Stupid OS/2 Tricks/Presentation Manager Tips

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Making fonts extremely small

You can make most Presentation Manager fonts as small as you like:

1. Open the Font Palette.
2. Double click on one of the fonts. A new dialog box will open.
3. Under "Size," highlight the font size shown in the box.
4. Type in a new font size that is non-zero (decimal values work); you should notice a corresponding change in the size of the font in the Sample box.

Note that this trick does not work for System Proportional, System Monospaced, or System VIO fonts.

Related subject(s):

• Changing the default PM system font

http://www.os2world.com/gallery2/d/4782-1/1_pm_font.jpg

Screenshot: Font Palette dialog box with point size highlighted.

Starting PM programs minimized

from Timothy F. Sipples' FAQ

In order to start Presentation Manager programs minimized

1. Open the Settings notebook for the object.
2. On the Program page, change the name of the program so that it is misspelled.
3. Go to the Session page and click on Start Minimized.
4. Go back to the Program page, and correct the spelling of the program name.
5. Close the Settings notebook.

Changing the default PM system font

You can change the default system font with a REXX script, SETFONT.CMD. However, the font used in the Settings notebooks will not be affected.

Note: system fonts are designated by font size and font name, separated only by a period. (e.g., 8pt Helv would be designated by "8.Helv")

Note: only the "default" fonts will work, e.g., Helv (not Helvetica), Tms Rmn (not Times Roman), System Proportional, and System Monospaced.

Related subject(s):

• Making fonts extremely small
• OPEN.CMD
• BITMAP.CMD
• SETPTR.CMD
• CHKDRIVE.CMD
• SHUTDOWN.CMD
• SHREDDER.CMD
• SLEEP.CMD
• LARGE.CMD
• EVAL.CMD
• BIGDOS.CMD
• PUTLONG.CMD

Moving a window in the background

You can move a window in the background without bringing it to the front by holding the Ctrl key and dragging the window by its title bar with your mouse.

Closing several windows at once

You can close all or several of your open windows using the following method:

1. Bring up the Window List with Ctrl-Esc or clicking both mouse buttons at once.
2. Highlight the windows you want to close with your mouse.
3. Press the Delete key on your keyboard, or click your right mouse button on one of the highlighted entries and choose Close from the popup menu.

http://www.os2world.com/gallery2/d/4804-1/2_pm_close.jpg

Screenshot: Window List with highlighted items and popup menu.

Using keyboard shortcuts in PM

There are plenty of keyboard shortcuts in Presentation Manager. Here are just a few of the lesser-known ones:

1. Alt-Backspace = undo last action (note that this doesn't always work).
2. Ctrl-Del = erase to end of field (useful when you have to retype text in a field - press Home to get to the beginning of a field, then Ctrl-Del to erase the text in the field - no more endless backspacing).
3. Alt-F4 = close window.
4. Alt-F5 = restore window.
5. Alt-F6 = move between related windows, such as between an application and its Help Window.
6. Alt-F7 = move window with cursor keys.
7. Alt-F8 = resize window with cursor keys.
8. Alt-F9 = minimize/hide window.
9. Alt-F10 = maximize window.
10. F5 = refresh window.

Related subject(s):

• Navigating in notebooks without a mouse

Navigating in notebooks without a mouse

To navigate around the notebooks (such as an object's Settings notebook) without a mouse (note that sometimes these keys don't always act consistently):

1. Down/Up Arrows = moves between notebook tabs when a tab is highlighted
2. Tab = moves dotted box highlight between selections
3. Spacebar = moves to next page if its notebook tab is highlighted
4. Alt-Down Arrow = move from notebook tab to page
5. Alt-Up Arrow = move from page to notebook tab
6. Alt-PageDown = move to next page
7. Alt-PageUp = move to previous page
8. Ctrl-Tab = move to next field on a page
9. Shift-Tab = move to previous field on a page

Related subject(s):

• Using keyboard shortcuts in PM

Changing the default view of a folder

1. Open the Settings notebook for the folder you wish to change.
2. Choose the Menu tab.
3. Highlight ~Open in the box marked Available Menus.
4. Click on the Settings button to the right of the box. A new dialog box will open.
5. Under Default Action, click on the down arrow next to the box. Several choices will be revealed. Choose the one you wish.
6. Click on OK, and close the Settings notebook.

http://www.os2world.com/gallery2/d/4806-1/3_pm_defview.jpg

Screenshot: Changing default view

Speeding up opening folders

contributed by David Haar

Folders open faster when set to Flowed view:

1. Open the Settings notebook for the folder.
2. On page 1 of the View section, click on Flowed.

You may also wish to have the folders sorted automatically:

1. Open the Settings notebook for the folder.
2. Choose the Sort tab.
3. In the pull down box under Default Sort Attribute, choose which type of sorting you like.
4. Place a check next to Maintain Sort Order.
5. Close the Settings notebook.

Enlarging the mouse cursor

You can make the mouse cursor larger on systems with standard VGA with LARGE.CMD.

