AMOS PD CD

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ AMOS PD CD / amospdcd.iso / 476-500 / apd497 / disk register.doc / disk register.doc

Wrap

Text File | 1993-02-08 | 27KB | 609 lines

Disc Register Version 1.20 User Manual °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° July 18,1993 Copyright (c) Pål Løberg 1991, 92, 93. A Talent / Noname (tm) production You are now reading the help-file for the Disc Register V1.20. This document must be included with the copies of Disc Register V1.20. COPYRIGHT NOTICE: °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Disc Register is coded in AMOS and compiled with the AMOS Compiler (tm). These programs are copyright Mandarin/Jawx. Thanks to François Lionet for writing this superb coding-tool. No longer SHAREWARE °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Until this version, Disc Register V1.20 was Shareware. Now I have decided to make it freeware, and release the sourcecode. No guarantee is made, expressed or implied as to Disc Register V1.20's suitability for any application. The author of this program take NO responsibility for any of the results of this programs use or misuse. You may feel free to tell me about any bugs you find while using the program. If you have any big, great, stupid or idiotic ideas about changes in this program, or about other programs you would like to see made within year 2010, just contact me. (PS! There are NO money rewards for ideas. You will get a copy of my latest production, FREE!, if I think the idea is good.) ((Wow!!, you're a luck bastard!)) If you want to use Disc Register for commercial purposes, such as Cover Discs, you will still need a written permission from me. You may include the program in a non-commercial PD-register without a permission, but I will be very happy if you send me a letter telling about it. You can still register as a user of the Disc Register, and if no further versions of the program is made, you will receive a free copy, and information about, my next production. To register, send me £5 or $US7 in PAPER MONEY, not coins. You may also send me a EuroCheck ( 75 Norwegian kroner (NOK) !!! ) made payable to me. The address can be found elsewhere in this document. Please register!! You see, I'm a poor student and need the money to buy hard- and software to my Amiga. My address is: Noname / Pål Løberg ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bryggerigt 57 N-2300 HAMAR NORWAY Europe NOTE! You don't have to register to use this program, but I will get very happy if you do. You may also contact me if you are a AMOS coder or if you love playing strategy games. (I do that when I ain't coding.) How shall I use this program? °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Disc Register V1.20's main use is to make a list of all your discs. It can also be used as a database for PD discs in small PD libraries. You should not use this program to make lists of illegal copies of commercial games, programs and utilities. Remember that PIRACY IS A CRIME! Buy the original game instead, and make a database of your original programs! With this program you can store up to 1000 disks. If you have more than 1000 disks, just make two or more files, and the problem is solved. These lists, you can print, load, save, change and handle in various ways. There are several functions to jump to different items in the list, and you can let the program sort the list on three main qualifiers. Read more about this later. To use this program you will need a mouse with 2 - TWO - buttons or more. If you want me to guess, I think your mouse have at least two buttons. And if you have only one, you're probably an Apple or Mac user, and should buy a new computer as soon as possible. Why use this program? °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Well, you may use another commercial database or register, but this one is free, and it is made with only one purpose: To store information about your disks. I N S T R U C T I O N S °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Table of contents: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1.0 The Control menu. 1.1 The jump options 1.2 The record option 1.3 The search option 1.3.1 Searching for an item 1.3.2 Change the sorting 1.4 The change option 1.5 The erase option 1.6 The load/save option 1.7 The print option 1.8 The quit option 2.0 The File-requester. 2.1 Entering file name 2.2 Changing directory 2.3 The options 2.3.1 The sort option 2.3.2 The .info option 2.3.3 The parent option 2.3.4 The disks option 2.3.5 The get dir option 2.3.6 Scrolling 3.0 The Printer menu. 3.1 The settings 3.2 'Print this' option 3.3 'Print all' option 3.4 'Print selected' option 3.4.1 'Item Nº' option 3.4.2 'Pattern' option 3.4.3 'Disk Nº' option 3.5 Printer notes 4.0 The info box. 4.1 Memory checking 4.2 File changed 4.3 Message line 5.0 The requesters. 