home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Amiga Collections: MegaDisc
/
MegaDisc 33 (1993-04)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 2 of 2).zip
/
MegaDisc 33 (1993-04)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 2 of 2).adf
/
Reviews
/
DOpus_4
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-04-20
|
13KB
|
252 lines
DIRECTORY OPUS 4
created by Jon Potter
reviewed by Steve Bolton
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: The long awaited update to DOpus 3.42 has finally arrived.
Those of you who may have found the increased cost of this utility a
little more than expected should also take note that INOVAtronics in
the USA has taken over the burden of marketing this software from Jon.
The increase price also includes the increased quality of the packaging
and documentation and above all a thoroughly improved program.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33
WHAT IS A DIRECTORY UTILITY
Essentially a directory utility is a program which makes the task
of manipulating files easy and painless. The term "files" may sound
boring but it can refer to pictures, animations, sounds, demos,
programs, fonts, etc. Remember, your Amiga's disks are made up of
files.
So what can a directory utility do for you? If you have ever
used the CLI/Shell to examine a floppy disk or copy files from one disk
or another then you may find yourself "getting lost" amongst the
different directories and find yourself having to enter in larger and
larger path names to get to a particular file.
These sorts of abilities are the absolute minimum that DOpus4 can
dramatically improve for the user. Launching programs or ARexx
scripts, playing animations, listening to music modules or extracting
software from an archive are but a few of the tasks available to you in
DOpus4.
WHO CAN USE DOPUS4?
In fact, the question should probably be "who can NOT use DOpus4?".
The answer would then be "no-one"! This program is easy enough for the
beginner to use (since most functions have already been set up) and
expandable enough for the professional/experienced user to configure
DOpus to their own personal needs.
When first run, DOpus will come up and you will then see several
rows of buttons at the bottom of the screen and the top part of the
screen will consist of two windows. These windows are used to show the
contents of a directory and there are two of them because the active
one will be used as a source directory and the inactive one as a
destination directory. The buttons at the bottom are used to select
various functions such as copy, delete, make new directory, print, etc.
The top of the screen will also have a menu strip (which you can see by
holding down the right mouse button).
POWER TO THE MASSES
The main thing that makes DOpus far more powerful than other
directory utilities is its configurability. Everything about DOpus can
easily and quickly be changed via a Config program (which is launched
from within DOpus), so the buttons can be moved around, their
sizes/colours changed, extra set of buttons added, change the functions
of the buttons or perform any of these changes on the menu items,
directory windows or even globally to the whole program.
The directory windows display several pieces of information (you
can choose what information you want available) such as file names,
file size, creation date, protection bits, comments and filetype (text,
IFF picture etc). You can even choose how you want the information
sorted within the window. Everything is so easily performed within
these windows that you won't want to use the workbench or CLI ever
again. Most of the time to view a picture/animation, play a music
module or launch another program you will only need to double click
with the mouse on the name of the file in the directory window. To
copy a file from one directory to another you can simply click on the
file in question then quickly click on the destination window and the
file will be copied. Same with listing the contents of an archive
(just double click on it) or extracting the contents of an archive
(clicking on the archive then clicking on the destination directory).
When changing/adding functions to either the menus or buttons
it is done in the Config program using a simple method similar (and in
fact easier) than the CLI/Shell. For example, to set up a button to
delete a file you would select a button in the Config program and give
it a name (probably DELETE). You then designate the function the
button performs, by entering the following:
C:Delete {f}
The C:Delete is the path and file names for the Delete command.
The {f} is a special "code" for DOpus which tells DOpus to enter the
first selected entry in a source directory window with its full path
name into he command line instead of {f}. This means that when you
select an item in the directory window and then click on the delete
button that item will be deleted which saves time entering the
CLI/Shell and typing in the full command yourself. The delete button
can also be made to delete all the files that have been highlighted
(great for deleting icons for data files which you don't every see from
workbench). This "code system" is used where you would normally use
paths to files in the CLI/Shell.
Other codes include:
{Rd} - Directory requester
{d} - Destination directory name
{o} - First selected entry (name only)
{ou} - As {o} but file is not unselected after function has been
performed.
These are just some of the many codes available, but don't worry,
there is no need to memorise any of them, since they can be selected
within the Config program by clicking on the "{}" button. This will
then bring up a requester showing the codes and a small description of
what they are - if you then click on one it will be entered into the
command line. Even the name of the action file (such as the AmigaDOS
command Delete in the above example) can be selected using a requester.
