!WIN16.EXE
During installation, if you choose to add Windows 3.x Integration, a Launch! program group will be created (the next time you run Windows). There will be an icon for "Launch! for DOS" and "Launch! 16".
Launch! for DOS will show your Launch! menu, in a windowed DOS command session. You can run everything from your menu as normal. Screensavers will not run in Windows (windowed or fullscreen).
Launch! 16 is a native Windows (WIN16) version of your DOS Launch! menu. Containing the same items, and everything can be launched as expected.
!WIN16.EXE supports Windows 3.0, 3.1 and 3.11.
I'm exploring a version for Windows 2.x. I've purposely blocked run on Win32. So no Windows 95 or beyond.
It has no DLL/library dependencies, uses standard UI components available from Windows 3.0.
The button is always visible at the top of the screen in the titlebar area.
If you hold down ALT and drag with the mouse- you can reposition the button anywhere you like top or bottom of screen (it will snap to the screen edge).
Add "Launch! 16" to your Startup group to show the button every time Windows starts.
The shortcut key CTRL + ALT + \ will also open the Launch! menu. The shortcut key in Windows is actually handled by Program Manager. You can change the shortcut key by opening the properties dialog for the "Launch! 16" icon and setting it there.
While there - you can add a different .MNU file as a parameter to !WIN16.EXE and it will use a different menu. This could allow you use a separate menu file under Windows if you wanted.
3 different system items are present on the menu under Windows:
- Run - shows a Run dialog to enter or Browse for an executable
- Explore - runs the default file manager WINFILE.EXE
- Exit Windows - exits Windows returning to the DOS prompt
All menu management is handled by right-clicking the Launch! button. You will see the button change to "Manage" and a menu with Add, Edit, Delete and Re-order.
Add will show a dialog to add a new launcher, the same as DOS. Edit, will show you the menu - but when you choose an item, instead of launching it you'll see the Edit dialog.
Remove works the same way, you will see the menu - choose an item to remove.
Re-order is handled by a dialog with a hierarchical list of your menu. Select an item and use the up and down buttons to move.
You can add Windows programs to your Launch! menu. Launch! will automatically identify Windows executables.
They can be executed in either DOS or Windows Launch! menus. Under DOS, Windows will be started first then the program started directly. Launchers for Windows programs have a small icon next to them on the menu.
Launch! remains DOS focussed. As Microsoft Windows was at this time a graphical environment on top of DOS, the Windows extension makes practical sense and is convenient.
I'm not intending on extending this into a more complex Windows oriented menu program.
There will not be icons for the menu ever, because it is surprisingly complex to achieve in Win 3.x and not worth the effort - and I want to remain free of any DLL/Library dependencies in Windows.
