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Text File | 1991-10-22 | 27KB | 644 lines

kd_freq.library 2.00 File Requester User Documentation --------------------------------- By: Khalid Aldoseri -------------------- A File Requester is used to select a file name from the existing files on a system, or to enter a new file name. This file requester (FR) supports all normal features in a FR plus a lot of special features as desribed below. File Requester Features: 1. Path Gadget: (string gadget at top of window) This contains the path to the currently displayed directory. You can enter any directory name directly into it if you like by clicking in it and editing the text there. Notes: If you insert a disk into a drive that has been selected in the Path gadget the disk's directory will automatically be read and displayed. If the current disk is removed from the drive, the FR will clear the file list and bring up the device name (not the old disk name) in the Path gadget. This means that you can take a disk out of the drive and insert a new one and the FR will keep up with you if the current device is the one that you are using. This only works for devices DF0: to DF3:. If the user enters the name of an actual file into the Path gadget, then the name will be split into its path and filename components and handled accordingly. 2. File Gadget: (string gadget below File List) This contains the currently selected file. You can manually edit the filename by clicking in it and editing the text. It also supports several features. Read the Keyboard Control section for more about this. 3. File List: (set of gadgets that display the file list) To select any file just click on it once and it will show up in the File gadget, unless the entry you clicked on was a directory, in which case the FR will automatically display the directory selected. The display format is: test.file * 11381 09-Dec-89 11:50 ----rwed | | | | | | filename | size date time protection filenote bits marker If the file entry is a directory, it will be displayed in a different color and it will display '-dir-' instead of the file size. The actual data displayed depends on the size of the window, refer to the section on 'Resize Gadget' for details. Double-clicking on a file name will simulate the OK gadget. If the entry has a filenote marker, then that file has a comment (or file note). To see this comment, click on that entry and the comment will be displayed in its place in the file list. To remove the note from the display just click on the prop gadget. Clicking the right mouse button while the pointer is on the file list area will cycle through one of three modes: a. Normal mode: File list shows the selected directory. b. Device list: File list shows the currently mounted devices by volume name. c. Assign list: File list shows all assigns. ! If you return to the Normal mode by clicking several times, then the directory displayed previously will show up immediately. Note that if you had toggled the mode before the directory was completely read in by the FR, it will not be complete when you get back to it. 4. OK Gadget: (bottom left of window) Click on this gadget when you're happy with the directory/filename you have selected. This tells the calling program that you accept these selections. Hitting the TAB key also has the same effect. 5. Cancel Gadget: (bottom right of window) This cancels the file requester and aborts the filename selection. Hitting the 'Esc' key also has the same effect. 6. Close Window Gadget: (standard close window gadget) Does the same as 'Cancel Gadget'. 7. Show Wildcard Gadget: (string gadget below Path gadget) The pattern entered in this gadget controls what files are displayed in the File List. This take a standard AmigaDOS wildcard pattern and applies it to the file list as files are being read from the device. This defaults to '#?'. Supported wildcards in pattern: 1. Standard AmigaDOS Wildcards: -------------------------------- ? Matches any single character #p Match any number of occurences of the pattern p % Matches the null string () Make a group of characters into a single pattern | The OR operator ' Disable wildcard interpretation of next character (unless it is an extended wildcard as shown below.) 2. Extended Wildcards: ----------------------- These are wildcards not supported by the standard AmigaDOS convention, but expand it to make it more versatile. 'd Matches any single digit. (0 to 9) 'a Matches any single alpha character. (a to z) 'n Matches any single alphanumeric character. For examples of standard wildcard usage, look up any AmigaDOS tutorial book. Examples of extended wildcards: Pattern Matching possibilities ------- ---------------------- test'n test0, test1, test9, testa, testA, testz, testZ test'd test0, test1, test9 test'a testa, testA, testz, testZ test 'd test 1, test 2, test 9 test#'d test1, test100, test10234 #'a#'d a1, ab12, abc1, abc123, adks34234 (matches any string with some or no alpha characters, then some or no digits.) #'a'd#'d.c a1.c, a203.c, 100.c, 1.c, adsdfs931234.c (matches any string that starts with some or no alpha characters, then at least 1 or more digits, and ends with .c) ! Note: You can use the '*' instead of '#?'. It will be automatically expanded into '#?'. 8. Hide Wildcard Gadget: (string gadget to the right of Show gadget) ! The wildcard pattern in this gadget controls what files _not_ to show in the File List. All the above information on wildcard patterns apply here as well. 9. Scroll Up: (up-arrow above the proportional gadget) This scrolls the file list up at a slow speed if you click it with the left mouse button, or it will scroll the file list down if you click it with the right mouse button. If you hold down both buttons at the same time, the right button will take priority. 10. Scroll Down: (down-arrow below the proportional gadget) Same as above expect that it moves the list a lot faster and the mouse button directions are reversed. 