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Amiga Format 50
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af050sub.adf
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Menu_System
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README.DOC
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README.DOC
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1993-06-25
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15KB
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333 lines
Menu System Version 5.00A And 5.00B
By Samuel Colak
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This program is SHAREWARE And Was Written Using AMOS PROFESSIONAL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contribution
This program has been classified as SHAREWARE. If you find this program
of use then I would appreciate a samll contribution of say five quid.
Doing so will result in continuous TECHNICAL SUPPORT and free upgrades
when they come available.
Files
The following files accompany MSYS and may be removed from circulation
if you need more disk space.
SYS (dir)
MSYSA
MSYSB
README.DOC
SOURCE.DOC
SOURCE_MSYSA.AMOS
SOURCE_MSYSB.AMOS
These files must be placed in the relevant directorys otherwise MSYS
may not work.
* C (Dir)
* Run
* Execute
* Fonts (Dir)
* Peridot.Font
* Peridot (Dir)
* 7
* Libs (Dir)
* Diskfont.Library
What Does It Do?
Menu System is a control program which has been written to allow users
to load files directly form the disk rather than go through the laborious
tasks of loading workbench etc. ALSO this program only takes up a couple of
files and so memory is saved on your disks.
As a request by floppy users, I have included another version of
MENU SYSTEM which is slightly smaller in size. This however means that this
version lacks the editor. HARD DRIVE users will not find this of any use
however it may save valuable disk space.
The difference between both versions is the lettering after the version
number. If it reads `A` then this version includes the editor otherwise the
editor has been removed.
Operating System
This program is compatible with all versions of the AMIGA and has been
tested on the following versions of KICKSTART.
V1.3.4 [A500]
V1.3.5 [A500]
V2.0 [A500 Plus]
V3.0 [A1200 AND A4000]
Credits
The following people have aided in the development of this package:-
Bob Briggs - BETA TESTING And IDEAS
Matthew Colak - DOCUMENTATION And BETA TESTING
Giles Middleton - BETA TESTING
June Hudson - BETA TESTING
Loading
To load this program enter the CLI and type `MSYSA` or `MSYSB` followed
by return. (Read Documentation further for distinction)
If the program has found all the files it requires, the program should
boot and present itself to you with the credit screen. If not then please
read the section of this document entitled PROBLEMS. Pressing the LEFT MOUSE
button will move you into the menu editor.
The Interface
After loading MENU SYSTEM, the program should present you with a screen
divided into 83 buttons. These are arranged in 20 rows of 4 and with 3 at
the bottom.
Please note that `MSYSB` does not included the Editor Or Prefs Options
which are included in `MSYSA` due to memory limitations.
If you click on a couple of buttons from the 20 rows you should notice
that these will invert themselves and then return to their original state
after you release the mouse button. Clicking like this when one of the
bottom three read `EXEC` will cause the appropriate button to be executed.
By pressing the button labelled `QUIT` MENU SYSTEM will automatically close
and release the memory to the computer.
The Editor - [Only Available In `MSYSA`]
The Editor forms the most powerful section of MENU SYSTEM. To enter this
you must click on the button labelled `EXEC`. Doing this should change the
word inside to `EDIT` signifying that you are now in the Editor mode.
After this has been done, click on one of the buttons above the set of
three. Once you have done this the editor screen should appear infront of
you.
This screen is divided into 2 areas. In the top halve you will find
buttons.
RUN... This button is cyclic ie if you click on this button the word
inside will change but will eventually return back to RUN.
These words symbolise the function which will be carried out
when you click on the button. These are listed below:-
RUN - This is the equivelent to typing the following command
directly into the CLI.
RUN <NIL: >NIL: Filename
This will execute the file whose filename is held in the
region next to the button labelled `FILENAME`.
EXECUTE - This is similar to the RUN command except that the
command sent to the CLI is :-
EXECUTE Filename
This is especially useful when creating a button which
needs to execute a shell script file such as the
WORKBENCH script.
MENU - This command is a MENU SYSTEM specific command in that
the filename in the region next to the `FILENAME` button
is the name of another menu definition held on disk.
Clicking on this type of button will cause the computer to
load the new menu definition into memory.
DIRECT - This command sends the Filename held in the region
next the `FILENAME` button directly to the CLI as if
you had typed the filename yourself.
TEXT - When this is shown it means that the text inside the
text box will be outputted to a button but the button
will not depress when clicked on.
BLANK - This blanks the button on the main screen and places
any text in the blank space. Again this button cannot
be selected.
Buttons labelled RUN, EXECUTE, DIRECT and MENU will all invert when
the mouse button is pressed upon them. The others will not respond and
so this fact can be exploited to use for messages.
SIZE.. This button alters the physical size of the button in the
horizontal direction depending on the structure of the buttons
to its immediate right ie the button can be expanded by clicking
on this button as long as the button on the right is of
size 1. If it is possible to change the button the number in the
box on the right will be incremented and the button in the
other section of the editor will expand. If the button is unable
to expand any further then the computer resets the size of the
button to one.
Physical changes can only be seen by selecting the EXIT button
situated on the far right of the editor screen.
DEF... This button resets all buttons to their defaults and clears
any text currently assigned to that button.
COLOUR. This Option dictates the physical colour of the button. See
the documentation covering the PREFERENCES for information
regarding the physical differences between the two types of
button.
