Copyright: This file © Robert Griffin 10/29/95


yesnono&AboutE&xit&PrintnoyesyesyesAvalaunch helpFALSEALaunchyes29/10/95


Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Overview

Program pages

Adding a page

Drag and drop a tab

Edit a page

Deleting a page

Program Items

Program Editor

Descriptions

File Name

Working directory

Parameters

Window Style

Wait for close

Window caption optional close routine

Arranging program items

Copying to other pages

Launching & Closing programs

Selecting program items

Starting from the command line

Hiding the pages

Program Options

Using with Clock Talk or other schedulers

Clock Talk information

About Shareware

Why you should register

Avalaunch pricing

Registering through CompuServe

Registering through the mail

Program support - Internet

Program support - CompuServe email

World Wide Web site

Program support - by mail

Options - List Style

Options - Columns

Acknowledgments


Help file produced by  HELLLP! v2.6 , a product of Guy Software, on 10/29/95 for Robert Griffin.

The above table of contents will be automatically completed and will also provide an excellent cross-reference for context strings and topic titles.  You may leave it as your main table of contents for your help file, or you may create your own and cause it to be displayed instead by using the I button on the toolbar.  This page will not be displayed as a topic.  It is given a context string of _._ , but this is not presented for jump selection.

HINT:  If you do not wish some of your topics to appear in the table of contents as displayed to your users (you may want them ONLY as PopUps), move the lines with their titles and contexts to below this point.  If you do this remember to move the whole line, not part.  As an alternative, you may wish to set up your own table of contents, see Help under The Structure of a Help File.

  Do not delete any codes in the area above the Table of Contents title, they are used internally by HELLLP!


Table of Contents

Using Avalaunch

Overview

Program Pages

Program Items

Launching & Closing

Starting from the command line

Hiding the pages

Options

Using with Clock Talk or other schedulers

Registering Avalaunch

What is shareware anyhow?

Why you should register

Pricing

Registering through CompuServe

Registering through the mail

Program support

Through Internet Email (best response time)

Through CompuServe Email

Visit our World Wide Web Site!

Standard slow Mail

Acknowledgments


Overview

Avalaunch was originally created to simplify my own business.  I was tired of having to launch programs one at a time.  It seemed if I was going to program, I would always have to launch the same 2 or 3 programs.  If I was going to do desktop publishing, I normally had to launch 2 or 3 programs.  Launching and closing 2 to 3 applications each time started to become a little bothersome.  Avalaunch solved all of my problems.

The documentation described in this help file will probably never be complete.  Each person that has beta tested Avalaunch for me has done something a little different with it.  But to keep it simple, here is an overview:

Create as many program pages (groups) as you want.  With the press of just one button, you can launch all of the programs on a page.  With the press of another button you can then close all of those same applications launched with Avalaunch.  If you want, you can even select only a few of the programs to be launched and closed on each page.  There is even a way to launch and close program pages from the command line without even starting Avalaunch.  Then If you use a scheduling program like Clock Talk, you can have a page of programs launched at a certain time unattended.

I hope you enjoy the evaluation copy of Avalaunch.  I feel you will find it as useful as I did.  Heck, that is why I coded it anyhow.

Robert Griffin


Program pages

Basically a program page is like a program group in Windows program manager.  It holds programs that you can launch.  But in Avalaunch,  you can launch all of the items on a page at once.  You can also close all the items on a page at once.  Something that the program manager and Windows 95 just lacks.

You can add as many pages and items as you wish.  When you create a page, the name you give it will be displayed on the page's tab.  At anytime you can edit the page's name.  If you no longer want to use the page, you can delete it altogether.  To rearrange the pages, just drag and drop the tabs.

When naming you pages, use only Alphanumeric characters.  Only 'A..Z' and '1..9'.


Adding a page

To add a page you may select the speed button [image] or choose Page / New from the main menu or the right mouse button popup menu.  You will be presented with a dialog box.  Enter the name using only alphanumeric characters, a..Z and 1..9.  You may not have more than 1 page with the same name.  When you click OK, the page will be added to the end of the list of tabs.  You can later drag and drop the tab to the location you wish.


