DDEAuto VCL for Delphi
(c) 1996 Branham Technologies
All rights reserved. Unauthorized use, duplication, or distribution
is strictly prohibited by federal law.


Disclaimer
----------
The author hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software,
whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied 
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The author will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential,
indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, 
even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Use of this software
constitutes agreement to these terms by the licensee.


Notice
-------------
This DCU is copyrighted property of Branham Technologies,
All rights reserved. Unauthorized use, duplication, or distribution
is strictly prohibited by federal law.

Introduction
-------------
Have you been trying to demystify Program Manager DDE only to find
little or no documentation on how to do the things you wanted to do?
DDEAuto is the COMPLETE Program Manager DDE solution! Eight powerful
functions and Two detailed procedures allow you to manipulate and
get information from program manager you never dreamed possible.
Get a list of groups, get a list of items in a group, move an item
to a new group, change an item's properties, and much much more!
Read this document, install the component, and run the example
project. You will be amazed at the power DDEAuto gives you.
DDEAuto saves you approximatly 700lines of detailed coding!
Add an Item to Program Manger with ONE LINE OF CODE! Get an Item's
Properties with ONE LINE OF CODE!  Seem to simple? Seem to good to
be true? Give DDEAuto a try.. you will be amazed!

Installation
---------------

To install, copy the DDEAUTO.DCU and DDEAUTO.DCR files to your component
directory (EX: C:\DELPHI\CUSLIB). Back up the COMPLIB.DCL file just to
be safe.  Then, in DELPHI choose OPTIONS, INSTALL COMPONENTS from the menu,
select ADD, then BROWSE and install the DDEAUTO.DCU file and press OK. After
this the DDEAUTO DCU should install into the SAMPLES pallete of your
component bar.  You can always move this through the DELPHI IDE (Options |
From here, just drop the DDEAuto component on your form and you are
good to go!

Refere to the Delphi Documentation on installing the HELP and KEYWORD files.

Functions
---------------
  Group Functions
  ===============
    DDECreateGroup - Creates a Program Manager Group
    DDEDeleteGroup - Deletes a Program Manager Group
    DDEShowGroup   - Shows a Program Manager Group
    DDEGetGroups   - Gets a list of Groups from Program Manager

  Item Functions
  ===============
    DDEAddItem     - Adds an Item to a Program Manager Group
    DDEMoveItem    - Moves an Item from a Program Manager Group to another 
    DDEDeleteItem  - Deletes an Item from a Program Manager Group
    DDEChangeItem  - Changes the Properties of a Program Manager Item
    DDEGetItems    - Gets a list of items in a group
    DDEGetItemInfo - Gets the current properties of an item in a group

*An Indepth Sample project accompanies this Archive.

Function Declarations and Uses
------------------------------
  Function DDECreateGroup(GroupName: String):boolean;

    Use      Use this function to Create a Program Manager Group

    Example  DDEAuto1.DDECreateGroup('New Group Name');


  Function DDEDeleteGroup(GroupName: String):boolean;

    Use      Use this function to Delete a Group from Program Manager

    Example  DDEAuto1.DDEDeleteGroup('Accessories');


  Function DDEShowGroup(GroupName:string;const GroupShowState:string):boolean;

    Use      Use this function to show a group in a given state

    Example  DDEAuto1.DDEShowGroup('Accessories',gssMaximized);

    Values   The values allowed for the GroupShowState parameter are as follows:

              gssShowOriginal - Activates and displays the group window.
                                If the window is minimized or maximized,
                                Windows restores it to its original size
                                and position.

              gssShowIcon     - Activates the group window and displays
                                it as an icon.

              gssShowMaximized- Activates the group window and displays
                                it as a maximized window.

              gssShowRecent   - Displays the group window in its most
                                recent size and position. The window
                                that is currently active remains active.

              gssShowCurrent  - Activates the group window and displays
                                it in its current size and position.

              gssShowMinimized- Minimizes the group window.

              gssShowIconStayActive - Displays the group window as an icon.
                                      The window that is currently active
                                      remains active.

              gssShowCurrentStayActive - Displays the group window in its
                                         current state. The window that is
                                         currently active remains active.


  Function DDEAddItem (GroupName:string;addItemInfo:TGroupInfo_t):boolean;

    Use      Use this to Add an Item to a Program Manager Group

    Example
           var
             myItemInfo: TGroupinfo_t
            begin
              with myIteminfo do
              begin
                ItemName:='New Item';
                ExeFileName:='c:\win95\pbrush.exe';
                CmdLine:='c:\win95\pbrush.exe c:\win95\bubbles.bmp';
                IconFile:='c:\win95\pbrush.exe';
                IconIndex:=0;
                WorkingDir:='c:\win95';
              end;
             DDEAuto1.DDEAddItem('My Group Name',myIteminfo);
            end;

   Notes     If the group specifie din the GroupName parameter does not
             exist, it will be created.


