VB-Designer ShortCuts Version 2.0 10/21/1994
Copyright (c) 1994 
All Rights Reserved

OVERVIEW
VB-Designer ShortCuts provides efficient access to existing Microsoft Visual 
Basic design mode functions such as:

	Adding and removing VBX files to or from the Project List Box
	Enabling, disabling and modifying the Form View drawing grid
	Arranging and hiding Code windows
	Finding text in Code windows
	Finding Proceduress in Code windows
	Loading and unloading Code and Form View windows
	Exposing and hiding the Palettes and VBX Properties List Box
	Launching Microsoft Visual Basic Help

The one additional function provided is the Source Code Librarian to 
save and retrieve code fragments and notes


BINARY PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The executable binary is provided free with NO warranty of any kind either
expressed or implied.  THE USER IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for making judgments 
regarding the application, safety and reliablity of VB-Designer ShortCuts. 
The user must assume any and all risks and liabilities.  Only copies of the 
UNMODIFIED ORIGINAL archive file may be distributed.  Distrubutions MUST 
NOT be charged for with the exception of nominal media, shipping and download 
fees.  If you do not agree then do not use the program.

SOURCE CODE
VB-Designer ShortCuts was developed using Microsoft Visual Basic Standard 
Edition Version 3.0 and requires no additional DLLs aside from Microsoft's 
VBRUN300.DLL. Arrangements to acquire source code for fifty dollars US ($50.00)
can be made by contacting Lee Still (LStill301) by electronic mail at America 
Online.  Source is to be used by the licensee for developing personal 
applications of any kind OR creating applications for Commercial/Shareware 
distribution that use fragments of the code and do not directly copy, mimic or 
compete with the same features that VB-Designer ShortCuts implements.  The 
licensee may only make copies of the source for the purpose of backup,  
NO distribution of any  kind is permitted.

TESTING
This program has run satisfactorily on two different 486 platforms running 
Microsoft Windows For Workgroups Version 3.11 and Microsoft Visual Basic 
Version 3.0.

INSTALLATION
The archive file contains this file and the executable file.   Unpack the 
archive, move the executable file to any directory, ensure Microsoft's 
VBRUN300.DLL resides in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory (which it must if 
you have installed and run Microsoft Visual Basic). 


OPERATION

WARNING: If another Microsoft Visual Basic application is concurrently 
running then this program will most likely terminate it's execution when
the 'Unload' button is clicked.

If Microsoft Visual Basic is already loaded and in the design mode then 
VB-Designer ShortCuts will attempt to set grid alignment on, show grid on, 
and set the grid dimensions to 60 by 60 when it starts up.

If Microsoft Visual Basic is not loaded the program will attempt to load it
and issue a termination dialog box if unsuccessfull.  To accomplish an
automatic load Microsoft Visual basic (VB.EXE) must be in the search path
(DOS PATH environment variable).

If Microsoft Visual Basic is loaded but in the [run] or [break] mode then
a termination dialog box is displayed advising the user that the program
must be loaded with Visual Basic in the [design] mode.

Exit VB-Designer ShortCuts prior to exiting Microsoft Visual Basic to avoid
error messages.

VB-Designer ShortCuts will then position the Microsoft Visual Basic controls
at the lower right hand corner of the screen on top of the VB-Designer 
ShortCuts window.

CLICKING THE GREY BAR at the top of the VB-Designer ShortCuts control panel 
will alternately switch between displaying the Microsoft Visual Basic controls 
and then it's own controls.

A short help message is displayed in the grey bar when the mouse pointer 
covers a control.

Project files are opened when the Project 'Open' button is clicked.

Project files are saved when the Project 'Save' button is clicked.

To add a VBX control that resides in the \windows\system directory to the 
Project List Box click the 'Add VBX' Button.  A menu containing all VBX files 
found is created that displays each file's icon and file name.  Click on a 
VBX's icon to add it to the Project List Box.  The window can be hidden by 
selecting an icon or clicking on a blank portion of the VBX Menu Form or 
destroyed by clicking on the System Menu's 'Close' entry.

