jDesk v0.72

an advanced desktop for LiteStep
version 0.711 by RabidCow
based off of version 0.70 by Chris Rempel (jugg)

Modified and released as 0.72 by Seg@

The short story for everyone who knows everything about jDesk already: This adds multimonitor support to jDesk. The work area can be set on any and all monitors seperately, and mouse clicks on monitors other than the primary will now work. On systems with only one monitor, you should not notice any difference. (If you do, well, you shouldn't so stop it.)

For some reason I also converted to docs to HTML, mostly cut-and-paste from the original text file for 0.70.

ToC

1. Introduction
2. Installation
3. Commands

   jDeskWorkArea *jDeskWorkArea (multimonitor) !jDeskSetWorkArea !jDeskSetWorkArea (multimonitor) !jDeskResetWorkArea jDeskDesktopFolder jDeskDoubleClickTime jDeskClearWorkAreaOnExit jDeskRecycleOnRezChange

   jDeskDisableMButton1 jDeskDisableMButton2 jDeskDisableMButton3 jDeskDisableMButtonX1 jDeskDisableMButtonX2 jDeskDisableMWheelScroll jDeskDisableDoubleClick *jDeskMButton1 *jDeskMButton2 *jDeskMButton3 *jDeskMButtonX1 *jDeskMButtonX2 *jDeskMWheelScroll

4. Multi-Monitor

   MonitorNames *jDeskWorkArea !jDeskSetWorkArea

5. Changes
6. Tips & Tricks
7. Disclaimer

I. Introduction

Welcome, and thank you for deciding to try out this enhanced Desktop replacement module for Win32 Shells that support the LiteStep module standard. jDesk features improved performance, stability, and customization over the Desktop that comes with LiteStep. For example, jDesk can execute programs, LiteStep action (bang) commands, and combinations of any number of commands from a single mouse click, or mouse/keyboard combination. Also, jDesk can set your intial Work Area (amount of screen real estate that a maximized window covers) as well as changing the Work Area on the fly.

II. Istallation

Extract "jDesk.dll" to your LiteStep directory (c:\litestep\). Open up your step.rc (LiteStep configuration file) and find the section where all of your "LoadModule" lines are located. Remove or comment out (using a semicolon) the "LoadModule" line that contains "desktop.dll". Now, add a new line that looks like this:

LoadModule c:\litestep\jdesk.dll

Of course, adjust the path as necessary. Save your step.rc and issue the LiteStep Recycle command (!Recycle).

There were 2 NOTEs here which you don't care about. Use a litestep build without mold growing on it and all should be fine.

III. Commands

jDeskWorkArea "0,0,0,0"

• Sets the initial Work Area (amount of screen real estate that a maximized window covers) of your Desktop for the primary monitor.

• Accepts negative and positive decimal values, which combined create the WorkArea "box". Opposite sides must have a difference greater than 200. The order of values are:

  "<left>,<top>,<right>,<bottom>"

  *Note: If ".none" is specified for any of the values, then that value is unchanged from its previous state.

• Defaults to: "0,0,0,0" *Note: This sets the WorkArea to full screen.

jDeskDesktopFolder ""

• If used and set to a valid directory, it will enable drag and drop of files or folders onto the jDesk desktop area. Any file dropped on the desktop will be automatically copied into the folder specified. If the file exists, you will be prompted to overwrite. You can move files holding the SHIFT key or to create shortcuts holding the CTRL+SHIFT keys during dragging.
  I suppose the best way is to use $Desktop$ folder for the most of the themes to enable drag-and-drop in them.

• Defaults to: No default. If not specified, Drag&Drop is not enabled.

jDeskDoubleClickTime "750"

• Sets the time jDesk waits to see if a double click happens after the first click is received.

• Defaults to: System DoubleClick time. *Note: It is suggested to not set this value.

jDeskClearWorkAreaOnExit

• If set, Work Area will be restored to full screen when jDesk is unloaded.

• boolean value: true if set, otherwise false.

jDeskRecycleOnRezChange

• If set, jDesk requests a recycle of the shell after a Screen resolution change.

• boolean value: true if set, otherwise false.

jDeskDisableMButton1
jDeskDisableMButton2
jDeskDisableMButton3
jDeskDisableMButtonX1
jDeskDisableMButtonX2

• If set, all jDesk Mouse Button functionality is disabled for the corresponding mouse button

• boolean value: true if set, otherwise false.

jDeskDisableMWheelScroll

• If set, all jDesk Mouse Wheel Scroll functionality is disabled.

• boolean value: true if set, otherwise false.

jDeskDisableDoubleClick

• If set, all jDesk ignores Double Click actions and immediately executes the up action command instead of waiting to see if a double click is being executed.

• boolean value: true if set, otherwise false.

*jDeskMButton1
*jDeskMButton2
*jDeskMButton3
*jDeskMButtonX1
*jDeskMButtonX2

• parameters: [<modkey>;<down-cmd>;<up-cmd>;<dblclick-cmd>]

  <modkey> can be one of the following

  • SHIFT
  • CTRL
  • CTRL+SHIFT

  <down-cmd>
<up-cmd>
<dblclick-cmd>
  

  can be any !Bang command or executable that is to be executed.

• Multiple settings of this definition are allowed, but only one definition using the same modkey is allowed.

• If no definitions are specified, Button is disabled.

