[comp.windows.ms] WFW Default Directory

YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET (12/29/90)

Currently, WFW default to the WINWORD directory to store documents.  This is
really stupid, because in an office environment, file management is a must.
No matter how many times you tell people to put their documents in the
C:\DOCUMENT directory, they still end up putting them in the default dir.

Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.

Roger Rouse
Database Administrator
MTU -- Youth Programs

system@hlthnt.UUCP (Steve Ginn ) (12/30/90)

YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET writes:

> Currently, WFW default to the WINWORD directory to store documents.  This is
> really stupid, because in an office environment, file management is a must.
> No matter how many times you tell people to put their documents in the
> C:\DOCUMENT directory, they still end up putting them in the default dir.
> 
> Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
> documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.
> 
> Roger Rouse
> Database Administrator
> MTU -- Youth Programs

You change the start up macro to tell it where the default dir is.


Steve Ginn

_____________________________________________________________________________
|    /^\     Steve Ginn                                                      |
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tmottonen@cc.helsinki.fi (12/31/90)

In article <90362.151544YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET>, YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET writes:
> 
> Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
> documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.
> 
> Roger Rouse
> Database Administrator
> MTU -- Youth Programs

    You can change the WFW default directory to any directory you
    like by changing the path to the WINWORD.EXE in  the  Program
    Manager Properties dialog box so that it reads something like
    C:\DATA\WINWORD.EXE, instead  of C:\WINWORD\WINWORD.EXE. Note
    that the WFW directory must be on your path.

-- 
                             _________
	Teemu Mottonen	    |         |	internet: tmottonen@cc.helsinki.Fi
    University of Helsinki  |         |   bitnet: TMOTTONEN@FINUH
   Dept.of Computer Science |_________|	  decnet: HYLK::TMOTTONEN

glamdrng@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Rocky Lhotka) (01/01/91)

YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET writes:
>Currently, WFW default to the WINWORD directory to store documents.  This is
>really stupid, because in an office environment, file management is a must.
>No matter how many times you tell people to put their documents in the
>C:\DOCUMENT directory, they still end up putting them in the default dir.
>
>Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
>documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.
>
>Roger Rouse
>Database Administrator
>MTU -- Youth Programs


You should be able to put W4W on your path (or search drives if on a network)
and then change the icon for W4W so it executes the following:

                c:\documents\winword.exe

You will get a couple warnings from Windows about this, but it will work. 
Your default directory will be c:\documents and windows will search your path
to find winword.exe to run.
Glamdring, Sword of Mithradir

UUCP: {amdahl!bungia, uunet!rosevax, crash}!orbit!pnet51!glamdrng
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system@hlthnt.UUCP (Steve Ginn ) (01/03/91)

glamdrng@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Rocky Lhotka) writes:

> YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET writes:
> >Currently, WFW default to the WINWORD directory to store documents.  This is
> >really stupid, because in an office environment, file management is a must.
> >No matter how many times you tell people to put their documents in the
> >C:\DOCUMENT directory, they still end up putting them in the default dir.
> >
> >Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
> >documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.
> >
> >Roger Rouse
> >Database Administrator
> >MTU -- Youth Programs
> 
> 
> You should be able to put W4W on your path (or search drives if on a network)
> and then change the icon for W4W so it executes the following:
> 
>                 c:\documents\winword.exe
> 
> You will get a couple warnings from Windows about this, but it will work. 
> Your default directory will be c:\documents and windows will search your path
> to find winword.exe to run.
> Glamdring, Sword of Mithradir
> 
Just make an alteration to the startup macro file which Word looks for
upon start up.  You can set a variety of customized start up features with
this type of modification and you see any warnings from windows at all.

Following this same type of thinking, you can set up a different macro or
even make the startup maco prompt you for a particular directory you wish
to start in.  Just about every feature (i.e., menus, function keys, etc.)
are controlled by the macros and they can all be modified by the user.  You
could even change the menu names if you wanted to!