Drag and drop a tab

You can reorganize the tabs in any order you wish by dragging and dropping the tabs.  To do this, click the left mouse button on the tab you want to move and hold down the button.  Then move the tab to the location you want and then release the button.  The page will be moved for you.


Edit a page
Editing a page

To edit a page, select Page / Edit from either the main menu or the right mouse button popup menu.  The edit dialog box will be displayed.  Change the name using only alphanumeric characters, a..Z and 1..9.  You may not have more than 1 page with the same name.


Deleting a page

When you no longer want a page displayed in Avalaunch, you may delete the page altogether.  When you delete a page, it also deletes all the associated items on that page.  To delete a page, click on the speed button [image] or select Page / Delete from the main menu.  You may also use the right mouse button popup menu.  You will be asked if you are sure you want to delete the current page.  Selecting YES will delete the current page.


Program Items

Program items are located on a program page.  They represent a program, batch file, pif file or a Windows 95 shortcut.  You can add as many program items on a page as you would like.

To add a program item, select Item / Add from the main menu or the right mouse button's popup menu.  You may also use the Add item speed button [image].  You then will be presented with the program editor where you can choose the program's properties.

Program items can be rearranged by dragging and dropping them around the program page or you can drag and drop them to another page.  At any time you can edit the item by double clicking it, choosing Item / Edit from the main menu or using the right mouse button popup menu.

If you no longer need an item on the page you may also delete using the command in the main menu, right button popup menu or the delete item speed button [image].  When you are deleting items, they must be selected first.  Avalaunch will let you delete more than one item at a time if more than one is selected.  For information on how to select items, see selecting program items.


Program Editor

The program editor lets you change the properties of the program items.  These properties tell Avalaunch where the programs that you want to launch and close are located and how they should run.

Description

File Name

Working directory

Parameters

Window Style

Wait for close

Window Caption (optional close routine)


Descriptions

Description

This is the description that will show up on the program page.  It can be up to 80 characters in length.


File Name

This is the file name of the program's EXE, a Batch file (.bat), a PIF file (.pif) or a Windows 95 shortcut (.lnk) that you would like to have launched and closed.  It must include the complete path where the file is located.  If you don't know the complete path off hand, you can click on the browse speed button located next to the file name edit box [image].


Working directory

The working directory is usually the same directory that the program resides.  This is the directory where most of your files are located that are associated with this program, like databases.  Avalaunch automatically fills this field in with the program's directory.  If you would like a different direcory to be the working directory, enter it here with the complete path.  You don't have to worry about the working directory unless you know that the your program requires something different.  You can use the select directory speed button [image] to help you in locating directories.


Parameters

If you have any program parameters that you would like to have run, enter them here.

example:

If you were entering Windows Notepad as a program and you wanted the notepad to automatically open a text file named README.TXT and the text file was located in the C:\TEXT directory, you would enter:  C:\TEMP\README.TXT.

When Avalaunch launches the program, it will tell Windows to launch C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD.EXE C:\TEMP\README.TXT.  This will start notepad and load the README.TXT file.

Unless you know the parameters you need to send with the program, you should always leave this field blank.


Window Style

This tells Avalaunch how you would like the programs window to be displayed when it is launched.  Keep in mind, not all programs allow you to set its window style when they are started.  You can select from the following:

Normal:  Starts the program normal (default).

Minimize:  Starts the program as an icon.

Maximize:  Starts the program full screen.

Hide:  Hides the program altogether.  (use with caution).

MinNoActivate:  Starts the program as an icon and keeps the active program active.

ShowNoActivate:  Starts the program normal and keeps the active program active.


Wait for close

When you are launching more than one program, Avalaunch launches them in the order that they are arranged on the program page.  If you choose Wait for close, Avalaunch will launch this program, and wait until it is closed before launching any other programs on the page.  During this time, you will not be able to launch any other programs until Avalaunch is done waiting for this program to close.


