			    Readme file for Aquatic Moon Menu, Version 1.0
			    COPYRIGHT 1995 Aquatic Moon Software
			    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

			    Mail Address:
			    Aquatic Moon Software
			    P.O.Box 1375
			    San Mateo, CA   94401

			    Email:
			    amoon@holonet.net

			    Web Page:
			    http://www.holonet.net/amoon

This product is shareware, and may be distributed freely, provided none of
the files has been modified, and all of the files are present.  If you use
this product, please read  AMM-REG.TXT, and send in the $35 registration
fee.

Aquatic Moon Menu, AM-Menu hereafter is a DOS-based menuing system, supporting 
the mouse and keyboard as input devices.  It will store 20 menu entries per 
menu page.  These entries appear in a color text format, in the text 
resolution of 80 columns by 25 rows - the DOS color standard.  This program 
has been tested both over and under the Windows 3.1 operating environment, 
and Windows 95.  The program works by setting the DOS errorlevel in the menu 
environment's executable module and exiting to a batch file, which calls 
another batch file specific to the menu or submenu being used. This second
level batch file will then change drives and directories to what is set for 
the selected item, and send the command listed for filename to dos, causeing 
the selected program to execute. This menu system has been tested under the 
MS-DOS, DR-DOS, and PC-DOS operating systems.

When contacting us about a bug, error, omission, concern, etc., please write 
down the exact error message, and/or any other information we might need to
know about your system or the problem.

The directory containing the menu should be put in the systems path.

Changing Your Path

On most systems, the path is set each time the system is rebooted, by the
path variable in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  This file is usually found in the
C:\ path, when using fixed disk drive systems. Use a text editor, such as 
the EDIT command, followed by AUTOEXEC.BAT, i.e. EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT, and 
find the line which contains the path setting, which should look something 
like:

PATH=C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\;C:\MAKE

Once you find that line, append a semicolon to it, followed by the drive
and directory AM-Menu is in. After modification, the example line (shown
above) would look like:

PATH=C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\;C:\MAKE;C:\AMMDIR


Files Which Should Be Included:

AMM_EXE.EXE     The menu's exe module
AMM.BAT         Use this file to load the menu.
DEFLTMNU.AML    The default menu's data file
DEFLTMNU.BAT    The default menu's batch file
SUBDEMO.AML     The demo submenu's data file
SUBDEMO.BAT     The demo submenu's batch file
READ-AMM.TXT    This file, the information file
AMMREG.TXT      The registration information file
DESC.SDI        Short description of the program
FILE_ID.DIZ     Longer, more detailed description of the program


Menu Operations

AM-Menu uses the keyboard's arrow keys, and also turns off Num Lock so
that the numeric keypad acts like arrow keys.  You may manually turn on Num
Lock while entering or modifying a selection in the edit menu.  A group of
settings (including Num Lock) are displayed in a status area at the bottom
of the screen.  Upon exiting, AM-Menu will return Num Lock to the state it
was in before AM-Menu was loaded, unless the variable containing Num Lock's
output state has been altered from the menu selection area.  AM-Menu can
use the mouse, provided a standard mouse driver was loaded prior to
executing AM-Menu.  The mouse driver is usually in MOUSE.EXE or MOUSE.SYS.
Mouse driver names may vary among the different companies selling mice, so
the exact driver name may be different. To load a selected item from within
AM-Menu, press the Enter key while the item is highlighted, or double-click
on the item with the mouse. Pressing the ESC key will exit from the current
menu, returning you to the command line, or a higher level shell, process
or batch file. Double-Clicking with the mouse on the area which tells you
to press ESC to return to dos has the same effect as pressing ESC. Pressing
the H key from the menu's main screen will take you to the help screen, and
double-clicking on the area which tells you to press H to display the help
screen will also bring up the help screen. 

Menu Editing and Creation

Pressing Alt-E will take you to the edit screen of the current menu.

