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1978-06-29
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.oO°Oo.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
PointerX 3.05
_______
°Oo.oO°
© 1994 Dave Jones aka Te®m¿natø® / Ðe$t¿ny.
Contents:
~~~~~~~~~
1. Archive contents.
2. Distribution.
3. What does it do and why ?
4. Requirements.
5. Usage.
6. Bugs.
7. Technical Information.
8. History.
9. Future?
10. About the author.
11. Contact Address.
12. Thanks.
1. Archive contents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The archive you recieved `PointerX_305.Lha' should contain the following
files (Plus possibly some BBS adverts)
PointerX ................... This is the executable.
PointerX.doc ................... This File!
PointerX.Guide ................... This, in Amigaguide (TM) format.
And no other files.
PointerX needs no libraries/devices e.t.c., it is a stand-alone program.
2. Distribution.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PointerX is a giftware program, i.e. if you like/use it, then send me a
gift of some sort.. any kind of miscellaneous rubbish ;-)
Just brighten my day, by letting me know that someone uses PointerX
In return, (Depending on how busy my life is at the time) I may even
write to you occasionally, sending you updates/other programs e.t.c...
Permission is granted for you to spread this archive across all electronic
storage mediums BBS,InterNet e.t.c... as long as the files are not modified
in any way whatsoever.
Permission is also granted for this program to be included in any PD CD
collections (As long as you send me a copy guys.. what you say huh? ;-)
It also cool for magazines to put this on their coverdisks.
3. What does it do and why ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few months ago, I bought a copy of `Amiga User International', which
had a program called PointerX 2.0 on the coverdisk.
Cool!, This program makes the hands on the busy pointer spin!
But, after loading the program on my 1200, it refused to animate the busy
pointer!
So, I threw the disk back into the diskbox, and continued with everyday life.
That was, until an hour ago, when I was soooo bored whilst waiting for a
program to assemble, that I thought, `shame PointerX don't work, it'd look
real neat right now...'
I then decided to disassemble the PointerX program, and make it work on all
machines.
A while later, and PointerX 3 was born.
4. Requirements.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To run PointerX you need...
° Workbench 2 or above. (Yup, now even WB3 is okay!)
° Something that sets the busy `clock' icon
(To test it, Load a workbench, select `execute program' and click
back in the workbench screen ;^)
No other requirements whatsoever.
5.Usage.
~~~~~~~~
To run PointerX, simply type PointerX in the CLI, or doubleclick it from
workbench. (Anyone wanna draw me an icon?)
To abort, you can send the program a Ctrl-C signal (With Xoper,ARTM e.t.c..)
and the program will restore everything and exit gracefully.
PointerX can now also be removed by simply running it again.
6.Bugs!
~~~~~~~
° Not really, a bug, but something I have to workaround sometime..
1) Boot a disk without running PointerX
2) Do something which will set a busy pointer (A file requestor is a
good method - Click outside the filerequestor window.)
3) Whilst it's still the busy pointer, load PointerX.
4) Note how it doesn't spin. If you cancel the requestor, and then
select it again, they will spin. ;-)
5) Also, if you remove PointerX while a busy pointer is spinning, the
hands will stay at that position until you cancel the requestor ;-)
This isn't really a problem, and doesn't rank too highly on my `to do' list
7. Technical Information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
° Coded in 100% Assembly Language for speed and size. (or lack of size!)
The Source code length is 897 lines including Pointer sprites as Dc.w's
° Code is 100% PC relative, which means it will load at any address without
any need for relocation. Let's see `C' coders write a program like that!
° Utilises fast memory if available. [ regardless of location ]
° The code will free any allocated memory / libraries and exit gracefully
on failure / exit.
° Autodetatches from CLI (No need to `RUN PointerX')
° Each version of PointerX has been tested extensively with Enforcer, and
returns no hits. [ Unless my serial lead is broken again ;^( See V3.04! ]
° Each version of PointerX has had extensive testing by myself and my
ever faithful army of ßeta-testers who will (hopefully) be sure to let me
know if there are any problems ;-)
° Some people have suggested that I shouldn't take credit for PointerX 3,
but I would like to point out, that very little of Steve Tibbetts
PointerX 2 remains in my version.
The only unchanged remnants, are the pointer graphic data.
EVERYTHING has been recoded, not from scratch, but still, it looks a darn
sight different from Steve's version.
Incidentally Steve, if you're interested in the source code for this, then
drop me a line (With some kind of proof that you are THE Steve Tibbett
- The original source for PointerX 2 would probably be proof enough..)
° PointerX has been developed on an A1200HD with 68030 MMU/FPU and 2mb
of lovely 32 bit fastram. (Yummy.)
8.History.
~~~~~~~~~~
1.0 No information.
2.0 First version I owned.
° Only works on kickstart 2.04
° Written by Steve Tibbett.
3.0 28.9.94 Released only to ßeta testers
° I (Dave Jones) took over.
° Some obvious optimizations were made.
° Now works on WB3, as I now patch the
Intuition/SetWindowPointerA() function as well as the
Intuition/SetPointer() function.