The system must be rebooted for the change to take effect.

http://www.os2world.com/gallery2/d/4808-1/4_pm_pointer.jpg

Screenshot: Large mouse pointer and standard mouse pointer

Other REXX scripts:

• OPEN.CMD
• BITMAP.CMD
• SETPTR.CMD
• SETFONT.CMD
• CHKDRIVE.CMD
• SHUTDOWN.CMD
• SHREDDER.CMD
• SLEEP.CMD
• EVAL.CMD
• BIGDOS.CMD
• PUTLONG.CMD

Manipulating objects through the Window List

You can affect objects that are listed in the Window List:

• Holding the Shift key and double-clicking on an object's name in the Window List will minimize the application.
• Holding the Ctrl key and double-clicking on an object's name in the Window List will maximize the application.
• Holding the Alt key and //single-clicking// on an object's name in the Window List will allow you to change the name of the object.

Selecting listbox entries without a mouse

An easy way to select an entry in a Presentation Manager listbox is to type the first letter of the name of the entry. Subsequent presses of the same letter will cycle through all listbox entries which start with that letter.

Related subject(s):

• Selecting objects without mouse

Making "no-shows" re-appear

Sometimes you will swear that you've opened an application, but for some reason, you don't see it onscreen (the Sticky Pad and Settings notebooks are especially notorious). Try this, and see if it does the trick:

1. Use Ctrl-Esc or click both mouse buttons simultaneously on the desktop to open the Window List.
2. Click the right mouse button on the name of the offending application. This will pop up the object's menu.
3. Choose either Tile or Cascade from the menu. The application should appear.

http://www.os2world.com/gallery2/d/4810-1/5_pm_tile.jpg

Screenshot: Window List with Tile choice selected for Settings notebook.

Opening the parent folder

contributed by Brian Mathewson

You can open the parent of a folder from the folder's pulldown menu with an object created from a REXX script and added to the folder's menu:

1. Create the REXX script OPENPAR.CMD.
2. Create an object from OPENPAR.CMD:
3. Open the Templates folder.
4. Drag out a Program template with the right mouse button. A settings notebook will open.
5. Enter the location and name of OPENPAR.CMD in the Path and Name field on the Program page.
6. Choose the Session tab.
7. Place a check next to Start Minimized.
8. Choose the General tab.
9. In the Title field, name the object whatever you wish.
10. Close the settings notebook for the new object.
11. Add the new object to the desired folder's pulldown menu:
12. Open the settings notebook for the desired folder.
13. Choose the Menu tab.
14. If using OS/2 2.1, drag the open parent folder object onto the lower box labeled "Actions on Menu." If using OS/2 2.0, you must use the lower Create Another button to create the new menu entry.
15. Close the settings notebook for the folder.
16. To use the new menu choice, choose it from the folder's pulldown menu. The parent folder should open.

Note: You can change the command 'OPEN=DEFAULT' to 'OPEN=DETAILS' or 'OPEN=ICON' or 'OPEN=TREE' in OPENPAR.CMD.

Other REXX scripts:

• OPEN.CMD
• BITMAP.CMD
• SETPTR.CMD
• SETFONT.CMD
• CHKDRIVE.CMD
• SHUTDOWN.CMD
• SHREDDER.CMD
• SLEEP.CMD
• LARGE.CMD
• EVAL.CMD
• BIGDOS.CMD
• PUTLONG.CMD

Jumping between windowed sessions

contributed by Lt. Rob Targosz

Use Alt-Tab to jump between windowed sessions.

Starting an OS/2 command line from a folder's directory

contributed by Brian Mathewson

http://www.os2world.com/gallery2/d/4812-1/6_pm_opendir.jpg

Screenshot: Settings notebook for folder's directory command line object.

You can open a command line at a specific folder's directory from the folder's pulldown menu:

1. Open the Templates folder.
2. Using mouse button 2, drag off a Program template. The Settings notebook should open.
3. On the Program page, place an asterisk (*) in the Path and File Name box.
4. In the Parameters box, place the following:

     /k "cd %*"

1. Click on the Session tab.
2. Click on the box next to "OS/2 Window."
3. Click on the General tab, name the object to anything you like, then close the Settings notebook.
4. Add the newly-created object to the menu of any folder.
5. When you click on the new menu item on the folder's pulldown menu, an OS/2 command prompt window will open in that folder's directory.

Opening a windowed command line in the background

To open OS/2 and DOS windowed sessions in the background:

1. Make sure the windowed command line object to be opened is not highlighted. To do this, you can either click once on the desktop with mouse button 1, or hold the Ctrl key and click on the object with mouse button 1. The object will either have dotted lines around it, or nothing at all.
2. Hold the Ctrl key while double clicking on the object with mouse button 1.
3. The windowed command line should open in the background.

Related subjects:

• Moving a window in the background

Speeding up opening folders II

Folders appear to open faster if folder animation is disabled.

1. Open the System object. It should be located in the System Setup folder.
2. Click on the Window tab.
3. Under "Animation," Click on the choice "Disabled."
4. Close the System object. All folders on your system should now open without animation.

Related subjects:

• Speeding up opening folders