APDL Public Domain 1/APDL_PD1A.iso/customise/filerpatch/!FilerPtch/!Help

Text File | 1993-05-04 | 11.0 KB | 333 lines

                                    FilerPatch

                           Version 1.12 (04 May 1993)

                     FilerPatch is (C) Jens H. Ovesen, 1993.


======================
* Conditions for use *
======================

  When referring to 'FilerPatch' I mean the directory 'FilerPatch' and its
contents (files and directories).
  You are allowed to change your personal copy of 'FilerPatch' only.
  You are not allowed to distribute modified copies of 'FilerPatch'.
  You are only allowed to distribute unmodified copies of 'FilerPatch' if you
don't make any profit out of it.
  I (Jens H. Ovesen) retain the copyright of 'FilerPatch' at all times.


=======================
* Standard disclaimer *
=======================

  No liability will be accepted for any damage to or loss of data as a result
of using this application (all files in directory 'FilerPatch').
  This software is provided 'as is' and using it is entirely at your own risk.


==========================
* What 'FilerPatch' does *
==========================

  First of all: This patch is written for RISC OS 3.10 and Filer 1.64. See
later under * Compatability issues * for other versions.

  'FilerPatch' patches (changes) your Filer module for the desktop. The changes
are:

• Applications don't need the '!' as first character of leaf name.

• Objects can be hidden (not shown in directory viewer).

• A new option in "File 'xxx' ⇨ Access ⇨ Access details  ⇨" allows you to either
  hide/unhide a file or change a directory from/to a new type application. If
  you want to hide a directory, let it start with '-'. Without going into tech-
  nical details, I'll say there was a pretty good reason for this not so elegant
  solution.

• A hidden file is shown as '-' instead of '/' in access information.

• Display configurations for directory viewer is saved and read via a hidden
  file '!FilerConf' if "Local" is ticked (see later), otherwise it's saved and
  read via CMOS as usual.

• New menu item "Hidden objects" in display menu gives you the option to show
  hidden objects. Your choice is saved and read via '!FilerConf' if "Local" is
  ticked. Otherwise it's saved and read via CMOS.

• New menu item "Local" in display menu gives you the option of saving and
  reading display configuration via '!FilerConf' individually for each
  directory.

• New set type menu with all known file types. They are shown together with
  their icon, if they have any.

• New menu item "Sort by value" in set type menu. If this is ticked, the file
  types will be sorted by their hex value, otherwise by name. The option is
  saved to CMOS.

• New menu item "Icons at left" in set type menu. If this is ticked, the file
  type icons will be shown to the left of file type name, otherwise to the
  right. The option is saved to CMOS.

• An application that's runned and doesn't have a '!Run' within it will be
  opened instead.


  Interactive help is supported for the new menu entries.


=================
* How to use it *
=================

  Doubleclick 'FilerPatch.!Run'.
  The following files will be saved:

• 'System:Filer.Filer+'. The patched filer.

• 'System:Filer.!Run'. Loads 'Filer+' and sets some environment variables. You
  can run it from the desktop, then issue a 'desktop' from the TaskManger's menu
  item "New task ⇨".

• 'System:Filer.!Sprites'. Icon for file type 0x50 (Filer).

• 'System:Filer.Templates'. For Filer+. Made by *me* (though I had a close look
  at Acorn's).

• 'System:Filer.Messages'. For Filer+. A merge of Acorns and my messages.

• '%.DirToApp'. *DirToApp <directory> will convert a directory into a new type
  application (without '!' as first character).

• '%.AppToDir'. *AppToDir <new type application> will convert a new type appli-
  cation into a directory.

• '%.Hide'. *Hide <file> will hide <file> in the deskop.

• '%.UnHide'. *UnHide <file> will reverse the above.


  Actually you can move 'System:Filer' to any other place you choose afterwards.


==========================
* Things to look out for *
==========================

  There are some minor points to look out for. These are:

• If you change existing applications into new type applications, you'll soon
  see that not all applications can handle it properly if you rename the sprites
  in '!Sprites'. Making a copy of sprite 'applic' to '!applic' with Paint usual-
  ly solves the problem though.

• Badly written applications may rely on other applications located on the same
  path, referring to them as '!applic' for instance.

• Backdrop applications such as Pinboard and Menon don't seem to be able to run
  new type applications; running 'MenonPatch' solves Menon.

  Loading 'Filer.FilerPatch' solves Pinboard and others which rely on the new
  OS_File 23 and OS_GBPB 12 calls (loaded automatically by 'System:Filer.!Run').

• Because '!FilerConf' is saved in the directory concerned, there will only be
  room for 76 files now (for FileCore based filling systems). I never have so
  many files in a single directory, so it doesn't pose any problem to me.

  '!FilerConf' won't take any disc space, because it's just 1 byte long, so it
  will be saved in the directory space of all E/F format discs.

• Impression documents won't be accepted without a '!' in the front of the leaf-
  name. Sorry, but blame it on Computer Concepts, not me. I don't care, 'cause
  I don't use (or have, mind you) Impression. Sysop of Quercus, Thomas Christi-
  ansen, told me about this.


=================
* Bugs/features *
=================

  Obviously, if I've found any damaging bugs, I would have fixed them. If *you*
find any, please report back.