To create a submenu, load AM-Menu as you normally would, but use the /N
command line option (i.e. AMM /N).  When using the /N option, AM-Menu will
go directly to the editing screen, with all entries blanked.  When you
have finished designing your new menu, use Alt-Q to quit, and select
the option of a new filename. Re-load AM-Menu with the menu level above
the new submenu. In the title field, enter what you would like to use to
select the submenu.  Leave the path field blank, because the menu will
search the path for it.  On the line which asks for the filename, enter
the menu's main batch filename, followed by /S SUBMENU (e.g. AMM /S GRAPHS).
This would cause the program to use GRAPHS.AML, and GRAPHS.BAT.  When
using a submenu, pressing Esc will return to the parent menu. Submenu
files have the same data structure as the main menu file. (defltmnu)
It is also possible to only use submenu files, avoiding using the defltmnu
name. If you want to load a submenu from the command line, use the same
method used to call a submenu from within a menu. (AMM /S SUBDEMO) would
load the submenu demo by itself.

Alternative Menu Operation methods

AM-Menu is made to search the path for the directory containing program
and data files. If you are putting AM-Menu on a write protected disk, such
as your own CD-ROM, or a floppy disk for distribution, it becomes harder
to convince the users of your disk to modify their paths, for a menu
program. Also, you may want to keep your paths the way they are for other
reasons. The menu being in the path serves two different purposes. First,
that is how the menu executable is reloaded, after running a selection.
Second, the path is searched for the data files, to load, and execute the
next selection correctly. 

If you do not want to put the menu in the path, a few command line switches 
will accomodate returning to the menu, or will just disable the AM-Menu return 
process, so you can create your own return structure. Type AMM /E (drivE) to 
return to a specific drive, and AMM /Y (directorY) to return to a specific 
directory. It is important the directory is entered in a manner which can be 
used whether an application has just run, or from within the menu directory, 
or elsewhere, so you should usually include the full path to the menu, with a 
backslash before it, such as /Y \AMMDIR The directory you wish to use here
should contain the menu files. If you are creating a CD-ROM, or other read
only disk, you should only specify the directory you wish to return to, and
have the user change to the drive with your disk in it. The /E switch must 
be used before the /Y switch, if both are going to be used on the command
line.

The /Z command switch will disable all return to menu methods.
The /Z command is good to use to edit a specific file, without
typeing the /E /Y, or putting something in the path. Unless
you have modified the batch files, an error will usually occur
after running a program with the /Z switch, due to the fact the
menu's files are not either in the path or pointed to by /E and /Y.

These switches can also be used with submenus, but there are a few 
considerations to make when using submenus. Submenus always must be the 
first switch on the command line. When calling submenus from a higher level 
menu that uses /E, /Y, or /Z, be sure to use the same switches with each 
submenu called. If you don't use these switches with each submenu, exiting 
from an application run from a submenu may return you to the last level of 
menu these command line switches were used with.

Pathless Switch Examples: 
C:\AMMDIR\AMM /E C: /Y \AMMDIR             -- Would load default menu from HD
C:\AMMDIR\AMM /S SUBDEMO /E C: /Y \AMMDIR  -- Would load submenu demo from HD
\AMMDIR\AMM /Y \AMMDIR  -- Would load default menu, from a CD-ROM.
AMM /Z  -- Would load default menu.
AMM /S SUBDEMO /Z -- Would load default menu.
--------------------------------------------
@ECHO OFF                        ----This is a sample batch file you might
CALL \AMMDIR\AMM /Y \AMMDIR      ----want to name go.bat, on  
CD \                             ----write protected media.

Program Information

The .AML files contain the menu data, and color information.  The .BAT
files are the files which execute the menu's, or submenu's executable
programs.

Legal Information

MS-DOS and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
PC-DOS is a trademark of the International Business Machines Corporation.
DR-DOS is a trademark of Novell.
All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

This software is provided as-is.  There are no warranties, express or
implied.

AQUATIC MOON SOFTWARE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND
ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED.  NEITHER
AQUATIC MOON SOFTWARE, NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY
DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE
USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH SOFTWARE EVEN IF AQUATIC MOON SOFTWARE HAS
BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS.  IN NO EVENT
SHALL AQUATIC MOON SOFTWARE'S LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES EVER EXCEED THE
PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF
THE CLAIM.  THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY
AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.

Some states do not allow the exclusion of the limit of liability for
consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation may not apply
to you.  This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
California and shall inure to the benefit of Aquatic Moon Software, and
any successors, administrators, heirs, and assigns.  Any action or
proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of or
related to this agreement shall be brought only in a STATE or FEDERAL
COURT of competent jurisdiction located in San Mateo County, California.
The parties hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of said courts.
