Table of Contents

VERSES  FOR  TODAY  -  Table of Contents

Program Overview

System Requirements

Starting the Program

The Setup Window

The Verse Display

Colors & Fonts

Adding Verses to the Verse File

If an Error Occurs

Technical Information

Registration

Statement of Faith

Thank you for choosing VERSES FOR TODAY.

In His Service,

The folks at SLG Data Systems and Analysis


Starting the Program

If the installation procedure placed VERSES FOR TODAY in your  Windows startup group, it will start automatically each time Windows is loaded.  The first time the program is run, it will display the setup window to allow you to select the desired display interval and other options.  Thereafter, each time the program runs, it will start in its minimized state.

If it is ever  necessary to manually start the program, simply double-click on the program icon.  The  icon  is normally found in the startup group, in the VERSES FOR TODAY group, or both.

 If  you cannot locate the program icon  [image]  use the file manager to search for the file VERSES.EXE (start from c:\ ), then double-click on the  file name to launch the program.

If you know the full pathname (usually c:\verses\verses.exe),  use the RUN command from the Program Manager FILE menu.  If all else fails, reinstall the program, and let the installation routine start it for you.


OverView
Program OverView

 VERSES FOR TODAY is a Windows 3.1 program that will periodically display  Bible verses on your Windows desktop.  The position of the display, display colors and text font are easily specified.  Each time the program starts, it will use the color scheme,  position, etc. from the previous execution.  Options exist for keeping the verse display 'on top' of the desktop, to beep when a new verse is displayed, and to display a verse whenever the program is started.  VERSES FOR TODAY executes 'in the background', and is designed to use a minimum of system resources.

Anytime the Setup window or  Colors & Fonts window is active, pressing F1 will give you appropriate help information.

This program is an adaptation of a verse display program currently implemented on a Digital Equipment Corporation  ©VAXcluster.  Its users have found it to be an effective means of injecting some spiritual light into the darkness of the workplace.  May it be so for you.

Scriptures taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.


The Setup Window

The first time VERSES FOR TODAY is executed on your system, or whenever  you double-click on the program icon, the following window will appear:

Selecting the Display Interval	The File Menu

The Options Menu	The Help Menu

Ok	Colors & Fonts


Selecting the Display Interval

You may select a new display interval by clicking on one of the option buttons, or by clicking inside the text box below the 10-minute button, and typing in the desired interval.  Click on Ok to resume operation with the new interval.  The maximum allowable intervals is 999 minutes.  Non-integer values (i.e. 1.5) are allowed.

CAUTION:  If non-numeric characters are entered in the text box, an incorrect interval may be used.


The Verse Display

The verse display is composed of the items listed below.  The color of each of these items can be specified via the Colors & Fonts window.

      Verse Text  -   the actual text of the verse.

      Background  -  the area surrounding the Verse Text.

      Border  -  the area surrounding the display.

      Cross  -  does this really need to be identified ??

      Cross Background  -  the area surrounding the Cross.

Sizing the Verse Display	Moving the Verse Display

Hiding the Verse Display


Adding Verses to the Verse File

The Verse File is an Ascii-encoded sequential file which contains the verses to be displayed.  Its name is VERSES.DAT, and is found in the same directory as the program executable (Usually c:\verses).   Verses may be be added with a suitable text editor in either the DOS or Windows environment.  Do not edit the verse file while the program is running - If the program attempts to display a verse while you're editing the file, it will halt with an error code of 70.

When adding verses, the following rules must be followed to insure proper program operation.  If you're going to add verses, it would be wise to make a backup copy of the original verse file before proceeding.

There may be no spaces at the beginning of the first line of the verse.

The last line of the verse must give the chapter and verse reference.  There may be no spaces at the beginning of the line, and the line must end with a closing parenthesis.

There may not be a closing parenthesis included within the body of the verse.

A portion of the verse display file is shown below:

 For it is God who is at work in you to will and to work

for His good pleasure.

(Philippians 2:13)

But whatever things were gain to me,

those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

(Philippians 3:7)

More than that, I count all things to be loss

in view of the surpassing value of knowing

Christ Jesus my Lord.

