

                                 STSLib
                                 ======
                                 
                            SciTech  Software
                              23, Stag Leys
                                 Ashtead
                                 Surrey
                                KT21 2TD

                         Tel.: +44 (0372) 275775


STSLib is a commercial product. However, the linkable library is being 
distributed through public domain collections such as the Fish Disk 
series. Our intention is thus to bring programmers STSLib at a minimum 
cost, by removing overheads such as advertising.

To use STSLib in your own software (whether for your own use, public 
domain, shareware or commercial distribution) you must pay the licence 
fee of £20.00 sterling to SciTech Software. In addition to the right to 
use STSLib in your own software, this licence fee will get you a disk 
containing the latest version of STSLib, source code for STSLib and a 
printed and bound manual (>50 A5 pages) explaining the functions which 
STSLib supplies and how to use them.


Distribution Information
========================
You are encouraged to pass the Blink compatible library on to your 
friends, include it in public domain libraries, etc., subject to the 
following conditions:

o     You must charge no more than a nominal distribution/copying fee 
      (a maximum of £4.00 in the U.K.).

o     This file (STSLib.readme) must be included in the distribution.

o     If you are releasing your own public domain or shareware software 
      which uses STSLib, you must have paid the registration (licence) 
      fee to SciTech Software. You should also acknowledge SciTech 
      Software in the program and/or its accompanying documentation.

o     You must NOT distribute the documentation on the use of STSLib
      (which is only available if you have paid the licence fee) in any 
      form whatsoever.

o     You must NOT distribute the STSLib source code (which is only
      available if you have paid the licence fee).
      
o     The Blink library may not be distributed with a commercial product 
      unless you have gained prior permission from SciTech Software,
      although executables resulting from linking with STSLib may be
      distributed subject to the following condition.

o     Executables resulting from linking with STSLib may only be 
      distributed if you have paid the registration (licence) fee to 
      SciTech Software. You should also acknowledge SciTech Software in 
      the program and/or its accompanying documentation.

If you are not distributing your own public domain or shareware software 
with the Blink library, you are requested to distribute a program such 
as PrLabel from SciTech Software which uses STSLib.


Introduction - What is STSLib?
==============================
Utility software such as PowerWindows (PowerWindows is a trademark of 
InovaTronics, Inc.) allows the easy creation of screens, windows, gadgets 
and menus for the Amiga's Intuition (Amiga, AmigaDOS and Intuition are 
trademarks of Commodore-Amiga, Inc.) interface. However, these utilities 
create static structures which greatly increase the amount of source code 
which needs to be handled and creates large executables. In addition, at 
present none of these utilities support the 3D-look of AmigaDOS V2.0.

AmigaDOS V2.0 now supplies a library of routines known as `gadtools'. 
These routines allocate memory and create 3D-look gadgets using function 
calls rather than the programmer having to define static structures. 
However, programs written to use these functions are not compatible with 
Amigas running AmigaDOS V1.3 and programmers wishing to write code which 
will run on the widest range of machines must either ignore gadtools 
or write code conditional on the operating system version. In addition, 
the calls to gadtools routines are somewhat complex.

STSLib is similar to gadtools. It allocates space for gadgets and menus
supplying 3D-look AmigaDOS V2.0 style gadgets to programmers in a form 
which is compatible with both AmigaDOS V1.3 and V2.0.

STSLib is able to select pens intelligently for the top-left and 
bottom-right of gadgets such that the 3D-look will appear lit from the 
top left under the vast majority of screen colour combinations. 
AmigaDOS V2.04 gadtools performs badly in this respect, always selecting 
pen 2 for the top-left and pen 1 for the bottom-right.

Routines are available to build the check box, radio button and cycle 
gadgets found in gadtools as well as boolean, string, and slider gadgets.
Routines are also supplied to allocate and build Menu and MenuItem
structures. As with the gadtools routines, these take account of the font 
size being used for menus and correctly scale the menus to cope with 
large or small fonts. Another routine allows pairs of menu items or 
sub-items to be made mutually exclusive. Miscellaneous routines include 
those for creating windows, treating windows as requesters, creating 
IntuiText structures, drawing raised or depressed frames and freeing 
memory allocated by the other routines. Additionally, a replacement for 
AutoRequest() is supplied which produces a more attractive requester 
under V1.3.

The C calls used to create menus and gadgets are easier to use than those 
supplied with gadtools. This ease of use means that some of the 
flexibility of gadtools is missing in the supplied calls. However, since 
the gadgets and menus created are standard Intuition structures (unlike 
gadtools), they may be further modified by the programmer if required. 
Additionally, source code for the routines is available and the 
programmer may modify this to satisfy particular requirements.

STSLib V1.0 does not support the composite gadget types provided by 
gadtools. These include sliders with associated arrow gadgets and sliders 
which display a value.

The software is fully compatible with AmigaDOS V2.0, the enhanced chip set
and the Amiga A3000 as well as earlier machines and AmigaDOS V1.3