  Function DDEDeleteItem (GroupName,ItemName:string):boolean;

    Use      Use this function to Delete an item from a group

    Example  DDEAuto1.DDEDeleteItem('My Group Name');


  Function DDEMoveItem (OriginalGroup,NewGroup,ItemName:string):boolean;

    Use      Use this function to move and item from one group to another

    Example  DDEAuto1.DDEMoveItem('Old Group Name','New Group Name','My Item');

    Notes    If the group specified in the NewGroup parameter does not exist,
             it will be created.


  Function DDEChangeItem (GroupName,ItemName:string;chgItemInfo:TGroupInfo_t):boolean;

    Use      Use this function to change the properties of an item

    Example
           var
             myItemInfo: TGroupinfo_t
            begin
              with myIteminfo do
              begin
                ItemName:='New Item';
                ExeFileName:='c:\win95\pbrush.exe';
                CmdLine:='c:\win95\pbrush.exe c:\win95\bubbles.bmp';
                IconFile:='c:\win95\pbrush.exe';
                IconIndex:=0;
                WorkingDir:='c:\win95';
              end;
             DDEAuto1.DDEChangeItem('My Group Name','My Item Name',myIteminfo);
            end;


  Function DDEGetGroups (GroupList: TStrings):boolean;

    Use      Use this function to retrieve a list of Groups from Program Manager

    Example  DDEAuto1.DDEGetGroups(ComboBox1.Items);


  Procedure DDEGetItemInfo (GroupName,ItemName: string;var tInfo: TGroupInfo_t);

    Use       Use this function to retrieve an item's properties

    Example
            var
              myItemInfo: TGroupinfo_t;
            begin
              DDEAuto1.DDEGetItemInfo('My Group Name','My Item name',myItemInfo);
            end;


  Procedure DDEGetItems (GroupName: string;ItemList: TStrings);

    Use       Use this function to retrieve a list of items in a group

    Example   DDEAuto1.DDEGetItems('Accessories',ComboBox1.Items);
             

Structures
-----------
There is only one strucutre the DDEAuto component uses. The TGroupinfo_t
structure specifies an item's properties.

type
   TGroupInfo_t = record
      ItemName : String;      {the item's name}
      ExeFileName: String;    {the executable file name}
      CmdLine: String;        {the command line}
      WorkingDir: String;     {the working directory}
      IconFile: String;       {the icon file}
      GroupPosition: longint; {*the position in the group}
      IconIndex: longint;     {the icon index}
      Shortcutkey: longint;   {*the shortcut key}
      MinimizeFlag: longint;  {*the minimize flag}
   end;

*members marked with an '*' are optional and may not always be
 returned or used by DDEAuto.

Requirements
-------------
DELPHI 1.x for Windows

ORDER INFORMATION
-----------------
		
                Product ID      DVCLDDE16
                Description     DDEAuto version 1.1 for Delphi 1.0

                Or on Compuserve GO SWREG
                and use Registration ID 9278              
	    
	Pricing Options    
	----------------
        DDEAUTO v1.1 is priced to move at $34.95!
        Ohio Residents add 6% sales tax (Unless Registering
        through Compuserve. You will be directed as to how
        much Sales Tax to Pay).

        Shipping
        ----------------
        Unless requested via E-Mail, all orders for DDEAUTO v1.1 will
        be shipped via E-Mail. If you would like you order shipped on
        a *diskette, please send us an E-Mail indicating the size you
        desire. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery of diskette orders.
        All diskettes will be shipped via First Class Mail.


        Why Register?
        ----------------
        Registered Users will receive One free Upgrade of this Product
        as well as Future Discounts on Purchases of this and other
        Branham Technologies Products. Registered users will also
        receive priority technical support.

        Please specify 16 or 32bit version preferences when ordering.
        
Technical Support
-----------------

Technical Support May be obtained VIA E-Mail and World Wide Web.

E-Mail: info@brantek.com
World Wide Web: http://www.brantek.com

When requesting support, please supply the following information:

Customer Number 
Product Name
Your Operating System 
Your Computer Type
Amount of Memory (2,4,8,16MB, etc)
Condition in which the error occured.
A Phone Number where you may be reached

Policy:
    Technical Support for Demo/Non-registered programs are not guaranteed to be
    answered within 24 hours. If you are a customer and are using a Non-Registered
    product, you do not fall within this exclusion. Customers will receive
    priority support.
	
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