submenu: add a Begin Submenu command before the existing commands and add an End Submenu command after the existing commands.


Closing an Active Window

Stiletto provides the capability to close any active window using either a menu or a button bar.

To use the menu, you need to put the built-in command Close Window List directly into a main launch menu or as part of a sub-menu of a launch menu.  When a launch menu is activated, a list of currently active windows is displayed.  Selecting one of the windows causes that window to be closed.  You will first be asked if you want to save any unsaved information.

Use the Menu Setup dialog to control whether or not Hidden windows appear on the close window active window list and to specify prefix text to put in front of each entry of the menu to remind you that you that the selected entry will be closed.

You can also close an active task with an alarm.


Making a Window "Always On Top"

Stiletto provides the capability to make the main window of any window stay always on top of the other windows on your desktop.

To use this capability, you need to put the built-in command Window On Top List directly into the main launch menu or as part of a sub-menu of a launch menu.  When a launch menu is activated, a list of currently active windows is displayed.  Selecting one of the windows causes the window to be fixed on top of other task windows.

Use the Menu Setup dialog to control whether or not Hidden windows appear on the put on top active window list and to specify prefix text to put in front of each entry of the menu to remind you that you that the selected entry will be put on top.


The Info Dialog

The info dialog appears whenever you select the Configure Stiletto built-in command

The left hand list box shows how long Windows has been running, what type of CPU you have, whether or not there is a math co-processor present, what mode Windows is running in, and the name of the configuration file used by this instance of Stiletto.

The right hand list box shows the percent of GDI and user resources free, the number of kilobytes of free memory, the number of tasks running, and the number of free kilobytes on each hard disk drive.

The Program Mgr/Shell Groups button starts the program manager/other shell dialog to help you cut and paste commands to Stiletto.

Use the alarm setup dialog to set a low resource warning alarm.


Configuring a Button

You use the Configure Button dialog to set the label of a button and the commands which are run when you click the button with the left, middle, or right mouse button.

(You can simulate the middle mouse button by holding down shift while pressing the left button).

This dialog can be accessed by pressing and holding the button to be configured, by selecting the button to be configured from the Configure All Buttons dialog, or by dropping a file on the button with the Alt-key held down.

To set the button label, you can:

type a label of up to 7 characters into the label combo box .

select 12-hour clock or 24-hour clock from the label drop down list.

select mm-dd, dd-mm. dd-mmm, or mmm-dd as a date-display.

indicate that an icon should be displayed.

select one of the resource usage displays from the drop down box.

(When you use a time, date, or resource as the button label, it is harder to remember what the button does.  If you are not using flyover help, you can press and hold the button to view the function of a button if you forget.  You can also assign common, easily-remembered functions to time/date buttons.  For example, Stiletto comes with the time-labeled button configured to Configure Stiletto (left button) and to activate the built-in Move command (right button); the date-labeled button activates Windows Calendar (left mouse) and Windows Calculator (right mouse)).

To set the command to be run for a mouse button, use the command entry controls.

You can optionally enter help text to be displayed with flyover help.

The Configure All Buttons dialog lets you set the size, orientation, font for labels, and number of buttons.

If you have swapped the mouse buttons using Control Panel - Mouse, then Stiletto will try to automatically swap the right and left labels on the button dialog.  Automatic label swapping does not work with all mouse drivers, so you can also do it manually with the Configure All Buttons dialog.

If you drag/drop a file on a button with the Alt key held down, the configure dialog is started and the dropped file is used to initialize the command entry controls.  If Shift is also held down, the middle button is initialized; if Ctrl is held down, the right button is initialized; otherwise, the left button is initialized.


The Buttons Dialog

The Button dialog is selected by clicking on the Buttons tab from the Configuring Stiletto command.

You can use this dialog to:

Set the position for Stiletto on your desktop (see below).

Configure any button through the Configure Button dialog.

Indicate whether Stiletto is to float always on top of all other windows.

Indicate whether all buttons are to be big (see below).

Control if Stiletto shows button commands with a flyover help window.

Control whether flyover help is shown in upper case, for greater legibility.

Determine the delay between the time the cursor is placed over the button bar and the time flyover help appears (drag/drop flyover help appears twice as fast).

Indicate that mouse button labels are to be swapped in flyover help.

Set the background  and text colours for flyover help.

Determine whether Stiletto uses the Windows button colors or a button colour you choose with the Button colours dialog.  Windows button colours are set in the Control Panel, Color, Color Palette dialog.  Uncheck this box if you want to use a custom button colour.

Set the number of buttons displayed.

Set the font to be used for the label of big or small buttons.

Set buttons and text colour (Windows button colours checkbox must be clear).

Change the order of buttons.

You can specify that all buttons on the Stiletto button bar are to be big.  Stiletto will use longer buttons for time and date and shorter buttons for any other label.  This is in line with the Stiletto goal of having a minimal desktop footprint.  However, it does mean that the label for shorter buttons must be brief.  If you prefer to have room for a longer label, check the All Buttons Big check box.

Click on a button in the following graphic from the Buttons dialog to find out more about Stiletto positions.

You can also  position Stiletto manually using the Stiletto Position built-in  command.


Menu Setup Dialog
Menu/Key Setup Dialog

The menu/key setup Dialog is selected by clicking on the menu/key setup tab from the Configuring Stiletto dialog.

Use the dialog to set a prefix string and whether or not hidden windows are displayed for the active window list, close window list, and put-on-top window list.

You can indicate that windows should be centered when switched-to.

You can set a hot key combination which will bring up launch menu 0.  Note that the hot key combination must always include Ctrl and Alt.

You can set a hot key combination which will bring up the program manager or other desktop shell group.  Note that the hot key combination must always include Ctrl and Alt.

You can specify that the commands on a launch menu should be run each time Stiletto starts.

You can also enter an omit list of comma-separated strings which will be deleted from the list of active windows  and Active Bar or which can be used to remove active windowss entirely from these two.

