DockMaster

Version 1.0.3

Keiron Liddle
144 Harcourt St
New Farm, Brisbane
QLD, Australia 4005

Introduction

The main features of this application are windows that can optionally float above other applications, hot keys to hide the windows or to switch to another app. This is the fast launcher, with many more options than others added on. Just drag any application, file, folder ..... anything at all really and it will add it to the launcher module, just click and away you go. Drag any files on to an application icon and it will launch it.

Index

• The Dock Window
• About the modules
• The Launch Module
• The Process Module
• The File Module
• The Memory Module
• The Url Usage Module
• The Memory Module
• The Cpu Module

Dock Window

• It can be resized and placed anywhere on the screen
• YOu can set the window to have a top or side bar.
• you can change it from a floater to a normal window (or vice versa) by clicking in the zoom box of the window.
• There are two distinct parts to the window:- 1.The left hand side contains the tabs 2. The right contains the currently active module. (discussed later concerning individual modules)
• The tabs are all of different colours and clicking on one of these will activate the corresponding module.
• If you want to have the module in a window by itself or to place it into another window then just drag the tab. Drag it to another window and it will hilite the window, you can drop it there or somewhere else on the screen and a new window will be created.
• By double clicking in the tab area you will be presented with a dialog box for the options of that window.
• Try setting the pattern to Silver and using a tall thin window and see what you think.
• You can set the window to have the same pattern as the desktop to let it blend seemlessly with you desktop.
• To create a new window choose a module from the modules menu and it will create one with the module contained inside it.

About the Modules

• There are 8 different types of modules.
• 1. The launcher module - you drag files, applications or folders to this module and it will then provide an icon that you can click on to open the file, launch the application or open the folder.
• 2. Process - This shows the icons of the currently running applications, so you can drag files so that application will open them. Or click to put that application in front. Or you quit the application without brining it to the front.
• 3. File utility - This provides a set of icons that have a few different functions for file manipulation. Doing batch file changing
• 4. Peeker - This is designed to let you drag a file and it will display a preview depending on the type of file. eg, text, pict, any file with an inbuilt preview etc.
• 5. Url address - This is for storing address and letting you launch a browser with the url. The url's are editable and drag & drop as text.
• 6. Memory - This shows the current memory usage of all currently running applications with both progress bars and text figures in kb.
• 7. Disk Volumes - This shows the volumes and disk usage off all currently mounted volumes. Using both progress bars and text figures in Mb.
• 8. Cpu Usage - This shows the relative percentage of cpu usage of all applications in the last 30 seconds.

Launcher Module

• Drag files, applications or folders to this module (it will show a blue border when the drag is inside the module.) and this will add the file to the launcher.
• Once you have your favourite applications, folders or files in there then you can use it to launch them or open them.
• Dragging files onto one of these icons will result in either launching the application with those files or moving those files to the folder.
• If you hold down the command key and click on the icon it will open the folder containing the file.
• If you hold down the shift key and click on an application it will launch the application in the background.
• If you hold down the control key and the icon is a running application it will tell the application to quit (using apple events). (a warning is given if you do this for the finder as it will most certainly crash the computer).
• You can drag the icon (it effectively becomes an alias file) and drag it to another icon in the launcher or the process module to open the file with the application you drag it to.
• If you drag the icon to the desktop it just becomes an alias file.
• If you drag it to the trash it will delete the icon from the launcher module.
• If you change the shape of the window then all the icons will immediately move into position (with the rows taking highest priority, the number of columns is then determined by how many icons are present)

Process Module

• This contains the currently running applications.
• The functionality is basically the same as the launcher module (concerning applications).
• Click on the icon to bring the application to the front.
• Drag files onto it to open the files with that application
• Hold down the control key and click on the icon to tell the application to quit (with apple events).
• Drag the icon to create an alias.

File Utility Module

• The first three icons are the "apple menu items", "control panels" and "extensions" folders icons.
• Clicking on any of these will open the folder
• Holding down shift will open the folders without activating the finder
• Holding down the command key will show the system folder (where the folders are contained)
• Dragging files onto the icon will move them to the corresponding icon.
• Dragging the icon will create an alias and move it to wherever you drop it.
• The next icon is the command - i icon which is probably the most useful.
• Clicking on this will prompt you to open a file then you will be presented with a dialog box of information about the file. (this is the same as if you dragged one file onto the icon)
• This lets you change the file type, creator name and flags of the file.
• If you drag lots of files onto the icon you will be presented with another dialog box, which may be confusing at first.
• This allows you change one or any selected attributes of all the files you dragged onto it
• The check boxes on the left indicate whether to change it or not (checked means you will be changing all the files for the attribute.
• the check box with the same name and just to the right indicates what to change it to.
• Very good for changing file types or creators when you have a lot of files.
• The lock and label icons perform a similair function.
• The alias icon must be clicked on first, then when you drag files onto the icon it will create an alias and put it in the folder you chose.

Peeker Module

• If you drag a file into this it will display it in some way depending on the type of file
• If the file has a preview (ie. a PICT resource showing contents of the file) it will show that picture (types supported :- photoshop, canvas, marathon)
• Shows any PICT file
• shows any text file or any file that contains text.
• Will show as much as you let it by changing the size of the window.
• If that isn't available then it will display the data fork

Url Module

• Drag a text clipping on the module and it will create a url address
• double click to create an address with a dialog box
• hold down the command key to edit the address.
• Drag to the trash to remove the item.
• uses internet config, so it won't work without it - this means that I can keep this program minimal when possible.
• urls must start with - http://, mailto:, ftp:// etc.
• Title can be anything you want.