========================
* Compatibility issues *
========================

• It may not work for other versions of Filer than 1.64. It will not work for
  the filer in RISC OS 2.00. I've tried to make it work for others though:
  There's no actual address references into the Filer module.

• As noted in * Things to look out for *.

• Hidden files and new type application only works for filling systems which
  allow bit 6 of file attributes to be set/cleared. To my knowledge this is so
  for all IDE/SCSI filling systems (FileCore based file systems). Don't know
  about net. It is most certainly so with ADFS. It is not so with DOS and
  certain archive formats. I don't know about Compression or ArcFSr/w.

• The configuration file is 10 chars long, thus not compatible with DOS unless
  you have *configure truncate on.

• Other stuff I haven't noticed.


=========
* Hints *
=========

• The default application sprite can be changed to a directory sprite.

• Files '!Sprites', '!Boot', '!Run' and '!Help' can be hidden too :-)

• Lock those hidden objects! As you can't see them, it's quite easy to forget
  about them (the whole idea with hidden objects), so you might accidently over-
  write them.

• Remember display sort by type. It's quite handy now, because of the new type
  application.


========================
* Further improvements *
========================

• Maybe window position and size should (could) be saved as part of
  '!FilerConf'? Hmm.

• Some kind of alias for icons in the filer. Like having only *one* sprite in
  the spritepool for several new type applications.

• A lot of hot keys for those filer operations.

• Some kind of local (hidden) trash can (sorry dustbin).

• *IconSprites <file> menu item for selection of a single sprite file.


  Other suggestions are always welcome.


====================
* Acknowledgements *
====================

• Thomas Olsson gave me a lot of good suggestions, some of which I followed and
  some of which I didn't because of technically difficulties. He also beta
  tested this patch.

• Clive Jones and Stuart Hickinbottom gave me some advice of which bit to use.
  Hope I chose the one SJ Research *don't* use.

• Thomas Christiansen, Sysop of Quercus BBS, beta tested this patch.

• Guttorm Vik for making StrongEd. I couldn't do without it. Og jeg har sendt
  dig 200,- DKR Guttorm. Synd du ikke fik dem. Og 400,- er s'gu for meget for en
  fattig studerende.

• Dominic Symes for making Zap. It's quite usefull for hacking. I don't like it
  as a plain editor though.

• Acorn for making such a nice machine. I liked the filer as it was, I just
  think it could be improved. So I improved it.


=======================
* Technically details *
=======================

  Filer+ rely on the fact that bit 6 of the object attributes of a file or
directory hasn't got any use at all (SJ Research's filerservers seems to use
it, but haven't implemented it yet, or so I have been told).

• A directory with bit 6 of object attributes set is regarded as an application.

• A file with bit 6 of object attributes set is regarded as hidden.


  As you can see, a directory can't be hidden by setting bit 6. I could have
used bit 7 for hidden files/directories, but SJ Research seems to use it al-
ready (implemented). It seems to be a bit of a waste only to use bit 6 for
directories. Maybe bit 7 could be used for something usefull in the future.
  Although the solution (directory hidden if '-' is first char) seems crude, it
is just as good as Acorn's solution with applications being recognized by a '!'.
Anyway, I haven't found any use for hidden directories yet (read: haven't used
it at all), so I don't care. If enough people complain, I may resort to the
solution of using bit 7.

  The CMOS location used is &2A.

  Display configuration is only loaded when a directory viewer is opened. It's
saved every time a change is made. Both statements assuming "Local" is ticked.


=============
* Last word *
=============

  Please remember folks that the Filer 1.64 in RISC OS 3.10 is (C) Acorn (and
therefore Filer+ is (C) Acorn), so please don't distribute the 'System:Filer',
distribute 'FilerPatch' instead.
  Do contact me to tell me about how much you like the patch :-) or (:-() to
tell me what's bad.
  Either way: Give me *some* feedback. Please. This only applies to the minority
who read this of course.


============
* Versions *
============

1.00: Only released to Quercus BBS. Sysop immidiately uploaded it to Arcade BBS.
  Only got new type applications. Help text part of program. A bit rough on the
  edges, but it did the job. Positive feedback from a RISC OS 2.00 user,
  Thomas Olsson. He also made the nice ConvertApp.

1.01-
1.09: Not released to the public.

1.10: Beta release.
  Hidden files.
  Saving of display configuration to a file.
  Ditto with hidden objects.
  2 extra menu items in display menu.
  New option in "Access details" added.
  Running an application without '!Run' will open it.
  New set type menu.

1.11: Second public release, (03 May 1993)

1.12: Third public release, (04 May 1993)
  Minor bugs removed.
  FilerPatch module doesn't use swi vector anymore.
  I found those bugs because Thomas Olsson got RISC OS 3.10. He seems to be a
  better beta tester than Sysop of Quercus :-].

=================
* Author/hacker *
=================

  I can be contacted by snail-mail:

Jens H. Ovesen
Tolderlundsvej 27,4.tv.
DK-5000 Odense C
Denmark

or by E-mail:

[e-mail]

or at

Quercus BBS #16
Phone [phone]

or by phone directly

([phone]