To obtain a pristine desktop, you can specify that the Program Manager icon/window should be hidden.  Stiletto will wait for five seconds after it starts to hide the icon.  This option can be used with the built-in Hide Program Manager and Show Program Manager commands, but acts independently of them.

There are check boxes for controlling Caps Lock and Scroll Lock keys.

Finally, use the dialog to set which mouse click, if any, will display Stiletto launch menu 0 when you click on the desktop or a title bar.

If you set Stiletto to display launch menu 0 when you right-click on the desk top, you might still want to access another utility which attaches a menu to right clicking the desktop.  For example, The Norton Desktop for Windows implements such a menu.  Here is how to do it:

Right click on the desktop to display the Stiletto menu.

Move the mouse very slightly off the menu.

Right click again to bring up the menu from the other utility.


Menu Contents Dialog

The Menu Contents dialog is displayed with you click on the Menu Contents tab on the Configuring Stiletto dialog.

Use the menu contents dialog to add or change the contents of a Stiletto launch menu.

A Stiletto launch menu is displayed when you click a Stiletto button which has been assigned the Launch Menu n built-in command; Launch Menu 0 is displayed when you click on the title bar or desktop with the mouse button selected in the Menu Setup dialog.

At the left of the menu contents dialog is a list box which displays the current launch menu with submenus shown indented.  Beside this list box is a drop down box  which controls which of the ten potential launch menus the listbox is displaying for you to work with.

At the right of the dialog is a set of controls used to change or add a single menu entry.  There is an edit box to use to enter the name of the menu item; this is what is displayed on a launch menu.  Beneath the Menu Name is a set of command entry controls where you enter the command to be run when the menu item is selected.

In the middle of the launch menu dialog are a set of buttons used to transfer information between the launch menu list box and the controls used to work with a single menu entry.  These controls are only enabled when their function can be performed; for example, the Add After control is only enabled when you have entered a valid Menu Name and Command and have selected an item on the list to be added after.

Note:  you cannot launch one menu from another (for example, by putting the Launch Menu 1 command on menu 0).  Instead, use a submenu or attach the second menu to another button or a different mouse click.

To add a new command to the menu:

Enter the menu name on the right hand controls.

Enter the command and work directory in the right hand controls.

If you want to add the entry before or after an existing entry, or replace an entry,  select it.

Push the button corresponding to how you want to add the new entry to the list.

To change an existing entry:

Select the entry from the list.

Press copy (or double click on the entry).

Change the menu name or command as desired.

Press the replace button.

To move or copy an existing entry:

Select the entry to be moved or copied.

Press cut for a move, copy for a copy (or double click for copy).

If you to to move/copy to a different launch menu, select that menu number.

If you want to move/copy the entry before/after an existing entry, select that entry.

Push the button corresponding to how you want to add the new entry to the list.

To delete an entry:

Select the entry to be deleted.

Press the Delete button.

See submenus to learn about working with submenus.


Alarm Setup

The Alarm Setup dialog is displayed when the alarm setup tab is clicked from the Configuring Stiletto dialog.

Using this dialog you can set check boxes to:

Have Stiletto ring alarms which occur when Stiletto is not active.  Otherwise, missed alarms are not rung but are recycled or discarded according to the alarm setting. (However, alarms less than four minutes old are always rung).

Play the alarm sound  when an alarm displays a message box.

Play the alarm sound when a command is run by an alarm.

The Alarm Setup dialog also contains several drop down lists which you use to set:

A chime at a regular time during the hour (eg every 15 minutes).

A resource warning level percentage to have Stiletto display a message box whenever GDI or USER resources fall below this level.  You can also monitor resource usage with a button label set by the Configure Button dialog.

The interval in seconds at which Stiletto checks the resources and updates any resource usage button labels set by the Configure Button dialog.

Use the Sound dialog to set the sound associated with alarms and chiming.


Alarm Details

The Alarm Details dialog is displayed when you click on the Alarm Details tab of the Configuring Stiletto dialog.

Use this dialog to set alarm times and the command or messages to be activated when the alarm rings.

The left side of the dialog shows a list box containing all current alarms, sorted so that the earliest is at the top.

The right side of the dialog contains a set of controls for entering or changing a single alarm, including the alarm time and date, a drop down box to specify what Stiletto should do with the alarm after it rings, and a set of command entry controls to enter the command to be executed or message to be displayed when the alarm rings (use the Message Box built-in  command to display a message for an alarm).

To enter an alarm date, enter the year, month, and day as one or two digits separated by a space.  When you enter a valid date, the day of week and date will be displayed beside the date you enter.

To enter an alarm time, enter the hour and minute as one or two digits separated by a space.  Use a 24 hour clock or put a (for AM) or p (for PM) after the time.  When you  have entered a valid time, it will be displayed in AM/PM format beside the time you enter.

(Note that  Stiletto only checks to see if an alarm should be rung once per minute.  If you set an alarm for now, it will not ring until the next minute).

In the middle of the dialog are a set of buttons which are only enabled when the corresponding action can be performed.  For example, the Replace button is only enabled when you have entered a valid alarm time and date and command and have selected the alarm to be replaced from the alarm list.

Alarms are usually used to start commands, but you can also use alarms to close or wait for running tasks.

To add a new alarm:

Enter the alarm time and date.

Select the fate of the alarm after it has rung.

Enter a valid command, using Message Box built-in command for an alarm message.

Press the add button.

To replace or change an existing alarm:

Select the alarm.

Press copy or double click the alarm.

Enter the alarm time and date.

Select the fate of the alarm after it has rung

Enter a valid command, using Message Box built-in command for an alarm message.

Make sure the alarm you want to change is selected.

Press the Replace button.

To delete an alarm:

Select the alarm from the list.

Press the delete button.


Stiletto Sounds

Stiletto sounds are set from the Sound dialog.

You must have a sound card and the appropriate drivers or the PC speaker driver to hear sounds in Windows.