Memory Module

• This shows the memory used by all the running processes and how much is used and free.

Disk Module

• This keeps track of the mounted volumes on your computer and the space used and total space of the drive.

Cpu Module

• This updates occasionally showing the percent cpu usage of active processes since last updating.
• Keep in mind that if you have this window showing and DockMaster is the front application it will most probably show up as using most of the cpu. In part becaus you are asking it to continuously check, and also front applications tend to get more time.

Quick Hints

Items can only be added to the launcher when the window isn't floating above other apps (this is due to certain technical difficulties)
The windows can be changed from floaters to normal windows by just clicking in the zoom box
Tabs will only be drag active when the window is not floating
YOu can set the hot keys to hide the floaters or to change the current application by using the keys.. item in the edit menu.
You can change the window to have top or side bars, by double clicking in the tab bar.
Double click on any of the modules to set the preferences for that module (not on the icons)
Tabs are now drag active so you can have a few modules in the same window and drag files to any without any hassles
Double click on the tab area to set the window prefs.

DockMaster has the following pricing.

Paying for DockMaster is fairly simple. Open the Register program that accompanies DockMaster. Enter your name, your email address, and the number of single user licenses you desire for each program you wish to purchase. Save or Copy or Print the data from the Register program and send the data and payment to Kagi. More specifics on the Register program to follow. Kagi handles my payment processing.

If paying with Credit Card or First Virtual, you can email or fax the data to Kagi. Their email address is sales@kagi.com and their ax number is +1 510 652-6589. You can either Copy the data from Register and paste into the body of an email message or you can Save the data to a file and you can attach that file to an email message. There is no need to compress the data file, it's already pretty small. If you have a fax modem, just Print the data to the Kagi fax number.

Payments sent via email are processed within 3 to 4 days. You will receive an email acknowledgement when it is processed. Payments sent via fax take up to 10 days and if you provide a correct internet email address you will receive an email acknowledgement.

If you are paying with Cash or USD Check you should print the data using the Register application and send it to the address shown on the form, which is:

Changes from version 1.0.2 to 1.0.3

1. Set up the setting of hot keys properly.
2. Added options for the drives module.
3. You can now use the peeker, at the moment it handles files with a preview (ie. a PICT resource preview), PICT files, text files and anything else it will show the data fork, it will show as much as you let it depending on the window size.
4. You can use a file to place launcher files, folders etc into (still retaining the default one). There is a maximum of 98 files per window. (you will probably run out of memory first)
5. The floating windows can now take drag items.
6. The drives module has preferences similiar to the memory.
7. The tabs are now drag active for floating windows (except if you are dragging from the Finder and both the Finder and DockMaster are in the background - not that likely)
8. Got some groovy new icons.
9. Tabs are now relative in size to the number of modules present.
10. Url working
11. Possible to use a separate file for URL's
12. Maximum of 98 files per window for the url's - same as the launcher

Changes from version 1.0.1 to 1.0.2

1. Major change with the way that the windows work, they will now float above other applications
2. You can change their floating status by using the HotKey, command-escape
3. Fixed problem when the window is put too short, and the icons are drawn at infinity or divide by zero error depending on the computer
4. Now uses a proper event grabber so that the events will get to my program properly and first.
5. Set switching so it works properly and can use any keys
6. Set window hiding to use any keys you choose
7. Click in zoom to change the window, system floater - normal window
8. Added option of having the title bar on the side or the top.

Changes from version 1.0 to 1.0.1

1. added support for desk accessories
2. fixed memory problem so more memory is freed when trying to draw large patterns. (still limited with large ppats)
3. now possible to have a white background
4. if you click on a launcher icon and it cannot find the file it now searches using the stored alias, then if it is an application it checks the desktop database for the most recent version of that aaplication failing that it will delete itself.
5. folders now correctly stay in the launcher module even after quitting.
6. Drop areas now update correctly when modules are dragged to new windows or between windows
7. tabs now drag active, drag a file over the tabs and the modules will change accordingly (as the original intention was)
8. prevented crash when a module is moved to another or a new window
9. properly removes old window all the time when all the modules have been removed
10. Fixed dragging wrong things from the file module.
11. Fixed when the user cancels the set info when the info icon is clicked
12. Fixed crash when deleting icon when there is a folder present after the icon.
13. Fixed icon drawing in the wrong place after dragging from the memory module
14. Internet Config now works in 68k version
15. Comments now work in the get info.
16. You can now get info on all files (invisible too)
17. App prefs now show up correctly what they really are.
18. Now erases window if there is not enough memory to draw the pattern.
19. Icons will show up properly for apps running on disks other than the startup disk
20. Made icons sizeable to any size
21. Writes name of files, folders etc over icons
22. Searches all databases for running process icon before using default.
23. Small floating window to write the name of apps, files and folders on when mouse over icons.
24. Make progress bars optionally relative to total memory
25. You can set preferences for all modules, most set by double clicking
26. Average CPU usage can now be obtained

This program may be distributed by any electronic or physical media with the proviso that it is distributed as is without any alteration and that all parts of the original stuffit archive remain together.

The author, Keiron Liddle, makes no warranties, either express or implied, regarding the fitness of "DockMaster 1.0" for any particular purpose. Use "DockMaster 1.0" at your own risk. The authors claim no liability for data loss or any other problems caused directly or indirectly by "DockMaster 1.0".