OKScript Status Report #14

September 26,2001

Dear OKScript User,

The OKScript Status Report is sent to OKScript licensees,
developers and friends when significant updates have been made
to the program. Interesting techniques and applications for the
program will also be distributed in the report periodically. To
be removed from the distribution list send your request to me
at yweare@gte.net.

Topics covered in this issue are reflected in the 9/9/2001 upload
of the program. Only the program's icon was changed in the 9/26 
upload.

- Updated program deployment package.
- Added templates for common script instructions.
- Alternatives for "shift" metacharacter.
- Fixed bug in PLACE instruction.
- Colorful new icon - woohoo :)
- Using OKScript with e-bridge

(Note these changes only apply to the 32 bit version of OKS.)
If these issues affect your scripts you can download the latest 
revision from http://home1.gte.net/yweare. Your existing license 
will automatically be active on the new software if you install 
it to the same directory, or copy the okscript.ini file from the
folder where your licensed program was installed to the OKScript's
new folder. Alternatively, you can re-enter the registration data.
The current build is dated September 26, 2001. Click Help | About to 
determine the date of your copy of OKScript. Please note that the
OKScript web site may become sluggish following update announcements.
If you experience this try again later or write me and I'll send 
you the installation package as an email attachment. 

PROGRAM DEPLOYMENT
Since its inception OKScript has been distributed in a simple
self-extracting archive whose primary benefit was that it was
small and downloaded quickly. As most users now have connection
speeds that make this less a concern I decided to distribute
the program in the more familiar "blue screen wizard" installation 
wraper. The additional 200k provides several benefits:

- An "uninstall" program is added to the OKScript group in the Start 
  menu and in the Windows Control Panel add/remove programs applet.
- .OKS files can optionally be associated with OKScript, making it
  possible to launch OKScript by simply double clicking an OKS file.
- The default installation folder is now below "Program files", the
  defacto standard for Windows programs.

TEMPLATES
Infrequent script writers often need a little memory nudge to recall
the correct form of an instruction. The syntax of several common 
OKScript instructions can now be directly inserted into your script 
at the cursor from the "Script" menu. This is much easier than
wading through the Help file to locate this information.

SHIFT METACHARACTER
Many users have been tripped up when trying to send the "+" character
to another application - not realizing that "+" has the special
function in OKScript of applying the "Shift" key to the following
character. (The special processing can be circumvented by surrounding
the "+" with braces, thus: {+}, but who remembers to do this every
time? I sure don't!) The "+" character was used for this function for 
reasons lost in OKScript antiquity, but for compatability is being
retained. The latest release DOES allow you to change this character
to "$" or to nothing (which makes sense for OKbridge use, as the 
need for this function is non-existant.) Two methods are provided.
The most sensible for most users is to open the "Script|Set Panel 
Options" dialog and click "None" in the "Shift Metacharacter" option.
To make a change within a script add "PRAGMA SHIFTMETANONE" or
"PRAGMA SHIFTMETADOLLAR" at the start of your script.

PLACE INSTRUCTION
Previous versions of OKScript would launch off the screen if the
script contained a PLACE instruction with coordinates that exceeded
the screen dimensions - users could see it in the task bar but nowhere
on the screen! This has been fixed.

E-BRIDGE
As of this writing, the e-bridge client software will not work
with OKScript because there is no way (at least that I've 
discovered) to move it's input focus to the "chat bar" using
the keyboard. OKwin does this automatically. Most Windows
applications provide some form of keyboard navigation between
input controls - usually via the TAB key. An e-bridge representative
indicated this would be resolved in a future release.

For more information, suggestions or interesting techniques or
applications for OKScript, write me at yweare@gte.net, or visit
the website at http://home1.gte.net/yweare.

Thank you for your support in developing OKScript.

Michael Mardesich
okb://mikezzz