Copyright: Copyright 1992 by S.Gutz & R.Westman


    Open Axess Help Index

Introduction

What is Open Axess?

Using Open Axess

Open Axess Menu Options

Reference Information

Configuration Options

The AXESS.INI File

Files Contained in This Package

Shareware Information


What is Open Axess
What is Open Axess?

Windows 3.1 provides built-in support for Common Dialog Windows to perform operations such as File Open and File Save As from within an application.  These Common Dialog Windows provide a consistent interface across all applications that use them.  However, you still have to climb and descend directory trees and manually select drives or file types to locate the file or directory you want.

Open Axess makes it easier to use the Windows 3.1 Common Dialog Windows for file selection by:

1.	automatically remembering the last 5 Types, the last 5 Files, and the last 5 Directories used for each application that uses Common Dialog Windows.

2.	allowing you to specify 5 additional Permanent Types, Files, and Directories for each application that uses Common Dialog Windows.

3.	allowing you to create and change to a new subdirectory from within a file selection Common Dialog Window.  This permits you to create and change to a new subdirectory from within the Save As Dialog Window before saving a file.

4.	allowing you to optionally display the following file properties at the bottom of the Common Dialog Window for a selected file:

the file size in bytes,

the date and time the file was last modified, and

the file attributes: Read, Write, Archive, and Hidden.

5.	allowing you to find a file from within a file selection Common Dialog Window and open the file by double-clicking on it.

6.	making the above options available by attaching itself to the Control Menu of the Common Dialog Window.


Using Open Axess

(We recommend you print this section for reference the first time through)

In order to use Open Axess, first follow the instructions in Installing Open Axess

Next, open an application that uses Common Dialog Windows for file selection.  For example, open the Windows 3.1 version of Notepad.  From within Notepad, select the File Open command.  The Dialog Window shown in the Figure below appears:

Note that the icon for the Control Menu has been replaced by the Open Axess icon to alert you that Open Axess is active for the Notepad File Open Dialog Window.

Open any file using the File Name: and Directories: controls in the dialog window.  For example, open the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the root directory of your boot disk (in this example, drive C: is assumed to be the boot disk) as follows: in the File Name: list box, change the type to *.BAT, and in the Directories: list, select the root directory c:\, then press Enter or click on OK.  Now exit from Notepad.  Open Notepad again and select the File Open command.  When the File Open Dialog Window appears, select the Control Menu by clicking on the Open Axess icon in the upper-left corner.  The Dialog Window should look like this:

Open Axess has added Control Menu items named Types, Files, Directory, and Options, plus a separate item named About Open Axess.  Select each of these options in turn.  For example, when you select the Files option, the Dialog Window should look like this:

As you can see, Open Axess has remembered the Type, File, and Directory of the last accessed file, namely C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT.  When you opened AUTOEXEC.BAT the first time, Open Axess added it to its list of last accessed files for the Notepad application.  The next time you wanted to open AUTOEXEC.BAT, it was available from the Files option on the Common Dialog Window Control Menu, and could be conveniently selected regardless of the default drive or directory in the File Open Dialog Window.

Open Axess remembers 5 of the Last Accessed Types, Files, and Directories for each application that uses Common Dialog Windows.  After 5 items have been added to any Last Accessed list and another item is selected, it is added as the last (top) entry, all previous entries move down one position, and the first (bottom) entry is lost.

You may have one or more directories in which you keep related files for an application.  Or you may want to select files that do not appear in the file selection dialog window's default list of file types for an application.  Open Axess maintains separate lists of the 5 most frequently used file types and directories for an application too.  Entries on these lists are also available from the Common Dialog Window Control Menu.

Some files are used repeatedly for an application, but possibly not frequently.    For example, you might use Notepad to edit your WIN.INI or AUTOEXEC.BAT files, but you do not edit these files often.  Still, it is handy to have them in a list for quick access, even though the files themselves may be in different directories.  Or, you may want to keep an entry from the Last Accessed list for future use.

For these situations, Open Axess maintains lists of Permanent Types, Files, and Directories for an application in addition to the Last Accessed lists. You can configure Open Axess to remember 5 Permanent Types, Files, and Directories for an application.  See Configuring Open Axess for more information.


Open Axess Menu Options

When Open Axess is enabled for a Common Dialog Window, the Open Axess icon replaces the default Control Menu icon, and the following Open Axess options are available from the Common Dialog Window's Control Menu:

Files

Displays the list of Last Accessed and Permanent files, if any, for the current application.

