1¾«S)VgghiijForeigner Version 1.00 © L.G. Goldsborough 1991 Suppose you want to use the copyright symbol that appears above in a word processing document. One way to get it is to press and hold the Alt key while typing the number 0169 (don't forget the leading zero). Of course, who can remember the numbers for all the possible "special" characters. An alternative, one that I used for a while, is to make a table that you keep next to your keyboard. Of course, this still requires you to look up the number then type it in. There must be a better (and cheap) way! There is. Foreigner© is a Windows utility I wrote to simplify the use of the ANSI characters that do not appear on standard American keyboards. And it works with virtually all program windows that accept text, including those used for entering filenames in file-open and file-save dialog boxes. Rather than remembering the 4-digit numbers for all the characters you need, simply run Foreigner. It will display a keypad of buttons with all the available characters in the high-ANSI character set. Press the button with the character you want and that character will be copied to the Windows clipboard. Then, shift back to your application and paste the character in from the clipboard (using either the program's Paste command or the Shift-Insert key sequence). That's it! Note: The current version of Foreigner does work without a mouse but you must use the Tab and Space-Tab keys to select the character you want. It is much easier (and faster) to use a mouse to select the desired button. If this proves to be a problem for anyone, let me know and I will add support for the keyboard arrow keys. But my advice: BUY A MOUSE! Program Installation To install Foreigner, simply copy the FOREIGN.EXE file into your Windows directory (or some other directory, if you prefer) and, optionally, create an icon in a Program Manager group (see the Windows documentation if you don't know how to do this). If you want Foreigner to execute every time you enter Windows, edit the LOAD= line of your WIN.INI file to include LOAD=FOREIGN.EXE. The options that you set in Foreigner's system menu will be saved in your WIN.INI under the section entitled [Foreigner] so they will remain in effect next time Foreigner is run. If you use Foreigner with a word processor that supports user-defined macros (such as Microsoft Word for Windows or Lotus Amí Professional), you may wish to write a macro to execute Foreigner directly from within the program using a menu command or keystroke. For example, the following macro (named InsertForeignCharacter) works with Word version 1.1: Sub MAIN On Error Goto ExecProg ' set error handler AppActivate "Foreigner" ' activate Foreigner if running SendKeys "%{32}{enter}" ' restore it if iconized Goto Endmacro ' jump to end of macro ExecProg: Shell "C:\WIN3\FOREIGN.EXE", 1 ' execute if not currently running Endmacro: End Sub You will need to change the directory in the Shell command above to the one in which you install FOREIGN.EXE, unless it is in a directory included in your DOS PATH environment variable. I installed this macro so it is appears at the bottom of the Insert menu (as "Foreign Character...") of my copy of Word but, of course, this is up to you. If you are unsure how to use macros, read the documentation that accompanies your word processor (or whatever program you are using). Program Options There are two options that are set in Foreigner's system menu in the upper left corner of its main window. When an option is set, a checkmark will appear to the left of the menu command and the current setting of the option (on or off) will be saved in WIN.INI when Foreigner is closed (so that the same option settings will be in effect when you run Foreigner next). The options are: 1. Minimize after insert When a button is pressed to copy a character to the clipboard (or paste directly to an app, depending on the setting of option #2) and this option is set, Foreigner will be reduced to an icon on the Windows desktop. 2. Paste direct to app After pressing a button in Foreigner, the mouse cursor will change to a crosshair. You then point with the mouse to a window visible on the Windows desktop that you want to receive the character, click the left button, and the character will be pasted into that window (assuming it is a window that accepts character input). The mouse cursor will change back to its former type and the window receiving the character will get the input focus. If you are using Foreigner with a word processor and you write a macro to run Foreigner in response to a menu command (such as described above), a convenient setup would be to turn on options #1 and #2. Then you could type in the word processor, pop up the Foreigner window, and two mouse clicks later, continue typing where you left off. Since selection of the window to receive the character requires a mouse, option #2 is only available if you have a mouse installed. No mouse - no direct paste. When this option is selected, the character bypasses the Windows clipboard (thereby saving its present contents from destruction, as occurs when the character is copied to the clipboard). Be aware, however, that not all windows that may receive the character from Foreigner will recognize it (e.g., graphics applications). Most of these will simply ignore it. If you find one that doesn't play nicely