Window caption optional close routine

Window caption (optional close routine)

If you find that Avalaunch does not close a program that it has launched, you may need to use this optional close.  To use the Window caption close routine, type in the window caption (or window title bar text) of the program you wish to close.  It is case sensitive, so if the window caption of the program you want to close is My Checkbook Program, you must type in 'My Checkbook Program'.

When this close routine is used, Avalaunch will look at each and every window that is currently open on your computer.  When it finds a window that matches the window caption, it will close the program.  If it finds more than one program with the same caption, it will close each and every one.

Only use the optional close routine if Avalaunch doesn't close the program normally.


Arranging program items

Dragging and dropping to rearrange program items

To drag and drop a program item select the item using the left mouse button.  Hold down the mouse button and drag the item to the position in the list where you would like it to be located and let go of the mouse button.  The item will be dropped to the new location on the page.


Copying to other pages

Copying program items to other pages

To copy an item to another page, select the item using your left mouse button.  While holding down the left mouse button, drag the program item over the program page tabs.  Let go of the mouse button when you are over the tab that you would like the program copied to.  The item will be copied to that page.


Launching & Closing programs

The main purpose of Avalaunch is the ability to launch more than one program at a time and then close the same program when you are done using them, see program overview.

Launching program items:

To launch programs, you must have already added program items to a program page.  They must also be selected.  Avalaunch automatically selects all the items on a page when the page is first selected.  If you want, you can launch only a few items on a page by selecting only those program items.  For information on how to select items, see selecting program items.

If you have items selected, to launch them click the launch button.  Avalaunch will launch each selected item in the order that it is on the page until all programs have been launched.  If you have selected Wait for close in the program editor for a selected item, Avalaunch will not launch any programs after that selection until that program has been closed.

Closing program items:

To close programs that were launched by Avalaunch, click the close button on the page that you want to have closed.  Avalaunch will then attempt to close all the programs that are selected on that page.

There are a few restrictions to closing programs.

1	Avalaunch can not close a program that it did not launch (unless using the optional close routine).

2	Although Avalaunch will launch batch files (.bat), pif files (.pif) and Windows 95 shortcuts (.lnk), it can not necessarily close them.  Generally Avalaunch needs to have launched the exact file name of the program entered into the File Name field in the Program editor.  If you would like to close these types of files you will probably need to use the optional close routine.

3	The program must have been launched from the same page.  If you have the same program entered on different pages, you will need to close the program from the page that it was launched.


Selecting program items

To select items, Avalaunch uses the standard Windows List box selecting routines:

Single selections

Click on the program item you want to launch using your left mouse button.  Only that item will be selected.

Multiple selection

Hold down the CTRL Key while clicking the left mouse button.  This will enable you to select multiple items.

Range selection

Hold down the SHIFT Key while clicking the left mouse button.  This will select a range of items.

 Select all speed button

You can use this speed button to quickly select all the items on a page.


Starting from the command line

One of the unique features of Avalaunch is the ability to launch program items from the command line.  This lets you set up your own Windows 95 shortcuts, or Windows 3.1 / 3.11 program items that will launch multiple programs at once without having Avalaunch running.

Launching programs from the command line

To launch all the program items on a page from the command line, follow this syntax:

ALAUNCH.EXE <-PAGENAME> <-LAUNCH>

Alaunch.exe:  This would include the complete path where Avalaunch is located, C:\ALAUNCH\ALAUNCH.EXE.

<-PAGENAME>:  This is would be the name of the page you want to launch.  Make sure that you include a hyphen in front of the Page Name without any spaces between the two.

<-LAUNCH>:  This is the command for launching the page.  You must include a hyphen in front of the word LAUNCH without any spaces between the two.

example:  C:\ALAUNCH\ALAUNCH.EXE -SAMPLE - LAUNCH

Closing programs from the command line

To close programs, you follow the same format.

ALAUNCH.EXE <-PAGENAME> <-CLOSE>

Alaunch.exe:  This would include the complete path where Avalaunch is located, C:\ALAUNCH\ALAUNCH.EXE.

<-PAGENAME>:  This is would be the name of the page you want to close.  Make sure that you include a hyphen in front of the Page Name without any spaces between the two.

<-CLOSE>:  This is the command for closing the page.  You must include a hyphen in front of the word CLOSE without any spaces between the two.

example:  C:\ALAUNCH\ALAUNCH.EXE -SAMPLE - CLOSE

When launching and closing programs from the command line, you can't select items on a page to be launched (closed).  All the items on the page will be launched (or closed).  You might need to create a special page if you are planning on using the command line options.

Also keep in mind the same restrictions apply to closing items from the command line as when closing items using the close button.  For more information on the restrictions, see Launching and Closing programs.


 Hiding the pages

Avalaunch gives you a convenient way to minimize the desktop real estate that it takes up by hiding the pages.  To do this just click the hide speed button.  It will give you a minimized view of Avalaunch while still letting you tab to other pages, launch and close programs.

Keep in mind though, when you tab to other pages, Avalaunch automatically selects all the items on the page.  If you want to only launch or close selected items on a page, you will have to choose the items when the pages are not hidden.


Program Options

The program options lets you change the way that the program items are displayed.

List Style

Columns


Options - List Style

Boldtext

Shows all selected items in bold text.  Items that are not selected will be shown in normal text.

CheckBox

Gives the list of items with check boxes.  When selected, the box next to the item will be checked.

Standard

This is the standard Windows list box.  It will highlight the selected items in the colors you have selected in Windows Control panel.  If the item is not selected, it will not be highlighted.


Options - Columns

This determines the number of columns that you would like shown in the program item list.


Using with Clock Talk or other schedulers

Avalaunch has been designed to be used by scheduling programs such as Clock Talk.  Clock Talk, among its other features, allows you to schedule programs to be started at selected times and dates.  Using Avaluanch's command line options, you can use a scheduler to launch a page of programs from Avalaunch instead of having two or three separate programs to schedule.

Clock Talk is a Real Solutions product.

See Clock Talk for more information on its features and availability.


Clock Talk information

Real Solutions World Famous Clock Talk!

Now with a CD Player!

Clock Talk is an outstanding, flexible utility that displays and announces the time with a digitized human voice, yet uses minimal Windows resources., Ziff-Davis (5 star rating)!

This is a Windows clock which uses digitized human speech to announce the time of day at user defined intervals plus many, many, many other features.

Totally compatible with Windows 95!

Your choice of either an analog or digital clock face!

Allows any True Type Font with color selection (digital clock) a totally cool customizable clock face with your choice of color, size and 3D effects (both digital and analog)!

New CD Player.  Supports Single, Loop, Shuffle and Play List modes.  Memorizes your CD's and tracks for total customization!

Automatically plays selected music tracks on your CD at set time, dates and days!

Automatic launching and CLOSING of any program at set times, dates and days!

Add the time and your available system resources to all of you Windows title bars!

Auto Start feature replaces your StartUp Group with a time and date sensitive startup. Great for power failures!

Both count up Timer(s) with monetary options and count down timer(s). As many as you want at a time!

Message box alarms, program setting alarms and Exit Windows / Run DOS alarms at set times, dates and days!

Play a wave file at any selected time, date or day!

Multiple voice options and intervals!

Plays user selected Wave files with voice at selected intervals!

Stay on Top function!

Fly out hints to help you along the way!  You even get a choice of style, bubble or normal fly out help!

'F1' sensitive help everywhere in the program!

On-line help is just a key stroke or a mouse click away!

Compatible with sound card or Microsoft's Speaker Driver!

VERY LOW SYSTEM RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS.

Clock Talk is currently available on CompuServe in the Windows Utilities along with many other forums (GO WINUTILS).  It is also available on America On-line (Windows software library) and on Prodigy.  But for the most current version of Clock Talk, come visit out World Wide Web page: http://www.realsol.com

Registration cost: $12.00


About Shareware

Shareware is copyrighted software that is distributed by authors through bulletin boards, on-line services and disk vendors.