Steve Ginn

E-Mail:  ...unmvax!bbx.basis.com!hlthnt!postmaster

todd@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Ogasawara) (01/07/91)

In article <XJ66u3w163w@hlthnt.UUCP> system@hlthnt.UUCP (Steve Ginn     ) writes
>glamdrng@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Rocky Lhotka) writes:
>> YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET writes:
>> >Currently, WFW default to the WINWORD directory to store documents.  This is
>> >really stupid, because in an office environment, file management is a must.
>> >No matter how many times you tell people to put their documents in the
>> >C:\DOCUMENT directory, they still end up putting them in the default dir.
>> >
>> >Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
>> >documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.
>> >
>> >Roger Rouse
>> >Database Administrator
>> >MTU -- Youth Programs

Umm... I may be missing something here... I've read about three suggestions
and haven't seen what I think Roger Rouse asked for in the first place: to
set the default document directory.

Roger... Here is what I do. I think it is simple and doesn't require much
configuration gymnastics...

WfW looks for a number of things when you start it up.. One is a macro
called "AutoExec" (note where caps are). Just go to the Macro menu and
create a macro called AutoExec if you don't already have one (if you do,
just edit it).

All you need is one line for this macro. My looks like this:

	chdir "C:\DOCS"

I designate the drive because my winword is in D:\WINWORD (I have two hard
disks on my box). If you have one big partition, then don't bother with the
drive designator.

This will automatically set it so you "open" to "C:\DOCS" whenever you
start up WfW. Works fine for me....todd

--
Todd Ogasawara, U. of Hawaii
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dak@hparc0.HP.COM (Dave Kruger) (01/08/91)

/ hparc0:comp.windows.ms / <YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET> /  7:15 am  Dec 29, 1990 /

> Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
> documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.

This question was asked a while back (in this notes group, I think).  Someone
replied--I don't remember that worthy's name--along the lines of some of the
previous responses in this string, that is, you need to modify/create the
AutoExec startup macro.  The suggestion was:

	Sub MAIN
	defdir$ = GetProfileString$("defdir")
	ChDir defdir$
	EndSub

You also need to add the following line in your WIN.INI file in the
[MicrosoftWord] section:

	defdir=C:\DOCUMENT

Of course, you must substitute the appropriate directory name for your
installation.

This seems convoluted to me (especially if, as someone else has mentioned, a
simple "ChDir C:\DOCUMENT" statement in the AutoExec macro works), but I use it
and it works well.  Thanks to the kind person who suggested it.

STICK THE BOOTS IN FLAG: ON

I can guess what the above commands do, but don't know for sure.  To know this,
I would have to buy the "Microsoft Word for Windows Technical Reference".  If
*that* book is as atrocious as the rest of the W4W documentation (and Microsoft
documentation in general) it would be a great waste of money.  Fair Dinkum,
I've never seen such hopeless documentation as that which comes with W4W.

There, I feel much better now.  If anyone at Microsoft is listening, care to
comment?

STICK THE BOOTS IN FLAG: OFF


Regards,

Dave K.

hls@rwthbs.uucp (H.L. Stahl) (01/09/91)

In article <10847@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> todd@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu 
(Todd Ogasawara) writes:
>All you need is one line for this macro. My looks like this:
>	chdir "C:\DOCS"

Another way to do this is to create an (empty) WinWord file, for example
EMPTY.DOC in your preferred DOC directory;  the file should be write 
protected.
Then, in the program managers window, select the WinWord icon and change its
associated program name from "<win-path>WINWORD.EXE" to "<doc-path>EMPTY.DOC"; 
the extension .DOC must be connected to WINWORD.EXE in WIN.INI!
Change its icon by selectting "<win-path>WINWORD.EXE" instead of 
"<doc-path>EMPTY.DOC", and the WinWord icon will still be displayed in
the program managers window.
After that, whenever you start WinWord by double-clicking the icon, WinWord
will start and EMPTY.DOC will be loaded, and all DOC-files will be searched
in your DOC directory first.

Hans-Ludwig Stahl

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 |_|_`__   : Kopernikusstr. 16, D-5100 Aachen, ..49-(0)241-804374
   | |__)  : Domain:  hls@informatik.rwth-aachen.de
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dana@hardy.hdw.csd.harris.com (Dan Aksel) (01/10/91)

All these complex solutions to such a simple problem.  Please forgive me if this
is a repost.  I haven't read this group in 14 days and may have overlooked it.

Windows applications are called from the directory given on the command line
when you click "File Properties."