Types

Displays the list of Last Accessed and Permanent files types (or extensions - the part of the filename following the "."), if any, for the current application.  Note that Open Axess will only enter a file type in the Last Accessed list if you open a file of that type or click on the OK button after entering the file type in the File Name: list box.  If you select a type from the Last Accessed list, Open Axess moves that selection to the top of the list.

Directories

Displays the list of Last Accessed and Permanent directories, if any, for the current application.  Note that Open Axess will only enter a directory in the Last Accessed list if you open a file from that directory or click on the OK button after selecting the directory in the Directories: list box.  If you select a directory from the Last Accessed list, Open Axess moves that selection to the top of the list.

Options

About

Displays the Open Axess About dialog window.


Options

When you select Options from the Control Menu of a Common Dialog Window for which Open Axess is enabled, the following options are available:

Find File

Prompts you to specify the name of a file to find, and the direcotry path from which to start the search.  You can optionally choose to search all subdirectories of the specified directory.  You can double-click on any file displayed as a result of a search to open it.

Create Directory

Prompts you to specify the name of a new directory, then creates and changes the default directory to the new directory.  This is useful if you want to save a file into a new directory without leaving the File Save As Dialog Window.

Configure Open Axess

Help on Open Axess

Displays the Windows Help file for Open Axess, AXESS.HLP.


Installing Open Axess

To install Open Axess, perform the following steps:

1.	Un-zip the files from the archive file AXESS210.ZIP.

2.	Copy the files AXESS.EXE, AXESSLIB.DLL, and AXESS.HLP to your Windows directory, and copy the file BWCC.DLL to your Windows SYSTEM subdirectory.  (BWCC.DLL contains the custom controls used by Open Axess to display the About Dialog and the Configure Dialog Windows.)

3.	Edit your WIN.INI and add AXESS.EXE to the LOAD= line following the keyword [windows].  For example:

[windows]

spooler=no

load=AXESS

run=

Beep=Yes

…

4.	Save the changes to WIN.INI and exit Windows.

(As an alternative to steps 3 and 4, in Windows 3.1 you can create a Program Item for Open Access and place the icon in the Startup Program Group of the Program Manager to achieve the same effect.)

5.	Restart Windows.  Open Axess should now be operational.  Open an application, for example, Notepad, and select the File Open command.  The Open Axess icon should appear in place of the Control Menu icon.  See Using Open Axess for usage details.


The AXESS.INI File

Open Axess maintains an initialization file called AXESS.INI.  This file contains your selections for Last Accessed Types, Files, and Directories, and settings for Permanent Types, Files, and Directories for each application that uses Common Dialog Windows for file selection.  AXESS.INI also contains global settings as described below.  When you first use Open Axess after installation, the AXESS.INI file does not exist and is created in your Windows directory.

Types, Files, and Directories selections for an application can be maintained from within the application using the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window available from the Control Menu of a file selection Common Dialog Window.  The AXESS.INI file can also be viewed and edited using a text editor such as Notepad.  We recommend that you exit Windows after using Open Axess for the first time prior to editing AXESS.INI in order to ensure that the file is written completely.  Note that changes made to AXESS.INI using an editor will not take effect until you close Open Axess and restart it.

An example of the contents of the AXESS.INI file is shown below.  The application name is shown delimited by square brackets [], followed by the Open Axess settings for that application.  The [Axess] heading stores current values for global settings: ExcludeDialogs, the Properties keyword stores the current setting for the Show file properties checkbox from the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window, the AppIcon keyword stores the current setting for the Show program icon checkbox from the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window, MaxList, and ExcludeApps.

Note that the ExcludeDialogs and ExcludeApps settings can only be changed by editing AXESS.INI directly, for example, using Notepad.  However, the settings that are written to AXESS.INI when Open Axess creates the file normally should not require editing.  The Properties, AppIcon, and MaxList settings can be changed from the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window - see Configuring Open Axess for more information.

LD00 - LD04, LT00 - LT04, and LF00 - LF04 are the 5 last accessed directories, types, and files, respectively.  The PD, PT, and PF prefixes denote Permanent selections.

[Axess]

ExcludeDialogs=Color,Print,Print Setup,Find,Replace,Font,Program Item Properties

Properties=Y

AppIcon=Y

MaxList=5

ExcludeApps=Change Icon

[Notepad]

LD04=

LD03=c:\util\win31\

LD02=d:\lang\bc\include\

LD01=c:\borlandc\doc\

LD00=c:\misc\rmw\nets\

LF04=c:\borlandc\doc\manual.rw

LF03=c:\borlandc\doc\custcntl.rw

LF02=c:\borlandc\doc\bwccstyl.rw

LF01=c:\borlandc\doc\bwccapi.rw

LF00=c:\misc\rmw\nets\oomethod.

