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NoteIt!
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1994-07-13
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____________________________________________________________________
NoteIt!
Version 1.4
_______
by Ryan J. Bruner
December, 1993
____________________________________________________________________
Welcome to NoteIt!, a Post-It style notepad program for the
Commodore Amiga. Requires Workbench 2.0 or greater.
I. Why did I write it?
II. What does it do?
III. What is to come?
IV. Who to contact?
V. Acknowledgements
I. Why did I write it?
_______________________
I have always felt that the Amiga needed a Post-It© style notepad.
Apparently, due to responses from NoteIt! users, others have also
felt it is a need as well. So, needless to say, I wrote one for
myself. Admittedly, I haven't needed such a program very often for
myself. I originally started this project to teach myself more about
programming for Amiga intuition. I've had so much fun with it, plus
enough of responses to deem continue improving it.
Note: I cannot be responsible for any system crashes caused
by this program. :-) I just hope they don't happen!
I have tried to thoroughly test this.
II. What does it do?
____________________
NoteIt!'s features include multiple page editing, window minimizing,
auto-save of notes, font-sensitivity, and custom size and location of
the window.
NoteIt! version 1.4 provides several new features. Graphical
buttons, font-specification through a font requester, auto-minimizing
window, and the ability to paste from the system clipboard are some
of the new features.
A. Startup
B. Tooltypes
C. Using NoteIt!
D. Configuration
A. Startup
___________
NoteIt! requires at least Workbench 2.0 to run. NoteIt! can be
started by either the CLI, or from the Workbench. Several parameters
are supported to configure NoteIt!. These parameters are the same
for the CLI as for the Workbench Tooltypes.
B. Tooltypes
_____________
The following Tooltypes can either be used as a CLI parameter, or
as a Tooltype set through NoteIt!'s icon information. It is important
to note that Tooltypes override any of the saved configuration
information.
The Tooltypes are as follows:
TOP You can specify the where the top of the NoteIt! window
will open using this Tooltype. For example, to open
the window 100 pixels from the top of the screen, use
"TOP=100". The default position is 20.
LEFT Similar to TOP, except you can specify where the left
edge of the window will open. Default position is 20.
WIDTH Using WIDTH tells NoteIt! how many pixels across the
window should be. For example, to to have a window
300 pixels across, use "WIDTH=300".
Default is 100.
HEIGHT Similar to WIDTH, except you can specify the number of
pixels up and down that can be displayed. If you specify
fewer than the default, then NoteIt! will use the default.
Actual default varies with font size..
PUBSCREEN You can specify which Public screen NoteIt! will open
on with this Tooltype. If the Public screen does not
exist, then it will default to the Workbench.
CONFIGFILE This is the file and pathname of where to save the
configuration file. The default path is the directory
where NoteIt! was started from.
NOTEFILE This is the file and pathname of where to save the note
file. The default path is the program directory of
NoteIt!.
*** Important ***
Previously the default note file path was found in ENVARC:noteit.notes.
This is no longer the case. The current default location for the
notes is now PROGDIR:noteit.notes. If you require to read the old
notefile, either set the NOTEFILE ToolType, or else copy the notefile
from the ENVARC: directory to the program directory.
Example of use:
To open NoteIt! with a top edge at 100, and left edge at 100 from the
CLI, you would enter:
NoteIt! TOP=100 LEFT=100
C. Using NoteIt!
________________
Once NoteIt! is open, you can simply start typing text. NoteIt!
automatically word-wraps text, so there is no need to use the return
key for each paragraph. Because of this, NoteIt! also knows when you
start a new paragraph with the return key so that if you change the
size of the window, the text will not wrap awkwardly.
NoteIt! supports multiple pages in the window, allowing you to leave
yourself several messages with only one NoteIt! program running.
Therefore, NoteIt! will only allow you to run one at a time. This is
necessary since having more than one running could erase the notes in
the note file with the notes of another. See below for more on the
note files. The multiple pages can be controlled either by the window
gadgets, or through the menus.
C.1 Menus
C.2 Gadgets
C.3 Saving
C.1 Menus
__________
Project menu:
About NoteIt!...
I'm sure you can figure out what it does! :-)
Minimize Shortcut: Amiga-M
Choosing this item, or clicking on the size gadget of the
window will minimize the window to the size of the title bar.
All functions are disabled except for the system gadgets
this way. Click on the size gadget to return to the
previous size and location.
Quit Shortcut: Amiga-Q
This will quit out of NoteIt!, saving any remaining notes.
(see section about saving notes below). Using the Close
gadget will perform the same function.
Edit menu:
Paste Shortcut: Amiga-V
This will paste any text that is in the system clipboard to
the current page.
