DOS Graphical Front-End Loader (DGFEL) 0.1 (alpha)
By Joshua Foster - JF Software
Especially for Helio-related converters and programs
January 3, 2002
====================================================

Table Of Contents
-----------------
* Testing Warning
* Introduction
* Adding Macros
  * Making New Macros
  * Importing Macros
* Editing Macros
* Deleting Macros
* Accessing Macros
* Executing Macros
* Making Your Own Macro Files
  * Exporting Macros
  * Hand-writing Macros
* Known Bugs
* Upcoming Features
* Contact Info


Testing Warning
---------------
This program is still in testing stages, so if anything screws up, don't blame me.


Introduction
------------
DGFEL organizes all of your confusing DOS programs, and makes it simpler to issue
command-line parameters.  If you don't understand DOS, then ignore that second point.
Each DOS program is configured in a "macro".  When you want to run that DOS program,
access its macro, fill out the necessary fields, and execute it!


Adding Macros
-------------
You can add macros to your list in one of two ways:
* Making new macros yourself through the Macro Editor
* Importing macros (the .dgm file)

If you're a beginner and don't want to mess around with making your own macros, skip
directly to the Importing Macros section.  Otherwise, read on:


Making New Macros
-----------------
To make a new macro, click the File menu and select New Macro.  The New Macro box will
open up.  It is split into two sections (from top to bottom):
* Macro Info
  * Macro Description: Enter a description of the macro here (keep it short!)
  * Path of Executable: Click the Browse button and search for the program you want to
    configure this macro for.
* Field Info
  **Note: A "field" is a specific command-line parameter, whether it is a number, name,
    or file.
  * Field X of Y: Shows you which field you are looking at.
  **Note: The Y number above should be one more than your actual number.  This allows
    you to add more fields on the end easily.  Don't worry: when you click OK, that
    extra field on the end of the list will disappear.
  * Description: Enter a description of the field here (keep it short!)
  * Default Value: If you want a value to show up automatically, or you're disabling
    user-definition or making it hidden, type the value here.
  * User definable: Check this box to allow the user to edit the field; uncheck it to
    disable the text-box
  * Hidden: Hides the field from the user.  Use this if there is a field you don't
    even want the user to see, let alone edit. (more powerful than disabling)
  * Use Browsing box: Check this box if this field asks for a file, and the Browse
    button will appear next to the field input box.  Click the Properties button to
    edit the Browsing box's properties.
  * Properties: Click to edit the Browsing box's properties (click Use Browsing box to
    enable the Browsing box).  The Browse Box Properties window is also split into
    three sections (from top to bottom):
      * Box Info
        * Title: Give the dialog box a title (appears on the title bar on top)
        * If you want the box to be a Save box (output), check the checkbox; if you
          want the box to be a Load box (input), leave the checkbox empty.
      * File Type Info
      **Note: Each of these file types are the ones shown in the drop-down box on any
        load or save dialog box (like in Notepad or Word).
        * File Type X of Y: Shows you which file type you are looking at.
        **Note: The Y number above should be one more than your actual number.  This
          allows you to add more file types on the end easily.  Don't worry: when you
          click OK, that extra file type on the end of the list will disappear.
        * Set As Default: Sets this file type to be the default one (see "Default
          index" below)
        * Description: The name that will show up in the drop-down box
        * Extension(s): The file extension(s) that will be shown.  Example:  *.txt
          If you want more than one extension, separate with semi-colons:  *.txt;*.doc
        * <: Moves left one file type
        * Delete: Deletes the current file type
        * Insert: Inserts a file type before the current one
        * >: Moves right one file type
      * Defaults
        * Default index: The number of the file type that you want to be the default
          (shown first)
        * Default extension: If the user doesn't give an extension (Example: readme),
          add this extension (Example: .txt) to it, giving readme.txt.  Type the
          extension with a dot, but no star.
  * <: Moves left one field
  * Delete: Deletes the current field
  * Insert: Inserts a field before the current one
  * >: Moves right one field
Once you click OK, your new macro will be created (and a Success box shown).  Now, you
can access it, use it, edit it, or delete it.


Importing Macros
----------------
As DGFEL gets more and more support, programs may come with a .dgm file (DGFEL Macro).
Rather than making your own macro, you can load this file, which will automatically
create the macro for you.  When you're done, you can save the .dgm file just in case
something goes wrong, or you can get rid of it.  To import:
1. Click File menu, select Import Macro
2. In the dialog box, find the .dgm file and click Open
3. Click Yes to confirm the import, or No to cancel.
4. In this dialog box, you have to find the program that the macro is configured for.
   In the "Files of type:" box, you will see the name of the program.  Look for that
   program and click Open
5. Click OK on the Success box.
That's it!  Now, you can access it, use it, edit it, or delete it.  If you plan on
making your own macros, play around with an imported macro's settings to learn on your
own (using this as a guide, of course).