LT04=*.txt

LT03=*.*

LT02=*.hpj

LT01=*.rw

LT00=*.

PD04=

PD03=

PD02=c:\util\win31\

PD01=d:\usr\westman\

PD00=c:\misc\axess\

PF04=

PF03=c:\util\win31\axess.ini

PF02=c:\util\win31\win.ini

PF01=c:\util\win31\setup.txt

PF00=c:\misc\axess\axess.hpj

PT04=

PT03=

PT02=

PT01=*.ini

PT00=*.txt

As with AXESS.EXE, AXESSLIB.DLL, and AXESS.HLP, the AXESS.INI file must be located in your windows directory.


Configuring Open Axess

Open Axess can be configured from the Configuration Dialog Window, which is available from the Options menu option of the Control Menu for a Common Dialog Window when Open Axess is enabled.

The Configuration Window displays the following settings for the current application:

Axess	Type, File, or Directory

Select the list of entries which you wish to view or edit.

Mode

Last Accessed

Permanent

Show file properties

Show program icon

Maximum Number of Entries

Entry List

Displays the list of entries for the current settings of Axess and Mode.

Buttons

OK	Accepts the current dialog window settings.

Keep

Remove

Purge


Files Contained in This Package

The following files are contained in the archive file AXESS200.ZIP:

1.	AXESS.EXE	the Open Axess executable program file

2.	AXESS.HLP	the Open Axess Windows Help file

3.	AXESSLIB.DLL	the Open Axess Dynamic Link Library

4.	BWCC.DLL	the Borland Windows Custom Controls Dynamic Link Library (required)

5.	README.TXT	a text file containing instructions and revision history

6.	REGISTER.TXT	a text file containing the registration form

To extract these files, use UNZIP or another file extraction utility that reads ZIP files.  Please note that the Open Axess Windows initialization file AXESS.INI is created in your Windows directory the first time you use Open Axess.


Shareware Information

Open Axess is Shareware, and is Copyright 1992 by Steven Gutz and Randy Westman, all rights reserved.  You may use Open Axess for thirty days to evaluate it.  If you think Open Axess is useful and you wish to continue using it, please fill out the Registration Form and send it, along with your payment of $10 (U.S.) to the address on the form.  A postal money order is preferred, payable to Steven Gutz.

Alternatively, CompuServe members can use their credit card to register Open Axess using CompuServe's online Shareware Registration Database.  GO SWREG and follow the instructions there to register shareware.  The Registration ID is 436.

Sorry, we cannot directly accept credit card payments.

When you pay your shareware fee, we'll show you how to use Open Axess in Microsoft Word for Windows v. 2.0, WordPerfect for Windows, and any other Windows 3.1 application that can register Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) and call their functions.

If you wish to obtain a site license for Open Axess, contact the authors for arrangements.

See Also

Availability

Contacting the Authors


Registration
Registration Form

The registration form is in the file REGISTER.TXT, which is included in AXESS210.ZIP.


Availability

We strive to make the latest version of Open Axess available as follows:

1.	on the Internet via anonymous ftp at ftp.cica.indiana.edu (129.79.20.84) in either pub/pc/win3/uploads or pub/pc/win3/util as axessnnn.zip, where the 'nnn' is the version number (for example v. 2.10 is axess210.zip).

2.	on CompuServe in the Advanced Windows forum (GO WINADV) in the File Utilities Library #1 as axsnnn.zip, where the 'nnn' is the version number (for example v. 2.10 is axs210.zip).


Contacting the Authors

We can be reached in any of the following ways:

1.  Internet:

GUTZ@CC49.CRL.AECL.CA

  or

71054.3220@compuserve.com

2.  Mail:

Steven Gutz

R.R. #5, Pembroke, Ontario

Canada K8A 6W6

3.  CompuServe:

71054,3220

  or

>INTERNET:GUTZ@CC49.CRL.AECL.CA


Control Menu

If present for a window, the Control-menu (sometimes called the System Menu) is located in the upper-left corner of that window.  The Control Menu typically contains menu options for sizing, moving, and closing the window.  When an application uses the Common Dialog Dynamic Link Library COMMDLG.DLL to perform a file selection, Open Axess replaces the default Control Menu Icon with the Open Axess icon and adds Open Axess Menu Options to the Control Menu.