Stiletto supports these sounds:

Windows Start:	Plays once when Windows starts.

Windows Exit	Plays just before Windows shuts down.

Asterisk	Plays when an Asterisk message is displayed by Windows.

Default Beep	Plays when a Windows programs asks for a beep.

Critical Stop	Plays when an Critical message is displayed by Windows.

Question	Plays when an Question message is displayed by Windows.

Exclamation	Plays when an Exclamation message is displayed by Windows.

Stiletto Chime	Plays whenever Stiletto chimes (see Alarm Setup dialog)

Stiletto Alarm	Plays whenever Stiletto alarms (see Alarm Setup dialog)

Stiletto Noise	Windows background noise:  sound plays at random minutes according to the percentage set in the Sound dialog.

The following sounds play only if the Enable Application Sounds box is checked in the Sound dialog.

App Start	Played when an application starts.

App End	Played when an application ends.

Win Minimize	Played when a window is minimized.

Win Maximize	Played when a window is maximized.

Win Move	Played when a window is moved or re-sized.

Dialog OK	Played when a dialog box OK button is pressed (if the application is using the standard OK internal message number).

Dialog Cancel	Played when a dialog box Cancel button is pressed (if the application is using the standard Cancel internal message number).


Sound Dialog

The Sound dialog is selected by clicking the Sound tab on the Configuring Stiletto dialog

The Sound dialog is used to change the sound file (wav file) associated with any of the Stiletto sounds.

The left side of the dialog shows a list of the standard Stiletto sounds and any sound files currently assigned to the sound.

The right side of the dialog contains controls for working with a single sound and its sound file.

To use a sound file, type its name directly into the sound file edit box, drag and drop it from the file manager, or use one of the browse buttons to display and select from a list of wav files.  If you want to hear the sounds as you browse them, press the Browse and Test button; clicking on a wav file in the file browse dialog will play that sound file.

To play the sound file shown in the sound file name edit box, press the Test button.

To add spice to your multimedia life, Stiletto can automatically change the sound file you select to any other wav file in the same directory.  Use the How To Change Sound drop down box to determine whether and how Stiletto changes the sound file.  Use the Mins Between Changes drop down box to determine how often Stiletto changes the sound file (this drop down is disabled if you selected No Change from the How To Change Sound drop down).

The buttons in the middle of the dialog box are used to work with sounds from the list on the left.  A button is only enabled when its action is valid; for example, the Replace button is only enabled when there is sound information in the right hand edit box and there is a sound selected from the list to be replaced.

To add or replace sound file information for a particular sound event:

Enter or browse for the sound file name.

Enter the How to Change Sound and Mins Between Sound, as required.

Select the sound with the sound information you wish to change or add.

Press the replace button.

To work with existing sound file information for a particular sound event:

Select the sound with the sound information you wish to use.

Press copy (or double click).

Change the sound file name, How to Change Sound, or Mins Between Sound.

Select the sound with the information to be changed.

Press the replace button.

To stop the sound for a particular event:

Select the sound to be cleared.

Press Clear.

The Enable Application Sounds check box must be checked to have Stiletto play a sound for any of App Start, App End, Win Minimize, Win Maximize, Win Move, Dialog Ok, and Dialog Cancel.

The Stiletto noise sound is played at random in the percentage of minutes set by the % of mins to play noise edit box.  Use this feature if you feel drowsy.  The noise sound is changed each time it is played, unless the change method is set to No Change.

You may wish to group your wav files into directories (eg startup, shutdown, good, bad) and then use the Stiletto automatic sound file changer to sample the sounds from each directory.

The Change Sound built-in command changes any sounds which have not been marked as No Change.  If you assign this command to a button or put it on a Stiletto launch menu, you can use it to have Stiletto immediately change sounds if a sound pattern that you dislike is selected.


Wallpaper Dialog

The Wallpaper dialog is selected by clicking the Wallpaper tab on the Configuring Stiletto dialog.

The Wallpaper dialog is used to change the Windows wallpaper.

To specify a wallpaper file, type its name directly into the wallpaper file name edit box, drag and drop it from the file manager, or use one of the browse buttons to display and select from a list of bmp files.  If you want to see the wallpaper as you browse the files, press the Browse and Display button; clicking on a file in the file browse dialog will display that wallpaper.

To add spice to your multimedia life, Stiletto can automatically change the wallpaper you select to any other bmp file in the same directory.  Use the Method for Changing Wallpaper drop down box to determine whether and how Stiletto changes the wallpaper file.  Use the Mins Between  Automatic Changes drop down box to determine how often Stiletto changes the wallpaper file (this drop down is disabled if you selected No Change from the Method for Changing Wallpaper drop down).

Use the Tile Wallpaper check box to set whether Windows tiles or centers your wallpaper.

Stiletto has a built-in Show Wallpaper command for previewing wallpaper.


Viewing A Button's Commands

To view the commands associated with a Stiletto button bar button, press and hold down the button for about one second.  Or you can rely on flyover help to show the commands for a button.

The Configure Button dialog will be displayed which will show you the command associated with each mouse button.

To execute one of these commands, press the Stiletto button by clicking the appropriate mouse button; the dialog box is automatically closed when you do this.

You can also press Esc or the Cancel button to close the dialog box.

Of course, you can also use the dialog box to change the button label or any command after you have displayed it by holding down the Stiletto button bar button.


Configuring Stiletto

You configure Stiletto buttons, launch menu contents, sounds, wallpaper, and alarms with the Configure Stiletto built-in command.

This command can be assigned to a Stiletto button or to a launch menu.  In Stiletto as originally shipped, the Configure command appears on a launch menu and is also associated with left-clicking the leftmost button on the button bar.

Re-installating the Configure command shows what to do if delete this command and need to configure Stiletto,

The Configure Stiletto command displays a set of tabbed dialogs as follows:

Info shows Windows information and resource usage.

Buttons allows button commands, position, font, number to be set.

