The Auto File Saver is one of those things that is much easier to use than it is to explain. To keep things simple, I'll just outline it here. Use a more technical help level to get more information.
Suppose you've started to save a file from, say, your wordprocessor. You've picked up the icon and you're dragging it towards the directory where you want to save it, when suddenly, wait! You can't see the directory! It's not on the screen! Aaagh! Panic!
Well, no, don't panic actually. If you can see the Black Hole icon, just drop the file onto that instead. Hey presto. The file will be saved in the Bin Directory. You can now copy it where you want it to be at your leisure.
But You can be cleverer even than that.
[1]
I'm not going to explain how much cleverer because that's complicated. Just ignore all the bits in the Auto Saver window and use Black Hole as an emergency 'drop point' for saving files.
[2]
You can use the Auto Saver to save different file types into different directories, thus organising your files a bit. Read this help on a higher technical level for an explanation.
[34]
The Auto File Saver is a bit difficult to explain. What it does, in essence, is to help you organize the files on your hard disc, and to provide an emergency 'Drop Point' for all those times when you start dragging the icon from an application's 'Save As' box only to realise that you can't see the directory viewer you want to save it into.
[3]
To cut a long story marginally less long, an example:
Suppose you always save Text files into a directory called
adfs::4.$.Textfiles.
but you have a habit of forgetting to open it when you save a Text file. What the Auto Saver allows you to do is to drag the file to the Black Hole icon instead of the directory viewer. Black Hole will then save the file into the directory 'adfs::4.$.Textfiles' and open the Viewer for you.
{subhead}To set it up:
Select the Autosaver option from BlackHole and type FFF or 'Text' (the filetype for text files) in the "Files of Type:" box. Type the pathname (adfs::4.$.Textfiles) into the "Will be saved to:" box.
Now try it - bring up !Edit and select the 'Save' option from the menu. Drag the icon to Black Hole and hey presto, the text file is saved to the directory you typed into the Auto Saver.
[4]
In plain language, you can specify a pathname for a particular file type. If you then 'save' a file of that type 'into' Black Hole, it will stick the specified pathname in front of the filename and save the file.
If you can't figure out how to set it up, try a lower technical help level.
[34]
This only applies when you drag a file FROM THE SAVE BOX OF AN APPLICATION.
If you drag a file from a directory viewer to the Autosaver window, it's type will be inserted in the window. Dragging a directory to the Autosaver window inserts its pathname.
Clicking on the arrow button next to the filetype box will open a filetype menu from which you can select one.
If there is no path set up for a filetype dragged to the icon, it will be saved to the current Black Hole Bin directory.
If you have more than one path set up for one filetype, then Black Hole will prompt you to select a directory to save the file to. An error box will open asking if you want to save the file to the specified directory. Clicking OK will save the file. Clicking Cancel will move the program on to the next choice. Clicking Cancel to all the options will not save the file. If a file already exists with the pathname given, it will be overwritten.
{subhead}Saving the settings
To make the settings in this window permanent, click on the Save button.
[1234]
{subhead}Configuration
There are two options in the 'Config' window which apply to the Auto Saver.
'Confirm before saving' will ask you if you are really sure before it lets the application save the file.
'Open Destination when saved' will open the directory the file was saved
