        
                        Runner -- A Desktop Alternative
        
                                    STARTUP
                       Running Runner and the Menu Screen

        
                       Copyright (C) 1991 by Dave Thorson
                       Version 1.50         March 7, 1991


        You should be sure to read SETUP.HLP before reading this file.

        
        Running Runner

        Double-click on RUNNER.PRG to start the program.  Hold down the 
        Alternate key as Runner starts if you do not want it to load a 
        picture file.  Runner will determine where its "home" directory 
        is (see SETUP.HLP), and load a RUNNER.CFG file and background 
        picture as appropriate.
        

$$      The Menu Screen

        A typical Runner menu screen might look like this (please 
        forgive the crude graphics):
        
         --------------------------------------------------------------
        |  Desk  File  Menus  Colors                           09:44:32|
        |==============================================================|
        |                                                              |
        |                      Mr. Dave's Runner                       |
        |                                                              |
        |                      ^ Exit Runner                           |
        |                      * Communications                        |
        |                      * Games                                 |
        |                      * Graphics                              |
        |                      * Music                                 |
        |                      * Programming                           |
        |                      * Word Processing                       |
        |                                                              |
         --------------------------------------------------------------
                
        When you first start Runner you will see a screen such as this, 
        with the title line, "Mr. Dave's Runner" (don't worry, you can 
        change it!) and an exit line that reads "Exit Runner".  The GEM 
        menu bar at the top of the screen (hopefully) acts as you would 
        expect; for more information see MENU_BAR.HLP.  The time display 
        in the upper right can be changed (see KEYBOARD.HLP for 
        details).  If you don't see a date or time, press the Backspace 
        key to change it.
        
        Left-clicking the mouse on the title line is one way to call up 
        a file selector to view files or run programs not in your menus 
        or any of the standard things a file selector lets you do (see 
        FILSELCT.HLP for details).

        Left-click on the exit line to exit Runner; an alert box will 
        pop up asking you if you do indeed wish to exit.  If you make 
        any changes to your menus that you want to save, or to picture 
        configuration information (menu location, colors, Regions 
        stuff), remember to SAVE these before exiting -- Runner does not 
        warn you that changes may be lost.

$$      That leaves the menu list area itself, those lines below the 
        exit line.  In the example above, the lines all contain menu 
        names as indicated by the asterisks (*).  Runner uses the same 
        symbol found in desktop windows and file selectors to denote 
        folders, but the "*" will have to do for documentation.  Up to 
        fifteen items can appear in the menu area, and they can be menus 
        names, programs, or document/data files.  All menu items can be 
        set to appear only in certain screen resolutions (for example, 
        Word Writer cannot be used in Low Res so you can set it to 
        appear in menus only in Medium and Hi Res).

        Left-clicking the mouse on a menu item selects it.  For the menu 
        names show above, a new menu is opened; Runner moves one level 
        deeper into the menu structure.  If Graphics were selected, the 
        new menu might look like this:

         --------------------------------------------------------------
        |  Desk  File  Menus  Colors                           09:46:27|
        |==============================================================|
        |                                                              |
        |                      Graphics                                |
        |                                                              |
        |                      ^ Up One Level                          |
        |                      * Conversions                           |
        |                      * Slide Shows                           |
        |                        Art Director                          |
        |                        Degas                                 |
        |                        Plans for Movie                       |
        |                        Spectrum 512                          |
        |                                                              |
         --------------------------------------------------------------

        A few things have changed on this menu.  The title line now has 
        the name of the menu choice selected to get here.  It becomes 
        the name of this menu.  You can still Left-click on this new 
        title line to call a file selector.  The exit line now says 
        "Up One Level" instead of "Exit Runner".  Left-clicking on the 
        exit line now exits to the next higher menu level instead of 
        exiting Runner.  At the highest menu level it changes back to 
        "Exit Runner".
        
        There are still two menu names in the menu list, and Left-
        clicking on either of these would take you to a still deeper 
        menu level.  There are also several programs listed.  Left-
        clicking on a program will run it.  When the program exits, the 
        menu screen reappears and you can select another program.

        There is also a document called "Plans for Movie".  Depending on 
        how this document file has been defined to Runner, a left-click 
        on this line might display the file with Runner's File View 
        feature, or it might load the file into a word processor.  You 
        decide what actions should be taken, what menu and program names 
        to use in menu lists, and how to organize your menus.
        
$$      You are encouraged to take a "tour" through the sample 
        RUNNER.CFG file provided by loading it into Runner.  See how I 
        structure my menus.  I try to avoid going more than two levels 
        deep (too much like opening folder after folder after folder to 
        get to the program I want), and I try to group similar programs 
        together.  I don't put document/data files in my menus (but 
        then, I didn't have that feature before) but a lot of people 
        have requested that capability.  One person said he wanted to 
        place ".DO" files for Flash (a communications program) in menus 
        so he could select a .DO file to be loaded into Flash when it 
        starts.  The .DO files could be set to connect him to GEnie, 
        Compuserve or other bulletin board services, or to one or more 
        computers where he works.  One mouse click within Runner and the 
        .DO file will cause Flash to be loaded, configured, and even 
        logged into the system of his choice.  Automation is here!

                
        You should take the time to read through the other .HLP files 
        provided with Runner learn how to use the GEM menu bar functions 
        (MENU_BAR.HLP), the add/change dialog box which lets you set up 
        Quickkeys, install applications, set resolutions and force Mini-
        Run to be used for selected programs (DIALOG.HLP), keyboard 
        equivalents and additional Runner commands (KEYBOARD.HLP) and 
        how to use the companion programs Mini-Run, Regions, Rpicname 
        and Rconvert (OTHERS.HLP).


$$      NOTE: Many of the functions in Runner have an alternate way to 
        use them.  To access these alternate functions (as described in 
        lots of places below), hold down the Alternate key when pressing 
        the appropriate key or mouse button.  Then release the Alternate 
        key.  The Control key can always be used instead of the 
        Alternate key if that's easier for you to reach.  The Shift keys 
        are NEVER needed or used except when accessing the alternate set 
        of QuickKeys (the Alternate key works here as well) when loading 
        a picture file (as defined within Regions) by using Shift-0 
        through Shift-9, or when accessing a file selector for drives 
        N:, O:, and P: (use the "_", "+" and "~" (shifted) keys).  Don't 
        worry, all this is explained as needed in the other .HLP files.  
        For now, just remember that Alternate and Control BOTH do the 
        same thing: they cause many functions to behave differently.

        
        [end of STARTUP.HLP]