Editing Macros
--------------
If you need to change something in a macro, or just want to look at its settings, click
the File menu and select Edit Macro.  If this item is disabled, then you have no macros
to edit.  In the dialog box, select which macro you want to edit and click Edit.  The
dialog box shown is exactly identical to the one in Making New Macros, except that some
or all of the information has already been filled in.  Read the Making New Macros
section for help about each element of the dialog boxes.


Deleting Macros
---------------
If you want to delete a macro:
1. Click File menu, select Delete Macro.
2. In the dialog box, select which macro you want to delete.  If you want to delete
   more than one, hold the Control button.
3. Click the Delete button.
4. Click the Yes button to confirm the deletion, or No to cancel.
5. The box will close, and the macro(s) will be deleted!


Accessing Macros
----------------
To actually access a macro, find its menu item under the Macros menu.  Click it, and
the fields will be shown in the window below.  When there is a filename required, the
Browse button should appear next to the textbox; click the button to browse for the
file.  If you want to exit out of the macro (you have to exit it to add, edit, or
delete macros), click the Exit Macro item under the Macros menu.  After you've finished
filling in the fields, execute the macro by reading on:


Executing Macros
----------------
To execute a macro (after filling in the information), click the Execute! menu.  A DOS
box will appear, and the program will run.  Depending on the program's settings, it
might close itself.  If it doesn't, wait until the box's title bar says Finished, and
click the X box.  To exit out of the macro (to use another macro, add a macro, edit a
macro, or delete a macro), click the Exit Macro item under the Macros menu.


Making Your Own Macros
----------------------
If you've got a DOS program you want to distribute or you want to give someone a copy
of a macro that you have, you can do one of two things:
* Export the macro into a .dgm file
* Hand-write your own macro (risky!)
Obviously, it's easier to export a macro, so we'll talk about that first:


Exporting Macros
----------------
To export a macro that you have into a .dgm file (to distribute or as backup), follow
these steps:
1. Click File menu, select Export Macro.
2. In the dialog box, select which macro you want to export.
3. Click the Export button.
4. In the dialog box, select the folder you want to save in and type a filename for
   the file.
5. Click the Save button.
6. Click OK on the Success box.
Now you've saved the macro into a .dgm file.  You can give it to someone else who has
DGFEL, and they can load it onto their program.


Hand-writing Macros
-------------------
This method's considerably riskier and trickier, since the program isn't writing the
code; you are.  You have to be sure to type everything correctly, and include spaces
where you need to.  If you're not putting anything for a line, then leave an empty
line; don't just skip the line altogether.  If you do this, the macro will not read
correctly.  Here's the format for the .dgm (DGFEL Macro) file:

Version string - For DGFEL 0.1, this string should be DGM1
Description - Type the description here
ProgramName - Type the filename of the program referenced here, but not the path!
#Fields - Type the number of fields here

Repeat the following code for **each** field:

Description - Type the field's description here
DefaultValue - Type the default value here (leave blank for none)
UserDefinable - Type True or False here for user-definability
Hidden - Type True or False here if you want the field hidden or not
BrowseBox - Type True or False here if you want a browsing box
BBTitle - Type the title of the browsing box (even if you typed False for BrowseBox
          earlier, leave a blank line here!!!)
BBSave - Type True for a Save box, False for a Load box (False if BrowseBox is False)
BB#Types - Type the number of file types here (0 if BrowseBox is False)
           **Note:** When looking at existing .dgm files, or after editing your own
                     .dgm files, the number of types may be 1, followed by two lines;
                     however, that dialog box has no fields!  Don't worry, this is
                     how DGFEL is designed to write macros, but writing 0 with no
                     blank lines is perfectly alright.

Repeat these two lines of code for **each** file type: (skip if BrowseBox is False)

Name - Type the name of the file type as it will appear in the drop-down menu
Extensions - Type the extensions you want shown (Examples: *.txt  *.txt;*.doc  *.a*)

Repeat the following code for **each** field:

BBDefaultIndex - Type the number of the file type you want to be default (first is 1,
                 second is 2, etc.) (0 if BrowseBox is False)
BBDefaultExt - Type the extension you want applied to filenames that the user gives
               without an extension (blank line if BrowseBox is False)

That's it!  Just be extra careful to leave blank lines, False's, and 0's where they
need to be if a field has no Browsing box.  Test your macro on your own DGFEL to make
sure everything works.  Finally, open existing .dgm files in Notepad to see examples.


Known Bugs
----------
* If you open more than one DGFEL windows (starting the program or double-clicking
  .dgm files), then the macros.dgl (list file) could easily get corrupted.


Upcoming Features
-----------------
* Customizable macro icon and background graphics
* Toolbar
* Batch macros (more than one program)
* Macro folders (organization)
* Search folders (when importing macros, search in these directories before asking)
* Arrange and sort macro list
* Retain last responses in fields


Contact Info
------------
You can contact me at the following locations:
* Email: joshua_70448@ureach.com
* Message Board: PDABuzz > VTech
