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- *==========================================================================*
- || ||
- || AlarmingClock © 1993 by Brian G. Neal ||
- || ||
- || THIS PROGRAM IS COPYRIGHT 1992 BY BRIAN G. NEAL. ||
- || PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING LEGAL MUSH ||
- || ||
- || Permission is hereby granted to distribute this program's ||
- || executable and documentation for non-commercial purposes, so long as ||
- || the executable and documentation are not modified in any way. ||
- || This program may not be distributed for a profit without the express ||
- || written consent of the author Brian G. Neal. ||
- || ||
- || This program is not in the public domain. ||
- || ||
- || Fred Fish is expressly granted permission to distribute this program's ||
- || executable and documentation as part of the "Fred Fish freely ||
- || redistributable Amiga software library." ||
- || ||
- *==========================================================================*
-
- AlarmingClock is another fine product brought to you by Brian Neal of
- Xarxas Technologies. Please also try StarBlank, the screen blanker
- commodity that shows a moving star field.
-
- AlarmingClock 2.5 Documentation - March 27, 1993
-
- WHAT IS IT?
- ===========
-
- AlarmingClock is an alarm clock program that plays IFF 8SVX sound files
- for the alarm. It runs from the Workbench or the shell. It features an
- easy to use gadget interface and even a snooze button! AlarmingClock can
- also open up on a public screen, use the asl file requester, and has many
- startup options.
-
- REQUIREMENTS
- ============
-
- You need an Amiga running (at least?) release 2 of the operating system.
- You also need a few of your favorite IFF 8SVX sampled sound files.
-
- HOW TO RUN
- ==========
-
- From the shell you start AlarmingClock by using the following syntax:
-
- aclock SOUND,ALARM/N,LEFT/N,TOP/N,SNOOZE/N,24HOUR/S,PUBSCREEN/K,
- FLASH/K,CHIME/K
-
- See your Amiga documentation for the meaning of the notation (its quite
- easy, actually). Note that with version 2.3, the sound argument is no
- longer required. If it is missing AlarmingClock will open the system
- file requester for you. Explanation below, but here are some examples:
-
- aclock work:sounds/fx/boom.snd
- aclock kapow.8svx 1300
- aclock kablam.iff ALARM=1300 SNOOZE 2
- aclock bang.snd 730 0 0 10 24hour
- aclock sound bang.snd left 0 TOP 0 snooze 10 24HOUR
- aclock music:fx/prong.snd PUBSCREEN MegaCommScreen
- aclock top 0 left=200 24hour alarm 800
- aclock sounds:pow.iff flash=NO chime=hour
-
-
- If you want to put AlarmingClock in your S:User-Startup file, make sure
- you start it with:
-
- run aclock <NIL: >NIL: ....
-
- so the initial shell window will close.
-
- From the Workbench, simply double click the aclock icon. The following
- tool types are supported.
-
- SOUND=soundfile
- ALARM=alarmtime
- LEFT=x
- TOP=y
- SNOOZE=snoozetime
- 24HOUR
- PUBSCREEN=pubscreenname
- FLASH=yes_or_no
- CHIME=chime_type
- DONOTWAIT
-
- Here is an explanation of the parameters for both shell and Workbench
- use.
-
- SOUND=name This is the optional name of the IFF 8SVX sound file
-
- ALARM=dddd This is optional time you want the alarm to go off, given in
- 24 hour notation. E.g. 1910
-
- LEFT=n The optional initial left edge of AlarmingClock's window
-
- TOP=n The optional initial top edge of AlarmingClock's window
-
- SNOOZE=n The optional time you defer the alarm when hitting the snooze
- button. If not present, the default is 5 minutes.
-
- 24HOUR If present AlarmingClock will startup in 24 hr. mode. The
- default is 12 hr. mode.
-
- PUBSCREEN=name The optional name of the public screen to open on.
- Defaults to Workbench.
-
- FLASH=answer If this is not NO, AlarmingClock will flash all screens when
- the alarm goes off. I added this option because Workbench 2.1
- can play a sound when a screen is flashed, and I did not
- like both sounds playing simultaneously. The default is YES.