6.0 The File-info box. 7.0 Note! 8.0 For pack-disk makers. 9.0 Program history. 1.0 The control menu. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the first menu you see when you run the program. With this menu you have full control over the main functions. 1.1 The jump options. """"""""""""""""""""" The first four buttons are used to skip item. You can press all these buttons with both mouse buttons. Let us give the buttons numbers from one to four. Starting at the upper left button as #1, then the upper right as #2, lower left as #3 and then the lower right button as #4. If you use the left button to select, the functions are: #1 - Jump one item backwards. #2 - Jump one item forwards. #3 - Jump to the first item / start of list. #4 - Jump to the last item / end of list. If you use the right button to select, the functions are: #1 - Jump ### item backwards. #2 - Jump ### item forwards. #3 - Jump to item no. ###. #4 - As #3. (### is a number you enter in a small requester.) 1.2 The record option. """""""""""""""""""""" If you continues to give the buttons numbers, button #5 will be the record button. This button is used to record / enter a new item. As you see, it is formed as a REC button on a cassette recorder. The button have two functions, one for each mouse button. If you press the left button, with the pointer over the record button, you'll be able to enter a new item. The item field will be cleaned, and you can start entering data. Two of the fields must be filled with something. These fields are: 'Name' and 'Number of disks'. You will not be allowed to press return until at least one character are typed. If the number in 'Number of disks' field is 1, only the 'From disk number' will have to be entered. The 'to' field will be a copy of this. In the 'Comments:' area, there are room for 6×45 (270) chars. You can use the curson keys to move the cursor. PS! If you fill one line, the cursor will NOT skip to next line, unless you press enter or the cursor down key. To end recording, just select another option, or press the mouse button outside the options (then they will not selected.) If you selects record with the right mouse button, you will get a copy of the current item. After the copy is made, you will automaticly be able to change and modify the copy. 1.3 The search option. """""""""""""""""""""" The symbol on this button is a '?'. As all the previous buttons, this one has also got two functions. With the left mouse button, you will be able so search for an item by entering a pattern. And the right mouse button will make you decide what you want to search the list on. 1.3.1 Searching for an item. """""""""""""""""""""""""""" When you select this, a requester will pop up on your screen. In this requester you will be able to enter a string to search for. If you don't enter anything or click on the 'CANCEL' button, nothing will be searched for. But if you enter something and presses enter or clicks on 'OK', the program will search for the wanted string. This string refers to the sort qualifier. If it is found, you will see the item, and nothing more will happend. But if it is not found, you will skip to the closest item. Remember one thing: The search is NOT case conditional. Upper case=Lower case. 1.3.2 Change the sorting. """"""""""""""""""""""""" When the program sorts the list of items, it uses either the Name, Type or the first Disk number as the sort qualifier. This qualifier is also used when searching for an item. To change this qualifier, just click on one of the buttons in the requester or on the right mouse button to cancel. After selecting a new qualifier, the list of items will be reorganized and sorted. This will take some time, depending on how many items you have. 1.4 The change option. """""""""""""""""""""" This button have only one function, to change the current item. After clicking on the button, you will be able to edit the item. End the editing by pressing both mouse buttons while editing the 'Comments'. 1.5 The erase option. """"""""""""""""""""" If you select this option, a requester will pop up asking if you want to delete the current item ('This') or all the items in the list ('All'). If you select 'This', the item you see will be deleted WITHOUT CONFIRM. If you select the 'All' option, all the items will be deleted after asking if you really want to delete all and if you want to save the items. If you wish to delete all the items, the filename will be set to "Unnamed.." and all settings will be reseted. 1.6 The load/save option. """"""""""""""""""""""""" By selecting one of these options, you will be able to load a previously saved list of items, or to save the items. Before loading anything, the program will ask if you wish to save. PS! You can only load Disc Register files, not other ASCII or database files. 