To tailor the UnitedChart clients, various environments options are provided. There are two ways to set environment options:

Environment variables
Environment variables are kept by the operating system. To set an environment variable on non-NT Windows systems, edit the autoexec.bat and add lines of the form set VAR=setting, then reboot the PC. On Windows NT the environment variables are set with the user administration tool. Example: set BANANA=yellow

File environment
Environment settings also can be placed in the file ls.env located in the base directory of the system. Unlike environment variables, which operate on a single PC, the file environment works on all computers using the system. To set the file environment, edit the file ls.env and add lines of the form VAR=setting (the initial set is not needed). The changes do not take effect until the software is restarted. Lines beginning with ;, # or // are considered comments. Example: BANANA=yellow

Precedence
If an environment option is set using both methods, then the environment variable takes precedence over the file environment (with exceptions). This allows overriding of the global setting on specific PCs.

Available Environment Options

• BMSHAUTO - Auto start schedule after GUI client login.
  BMSHAUTO=y
• BMSHCGI - The UnitedChart GUI client can perform searches across LANs or the internet. Use the BMSHCGI environment variable to identify the location of the remote system. The reference must contain an ip/domain, cgi alias, and program name. Using an address will probably operate faster than using a domain name, due to DNS lookup to find the IP address.
  BMSHCGI=http://207.98.249.101/h/x
• BMSHDOCTOR - Schedule default doctor
  BMSHDOCTOR=dr1234567
• BMSHORTNAME - The short name helps identify the system being accessed. This is especially useful in distiguishing local and internet searches.
  BMSHORTNAME=Elbow Clinic
• BMSYSDIR - The recommended method for starting programs is to set the current directory to the base directory of a system. This environment variable identifies where the system is located so the program can be started from any directory. This setting can be used only as an environment variable, not a file environment setting.
  BMSYSDIR=c:\mdsoft
• CLINBRANDNAME - Use this environment setting to capitalize medicine brand names in the clinical window (patient chart).
  CLINBRANDNAME=cap
• CLINSIZE - Use this environment setting to control the size of the clinical window (patient chart). Use "max" to have the window use the entire screen. Use a number to set the height of the window in rows. This setting overrides the same setting found in system configuration.
  CLINSIZE=max
• LSAREALOCAL - The local area code is where the system is located. When formatting phone numbers for display, the phone number's area code is dropped if it matches the local area code.
  LSAREALOCAL=205
• LSEXIT - Use the quick option to have the GUI client shutdown after clicking exit, rather than displaying a confirmation window.
  LSEXIT=quick
• LSFAX - Number or id of the fax printer configuration entry. The printer configuration list is managed using setup. LSFAX=7
• LSICONS - By default the program displays icons to minimize the need for users to read buttons. Users coming from the DOS environment have requested that the icons be suppressed. Use 0, N, or n to suppress icons.
  LSICONS=n
• LSLABEL - Number or id of the label printer configuration entry. The printer configuration list is managed using setup. LSLABEL=10
• LSLASERBIN - Sets station to print to either tray, 1 or 2. For laser printers with mailboxes/bins use the bin number, 1 to 11. LSLASERBIN=2
• LSMSVIEW - Path to Microsoft Word document viewer, a utility that views but cannot edit documents. This option is set during installation.
  LSMSVIEW=c:\apps\ms\wdview71\wordview.exe
• LSMSWORD - Path to Microsoft Word. This option is set during installation.
  LSMSWORD=c:\apps\ms\office95\winword\winword.exe
• LSPAGE - Number or id of the page printer configuration entry. The printer configuration list is managed using setup. LSPAGE=1
• LSQUICKVIEW - Path and options to QuickView viewer program used to display Word documents and image files. This option is set during installation.
  LSQUICKVIEW=c:\apps\util\qv\program\qvp32.exe -dt -ds
• LSWINDOW - By default the GUI client uses cascading windows. Each successive window starts one row lower and slightly to the right, with exceptions, so that the stacked title bars give context to the current program position. Users coming from the DOS environment have requested that each successive window covers the previous window (with exceptions). The rep option provides this functionality.
  LSWINDOW=rep
• SHACCESS - On the access window the cursor is normally placed in the vertical list containing the day's appointments (with exceptions). Use the SHACCESS to override this functionality causing the focus to initially appear in the patient search keywords field.
  SHACCESS=key

Notes
Environment variables are supported on most operating systems. The file environment is supported on all operating systems. The Windows registry only works on computers running Microsoft Windows, is workstation not server based, and is extremely hard for users to modify. Due to lack of portability, its proprietary nature, complexity, and end user punishment, the Windows registry is not used.