-
- CHIME=type Valid choices are NO, SINGLE, or HOUR. A SINGLE chime means
- AlarmingClock will play your sound once at the beginning of
- every hour. A HOUR chime means that AlarmingClock will play
- your sound n times if it's n o'clock. A choice of NO disables
- the chime feature. Of course, you can have both a chime and
- the alarm set simultaneously. The default chime type is NO.
-
- DONOTWAIT This is a tool type only. If you put AlarmingClock in your
- WBStartup drawer have this tool type present so the initial
- shell window will close.
-
- HOW TO USE
- ==========
-
- If you start AlarmingClock with no sound filename, it will open the
- system file requester. Use the requester to select your IFF 8SVX sound
- file. Next, AlarmingClock will present a small window (just a title
- bar actually) displaying the time. To access the control panel, click the
- right mouse button when the window is active. I hope that the operation is
- painfully obvious from here. The current time is displayed in the recessed
- area marked "Current", the alarm time is displayed in the area marked
- "Alarm". Change the alarm time with the sliders. Change between 12 & 24
- hr. mode with the cycle gadget. Hit "Test" to hear the alarm sound file.
- The "Alarm Set" gadget sets/unsets the alarm. The ZZZ gadget is the snooze
- button. When the alarm is ringing this gadget will become available.
- Clicking it turns off the alarm and advances the alarm time by the amount
- you specified with the SNOOZE parameter (default is 5 minutes). Click the
- right mouse button at any time to return to the smaller time only display.
-
- The Chime gadget controls AlarmingClock's hourly chime feature. See
- the above explanation of the CHIME tool type/argument.
-
- CAVEATS
- =======
-
- This program was developed on an Amiga 3000 running 2.1. I would
- appreciate any feedback on how AlarmingClock performs (or not performs)
- on the newer machines and under 3.0.
-
- A CAUTIONARY NOTE ON MULTITASKING
- =================================
-
- The Amiga (currently, fingers crossed) has 4 audio channels. Thus
- in a multitasking environment these can become scarce resources. Programs
- must be written to share these channels to make the user happy. Sharing
- is a 2 way street. I think that AlarmingClock will live up to its side
- of the bargain. It only allocates a channel when it needs to play the
- alarm, plays it, then releases the channel. If your system crashes or
- AlarmingClock doesn't play the alarm, chances are you are also running an
- audio hog program. Such programs typically write directly to the hardware
- or lock all 4 channels. I do know that Marc Espie followed the rules, and
- his wonderful module player Experiment IV will coexist peacefully with
- AlarmingClock. EDPlayer seems to lock out AlarmingClock.
- I haven't tried it with any other module players.
-
- DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERSION 2.5 AND 2.4
- =======================================
-
- - Better job of keeping the title bar trash free.
- - FLASH argument added.
- - Chime feature added.
-
- DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERSION 2.4 AND 2.3
- =======================================
-
- - Version 2.4 now uses iffparse.library to read and parse sounds.
- - AlarmingClock can now handle sound files compressed with the
- Fibonacci-Delta compression algorithm (do any of these exist?).
- - Bug squashed relating to determining PAL or NTSC machine type.
-
- DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERSION 2.3 AND 2.2
- =======================================
-
- Version 2.3 no longer requires you to supply the name of the alarm
- file. If it is not given, AlarmingClock will open the system file
- requester and let you choose one that way.
- AlarmingClock will now exit when it receives a CTRL-C.
-
- EPILOGUE
- ========
-
- Thanks for using AlarmingClock. Please send me any comments, flames,
- bug reports, suggestions, misplaying sound files, etc. This program
- was written for fun, but donations will not be turned away :^). They
- will also encourage me to implement your suggestions! I hope you enjoy
- this program!
-
- Thanks go to:
-
- - Dan Kline for suggesting the hourly chime.
- - Terry Austin for beta testing and sending me sounds!
- - Charles Wuethrich for suggesting the snooze button (good one!)
- - Fred Fish for publishing a *VERY* crude and young version
- of this program. Thanks also for the great software library.
- - The Amiga software engineers
-
- Please, someone design a better icon!
-
- Brian Neal
- 106 Mabel Court Apt. D
- Morris, IL 60450
- USA
-
- GEnie: B.NEAL2
-