(Philippians 3:8)


If an Error Occurs

This program has been thoroughly tested on a number of different computer systems, and all known problems to date have been corrected.  However, given the nature of the personal computer and the current state of  the Windows/DOS combination, it's impossible to ensure that this program will execute properly on any given system.  It has been found that when errors occur, there is almost always a problem with either the program initialization file, or with verses added to the verse file.  If  errors persist, restart windows and reinstall the program from the original installation disk - the installation will give you fresh copies of the program files and verse file.  If this does not help, please send a description of the problem, along with a brief description of your computer system.   Be sure to include the processor type, amount of system RAM, size of your hard drive, and the DOS and Windows version numbers.

Mail your problem reports to:

SLG Data Systems and Analysis

31950 Pembroke Court

Delmar, MD 21875

Or send e-mail to:  ElectOne@aol.com

To operate correctly, VERSES  FOR  TODAY  requires Windows 3.1, running on a 386 or better processor with a minimum of 4mb of RAM.


initialization file
The initialization file

The initialization file is used to save current operating parameters such as colors and display duration.  Each time the program starts, these parameters are loaded from the initialization file.  The file's name is VERSES.INI, and is always found in the c:\windows directory.

If an error occurs while reading this file, some parameters may be set to internally-defined default values.  If the program cannot find this file,  a new file will be generated when the program exits.  The contents of the originally installed file are shown below.

[Setup]

StartupState=0

ShowAtStartup=0

Interval=600

OnTop=0

Beep=-1

Font=MS Sans Serif

Size=8

Italic=0

Bold=-1

VerseTop=300

VerseLeft=300

TextColor=3

BackgroundColor=0

BorderColor=3

CrossColor=3

HighlightColor=0

CrossBackgroundColor=3


Registration
Program Registration

This program is distributed as freeware.  Permission is granted to copy and distribute this program freely as long as all program and data files are copied intact.

Additional program disks may be ordered from:

SLG Data Systems and Analysis

Dept 316

31950 Pembroke Court

Delmar Md  21875

When ordering, please let us know where you first heard of this program.  If you need disks other than the 1.4M 3.5" variety,  please state your requirements. There is a  $2/disc charge to cover media and shipping costs.

Thanks for your support .  Please pray that the people at SLG enjoy an ever-closer walk with the Savior.


Technical Information

Microsoft Windows 3.1 or  Windows for Workgroups 3.11 is a prerequisite for using this program.  It is also necessary that the file VBRUN300.DLL be present in the c:\windows\system directory.  If you cannot locate a copy of this file,  installation disks which include all files necessary to use this program are available from the author.

Recommended system minimums are:

386-class or  better processor, 4 Mb RAM, 16-color VGA display, hard drive with 700kb free space.


Statement of Faith

We at SLG Data Systems affirm the following:

Jesus Christ is the only son of the Living God,and creator of all we see and experience.  He took the form of a man, lived a sinless life as an example for all mankind,  and suffered and died as payment for man's sin and rebellion against God.  By faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning work, we are made just in His sight, and will spend eternity in His presence.  We trust Christ, and Christ alone for our salvation, and embrace His inspired written word, as illuminated by the Holy Spirit, as our sole source of doctrine with regard to matters of faith and right living.

To know Him is to love Him, and we do.


Ok

To resume program operation, click on the Ok button.  Any options you have selected or changed will be put into effect.


Colors & Fonts

Clicking on the Colors & Fonts button on the Setup window  will bring up the following window, along with the current verse display.

Selecting the Area to Color	Selecting the Color	Select Font

Ok	Cancel	Help


The File Menu

Exit

Click on this menu item to stop program execution.

About...

Click on this menu item to display the 'About' file.


The Help Menu

Contents

Clicking on this item will cause the help file table of contents to be displayed.  Whenever the Setup Form is active, you may also press F1 to display the help file.


The Options Menu

To enable or disable either of the listed options, click on the appropriate menu item.

Always on Top

If checked, the verse display will remain 'on top' of the Windows desktop unless it is manually hidden.

Beep

If checked, a beep will sound whenever a new verse is displayed.

Display at Startup

If checked, the program will display a verse as soon as it is started.


Sizing the Verse Display

There is no provision for sizing the verse display.  The height and width of the display are determined by the size of the verse being displayed.


