george@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (George Browning) (01/15/91)
Usher is a pop-up application launcher menu that appears when the user
presses the left mouse button on the desktop.
Features:
- Uses less than 8K of memory
- Automatically determines if it is the shell and will execute
any files on the run= or load= lines in win.ini
- Will also work as an application under an existing shell
- Supports hierarchical menus
- Has a Run... menu entry, which displays a dialog box for
launching other applications
- Displays the current date and time as separate menu entries
- Can reload its usher.ini file without having to quit Windows
- It can change to a different working directory before launching
an application
- Very easy to customize the menu
- Has a Exit Windows menu entry to leave Windows
I've just uploaded the file to cica.cica.indiana.edu (129.79.20.22)
in the uploads directory. Included in the usher.zip package:
usher.exe - the executable
usher.ini - a sample usher.ini file
usher.wri - the documentation as a MS Write file
This program is Shareware and a $15 contribution would be greatly
appreciated. It would also encourage future nifty Windows utilities.
Thanks and enjoy,
george
PS: Please write back with any comments.
--
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| o | George Browning george@catt.ncsu.edu | o |
| o | NC State University Raleigh, NC | o |
------------------------------------------------------------------------dve@mace.cc.purdue.edu (01/16/91)
This indeed is the nicest windows 3.0 utility I have ever come across. It's cascading menus and the ability to set directories are the best features that makes the program highly useful. I however have a few suggestions for a future version. First, moving cross the group (submenu) items seems rather slow. Second the items About Usher, Reload Usher and Close Usher could be put in a group to save some length because they are not among the most frequently used. The ability of putting seperating lines between items such as that found in BACKMENU (a right button menu utility) would make spoting items in a long list easier. To be used as a shell, I (daringly) think that some macro like programmability would be nice. This, of course, could be a rather big task. After all I think $15 contribution the Author asks is too low.
george@hobbes.ncsu.edu (George Browning) (01/16/91)
In article <6588@mace.cc.purdue.edu> dve@mace.cc.purdue.edu (zhou) writes: > > This indeed is the nicest windows 3.0 utility I have ever come across. > It's cascading menus and the ability to set directories are the best > features that makes the program highly useful. Thank you! I'm glad others are actually using a program I wrote! > > I however have a few suggestions for a future version. > First, moving cross the group (submenu) items seems rather slow. Second > the items About Usher, Reload Usher and Close Usher could be put in > a group to save some length because they are not among the most > frequently used. The ability of putting seperating lines between items > such as that found in BACKMENU (a right button menu utility) would > make spoting items in a long list easier. Hmmm. I build the menu at startup or when you choose Reload Usher. Therefore, Windows is actually handling the menu once I've created it, so I'm not sure how I could make it faster. Call Microsoft :-) The separating lines is a great idea! I'll also put About, Reload, and Close into a sub-menu. Expect that in the latest release. I'll try to get Usher 1.01 out this weekend. > To be used as a shell, I (daringly) think that some macro like > programmability would be nice. This, of course, could be a rather big > task. After all I think $15 contribution the Author asks is too low. I'll admit macros would be neat but that would take a bit of work! Thanks for your high praises! I'll probably upload Usher to GEnie once Usher 1.01 works. Not too bad for my first Windows program! About the Backmenu and Usher problems: The way Usher works is by using window subclassing to add new functions to the Desktop window. I've never used Backmenu but I'll bet the author does something just like this. I restore everything to original values before I leave and I'm sure he does too. Here's what I bet is happening. Backmenu grabs the initial Desktop function and saves it to some variable. You start Usher. Usher adds its function to the Desktop window. Next, you quit Backmenu. Backmenu restores the old Desktop function, thereby skipping my additions. Usher is still running but I've been cut off from the Desktop window. I'm not sure of a good fix. I believe Backmenu is doing the right thing by restoring the old Desktop function (Usher does the same). If there are some nifty Backmenu functions you would like to see in Usher then let me know. Two programs both fighting over the Desktop is a bit much. Thanks again and please write with any comments, george -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | o | George Browning george@catt.ncsu.edu | o | | o | NC State University Raleigh, NC | o | ------------------------------------------------------------------------
altman@sbstaff2.cs.sunysb.edu (Jeff Altman) (01/16/91)
Additional ideas for a future version: Ability to program both left, right, and center or combination buttons. (Similar to X Windows) Ability to program the desired font and size
rhoward@msd.gatech.edu (Robert L. Howard) (01/16/91)
In <1991Jan16.013854.1203@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> george@hobbes.ncsu.edu (George Browning) writes: >In article <6588@mace.cc.purdue.edu> dve@mace.cc.purdue.edu (zhou) writes: [High praise deleted...] >> I however have a few suggestions for a future version. >> Second >> the items About Usher, Reload Usher and Close Usher could be put in >> a group to save some length because they are not among the most >> frequently used. > I'll also put About, Reload, >and Close into a sub-menu. I have a slightly better idea (IMHO :-). What you do is create keywords that USHER will recognize for each of these fuctions and then I can put anywhere I like via the .INI file. Many X window managers (olwm) use this keyword concept. This lets me put all the commmands where I want them and even lets me leave some off if I think I'll never use them... >> The ability of putting seperating lines between items >> such as that found in BACKMENU (a right button menu utility) would >> make spoting items in a long list easier. >The separating lines is a great idea! I agree, I think a keyword that USHER would recognize for placing a line would provide sufficient flexibility. >> To be used as a shell, I (daringly) think that some macro like >> programmability would be nice. This, of course, could be a rather big >> task. It would also make USHER bigger. One of its attractive features is that it is *small*. > Expect that in the latest release. I'll >try to get Usher 1.01 out this weekend. What response! Great work. Robert -- | Robert L. Howard | Georgia Tech Research Institute | | rhoward@msd.gatech.edu | MATD Laboratory | | (404) 528-7165 | Atlanta, Georgia 30332 | | UUCP: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,ut-ngp}!gatech!msd!rhoward | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | "They [La Prensa] accused us of suppressing freedom of | | expression. This was a lie and we could not let them | | publish it." -- Nelba Blandon, Director of Censorship |