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/ Aminet 12 / Aminet 12 (1996)(GTI - Schatztruhe)[!][Jun 1996].iso / Aminet / dev / lang / HeliOS2.lha / helios_demo_disk2 / docs / InitialSetup.doc

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Text File | 1995-10-15 | 22.1 KB | 517 lines

Welcome to HeliOS! We hope that you will enjoy using this software, and to help you get the most out of it we would first like to tell you a little about the HeliOS support service. HeliOS is a "living" language which is under constant development and which literally grows with every passing week. We make any new developments immediately available to all HeliOS users, and we are happy to provide a low cost update service so that everyone can get new material as soon as it is available. Because HeliOS is a new and rapidly expanding language it is in everyone's interest to register and participate in the HeliOS user group and the update service. A community of programmer's can help each other with shared code and ideas, and Helios Software are always pleased to help this process by acting as a central "library" for material submitted by HeliOS programmers. Above all, we want to sustain the creative Amiga programming community by providing software tools which enhance this excellent computer, and to do this we need YOUR feedback. So remember that HeliOS is here for your benefit, and we are happy to consider adding new features which YOU suggest and to pass on interesting new ideas between HeliOS users. Enjoy using HeliOS and help us to make this a really creative programming tool by sharing your ideas and suggestions with us and other programmers. **************************** Installation and first steps **************************** You may wish to use the HDInstall program provided to install HeliOS onto your system, but we will give here a descriptive overview of the installation for those who wish to do it themselves manually. It is always useful, especially to a programmer, to know exactly how your software is installed. If you use the HDInstall software it will create a directory called "HeliOS" in your designated path and then make an assign "HeliOS:" to this directory. You may wish to do the same, because HeliOS will always automatically look in the assigned "HeliOS:" path first when looking for its startup configuration files. (See below) The main program is just a single file and does not absolutely require ANY special installation, assigns, libraries, or path setting: if you are really impatient you can just execute the "HeliOS_int" program. For a really simple installation you only need copy the executable to your chosen path and run it, but we recommend that you perform the full installation to get the best results from using the software. There are various configuration, macro, and help files which can be created and used with HeliOS, and although these are not essential for the initial loading of the program it really is best to install them. There are also precompiled include files which you will probably need, sooner or later, as well as the various source code and document files. As an initial installation we recommend that you create a HeliOS directory (and the HeliOS: assign) then copy all the HeliOS files into it, with subdirectories for "Docs", "Source" etc. The configuration files described below should be placed into the root "HeliOS:" directory, or into your "S:" directory, as an initial setup. As you will see, you can always move them later if required. ******************************************** Configuration files and the "HeliOS:" assign ******************************************** At startup time HeliOS looks for various configuration files, to set things like your preferred user environment and colours etc. It is important that you understand that these files are not necessary for the general operation of HeliOS, but are there to allow you to specify customised settings of various program parameters. HeliOS looks for these configuration files when it starts up, to check if you require any custom settings when the software is first loaded. Because you may wish to keep different configuration setting for different contexts, and because most people like to be in control of where programs store information, HeliOS allows great flexibility in where you keep your configuration files. As mentioned above, if you want to keep all your HeliOS files together it is probably best to create an "Assign" called "HeliOS:" and put all your HeliOS system and configuration files into this directory. This "HeliOS:" directory will, if present, be used at startup time as the PRIMARY default initial configuration file path. However, HeliOS does also allow you to set up from within the software separate load paths for most of its configuration files, so once you are familiar with HeliOS you can change things to suit your own preferences. ***************************** The "HeliOS Environment" file ***************************** The first thing which HeliOS does when it loads is to attempt to find and load the "HeliOS_Environment" file. This file contains all the information necessary for the user-configuration of the software, and also all the path information for any configuration files stored in user-defined directories. The "HeliOS Environment" file is the most important configuration file because it actually stores all the initial load path information for all the other configuration files. Obviously this "master" configuration file cannot define its own load path, so HeliOS must look in certain places to try to find "HeliOS_Environment" before loading anything else. HeliOS will first look for the "HeliOS Environment" file in the assigned "HeliOS:" directory, and if this fails it will next look in "S:". If both these attempts fail, no "HeliOS_Environment" file will be loaded, and consequently the HeliOS software will start up with default settings. ****************** Initial load paths ****************** The default settings will cause HeliOS to look for the rest of its initial configuration files first in the "HeliOS:" and then in the "S:" directory. If you want to store your various configuration files (other than the main "HeliOS_Environment" file) in directories other than "HeliOS:" or "S:" you are at liberty to do so. If you use the options within the software to set up and save your own default paths for the configuration and include files, HeliOS will attempt to load the files at startup from your designated paths. If HeliOS fails to load the configuration files from their designated paths it will always revert to its default action and look first in the assigned "HeliOS:" directory and then in the "S:" directory for the files. You can have some files in designated directories, some in the "HeliOS:" directory and some in the "S:" directory if you wish. In any case where there is a file with the same name in more than one directory, a file in a designated directory will take precedence, followed by the "HeliOS:" directory, followed by"S:". *************************************** A discussion on the configuration files *************************************** Here are the default file names for the configuration files which HeliOS attempts to load at startup: HeliOS_Environment -> HeliOS environment configuration HeliOS_MenuText -> Menu text definition ASCII file HeliOS_Imagery -> GUI imagery IFF file HeliOS_KeyTable -> Command key assignment ASCII file HeliOS_Colours -> Colour settings HeliOS_Macros -> Default Macros HeliOS_VocabularyHelp -> Default Vocabulary Help ASCII file HeliOS_UserInclude -> Optional default User include file HeliOS_AmigaInclude -> Optional default Amiga include file The first three files are special cases which we shall discuss in a moment, but you have four choices with respect to installing each of the last six listed configuration files: 1. Omit the files completely, so that HeliOS retains its default setup. 2. Store them wherever you like and give them each individual path assignments and file names from within the software. 3. Store them with the default name in the HeliOS: directory 4. Store them with the default name in the S: directory ******************************************** The three "special case" configuration files ******************************************** The three "special case" files are: HeliOS_Environment -> HeliOS environment configuration HeliOS_MenuText -> Menu text definition ASCII file HeliOS_Imagery -> GUI imagery IFF file These files are treated as follows. 1. The main "HeliOS_Environment" file is a special case, as we have already explained, and must always be stored in the "HeliOS:" or "S:" directories with a fixed filename called "HeliOS_Environment". 2. The "HeliOS_MenuText" file is another special case because it must always be given the specific name "HeliOS_MenuText" and HeliOS will always try to load it from the same designated path as the "HeliOS_KeyTable" file. This is because it is mainly used in conjunction with the "HeliOS_Keytable" file and these two files generally are mutually dependant. If you always put the "HeliOS_MenuText" file in the same directory as the "HeliOS_KeyTable" file it will be loaded at startup from that directory. However, if the file cannot be found there, HeliOS will nevertheless still attempt to load the file on its own from the "HeliOS:" or "S:" directories. In other words the "HeliOS_MenuText" file can only have its directory designated together with the "HeliOS_KeyTable" file and not individually. 3. The "HeliOS_Imagery" file is a third special case. This file need not be present at all, and in this case HeliOS will simply use its own internal built-in default imagery. However, if you choose to design your own customised HeliOS GUI imagery, you can edit the file called "HeliOS_Imagery_See_ReadMe". The file "HeliOS_Imagery_See_ReadMe" contains all the HeliOS GUI imagery in the form of an IFF picture. This IFF picture may be edited in any art package (such as DPaint) and changed as required. Once edited, the file should be saved as an ordinary IFF file with the same dimensions as the original. If the filename of "HeliOS_Imagery_See_ReadMe" is changed to "HeliOS_Imagery" and the file is placed in either the "S:" or the "HeliOS:" directory, HeliOS will pick up its GUI imagery at startup from this "HeliOS_Imagery" IFF file. Since the HeliOS program already contains its own imagery in its standard form you should not (and do not need to) use the "HeliOS_Imagery" file unless you wish to use your own different imagery. If you do use the "HeliOS_Imagery" file it will add a short extra delay to the startup of the HeliOS program as the new graphics are loaded. Remember that if you do choose to edit the HeliOS GUI imagery you must ensure that all the positions and sizes of the various images must be retained exactly as in the original: otherwise you will observe jarring visual misalignments in the GUI graphical imagery when using HeliOS. *********************************************** How to set up your own configuration file paths *********************************************** You will possibly want to set up your configuration file, user environment, and path defaults before getting down to using the HeliOS software, so here is a brief description of how to do this. As we said, there are 6 configuration files which can have their automatic startup path defaults saved as a simple operation from within HeliOS: HeliOS_KeyTable -> Command key assignment ASCII file HeliOS_Colours -> Colour settings HeliOS_Macros -> Default Macros HeliOS_VocabularyHelp -> Default Vocabulary Help ASCII file HeliOS_UserInclude -> Optional default User include file HeliOS_AmigaInclude -> Optional default Amiga include file To set any of these file paths from within HeliOS you merely have to use the file requester to navigate to the chosen path, then use the menu option "Save all paths" to preserve your new settings. To use the file requester to set specific paths, simply use either the Load or the SaveAs options for the particular file you wish to set. For example, using "Load colours" or "Save colours as" will set the internal Colour file default path. You can then save the new path setting by using the "Save all paths" menu function. There are options to Load and/or SaveAs each of the above six configuration files within the HeliOS software, and when you use the Load/SaveAs options the file requester will always appear preset to the current internally set default path for the particular category of file. If you then navigate using the file requester to some other path, this will now be remembered by HeliOS and the software will have its internal paths set to the last path set in the requester. You always need to use "Save all paths" if you want HeliOS to remember its current path settings next time it loads, otherwise the current internal settings will be lost when you close the program. Note that you can have as many versions of the configuration files as you wish and selectively load whichever you want to use currently. Remember: You MUST use "Save all paths" in order for your new path settings to be remembered the next time HeliOS is at started, and note that this function will also save all the Editor paths at the same time. ******* Warning ******* Note that paths can only be set or changed by using the file requester to do a real operation. Selecting "Forget it" in the file requester will NOT result in the path being set. ******************************* Saving the HeliOS "Environment" ******************************* Several other options, such as "scroll settings", "default ruler" etc. can be saved as defaults, and in each case their settings are saved within the main "HeliOS_Environment" file. Once you have the program running, you may wish to reset many user options to your own preferences. If you then select the "Save environment" menu option, a new user environment file will be saved into your default startup directory. The next time you load HeliOS your new settings will be loaded at startup as the defaults. Note that all the user options are distributed within the menu system rather than collected together in a single requester. For example, you may set the editor scrolling speed from within the editor, then set the interpreter output buffer from the interpreter: both these new settings could then be preserved together by using the "Save environment" menu option. ******************** Quick Save functions ******************** HeliOS has several "Quick Save" options whereby a default configuration file can be saved without recourse to the file requester. For example, "Save Colours" will save the Colour configuration to the default path without presenting you with the requester. When you use the "Quick Save" functions for any of the configuration files, they will always be saved into the current default user designated path if that path is legal. Otherwise the "HeliOS:" directory will be used if it is available:, and finally they will be saved into your "S:" directory if no other option is available. ********************* Setting up Menu texts ********************* There is an ASCII file by default called "HeliOS_MenuText" which, if placed in its default startup directory, will allow you to specify your own Menu Texts, Key Index text, and the messages associated with the file requester title bar. This file is easy to edit, and contains simple instructions within itself for how to do the editing. If this file is not present, default texts will be used. The facility to change menu texts is really necessary only if you have changed the command key sequences, because in this case the original menu texts would incorrectly represent your chosen command keys. You may also wish to change the editor "Key Index" menu to include any information which you find particularly useful: this special menu allows you to have available from the menu bar a full page of reference text which can be changed using the "HeliOS_MenuText" file. ************************ Setting up shortcut keys ************************ There is an ASCII file called "HeliOS_KeyTable" which, if placed in the default startup directory, will allow you to specify all shortcut keys. This is a simple "tabular" file which contains its own editing instructions. If this file is not present, default settings will be used. Shortcut keys can also be "re-bound" from within the software, and at any time an ASCII "KeyTable" file representing the current key bindings can be saved either as the default or as a KeyTable file under a chosen name by using the "Save key table" menu option (in the editor "Options" menu). As well as being able to generate a new KeyTable file containing the current key commands, you can also re-generate a standard default KeyTable