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- BeepError v0.33
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- © 30th August 1993
-
- By Piers Wombwell
-
- Introduction
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- This is BeepError - a desktop patch to change the system beep to a chosen
- sample, which maybe different depending on the error.
-
- Configuration
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- To configure BeepError, double click on the icon, and you will get a list of
- errors (currently for ADFS, SparkFS and ArcFS), and a list of samples the
- program knows about. If the sample list is empty, you will need to add some
- samples (see later). Click on the error you wish to assign (say 'Drive
- Empty'), and then a sample on the right. You will notice that the error is
- now shaded in grey to show that it has a sample assigned to it.
-
- Do this for as many errors as you like, and click SELECT on 'Apply' to save
- these settings, and to load the module into RAM. This only takes 1k of RAM,
- so is hardly going to affect your computing. Click 'Cancel' if you do not
- wish to save your settings, or load the module into RAM.
-
- Now, generate that error!
-
- Auto-loading
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- To load this in a !Boot file, you must first configure it, as shown above.
- Then add the following two lines to your !Boot file:
- *Run <pathname>.!BeepError.!Boot
- *RMLoad <BeepError$Dir>.BeepError
-
- Running the !Boot is necessary since it sets the path for the samples, which
- the module relys on. An error will occur if you have not previously
- configured BeepError as described above.
-
- Changing the samples
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The program should come with a set of samples. If you decide to use them,
- they (and any extras) must be kept inside the application so they can be
- found when the selected error occurs. They are not kept in RAM all the time,
- since I already say goodbye to about 1Meg of RMA on startup, and I couldn't
- cope with anymore going :-). If the program cannot find the samples, or they
- cannot be read for any reason, the default system beep will be played
- instead.
-
- To add some new samples, simply copy them into the directory 'Samples' inside
- the application.
-
- Adding more errors
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- You can add your own errors to the program. Have a look in the directory
- 'Errors' inside the application. The leafname is displayed as the group
- heading in dark grey in the error list window. Each line is a new error (must
- be terminated with ASCII 10. I suppose I ought to make it any control
- character). Anyway, you should be able to work out the format from the
- existing files.
-
- Things not to worry about
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The memory usage of this is minimal. Generally under 1k of RMA space is used.
- When a sample is played, the required amount of memory is claimed, and the
- sample is loaded into the System Sprites area. Once the error window is
- clicked on, the memory is given back. This stops any fragmentation of the
- RMA, and keeps memory usage to under 1k.
-
- Errors reported by Filer_Action are not intercepted, so do not get the sample
- played.
-
- Things to look forward for
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- A 'Try' icon to play the sample.
-
- Edit the current configuration.
-
- Deselecting a sample - currently, it doesn't actually work, although it may
- appear to in the window.
-
- You shouldn't be able to select a group heading (such as ADFS). Oops.
-
- Comments in the error files (starting with ‘;’, ‘#’ or ‘|’)
-
- There seems to be a problem with restoring the pitch of the system beep.
- Oops.
-
- Contacting me
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Erm.... If you really want to contact me (I'd really appreciate suggestions),
- you can contact me in any of the following ways:
-
- Email:
- P.Wombwell@rhbnc.ac.uk
- Piers@garbo.uwasa.fi (if the wonderful vax is down again)
-
- Arcade BBS:
- Username: Piers
- Phone numbers: 081-654 2212 (4 ridiculously fast lines(anything up to 14.4k))
- 081-655 4412 (1 even faster line (16.somethingk bps))
- "log on - it's grate" (a certain omnipresent person who wrote the best
- template editor ever seen this side of 9th September '93)
-
- Snail Mail:
- 34 Hereford Road
- Wanstead
- London
- E11 2EA
-
- Thanks to
- ~~~~~~~~~
- Everyone at Arcade BBS
- Tim Browse for some suggestions long before I ever got round to thinking
- about releasing the first version, and help on playing samples.
- David Pilling for the idea of using the System Sprites area to save the RMA.
- Mark Smith for the ArcFS error numbers (his text file even happened to be in
- the correct format for this program, so I didn't have to do anything :-) )
-
- Distribution
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- This program is Freeware. This means I retain the copyright, but you can
- distribute it freely, as long as no part is altered (including this !Help
- file). It may not be distributed by any PD library, or any other organization
- who may charge for it (or the media it is on), nor may you use any part of it
- in your own programs, without my prior written permission.
-