You just need to find where the file is within your system and click on
it, the full path to that file will then be entered into the command
line. This may all sound a little complicated at the moment but it is
really simple once you try it out for yourself. Since most of the
functions you will ever use are already set up or you, beginners won't
have to worry about the Config program until they have gained enough
knowledge and confidence to feel ready to reconfigure some of the
buttons. Experienced users will find it very easy to jump right in and
start configuring their own buttons/menus.
Beginners who may be a little confused with the CLI/shell will find
it a relief to use DOpus for manipulating files or formatting/copying
disks. Expert users will be impressed with the ease with which they can
efficiently use their systems. For example, programmers usually need
to use the CLI/Shell to compile, link and debug their code could then
set up some buttons to perform the same task. All they then need to do
is highlight the source code and then click on the relevant buttons and
their programs can be compiled while they then get on with some other
work. People who use text editors for a lot of writing could set up a
button with a public domain spelling/grammar checker. Then their files
would be easily checked for spelling or grammatical errors. There is
truly nothing that can't be done with DOpus (I even have a ray tracing
program set up to ray trace in the background while I get on with some
other work!).
Hard drive users will find that DOpus becomes indispensable for
tracking down files and reorganising their hard drives. You may even
find that you no longer need to access the workbench or cli and just
run everything from within DOpus.
WHAT CAN IT RECOGNISE
Here is a list of just some of the items that Directory Opus 4 can
recognise:
o All ILBM pictures (including SHAM and the new AGA modes)
o Animations (ANIM-5) and AnimBrushes
o Plays: Sound samples (8SVX)
Noisetracker
Soundtracker
ProTracker
MED w/MIDI
Octalyzer
Raw audio data
o Runs executables
o Displays: Fonts
Text files (normal or ANSI)
HEX files
o Launches CanDo Decks
o Executes ARexx scripts
So you can see that DOpus is versatile in what it can read.
AN EASY READ
The manual supplied with DOpus 4 is in a sturdy 3-ring binder. The
280 page manual is easy to use and contains heaps of details on all
functions of DOpus including pictures of the particular items being
referred to so that understanding what you are reading about is easy.
If you do get stuck while using DOpus then on-line help is available by
simply pressing the HELP key and then clicking on the item you want
help with.
NO SYSTEM IS TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
DOpus is one program which has no trouble adapting to new Amigas,
Kickstarts and Chip Sets and is fully compatible all the way up to
kickstart 3 and the new AGA chip set. DOpus can be displayed in any
resolution your system supports with your choice of colours. So on an
Amiga 1200 or 4000 to display a HAM8 picture just double click on its
name and it will load and be displayed for you. If you have only 1MB
of memory, running other large programs from DOpus may not work because
of the memory that DOpus is using but since more and more people are
expanding their systems beyond the 1MB range it won't be a problem for
more advanced users.
The overall quality of DOpus4 compared with DOpus 3.42 is
astounding. At first glance it may not look much different
(perhaps only a few subtle changes) but once you have a look
"behind the scenes" at the power of the Config program then it
quickly becomes apparent that this is a program of limitless
potential which is very easy to use. Users of V3.42 will already
know just how easy it is to use and config DOpus to suit your own
personal tastes. DOpus4 goes that bit further by refining the ease
of use and adding to it so that it is possible to reconfigure
DOpus 4 using only the mouse if you prefer. There are now heaps
of different recognisable filetypes available so you may never
need to add your own (though you can still do this). All of these
filetypes can have different actions performed on them
(such as using a special picture viewer when a GIF picture is
loaded). Full support for AGA graphics modes and full
utilisation of your system to its maximum ability truly make this
a great piece of software.
The only problem with a program of this ability and adaptability is
the overall size of itself plus the Config program. To get maximum use
from it there are also some libraries which DOpus will use to enhance
requesters, loaders or to unpack certain files. So DOpus is not a
program that can be set up on a "utility" disk with 3000 other
utilities. Users with a single disk drive will find file transfers MUCH
easier between different disks when using DOpus then they would trying
to use the CLI/Shell. User with only 1MB of RAM will be limited with
the size and resolution of animations, pictures or even music that is
played/viewed from within DOpus.
If you are serious about your Amiga then you can't go wrong with
DOpus and hard drive users will find it invaluable when tracking down
files.
Directory Opus 4 is available from most good software
retailers and Megadisc at a retail of $149 (approx. - some places
may be selling for less).
Upgrades are available for V3.42 users by sending your
original disk and $85 to:
DeskTop Utilities
PO Box 3053,
Manuka,
ACT,
2033
Ph: (06) 239 6658
][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33 ][ 33