Help Index
RTimer Help

Overview

What is RTimer?

How do I use RTimer?

Commands

Adding a Task

Editing a Task

Copying a Task

Deleting a Task

RTimer Options

Using RTimer

Buttons

Task Editor

Browse...


What is RTimer?

RTimer is a convenient program that will automatically launch programs, open or print files or display messages at times that you schedule. The program will check the tasks in its list against the system time, and when the propper time to launch the application comes, it is all done for you!

RTimer's main window consists of a list box and six buttons. The list box lists a brief summary of each task that the program is to launch. The buttons allow access to the task editor, where the various properties of the tasks can be edited, and to RTimer's options.

RTimer takes advantage of new Windows 3.1 features, like the File Manager's drag-drop ability. Dragging any file from the File Manager onto either the RTimer main window or the task editor dialog box makes that file the new task.


How do I use RTimer?

In order to use RTimer to its fullest, it should load with Windows. There are three ways of telling Windows to automatically load the program at startup.

- Use the Load with Windows option in the RTimer options box

- Put RTIMER.EXE into either the "Load=" or "Run=" line in your WIN.INI

- Put RTIMER.EXE into the "Startup" Group

Once RTimer is running, add the tasks you want to run automatically. Once a task has been added, it will stay in RTimer's queue until it either expires or is deleted.

Note: RTimer is designed to run under Windows 3.1 only.


Expire

One Time tasks expire either when they are executed, or if the execution time has passed.


Adding a Task

Each application that you want RTimer to run must be added to the task queue. There are a number of ways to get a new task added.

-The Add button

-The Copy button

-Draging a file over from the File Manager, and dropping it over RTimer

The Add button opens the task editor with a blank run line, and the current time and date.

The Copy button opens the task editor with a copy of the currently selected task.

Dropping a file from the File Manager opens the task editor with that file and the current time.

Once the task editor is open, an application can be directly typed in, found by using the Browse... dialog box, or dragged and dropped from the File Manager. The Message... button changes the task in the editor from a program to run to a message to display. The time, date and frequency can then be set for the task.


Editing a Task

Once a task is in RTimer's queue, it can be changed. To edit an existing task, the task should be highlighted in the task list.

-The Edit button

-Double clicking it.

The task editor is then opened with the current task and all of its parameters.


Copying a Task

This is an alternate way of adding a new task. Instead of starting from scratch, a new task is created that is an exact copy of the currently selected task. The task editor is opened with the copy, so that any changes made will not affect the original.


Deleting a Task

When you no longer wish a task to be run by RTimer, that task can be deleted from the task queue. This is done by selecting the task, and pressing the Delete button. The task will be permanently removed from RTimer's list.


RTimer Options

RTimer has several options that can be set. To access the options dialog box, press the Options button. The options you can change are:

Display Time	When on, the current time is displayed as the caption to RTimer's window.

Hide When Iconized	When on, RTimer's window is completely hidden from the desktop when it is minimized. To restore the window, simply execute a new instance of RTimer. When this option is active with the Display Time option, the time is only displayed when RTimer is visible.

Load Minimized	When on, RTimer's window is loaded in the minimized state when the program starts up. When this option is active with the Hide When Iconized option, RTimer's window is created hidden. To restore it, simply execute a new instance of RTimer.

Load With Windows	When on, RTimer will automatically change the WIN.INI file to allow it to start with Windows. If RTimer is already launched by either the INI file or by means of being in the Startup group, this option will have no effect.


Buttons

The buttons on RTimers main window function as follows:

Add 	Opens the task editor with a new blank task

Edit	Opens the task editor with the currently selected task

Copy	Opens the task editor with a new task that is a copy of the currently selected task

Delete	Permanently removes the currently selected task from the task list

Options	Opens the RTimer options dialog box

Help	Loads this help file


Task Editor
The Task Editor

This is where all ot the information for the task is entered.

Command line to execute or

Message to Display	This is where you can enter the name of the executable to run. the file to open or print, or the message you want to display. For programs, any command line parameters can also be added here. The text in this field can only be 255 characters long.

Run Minimized	This option executes the executable as an icon. If the program being executed does its own size management, then this option may have no effect. This option has no effect on messages.

Browse...	This button opens the browse dialog box, to fill in the Command line field. This button does not work for messages.

Message... / Execute...	This button switches the editor between program execution and message display.

Frequency	This sets the frequency that the task is executed.

Time	This sets the time at which the task is executed. The up and down buttons will increment and decrement the number in the fields, respectively. The hour field and the AM/PM buttons may be disabled, depending upon the Frequency.

Day	This sets which day the task is to be executed on. This field may be disabled, depending upon the Frequency.

Date	This sets which date the task is to be executed on. The up and down buttons will increment and decrement the number in the field, respectively. This field may be disabled, depending upon the Frequency.

Month	This sets which month the task is to be executed on. This field may be disabled, depending upon the Frequency.

Year	This sets which year the task is to be executed in. The up and down buttons will increment and decrement the number in the field, respectively. This field may be disabled, depending upon the Frequency.


Browse

This dialog box allows you to select a filename from any drive on your system. When you select the name, and click OK, the filename is transferred to the task editor.


Frequency

This field must be one of the following:

One Time	- Executes a task once, then removes it from the queue

Every Hour	- Executes a task every hour on the minute set in the Time field

Every Day	- Executes a task every day at the time set in the Time field

Week Days	- Executes a task Monday through Friday at the selected time

Every Week 	- Executes a task once a week on the selected day and time

Every Month	- Executes a task once a month on the selected date and time

When the frequency is Every Month, and the date is set to 31, RTimer will automatically execute the task on the last day of the month.


Open or Print

To open or print a file, an association must exist in the File Manager.