Help Index

Introduction

Copyright

How to

Menu Commands

Boomerang Files

Initialization File

Installation

Technical Information

History

Problems


Introduction

This is Boomerang, a common dialog box utility which enables you to open or save your frequently used files very quickly. The first time you save or open a file using the common dialog box in the ordinary way, Boomerang will save that filename in a popup menu. So the next time you want to open or save that file, you choose the file from the popup menu and that's about it! It's fast and it's easy. Look in this help file for more details on how to use Boomerang.

Note that Boomearng is intended for Windows 3.1 since common dialog boxes was introduced in Windows 3.1.


Copyright

Boomerang for Windows is copyrighted  1992 Jo Torsmyr, the author. It is not in the public domain but  you may copy and distribute it freely without any charges (except for distribution media costs) and as long as this copyright notice is present.


How To

Open or Save a file using Boomerang

Change directory using Boomerang

Purge temporary files or directories in Boomerang

Make a file or directory permanent in Boomerang


Menu Commands

Boomerang menu

File

Directory

Permanent

Purge

Help

About

Permanent menu

File

Directory

Purge menu

Files

Directories

Startup

Purge Startup menu

Files

Directories

Help menu

About menu


Boomerang Files

This is a list of the files which you need to be able to use Boomerang. They are all in the distribution file BOOM10.ZIP.

COMMDLG.DLL	the new COMMDLG.DLL with the Boomerang extensions. Must be 	in the Windows System directory (for example 	C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM).

BOMERANG.INI	initialization file for Boomerang. Must be in the Windows directory 	(for example C:\WINDOWS).

BOMERANG.HLP	help file for Boomerang. You can specify where this file is in 	BOMERANG.INI, the default is in the Windows directory.

BOMERANG.DAT	the data file for Boomerang. You can specify where this file is in 	BOMERANG.INI, the default is in the Windows directory. If this file 	don't exists, Boomerang will create it when it saves it's file and 	directory names.


Initialization File

This is a description of the items in the file BOMERANG.INI and what they mean.

KeyWord	Meaning and possible values

BoomMouseButtonUp	Enable Boomerang on left mouse button up

in the common dialog boxes.

Possible values: 0 (disable, default) and 1 (enable)

UseBoomerangTemplate	Use Boomerang's own dialog box template. It contains a 	pushbutton labeled Boom which activates the Boomerang 	popup menu when you click on it. If you don't want to use this 	template but the one in the original COMMDLG.DLL, you will 	have to enable BoomMouseButtonUp to be able to use 	Boomerang.

Possible values: 0 (disable) and 1 (enable, default).

BoomInMsWrite	Enable Boomerang in Microsoft Write.

Possible values: 0 (disable, default) and 1 (enable). Write has 	it's own dialog box hook routine. I don't know what it does, so I 	added this option if you don't want Boomerang to override 	Write's own dialog box routine.

PurgeFilesOnStartup	Purge temporary files in Boomerang popup menu when

Windows starts.

Possible values: 0 (disable, default) and 1 (enable)

PurgeDirectoriesOnStartup	Purge temporary directories in Boomerang popup menu

when Windows starts.

Possible values: 0 (disable, default) and 1 (enable)

ForceBoomerangHook	Force use of Boomerang in all common dialog boxes.

Possible values: 0 (disable, default) and 1 (enable)

MaxBoomerangDirs	Maximum number of directories in Boomerang popup menu.

Absolute maximum is 30.

Possible values: 1 to 30 (default is 15).

MaxBoomerangFiles	Maximum number of files in Boomerang popup menu.

Absolute maximum is 30.

Possible values: 1 to 30 (default is 15).

DisableBoomerang	Disable use of Boomerang in common dialog boxes.

Possible values: 1 (disable Boomerang, you want do that do 	you?!) and 0 (enable Boomerang, default)

BoomDataFile	Name of data file where Boomerang saves it's files and

directories.

Possible values: a legal filename. Default is a file named

BOMERANG.DAT in your Windows directory.

For example: C:\WINDOWS\BOMERANG.DAT

BoomHelpFile	Name of Boomerang's help file (this file).

Possible values: a legal filename. Default is a file named

BOMERANG.HLP in your Windows directory.

For example: C:\WINDOWS\BOMERANG.HLP

Example

This is an example of a initialization file:

[BOOMERANG]

; Default is 0, i.e. no Boomerang on mouse button down.

BoomOnMouseButtonUp=1

; Default is 0, i.e. no Boomerang in Microsoft Write.

