Microsoft Access came with a standard INI file that contained all the settings that it used. This included things like which Workgroup file to use, which Untility database, clipboard formats, report formats, and all kinds of stuff. QuickLaw took this standard file, renamed it to QuickLaw.INI, and added some stuff to the bottom of it.
For the most part, only a few of the lines in this file are important. The first three lines are important, then there is a bunch of “stuff”, then the last section is very important.
An example INI file is listed below. Notice that the SystemDB= line at the top must point to a valid System.MDA that came with QuickLaw. This is the Access workgroup file and it contains the login names and groups used by QuickLaw’s security. You cannot bypass this, and you must use the System.MDA file that came with QuickLaw.
Your QuickLaw.INI file probably looks similar to the following:
[Options]
SystemDB=C:\QLData\SYSTEM.MDA
UtilityDB=C:\QUICKLAW\utility.mda
AllowCustomControls=1
AllowOLE1LinkFormat=0
TitleBar=QuickLaw
[Clipboard Formats]
.
. (skipped in this printout because it is not important)
.
[Report Formats]
.
.
.
[Microsoft Access]
Filter=Microsoft Access (*.mdb)|*.mdb|All Files (*.*)|*.*|
Extension=mdb
OneTablePerFile=No
IndexDialog=No
Maximized=1
CreateDbOnExport=No
Tutorial=0
[Delimited Text]
Filter=Delimited Text (*.txt)|*.txt|All Files (*.*)|*.*|
Extension=txt
OneTablePerFile=Yes
IndexDialog=No
CreateDbOnExport=No
[Fixed Width Text]
Filter=Fixed Width Text (*.txt)|*.txt|All Files (*.*)|*.*|
Extension=txt
OneTablePerFile=Yes
IndexDialog=No
CreateDbOnExport=No
[Word for Windows Merge]
.
. (skipped in this printout because it is not important)
.
[Microsoft Excel 2.0-4.0]
.
. (skipped in this printout because it is not important)
.
[Microsoft Excel 5.0]
.
. (skipped in this printout because it is not important)
.
[Lotus WKS]
.
. (skipped in this printout because it is not important)
.
[Lotus WK1]
.
. (skipped in this printout because it is not important)
.
[Lotus WK3]
.
. (skipped in this printout because it is not important)
.
[ISAM]
PageTimeout=5
LockedPageTimeout=5
CursorTimeout=10
LockRetry=20
CommitLockRetry=20
MaxBufferSize=512
ReadAheadPages=16
IdleFrequency=10
[ODBC]
QueryTimeout=60
LoginTimeout=20
[Run-Time Options]
TitleBar=QuickLaw
Letterhead=c:\qldata\QLLETTER.DOC
ProofOfServicePath=c:\qldata\QLPOFS.DOC
SharedDataFilepath=C:\QLData
StartupScreen=C:\QUICKLAW\QUICKLAW.BMP
ModemCommPort=COM1:
ModemExternalPrefix=1
ModemInternalPrefix=
CallingAreaCode=626
PhoneDiscAvailable=No
PhoneDiscPath=
ProFormaAvailable=Yes
ProFormaWorkPath=c:\PROFORMA\WORK
SPlusAvailable=No
TriggersOn=Yes
ImageOLEClass=
Reattach=No
…………. End of example listing……………………….
This last section, titled [Run-Time Options] is very important to QuickLaw.
TitleBar= is what appears in the Title Bar for the program. Yes, you can change this anything that you want, such as “Law Offices of John Doe” instead of “QuickLaw”.
Letterhead= is the path and file name of a Word file that contains your firm’s letterhead, formatted exactly how you want it. The contents of this file is inserted into every form letter wherever the LetterHD bookmark is found (usually at the top of the document).
ProofOfServicePath = is the path and filename of the Proof of service document that should be used by QuickLaw.
SharedDataFilePath = must contain the path (no file name) to where your data files are. QuickLaw will not run if this is not entered correctly. This is the most important entry in the whole file!
StartupScreen = is the path and filename of a *.BMP file that QuickLaw displays when it first starts up, otherwise known as a “Splash screen”. Again, you could use your own bitmap for QuickLaw’s splash screen.
ModemCommPort= is used only for the dialing feature. It is the com port of you modem.
ModemExternalPrefix= is used only for the dialing feature. It is the number you must dial before the area code for long distance numbers, such as 1+714+5920093. This is always 1.
ModemInternalPrefix= is used only for the dialing feature. If your modem is connected to a phone “system” in your office and that system requires you to dial a number to get an outside line, such as 9, enter it here.
CallingAreaCode= again, if you want to use the dialing feature, this is your area code. QuickLaw will not dial the ModemExternalPrefix or the contact name’s area code if the area code matches this number. If your area code is 626 and you want to dial somebody’s phone number that is 626-653-5160 you wouldn’t want QuickLaw to dial the 1+626… you would only want it to dial 653-5160. This entry in the INI file is how QuickLaw knows when to do this.
PhoneDiscAvailable= is “Yes” if you have a program called PhoneDisc on your system. This was used to verify contact information. PhoneDisc was a national CD-ROM of names and addresses. I doubt this program is still around, and if it is, that it will still integrate with QuickLaw. This should be left blank or No.
PhoneDiscPath= if you were using PhoneDisc, this must be the path to the EXE file.
ProFormaAvailable= would be Yes if you had Legal Solution’s Proforma forms program and wanted to integrate it with QuickLaw. This program was purchased by Mathew Bender and we don’t know if it still integrates with QuickLaw properly.
ProFormaWorkPath= again, if you wanted to integrate with Proforma, this would be the path to the work directory of the ProfForma program.
SPlusAvailable= is Yes if you have Microsoft’s Schedule+ program available for Calendaring. Schedule+ was discontinued by Microsoft a long time ago and is not available for purchase anymore.
TriggersOn= would be Yes if you want to use QuickLaw’s trigger functionality to automatically pop up new Things To Do based on completed ones. This should usually be Yes.
ImageOLEClass= is the class name (OLE name) of the imaging program that you want to use with QuickLaw. This is the class name that you see when you look at an OLE field in Access with an imaging document in it. This class name is put into a document’s ole field and “activated” to do imaging. For Visioneer Paperport, this would be Paperport.Document.
Reattach= is Yes if you want QuickLaw to verify that all the tables are attached properly each time QuickLaw starts. This will slow QuickLaw down on startup. Leave this blank.