with Foreigner when direct pasting, let me know. Some windows may disallow some characters. For example, some filename input boxes do not allow entry of characters that would make an illegal DOS name. Note that direct paste works with most main windows but it does not work with many dialog box controls, such as filename entry controls in file-open boxes. However, you can still open the dialog box, switch to Foreigner, copy a character to the clipboard, then switch back to the application and use the Shift-Insert key sequence to paste the character in from the clipboard. If you change your mind after pressing one of Foreigner's buttons, press either the right button, or if you have a three button mouse, the middle or right button. Either button will cancel the direct paste. Note, however, that some utilities that capture the mouse (such as Number & Co.'s Whiskers) may interfere with the ability of these buttons to cancel a direct paste. An alternative way to cancel a paste is to left-click on a window you know can't process the character input, such as the Windows desktop or a window caption (or even Foreigner itself). Program History Version Comments 0.90 This version began life as a part of another Windows program I wrote (Bookworm© - a flat-file database program for bibliographic information - contact me if you're interested) that, on request from a user, I extracted and made a standalone application so it could be used by other Windows apps. 1.00 First distributed version of the program. Direct Paste Notes Progam Note PageMaker 4.0 Direct pasting only works if you don't have the "Minimize on press" option set. I have no idea why not but it's only a minor annoyance. Pasting from the clipboard with minimize option set does work OK. Ami Professional 1.2 Doesn't support direct pasting. Hopefully, I will correct this problem soon. In the meantime, copy the character to the clipboard and paste from there. Word for Windows 1.1 Word changes the direct paste cursor (normally a crosshair) back to its normal I-beam when switching from Foreigner to Word if the mouse is not moved during the switch. This does not mean that direct paste has been unsuccessful. When you begin to move the mouse, the cursor will change back to a crosshair. Just click the left mouse button to proceed with the paste. Other stuff You may notice when using Foreigner with certain other utility programs that two or more copies of Foreigner's icon appear on the desktop, while the utility's icon is gone. In reality, it has been replaced by Foreigner's; the function of the utility is unaffected by the substitution. This occurs as a result of the way Foreigner (and the other program) is written and there is presently nothing I can do about it. The alternative would be to disable the ability to iconize Foreigner, which is obviously not desireable. If you encounter this problem with a program, I would appreciate hearing from you. Susceptible programs I have run across include WUNZIP, a shareware file unarchiving utility, and WINWHERE, a file search utility. So what's all this cost? Foreigner is freeware. This means that you can freely copy it, use it, and give copies to all your friends (as long you give them all of the unmodified files that you received - FOREIGN.EXE, FOREIGN.WRI and README.TXT). However, this does NOT mean it is in the public domain; I retain the copyright. Do not change, edit, alter, or rename any of the files in any way (this means no fiddling with the executable program's resources either, guys!). Now for the legalese: THE SOFTWARE AUTHOR (L.G.GOLDSBOROUGH) DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, THE USER ASSUMES THE RISK OF PAYING THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION AND ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT WILL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. If you do encounter problems with Foreigner, or if you think of a way to improve it, or if you think of another Windows utility that you would find useful but cannot create yourself, feel free to contact me. Although I don't want cash for Foreigner, I am interested in hearing from people who use it. To this end, please send a postcard (with a picture of your town on front?) to: Gordon Goldsborough Brandon University Brandon, Manitoba, Canada R7A 6A9 (204) 727-9786 Fax: (204) 726-4573 Internet: GOLDSBOROUGH@BRANDONU.CA or BUGOLDS@CCM.UMANITOBA.CA Bon chance! Foreigner itself). Program History V€Œw·s¿oÄk&g<b0 ^1 YUPlLÍC¦GDk90 l}vør mid4`A[&"W@"RÐ"NÚ"JÍC¦GD Ú"$w's")o$)kS)g4`A[&"W@"RÐ"NÚ"JÍC¦GD€ŒL›L¶L¹S)g.=ð°R p@ .<ð°R p@ ¹µL·¶L¹S)g.=ð°R p@ .<ð°R p@ ·½L¿L"$S)g.<S­üð°R p@ .<ð°R p@ $&L<>q S)g.<ð°R p@ .<S­üð°R p@ q s LÖ LØ ä S)g.=ð°R p@ .<ð°R p@ ä  LR L‰ Lµ LÁ L L L L# LR p@ .=ð°R p@ # ÿ LLLLL™L›L L# LR p@ .<ð°R p@ ›LLceL.<@ Àôð°R p@ .< íôð°R p@ eºL¼L¸LºL4L6LhLjLlL}LL‘L.<ð°R p@ ‘“LÁÃô4L.<S­üð°R p@ .<ð°R p@ ôöLøÃô4L.<ð°R p@ .<S­üð°R p@ ø LL4L.<ð°R p@ .<@ Àôð°R p@ ùLûL©L«L0L<ð°R p@ .<p÷ð°R p@ 02L4LALCL""L$"L&"L@"LB"L$L$L'L.<ð°R p@ ''LÔ'Ö'…(""L.<ð°R p@ .=ð°R p@ …(‡(L(L²(LÖ(Lç(Lý(L@)LB)LD)LR p@ .<ð°R p@ D)Q)LS)LU)LÖ(Lç(Lý(L@)LB)LD)LR p@ .<ð°R p@ f>è/¡¾2Ü!²È9вà(SPECT TO THE PRODUCT. SHOÓ(€3Ô(ÿÿÿÿÿFECTIVE, THE USER ASSUMES THE RISK OF PAYING THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORR HelvNY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT WILL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING