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ABOUT THIS PROGRAM --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name : PinExtend Version : 1.14 (23 Feb 1995) Purpose : Extra pinboard utility Author : Andrew Berry Licence : Freeware. Please see conditions at the end of this file. PURPOSE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PinExtend is a small utility designed to make using the pinboard slightly easier. It can do the following: 1) Enable the user to make backdrops without dropping the sprite file onto the pinboard, selecting the backdrop position, and then removing the icon. 2) Place a blank TinyDirs icon on the icon bar without using the command line. Although TinyDirs is built into the Pinboard in RISC OS 3 there is no option on the Pinboard menu to use TinyDirs on the icon bar. Acorn obviously decided that TinyDirs wasn't needed because files can be dropped onto the pinboard. However, this clutters up the desktop, and icons on the pinboard are harder to get to than the icon bar, which can be brought to the front with Shift-F12. 3) Send a dragged object to TinyDirs and put its icon on the icon bar. 4) Automatically load backdrops and make TinyDirs on startup 5) Automatically remove backdrops and TinyDirs on exit. THE MENUS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The icon bar menu has five items. These are as follows: 1) Info: This leads to a standard info box. 2) Options...: Selecting this will open the options window, which is described later. 3) Backdrop...: This opens the 'Make Backdrop' window which enables you to make a backdrop. Clicking with ADJUST (the right button) on the PinExtend icon has the same effect. The 'Make Backdrop' window is described in detail later. 4) Add TinyDir: Clicking on this will issue the command *AddTinyDir which will add a TinyDir icon to the left of the icon bar. TinyDirs is part of the pinboard application, and its use is described in the user guide. Clicking with SELECT (the left button) on the PinExtend icon has the same effect as selecting 'Add TinyDir'. 5) Quit: Selecting this will quit the program. TinyDirs and backdrops will be removed if the appropriate options are selected in the options window. See later. MAKING A BACKDROP --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To bring up the 'Make Backdrop' window select 'Backdrop...' from the iconbar menu or click ADJUST on the PinExtend icon on the iconbar. Select the position for the backdrop by clicking on the appropriate radio icon. Drag a sprite file from a filer window into the 'Make Backdrop' window. The filename will appear in the long white box. If the file is dragged to the icon bar then the action taken will depend on the setting in the option window - see later. Click OK with SELECT to load the backdrop and close the window, or with ADJUST to load the backdrop and keep the window open. The second option is useful if you want to experiment with different positions. Clicking Cancel will close the window but the filename of the last sprite dragged into PinExtend is remembered until the program is quit. This is so the same sprite can be reloaded later if needed without the original filer window being needed. Clicking on the View button will *Filer_Run the sprite file, causing it to be loaded into a suitable application for viewing it, usually !Paint. Remove removes the current backdrop. ADDING A TINYDIR --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To add a blank TinyDir click Select on the PinExtend icon on the icon bar. Dragging a non-sprite object to the PinExtend icon will cause it to be added to the TinyDirs application. The action taken when a sprite file is dragged depends on the setting in the options window (see later). OPTIONS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PinExtend has a number of options which are available by selecting 'Options...' from either of the menus. The first section of the window is for selecting files, directories or applications which will automatically be added to the icon bar (using TinyDirs) when PinExtend is started up. Any object can be dragged onto one of the long white boxes in the options window, and its filename will appear in the box it has been dragged to. If the appropriate box has been ticked then the object named in the box will be added to the TinyDirs application when PinExtend is loaded. To clear any box simply click in it. Dragging another file onto the box will replace the filename with the filename of the new object. If any of the three boxes are ticked but the boxes are empty then a blank TinyDir will be added on startup. No objects will be added if all the options are switched off. The second section works in the same way as the first, except it is for automatically loading backdrops on startup. Dragging a sprite file to the long white box will enter its filename, and clicking in the box will clear it. The currently selected position for the backdrop is shown on the right and can be changed by clicking on it and selecting from the menu. This option is for the startup backdrop ONLY, and is independent of the 'Make backdrop' window. The first two options in the 'Miscellaneous options' section allow any TinyDirs and backdrops to be automatically removed when PinExtend is quit. The 'Sprite drag' section is for selecting the action which PinExtend will take when a sprite file is dragged to the icon bar. The options are as follows, and are selected by clicking on the current option and selecting the new choice from the menu. 1) If 'Backdrop' is selected then the sprite will be put onto the backdrop using the current options in the 'Make backdrop' window. This means that a sprite file can be put on the pinboard without using any windows, once the position has been set. 2) If 'Open window' is selected then the filename will be passed on to the main window, which will be opened. 3) If 'Add TinyDir' is selected then the file will appear on the TinyDirs application on the icon bar. 4) If 'Query' is selected then a query box will open, giving the user the choice of the above three options. All options in the options window can be saved by clicking on 'Save'. Selecting 'Exit' will close the window and the new options will be remembered. HISTORY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 (03 Sep 1994) : • First version, fully working. Make backdrop, alter position, remove backdrop, view sprite, add TinyDir. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.10 (17 Sep 1994) : • Dragging a non-sprite object onto icon bar puts it on a TinyDir. Gives a query if object is a sprite. • Options to remove backdrop and TinyDirs on exit. • Options to automatically issue *AddTinyDir and load named backdrop on startup. • New menus as a result of options window. • Now uses "Wimp_ReadSysInfo" to load correct sprite file for different modes. • Can save all options to disc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.12 (18 Dec 1994) : • Improved startup options and options window. • Backdrops can now be loaded using the current options in the 'Make backdrop' window just by dragging sprite to icon bar. • Improved query window. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.13 (18 Feb 1995) : • Dragging non-sprite file to options window no longer gives error. • Bug fix - filenames of objects dragged to options window now fill the icon (was chopping off too many characters) • Bug fix - added *IconSprites to !Run file (whoops!). Sorry if earlier versions caused problems with Menon, QuickDir, etc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.14 (23 Feb 1995) : • Bug fix - was looking for 'Sprites24' file with certain monitor configurations. Shouldn't cause any problems now. Thanks to Dave McCartney for pointing this out. THINGS TO DO --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This should be the last version for some time unless any bugs are discovered. No new features are planned, but if I receive any ideas for improvements then they will be implemented in a new version. LEGAL BIT --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This program is Freeware, NOT public domain. This means that I retain the copyright but give everyone the right to distribute it by any means, anywhere, as long as all files are supplied and I am fully credited. Although this program has been fully tested, I (the author) cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused by the use or misuse of this program. It is used entirely at your own risk. CONTACT --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please feel free to write to me at the address below. Let me know if you can think of any ways to improve the program, or if you find any bugs. Any donations will be greatly appreciated, and you can obtain the latest versions of all my programs by sending either: a) A cheque for £1.00 or b) A disc of PD, a first class stamp and a suitable method of returning your disc. (If you send me the disc in a Jiffy bag then I can re-use it to send the disc back). Currently (20/4/1995) my other programs are as follows: - DiscComp 1.06 (23 Feb 1995) : Compact discs from the desktop, various options. - LoseCaret 1.12 (23 Feb 1995) : Force applications to lose the caret. Useful if the app. doesn't pass on unknown keypresses. - DirOpen 1.01 (04 Feb 1995) : Drag directories and apps to icon bar to open them. Reopen last dir from icon bar - IconSprit 1.10 (28 Jan 1995) : IconSprites, ToolSprites, save RAM and ROM sprites to disc - ShowFile 1.01 (13 Feb 1995) : Display files using *Type/List/Dump, various options. - TidyApp 1.01 (04 Mar 1995) : Rename !Boot, !Run in app. directories (to correct wrong case, e.g. !boot) - TextInfo 1.12 (05 Mar 1995) : Counts words/sentences etc in text files. Please write to: Andrew Berry 39 Lancaster Avenue Sandiacre Nottingham NG10 5GW --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