Shareware allows you to try the software for a reasonable limited period.  If you decide not to continue using it, you throw it away and forget about it. You only pay for it if you continue to use it. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You benefit because you get to use the software to determine whether it meets your needs, before you pay for it.

The Shareware system and the continued availability of quality Shareware products depend on your willingness to register and pay for the Shareware you use. It's the registration fees you pay which allow authors to support and continue to develop their products. Please show your support for Shareware by registering those programs you actually use.

Even if the person who supplied you with the software tells you that registration is not necessary, be assured that if the copy of the program presents a screen reminding you to register, then the author has not been paid for that copy and registration is necessary.


Why you should register

Avalaunch is a shareware program.  You are allowed to use the program 30 times before registering it.  When you register:

You will no longer have those annoying shareware reminder screens.

You will receive minor updates at no cost.

It will help keep Avalaunch alive with more features and options.

It will just give you a deep down warm feeling that you paid for a program that will save you time and effort, thus helping a young (well, sort of) programmer feed his family.

If that doesn't convince you, take a look at Avalaunch's pricing.  You will wonder how you could have lasted this long without it.


Avalaunch Pricing

Pricing is as follows:

Program Registration	$12.00

Register via CompuServe

Register via Mail

Program disk with registration	$  6.00 (additional charge)

Additional Postage outside Canada / US	$  5.00 (additional charge)

Avalaunch Registration is for ONE COMPUTER.  Make sure to include the serial number to the program on the invoice if you are mailing your payment.

If you register through CompuServe, please E-Mail Real Solutions your serial number.  We will then E-Mail back your registration number.

NOTE:  The registration number is only good on the computer you are currently evaluating Avalaunch on.


Registering through CompuServe

Registration and Payment via CompuServe

CompuServe provides a convenient route for the registration of Shareware, and the special "Electronic Registration" of Avalaunch may be performed by that route.  Note that the electronic registration price of Avalaunch is only dependent on your providing an electronic route for us to send you your registration code number.  That price is available whether or not you use CompuServe to contact us.

IF REGISTERING THROUGH COMPUSERVE, YOU MUST ALSO EMAIL US YOUR PROGRAM SERIAL NUMBER SO WE CAN EMAIL BACK TO YOU YOUR REGISTRATION NUMBER.  COMPUSERVE WILL NOT CONTACT US WITH THE SERIAL NUMBER.  THIS MUST BE DONE TO COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION.

To access CompuServe's registration database, GO SWREG in CompuServe.  AVALAUNCH has 2 versions available each with its own Registration ID.

Registration ID 8186 in the CompuServe database is $12.00(US).  This includes sending out the registration number to you ONLY once registered.  Once CompuServe informs us of your registration, we will transmit to your CompuServe ID an Email message containing your personal registration number.

Registration ID 8187 in the CompuServe database in $18.00(US).  This includes both the registration number along with the most current version of Avalaunch being mailed to you once payment is made.  Make sure you specify what size disk to mail.  We will still E-Mail you the registration number if you send us E-Mail requesting us to.  If you would like us to also E-Mail the registration number, please address the mail to Real Solutions CompuServe ID and include your serial number.

The following instructions are provided by CompuServe on the use of the  Shareware Registration Database.

Register Shareware+

INSTRUCTIONS TO REGISTER SHAREWARE

The Shareware Registration database contains descriptions of hundreds of Shareware programs designed for a variety of platforms and purposes. To register a program, you must first find its description in the Shareware Registration database. To begin, select "Register Shareware" from the previous menu.  A list of search criteria will be displayed to you. You may search for your program's description by its TITLE, FILE NAME, AUTHOR'S COMPUSERVE ID, and AUTHOR'S NAME.  You may also search for your description by its KEYWORDS (categories).  For example, to find the description of a Macintosh utility, you might use the keyword: utility. (For information about registering by your program's REGISTRATION ID, see below.)

