New Menus for Windows is a X-Window like window manager for
Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and NT.
|
Time: | 1993-1997, 1995 - 1997 for Computer Associates
|
|
Customer: | Computer Associates International (CA), end customers
|
|
Position: | Development, executive, marketing
|
|
Technologies: |
C++, Windows 3.1/95/NT, OS/2, COM, Window-Manager
|
During my studies I wrote in my spare time a program and desktop
manager for Windows 3.1 similar to the OpenLook Window Manager mainly
to learn the C++ programming language.
I distributed this program via internet and received much positive
feedback. In the 2 year I market 'New Menus for Windows' as shareware
with distributors in Germany, USA, Japan and France.
In 1995  Computer Associates International contacted
me asking for a license to include my program into CA product named 'HomePlace'.
Including the license agreement with CA I had to port 'New Menus for Windows' (now called
'PowerUser') for Windows 95, Windows NT and OS/2 in the next 2 years.
CA wanted to sell the package mainly in Japan and USA in 5-7 million units
in the first year.
HomePlace was a graphical shell on top of the Windows GUI to provide
the functionalities, like Programs, Files, email, shopping in different
metaphors, in the range of a reduced and restricted interface for child
and 'PowerUser', aka 'New Menus for Windows', which gives the user
workstation feeling on the personal computer.
The introduction screen of HomePlace
Because CA only obtains a non exclusive license, in this time I also marked the
new version as 'New Window Window Manager'.
Features:
- Free Popup menus, associated with mouse/hotkey.
- Popup menus can be sticked as persistent window.
- These windows can be displayed as explorer like windows,
NortonCommander like windows, and NextStep file manager.
- Windows 95 'Taskbar' clone supporting.
- Supports Windows 95 native Taskbar
- Virtual Desktop.
- Enhancing system menu of programs.
- User defined pop menu enhancements for all windows applications, which
can extend the applications functionality.
- 4 different look and feels (NMWM was one of the first programs supporting
style schemes or skins, later can found in Java Swing library, the KDE or Gnome
window manager or the Windows XP shell)
- The displayed items - displayed in the different containers - can be
- User defined program links
- Links to the file system, which supports also
ZIP, ARJ, RAR, etc. as virtual file system
- Windows 95 COM shell items
- Program-Manager items (Windows 3.1, NT 3.51).
- Internal NMWM items, like Clock, Virtual Desktop, CPU-Meter,
Disk-Usage, etc
- All file, clipboard and drag and drop operations (Windows 3.1 and
COM)
Because the original code of NMFW was only written for Windows 3.1,
and some code still was from my first steps in the C++ programming
language, I completely rewrote the code for PowerUser/NMWM:
- Object oriented abstraction of the GUI API of Windows 3.1, Windows
95 and OS/2 Workplace (OS/2 was removed from the requirements later).
- Portable Code for MS, Borland and Watcom compiler.
- Portable 16 and 32 bit code.
- On top of portable GUI API an object oriented framework with interfaces
to support user defined GUI elements (for example the scroll bars
looks and behave different in the different styles).
- An interface framework to support generic file manger/shell/workplace
- Items (display with icon, text or details, act on click,
context sensitive configuration dialog box, expand if
item represent a folder
- Container which acts as frame to items, which can be displayed
as list, popup menu, hierarchical list, Taskbar notification items,
desktop items, NextStep like file manger/boards, etc.
- Style interfaces are used to render Items and Container.
Replacement for GUI-Controls, which are not supported on all platforms,
like tabbed dialog boxes.
In connection with PowerUser/NMWM I wrote some spin-offs:
Some pictures are available on the German pages:
|
Edit
2006/05/02
PowerUser
Win4Help
Styles