FontPool provides applications with a flexible and sophisticated font-menu. Here are the pros at a glance:
* Reduces the developement-time for the programmer.
* The user spends less time locating the wanted font.
* Programs start up quicker.
* Reduces memory-consumption.
* RISC OS 2 compatible.
* Prettier.
* More flexible.
FontPool can be regarded as a centralised font-menu. An unlimited number of applications have access to the same font-menu - a menu that is rebuilt whenever there is a change in the number of available fonts. This approach uses far less memory than if every application stored its own separate font-menu internally. It also means that a second application starts up MUCH faster since the font-menu is already present. (Font_ListFonts is a call that can take an horrendous amount of time under RISC OS 2. - Try running two copies of either !Ex-ample and see how fast it starts up the second time!)
Two things was emphasised during developement: how the menu should be presented, and how fast it would be to access. The best compromise is hopefully achieved through FontPool. Eg:
The menu is generated so as to occupy very little screen-area (and will thus
be faster to access).
The font-families will always be sorted alphabetically whichever the version
of the FontManager.
If there are more than a certain (configurable) amount of font-families
available, FontPool will 'alphabetize' the menu-entries. This means that you
are highly unlikely to ever get a font-menu that does not fit on the screen
and thus needs a scrollbar.
You will never see items with 'superflous' sub-menus. Entries such as
Dingbats will always be shown as a simple 'Dingbats' in the menu, as opposed
to 'Dingbats ⇨ (Plain)'. This means that you will immediately see that the
font is only available in one type - you do not have to open a submenu to
find '(Plain)' or '(Regular)' to establish the fact that the font only comes
in a single type.
The font-menu will never contain more than 3 sub-menus if it is alphabetized,
and 2 sub-menus if it is not. This is to reduce menu-traversal since many
fonts actually can be broken down to 4 and even 5 sub-menus (such as New ⇨
Century ⇨ Schlbk ⇨ Bold ⇨ Italic).
The colour used to show the currently selected font (as well as those that
are not selected) can also be specified. This will be useful as an
'eye-catcher' in a long menu.
The menu-font can be an anti-aliased one.
Totally hand-coded in assembler.
You are encouraged to distribute FontPool amongst programmers, but then make sure that ALL files are included in their original UNMODIFIED state. Shareware libraries are also welcome to include FontPool.
Those of you who are fortunate users of !StrongEd can take advantage of the supplied !StrongHelp data which was meant only for my personal reference. But why shouldn't you be able to browse as quickly as I can? Anyway, drag the directory 'PoolHelp' into !StrongHelp's HelpData directory and the information is yours. It is basically the same info as you'll find if you read 'PoolSWIs' but easier to locate.
FontPool costs nothing unless you use its facilities in a program. Once you do, you should decide what category your program fall under (see below) and pay at least this minimum charge. If you find FontPool exceptionally useful you are of course welcome to pay more, and if this sum is at least MinimumCharge+£5 you will automatically receive the next version of FontPool as soon as it becomes available. To prevent the nuicance of royalties I have adobted the following scheme:
Personal use:
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If you are using FontPool in your own personal programs or programs that are distributed free of charge, you should pay a minimum of £5. This sum covers ALL such programs that originate from the buyer.
Shareware:
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If you are using FontPool in Shareware programs, or any type of program you charge for, you should pay at least £10. This sum covers ALL such programs that originate from the buyer, and also those mentioned under 'Personal use'.
An alternative is a swap. If you have produced something that you think I might find useful (and with a low bug-count) we could do an old-fashioned swap. (Then let me know what it is through Arcade before sending anything.)
Commercial:
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If you are using FontPool in a commercial application it costs £20 for each DIFFERENT application using it. The application's name must then be given when registering (see below). £50 buys the right to use FontPool in all present and future commercial applications that originate from the buyer.
NOTE that if FontPool is used as a part of a program that is distributed as public domain, Shareware or any such derivative, FontPool may be enclosed in two ways:
- You state clearly in your documentation that your program utilises
FontPool's font-menu facilities and that FontPool is a Shareware utility.
Also it should say from what general source your copy of FontPool originated
(what BBS or Shareware library). You are then allowed to enclose JUST the
FontPool module by itself with NONE of the other files.
- You enclose a FULL copy of FontPool with ALL associated files in an
UNMODIFIED state.
To register as a FontPool user, state your program's category and send money to the following address:
Eirik Hansen
Industriveien 12
8500 Narvik
Norway
I can also be contacted at Arcade where I'm user #440 (private mail please). Your comments and suggestions are very much appreciated! Especially if you think there are dissuasive shortcomings that prevents you from using FontPool.
By the way, as I cannot afford scanning all BBSs for useful (programming) utilities, could anyone direct my attention to USEFUL! things that surfaced sometime after, say may '94?