1.7 The print option. """"""""""""""""""""" Yet another button with a dual option. Pressing the left mouse button will bring up the Printer menu. More about that later. But if you click the right mouse button on this option, a new screen will appear. On this screen you will see two arrows, a list of seven items and a 'Exit' button. I think you'll understand this options. Keep the mouse button pressed over one of the arrows will scroll the items up/down. When you exit, the current item will become the item on the top of the list. Easy, isn't it? 1.8 The quit option. """""""""""""""""""" Nothing special. You just quit after some information. Do you like my end effect? I love it! 2.0 The File-requester. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is my brand new file-requester. In this one, you can select everything while the directory is scanning. 2.1 Entering file name. """"""""""""""""""""""" Easy! Just type it on the keyboard, or click on the file. Pressing return or double-clicking on the name or on OK will exit. Clicking on OK without entering a name, is the same as selecting CANCEL. 2.2 Changing directory. """"""""""""""""""""""" Just double-click on the directory name. All dirs ends with (Dir) in the file list. 2.3 The options. """""""""""""""" There are several other options on the screen. When the directory is scanning, the selecting of these will be slowed down a bit. But if you don't release the mouse button too quick, everything will work. 2.3.1 The sort option. """""""""""""""""""""" Directory scanning will be temporarily stop, while the files are being sorted, with directories on the top, and re-printed. 2.3.2 The .info option. """"""""""""""""""""""" This one toggles between showing and hiding the .info files. Can't be selected while scanning the directory. 2.3.3 The parent option. """""""""""""""""""""""" This one will skip one directory-level back, if there are any. 2.3.4 The disks option. """"""""""""""""""""""" Whe you select this one, all the devices will replace the file-names. You just select one by double-clicking on it. Re-read the devices by pressing GET DIR. 2.3.5 The get dir option. """"""""""""""""""""""""" This one re-scans the current directory. Use it if you think that any files may not appear in the list, and these aren't .info files. 2.3.6 Scrolling. """""""""""""""" You scroll the file/device list with the arrows. When the directory is scanning, the list will scroll two files for each file scanned. 3.0 The Printer menu. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you click on the 'Print' button with the left mouse button, the menu will change into a printer menu. On this menu, there are three settings at the top, and three print options at the bottom of the window. To exit the menu without printing anything, just press the right mouse button. If you select one of the the print options, the menu will disappear after the items have been sent to the printer. 3.1 The settings. """"""""""""""""" All the three settings have two positions, 'Yes' and 'No'. To change from 'Yes' to 'No' or from 'No' to 'Yes', just click om the box at the left of the 'Yes'/'No' option. The settings have this meanings: F.Feed: A form feed will be sent to the printer after printing 60 lines. Single: The top line will be re-printed after the form feed. Comment: When using the 'Print this' option, the comment lines will be printed in sub-script (small letters) below the name. (May not work on all printers.) These settings will be stored together with the file when saving the items. 3.2 'Print this' option. """""""""""""""""""""""" The current item will be printed. The comments will also be printed if the 'Comment' setting is 'Yes'. The function is used to print a few items. If you want to print more than 10 items, it is easier to use the 'Print selected' option. 3.3 'Print all' option. """"""""""""""""""""""" All the items are sent to the printer. No comments are printed. You'll might have to wait some time before the print are finished. (This depends on your printer speed and buffer, and on the number of items.) 3.4 'Print selected' option. """""""""""""""""""""""""""" When you select this, a requester will appear. With this you can select what information that shall decide whitch items to be printed. There are three options: ItemNº, Pattern and DiskNº. If you wish to cancel, just press the right mouse button. 3.4.1 'Item Number' option. """"""""""""""""""""""""""" You enter two item numbers. All the items from the lowest of them to the highest will be printed. If you don't type any number or clicks on 'Cancel', nothing will be printed. 