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The Datafile PD-CD 1 Issue 2
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PDCD-1 - Issue 02.iso
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utilities
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memorize
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!Memorizer
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1994-03-31
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Memorizer v1.00
⌐ Ben Summers 1993
See notes at the end of this file for conditions of use and distribution.
RISC OS version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Memorizer only works under RISC OS 3.10 and later. Sorry. If you attempt to
load it under an earlier version of RISC OS, it will complain and urge you
to upgrade. This restriction is necessary as Memorizer uses several features
new to RISC OS 3.10 to allow it to work.
What does Memorizer do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Memorizer sits in the background, and listens out for directories being
opened, applications being run and files being opened. When it hears one
being used, it keeps a record of it. When you press a user defined hotkey
(initially Shift-Ctrl-Tab), a window will pop up allowing you to run the
last 8 (this number can be changed) directories, applications or files
again.
Er... why is that useful?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If for example, you close a directory or file, or quit an application and
then suddenly decide that, after all, you didn't want to close it, you
would normally have to go though lots of directory windows to find it again.
However, with Memorizer, you don't. Just press the hotkey, select the list
the object will be in, and double click on it.
Much quicker.
You could also use it as an instantly available list of useful directories,
applications and files by running them and then locking their entries so
they do not get lost.
How can I get it to run on my machine?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simply install Memorizer in your !Boot file. If you use the Task Manager to
create one while Memorizer is loaded, then Memorizer will be included.
Otherwise, just edit it in as you would any other application.
You can, of course, run it at any time just as you would any other
application.
How do I use Memorizer?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once Memorizer is loaded, either in your !Boot file or by double clicking on
it's icon in the directory viewer, all you need to do is to press the hotkey
when you want to run a file again. A window will appear near the mouse
pointer.
On the top line of the window, there are three icons representing
directories, applications and files. Clicking on one of the icons changes
the currently displayed list to that containing the appropriate type of
object. The colour of the blob beside the icon indicates which list is
currently selected.
The white strip down the right hand side of the window headed by a small
picture of a key needs more explanation. It allows you to 'lock' an object
in the list to stop it from disappearing when the list is full and another
object is about to be added. To lock an object, click on the white strip
opposite the icon of the object. This will toggle the lock on and off. When
the object is locked, the blob is black, otherwise it is light grey.
The Memorizer menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clicking menu on the Memorizer window or on the iconbar icon (if you have
chosen to have one), produces the following menu:
Info ë Info window as expected
Options... Open the options window
Remove Remove the selected object from the list
Save list ë Save an object file containing the entries
in the current list
Save all ë Save an object file containing the entries
in all the lists
Quit Quits the Memorizer task and removes the module
from memory.
The save options can be used to save object files which can be loaded in the
normal way.
Options
~~~~~~~
Choosing 'Options...' from the Memorizer menu displays the options window.
Your disc will be accessed before the window is displayed as the code to
handle changing the options is not within the main Memorizer code as it is
rather large and is not frequently used.
The window which appears has the following options, explained below. The
default state (the one you should have received the program in) is shown in
brackets after the option name.
* Hotkey (Shift-Ctrl-Tab)
The hotkey used to open the Memorizer window. To change it, make sure
that the caret is in the icon, and press the hotkey you want to use.
If the hotkey is allowed (some aren't), the contents of the icon will
change to reflect the new hotkey.
* Number of entries in lists (8)
This is the number of entries in each of the lists kept by Memorizer.
* Object memory chunk size (1K)
The names of the objects stored are kept in chunks of memory within
the RMA. This is the size of each of the chunks. Setting this to a
low value will save memory when it is not necessary, and setting this
to a higher value will avoid problems with objects not being added to
the lists because of lack of memory. I would recommend sticking to the
default 1K.
* Display icon on iconbar (on)
Whether or not to put an icon on the iconbar. I don't really think it
is necessary as Memorizer is the sort of utility you want to hide away
until you want to use it, and the hotkey is a much quicker way of
getting at the Memorizer window.
* Stay open after running object (off)
If this is unselected then the Memorizer window will be closed after an
object is run by double clicking on it. However, double clicking with
ADJUST instead of SELECT always does the opposite of what you choose
here.