by using a simple "trick". To do this simply load HeliOS with no keytable file, or attempt to load an invalid keytable file: if you do this the default key bindings will be restored and you can save the standard default KeyTable. ******************************* Setting up include symbol files ******************************* HeliOS uses precompiled include files for extremely fast access to include symbol values. See the "Include File" documentation for a full detailed discussion of this powerful HeliOS feature. There are two types of HeliOS "include" symbol files which may be loaded automatically at startup and retained "on-line" at all times. These files do not need to be kept in any special directory, and their load paths can be specified from within the software. This is useful because you may choose to have several of these files, which can be quite large, and it is often most appropriate to keep them in the directories where the programs to which they relate are stored. The "User include" file can have symbols added and removed from within the HeliOS software, and is intended to be a flexible symbol resource which you can update as you work on a particular software project. The "Amiga" include is less flexible, and is intended to be a fixed large symbol base, such as the full set of Amiga include symbols. Both files are identical in format and it is only the "slot" into which they are loaded which determines how they are used. An Amiga include file containing all the Amiga symbols is provided with HeliOS, and you will probably wish to have this file loaded automatically at startup. All HeliOS include files are in a special encrypted format, but they can be easily loaded and modified within the software. Alternatively they can be saved into ASCII format, edited, and then recompiled into the HeliOS include file format. HeliOS include files can also be specified and loaded from within the code of your own programs, making them a very flexible symbol resource. ************************** Setting up vocabulary help ************************** HeliOS allows you to define your own on-line vocabulary help on the word currently under the cursor when Ctrl-Help is pressed. This works in both the interpreter and the editor, and is designed to be used as an on-line dictionary and general purpose reference system. The vocabulary help system also has the facility to auto-load a default file called "HeliOS_VocabularyHelp" at startup time. You can also load a vocabulary help file at any time later from within the HeliOS program. HeliOS comes with an example "HeliOS_VocabularyHelp" file, and this can be edited and extended in any ASCII editor. The file itself contains instructions on how to add your own entries, and we suggest that you load it into a text editor and try adding some new entries of your own to get a feel for how the system works. ************************************************************ Setting up HeliOS paths other than the Default Startup paths ************************************************************ There are various load and save functions within HeliOS, and these can generally have customised default path settings. This means, for example, that you can set up the program by default to have each editor using a different initial path, just as you can have the colour load path set to wherever you want to keep your colour config files. The editor paths, like the config file paths, may be saved complete with filenames, so you can start up HeliOS, go into one of the editors, and find the file requester all set up with the name of your file ready to load. To change and save any of the default paths you use the same method: 1. First use Load/SaveAs for all the functions you wish to configure, thus setting the current file requester paths to your chosen ones. For example, you should go into all the editors and load or save a file to set up the path, then use the colour, macro and other save functions to set up these paths etc. 2. Having set all the paths to your liking you can use a menu option from the editor or interpreter to "Save all paths". This will copy the current paths into the user configuration file and save that file as the default startup. All your newly set paths will from now on be loaded at startup. Note again that: Paths can only be set or changed by using the file requester to do a real operation. Selecting "Forget it" in the file requester will not result in the path being set. These are the initial default path and filename settings of all the configurable paths: Colours 'HeliOS:HeliOS_Colours' KeyTable 'HeliOS:HeliOS_KeyTable' Environment 'HeliOS:HeliOS_Environment' Macros 'HeliOS:HeliOS_Macros' Vocabulary Help 'HeliOS:HeliOS_VocabularyHelp' User Include 'HeliOS:HeliOS_UserInclude' Amiga Include 'HeliOS:HeliOS_AmigaInclude' General 'Sys:' PreLoad/PreSave 'Sys:' Editor 1 'Sys:' Editor 2 'Sys:' Editor 3 'Sys:' "OUT" Editor 'Sys:' *************** Getting Started *************** Once you have installed HeliOS you should run the program and go into Editor1 by pressing the "Ed 1" button. Once you are in Editor 1 you will see a small red and white triangular gadget in the header bar: this is the "Quick Load" button. Use this Quick Load button or the menu "Load file" option to load a file, and you should find the file requester already preset to "Tutorial.Doc" (assuming that the installation was "correct"!). Load the "Tutorial.Doc" and proceed from there! ***************************************************************************** End *****************************************************************************