NetNews Offline 2/NetNews Offline Volume 2.iso/news/comp/sys/amiga/misc-part1/7521

Internet Message Format | 1996-08-05 | 5.2 KB

Path: canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca!umverou0
From: [e-mail] (Michael Veroukis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: AmigaOS 4.x features
Date: 9 Mar 1996 16:59:34 GMT
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Message-ID: <4hsddm$[e-mail]>
References: <4h2p87$[e-mail]> <4h77bp$[e-mail]> <4hb905$[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: toliman.cc.umanitoba.ca
Keywords: future AmigaOS features

In article <4hb905$[e-mail]>,
Tony Leneis <[e-mail]> wrote:
>    Some of us like to assigns to create virtual volumes for our own use.
>This way we don't have to deal with long path names, and we can get close to
>where we want to go by using the 'VOLUMES' button of the ASL file requestor.
>For example, it's much easier to store files in tony: rather than in
>hd3:data/users/private/tony.  When I'm using the ASL requestor, I see almost
>100 assigns listed under volumes.  Any convenience gained by being able to
>create assigns is immediately lost when I have to scroll 50 lines down to
>find pictures: nestled between photogenics: and pkvol:.  Granted, some assigns
>are necessary; however, it's irritating when a program requires an assign to
>its directory when it could just use PROGDIR: instead.

  Yes, that is very annoying!!!  However, I have found a partial work
around for some cases.  I used a hex editor (zaphod) to change all
references to the program's assign (say, photogenics:) to progdir:.  Of
course, the only thing you must make sure is that the original assign has
less letters in it then "progdir", and also make sure you null terminate
the string in the end.  It's worked for me everytime I've tried it.
  Some programs use ToolTypes or env variables to determine their
programs directory.  This is somewhat acceptable, however, I usualy just
stick "progdir:" in there as well.
  However, what's probably the worst, is when you dload a program from
AmiNet, and just wish to test it out, and you have to make a shit load of
assigns.  That's no fun.  I wish people would stop using assigns so
much...

>>I'd like to add in loads of the Commodities I use. Magic Menu, CycletoMenu,
>>ClicktoFront etc. The 4.0 OS is already out there just in little bits ;-)
>
>    Agreed, however I would prefer that the functionality of appropriate
>commodities be built into the OS, and that better hooks be provided for the
>rest so they don't need to rely on system hacks.

  All those features should be configurable as well, just like the
commodities.

  Another feature I haven't seen anyone post this time around was a
feedback feature for the WorkBench.  Somehow, you should know about the
copy in progress, a simple busy pointer isn't good enough.  This will be
even more important if they make it multithreaded.
  The simple approach to feedback, is to open up a window on the
workbench, that indicates the progress of the current opporation (say, a
copy of a directoty from HD to floppy).  However, this can lead to
cluttering your screen up, especially if you start doing a lot of stuff
with the workbench all at once...  You'd end up having multiple progress
windows for each copy/delete task run by the WB.  Also, you'd want a
mechanisim to perhaps, suspend a WB task, or cancle it completely.
  So, the way I've thought about it, they could use a single progress
window, which would list all the workbench threads started by the user.
For example, if your copying 2 directories simultaneously, both of them
would be listed in the WB's progress window.  It could tell you what's
being copied, and percentage left, or done (whatever).  However, you
could then click on a thread, ala printer manager style, and then perhaps
click on a "pause" button, or a "cancle" button.
  Now, this could save a lot of screen realestate, as there would only be
one re-sizable window for all threads.  Also, if you could iconify it,
that would be really nice as well.  Perhaps, you could even close it all
together, and retrieve it later from a WB menu or something...  The point
I'm trying to make here, you should be able to get rid of it, if you just
don't care.
  Another thing you could possibly do, is have an arexx port dedicated to
this feedback window.  For example, the format disk command could use
this window for feedback.  Also, any other workbench command could also
use this same feedback window.  Perhaps another idea would be to somehow
indicate which threads are WB's stuff, and which are external modules.
  Anyways, this is just an idea I've had for sometime, and thought I'd
post it.  I think it would be a nice feature for the workbench.  It's
both very flexible and powerful.  Comments anyone???
 _____________________________________________________________________________
| Mike Veroukis              /  "In my dream I was drowning my sorrows        |
| [e-mail] (    But my sorrows they learned to swim,         |
| Computer Science, IV       \   Surrounding me, going down on me             |
|                             )  Spilling over the brim..."                   |
| GURU MEDITATION #80000004  /         - Until the end of the world (U2)      |
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