Last Accessed

The last 5 Types, Files, and Directories that you selected within any given application.  These selections are maintained in the AXESS.INI file, located in your Windows directory.  If you select an item from a Last Accessed list, Open Axess moves that item to the top of that Last Accessed list.


Permanent attribute
Permanent

An entry in the list of Types, Files, or Directories that is always present for the current application.  Permanent Types, Files, and Directories are denoted by a leading [image] in the Open Axess Control Menu options.  The Permanent attribute is assigned from the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window.  You can specify up to 5 Permanent Types, Files, and Directories for each application that uses Common Dialog Windows.


Keep

Allows you to designate the selected entry from the Last Accessed list of Types, Files, or Directories in the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window as a Permanent entry for the current application.


Purge

Removes all entries from the Last Accessed list of Types, Files, or Directories in the Open Axess Control Menu options for the current application.


Remove

Allows you to remove the selected Type, File, or Directory from the list of Last Accessed Types, Files, or Directories respectively.  You would typically Remove an entry after you have made it Permanent.


Show File Attributes
Show File Properties

When this option is enabled (by clicking the Show File Properties checkbox in the Open Axess Configuration Window), Open Axess resizes the file selection Common Dialog Window to allow the following file properties to be displayed at the bottom of the Common Dialog Window when a file is highlighted:

the date and time the file was last modified,

the file size in bytes, and

the following file attributes, if they are set: Read, Write, Archive, and Hidden.


Exclude Dialogs

Prevents Open Axess from functioning in Common Dialog Windows that are not associated with file selection operations, such as Color, Print, Print Setup, Find, Replace, Font, and Program Item Properties.


Show Program Icon

When this option is enabled (by clicking the Show program icon checkbox in the Open Axess Configuration Window), the Open Axess icon appears on the desktop when Open Axess is running.  Disabling this option removes the icon from the desktop.


Common Dialog Window
Common Dialog Windows

Dialog windows provided by Windows 3.1 (in a dynamic link library named COMMDLG.DLL) for common user interactions such as: File Open, File Save As, Choose Color, Find and Replace Text, and Choose Font.  Applications display Common Dialog Windows by calling Windows-supplied functions rather than by creating the resources and procedures for these dialog windows themselves.  In addition to simplifying the development of Windows applications, Common Dialog Windows assist users by providing a standard set of controls for performing certain operations.  As Windows developers begin using the filename dialogs in their applications, users will find that the process of opening and saving files is similar no matter which application they are using.


Examples
Example Applications

Examples of Windows 3.1 applications that make use of Common Dialog Windows are Notepad, Paintbrush, Write, and even the Browse button in the Program Manager's File Run Command Dialog Window, to name just a few.


Open Axess in Word for Windows
Word For Windows

It was our heavy use of Windows 3.0 and Microsoft Word for Windows 1.0 in particular that inspired Open Axess.  Imagine our joy when Windows 3.1 provided the missing link - Common Dialog Windows!  Imagine our frustration when the very company that provided Common Dialog Windows neglected to use them in one of their flagship products!  (Word for Windows v. 2.0 implements its own dialog windows for File Open and File Save As rather than calling COMMDLG.DLL.)


Version

Open Axess v. 2.10 © 1992 by Steven Gutz and Randy Westman


MaxList
Maximum Number of Entries

The maximum number of items in any Open Axess list of Last Accessed or Permanent Types, Files, or Directories is set to 5 by default and can be changed by editing the value of Maximum Number of Entries: in the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window.  You can use the controls provided to increment or decrement the displayed value, or select the value and key in a new one.  The minimum value is 1 and the maximum value is 50.

Since Windows does not support vertically scrolling menus, the number of items in an Open Axess list that can be displayed depends on the resolution of your computer monitor.

Note that you can edit the AXESS.INI file directly and change the value of MaxList (under the keyword [AXESS]), but the change will not take effect until you restart Open Axess.  We recommend that you use the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window instead.


ExcludeApps

Disables Open Axess for the specified application(s), that is, the parent application that calls Common Dialog Windows for file selection operations.

For example, if you do not want Open Axess to run with Notepad and Paintbrush, edit ExcludeApps (under the keyword [AXESS]) in entry in AXESS.INI as follows:

ExcludeApps=Notepad,Paintbrush

Note that multiple applications are separated by a comma.