Menu/Key Setup controls the format of the active window list, hot keys, and the mouse click used to start a launch menu.

Menu Contents allows you to change the contents of launch menus.

Alarm Setup controls low resource warnings and the sounds associated with alarms and chimes.

Alarm Details allows you to add or change alarms.

Sound controls the sounds played for windows and application events and allows you to specify how Stiletto should automatically change them.

Paper allows you to change the Windows wallpaper and to set up automatic re-wallpapering.

All the tabbed dialogs share one OK, Apply, and Cancel button:  If you press OK, all changes made on all tabbed dialogs are saved and Stiletto restarts with the new configuration. If you press Apply, all current configuration changes are saved.  If you press Cancel, all changes made on any tabbed dialog since the last Apply are discarded.

Note however that the Configure Button dialog has its own OK and Cancel; if you press OK on this dialog the changes are saved even if you press Cancel on a tabbed dialog.


Stiletto License and Lack of Warranty

The Stiletto program, DLL, Help File, and readme file are all Copyright 1995 by Bruce Switzer.  All Rights Reserved.

THIS SOFTWARE IS DISTRIBUTED "AS IS," WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED.  GOOD DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE DICTATES THAT ANY PROGRAM BE THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING ON IT.  THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM.

You can contact the author with comments or questions at bruce.switzer@canrem.com.

Stiletto may be distributed freely, as long as all files in the package are distributed, including the readme file and the help file.

Stiletto is freeware, but it is not in the public domain.  It may be distributed freely but may not be sold nor may it be used in any profit-oriented endeavor.

All trademarks used in this Help File are the property of their respective owners and are used for explanatory purposes only.


Moving Stiletto

Although it is generally more convenient to have the Stiletto button bar at a fixed place on the desktop, there are times when you want to temporarily move Stiletto out of the way.

The built-in Move Stiletto command does this.  When executed, this command causes the button bar to jump to the other side of your Windows desktop.  If you execute it again, Stiletto jumps back to its previous position.

(Or you can also have a floating button bar through the Position Stiletto built-in command).

The Move command can be assigned to a button on the button bar or put in the Launch Menu.

The Move command is only temporary; the next time Stiletto starts up, it will be displayed in its standard position.

Move handles the split button bar as follows:  if the move command is assigned to the left half, then the button bar will be fused on the right half of the desktop.  If the move command is assigned to the right half of the button bar, then the button bar will be fused on the left half of the desktop.  (Hence you may want to assign the move command to two different buttons.)  When the move command is pressed from a fused button bar, it will be resplit.  Although this may seem complicated, the idea is that a single mouse click near the area you want to clear will move Stiletto out of the way.


Installation

To install Stiletto, first UnZip the Stiletto zip file into its own directory.  Then execute the ssetup.exe program that comes as part of the zip.  This program copies the 3d Control library to your Windows directory (if you do not already have it)

After you are satisfied that Stiletto is working, you can delete the zip file and ctl3dv2.bak.

To start Stiletto, execute stiletto.exe.  Stiletto will use the default configuration stored in stiletto.ini.

Stiletto.exe must be in the same directory as the the stilethk.dll and stiletto.ini library that are included in stiletto.zip. (You can also put the .ini file in your Windows directory).

In the zip file, the stiletto.ini file is called stiletto.def so that when you install a new version of Stiletto, unzipping the zip file does not over-write your previous stiletto.ini.  The ssetup program will rename the file if there is no stiletto.ini file in the directory where you unzip Stiletto.

If you find Stiletto useful, you will probably want to put in it your StartUp group so that Stiletto starts automatically with Windows.

To de-install Stiletto, remove it from your StartUp group and erase the directory containing Stiletto. Erase stiletto.ini from your Windows directory if you put it there. The 3D control library is used by many programs so you should leave it in your Windows directory (the file name is ctl3dv2.dll).


Default Configuration

The default Stiletto configuration is stored in the stiletto.ini file that comes with Stiletto.  There is a backup copy in stiletto.cfg in case you ever want to return to the default configuration (by copying stiletto.cfg over top of stiletto.ini in your Stiletto or Windows directory).

(See installation for more about installing and de-installing Stiletto).

The default Stiletto button bar has six buttons with these contents:

Button	Label	Left	Middle	Right
1	12-Hour Clock	Stiletto Configure	Stiletto Move	Stiletto Position
2	Date mmm-dd	Win Calendar	None	Win Calculator
3	DOS	dosprmpt.pif	Confirmed Restart	Confirmed Win Exit
4	f.s.c	File Manager	Win Setup	Control Panel
5	Edit	NotePad	Drag/Drop Rename	SysEdit
6	Menu	Launch Menu 0	Task Manager	Prog Mgr/Shell Grps

The default launch menu starts with three submenus:  switching between active windows, closing active windows, putting an active window on top.  Next comes the built-in  Stiletto commands Prog Mgr/Shell Groups, Configure Stiletto, Browse and Run, Change Wallpaper, Change Sounds, and Exit Stiletto.

Flyover help is turned on in the default configuration.  If you find it distracting, you can turn off with the Configure All Buttons dialog.


Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in the top-left corner of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in the top left of the desktop offset to the right by the width of a system menu box.


Stiletto will be positioned vertically in the top left corner of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned vertically in the top right corner of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in the top right corner of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in the top right of the desktop, offset to the left by the width of a minimize box plus a maximize box.


Stiletto will be positioned vertically in the middle of the left side of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned vertically in the middle right hand side of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned vertically in the bottom left corner of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in the bottom left corner of the desktop.


Bottom Middle Horizontal Position
Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in middle of the bottom of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in the bottom right corner of the desktop.


Bottom Right Vertical Position
Stiletto will be positioned vertically in the bottom right corner of the desktop.


Stiletto will be positioned horizontally at the top and in the middle of the desktop.