BoomInMSWrite=1

; Default is 0, i.e. don't purge files on Windows startup.

PurgeFilesOnStartup=0

; Default is 0, i.e. don't purge directories on Windows startup.

PurgeDirectoriesOnStartup=0

; Default is 0, i.e. don't force use of Boomerang

ForceBoomerangHook=1

; Use Boomerang's own dialog template, default is 0,

; i.e. use the template in original COMMDLG.DLL

UseBoomerangTemplate=1

; Default is 15

MaxBoomerangDirs=30

; Default is 15

MaxBoomerangFiles=30

; Default is 0, i.e. enable Boomerang when no other hooks are used.

DisableBoomerang=0

; Default is BOMERANG.DAT in the Windows directory,

; e.g. C:\WINDOWS\BOMERANG.DAT

;BoomDataFile=D:\WIN31\BOMERANG.DAT

; Default is BOMERANG.HLP in the Windows directory,

; e.g. C:\WINDOWS\BOMERANG.HLP

BoomHelpFile=D:\WIN31\BOMERANG.HLP


Installation

Boomerang is quite simple to install. I'm working on a installation program, but this explanation should do for now. It's just a matter of copying a couple of files using the DOS copy comamnd.

In the list below, the Windows directory is the main directory where you have installed Windows 3.1 and Windows System directory is the subdirectory named SYSTEM in the Windows directory.

1. You must exit Windows to do this installation, don't even do it in a DOS task!

2. Copy the file BOOM10.ZIP (a file created by PKZIP) to a temporary directory on your hard disk. I assume you have the PKZIP utility, if not, get it now!

3. Unpack the file BOOM10.ZIP by changing to the directory you copied BOOM10.ZIP to and type PKUNZIP BOOM10. You should then see these files in this directory:

README.TXT

COMMDLG.DLL

BOMERANG.INI

BOMERANG.DAT

BOMERANG.HLP

4. Make a backup copy of the file COMMDLG.DLL in your Windows System directory and copy it to COMMDLGW.WIN. For example:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM> copy commdlg.dll cdlgold.win

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM> copy commdlg.dll commdlgw.win

5. Copy COMMDLG.DLL (the Boomerang extension version) to your Windows System directory.

6. Copy BOMERANG.INI, BOMERANG.DAT and BOMERANG.HLP to your Windows directory.

7. The next time you start Windows, you can use Boomerang.


Technical Information

This information is intended for those who are interested in how BOOMERANG was implemented. I use the lpfnHook field of the OPENFILENAME structure to enable BOOMERANG. To be able to attach my hook routine to this field I had to rewrite the GetOpenFileName and GetSaveFileName routines. Or really, I had to pack some code around them. To do this I had to write my own COMMDLG.DLL with these new routines. The original common dialog dynamic link library was renamed to COMMDLGW.DLL. I load this DLL in the LibMain routine of my new COMMDLG.DLL. Then I get the function addresses of GetOpenFileName and GetSaveFileName (and also the other common dialog box routines, such as Find) by using GetProcAddress. To get the ordinal numbers of these functions from the original COMMDLG.DLL I used a program named EXEHDR (comes with Microsfot C 7.0) to examine the DLL and find the numbers. Having found the address of the functions I just wrote a new GetOpenFileName (and GetSaveFileName) which first attachs my dialog box routine to the lpfnHook field of OPENFILENAME and then calls the original GetOpenFileName (and GetSaveFileName). After the call I do some processing to get the file returned from the dialog box and add it to Boomerangs popup menus.

The dialog box routine which I attach don't do any advanced processing. It just checks which menu items which are chosen from the popup menus of Boomerang and branches to the appropriate code.


History

The name of this program (Boomerang) and it's origin came from the program Boomerang for the Macintosh written by Hiroaki Yamamoto. Boomerang for the Mac is FREEWARE, but copyrighted in 1989 by the author Hiroaki Yamamoto.

The first time I used Boomerang on the Mac I knew I would become dependent of it. So when I began using Windows on the PC, I missed such a utility. And when Windows 3.1 came with the common dialog box templates and routines, I was ready to implement it.


Problems

Remember that this is the first version of Boomerang for Windows 3.1, so it may have several bugs. I would like to hear about any problems you may have. I would be pleased to receive any comments, bug reports or suggestions from you. This will contribute to the next release of Boomerang. I can be reached on Internet at:

jot@ifi.unit.no

You can also reach my by snail mail at:

Jo Torsmyr

College of Arts and Science

University of Trondheim, Lade

Trondheim

Norway


File

When you choose this menu item you will see a list of the files which has been recorded by Boomerang.  If you choose one of the file items, you will either open that file or save to that file depending on whether you are in a Open dialog box or Save as dialog box respectively.