Page menu:
Add Page Shortcut: Amiga-A
Choosing "add page" will create a new empty page to type
into.
Delete Page Shortcut: Amiga-D
Choosing "delete page" will delete the current page, and
advance to the next page. If the current page is the only
page, then a requester will say you can't delete that page.
Next Page Shortcut: Amiga-N
Choosing "next page" will advance to the next page, if
one exists.
Prev Page Shortcut: Amiga-P
Choosing "prev page" will move back to the previous page,
if one exists.
Settings menu:
Font... Shortcut: Amiga-F
Opens a font requester which allows you to select any
non-proportional font. The font requester also allows you
to choose a font color, as well as background color. The
background color is the color of the page.
Default font is Topaz 8.
Autominimize Shortcut: Amiga-Z
When set, this will cause the NoteIt! window to automatically
minimize when the window is not selected. If you want it to
return to full size, then click on the Zoom gadget in the
upper right-hand corner of the window.
Default is off.
Small to start Shortcut: Amiga-S
If this item is selected, then the next time you start up
NoteIt!, it will automatically shrink down to a small size.
You must save the settings for this item to take affect for
the next time you start NoteIt!.
Default is off.
Button Bar Shortcut: Amiga-B
When this item is selected, the navigation buttons will appear
in the NoteIt! window. If it is not selected, then no buttons
will appear.
Default is on.
Save settings
Saves the font and page color settings into the configuration
file.
C.2 Gadgets
___________
There are four gadgets in the NoteIt! window, provided that you have
the button bar turned on.
Add Page is represented by a graphic of a page.
Delete Page has a crossed-out page.
Previous Page is an arrow pointing to the left.
Next page is represented by an arrows pointing to the right.
Each of the page functions match the respective menu items under the
Page menu.
You can also minimize the window to just the title bar by clicking on
the Zoom Gadget. While the window is minimized to only a title bar,
menu functions, as well as keyboard input is disabled. Just click
the Zoom Gadget again to restore the window back to its original size
and location.
C.3 Saving
__________
NoteIt! also will save your notes between power cycles. All notes
will be stored in a file, found either in the program directory when
NoteIt! is located, or the file specified by the NOTEFILE tooltype.
Every time NoteIt! is run, if a note file exists, it will read the
file and display the first one in the window. Use Next Page, or
Previous Page to view any other notes.
NoteIt! also saves the notes after approximately 10 seconds of
inactivity, or if the NoteIt! window becomes inactive by selecting
another window. Leaving NoteIt! running until shutting power off
will not lose messages unless you shut off the power prior to the
10 second time period. Once you close the NoteIt! window, either
through the close gadget, or through the menu item "Quit", it will
save any messages.
D. Configuration
_________________
Configuring NoteIt! can occur through the use of Tooltypes and the
Settings menu. Options for fonts, autominimizing, starting NoteIt!
in minimized form, and having the button bar all are set using
the menus. Size and position of window, public screen, and the
filenames for the configuration and notefiles are all set using
Tooltypes.
Once these configuration items are set, they can be saved using the
Save Settings... item from the Settings menu. Note that the Tooltypes
will override anything you have saved in the configuration file.
The size and position of the window will be saved when you save
settings. Simply position the window anywhere on the screen prior
to saving the settings will then cause that position to be saved.
If you wish to not use the Tooltypes in the icon, but as CLI
parameters only once, then you may do so, and then save the settings.
From then on, the window will open in the same location.
III. What is to come?
_____________________
I do plan to continue working on NoteIt! at least until this summer.
While I have a list of features I would like to add, I do not
guarantee that any of them will appear.
My current plans for future versions include:
o Ultimately replacing all TOOLTYPES with a configuration
window within the program.
o Support for the copying to the system clipboard
o The ability to scroll the text in a window without using the
keyboard.
o Ability to insert cursor with mouse.
o ARexx port.
Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.
IV. Who to contact?
___________________
I can be contacted through electronic mail at the following address:
rbruner@engin.umich.edu
or through snail mail at:
Ryan J. Bruner
3075 Whisperwood Dr.
Apt. 448
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
USA
V. Acknowledgements
___________________
I first would like to thank Christopher Wolf, a.k.a. cwolf on the IRC
(chris@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu), for the ParseParameters function so I
could support Tooltypes.
Thanks to my beta testers, Xed, Dense, JanusMan, Timmer, colins, and
DrDemento, all from the IRC.
I would also like to thank Martyn Knapton, a.k.a. B-Trayor on the IRC,
for the NoteIt! icon. He designed several, but I could only use the
smallest version until I find a way to use larger images in IconEdit.
I would like to thank all the guys on #amiga for all the assistance
they have provided while programming this.
Thanks, especially, to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! God bless
us all!