xBar 3.2 Online Manual

 What is xBar ?

 
PPC Version

xBar is a 'all in one' tool for your Windows Ce device (Pocket PC, Smartphone, GPS...).
You can popup xBar when and where you want, simply but pressing action key (centre of the dPad) during 1 second)

How to use xBar ?

Installation

Connect your device to your computer using ActveSync and run setup.exe from your computer.
You can also use the 'Over the air installation' by running xbar.cab from your device.

When you have installed xBar, you need to run a first time xbar (Go to 'start', accessories and run xBar)
If your device ask you if you trust xbar (because it is not digitally signed) click Yes.
Note : You disable this security by using this tool from microsoft.

xBar will automatically run at each time you start your phone/PPC

Main Usage

To call xBar, just hold the action key (centre of the dPad) for about 1 second. (PPC : you can click on the permanent button)
xBar will popup on the screen, and show you all running application in the memory.
Select a window using the dpad (left/right), press action to active it, or long press action to close it.

dPad (up/down) allow you to active the launcher.
By default, the up menu contains xBar command (Quit xbar, help etc ...) and the down menu contain application shortcut.
Note : you can of course customize each menus and items.

CAPTURE XBAR AVEC FLECHE

task bar
permanent button
menu
crontab ON
mode vertical...

Internal command

Copy/Paste
You need to copy text from a textbox to another ?
Just call xBar, dPad to up and select 'Shift' (or 'select All').
Select your text using left/right dPad (like on your computer)
Call xBar a new time, and select copy or cut.
Goto another texbox where you want paste text and call xBar, Menu up, and select paste.

Easy ?

Kill all
To free more memory as possible, you an close all opened applications quickly by selecting this command.

How to customize xBar ?

xBar 3 folder structure

xbar.exe The main application
xbar_cfg.ini Configuration file
xbar.ini  Skin file
xbar.bmp Skin bitmap
pb.bmp Permanent button skin
crontab.txt File containing list of scheduled tasks
cronchk.xmc Macro launched each minute to check scheduled tasks
key Folder containing key mapping
(Contains also connect, disconnect, wake up command)
icon Folder containing icon mapping
xmacro Folder containing internal xMacro
menu Folder used by default as menu UP
start Folder used by default as menu DOWN

Note xbar can work only with xbar.exe (it include a mini skin)

Customizing Menu Up and Down

By default xBar use subfolders 'Menu' and 'Start' (set in xbar_cfg.ini)
So, you can put any file you want in theses folders (application, shortcut, document, mp3, xmacro, subfolders ...)
You can navigate in subfolder using up/down dPad

You can also use the windows start menu content by setting 'start=\windows\start menu' in xbar_cfg.ini.

Customizing Application Icon

If you want to use another icons in the xBar taskbar, just place an icon in the ICON subfolder and name it with the name of the specified task.

To customize the calculator (calc.exe application) icon,
Add calc.ico in the xBar/ICON subfolder.

Customizing Keys

This folder contains files wich will be ran by xBar when you hit a hardware button/key
You can get the keycode using keycode available on my website.
In xBar, when you hit a key or a button, xbar will automatically try to run in the following order:
- xxx.lnk
- xxx.xmc
- Y.lnk

Where xxx is the key code (48 for key #1) and Y is the keyname (1 for key #1)

If you want manage with lonng press, just add a dash before the key (ex: -1.lnk)

Example:
If you want run calc when you hit key 1 you just have to make a shortcut to the calc app.
Name this shortcut 1.lnk or 48.lnk (48 is the keycode for the key #1)

Customizing Skin (xbar.ini & xbar.bmp)

xBar.bmp is the bitmap used as xbar window background.
To set an alpha channel, just use the color RGB(255,0,255) #FF00FF.
For optimisation issue, check if the size of this bitmap is not greater than the size of your sreen.
Try to decrease number of color as lower as possible (use 16 or 8 bit instead of 24 bit)

Note : Max size of ini file is 2048 bytes

Customizing xBar (xbar_cfg.ini)

HIDEAPP0..HIDEAPP9..HIDEAPPA...HIDEAPPF
Allow you to hide (up to 16) applications/windows from the task bar.
You can set Processname (calc.exe) / Window Title (Calculator) / Window Class (MSCalc)

Example: to hide calculator from the taskbar : HIDEAPP0=calc.exe

ANIMBAR
Set speed of scrolling effect of the bar
(Fast 0...100 Slow) (-1 to disable animation)

PRIORITY
Set xBar process priority
1 high priority
0 normal (default)

CRONTAB
Enable or disable the task scheduler
1 Enable (default)
0 Disable

DAEMON
By default xBar still resident in memory and intercept KEY_XBAR to pop up on screen.
If you disable it, xBar will quit after each command, and you have to use another way to call it (PPC internal button mapping, registry, start menu ...).
xBar will be slower to pop up but will not use memory during sleeping.
1 Daemon mode (default)
0 Dameon disable

Note : Task scheduler will no longer work if you disable the DAEMON mode

LAUNCHER
Allow the usage of the launcher (Menu up and down)
0 Disable
1 Enable manual (you have to press up or down to enable it) (default)
2 Enable auto (enable when xBar pop up)

