The Costa GUI, version 2.0
By Jacob Palm

User Guide
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1.0 Before you start
 1.1 What is Costa?
 1.2 System requirements
 1.3 Mouse support
2.0 Using Costa
 2.1 Starting Costa
 2.2 Exiting Costa
 2.3 Managing desktop icons
 2.4 Running programs without an icon
 2.5 Using without a mouse
3.0 Customizing Costa
 3.1 Desktops
 3.2 Launching the Configuration program
 3.3 The theme selector
 3.4 Settings

Before you start
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1.1 What is Costa?

 Costa is a shell with a graphical user interface, which replaces the DOS
 prompt with a mouse operated environment consisting of windows, buttons,
 textboxes and such. The low system requirements make Costa very useful for
 older machines, which are also the machines that typically run the MS-DOS
 operating system.

 When using Costa, you can use icons to launch programs instead of long and
 difficult commands. Launching a program is just a mouse click away, and
 Costa even comes with a collection of programs to replace the ones that came
 with MS-DOS. All of these programs act and look like Costa itself, which
 means better consistency between programs and an easier learning curve for
 users.

 Costa is developed by Jacob Palm. More info can be found at Costa's
 website: https://costa.jacobpalm.dk

1.2 System requirements

 Unlike most of the modern interfaces, Costa doesn't require much to run.
 Costa is designed for MS-DOS, but tested with PC-DOS, DR-DOS, FreeDOS,
 Novell DR Multiuser DOS and DOSBox as well. In theory, it should run on any
 IBM compatible system with:

 - An 8088 or better CPU (386 or better recommended).
 - EGA or VGA graphics supporting 640x350 pixels at 16 colors (most newer EGA
   card, or any VGA compatible card, should do).
 - A recommended minimum of 200 KB available memory while running Costa. When
   running external programs or games, Costa will use about 8 KB RAM.
 - MS-DOS 4.0 or newer, or a compatible operating system.
 - A mouse is optional. If used, a mouse driver must be loaded (see section
   1.3 in this document).

 Although not required, a 386 or better CPU is recommended, as well as disk
 caching software (SmartDrive or similar) when running on older machines -
 especially if running Costa from a floppy drive.

1.3 Mouse support

 Costa works with any standard serial or PS/2 mouse, provided that a driver
 is loaded. Since different mouse types might require different drivers,
 Costa cannot provide drivers for all of them. Therefore, a driver must
 already be installed and working. Costa will then utilize it to provide
 mouse support.

 Most DOS emulators - like DOSBox - have a built-in mouse driver, and should
 work out of the box.

 If your mouse isn't working with Costa, check that you have a driver loaded
 and that it is Microsoft Mouse compatible. Free drivers, such as CTMOUSE,
 should work if you don't have an original driver for your specific mouse.

Using Costa
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2.1 Starting Costa

 Starting Costa is very simple - simply run COSTA.COM. This will bring you to
 Costa's desktop. Individual accessories can be run directly from DOS, but
 the desktop must be started by running COSTA.COM.

2.2 Exiting Costa

 To exit Costa, close any program you have running and return to the desktop.
 Once you see the desktop, simply click the "Exit" button and then confirm
 that you want to exit.

2.3 Managing desktop icons

 To open a desktop icon using the mouse, simply click it. You can also use
 the TAB key on your keyboard to cycle through the icons from left to right,
 and then press Enter when the desired icon is highlighted. Use Shift+TAB to
 cycle through icons in reverse order.

 When you open a desktop icon, you will be presented with a dialog with
 information about the icon, as well as a few options.

  -Open
   Runs the program specified for this icon.

  -Edit...
   Opens a dialog where you can change the target program, path, icon and
   more. If the "Pause after exit" checkbox is selected, Costa will wait for
   a key press before returning to the desktop once the program ends. This is
   useful if you need to see the output of a program before returning to the
   desktop.

  -Move
   Allows you to move the icon freely around the screen. Once the icon is
   where you want it to be, click any mouse button. If you don't have a
   mouse, use the arrow keys to move the icon and press Enter when done. You
   can also move icons to other desktops using the buttons in the top menu,
   or by switching to another desktop using the number 1-5 keys or Page Up
   or Page Down keys on your keyboard.

