SynWin 96 Version 3.6 A manual/Q&A session from Alex AKA Darkside of the Moon Reason: Well the real reason for writing a new version of SynWin was to try out my new programming language, once this was done I had a SynWin which looked just like the original and I wasn't really pleased with it, it seemed a bit daft to write the same program again , so I dumped it all and started from scratch, trying to make a SynWin which looked and felt better then the old one. Since I was using Windows 95 I tried to make it look as much like Windows 95 as I could, those of you using Windows 95 will feel at home from the start -I hope-, it still was a basic program but along the line certain features mention by Vicky were added and I must say I am very pleased with the end result, it makes the old SynWin look very dated and primitive. Thanks: Major thanks go to Vicky and Sue for their ideas and testing and to Bill and Brian for trying it out on their systems. Requirements: SynWin 96 requires a PC with Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95 or NT, please note that SynWin 96 looks best running under Windows 95 or NT. SynWin96 does NOT require any VBRUN library file, it will run as it is on any Windows system. Installing: Windows 95: Start>Run and type in 'A:\install' and press OK Windows 3.1 or 3.11: Click File>Run and type in 'A:\install' and press OK It is recommended that you close Program Manager before you start to install. Questions: Q: When I first run SynWin 96 it wants to write all kinds of files to my drive? A : This is correct, SynWin 96 will first create a directory called SynWin in your Windows directory, once this is done it will create 6 files: - 1st the Synwin.ini file, this file is used to store all your previously used directories in. - 2nd it will create the Synwin.cfg file, this file is used to store all the settings you set in the Configuration Window. - 3rd it will create the Http.txt file, this file is used to store all HTTP/WWW URLs that are found in SynTax. - 4th it will create the Ftp.txt file, this file is used to store all FTP URLs that are found in SynTax. - 5th it will create the News.txt file, this file is used to store all NEWS URLs that are found in SynTax. - 6th it will create the Notebook.txt file, this file is used to store the text you type in the SynWin note book. Q: Oh bugger, I had this great list of previously used directories in the old SynWin 2.1 and now I have to start a new list of previously used directories ? A: No you do not have to do that, take your old file and copy it over the new one, the old file will still work with SynWin 96. Q: Okay, SynWin 96 is loaded, now what ? A: Well you have to load in an issue, if you want to load it from the floppy drive press the floppy drive icon, if you want to load it from your hard drive press the open folder icon and if you want to load a previously used issue of SynTax then use the drop down box and select one. Q: Hey I use floppy drive B:\, so I guess I can forget it then ? A: Go into the Configuration Window, select `Drives' and select `Floppy Drive B:\', press `Save & Exit' and the next time you press the floppy icon drive B:\ will be used. Q: What Configuration Window ? A: Press the Button with the `Hammer' on it Q: You mean that is a hammer on the 7th button ? A: Yes Q: You're a lousy artist, you know that ? A: Next question please. Q: When I press the open folder icon I have to send it through a dozen sub directories to finally reach the directory I want and I am lazy and hate doing that ... A: Go into the Configuration Window, select `Drives' and either enter the Initial Directory by hand in the Text box like this: c:\SynTax.mag or search it by pressing the `Search Initial Directory', once you're in your root folder of all your SynTax issues press the `Set As Initial Directory' button and you will be back in the Configuration Window, the new directory will be visible in the Text box, press `Save & Exit' and the next time you press the open folder icon it will start in the folder you stated. Q: This Previously Used Directory drop down box sure is small, couldn't you have made it bigger ? A: Go into the Configuration Window, select `Other' and enter the length you want, from 5 to 30, press `Save & Exit' and you're done. Q: Hey I want to remove an entry from my Previously Used Directory drop down box, how ??? I can't, I knew it, I never should have installed this program, it has more errors then you can think of, you did not even made sure I could remove an entry from that box !!!!! A: Select the entry you want to remove from the list, once it is display in the box you just double click it to remove it :o) R: erk > okay Q: Okay I loaded the issue I want but those colours you selected really suck !!! A: Again, go into the Configuration Window, select `Colour' and select the colour you want to change, `Form' for the main form colour, `Sub Menu' for the Sub Menu colour and `Article' for the Article colour, click on the colour itself and select your new colour, once you have set all colours to your liking press `Save & Exit' and there you are. Q: All my new selected colours look strange!!! A: Well then I suspect you are running Windows in 256 colour mode and you selected a `shade' colour. Since Windows only has 256 colours available it will make this shade by placing dots from other colours close together, the only way to change it is to either get a `pure' colour or switch windows to hi-colour. If your using Windows 95 you should get Quick Resolution tool, this is a little utility that will let you switch desktop size and colour but the click of a button without the need of a re-boot. If you don't know where to find it and you have E-mail you can E-mail me for a copy of it at Darkside_of_the_Moon@MSN.COM Q: Eh, my colours look even worse, can I have the old ones back? A: Again go into the Configuration Window, select `Colour' and select `Original', press the `Reset To Original Colours' button and press `Save & Exit'. Q: Those Buttons you have on the main form really suck, thought you had more taste then that!! A: Again go into the Configuration Window, select 'Buttons' and select the type of button you want, once you like what you see press 'Save & Exit'. Q: Eeeeeeeek what are those little gray buttons with the cross on them? A: I guess you're a Windows 3.1 or 3.11 user, these little buttons are the standard close buttons for Windows 95, I tried to make SynWin 96 look as much like Windows 95 as possible. Like Windows 95 it has the icon of the program in the left corner of the program bar, I guess you have to live with it, see it as your first meeting with Windows 95 Q: Great, now please tell me what those little arrow buttons are in a Sub Menu and in an Article ?? A: Well by pressing these little arrow buttons you will either go one Sub Menu up or down or one Article up or down, depending where you are . Q: Geeeees what a horrible font that is when I read an Article !!! A: You can select the font you want to use in the Font Selection Box, in a perfect world you can select from 6 fonts (Courier, Courier New, FixedSys, Terminal, MS LineDraw and Lucida Console), this of course all depends on the fact if you have these fonts installed, if you don't then they won't be in the list. Q: Yeah Yeah, but I have over 100 fonts installed on my System, why only use those 6? A: To view all articles in SynTax correctly you need to be using a fixed width font, these are fonts where each character is the same width, and these are the only 6 fixed width fonts I know of, if you come across any new fixed with font and you like it to be included, please mail to font to me at Darkside_of_the_Moon@MSN.COM Q: Okay I found the font I always want but do I have to keep selecting it each time I run SynWin, it's a draggggg, and I am lazy (see a few questions earlier) A: Nope, just go into the Configuration Window, select `Others' and select the font you want as your default boot up font, once you have found it press `Save & Exit ' and the NEXT time you run SynWin this font will be your default font. Q: All really wonderful, now why does SynWin not fill my whole screen ? A: SynWin will never be wider then 640 from left to right, however you can set its height in the Configuration Window behind the `Other' tab, either to 445 which is the default size (the size I like ) or 453 which will fill the screen from top to bottom in Windows 95 (leaving the start bar free) or 480 which will fill the screen in Windows 3.1 or 3.11, of course this `fill the screen' only applies if you're running in 640x480, letting SynWin fill your screen in 800x600 will look really daft so don't even dare to ask. Q: I am running in 800x600 and I want SynWin to fill .... AAAAAAARGH A: Q: HEY I just wanted to print something but I can only use 2 of the 6 fonts and I DO have all 6 installed !!! A: Okay, a little Font lesson: In Windows fonts can be placed in 2 categories, those that are screen & printer fonts and those that are screen fonts only, it all has to do with your printer and printer drivers, certain fonts can be printed on certain printers, if you have problem with this call MS. On matrix printers I noticed that most fonts can be used, on the more modern ink-jet printers you will find that you can only use the TT fonts (Courier New, Lucida Console and MS LineDraw). Q: Did you know that text maps really look crap, on screen and printed ? A: Yes I know, you must select the right font to display a map, either the Terminal or the MS LineDraw font, a map uses certain symbols that are not available in any of the other 4 fonts, the same rule applies when printing a map, select either the Terminal or the MS LineDraw font. Q: I have read this issue, now what must I do to load in a new one ? A: Well just do the same as you did to load this one, it does not matter where you are, you can always press the `Floppy' & `Open Folder' buttons or use the `Previously Used Directory' drop down box. Q: I can't do that when I am in the Configuration Window, Information Window, WWW Window, Notebook window or Print Window!!!!! A: Correct Q: Why not? A: Because I felt like that when programming it. Q: Right, I have been using SynWin for a few days now and it's all very dandy but those `hints' are driving me crazy !!!! A: Well turn them off then, go into the Configuration Window and select `Others', just UN-check the `Show Hint Button' and that is it. Q: Could you please tell me what use that WWW window is, it's all very nice that it finds all those URLs but what do I do with it ? A: Well the idea behind it is that it is much easier to copy an URL than to type it over, so you just copy the URL you want to use by selecting it and pressing the `Copy' button or by double clicking on it, and in your WWW browser you just paste it in using CTRL+V Q: What WWW browser ? A: Never mind, the WWW window is just a waste of code Q: What is an URL ? A: You're the one who asked `What WWW browser' right ?, well an URL is an address, like `http://www.iaehv.nl/drkside/' it will bring you to a certain page. Q: I want to print that URL list because I like it and I want to show it to all my friends so they all go oooooooh. A: Press the print button Q: I just did and my printer sure is not printing, now what? A: Select the list you want to print and press print again. Q: I DID THAT !!! and still no printing, you screwed up here, I am sure, nanananaaaa A: You have your printer turned on ? Q: Oops A: Q: HEY, I just printed that list and the date above it is 01-01-80 and it is 1996 !!!!!! A: Geeez, wonder whose system clock is off date Q: Why are my colours wrong in a picture ? A: This is an error in the programming language I use and as for now I can not help this, it will only happen if you are in 256 colour mode looking at a 16 colour picture, there are 2 ways around this, 1) switch to a higher colour mode like HiColour 2) increase the colour depth of the 16 colour picture to 256 colours, Sue is aware of this error but increasing a 16 colour BMP picture to 256 will make it to big to be on the floppy. However this will only happen with BMP pictures and since SynWin 96 can load GIF pictures I am sure this will only appear in older version of SynTax where BMP where used. Q: When I print a picture not everything is printed ? A: When you print a picture only that part that is visible when you press print is printed, so if the picture is bigger then the form you have to make the form bigger so the whole picture is displayed, the reason I set the maximum startup size for a picture to 640x480 is the fact that not everybody uses a bigger resolution and therefore if the picture would be bigger a part would go off screen. This also has a good part, if you just want to print a part of the picture just resize the form until you have that part displayed and press print. Q: Hey it did not find an URL in an article! A: Only URLs which start with HTTP: or WWW. or NEWS: or NEWS. or FTP: or FTP. are added to the list. Only 1 URL per text line is added. Q: At the end of the URL in my list is a lot of rubbish ! A: Once one of the 4 URL handlers are found (HTTP: or NEWS: or FTP: or WWW.) everything is copied from this handler to the first space or end of line, it will then check if the last symbol is a dot or a comma, if so it is taken away. The following 6 lines will all work okay and will add http://www.sierra.com to your list: please go to http://www.sierra.com and find the sierra homepage please go to http://www.sierra.com. and find the sierra homepage please go to http://www.sierra.com, and find the sierra homepage please go to http://www.sierra.com. please go to http://www.sierra.com, please go to http://www.sierra.com However, the following line will add http://www.sierra.com,and to your list: please go to http://www.sierra.com,and find the sierra homepage So the best rule here is that if you use an URL in an article then after the URL either put a space or end of line. Q: Do you remember that space station `MIR', well, eh I think it has happened again, not with that space station but the Ariana rocket, you gone pay for that? A: Nope, what ever you do with SynWin 96 is your responsibility, what ever it may or may not do to your system is also your responsibility, neither I nor Sue can be held responsible. Q: The source code please ? A: Again no, the source code is not available to anybody else but Sue or me' Tips & Tricks ------------- To quickly copy an URL to your clipboard just double click the URL and it will be copied. To make your URL list a bit clearer why not add your own text like this: -Sierra on-line HomePage: http://www.sierra.com -Lucas Art HomePage: http://www.lucasart.com The trick is to add your text on a separate line and not on the same line as the URL is located 1996 Alex AKA Darkside_of_the_Moon@msn.com - o -