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From: george@hobbes.ncsu.edu (George Browning)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Usher shell replacement for Windows 3.0!!
Message-ID: <1991Jan16.013854.1203@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 16 Jan 91 01:38:54 GMT
References: <1991Jan15.035457.28891@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> <6588@mace.cc.purdue.edu>
Reply-To: george@hobbes.ncsu.edu (George Browning)
Organization: NCSU Computing Center
Lines: 59

In article <6588@mace.cc.purdue.edu> dve@mace.cc.purdue.edu (zhou) writes:
>
>	This indeed is the nicest windows 3.0 utility I have ever come across.
>	It's cascading menus and the ability to set directories are the best
>	features that makes the program highly useful.

Thank you!  I'm glad others are actually using a program I wrote!

>
>	I however have a few suggestions for a future version.
>	First, moving cross the group (submenu) items seems rather slow. Second
>	the items About Usher, Reload Usher and Close Usher could be put in
>	a group to save some length because they are not among the most
>	frequently used. The ability of putting seperating lines between items
>	such as that found in BACKMENU (a right button menu utility) would
>	make spoting items in a long list easier.

Hmmm.  I build the menu at startup or when you choose Reload Usher.
Therefore, Windows is actually handling the menu once I've created it,
so I'm not sure how I could make it faster.  Call Microsoft :-)

The separating lines is a great idea!  I'll also put About, Reload,
and Close into a sub-menu.  Expect that in the latest release.  I'll 
try to get Usher 1.01 out this weekend.

>	To be used as a shell, I (daringly) think that some macro like 
>	programmability would be nice. This, of course, could be a rather big
>	task. After all I think $15 contribution the Author asks is too low.

I'll admit macros would be neat but that would take a bit of work!  
Thanks for your high praises!  I'll probably upload Usher to GEnie 
once Usher 1.01 works.  Not too bad for my first Windows program!

About the Backmenu and Usher problems:
The way Usher works is by using window subclassing to add new functions
to the Desktop window.  I've never used Backmenu but I'll bet the
author does something just like this.  I restore everything to original
values before I leave and I'm sure he does too.  

Here's what I bet is happening.  Backmenu grabs the initial Desktop 
function and saves it to some variable.  You start Usher.  Usher adds
its function to the Desktop window.  Next, you quit Backmenu.  Backmenu
restores the old Desktop function, thereby skipping my additions.
Usher is still running but I've been cut off from the Desktop window.

I'm not sure of a good fix.  I believe Backmenu is doing the right
thing by restoring the old Desktop function (Usher does the same).
If there are some nifty Backmenu functions you would like to see in
Usher then let me know.  Two programs both fighting over the Desktop
is a bit much.

Thanks again and please write with any comments,
george

--
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| o |  George Browning                 george@catt.ncsu.edu        | o |
| o |  NC State University             Raleigh, NC                 | o |
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