3.4.2 'Pattern' option. """"""""""""""""""""""" You enter a pattern in the item window. The items where the first characters in the pattern match the same characters in the item, will be printed. If nothing is entered, everything will match. Here is an example: Field: Pattern: Item: ------ -------- ----- Name: '' Larry One ('' means that nothing is entered) Type: Adv Adventure No of disks: 1 1 Disk No: 002 0025 This item will match the pattern because all names match. The three chars in the Type field (Adv) are the same in the item. The number of disks are the same, and the three first chars in Disk Nº match. If you try this function in the program once, you'll probably understand it. But remember: If you want everything to match a field, do NOT enter anything, not even a lousy space or a asterisk ( * ). 3.4.3 'Disc Number' option. """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Just the same as 'Item Number', but the numbers you enter are a pattern for the STARTING disk number of the item. You cancel the same way as in 'Item Number'. Either click on 'Cancel' or just don't enter anything. 3.5 Printer notes. """""""""""""""""" - Remember to set the Preferences to your printer, or a compatible printer. If you don't do this, weird things may happen. - To exit during printing, just hold your right mouse button down until a requester appears. - You'll need to have free access to the 'Prt:' device. - The 'printer.device' file and your printer driver file, must be on your disk. If not, you will get a error message when you try to print anyting. - Your printer must be able to print. I hope it is! - Don't blame me if anything is printed outside the paper. Try changing the margins in the Preferences. 4.0 The info box. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the bottom of the screen, there are a box where some useful information si displayed. In this box you can see which item number you are looking at, how much memory ( Chip + Fast ) you have left, and you can see the file name. At the top of the message window, there are a line, used to give messages in. 4.1 Memory checking. """""""""""""""""""" Two sorts of memory is checked. The total free ram and the free workspace. Checking the workspace often slow down the program a little. This is because the workspace is reserved when the program starts, and it is often divided into small parts. Some of these parts are in the Chip mem, and some in the Fast mem ( If there are any. ). Scanning all the workspace part often take some time. Because of this, workspace checking is not done very often, but if it looks like the program has stopped, it is just workspace checking. When the workspace goes below 5000 bytes, you'll be warned. The save requester will then appear automaticly, and you should save, and then reset your machine. If the total free RAM goes under 50000 bytes, the number in the field called 'Free Mem:' will turn red. PS! There are no checking of this memory else than this! So the best thing to do, is to avoid running other programs together with the Disc Register. 4.2 File changed. """"""""""""""""" Well, if the file is changed and not saved, the filename will be red. If not, the name is black. This way, you can easily see if your file is saved or not. 4.3 Message line. """"""""""""""""" Messages are displayed here! Easy, isn't it? 5.0 The requesters. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are several requester types in this program. Here's a few lines about some of them. Input request: This one is used to enter a string of characters. To cancel, click on the 'Cancel' button, or don't enter anything at all. Confirm request: This one is used to let you confirm an action. For example if you want to save a file, or if you want to quit. OK is the same as yes, and CANCEL is the same as no. Message request: This one only shows a important message on the screen. Press the mouse button to exit. Multi request: There are some different types of this one. But all of them will exit/cancel if you press the right mouse button. And all of them have more than two choices. Disk request: Used when asking for a disk in the new file-selector. Left mouse button to retry, and the right one to cancel. I really hope you like my requester design. I love it myself. 6.0 The File-info box. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In this box, that appear when you press the Help button, you may enter some information about the file. Such as when it was updated last, and a small comment. Nice, eh? 7.0 Note these few lines! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - Start the program from CLI/Shell with: 1> run >nil: "Disc Register V1.20" 1> endcli This will start the program and make it possible to close the WB. - Do not multitask this program. It uses some bad-coded wait routines, that do not multitask and slows down the entire system. It also eat a lot of bytes. BUT: If you have a lot of memory, you may multitask the program. But then the speed will drop on the other running tasks. - Remember that this program will need 1Mb of memory to run. I'll maybe release a 512k version in the future. - Also, remember to watch your memory. - You can not flicker the screens with the Left-Amiga + N or M keys. You'll have to use the Left-Amiga + A keys to do this. - Please, do not do anything with my code. Then I will get M A D !!! - If you think that some of my routines are very good, contact me, and I'll maybe send a copy of some of them to you. - I am sorry that my english is not to good. If you want to, correct the errors and send it back to me. I will appreciate it. - Disc Register should work on all computers, but on the new machines with the AA-Chipset (A1200/A4000), you sometimes get a modulo bug when the screen is opened. Don't blame me! This is caused by non-system-frendly coding in AMOS. To solve the problem, try to flicker the screens by holding Left-Amoga + A down for a second or so, and then release the keys when the Disc Register screen is in front. This alwasy solve the problem after a few tries. 8.0 For pack-disk makers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Disc Register will need some libraries to run. They are: - Mathtrans.library - Diskfont.library You must also include the document file on the pack. I will be very happy if you send me the pack, but you don't have to. PS! Disc will be returned. AND PLEASE: SPREAD THIS PROGRAM TO ALL OF THE WORLD! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9.0 Program history.(?) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ******************************************************************* * * * Version 1.00 * * """""""""""" * * Never released. Too many bugs and other shit. * * (It exists only on one of my source disks.) * * * ******************************************************************* ******************************************************************* * * * Version 1.01 - Dec 16. 1991 * * """"""""""""""""""""""""""" * * Some bugs fixed. This document added. * * * ******************************************************************* ******************************************************************* * * * Version 1.02 - Dec 28. 1991 * * """"""""""""""""""""""""""" * * Bug in the Print-to-screen function fixed. But the program * * now crash when a disk-error occours. Removed in V1.10. * * * ******************************************************************* ******************************************************************* * * * Version 1.10 - Feb 3. 1992 * * """""""""""""""""""""""""" * * This version. The disk-error-crash removed. A new file- * * requester added, the old one was too slow. A info-box * * added. Cleanup routine speeded up. New end sequence, the * * old one was too long, and you couldn't exit it. * * The program also requires less memory when running. About * * 30kb saved. * * * ******************************************************************* ******************************************************************* * * * Version 1.11 - May 18. 1992 * * """"""""""""""""""""""""""" * * More bugs removed. Is the program bug free now? If you find * * any bugs, let me know. * * When printing in Draft, 10 CPI mode on your printer, the * * sheet was not wide enough. Now some chars has been removed * * to solve this problem. * * Something was missing in this file. Now it has been written. * * The program will also need less memory to run, but you can't * * run it on a 512k machine. I hope that everything will work * * properly now. * * * ******************************************************************* ******************************************************************* * * * Version 1.20 - June 18. 1993 * * """""""""""""""""""""""""""" * * More bugs removed. There was still some left in verion 1.11. * * The Disc register is now 2 1/2 years old, and I have decided * * to release it from shareware, and make it freeware. * * I will not promise that any new versions will be released, as * * I am working on several other projects now. * * Program tested on several machines, and found to be working. * * (Still some problems on A1200/A4000, see above.) * I hope that you'll enjoy and find this program useful. * * * ******************************************************************* Thank you to all of you who has told me about bugs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Golden regards go to: Andre E. Eide (Stripe the Gremlin / Talent) Founder of my group Talent, and a very good friend and coder. Preben Soot (Jukebox / Talent) Musician in Talent. He's really good. All the other Talent members. See you at The Gathering 1994? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is yet another Noname production. Look out for further stuff from me and my group, TALENT. // (c) Pål Løberg / Noname 1993. // \\ // Let the Amiga \X/ rule 4 ever. ============================================================================== <End of file>