Stiletto will be split in half and placed horizontally on each side of the top of the desktop.  The left half will be positioned horizontally in the top left of the desktop offset to the right by the width of a system menu box; the right half will be positioned horizontally in the top right of the desktop, offset to the left by the width of a minimize box plus a maximize box.


Re-installing the Configuration Command

You use the Configuring Stiletto built-in command to set button commands, launch menu contents, sounds, wallpaper, and alarms.  This command is associated with the menu or button just like any other Windows or other built-in command.  And, like them, it may be deleted.

What happens if you delete the Configuring Stiletto command from all buttons and the menu?  How can you configure Stiletto then?  Here is how:

Press and hold any Stiletto button for about one second to display the Configure Button dialog.

Under Left, activate the drop down box and selected Configure Stiletto from the list.

Press OK to close the dialog.

Left click the button you selected from the button bar to activate the Configure Stiletto dialog.

Now you can reconfigure all the buttons and launch menu and place the Configure Stiletto command wherever you wish.

If you have assigned launch menus or the Stiletto Position command to the left and right mouse buttons of all visible buttons, you will have to press and hold the middle button.  You can use shift-left to do this.

Note that if you have assigned the Position Stiletto command to the button, when you press and hold you have to be careful not to move the mouse at all.


Simulating Middle Mouse Button

If you hold a shift key down while you press the left mouse button, Stiletto will act as if the middle mouse button has been pressed.  (This applies only to selecting commands from the Stiletto button bar.)


Drag and Drop onto the Stiletto Button Bar

You can drag and drop a set of one or more file names from the File Manager onto the Stiletto bar to start a command with the file names as the parameters.

Normally, the command corresponding to the left mouse button is started.  But if you hold down the Shift key as you drop the file name, the command corresponding to the middle button is started.  If you hold down the Ctrl key, the command corresponding to the right mouse button is started.

You do not have to memorize this rule:  if you hold the file to be dropped over the button bar momentarily without dropping it, Stiletto will display a small flyover window showing the three commands associated with the button.  Shf will appear beside the middle mouse button command; Ctl will appear beside the right mouse button command.

(As another memory aid,  consider this: both Shift and Middle have i in them; both Right and Ctrl have r in them.)

Stiletto does not check on the Shift or Ctrl keys until after you drop the file.  If you are dropping a file from a floppy disk, you need to hold the key down for a moment after the file is dropped since Windows does not tell Stiletto that the file is dropped until after it checks the floppy drive which takes a second or two.

Stiletto has a built-in drag and drop rename command, Show Wallpaper command for previewing wallpaper,  and Play Sound command for playing wav files.

Stiletto drag and drop also works with the Norton Desktop for Windows file manager and the SideBar file manager.  However, flyover help for drag and drop does not work with the file managers for these two desktops.


Drag and Drop Rename

The built-in drag and drop rename command can be used to rename a file with a new name or extension.  The renamed file stays in the same directory.

File wildcards are not allowed.

You can associate this command with a launch menu or the button bar, but if you want to use the drag and drop capability, the command must be assigned to a button.

Activating the command brings up a small dialog box where you can type the current file path (drive, directory, file name, extension), the new file name, and the new extension.

If you drag and drop a file name from file manager onto the button with the rename command, the current path edit box will be initialized to the dropped file name and the new file name and extension edit boxes will be initialized to the dropped file name and extension.

If you Press the Ext to .bak button, the new file extension is set to .bak and the new file name is set to whatever was present in the new file name exit box.


Displaying Button Commands

If you hold the mouse button over the Stiletto button bar for about one second without pressing a mouse button, Stiletto will display a small window showing the commands associated with each of the three mouse buttons for the underlying button.  Each of the letters L, M, or R (Left, Middle, Right) appears beside the appropriate command.

After you press a button or move the mouse off the Stiletto bar, this window will disappear.

If you are using drag and drop, Shf appears beside the command associated with the middle mouse button, since you need to hold down the Shift key to access the middle button command for drag and drop.  Similarly, Ctl appears beside the command associated with the right mouse button, which is accessed by holding the Ctrl key down as you drop the file.

(Stiletto drag and drop also works with the Norton Desktop for Windows file manager and the SideBar file manager.  However, flyover help for drag and drop does not work with the file managers for these two desktops).

You can control whether Stiletto displays the help window with the Configure All Buttons dialog from the Configuring Stiletto built-in command.

Use the Configure Button dialog to set the text displayed with flyover help.  If you do not specify any text, the commands themselves are displayed.

If you have swapped the mouse buttons using Control Panel - Mouse, then Stiletto will try to automatically swap the right and left labels on the button dialog.  Automatic label swapping does not work with all mouse drivers, so you can also do it manually with the Configure All Buttons dialog.


Accessing Program Manager or Other Shell Groups

You use the built-in Prog Mgr/Shell Groups command to run commands from your existing program manager or other desktop shell groups.  This command will work with any shell which is fully compatible with Program Manager; it has been tested successfully with SideBar and Norton Desktop 3.  (See the end of this section for the Program Mgr Files command, which always uses your Program Manager files).

The Prog Mgr/Shell Groups command displays a dialog box with two list boxes.  The left list box shows the names of all your groups.  Clicking on any one of these will fill the right list box with the names of all the commands (ie icons) in that group.  You can then execute any command in the group by either double clicking on it, or by selecting it with a single click and pressing the Execute button.

The command dialog is normally closed when you run a command; however, if you uncheck the Close When Command Run check box, the dialog will stay open after a command is run.

If you single click on any command name in the right list box, you will see the file paths for the command and its work directory displayed at the bottom of the dialog box.

You can set a hot key to immediately access this command from Menu/Key Setup.

The command can also be used to cut and paste commands directly to Stiletto command entry controls .

You can set up the command to immediately display the commands for any group when started by typing the name of the default group into the work directory field  of the command entry controls .  For example, if you had several groups you accessed often, you could set up several different commands, one for each group, and assign them to a launch menu with the menu name set to the group name.  Then, when you selected that item from the menu, the Groups command would start with the right hand list box filled with the commands from the default group.

