Open Axess V. 2.10 November 27, 1992 What Is It? ~~~~~~~~~~~ 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, type, 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. Update History ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Version 1.00 Private release Version 1.01 First public release Version 1.02 This version added the following corrections and features: - The detection algorithm for file dialog boxes has been improved, which eliminates the annoying time lag between the display of a file dialog and the connection of Open Axess. - Occasionally the Open Axess system button disappeared after a standard file dialog lost and regained focus. This has been corrected. - Support for files on removable media has been improved. Open Axess will now prompt the user to insert the disk containing the desired file. Previous versions were at the mercy of the host application to service bad or missing files. Version 1.03 This version was in direct response to user mail regarding a subtle problem with Open Axess crashing the Program Manager when browsing from the "Change Icon" window. This seems to be due to a peculiar handling of the browse file dialog by Windows. Open Axess is now disabled when the "Change Icon" browse button is pressed. (Sorry, but you'll have to browse by hand - not fatal in this case) Version 1.04 Some users reported a bug which appeared in the previous version of Open Axess which caused the program to crash occasionally during a "SaveAs" operation. This was due to the fact that memory was being allocated in an improper way. This was corrected. Previously noted conflicts between Open Axess and the Program Manager "Change Icon" file browser were resolved. This problem also affected Microsoft's Dialog Editor program. The AXESSDLL.DLL file was renamed to AXESSLIB.DLL. The older file may be deleted. Added was support for Microsoft Project's file dialog boxes. Version 2.00 A simple file finder was added, which permits users to search entire drives and or directories for a file specification. Double clicking will open any found file into the current application. Interaction with Microsoft Project and PowerPoint was improved. Some users reported problems with these applications. The ability to edit the maximum number of entries in an Open Axess list of Types, Files, or Directories was added to the Open Axess Configuration Dialog Window. For registered users, the macros for Word for Windows and Word Perfect for Windows have been improved. Problems with exporting files from Word have been corrected. The file type list in the Open Dialog for both applications was corrected. Version 2.10 This version fixes the bug that caused the error message "cannot find BWCCxxx.DLL", (where 'xxx' denotes a Language setting in the Windows International Control Panel other than 'English (American)') when Open Axess is loaded. AXESSLIB.DLL and BWCC.DLL (if not used by another running application) are now unloaded from memory when you close Open Axess in Windows. Notes ~~~~~ To install the new version, copy AXESS.EXE, AXESSLIB.DLL, & AXESS.HLP files to your Windows directory, and copy BWCC.DLL to the SYSTEM subdirectory in Windows. If you are replacing a previous version of Open Axess, make sure you close any running copy before you replace it. Once installed, you can create a program item for Open Axess and place the icon in your Program Manger Startup group to load Open Axess when Windows is started. Registered Users ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are a registered user of a previous version of Open Axess, you may freely install the new version. NON-REGISTERED USERS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have been using Open Axess for a while and still have not registered with us, please do so. It's only $10, and your registration fee helps fund improvements to Open Axess as well as new programs we would like to write. Registration also insures that we can notify you of any program changes. 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. EVERYONE ~~~~~~~~ We want to hear from everyone who uses Open Axess to get your general opinions on what we did right and/or wrong. We would like to know what you think we can do to improve Open Axess. If you find a bug or a program the does not work with Open Axess, we would especially like you to send some mail, describing the bug and program, version, etc, so we can fix it. You can reach the authors at: Internet: GUTZ@cc49.crl.aecl.ca, or 71054.3220@compuserve.com CompuServe: 71054,3220, or >INTERNET:GUTZ@cc49.crl.aecl.ca