FILENAME.. This option reveals a hidden area in the editor. This area
is used to enter text by clicking on the button labelled
`TEXT` or it allows you to select a filename using a
requester. The area next to the button labelled `FILENAME`
must contain some text for the RUN, EXECUTE, DIRECT or
MENU options to work.
Clicking the `TEXT` option will allow you to enter
characters from the keyboard, each inturn will be displayed
in the editing window beside the button. This option
updates the previous contents held in the option selected
and so if you make a mistake then it can be ammended simply
by re-selecting the option.
Selecting the `FILENAME` option automatically amends any
previous text in this option by adding the filename
returned from the requester.
The current text in the requester will only be returned if
the Q button is pressed when you have finished entering
teh text.
X..... This has been implemented to allow extended filenames such as
holding parameters to pass to programs when they execute such
as the filename of a piece of music which has to be passed to
the module player otherwise the program won`t work.
At the base of the editor you will find a centralised button which
appears to be blank. Clicking on this button will allow you to enter
text which will be displayed on the main menu. This applies to all
menu buttons.
MENU / CLI.... This options dictates to the menu system where the
output should be directed. If `MENU` is present the
the computer assumes that you wish to keep the menu
system memory resident otherwise the program
automatically closes down once the command has been
sent to the CLI.
SHRINK / MENU. This option has been included to determine the screen
which is brought to front when a command is executed
and may only to selected when the button beside it
(See information on button before this one) reads
`MENU`. This is mainly due to the program being
notified that you wish to keep the menu system
memory resident and that before an option has started
executing the menu system knows what to do.
Selecting `SHRINK` will cause the menu system to
disappear until the program has stopped executing.
Once this has taken place the menu system will move
back into view.
The other option `MENU` tells the menu system that
the menu is to remain resident in view at all times.
This is very useful if you wish to make options which
play music in the background etc.
Saving A Menu Definition [Only Available In `MSYSA`]
This option brings up a requester which allows you to save the present
menu definition to disk. To reload it in future simply type the
following :-
MSYS [Filename Of Menu Definition]
This will automatically boot in your menu definition and display it.
The Preference Editor - [Only Available In `MSYSA`]
This option allows you to change the colour format of the screen to
whatever colours you want. This is made easy by the use of three
horizontal bars with small sliders within them. These can be used by
depressing any mouse button on the slider and moving the mouse left or
right, [Warning:The slider is very sensitive and in order to move the
slider the mouse must remain inside the colour bar until movement has
stopped or the movement will stop prematurely].
This will increase or decrease the amount of pigmentation in the
colour depending on which way you move the slider, moving right will
increase the pigmentation with left doing the opposite.
There are three types of pigmentation Red, Green and Blue which allow
up to 4096 colour combinations which is the maximum amount for the
standard Amiga anyway. There are eight colours incorporated into the
program and each affects a certain feature:
0 - Background Colour 1 - Text Colour
2 - Colour of Text Bar 2 3 - Border of Text Bar 2.1
4 - Border of Text Bar 2.2 5 - Colour of Main Bar Type 1
6 - Border of Text Bar 1.1 7 - Border of Text Bar 1.2
Another option of the the Preference Editor is the `Sys Dir` option
for hard disk users. This enables the MENU SYSTEM to locate the system
commands such as RUN and EXECUTE by looking in the area dicatated by this
option for the `C` folder. If this cannot be found problems will arise and
the program will remain in its ready condition. This also applies to the
Execute command!!
Software Support
I`m constantly ungrading this piece of software and so and thoughts you
may have would be gratefully recieved. If you wish to contact me about
anything for interest sakes then write to me at the following address.
I will reply to all letters.
Samuel Colak
5 Meteor Road,
Manby,
Louth,
Lincolnshire. LN11 8UB
Also I`m in the process of setting up a club to exchange AMOS software.
Its free and worth it.. If you want to join then send your letters to the
address above...
History
MSYS has had a varied history regarding its creation. Version 5.00 is
the result of continuous software support and BETA testing by my close
friends.
However careful you are in programming there is always the chance that
a bug may creep into the clockwork which is overlooked for some unexplained
reason and so this is were you come in..
If at any time you find something that is unexplained or something which
crashes your computer completely then write to me at the address above and
i`ll send you a new version with the bug removed.
At present the history of MSYS is as follows...
VERSION 1.00
Primary Version Release - DATE 12th NOVEMBER 1992 - NOT RELEASED !!
Bugs appeared when the computer attempted to load a string containing a
comma. Solved by replcing the command `INPUT# 1,string` with
`LINE INPUT# 1,string`.
VERSION 2.00
Editor Amendment - DATE 3rd JANUARY 1993 - NOT RELEASED !!
Unsafe passing of `PARAM` command crashed system on A500`s but not
A500 plus`s. Solved by rewriting routine.
VERSION 3.10
Editor Amendment - DATE 5th MAY 1993 - NOT RELEASED !!
Window routines added to allow MSYS to communicate with CLI.
VERSION 4.10 - PUBLIC DOMAIN
Program Finished - DATE 11th JUNE 1993 - AMIGA FORMAT V1 !!
Editor and Separate program sent to AF for inclusion on DISK..
VERSION 5.00 - SHAREWARE [This Version]
Progarm Finished And Cleaned Up - DATE 17th JUNE 1993 - AMIGA FORMAT V2 !!
Sent to AF for inclusion onto DISK.. 100% bugs found and removed. (I HOPE)