My WFW files are located in C:\DATA\WFW\

My command line looks like: C:\DATA\WFW\WINWORD.EXE

The actual program is located at D:\WINWORD\

Simply add D:\WINWORD to your path statement in autoexec.bat.
I run almost all my applications this way.  It makes backups a breeze...
xcopy c:\data\*.* a: /e /s /v /m [/ddate]
Or something like that.  Not overly advanced, but it works.
---------
Dan Aksel

todd@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Ogasawara) (01/10/91)

In article <2770008@hparc0.HP.COM> dak@hparc0.HP.COM (Dave Kruger) writes:
>/ hparc0:comp.windows.ms / <YTHPRGDB@MTUS5.BITNET> /  7:15 am  Dec 29, 1990 /
>> Is there any way to change the WFW default document directory?  I want
>> documents to automatically go into the C:\DOCUMENT directory.
>
>This seems convoluted to me (especially if, as someone else has mentioned, a
>simple "ChDir C:\DOCUMENT" statement in the AutoExec macro works), but I use it
>and it works well.  Thanks to the kind person who suggested it.

Umm.. I think that was me.. And, you're very welcome...

>STICK THE BOOTS IN FLAG: ON
>
>I can guess what the above commands do, but don't know for sure.  To know this,
>I would have to buy the "Microsoft Word for Windows Technical Reference".  If
>*that* book is as atrocious as the rest of the W4W documentation (and Microsoft
>documentation in general) it would be a great waste of money.  Fair Dinkum,
>I've never seen such hopeless documentation as that which comes with W4W.

I just have to add my two cents to this... I've complained about this
before.. but what the heck...

I upgraded from Word 5.0 to WfW windows the day I received the upgrade
notice. When I received my upgrade package, I was disgusted to find that
Microsoft had unbundled the hardcopy macro language reference guide (I much
later found that they did include a file with the macro reference guide
contents in it though) and wanted another $22.95 for it (why didn't they
just have that option on the original upgrade form????).

Worse, when I recieved the macro language manual (a poorly photocopied
set of pages in a three ring binder), it was nearly useless. While it
listed all the commands, it had very few examples of the functions/commands
unique to WordBASIC.

I have never become comfortable with WordBASIC and am dead-certain I am
not even coming close to using WfW to its fullest potential. This is a
shame since WordBASIC appears to be a powerful tool but I just can't spend
the time going through the gawd-awful reference manual that Microsoft
provided me. Heck, GNU EMACS Lisp is easier to figure out and use than
WordBASIC (given the documentation Microsoft provides)....todd
--
Todd Ogasawara, U. of Hawaii
UUCP:		{uunet,ucbvax,dcdwest}!ucsd!nosc!uhunix!todd
BITNET:		todd@uhunix
INTERNET:	todd@uhunix.UHCC.HAWAII.EDU

myoung@rm1.UUCP (Michael Young) (01/10/91)

In article <10847@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>, todd@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Ogasawara) writes:

|> 
|> All you need is one line for this macro. My looks like this:
|> 
|> 	chdir "C:\DOCS"
|> 
|> I designate the drive because my winword is in D:\WINWORD (I have two hard
|> disks on my box). If you have one big partition, then don't bother with the
|> drive designator.
|> 
|> This will automatically set it so you "open" to "C:\DOCS" whenever you
|> start up WfW. Works fine for me....todd

I am also using this approach which works fine for me too.  There are a couple
of other things worth noting.
    
  o You may want to add the /m option (don't execute AutoExec macro) after
    your winword.exe definition in the [Extensions] section of win.ini. 
    Otherwise, if you ever happen to select a document from filemgr that isn't
    in your DOCS directory Winword won't be able to find it, since it will
    execute the chdir command in your AutoExec macro before it attempts to open
    the .DOC file you selected from filemgr.

  o I have added a custom win.ini keyword to my [Microsoft Word] section called
    DOC-PATH (in the spirit of DOT-PATH, defined by MS) which defines where my
    Document directory is.  Then in my AutoExec macro I request this keyword 
    using the command "GetProfileString$()".

  o Another macro I have added is SetStartupPrefs which permits me to set the
    DOC-PATH and DOT-PATH variables in my win.ini file using the command
    "SetProfileString$()".
|> 
|> --
|> Todd Ogasawara, U. of Hawaii
|> UUCP:		{uunet,ucbvax,dcdwest}!ucsd!nosc!uhunix!todd
|> BITNET:		todd@uhunix
|> INTERNET:	todd@uhunix.UHCC.HAWAII.EDU

-- 
Mike Young

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