!Wince Pie is a multitasking aid to window and template design and allows you to check the parameters of what you have created visually, as well as everone else's windows and menus including Wince Pie's own main window!
You can also save the parameters to a text file which can be loaded into a document editor such as !Edit, and you can use the file for later inclusion in your own program.
To use !Wince Pie, double click on its icon or drag its icon to the icon bar in the usual way.
Please note that Wince Pie will only run under RISC OS 3 or above.
General use:
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Once installed on the icon bar, click SELECT on the !Wince Pie icon to open the main window spy information window, which shows you parameters for the window which is DIRECTLY UNDER the mouse pointer, which is Wince Pie's CURRENT WINDOW. As you move the mouse pointer around the screen, you will firstly see the 'Mouse at' co-ordinates change, and as the pointer passes over each new window, the 'Window #' will change to reflect the current window (not especially useful but there for completeness), followed by the parameters for that window.
For those familiar with WIMP programming/template files, most of the parameters will be self explanatory, and relate to pages 3-89 to 3-92 of the RISC OS 3 PRMs. If you're not familiar with the inner workings of the WIMP, then it's worth reading these relevant pages.
You will notice that parameters are prefixed by "R1+xxxx". This is because the window definition is sent to the WIMP in a block (which you could call whatever you like) which is ALWAYS pointed to by R1, when the window is defined. So R1+4 would show data contained in <block>+4, etc.
Most parameters are shown as 32 bit (4 byte) signed decimal integers, except for R1+68 and R1+70 which are signed 16 bit (2 byte) integers, and the Icon flags which are a positive hexadecimal 32 bit number.
The flags on the right hand side of Wince Pie's main window reflect the CURRENT WINDOW's flags (NOT any icon flags). Green for 'set' blank for 'unset'.
Storing and saving:
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To save parameters for the CURRENT WINDOW, you must firstly gain the Input Focus. This is done very simply by clicking SELECT over any part of Wince Pie's main window. The title bar will then turn cream to reflect this state. The reason for this is because Wince Pie uses the F3 key to store parameters to its buffer and needs to trap key presses, but only when you want it to. (It is not possible to use the mouse for store and save at this point, as this would mean moving the pointer to a predetermined point, and Wince Pie would then not know which window to use for its CURRENT WINDOW)!
Whilst Wince Pie has the input focus, you can press F3 at any time to STORE parameters for the CURRENT WINDOW (remember, the one under the pointer?) into MEMORY. This state is reflected by a * character on the title bar, to the right of the title. At this point a Save dialogue box will appear. You can either drag the icon to a directory viewer or type in the FULL path name in the writeable icon and click on OK to save the stored parameters. Alternatively, (especially if you can't see the directory viewer that you want to save to) you can close the Save dialogue box, and use the save from menu option by clicking MENU over the Wince Pie icon on the icon bar, and choosing the save option. Remember however, that this saves the STORED parameters NOT the parameters for the CURRENT WINDOW which will have changed when you moved the pointer!!
To save the parameters for any other CURRENT WINDOW Wince Pie MUST have the input focus and you MUST press F3 to STORE before saving.
Because Wince Pie uses NUL reason codes (refer to PRM page 3-118 for explanation) it will tend to slow the desktop down somewhat, because it dynamically updates each time the mouse is moved. For this reason it is adviseable to close Wince Pie's main window when it's not in use (you don't need to quit the entire application). You will also notice that Wince Pie's update operations are suspended when the pointer is over Wince Pie's Save dialogue box or when you initiate a save/drag. This prevents the save operation from becoming excessively sluggish. but it also prevents you from spying on Wince Pie's menu and dialogue box, although this shouldn't cause any real hardship.
The text file:
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The default file name for Wince Pie's parameter text file is WindowData, but this can be changed in the usual way. When you have saved this file once, the full path name will appear in the icon, so that you can click on OK at any time to save the STORED data for the CURRENT WINDOW, and overwrite the previous file. If you want to keep the previous data, it is adviseable to change the file name.
The text file contains the WINDOW parameters only. They are self explanatory except perhaps for R1+28 which is shown as a 32 bit binary number (indicated by the % sign) enabling you to pick out the flag status easily.' Note that this is WINDOW flags NOT icon flags.
Interactive help:
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Interactive help is fully supported. See your user guide for info on the use of of Interactive help.
Note:
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Clicking MENU over Wince Pie's icon bar icon will bring up the main menu. Clicking MENU over Wince Pie's main window will also bring up the main menu. (A little convenience requested by Dave! *See below)
*Thanks to Dave Coxall for his time and patience beta testing this code, and for helpful suggestions.