Project files are created when the Project 'New' button is clicked.

To expose or hide the Project list box click the Project button 'Show' or
'Hide'.  This button displays the next exposure status of the list box
and causes the Project list box to flip to the oposite state when clicked.

Project executable file is built by clicking the 'Make' button.

The Form View drawing grid dimensions can be modified by clicking on and 
entering numbers between 30 and 1180 in the X and Y text boxes and then 
clicking the 'Set Grid Size' button.

The Form View drawing grid can be exposed or hidden by clicking on the 'Show' 
check box.

The Form View align-to-grid function can be enabled and disabled by clicking 
on the 'Align' check box.

Program execution is controlled by the 'Go'(Run/Pause Program), 'Step I'(Single
Step Program INTO a subroutine), 'Step O" (Single Step Program OVER a subroutine),
'BrkPt'(Set/Reset Breakpoint), and 'Reset'(Halt and reset program) buttons.
The Debug label's color reflects the current run state: Red when stopped, Green 
when running and Dark Yellow when in the break mode.

The 'Watch' (Microsoft Visual Basic Instant Watch) button displays the contents
of a variable or result of a expression that is defined by the mouse pointer.

Code windows can be moved to a cascade arrangement by clicking on the 
'Cascade' button.  Repeated clicking of the Cascade button will rotate the
windows in the cascade stack.

Code windows can be moved to a side by side arrangement by clicking the 
'Tile' button.  Repeated clicking of the Tile button will exchange the
first and last tiled windows.  Selecting a Code window and clicking the
Tile button will move it to the leftmost window.

NOTE: The bottom boundary for window arrangement functions is the top of the
VB-Designer ShortCuts window which leaves room for icon display in the lower
left portion of the desktop in 800X600 or greater screen sizes.

Code windows can be shrunk and moved to the upper right corner of the desktop
by clicking the 'Hide' button. When hidden the button's label changes to
'Restore' which when clicked will restore all Code windows to their original
position.

The Find Dialog Box can be popped up by clicking the 'Find' button.

The 'Next' button can be clicked to find the next occurrence of a string 
specified in the last Find Dialog Box.

The 'Proc.' button can be clicked to popup the Procedures Dialog Box.  After
a procedure is selected the Code windows are tiled with the selected 
procedure appearing in the left hand Code window.

The 'Code' button can be clicked to load all files in Code View that are 
currently visible in the Project Dialog Box.  To load all Code files make 
sure that the Project Dialog Box is large enough in the vertical axis to 
expose all the file names.

The 'Form' button can be clicked to load all files in Form View.  The same
file name exposure requirement must be met as when loading Code View files.
Unfortunately any .BAS files visible also load, just press the 'Hide' button
to remove them if they are in the way. 

The 'Unload' button can be clicked to unload all Code and Form View windows
and currently executing Microsoft Visual Basic programs from the desktop.

The Tools Palette, Color Palette and VBX Properties List Box can be exposed 
and hidden (toggled) by clicking their associated 'Show' and 'Hide' buttons.

The Source Code Librarian can be popped up by clicking the 'Lib' button.
It is a utility to store frequently (or not so frequently) used code 
fragments, subroutines, notes, etc.  Help appears in blue bar at the
bottom of the screen.  When a control is covered by the mouse pointer 
a short help message is displayed for that control. The database is
maintained in the windows directory unless overridden by the
environment variable SRCLIB_PATH.  The environment variable must include
the drive, directory and file name ([Drive]:\WINDOWS\VBDSC.DBF is default).


COMMENTS
Because this program is bolted on and not built in, the operation may
not always be as smooth as one would like.  However, I have used this
for a while, adding features as I saw the need, and feel that it saves
time.  Please forward your comments to Lee Still (LStill301) by 
electronic mail at America Online.


END OF DOCUMENT.