FOLDER
Path of the folder that contains item to display in then Menu Down
If you want use existing Windows start menu just set \window\start menu
Path can be absolute or xbar folder relative

FOLDER2
Path of the folder that contains item to display in then Menu Up
Path can be absolute or xbar folder relative

CALLBUG
This allow xBar to lock action pad when there is an incomming call.
On some Smartphone, the pad can be used to take an incomming call, this can be a problem when it is in your pocket, so you can fix it by setting to 1.
1 Lock the action key during incomming call (default)
0 Normal (allow you to take call using the pad)

CLEARTYPE
ClearType increase font readability, xBar is able to use it.
1 Enable (if you Device support it) (default)
0 Disable (if you Device allow it)

RECMODE (recovery mode)
Because mobile device use limited ressources, a software can use all ressource and freeze your system.
If you set PRIORITY to 1, xBar can called and by enabling RECMODE xBar will be able to kill the current task.
1 enable
0 disable (default)

HAK
Hide After Kill
If you want leave xbar on screen after have closed a window, just set it to 0
1 Hide xBar after Killed application
0 xBar will be onscreen after Killed application

ICONMEM
1 Display Memory usage bar in the time icon (only on smartphone)
0 Hide Memory usage bar

ICONTIME
1 Display Icontime in the upper system bar on Smartphone
0 Hide Icontime

KEY_DELAY
Set in millisec the delay after you hold the KEY_XBAR to popup xBar.
0 to set short press.

KEY_XBAR
Set the keycode of the key/button to call xBar

AUTOCLEAN
Set the percentage of memory usage reached when xBar will try to clean memory (0 to disable)

AUTOHIDE
Set the number of second of user inactivites on xBar, when xBar will disapear from the screen.

TEMPCALIB
Set the value for thermometer calibration
(if xBar display temp with more 3° set -3)

TEMPTYPE
0 for °Celcius
1 for °Farenheit

BATTYPE
Used to sepcify the display of the memory usage in xBar
0 for Memory used
1 for Memory free

Note : Max size file is 2048 bytes

How to schedule ?

You want to wake up with your favorite mp3 ?

xBar is able to run application, mp3, xMacro... at a specified moment (hour, disconection, device wake up)
To schedule a task at a specified hour just set it in the crontab.txt (linux like).

Use cronedit or xBar desktop admin available on my website.

At theses events, xbar will automatically run these shortcut (just make it from file/xMacro you want run)
key/dconnect.lnk when Charge unpluged
key/connect.lnk when Charge pluged
key/wakeup.lnk when device wake up

xMacro

xMacro Files (.xmc)

An xmc file can contain many lines.
If you want affect an icon to your xMacro
First line should be :
ICON=icon file

Next linescan be:
xmacro=##########,
or
\path\filename

Windows CE only support icon in exe file, or shortcut to exe file.
XMC file can only contains 1 line with icon info but many line with xmacro or file to launch
xBar is able to run app, shortcut, document (mp3) using the associated application.
If you need to run an application with some line arguments, you have to use a shortcut
TODO shortcut with param

xMacro Line

Each command start by 'xmacro=' finished by a comma ','
An xMacro Line can contains a lot of xMacro command, each separated by a comma ','
xmacro=XYY,XYY,...,

xMacro Command< /STRONG>
An xMacro command is a char that define the command following by a parameter.

xmacro=bHello World,s2000,k13,

Com. Action Param
s Sleep (int) millisec to wait before next command
d Press Key (int) ScanCode of th key
u Release Key (int) ScanCode of th key
k Press & Release (int) ScanCode of th key
p Paste Text (str) Text to insert in the current cursor pos
c char (char) Press key of the char (ex: x)
X set X pen (int) Coord X on the screen
Y set Y pen (int) Coord X on the screen
D put pen (no param) but it's a BIG 'D'
U release pen (no param) but it's a BIG 'U'
P set pixel to X,Y hex color in BBGGRR
w Wait window 10s window title or class (can be empty)
W Wait window inf. window title or class
T Terminate process process
t Terminate window window title
b Box (str) Text to display in the Message Box
x xBar internal

(int) id of the following command
0 - Crontab checking (Reserved)
1 - Kill selected task
2 - Kill all except sel. task
3 - Kill all tasks
4 - Destroy sel. task
5 - Switch to sel. task
6 - Crontab on/off
7 - Home (Today screen)
8 - Minimise Sel. task
22 - Clean
23 - Display info
80 - Windows Menu (PPC)
81 - Kill Active Window (if not in HIDEAPP)
90 - Power Off
93 - Wake up
94 - Turn On Screen
95 - Turn Off Screen
96 - Hide xBar
97 - Refresh xBar (restart xBar)
98 - Show xBar
99 - Quit xBar

Note : To get the scan code of a key/button, use keycode on my website.
You can also use the xMacro wizzard (xmacro.exe) in the download section too.

FAQ

How to make a shortcut ?

Key Code List
See keycode for help

Code Key
13 Action
37 Left
38 Up
39 Right
40 Down
48 to 57 0 to 9
112 Menu 1 Left
113 Menu 2 Right
114 Talk (Green button)
115 End (Red Button)
91 Home
27 Back
121 Record
128 Flip
129 Power
117 Vol Up
118 Vol down
119 *
120 #