This is The "read_me" file for Ninho's WheelK (demo) programme for DOS, version 1.

Please check the programme's web page at <http://ninho.users.micso.fr/wheelk> for latest news !

WheelK is a tiny DOS mouse-driver extension that will translate wheel-ticks into simulated keypresses 
of the up and down arrows (grey keys) respectively. 

It needs a "AT or PS2"-compatible computer with a 80286 or better processor running MS/PC-DOS 2 or 
later, or a compatible DOS.

Please read the following lines carefully before starting to use WheelK !

The file WHEELK.COM extracted from WHEELK.ZIP should be placed to a directory listed in your DOS 'PATH'.

To launch WheelK, at a DOS command line prompt, type : 

WHEELK /E ; E means Enable. 

The semi-colon in the above command line introduces human-readable comments, and the slash is optional. 
Additionally, E is the default action and can be omitted, so you could as well have launched WheelK 
by typing, simply : 

WHEELK

Of course, WheelK could also be invoked from a batch file (including the AUTOEXEC.BAT). 
Once loaded into the memory; WheelK stays resident until you unload it, from the command line : 

WHEELK U       ; Unload.

Rather than unloading WheelK, more often you will want to disable it, keeping it in memory. 
Disable WheelK from the command line thus: 

WHEELK D      ; Disable...

... For instance, before running a (rare) DOS program which natively recognizes the mouse wheel 
and manages it by itself.

Whether it's been disabled thus by yourself, or nuked by a programme which 'captured' the mouse, 
or by running MOUSKEYS command line, when you want to enable WheelK again, that it processes wheel events, 
simply type the following command line : 

WHEELK E      ; reEnable. Or WHEELK by itself.

Some programmes know to use a mouse but ignore the wheel. If the programme offers a way to "shell out" 
to DOS, you may try to reenable WheelK's mouse "hook" from within that inner "shell", then EXIT back 
to the programme, and the wheel might work for you. Try this with Buerg's "list.com" again, this time 
launching it as : list /m . 
If your programme does not have a native "shell out" option, you might still shell out of it using some 
3-rd party utility available from the internet (power-users only) !

Once loaded (and enabled), WheelK starts intercepting all mouse events. It will process wheel ticks, 
translating them into simulated down/up arrow grey key presses.  All non-wheel events (button presses, 
mouse movements) will be passed to the "mouse user procedure" that was in effect BEFORE you started 
WheelK, IF ANY. That may be Bret Johnson's "Mouskeys" (see below).

Otherwise, non-wheel actions will be ignored.

With WheelK now loaded, you may wish to verify it's working for you : run some DOS programme which 
does not use the mouse by itself, and in which the arrow keys are functional, for instance : Buerg's List, 
and watch it respond to the wheel of your rodent ! 

At the DOS command line, assuming you're using the plain MS-DOS command line, you won't see any effect 
of WheelK because MS-DOS "Command.com" does not understand up and down arrows. However if you launch 
Microsoft's own DOSKEYS or another command line recaller, or if you're using (now free) 4DOS command.com 
replacement as your DOS "shell", you will be able to scroll the command history by rotating the mouse 
wheel to and fro !

WheelK has been designed in such a way it can be used either standalone, to translate wheel rotations into 
'up' and 'down' arrows; or it can be used as a complement to other software that process mouse events but 
ignores the mouse wheel, in particular with the free programme : MOUSKEYS written by Bret Johnson.

In the latter case, Bret's MOUSKEYS must load first, then load WHEELK. 
WHEELK will always, even while it is Disabled, pass non-wheel mouse "messages" MOUSKEYS, 
MOUSKYS on the other hand is not aware of WHEELK and will rather impolitely disable it by recapturing 
the "mouse user procedure" each time it is invoked at the command line, albeit just for changing a parameter. 

In such circumstances all you have to do is to reenable WHEELK after changing WHEELK's options.

In summary, you should respect the LOADING ORDER which is : 

1. A DOS mouse driver. Note, in orderto use a wheel in DOS, you MUST use the (free) CTMouse driver, 
CTMouse can be freely downloaded from the internet and is part of (or bundled with) FreeDOS.
DOS mouse drivers from Microsoft, Logitech, and others will NOT make your wheel work !
2. (Optional) MOUSKEYS if you want to translate (non-wheel) mouse events into keys. 
3. Finally : WHEELK will translate wheel events (if enabled) and pass other mouse actions to MOUSKEYS.

UNLOANDING any of these drivers - if you must unload - must be done in the REVERSE order than loading ! 

In particular you MUST NOT unload Ctmouse and/or Mouskeys "behind WHEELK's back". If you MUST 
unload Mouskeys (why ?), unload WHEELK first, then MOUSKEYS and then, optionally, reload WHEELK.

Disabling/reEnabling in any order is no problemn, so that's what you'll want to do most of the time...

NOTE : WheelK works by stuffing the keyboard buffer (similar to MousKeys /S method) - programmes that 
rely on hardware interrupts from the keyboard won't see the simulated keypresses. 
Such programmes are rare anyway. 



Following terms apply : The software is provided as-is, and can be used by anyone at no cost. 
Copyright and other rights remain with the author. 

Notice! This software has been designed and coded carefully, it contains no intentional errors . 
However like all software, free or otherwise, should you choose to use it, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISKS. 

THE SOFTWARE SHALL NOT BE USED IN LIFE-CRITICAL SYSTEMS;