(The built-in command Program Mgr Files is used in the same way as the Prog Mgr/Shell Groups command.  However, it works directly with your Windows Program Manager group files and ignores any other shell which you may be running).


Cut and Paste Commands

You can copy program manager or other desktop shell commands directly to the Stiletto command entry controls  used to enter commands for button configuration, launch menu, and alarms.

This is an alternative to browsing for the command when the command file name, parameters, or work directory are not known making it difficult to browse for the command.

Cut and Paste uses the P button on the command entry controls . This button will be enabled whenever there is information from a program manager or desktop shell group to be pasted:  Each time you select or execute a command from the groups command, the command name and work directory are made available through the P button.

So, to paste a command, you first need to have selected the command from the program manager or desktop shell group dialog.

Follow these steps to cut and paste commands:

Start the Configuring Stiletto built-in command.

Press the Program Mgr/Shell Groups button on the Info tabbed dialog.

If needed, move the Program Manager Groups dialog box so you can access the configure dialog.

Access the command you want to configure through the button configuration, launch menu, or alarms tabbed dialogs.

Select the program manager group and command you want to paste (single click!).

Press the P button on the command entry controls to copy the information.

Save the copied command on the menu, if appropriate.

Repeat the above three steps for all commands you wish to copy.

Cancel the program manager dialog and OK close the configure dialog when done.


Resource Usage Displays

Stiletto can display free Windows resources as a button label by selecting the desired display from the Configure Button dialog.

These displays are available:

Free GDI Res	Displays the percentage of free GDI resources in the form NNg, where NN is the free percentage.
Free USER Res	Displays the percentage of free USER resources in the form NNu.
Free Memory	Displays free memory, which includes virtual memory, in Kilobytes.
Min of GDI/USER	Displays the minimum of GDI and USER in the form NNf.
GDI/USER	Displays both GDI and USER free resource in the form NNg/MM, where NN is the free GDI resources (shown by the g) and MM the free USER resources.
Min and Mem (MB)	Displays the minimum of GDI and USER as well as the free virtual memory in Megabytes in the form NN/MM.M, where NN is the minimum of free resources and MM.M is the free memory in megabytes (1024K).

GDI resources include device-context handles, brushes, pens, regions, fonts, and bitmaps. USER resources include window and menu handles and related structures.

Use the Alarm Setup dialog to set the rate at which Stiletto refreshes  the resource displays.  You can also use this dialog to set a level for Stiletto to automatically monitor USER and GDI resources.


Changing the Order of Buttons

You can change the order of Stiletto buttons by clicking the New Button Order button on the Configure All Buttons dialog.

Clicking this button brings up a dialog with a row of current buttons.  All 16 potential buttons are displayed.  (The Configure All Buttons dialog lets you control how many buttons are actually displayed).

The top row of buttons shows the buttons in their current order.  (For vertical Stiletto the leftmost button will be topmost).  To re-order the buttons, click on them in the new order in which you want them to appear.  After you click on a button, it will be moved to the bottom row showing the new button order.  If you change your mind, click on any button in the new button order and it will be moved back to the old button order.


Command Edit
Put the name of the file to be executed here, or select a built-in command using the drop down.  You can type the file name directly; but normally, you use one of the Browse, Paste, or Capture buttons or drag and drop a file name from File Manager.  You can use program (.exe) files or files with associated commands (eg .xls file extension for Microsoft Excel files).  You can put command file parameters after the command name.  Or, to prompt for command parameters, put a question mark (?) after the command name (leave a space in between).


cmCapture
Press this button to get the file name for one of the programs that is currently active (executing) on your system.  A menu of active windows will be displayed.  Select one, and its .exe file will be copied to the edit box.


cmWork
Enter the name of the working directory to use for the command here. For some old Windows programs, it is necessary to set this to the same directory as the command file, but this is rarely needed.  But the work directory is useful to set the default directory for File Opens for the command.  You also use the work directory to enter the text for alarm messages.  Finally, you can enter |filepath.wav to play the sound filepath.wav when the command is started.  If you also want to use a work directory, put the |filepath.wav immediately after the work directory name.


cmDir
Press this button to set the working directory to the same directory as the command file is in.  For some old Windows programs, it is necessary to do this, but this is rarely needed.


cmWindow
Use this drop down to select the window style for the command when it is run:  normal, minimized, maximized, hidden.  You can also set the window to be always on top.


cmBrowse
Press this button to browse through your directories for the file to be used.


cmPaste
Press this button to copy the file name corresponding to one of your program manager or other desktop shell commands (icons).  To enable the button, you first have to select a command.  See cut and paste commands for details.


Using Alarms to Close or Wait on Active Tasks

You can use alarms to close active tasks or to wait for active tasks to complete.

If you create an alarm with the work directory set to the string *close, then the command will be closed when the alarm rings, if it is active (nothing happens if the command is not active when the alarm rings).

If you create an alarm with the work directory set to the string *wait, then no further alarms will be processed until the command terminates (nothing happens if the command is not active when the alarm rings).  You need to make sure the Ring Missed Alarms option is checked in the alarm setup dialog for *wait to work.

Close and wait alarms do not work with Dos programs; they only work with Windows programs.

Here is an example of the use of close and wait alarms:  Suppose you have one modem which you use for two programs:  a fax receiver (program /winfaxx/winfaxx.exe) and an offline mail reader with a script which automatically dials your Internet provider and downloads your mail (program /fedora/fedora.exe myscript.hat).  Now suppose you want the fax reader to be always running on your machine except for 2:00 AM when you want your mail reader to download your mail.  Your problem is that both programs cannot be running at the same time since they both use your single modem.

The following sequence of alarms will solve your problem by closing the fax program at 1:59, starting the mail reader at 2:00, and re-starting the fax program when the mail reader finishes.