  -Remove
   Removes the desktop icon. By default, Costa will ask you to confirm this
   action as it cannot be undone.

 To close the menu without choosing any options, click "Cancel" or press the
 Escape key.

 To add a new desktop icon, click the "Add..." button in the top right corner
 of the desktop. A dialog will appear, allowing you to define the
 properties of your new icon. If you click "Cancel" in this dialog, no new
 icon will be added.

2.4 Running DOS programs without an icon

 You can run a DOS program directly from the desktop, without having to open
 a DOS prompt first or adding an icon. To do so, click the "Run..." button
 on the desktop. This will show a dialog where you can select a program, and
 specify any parameters you want to pass to it.

2.5 Using without a mouse

 Costa can be used entirely without a mouse. Even if you do have a mouse, it
 can be beneficial to know how to use Costa with the keyboard. Some actions
 can be performed faster with the keyboard than the mouse.

 All around in Costa, you will see underlined letters. For instance, all
 buttons have an underlined letter. Labels above input fields also have an
 underlined letter. To use a button, or to activate an input field, simply
 hold the ALT key on your keyboard, and press the underlined letter.

 In some places, you will see buttons with an arrow on them. To use these
 buttons, simply press the corresponding arrow key on the keyboard.

 While you are using an input field, all pressed keys will be entered into
 the field. To finish editing, press the Enter key to save your input, or
 press the Escape key to revert the input field to the previous value and
 finish editing.

 The open file in textviewer can be scrolled up and down using the arrow up
 and arrow down keys - you can also use the Page Up and Page Down keys to
 scroll entire pages.

 In the icon editor, use the arrow keys to select the pixel you want to
 paint, and then press the space or Enter key to paint it. If the indicator
 is hidden, pressing the space or Enter key will reveal it. Pressing again
 will paint the selected pixel.

 In Tic Tac Toe, you can use the numeric keypad to place an X or O on the
 game board.

 In Minesweeper, use the arrow keys to navigate the minefield. Then, use the
 Space key to flag or unflag a cell, and the Enter key to clear a cell.

 Lastly, the "Select object" dialog in the theme editor can be navigated
 using the arrow up and arrow down keys, with the Enter key being used to
 confirm the selection.

Customizing Costa
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3.1 Desktops

 Costa supports five different desktops. Using the arrow buttons on the menu
 bar, you can switch back and forth between these (arrow keys can be used as
 well). You can also press 1-5 on your keyboard to switch to a specific
 desktop.

 Each desktop has its own icons. How you use the desktops is up to you - you
 can simply use them if your icons can't fit on the first, or you could use
 one for games, one for apps etc.

3.2 Launching the Configuration program

 On the desktop you will find a default icon labeled "Configuration". Open
 this to launch the Configuration program. If you don't have the icon, simply
 launch CONFIG.EXE in the path where Costa is installed.

3.3 The theme selector

 On the right-hand side of the Configuration program, you will find the theme
 selector. Use this to switch between a number of predefined themes, some
 made by myself and some submitted by users of earlier versions. Your own
 themes will also be available here.

 To select a theme, click one of the two arrow buttons underneath the preview
 or press the left and right keys to cycle through the themes. Once you've
 found one you like, simply exit the program to apply the changes
 immediately.

 If none of the default themes suit your taste, use the included theme editor
 to make your own. User submitted themes are always welcome!

3.4 Settings

 The left panel in the Configuration program allows you to tweak various
 aspects of Costa to your liking.

 To toggle a feature on or off, click the checkbox in front of it. An X in a
 checkbox indicates an enabled feature, an empty checkbox indicates a
 disabled feature. Saving is not necessary, changes take effect right away.

 - Show icon captions
   Toggles whether or not the caption (title) of an icon should be displayed
   next to it on the desktop.

 - Show icon program names
   If "Show icon captions" is enabled, you can choose to have the filename
   which the icon points to shown underneath the caption.

 - Confirm icon removal
   When enabled, Costa will prompt for confirmation before removing any icon
   on the desktop.

 - Confirm before exiting Costa
   If enabled you will be asked if you really want to exit Costa when you
   click the "Exit" button on the desktop.