Directory

When you choose this menu item you will see a list of the directories which has been recorded by Boomerang.  If you choose one of the directory items, you will make the dialog box change to that directory.


Permanent

When you choose this menu item you will see a submenu containing two items. One is named File and one is named Directory. The File submenu item contains a sub menu which is excatly the same as the File menu item in the main menu. Every item in the File submenu item submenu can be marked permanent. If there is a check mark beside a file item that means that the file is permanent. This means that Boomerang will not

delete the menu item the next time you start Windows (. The only way you can delete the menu item is by choosing it again, then the check mark will disappear. The Directory submenu item works the same way, but for the directories of course.


Purge

When you choose this menu item you will see a submenu containing three items. The first is named Files. If you choose that one you will delete all files from the Boomerang File menu which are not marked as permanent. If you choose Directories, you will delete all files from the Boomerang Directory menu which are not marked as permanent.


Help

Choose this menu item to see the Boomerang help, that is, this help!


About

When you choose this menu item you will see a dialog box showing the name of the author, where the author may be reached and the version of Boomerang.


Permanent File

The Permanent File menu shows which files are marked as permanent. Permanent files are indicated by a check mark and temporary files does not have a check mark. You can toggle between permanent and temporary by choosing a filename menu item.


Permanent Directory

The Permanent Directory menu shows which directories are marked as permanent. Permanent directories are indicated by a check mark and temporary directories does not have a check mark. You can toggle between permanent and temporary by choosing a directoryname menu item.


Purge Files

When you choose this menu item all temporary files will be deleted from Boomerang's popup menus. Only the files marked as permanent will remain.


Purge Directories

When you choose this menu item all temporary directories will be deleted from Boomerang's popup menus. Only the directories marked as permanent will remain.


Purge at Startup

Purge at startup means that temporary files or directories will be deleted from Boomerang's popup menus the next time you start Windows.


Purge Files at Startup

When you choose this item all temporary files will be deleted from Boomerang's popup menus the next time you start Windows.


Purge Directories at Startup

When you choose this item all temporary directories will be deleted from Boomerang's popup menus the next time you start Windows.


Open or Save a file using Boomerang

Click on the pushbutton labeled Boom. Then you will see the main popup menu for Booemrang. Choose the File menu item. Then the situation should be something like the picture below.

The user is about to select the file autoexec.bat. If he release the mouse button that file will be opened.


Change directory using Boomerang

Click on the pushbutton labeled Boom. Then you will see the main popup menu for Boomerang. Choose the Directory menu item. Then the situation should be something like the picture below.

The user is about to select the directory c:\. If he release the mouse button the dialog box will change to that directory.


Purge temporary files or directories in Boomerang

Click on the pushbutton labeled Boom. Then you will see the main popup menu for Boomerang. Choose the Purge menu item. Then the situation should be something like the picture below.

The user is about to choose the Files menu item in the Startup submenu. You can see that the Directory menu item has a check mark. This means that all temporary directories will be purged from Boomerang's popup menus the next time you start Windows. If the user releases the mouse button, all temporary files will also be deleted next time Windows starts.


Make a file or directory permanent in Boomerang

Click on the pushbutton labeled Boom. Then you will see the main popup menu for Boomerang. Choose the Purge menu item. Then the situation should be something like the picture below.

The user is about to make the directory c:\ permanent. You can see that the directory d:\win31\ is already marked as permanent (indicated by the check mark).


Press the left mouse button and move it to the right to see the list of files


Press the left mouse button and move it to the right to see the list of directories


Press the left mouse button and move it to the right to see the Permanent submenu


Press the left mouse button and move it to the right to see the Purge submenu


Release the left mouse button over the Help item to get help about Boomerang


Release the left mouse button over the About item to see the About dialog box.


Release the left mouse button over the File menu item you want to Open or Save


Release the left mouse button over the Directory menu item you wan to change directory to


Press the left mouse button and move it to the right to see the list of permanent files


Press the left mouse button and move it to the right to see the list of permanent directories


Release the left mouse button over the directory you want to toggle between permanent and temporary


Release the left mouse button over the Files menu item if you want to purge temporary files


Release the left mouse button over the Directories menu item if you want to purge temporary directories


Press the left mouse button and move it to the right to see the Startup submenu


Release the left mouse button over the Files menu item if you want to purge temporary directories next time Windows starts