After you enter your search criteria, you are usually displayed a list of programs that meet the criteria in the database. Select the program that you wish to register from the list.

Sometimes after you enter search criteria, you are displayed a menu of choices. This occurs when your search yields a large number of "matches" in the database. The menu offers you the ability to NARROW your results further, to DISPLAY the list of "matches," or to BEGIN AGAIN.  After you select your program from the list, you are displayed the program's description, with a prompt: "Would You Like to Register? (Y/N)."

Read the description carefully to verify that you wish to register the program. The description details the program, its capabilities, and the benefits of registration. Be sure to note the program's registration fee. When you register any program, the registration fee is charged to your CompuServe account.

Enter "Y" at the prompt to register; enter "N" at the prompt to ensure that you do not register the program, and to return to the previous menu.  When you enter "Y" to register, you will be prompted to enter your full name, company name (optional), your complete address, your phone number (optional) and the total number of copies of the program that you wish to register. When you finish entering this information, you can VIEW, CHANGE, SEND or CANCEL it.

Select VIEW to confirm that the information you entered is correct. Select CHANGE to edit any of the information you entered. Select SEND to complete your registration, receive a detail of your total charges, and to send the information to the author. Select CANCEL to cancel registration of the program. When authors submit their descriptions to the Shareware Registration database, their descriptions receive a REGISTRATION ID. If you know the REGISTRATION ID (for AVALAUNCH, the registration ID is 8186, $12 US, or 8187, $18 US, see above for differences) of the program description in the database, you may enter it under option #1 on the search criteria menu. You will then navigate directly to the program's description. This is the easiest and fastest method of registering a program.

If you have any questions or concerns about Shareware registration, send a message to the Shareware Administrator by selecting the "Provide Feedback" option at the main SWR menu.


Registering through the mail

Please complete and print out the Invoice form and mail to Real Solutions along with a check or money order for the total purchase price.  Also, please indicate as much as you can on our invoice.  It will help us in future updates of Avalaunch 1.0.

Name: ________________________________	Company: _____________________________
Address : ______________________________ ______________________________________	Day Phone: ____________________________ FAX: _________________________________
City : _________________________________ State: ________       Zip __________________	Email Address: _________________________ ______________________________________
*** IMPORTANT ***   ENTER SERIAL NUMBER: _________-_________-_________-_________

Description	Cost	Quantity	Total

Registration Cost per computer	$ 12.00	_______	$____________

Include most current version of Avalaunch

on _____3½ _____ 5¼ disk	$  6.00	_______	$____________

Additional postage if mailing program

disk outside the US/Canada	$  5.00	_______	$____________

Total Payment Enclosed	$ ___________

For our information, please complete the following:

Where did you hear about Avalaunch? _____________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

What features do you enjoy using in Avalaunch? _____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Any suggestions for future versions? ________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for registering Clock Talk and supporting the Shareware Concept!

Real Solutions     PO Box 491523     Redding, CA  96049-1523


Program support - Internet
Program support - Internet email

For best response time, contact us through

Internet at one of these two addresses.

griffin@realsol.com

helpdesk@realsol.com


Program Support - CompuServe email

To contact us on CompuServe send all mail to:

Name:	Real Solutions

User ID:	74212,1503


World Wide Web site
Real Solutions World Wide Web site for:

Latest versions of Avalaunch

Technical support email

Its just more fun than sending plain email

http://www.realsol.com


Program support - by mail

Real Solutions

PO Box 491523

Redding, CA  96049-1523


Acknowledgments

This is always the hardest section of a help file to write since there is never just one person that deserves recognition.

A lot of people helped beta test and gave suggestions for Avalaunch but a special thanks goes out to Eric Stewart of Computer Syndicate and Gerald E. Fish.  Without their support and suggestions, Avalaunch would not be the product that you see today!

If you have any suggestions for future versions of Avalaunch, please email me, Robert Griffin @ Real Solutions.  I can be reached on CompuServe or on the Internet, or better yet, visit our World Wide Web site.