11. Prop Gadget: (proportional gadget across the center of the window) This gadget represents the position of the currently displayed files in the File List in relation to the total files in the selected directory. You can move around the list by holding down the Prop Gadget with the left mouse button and moving the gadget up and down. If you click the right mouse button over the Prop gadget it will move to the top of the file list, unless it is already at the top in which case it will move to the bottom of the list. 12. Parent: (up-arrow to the left of the Path string gadget) If you click on this gadget with the left mouse button, the FR will display the parent of the current directory, if there is one. If you click on it with the right button, it will display the root directory of the currently selected device. 13. Disk Gadgets: (set of disk icons across the left of the window) These are disk icons that represent the currently mounted storage devices in the system. If you click on any disk icon with the left mouse button the root directory of the selected device will be displayed. You can scroll through the mounted disk list via the 'Disk Scroll Up' and 'Disk Scroll Down' arrow gadgets. If you click on the right mouse button over any disk icon, you will get info about the device displayed in the file list area. The file list is not erased from memory, you just have to click on the prop gadget or the up or down scroll gadgets and the file list will reappear. Note: If there isn't enough space to display 4 lines in the file list area, this function will not work. 14. Disk Scroll Up: (up-arrow in the top left-hand corner) This scrolls the list of 'mounted disks' up. It only works if the number of available devices is too big to fit in the current window. 15. Disk Scroll Down: (down-arrow in the top left-hand corner) Same as above, but scrolls the list down. 16. Resize Gadget: (bottom 5 lines across window) The FR is resizable by the user. The resize gadget is marked by a tiny arrow in the bottom-right corner, but it actually occupies the bottom 5 lines across the window. Just click there and resize the window. The whole requester will resize accordingly. Resizing the window horizontally will make space for more info about the file to be display. This is based on the following method: The FR checks to see the longest file name in the list and it fits in whatever extra data it can starting from the file date, file time and finally protection bits. 17. Next Directory: (gadget with 'Next' in it, left top corner) The Next Directory gadget stores the current directory and all its files into a temporary buffer and will then provide you with a new work buffer to use. You can then go back to that old directory immediately by clicking on the Next gadget until you get back to it. The directory is displayed immediately and does not have to be read back again from the drive. This can be repeated for upto 5 diretories stored at the same time. When you use the 'Next' gadget, the current buffer # is displayed at the bottom of the FR. If the buffer is a new one, it will display "Buffer # x (empty)". The following data is stored in each buffer: - The full path name of the directory. - All the files in the directory along with their sizes, date, time and protection settings. - The number of files and directories in the directory. - The position where the scroll bar was in. (This means that when you return to a directory, the file list will be exactly where you left it.) - The current filename in the File gadget. 18. Preset Resize Gadgets: (3 small box gadgets left of 'Scroll Down Gadget') These gadgets immediately resize the FR to small, normal, and full screen respectively from left to right. This action will also automatically center the FR in the screen. If the FR is already at the requested size, then this request will be ignored. 19. No .info Gadget: (small box with 'I' in it, above 'Cancel' gadget) If the No .info Gadget is active, it will have two lines drawn diagonally across it. This tells the FR not to display files ending with '.info' in the file list. This gadget is actually a toggle switch. 20. Reset Path Gadget: (the 'Path' text) ! Clicking on the Path: text will restore the path and file gadgets' contents to what they were when the FR came up. 21. Reset Wildcard Gadget: (the 'Show' text) ! Clicking on the 'Show' text will reset the wildcard pattern to "#?". 22. Print Gadget: (below Device Arrow gadget, marked 'Prt) ! Clicking on this gadget will print the current directory. Read 'Other Features' below for more details. 23. Help Gadget: (below Next gadget, marked 'Help') ! Clicking on this gadget will bring up a screen displaying a help message. Read the 'Help' section below for more details. Notes: - The FR stays 'live' while reading the directory, i.e. you can abort the directory read at any time by selecting a new directory. You can also scroll through the file list or resize the window and the FR will keep on reading the directory. - Each buffer used allocates memory in 2k chunks as it needs them. Average memory usage is 70 files for a 2k buffer. The only limit to number of files per directory is available memory. If the FR runs out of memory, it will inform the user that the directory was truncated. - The FR will always try to come back up where it was previously, and in the same size. If it can't do that, it will move/resize to attempt to be as close as possible to what it was. - The ':' (colons) in the 'Files: nnn Dirs: nnn' display do not appear ! while the directory is being read. When they show up, that means that the FR is done reading in the directory. - Error Messages: If the FR cannot access a device, it will report one of the following errors: - No disk in drive. (drive empty) - Not a DOS Disk. (bad or kickstart disk) - Can't find Path. (bad device or directory name) - Output Device. (device selected is not a disk.) - DOS Error: xxx. (where xxx is the DOS error number.