° Added auto-detatch code, no more need to `RUN PointerX'.
3.01 23.10.94 First Full Public Release - Appeared on the coverdisk
of Amiga User International.
° Fixed NewSetWindowPointer().
It no longer causes Enforcer hits.
° If you now run PointerX twice, it'll Uninstall itself.
° Uses FastMem if available.
° Improved auto-detatch code.
° Various small optimizations.
3.02 27.10.94 Not publically released. Released only to Beta testers
° More PC relativity added.
° Some obscure optimizations added.
3.03 7.11.94 Not released : personal test version
° Code is now 100% PC Relative.
° Code has had loads of optimizations made, both for speed
and size, and is now as small and fast as possible. (IMHO)
° Fixed a harmless bug in the auto-detatch code.
° Removed some redundant code.
° Finally removed some spelling mistakes in this doc!
previous versions stated I was 21, Hmm.. too much Vodka..
(or maybe not enough ;-)
3.04 8.11.94 Second public release.
° Removed an enforcer hit that's been there since ?????
My serial lead was broken, so my terminal wasn't getting
the enforcer hit messages! Sorry!
° Some more small optimizations, removal of duplicate code.
° Now uses minimal amount of CPU time even when in the
`busy' state. - Virtually nil when not `busy'.
° Corrected several mistakes in the docs, which referenced
MoveVBR (One of my other programs) that's what you get
for being lazy, and modifying another doc. ;-)
3.05 26.12.94 Third public release - Uploaded to InterNET in a last-ditch
attempt to get some fame! Send me mail! Just to let me know
that people are using PointerX 3 !
° Uses an optimized SegSplit routine, which saves 4 bytes
Yippee. (!)
° Now includes a rather nice icon.
° More spell checking done on docs ;-Þ
9. Future.
~~~~~~~~~~
° Fixing of any bug reports. (None I hope ;-)
° Maybe have a parameter to adjust the speed at which the hands spin ?
° Any suggestions ?
10. About the Author.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm a 20 year old male (born 6th Feb 1974 - Birthday presents welcome ;-)
I work 9-5 as a data entry clerk with a finance firm, which is sooooooo
boring ;-( I've been a commercial programmer for a while, which may seem
like the ideal job, but when your getting a regular wage for your coding,
it seems to take away all the fun.
Now, I code just for fun which is much more rewarding, but pays less. ;-)
(Anyone wanna send me some bribes ?)
11. Contact Address.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feel free to contact me for donations, presnts, flames, bug-reports, ideas,
requests, or even just to say hello..
also feel free to contact me if you have a program you'd like to see
fixed/improved for WB2/3
Dave Jones.
40,Heol Edward Lewis,
Gelligaer,
Hengoed,
Mid Glamorgan,
Cf8 8ej,
South Wales,
U.k.
Including postage guarantees 1 day turnaround.
You can also send me E-Mail at Narc/Destiny's address.
spe3kdr@cardiff.ac.uk
*NB - Coz this isn't MY net address, chances are you could be waiting a week
or so for a reply, you'll get a faster reply (probably) by snail-mail ;-)
- Kinda ironic huh ?
12. Thanx/ Greetz e.t.c...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Massive Appreciation to the following exalted members
of the human race:
° Commodore for the machine.
° Motorola for 680x0 Intel Outside!
° HiSoft for Devpac 3.04
° Golden Wonder for Pot Noodles.
° Pink Floyd, MegaDeth for musical support during development.
° Whoever invented headfones (For late night development ;-)
° Narc / Destiny for the loan of his 1200HD for a short while ;-)
I really should buy my own.. Donations please readers... ahem..
° Morten Erikson for PicCon 2.32ß - Where the hell are you?
° Klaus Deppisch for Diskspare.device v3 which is great.
° Chris Green & Dave Haynie, Ex-CBM for writing cool software.
° Michael Sinz for Enforcer.
Specially huge amounts of hatred and Buckets of cess
ridden filth to the poor downtroden victims that follow:
° The security guards at Cardiff University for not letting me in for
free InterNET access any more ;-( B**t*rds!
° Mehdi Ali for Screwing Commodore into the state it's in now.
° Motorola for not sending me the MMU books I asked for... Hmph.. ;-(
(Anyone got any MMU docs ?)
° HiSoft for Devpac 3.15 which is totally screwed on my setup.
Fancy blaming the Ram-Speed of my lovely Viper30.. Shame on you.
° Michiel Pelt - For not including any disk salvage utilities with PFS
PLEASE! Someone write a disksalv for this otherwise amazing program.
(Must » I « write everything ? ;^)
BTW: PFS9 has some real bad bugs in it... Truncating files etc...
° Future Publishing for the lamest computer show ever.
FES 94 Was so small, how could you justify such an extortionatly large
entrance fee? If any of your staff use LibMon, please donate a £7
° To everyone who uses my other utilities, but is too tight to even send
me a postcard... Darn you...
That means YOU! user of PointerX, MoveVBR, SquashText, LibMon,
HunkMaster e.t.c.
Maybe I'll start crippling my shareware.. Hmm. Is this what it takes ?