*jDeskMWheelScroll

• parameters: [<modkey>;<down-cmd>;<up-cmd>]

  <modkey> can be one of the following

  • SHIFT
  • CTRL
  • CTRL+SHIFT

  <down-cmd>
<up-cmd>
  

  can be any !Bang command or executable that is to be executed.

• Multiple settings of this definition are allowed, but only one definition using the same modkey is allowed.

• If no definitions are specified, Wheel Scroll is disabled.

!jDeskSetWorkArea "0,0,0,0"

• Sets the WorkArea for the primary monitor. Same as "jDeskWorkArea" setting, except in a !Bang command version.

• Accepts negative and positive decimal values, which combined create the WorkArea "box". Opposite sides must have a difference greater than 200. The order of values are:

  "<left>,<top>,<right>,<bottom>"

  *Note: If ".none" is specified for any of the values, then that value is unchanged from its previous state.

• If no parameters are specified, the WorkArea is set to full screen.

!jDeskResetWorkArea

• Resets the WorkArea for the primary monitor to the initial values specified by "jDeskWorkArea".

IV. Multi-Monitor

MonitorNames <list of monitor names>

This specifies the names of the monitors on your system. These are only used in step.rc and don't have anything to do with the names in control panel. Monitor names are all listed on the same line, separated by spaces. The primary monitor is the first one, and the rest follow in order. The special name "all" is reserved and refers to the total combined workspace of all monitors.

If you have three monitors and the second one (according to the order given in control panel) is the primary one,

  MonitorNames pri one two

will name monitor 1 "one", monitor 2 "pri", and monitor 3 "two"

"left" and "right" might be good monitor names if you're creating a left/right monitor based theme. If someone wants to use your theme with monitors on opposite sides, they only have to swap the order in the MonitorNames line and all supporting modules will adjust.

*jDeskWorkArea monitor "0,0,0,0"

• Sets the initial Work Area (amount of screen real estate that a maximized window covers) of your Desktop for the specified monitor.

• Accepts negative and positive decimal values, which combined create the WorkArea "box". Opposite sides must have a difference greater than 200. The order of values are:

  "<left>,<top>,<right>,<bottom>"

  *Note: If ".none" is specified for any of the values, then that value is unchanged from its previous state.

• Defaults to: "0,0,0,0" *Note: This sets the WorkArea to full screen.

!jDeskSetWorkArea monitor "0,0,0,0"

• Sets the WorkArea for the specified monitor. Same as "*jDeskWorkArea" setting, except in a !Bang command version.

• Accepts negative and positive decimal values, which combined create the WorkArea "box". Opposite sides must have a difference greater than 200. The order of values are:

  "<left>,<top>,<right>,<bottom>"

  *Note: If ".none" is specified for any of the values, then that value is unchanged from its previous state.

• If no parameters are specified, the WorkArea is set to full screen.

V. Changes

v0.72 2003-12-10

• Improved drag-and-drop support:
  

  • Custom copy procedure replaced with more powerfull SHFileOperations, so it is possible to drag folders now.
  • Also added shortcuts creating and file/folders moving:
    Hold the SHIFT key during drag to move instead of default copy operation
    Hold the CTRL+SHIFT keys to create shortcut(s)

v0.711 2002-05-22

• Fixed Multi-Monitor settings.

v0.71 2002-05-08

• Added Multi-Monitor settings.

VI. Tips & Tricks

• To get the Wheel Scroll to work, you need to click on the desktop to activate it first. To be able to do this, set the following (or similar):

  *jDeskMButton3 [.none;!none;!none;!none]

  Then after you click on the Desktop with Button3, you will be able to execute your wheel scroll commands.

 

• Sample commands:

  *jDeskMButton1 [.none;!TasksHide;!TasksMove !TasksShow;!none]
  *jDeskMButton2 [.none;!TasksHide;!Popup;!none]
  *jDeskMButton3 [CTRL;!none;!about;!about detailed]

 

• If you want to have AutoRun capabilities you need to get "autorun.dll", created by Visigoth

 

• If you are having trouble with "application bars" showing up along the bottom of your screen when you minimize an application, this is because you need to get a Task Manager that supports hiding Minimized Application Bars. If you are running "tasks.dll" you can hide those bars by adding the command "TasksHideMinAppBar".

 

• If you are running Windows NT, and you change the Left side of the WorkArea from zero "0" to any other value, it may mess up the rest of the settings. This is not a jDesk specific bug. All modules that use SystemParametersInfo/ SPI_SETWORKAREA functionality has this problem. A solution is being looked into.

  (is this still true?)

 

• If you are using the Wharf with jDesk, and you do NOT want the Wharf to resize the WorkArea when it docks to the side of the screen add the command "SetDesktopArea" to your "step.rc" file.

VII. Disclaimer

Copyright © 1999, Chris Rempel
Copyright © 2002, Joshua Seagoe
To write myself here or not to write? ;) //Seg@

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT  WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR  IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED  TO  THE   WARRANTIES  OF  MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS  FOR   A   PARTICULAR   PURPOSE   AND  NON-
INFRINGEMENT.  IN  NO  EVENT  SHALL THE  AUTHORS OR
COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,  DAMAGES
OR  OTHER  LIABILITY,   WHETHER  IN  AN  ACTION  OF
CONTRACT,  TORT OR OTHERWISE,  ARISING FROM, OUT OF
OR IN CONNECTION  WITH  THE  SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.