BCI NET/BCI NET Dec 94.iso/archives/utilities/misc/dad_pub.lha/DAD_pub/Doc/DoAllData.doc

Text File | 1994-08-29 | 7.5 KB | 162 lines

DoAllData by many people and Sven Dickert (15-Mar-94)

DoAllData (short DAD) will give you comfortable handling with all sort of
data. It establishes an AppIcon on the Workbench. Any icon that you will put
in (drag-and-drop) will force the start of the viewing-, playing-,
unpackingprogram or any other application that can process the icon's data
type.

Why DoAllData ?
When working with PD software there is always the same problem: Every
PD-series uses another picviewer, another modplayer, another packer ...
A comfortable handling often means having to install all these programs on
your bootdisk, because the DefaultTool in the projecticons uses the series'
programs. If you are storing all these programs in c:-device your bootdisk
will soon be full of programs that do just the same tasks or you have to
change the DefaultTool in the info of every projecticon you want to display.
Some kind of data can't even be used on Workbench, e.g. some types of
archivers that come without an installing batch. So you will have to go down
to the jungle of a Shell or a CLI and hack some commands into your keyboard
by yourself. This isn't nice with an Amiga that should work with mouse only.
On the other hand more and more users append suffixes like >.iff< or >.lha<
to their programs. Why not using this information to make handling with
these files easier ?
Ok, here's the trick: DAD looks at the suffix of every file that you put
into the AppIcon. Then it will start the needed program and supply the path
and name of the file as parameters to it (CLI-like style). Suffixes and
programs may of course be changed by the user.

How to install DoAllData
If you want to install DAD you should know how to copy files into
subdirectories of your (hard)disks. If you don't know about opening drawers,
copying files and stuff, than please ask someone who can tell you what to
do.
To install DAD just copy the program into the WBStartup drawer of your
bootdisk. If your want DAD to work in a different language than English you
may find a >.catalog< file in the >Catalogs< drawer of DAD. If there is no
catalog file for your language, then please connect me if you want to be
language-developper for DAD. (Just typing a few strings, o.k. )
WB 2.0 users who don't know about catalogs don't need to bother about the
last paragraph, they don't have the possibility of a multilingual Amiga.

How to work with DAD?
To give a better understanding of the features' of DAD I will explain some
questions you will probably have when you start working with DAD.

1. How do I make DAD work with my favourite data-types and viewing programs ?
Now, that's very easy. DAD will be programmed by the ToolTypes of its
program icon. You can reach these ToolTypes by quitting the program (try to
start the program a second time or use the Commodity Exchange) and use
Icon/Info on its program-icon. If you haven't started DAD you don't have to
exit it ...
When using Kick2.04 you may quit DAD in another way: klick on the AppIcon
itself twice and you will get a requester asking whether you want to leave
the program.
Kick3.0 users don't have to leave the program. They can reach the ToolTypes
by klicking the AppIcon twice.
The syntax of a DAD-ToolType is very easy:

E.g. txt=c:more ?

The line is split by the >=<. The string before the >=< stands for the
suffix you want to cover. Behind the >=< there is the path and the name of
the program that is to be started if the suffix comes up. The >?< is a
special character: it fixes the position where the path and filename of the
icon you chose will be placed (useful if the filename is not the last
parameter).

E.g. device=copy ? to ram:

will copy all files with suffix >.device< to ram: when dropped into DAD.
If there's no >?< in the line the path and name will automatically be
appended to the line (with a leading space).
Have you finished setup? Then leave the requester with >save< and start DAD
again. Kick3.0 users don't have to start DAD again, because the AppIcon will
appear (after a commercial break ...) on the WorkBench.

2. Is it possible to set the position of the AppIcon on the WorkBench before
the start of DAD?
There are two keywords in ToolTypes responsible for the position of the
AppIcon on the WB: CX_XPOS and CX_YPOS. Just set them as shown below:

CX_XPOS=18
CX_YPOS=4

Put these lines into the ToolTypes (or change the x- and y-coordinates to
wherever you would like to see the icon).

3. How can I temporarily disable some lines in ToolTypes (without deleting
them) ?
A ToolType that begins with a >(< character won't be used any more. Because
of the compatibility to other Commodities you should set a >)< at the end of
the line as well.

4. I have got many files without a suffix in their name. Do I have to rename
all these files to work with DAD ?
There is a keyword (CX_DEFAULT) to determine a program that will be started
if DAD couldn't find out what type of file you dropped in.

E.g. CX_DEFAULT=sys:utilities/multiview

You should use Multiview as default, because it covers many types of data.

5. What will happen if I drop a drawer- or a deviceicon into the AppIcon of
DAD ?
You can specify DAD's reaction to this with the keyword CX_DEVICE.

E.g. CX_DEVICE=c:list >con:10/10/620/236/DoAllData/Auto/Wait

This will execute the CLI-Command >list< on all devices or drawers you drop
in. Notice that DAD doesn't care about the I/O-channels of the programs it
is going to start. If you want to see the result of a program you have to
use the way in the example.

6. When working with archivers like >lha<, how can I set the
destination-directory for these programs ?
With the keyword CX_DESTDIR you can set the destination-directory like this:

CX_DESTDIR=ram:


Just a few tricks:
When starting DAD from the WBStartup-drawer don't forget to use >DONOTWAIT<
on top of the list of ToolTypes.
DAD will also work with multiple files dropped in. It will process all files
in the order you have selected them while pressing the shift key.
DAD doesn't work with real multitasking. That means that after a program has
been started by DAD, DAD won't start another. However, after exiting the
program DAD remembers all files you have dropped in meanwhile and will start
them. So you may establish e.g. a little diashow with DAD just by selecting
several picture icons with shift held down and dragging them onto the DAD
icon.
If you will work in multitasking you may include the command >run< before
the main command in the ToolType. Please don't use the char >"< to link the
commandline because DAD will do this for you.

About me (Hey man, read this !)
Sven Dickert studies at the University of Karlsruhe the art of
computer-science (art is not science, isn't it ?). He has entered the world
of computers with a VIC-20. (nice times went quick). After a C-128 he bought
an Amiga 1000 for about 2200 DM (it was a lot of money for a poor pupil).
Then, after a small A-500, he bought the real offspring of the A1000, the
A1200.

There may be some errors in this project. Please let me know about them:

(Internet)  = [e-mail]
(Post)      = Sven Dickert
              Lindenstr. 31
              74928 Hüffenhardt-Kä


About many
This program hadn't been possible without the help of many people :
my mother    lets me study although hard times come up
{Atari    for the ST, enabling comfortable error checking in other
people's docs! ;-)} /* This was just the guy checking up my bad english */
Commodore    for Amiga
(c) by Sven Dickert. All rights reserved.
You will use this software on your own risk.
The names of the programs appearing in this text are under the copyright of
their authors.