Time	Command	Work Directory	After Alarm Rings
1 59 AM	/winfaxx/winfaxx.exe	*close	Alarm again in 1 day
2:00 AM	/fedora/fedora.exe myscript.hat		Alarm again in 1 day
2:01 AM	/fedora/fedora.exe	*wait	Alarm again in 1 day
2:02 AM	/winfaxx/winfaxx.exe		Alarm again in 1 day

Stiletto close and wait alarms are not intended to replace an industrial strength scheduling program.  For example, they cannot handle situations where programs encounter errors or have unsaved data and so refuse to close.  You are cautioned to use close and wait alarms only for non-critical data where it is easy to recover manually if exceptional circumstances arise.

Final note:  if you believe that the user interface for close and wait alarms is ad hoc, ugly, and not Windows standard, you have the full agreement of the author.


Running Multiple Stiletto Button Bars

You can have many Stiletto button bars by running more than one instance of Stiletto simultaneously.  For example, you could have your main button bar in the top left of the screen, and a separate button bar in the bottom middle of the screen for drag-and-drop commands like Stiletto rename and your own viewer, editor, or drag-and-drop file deleter.

You run multiple copies by creating a separate configuration file for each.  All configuration files must be in the same directory as the Stiletto .exe file or in your Windows directory.  To use a configuration file, start Stiletto with a command like this:

c:/stildir/stiletto.exe stilett2.ini

where stilett2.ini is the name of the configuration file.  Do not include any directory names with the configuration file. You use a (StartUp group) program manager icon or the program manager run command to enter a configuration file on the command line.  Of course, you could also execute such a command line from a Stiletto button bar or launch menu.  Stiletto will check to make sure you are not re-using the configuration file from an instance of Stiletto which is already running.

The default configuration file, stiletto.ini, is used when you run Stiletto without a configuration file on the command line.

The name of the configuration file Stiletto is using is shown in the Info dialog.

To set up a new configuration file, start by making a copy of an existing configuration file with a new file name in the Stiletto or Windows directory, for example by using the Dos copy command or by using File Manager to copy the file to a temporary directory, renaming the copy, and then moving the renamed copy back to the directory.

Make sure that you are not running an instance of Stiletto using the copied file to avoid running two instances on top of each other on the desktop.  Then start Stiletto with the new configuration file and change the button bar position with the Configuring Stiletto dialog.  You can also reconfigure that button bar and launch menu commands.  Make sure you continue to associate a built-in configuration command with the new button bar.

Hotkeys, the desktop/title bar mouse buttons, and application sounds are determined by the first instance of Stiletto that requests them.  Each instance will separately process chimes, alarms, wallpaper and sound randomization, and resource warnings.  Hence, you should isolate your use of these features to one main instance.  This will also conserve your Windows resources.


hblu
Stiletto will be positioned horizontally at the left of the bottom of the desktop, raised by the height of a status bar from the bottom of the screen.


hbmu
Stiletto will be positioned horizontally in middle of the bottom of the desktop, raised by the height of a status bar from the bottom of the screen.


hbru
Stiletto will be positioned horizontally at the right of the bottom of the desktop, raised by the height of a status bar from the bottom of the screen


Using Icons to Label Buttons

Stiletto can display an icon as a button label; to access this feature select the desired display entry from the label drop down box in the Configure Button dialog.

These displays are available:

Icon from Left	Displays icon from left command.
Icon from Middle	Displays icon from middle command.
Icon from Right	Displays icon from right command.
Icon from File	Displays icon from file that you browse for or key in to edit box.

Controls for working with icons will appear when you select one of these entries.

If there is more than one icon in the file, Stiletto lets you select which icon you wish to display.

If you change the command file or icon file, you may need to press the Show Icon button to see the new icons from the selected file.


Position Stiletto

You can position Stiletto manually anywhere on the desktop by using the Position Stiletto built-in command.

First assign this command to any Stiletto button and to any of the left, middle, or right mouse buttons.  Then use the buttons dialog to select any standard vertical or horizontal position, depending on whether you want Stiletto to be oriented vertically or horizontally.  Finally, click on the button with the Position command using the appropriate mouse button and drag Stiletto to wherever you would like it to be positioned.  After you are done dragging, Stiletto will record its position in the configuration file and will return to this position automatically when started.


Caps Lock and Scroll Lock

The Configure All Buttons dialog contains check boxes to permit you to control the behaviour of the Scroll Lock and Caps Lock keys.

You can specify that pressing shift always clears caps lock, to avoid reversed mixed case like sTILETTO.

You can disable the Scroll Lock key.  This key is rarely used, and when activited unknowingly, causes irrritating behaviour from the arrow and other keys.

When using this features with multiple instances, make sure than only one instance uses it and hotkeys.


Use multiple menus to organize your work by collecting all your related work onto menu and attaching the menu to a button.  Example: put all your Internet-access commands onto a menu.  Or, if you work with a many spreadsheets, organize them into a menu/submenu hierarchy for quick access.  Remember that you can use the name of the spreadsheet file as a command in the menu.


Check this box if you want Stiletto to simply switch-to a program if it is already running, rather than launching a new instance.


Active Window Switching with a Button Bar

You can create a Stiletto button bar which automatically tracks each top-level window on your system so you can quickly switch to a new active window by left clicking a button on this button bar (the Active Bar) and close any visible window by middle-clicking (shift-left) the corresponding button.  This is an alternative to the list of active windows menu item which can also be used for active window switching.  The advantages of a button bar are that all active windows are immediately visible on the button bar and that switching is done with a single click.  The disadvantages of the button bar are that extra resources and desktop space are used.

Note that right-clicking on a button bar can still be used to access commands, although only the leftmost button will always be visible (and so should be used for a Configuring Stiletto command or a menu containing a Configure command so that the Command is always available).

