Text Ticker v2.4
30 day trial. Single license $20. Go to the store and use the form for other quantities.
Text Ticker, a “scrolling banner” (“marquee” or “crawler”), scrolls the contents of a plain text file at the top or bottom of a monitor, or floating anywhere. The text appears in a so-called “appbar” which is similar to the Windows Taskbar and can be dragged to any position on the desktop. All settings (font, color, text file, etc.) are saved between sessions.
Any plain text file can be dropped on the ticker and the program will begin to scroll that file's contents. (Actually, any file at all can be used, but only plain text files are readable by humans!) A file can also be browsed for and loaded by selecting Load File on the menu. Text Ticker can also be started with a specific file by dropping the file on the Text Ticker application icon, or by setting up shortcuts with the filename as the only command line parameter. It also can be changed in the Options window.
Text files can also be retrieved from a web server (http:// or https://). This can be set in the File tab of the Options window, or by setting up shortcuts with the web address (URL) as the only command line parameter. The URL must begin with http:// or https://.
Left-clicking the tray icon alternately shows and hides the ticker. Double-clicking the ticker pauses the scrolling.
Multiple tickers can be run, each with its own file, speed, colors, etc. Each one acts independently. When you later start Text Ticker, the first one's settings will be used; if you start a second one, the second one's settings will be used, etc.
The popup menu is available by right-clicking either the ticker or the tray icon. When the ticker is hidden, only the tray icon gives access to the program. In this case, the menu only offers Restore, Help, About, and Exit. Select Options to open the Options window.
Text Ticker uses very little system resources and takes up little screen space, making it ideal for reminding yourself of encouraging words, help with memorization, watching a log file or any other text file that changes periodically.
Network deployment
A number of companies use Text Ticker to keep employees informed of the current status of call center queues, sales and stock information, or any other company news everyone needs to know. A locked version of Text Ticker is available which does not allow users to make any changes or close the program. Utilities to simplify network deployment are also available. Use the Contact form or email "TextTicker at SlashbackAssociates.com" for more information.Options window
Pause and all of the automated features are turned off while the options window is shown.Main tab
- Font can use any font installed on your system, including any size and color available. Note that some combinations may not work well. Some italic fonts do not scroll smoothly. In vertical mode, larger fonts, especially in certain color combinations, may flicker. This depends on machine speed and video card.
- Font Color gives you more precise control of the font color.
- Bar Color selects the main, or background, color of the ticker.
- Scroll the text horizontally or vertically one line at a time.
- Use a frame. The floating bar can only be sized when the frame is visible.
- Stay on top of other windows.
- Don't move icons and windows to accommodate the ticker.
- Display (or not) an icon in the Windows System Tray (next to the clock). If the tray icon is disabled, it will still show up if the ticker is hidden.
- Completely hide the ticker instead of minimize.
File tab
- Use a file from the internet.
- Type the URL of the web file (or copy and paste from a web browser).
- Use a local file. This can be any file Windows can access directly (local drives, mapped drives, network shares, etc.).
- The current local file is displayed in the box. You can type or paste in this box.
- Click Local File to browse for a file.
Lines tab
- Scroll the whole file or just the first or last part. Showing the first (or last) several lines makes a good log watcher.
- Number of lines to show.
- Comment character. Lines starting with this character will be ignored.
Scroll tab
- Horizontal
- Scroll Delay is how often, in milliseconds, the text moves.
- Scroll Distance is how many pixels the text moves at a time.
- Vertical
- Line Delay is how often a new line is scrolled up.
- Scroll Delay is how often, in milliseconds, the text moves.
- Scroll Distance is how many pixels the text moves at a time.
- Note that some combinations may not work well. In vertical mode, telling it to scroll the next line before the previous line has finished scrolling does not look pretty!
- Although Scroll Delay is in milliseconds, it is unlikely that current computers can actually render the changes that quickly.
Auto tab
- The automatic hide and show functions are useful when Auto Reload is used.
- Hide/minimize the ticker if a nonexistent file is attempted to be loaded.
- Hide/minimize the ticker if the file loaded is empty.
- Hide/minimize the ticker after so many seconds.
- Auto Reload will check to see if the file has a new timestamp, and if so, reload it.
- If the ticker is hidden/minimized, show it when the file content changes.
- If the ticker is minimized (not hidden) on a screen edge, show it when the mouse moves to that edge.
- Continue scrolling so many seconds after pausing.
Logo tab
- Select Use Logo to display a logo (picture file) on the edge of the ticker.
- Click Logo File to set the picture file for the logo. Any jpg, bmp, ico, emf, or wmf file can be used.
- Show the logo on the left or right edge.
- The current correct height for the logo is shown. Create your logo image file in a graphics program to make sure it looks its best.
Sound tab
- Sound is an auto feature but is on its own tab due to size constraints.
- Play a sound when the file changes.
- Click Sound File to set the sound file to play. Any wav file can be used.
Settings tab
- Save settings in the registry or an .ini file.
- Save settings for yourself only or for all users of the computer.
- Run Text Ticker when Windows starts for yourself only or for all users of the computer.
Suggestion are always welcome.
Please include the product name in the subject line of any email.
Use the Contact form or
email "TextTicker at SlashbackAssociates.com".
Credits
Text Ticker was developed using:Delphi,
Appbar component from Eric Janssen,
Marquee component from DithoSoft Software Solutions,
and code from 1000 places on the internet.
Distribution package created with Inno Setup.
History
Version 2.4added read file from internet
added store settings in .ini file
added all users/current user only
added comment character for lines
added logo height information
added hide instead of minimize
added do not adjust desktop
added show ticker on mouse move to edge
removed stay on top of fullscreen apps (not reliable)
Version 2.2
locked version available
added start with Windows on/off
works on any desktop monitor
added floating bar
now drag ticker into desired position
added stay on top on/off
added stay on top of fullscreen apps
added frame on/off
added play sound on file change
added hide after a certain time has elapsed
added unpause after a certain time has elapsed
reworked options (rearranged and fixed some odd behavior)
fixed file read bug if another program "owned" the file
fixed logo not always showing up at startup
Version 2.0
added logo
added (centered) vertical scrolling
added hide if file empty
added hide if file missing
added show if hidden on file change
small changes for unlikely situations
rewrite of options
Version 1.6
added showing n lines from top or bottom of file
Version 1.5
special build with no options and cannot be closed
Version 1.4.2
corrected always starting bold
added saving italic
Version 1.4
added multiple tickers
can start with file by dropping on executable or via shortcut parameter
Version 1.2
added auto-reload option
moved all options to the options window
Version 1.0
couldn't find one, so wrote it
