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!FontsPlus - An Outline Font Manager
====================================
v3.03 for RISC OS 3.1 and later
===============================
© 1994 Simon Burrows
Introduction
============
Acorn RISC OS computers are reknowned for their excellent outline font
system, but there are various limitations to the system, even on the latest
generation of Acorn computers.
The problems become obvious if you have a large number of fonts available
on your hard disc, namely:
i) Font Menus in applications can become excessively long
ii) Applications can take a long time to create font menus
iii) Directories under RISC OS can only contain 79 different font families
Acorn has gone some way towards rectifying these problems by providing
support for multiple !Fonts folders. However it remains difficult to choose
the particular groups of fonts which you require, and even more difficult
to remove groups of fonts which you no longer wish to use.
FontsPlus is an application to make it easy to handle outline fonts. It sits
on the icon bar, and a menu allows you to choose which groups of fonts should
be available. It's as simple as that. If you are using a package such as
Impression or Ovation, and find that you need an additional group of fonts,
simply select the group with FontsPlus and they will become available.
Setting up !FontsPlus for use
=============================
The recommended way to set up FontsPlus is as follows:
Create a number of directories with names such as 'Acorn' or 'Fancy',
corresponding to the different groups of fonts which you wish to have.
Into each of these directories should be placed the fonts which you
wish to have in the particular groups.
To do this, look inside your existing !Fonts folders, and you will see
directories named after the fonts (eg Trinity, Homerton). It is these
directories which should be placed in your newly created directories.
Advanced users should note that archives can be used instead of directories,
which can save a small amount of disc space.
For example:
Acorn Fancy
| |
------------------------ ----------------
| | | | |
Trinity Homerton Corpus Ruth Gangster
These group directories (or archives) may be placed anywhere on your hard
disc or network. For convenience, you may wish to hide them away inside the
!FontsPlus.TheFonts directory, although this is not necessary.
Now, load !FontsPlus onto the iconbar by double clicking on it. If you are
using it for the first time, various menu options should be greyed out,
indicating that it has not been set up. If they are not greyed out, look
inside the !FontsPlus directory for a file called 'Choices' - delete this
and then reload !FontsPlus.
Drag the group directories (NOT the individual font directories) onto the
!FontsPlus icon. You will now see their names in the !FontsPlus->Fonts
menu. (A beeping noise indicates that you have dragged an inappropriate
file). Clicking on a menu entry will cause that group of fonts to be
available for use. To save your choice of groups, choose the 'Save' option.
To clear a folder from the menu, choose the 'Remove' option.
Operating System
================
This version of !FontsPlus will only work on RISC OS 3.10 and later. If you
are still using the old RISC OS 2, either upgrade to RISC OS 3 (highly
recommended), or else obtain a version of !FontsPlus prior to 3.00.
Hints for use
=============
When selecting groups in the Fonts submenu, clicking with the ADJUST mouse
button will keep the menu open for further selections (in conformance with
Acorn guidelines)!
Applications written for RISC OS 3, and some RISC OS 2 applications such
as Impression II support dynamic font menus. If the selection of available
fonts changes, the application realises this, and recreates the font menu.
This if you are half way through a project, and decide that you need more
fonts, choose them using FontsPlus, and they will be added to the font menu
in the application itself.
Econet Level Four Fileserver managers should not attempt to save their
choices of font folders from the fileserver machine. This must be done
from a network station.
Updates
=======
2.14 The general RISC OS 2 release version
2.15 Allows more font folders than version 2.14
2.30 Major update - much code rewritten. In particular, allows font
folders to be anywhere in the directory structure by dragging
them onto the FontsPlus icon. Various other more minor changes.
Previous versions will no longer be supported.
2.31 Introduced 'Save' and 'Reset' menu options. Added support for
RISC OS 3 font manager, although this has yet to be tested.
2.40 Much recoding for RISC OS 3 and Econet users.
2.41 Moved 'Save' and 'Clear' options to submenu
2.42 Introduced 'Clear' submenu, and introduced checks to ensure that
at least one font folder selected.
2.43 Minor Bug fixes
2.44 Now allows several folders with same leafname. ROMfonts always
available if possible. Folder re-dragging bug fixed.
2.45 More bug fixes. Tidied up for RISC OS 3.00, 3.08 and 3.10.
2.46 Added text below FontsPlus icon. RISC OS 3.10/11 tests.
3.00 First version specially for RISC OS 3.
3.01 Reworded Choices menu. Code tidied up. Up to 24 folders allowed.
3.02 Positions icon on iconbar more suitably. Wimpslot modified in
line with Acorn directives to assist future compatibility.
3.03 Now accepts Image Files (eg archives) containing fonts.
Updated in line with Programmers Reference Manual.
Acknowledgements
================
My thanks to all of the people who volunteered to test FontsPlus, and also
the users who have contributed their comments. Particular thanks are due
to Andrew Thacker, Mark Gidley, Mark Collier, Gary Wass, Andrew Hersee,
Tom Hughes, John Bancroft, Mark Watts & Ian Rawlings.
Conditions of use
=================
This software is supplied "as is"; no warranty, express or implied, of the
merchantability of this software or its fitness for any particular purpose
is given. In no circumstances shall the providers of this software be
liable for any damage, loss of profits, or any indirect or consequential
loss arising out of the use of this software or inability to use this
software.
You are free to give this application to anyone you please via any medium,
provided it is delivered with ALL the supplied files, UNALTERED. You may
NOT sell this software, or use it otherwise for personal or commercial gain.
If you wish to upload it to a Bulletin Board or include it in your Public
Domain library then that, too, is OK, but if possible, please let me know
if you do either of these and please send me a catalogue or whatever is
appropriate. Any charge made for media and postage must not be excessive.
This software may be distributed subject to the above conditions, although
it is not Public Domain. The author reserves the right to amend these terms
and conditions at any time.
Please report any bugs you find to me, so that other users may benefit from
improved versions. Also suggestions and criticisms are always welcome. If
you find any programs which do a better job, please tell me and I'll see
what can be done! If possible (particularly if you have email access),
please let me know if you use this application, and I can then keep you
up-to-date with any important enhancements.
Feel free to contact me at:
Simon Burrows
Woodleigh Lodge
32 Stoughton Lane
Stoughton
LEICESTERSHIRE
LE2 2FH
Internet Email: sburrows@arcade.demon.co.uk
or: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (preferred, until June 1994)
***************************************************************************
© Simon Burrows 1991-94. All Rights Reserved.
***************************************************************************