The best way to set up a button bar for active window switching is to use the stactive.def configuration file which is part of the Stiletto zip file:

Create a new copy of the stactive.def file called stactive.ini.  (Create a new copy, rather than renaming, in order to keep the stactive.def file as a backup).  You can use a Dos command like

copy stactive.def stactive.ini

to do this.  Keep this file either in your Stiletto directory or your Windows directory.

Create a new icon in your Program Manager Startup or other group and set the command line to

c:/stildir/stiletto.exe stactive

where c:/stildir/stiletto should be replaced by the path to your copy of stiletto.exe.  Call this new icon Stiletto Active Bar.  (Of course, you can also assign this command to a Stiletto button/menu on a separate button bar from the Active Bar).

Double click on the new icon to start the Active Bar.  By default, it will be positioned in the bottom middle of your desktop.  Right click on the leftmost button and select Configure Stiletto from the menu.  You can then reposition the button bar (but you cannot use the Split position).  Or you can right-click on the second button and drag the Active Bar to a new position (you will need to have two windows active to do this).

Stiletto will display a button for each top-level window of each active task, up to the maximum number of buttons set by the number of buttons displayed drop down in the buttons dialog.

Flyover help for the left button of the Active Bar displays the window title of the corresponding active window.  You may want to set a small delay for flyover help for the Active Bar using the buttons dialog.

You can use the omit list to cause any active window to be excluded from the Active Bar or to edit the name of text for the Active Bar. Or, you can use the Hide Window built-in command to hide the window (useful for programs like Netscape which use an always-iconized window with the same name as the main window).

You can cause activated task windows to be centered using a switch on the Menu/Key Setup dialog.

By default, the active bar will use icons to represent active windows.  If you prefer text, replace the label on the leftmost button bar with any text. In general, the Active Bar will use icons if the leftmost button is assigned any of the icon labels, and text otherwise. You may also wish to using big buttons as controlled by buttons dialog. (Dos windows always have text labels).

The Active Bar is disabled while you are configuring it.

It is also possible to manually create an Active Bar if you prefer to start with one of your existing configuration files.  (You are creating a configuration file for a new instance).  Copy and rename this file to (say) stactive.ini.  Edit this ini file and make sure the line ActiveBar=1 appears under [General].  Then proceed as above.  Do not forget to include a Configure Stiletto built-in command associated with right-clicking the first button.

(Technical note:  Stiletto tracks active windows by checking every two seconds.  An implementation based on a Shell hook was investigated, but certain windows proved difficult to track, such as those which used a dialog box as their only visible window with an invisible main window.)


Omitting Windows and Words from Active Window Lists

You can use the omit list edit box on the Menu/Key Setup dialog to omit either words from a window name or to omit windows completely from the list of active windows  or the Active Bar.

To omit a word, type the word followed by a comma.  For example, you could use this technique to delete vendor names.

To omit an entire window, type the window name as it appears in the caption title of the window followed by a comma, e.g. Program Manager in the omit list will mean that no entry for Program Manager will appear.

If you include a string followed by an asterisk (*) and comma in the omit list, then any active window with caption text starting with that string will be deleted.  For example, 1MBFort* will delete any program name starting with 1MBFort.


Hiding Windows

You can use the Hide Window built-in command to hide windows.  You might use this if you do not want a window to appear on the list of active windows or the Active Bar.

When you execute a Hide Window command, the cursor changes to a cross.  Left click on the window you wish to hide.  This window, its top-level parent, and all the parents children will be hidden.

You cannot hide a Stiletto window or the desktop window.  Some other programs will also refuse to be hidden.

If you execute Hide Window but then decide you do not want to hide a window, left click the mouse on the desktop or on a Stiletto window to cancel the operation.

If you want to show a hidden window, configure the Stiletto list of active windows to show hidden windows using the Menu/Key Setup dialog, assign this command to a menu, then execute the menu and select the hidden window from the list.


Hints and Tips

Following is a list of Stiletto features you may be interested in trying.  Click on the o to see help information.

Stiletto supports:

o multiple button bars.

o up to ten launch menus.

o a button bar which tracks and allows switching and closing of active windows.

o drag/drop files from File Manager to a button to start the button command using that file.

o a built-in command for file rename which has a friendlier dialog box than File Manager rename.

o configuring a button by pressing and holding it.

o configuring a button by dropping a file on it with the ALT key held down.

o positioning anywhere with the built-in Position Stiletto command.

o quickly exiting windows with "Quick Win Exit" built-in (no confirmation unless you have unsaved info).

o accessing the "middle" button commands by using shift and the left mouse button.

o putting running program windows "on top" or launching programs as "on top" (command entry controls).

o controlling whether or not and how soon flyover help and drag/drop flyover help appear.

o a built-in command to move the button bar quickly to a different location on the desktop.

o a built-in command  which, when executed, displays a list of all built-in commands from which you can select and execute one:  a  way to make all of them accessible.

o a built-in Play Sound command for sound play: drop a wav file on a button with this command and Stiletto plays the wav file.

o a built-in Show WallPaper command for previewing wallpaper:  drop a bmp file on a button with this command and Stiletto shows the wallpaper.

o control of caps lock and scroll key behaviour.

o alarms to stop programs or wait on programs to exit.

o hotkeys to instantly access Launch Menu 0 and Program Manager groups and commands.

o resource usage displays.

o deleting phrases or entire entries from active windows lists and the Active Bar.

o prompting for command parameters by putting a ? after the command name.

o changing the order of button bar buttons.

o directly accessing and executing program manager groups and commands.

o configuring commands by drag/dropping the command file name to the edit control, by capturing running program file names, and by copying file information from program manager.

o monitoring of Windows user and GDI resources.

o running commands when Stiletto starts.

o playing a random sound in a random percentage of minutes (for cheap entertainment).


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Running Commands at Stiletto Startup

You can specify that Stiletto should run a set of commands when its starts by putting the commands you want to run on a launch menu and specifying that launch menu on the Menu/Key Setup Dialog.

You cannot run built-in commands at startup:  any built-in commands on the startup launch menu are ignored.