Moving the Verse Display

To move the display, move the cursor to the Background area.  Press the left mouse button, and drag the verse display to a new  position.  Subsequent displays will be at the new position.


Removing the Verse Display
Hiding the Verse Display

The verse display will remain active until it is removed, even though it may be temporarily hidden by other application's windows (it will never be hidden if the  Always on Top option  is selected).  If you wish to remove the display, simply move the  cursor to the Cross Background area, and click the left mouse button.


suitable text editor
A note on text editors

As shipped, the verse file is too large to edit with the Windows Notepad.  Although MS-Dos EDIT is the preferred editor, Windows WRITE can be used.  If using the WRITE utility, DO NOT CONVERT TO THE WRITE FORMAT.  This will corrupt the file.  Likewise, DO NOT USE WORD PROCESSORS to edit the verse file unless you're careful to save the edited file as ASCII text.


Selecting the Area to Color

Select the area of the verse display you wish to color by clicking on one of the option buttons to the right of the color boxes.


Selecting the Color

There are 16 colors available for coloring the various components of the verse display.  Each of these colors is shown as a square area to the left of the option buttons.  The current component color is indicated by a box surrounding the color square.  Once you have selected the area to color, click on one of the color boxes.  The selection indicator will then move to the color you have selected, and the verse display will be updated to reflect your choice.


Ok_color
Ok

When your color and font selections are complete, click on the Ok button, and you will return to the Setup window.


Cancel

If for some reason you don't like the color scheme and/or fonts you've chosen, click on Cancel, and the verse display will revert to using the prior colors and text font, and return you to the Setup window.


Select Font

Clicking on the Select Font button of the Colors & Fonts window will bring up a list of the text fonts and font attributes available to the program.

Select from among the available options by clicking on the appropriate font, style, or size.  The 'sample'  box within the  font window will give you a preview of the selected font.

Ok	Cancel	Help

Note:  If an italic font is selected, parts of the verse text may be chopped off at the right.  This is due to a bug in Windows 3.1, and not a problem with this program.


Ok_Font
Ok

Click the Ok button when your font selection is complete.  You will be returned to the Colors & Fonts window, and the verse display will be updated to reflect your font  selection.


Cancel_Font
Cancel

Clicking on Cancel will return you to the Colors & Fonts  window.  No font changes will be made.


Help_Colors
Help

Clicking on Help will bring up this help window.


Font

Select from among the available options by clicking on the appropriate font, style, or size.  The 'sample'  box within the  font window will give you a preview of the selected font.

Ok

Cancel


Help_fnt
Help

Clicking the Help button  will display help for the font selection window.


The Windows Startup Group

The Windows Startup Group is the Program Manager Group which contains the icons of programs that are automatically executed whenever Windows is started.  If you do not wish VERSES FOR TODAY to automatically start, remove the program icon from the startup group.  Please consult your Windows user manual for more details on the startup group.


VBX's and DLL's

Threed.vbx and cmdialog.vbx, are required by the Windows system to run this program, and are normally installed in the c:\windows\system directory.  If you have any applications written in VISUAL BASIC, chances are you already have one or more of these files already on your system.  For technical reasons, threed.vbx will be located in your installation directory.


Obtaining Installation Disks

To order, please send $2.00 per disk to:

SLG Data Systems and Analysis

Dept 316

31950 Pembroke Court

Delmar, MD, 21875

VERSES FOR TODAY is freeware.  Your $2.00 goes only to cover the cost of media, duplication, packaging, and postage.  If you prefer disks other than the standard 3.5" 1.4 Mb, please state your preference when ordering.


Sysinfo
Technical Information

The following files have been installed on your system:

In the program directory (normally c:\verses):

verses.exe  -  program executable, app. 34 kb

verses.dat  -  the verse file, app. 95 kb

verses.hlp  -  this help file, app. 50 kb

readme.txt  -  program description, app. 1.4kb

install.log  -  program installation log,  < 1kb

threed.vbx  -  64432 bytes, dated 3/25/94

In the c:\windows directory:

verses.ini  -  initialization file, app 250 bytes

In the c:\windows\system directory:

cmdialog.vbx - 18688 bytes, dated 4/28/93