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ! EXTENDED SELECT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extended Select allows you to select more than one file under a single directory. This is only available to the user if the calling program enables the ES (extended select) mode. In this mode, there are several ways to select a file: (In all cases, the file itself is shown in inverted video on the screen to show that it is selected) 1. Clicking on a file (from the file list) while holding down one of the shift keys on the keyboard. (Shift-click) 2. Keyboard methods: a. Wildcard Extended Select. b. Cursor Left Key. c. Alt-Left Cursor and Shift-Left Cursor. Read the Keyboard Control section for details on usage. If there is one or more selected files, the number of files selected will be shown at the bottom of the file list. Note: The selected file list is not the same as the currently selected file (the one in the File gadget.) The calling program can (if it so wishes) differenciate between the two types of files. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ! KEYBOARD CONTROL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- All functions of the file requesters can be controlled via the keyboard. The following is a description of all the keyboard functions: 1) The Return Key: ------------------ - Hitting the return key on the File string gadget or when no gadget is active OK's the file requester. - Hitting alt-return calls up Auto-Complete: Auto-Complete: If you type the first few characters of a file name and hit alt-return, the first matching filename from the file list will be used to complete the filename in the File gadget. - Hitting control-return in Extended Select mode is active will call up Wildcard Extended Select. Wildcard Extended Select: You can select multiple files by entering a valid wildcard pattern in the File string gadget and hitting Control-Return. This will select all the files in the file list that match the pattern. For Example: #?.c will highlight all files that end with .c - Hitting Shift-Return will activate the File gadget or Path gadget alternatively. The cursor is positioned at the end of the current text in the gadget. 2) The Cursor Up/Down Keys: --------------------------- - Cursor Up and Down move a marker that points to a file in the file list. The file list is paged through as the cursor goes off the window either at the top or bottom. The file name the marker points to is copied into the File Gadget (unless it is a directory, in which case it is ignored) - Shift Cursor Up/Down do the same as the above except that they scroll the list a 'page' at a time. - Alt Cursor Up/Down move the marker to the top or bottom of the file list. 3) The Cursor Left Key: ------------------------ - Changes the display to the parent of the current directory. Note: The Parent function (whether called from the keyboard or the mouse) brings up the 'Storage Device List' if the Path was already at the root of a device. Using the Parent function again after that will bring up the 'Logical Device List'. 4) The Cursor Right Key: ----------------------- - Cursor Right selects the file or directory that the marker points to. If it is a directory, then that directory is displayed. If it is a file, and Extended Select mode is active, then the file is toggled between selected and not-selected. - Alt-Cursor Right clears all selected files. (in Extended Select mode) - Shift-Cursor Right selects all files. (in Extended Select mode) 5) Control-Cursor Keys: ----------------------- - Control-Cursor (left, right, up or down): Resizes the window in the direction selected by 24 pixels. - Control-Alt-Cursor (left, right, up or down): Resizes the window in the direction selected all the way to the limit of the screen or the minimum window height/width size possible. - Control-Shift-Cursor (left, right, up or down): Moves the window in the direction selected by 24 pixels. 6) Function Keys: ----------------- Normal: F1 Help about gadget/item under pointer F2 Toggle 'File List/Device List/Assign List' F3 Go to next device from disk list F4 Go to Root Directory F5 Go to Parent Directory F6 Restore startup directory and file name F7 Next Buffer F8 Toggle 'Show Info Files' on/off F9 Display info about current device F10 Create Directory Shifted: F1 Display Keyboard Help Screen F2 (unused) F3 (unused) F4 Print Current Directory F5 Reset wildcard pattern to "#?" F6 Tiny size F7 Medium size F8 Full screen size F9 Scroll Device List Up F10 Scroll Device List Down 7) File Gadget Activation: -------------------------- - Hitting any alphanumeric key when no string gadget is active appends the key to the File string gadget and activates it. - Hitting the DELETE key when no string gadget is active clears the File string gadget and activates it. Hitting the Right Amiga-x key clears the File gadget without activating it. - Hitting the TAB key will just activate the File gadget. - Hitting the BACKSPACE key when no string gadget is active deletes the last character in the File string gadget and activates it. - If the FR is reading the directory, it will not activate the File gadget but you can still type into it and edit it using any alphanumeric character or any of the above keys. 8) Other Keys: -------------- - Escape Key: Cancel Requester. - HELP Key : Displays a help message. Examples Of Keyboard Usage: --------------------------- - Selecting a specific file from the current directory: a. Using the Cursor up/down keys, move the marker until you find the file, and hit return. b. Type the first few letters of the file name, then hit alt-return. If the file that shows up is the one you want, then hit return. Otherwise, use the cursor up/down keys to track it down. - To display a subdirectory: - Using the Cursor up/down keys, move the marker until you find the directory, and hit the cursor left key. - To display a directory's parent: - Hit the cursor right key. - To display a different device: a. Hit F2 to display the Device List, then use the cursor keys to select the device. Hit the left cursor key to select that device. b. Hit the right cursor key multiple times until you get the Device List. (then same as above.) c. Hit F3 until the device you want shows up in the Path gadget. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ! FILE FINDER ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- File Finder searches through all your devices for a file or directory that matches a wildcard pattern. It is based on a program called 'Find' by Larry Phillips and uses Find's data file. As such, you have to have Find before you can use this facility. The Find package is included in its own arc file. You should follow Find's documentation and try it out before trying to use the FR's File Finder. To invoke the File Finder, type a valid wildcard pattern (or just a filename) into the File string gadget and then hit shift-alt-return. The file list will go blank and you will see a counter showing how many files/directories have been found so far. (As of this version, you cannot abort this search.) Once the search is complete, you will see a list of files/directories in the file list. The complete path to each is displayed in the file list. To select a file, just move the marker to it and hit return, or click on it. If you need to see the directory itself, either click on the entry or move the marker to it and hit the cursor left button. Notes: - File Finder is only effective when you have a hard disk. - This mode requires that a file called "FindDB:find.codes" exists. If it doesn't, then it won't operate. This file is generated by a program called "UpdateDB" which is part of the Find package. - Using a wildcard like "test#?" is fairly fast, while "#?test" is slower because of the nature of the pattern matching logic. - There is a maximum limit of 200 matches. You will be informed if the search is aborted because of too many matches. You can then use a more precise pattern. E.g. if you use "inf#?" and you get too many matches, you might then use "inform#?". - The Extended Select mode does not operate in the Find List mode. - CED Pro uses the right alt/right shift/return combination to invoke the editor. If you have CED Pro running, you should use the left alt/left shift/return combination instead. (both work when CED Pro is not running) - Many many thanks to Larry for allowing me to use Find. and: FIND, Copyright © 1989, by Larry Phillips. You will need the Find package. It is included in this package as Find.LZH (it contains 3 files, Find, Find.DOC and UpdateDB) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ! HELP FACILITY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The FR supports two methods of online help. The first is pointer-relative. All you need to do is move the pointer on top of something in the FR's window and hit the F1 key. As long as you hold down the F1 key you will see a help message telling you what the right mouse button and the left mouse button do in this position. e.g. 'L: do this' 'R: do that' in this case the left button will 'do this' and the right button will 'do that.' If only one entry is shown, then it relates to the left button. The second method just displays a screen that summarizes all the available keyboard commands. To call this up, hit the Shift-F1 key and you will get that screen. You can then hit any key to get back to the FR. You can also access this via the Help gadget. Just click on the Help gadget and the Help screen will show up. Let go of the mouse button and the FR will return. If you hit the HELP key, you will get a message telling you to use either F1 or Shift-F1. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ! OTHER FEATURES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Create Directory: ----------------- To create a directory, enter its name into the Path gadget and hit return. If that directory doesn't already exist, the FR will inform you of that and also asks you to "Hit F10 to create it." If it can't create the directory, it will complain. Hitting F10 on an existing directory has no effect. Note: The new directory requested must have a valid parent. If it doesn't, the FR will tell you that it can't create the directory. Print Directory: ---------------- To get a hard copy of the currently displayed directory onto the printer, click on the 'Prt' gadget or hit the Shift-F4 key. The printout will be sent to the currently selected printer in Preferences. If the printer is busy, the FR will complain and abort the print. (output is sent to PRT:) This function recognizes if the printer is not available and complains instead of just waiting around for it. It recognizes the following cases: printer offline, printer off, paper out, printer not selected. File Requester Look: -------------------- The FR has two different looks. One is the standard look that is designed for a normal screen. The second look is designed to match the look that Workbench 2.0 uses and is almost identical to it. The FR automatically detects if it is running under 2.0 and will switch to that look. The second look trait is the file list. It can be normal or inverted. This is intended to create a visual difference for two difference functions, like normal for load, and inverted for save. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For previous users of version 1.00: - All items marked with a '!' are new for version 2.00. - To update to version 2.00 you need to copy the kd_freq.library file into your LIBS: directory, replacing the old one. - Delete the old Bypass_ARP program and put FR_Bypass into C: instead. - Put the following line into your startup-sequence: FR_Bypass - FR_Bypass detaches so it doesn't need to be 'run'. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Please send any comments, suggestions, bug reports, etc. to me either on Compuserve (75166,2531) or to: /-------------------\ | Khalid Aldoseri | | P.O. Box 3300 | | Manama, Bahrain. | | Fax: (973) 694777 | \-------------------/ Copyright 1990 Khalid Aldoseri. 19 July 1990.