eSchemes FAQ June 1, 2008 This documents contains frequently-asked questions related to eSchemes for eComStation CONTENTS ________ Q1: How to replace ColorManager to eSchemes? eStyler, CandyBarz,.. Q2: During scheme loading MsgBox with error messages are appear Q3: Are you going release Windows XP-like scheme? or KDE/Gnome default skin? Q4: Why do you use gradient paint of titlebar in some schemes? Q5: Why the scheme viewer/editor and object properties are separated? Q6: eSchemes changed fonts. How to configure this? Q7: Does eSchemes v.X make eCS slower? Q8: I have problems with shutdown dialog, reboot, turn off and so on. Q9: Can eSchemes store edited schemes? Q10: Which applications are not compatible with eSchemes Q11: What is OSCL? Q12: If system loaded with eSchemes, can the OS hang? Q13: Problems with eSchemes installation. Class can't be registered. Q14: Does eSchemes support DnD? Q15: Is undo supported? Q16: Is eSchemes compatible with ObjectDesktop? Q17: I find the flickering during the apply stage very annoying Q18: I dropped orange color to Status line. How to reset the color? Q19: How to translate eSchemes messages to my language? Q20: If eSchemes installed then are SDDFONTSIZE, etc. supported? Q21: How long trial period of eSchemes beta? * Q22: How to create applications compatible with eSchemes? * Q23: How to query version of installed eSchemes? Q1: How to replace ColorManager to eSchemes? eStyler, CandyBarz,.. A1: eSchemes can't be used with ColorManager or CandyBarZ with SystemColors plugin (or any other software which tries to fix control colors and system colors problems) concurently. Please, disable other software to solve conflict. Q2: During scheme loading MsgBox with error messages are appear A2: This is because incorrect entries in index.sch file of scheme. Please contact scheme maintainer to solve problem. Q3: Are you going release Windows XP-like scheme? or KDE/Gnome default skin? A3: No. Our goal is create original schemes to enrich eComStation. Q4: Why do you use gradient paint of titlebar in some schemes? (horizontal, blue in the center) A4: Because looks better and solid. In some cases titlebar seemb as lego, gradient titlebar allow to make titlebar solid. Q5: Why the scheme viewer/editor and object properties are separated? A5: Because viewing/editing is action on object, but not properties of object. Look at standard palette (Scheme palette, for example). You can see list of schemes and can do some action on it. But no properties for any scheme. It is because scheme is not movable object and file properties no usable at all. Another example. Look at datafile. You can view/edit it and can change it properties. It is different things and it is in different places. Q6: eSchemes changed fonts. How to configure this? A6: At the present time eSchemes does not allow to partially apply scheme. In most cases problem with fonts is eStyler problem (eStyler 1.1 shiped with eSchemes). In future eStyler will be removed from eSchemes. Q7: Does eSchemes v.X make eCS slower? A7: No. Only booting slightly slower. Q8: I have problems with shutdown dialog, reboot, turn off and so on. A8: Report this part to ACPI project. I just constantly updating estyler from ACPI project. Q9: Can eSchemes store edited schemes? A9: Yes. Storing mostly finished but some features still in development/testing. Q10: Which applications are not compatible with eSchemes A10: Here is the list: * CWMMC -> Audio player uses gray colors * eClock/eScheduler -> gray logo in about dialog * NewView -> Uses it's own fonts and colors in some dialogs, settings notebook uses it's own colors (netxt/prev page buttons) * Archive Viewer -> Uses it's own fonts instead system * XWorkplace -> XWorkplace setup -> XWorkplace page - gray logo background * Object Desktop -> Many colors settings are controled via SETUP-strings, and don't support System Colors or Control Colors. Q11: What is OSCL? A11: OSCL (OpenSibyl Class Library) is SOM classes library for PM application development. In eSchemes it prototype is used. OSCL will never be released because it is not final name. OSCL will evalute to Window Classes Framework. Window Classes Framework will be released to public with interfaces documentation and usage examples. Q12: If system loaded with eSchemes, can the OS hang? A12: No, there is danger when applying a scheme, or booting to desktop. Q13: Problems with eSchemes installation. Class can't be registered. A13: Most probably, this is problem with INI files. Fix INI files using INI maintance tool. Q14: Does eSchemes support DnD? A14: In development. At the present time supported partly. Q15: Is undo supported? A15: No. This is impossible because during apply actual scheme build using current setting and scheme settings. Standart eComStation scheme shipped to have default settings of all (or most of) destop objects. Applied scheme changes only things which described in index.sch file of scheme. As result, after apply you have mix of your previous settings and new settings. Q16: Is eSchemes compatible with ObjectDesktop? A16: Yes. But OD has limited compatability with eCS itself (was tested on eCS/Rus 1.2.5). To check compatability with OD I done following: 1. Installed fresh eCS/Rus 1.2.5 2. Installed OD 2.0 During install was error ocupped (checked many time - error occurs) and desktop was broken totally (no easy way to restore it on my system). After some experiments I found, error occurs if try to install Object Advisor. Ok. My next steps: 1. Installed fresh eCS/Rus 1.2.5 2. Installed OD 2.0 without Object Advisor 3. Reboot 4. Reboot again (because was some bugs with OD 2.0, like unworked skins) Ok. Results are following: 1. Conflicts with eWP. Most of eWP menu items dowsn't work. 2. WPS folder has now visible active state (active titlebar), but actually folders are active. 3. Disables eStyler (as expected) Now time to check eSchemes. I installed eSchemes and rebooted system (Warning, if just reboot WPS can be some problems, because not all features of eSchemes/eStyler become active. Also, you can easely have desktop hang after only WPS reboot). Now on my ststem worked OD 2.0 and eSchemes. Conclusion: eSchemes work fine with OD, but OD itself has some problems with eCS. Actually, whole OD works strange and not in WPS logic. During Notebook editing, no visible changes, made in notebook pages, but applied after notebook closes. As result it is very hard to detect with options aims to have problems with OD. OD itself conflicts with eWP in some areas. Q17: I find the flickering during the apply stage very annoying, with the old OS/2 scheme palette this was _much_ less A17: During scheme apply WinSetSysColor and WinSetContolColors API are called. In original OS/2 scheme palette only WinSetSysColor called. In theory, only WinSetSysColor is requred, but in practic, due bug in CCT handling also WinSetContolColors is required. As result, more flick during colors changing. I can't do nothing with this. (except actual bug fix with CCT, but this is not possible without PM sources). Q18: I dropped orange color to Status line. How to reset the color? A18: Open regedit2.exe. Find keys "lSBBgndColor" and/or "lSBTextColor". Delete both keys. Restart WPS. HINI_USER_PROFILE -> XWorkPlace -> lSBBgndColor Q19: How to translate eSchemes messages to my language? A22: eschemes.nls is a zip file. Copy EN_EN to DE_DE, and translate your file. Send it back to us. Q20: If eSchemes installed then are SDDFONTSIZE, etc. supported? A20: SNAP FAQ: http://www.scitechsoft.com/support/faq/fom.cgi?_recurse=1&file=2#file_23 Q21: How long trial period of eSchemes beta? A21: 4 months from compilation date. Q22: How to create applications compatible with eSchemes? A22: Basic recommendations: 1) Use SYSCLR_ colors 2) Pay attention to WM_ERASEBACKGROUND message if you see that your application is painting the packground with default color. Q23: How to query version of installed eSchemes? A23: Start Warpin manager (warpin.exe) Find eObjects package, move between entries, monitor Version field.