* Reorder when object is used again (on)
If this is selected then if an object is used again, it will be brought
to the top of the list. Otherwise, it stays where it is.
* Store file (none set)
Drag a object file saved by Memorizer to the options window to change
this option. Click on None to set no Store file. See below for an
explanation of store files. You will need to save an list file using
the Memorizer menu before you can use this option.
The window contains the following action icons.
* OK
Close the options window and change the options within the loaded copy
of Memorizer. The options are not saved, and so will be reset when
Memorizer is next loaded.
* Cancel
Close the options window, and forget all changes made.
* OK & Save
Same as OK, except that the options are saved to disc so that next time
Memorizer is loaded they will be as you set them in this window.
Store files
~~~~~~~~~~~
If you set up a store file using the Memorizer options window, it will be
used to save all the objects Memorizer has in the lists when Memorizer quits
(using the menu option or in the desktop shutdown sequence). This file will
then be loaded when Memorizer is next used so that your list of objects is
not lost when you switch off.
Limitations
~~~~~~~~~~~
Memorizer has a few limitations. These are due to a requirement to use as
little memory as possible, to be as quick as possible to avoid slowing the
computer down, and in some cases just because of the way RISC OS works.
Multiple file drags
```````````````````
If you drag more than one file to an application, you may find that only the
first few, usually four, appear in the Memorizer window.
Impression files
````````````````
Programs such as Impression use application directories as files. Memorizer
will recognise this and place these in the files list. However, this will
only work if the parent application is loaded when one of these files is
opened. If the parent application is started up by opening this file, it
will be placed in the applications list.
*commands
~~~~~~~~~
Memorizer provides 3 *commands:
Desktop_Memorizer
Memorizer_AddDirFileType
Memorizer_AddIgnoreFileType
Desktop_Memorizer is used internally. Do not use it.
Memorizer_AddDirFileType
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This command adds the filetype specified to the list of those which will be
treated as directories when deciding which list to add them to. By
default, archives (type &DDC) and PC partitions (type &FC8) are in this
list.
Syntax: Memorizer_AddDirFileType <filetype>
The filetype is in hexadecimal. For example,
Memorizer_AddDirFileType DDC
adds type &DDC (archives) to the list of filetypes to treat as directories.
Memorizer_AddIgnoreFileType
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This command adds the filetype specified to the list of those which will
not be added to any lists. By default, no filetypes are in the lists.
Syntax: Memorizer_AddIgnoreFileType <filetype>
The filetype is in hexadecimal. For example,
Memorizer_AddIgnoreFileType 0FF
adds type &0FF to the list of filetypes to ignore.
Using these commands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These two commands can be used at any time after Memorizer has been loaded.
You could include extra commands after the command to load Memorizer in your
!Boot file. If you do include commands in your !Boot file, then you must use
the 'Run' command rather than the 'Filer_Run' command to load Memorizer.
Changing the defaults
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The defaults for these two lists of filetypes are set in the file
'SetFTypes' in the Memorizer application directory. You can add more
commands to this to file, but you must not distribute copies of Memorizer
in which this file is modified.
Conditions of use
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This application is freeware, that is, it can be distributed freely as long
as only reasonable charges are made for media and distribution. I retain
copyright on all program code and documentation. You may only distribute
copies of Memorizer which have all options set to the defaults, and the
SetFType file unmodified.
If you use Memorizer, please write and tell me, preferably enclosing a disc
of PD and return postage. Letters encourage me to keep developing free
software, and upgrade my programs. I mean, if nobody uses the programs, I
need not bother writing them, and if no one writes to tell me that they do,
how am I to know? I reply to all letters I receive (eventually) as long as
you send return postage, and am very happy to upgrade your copy to the very
latest version.
The author
~~~~~~~~~~
Memorizer was written by Ben Summers. Please send any letters, tokens of
appreciation, comments and suggestions for improvements, large sums of money
and discs of incredibly wonderful PD to the address below...
Ben Summers
1 St Clements Hill
Norwich
NR3 4DE
email: bsummers@cix.compulink.co.uk