The Atari Compendium/The Atari Compendium (Toad Computers) (1994).iso/files/umich/utils/runner.lzh/RUNNER.TXT

Text File | 1990-05-03 | 45KB | 903 lines

Runner -- A Desktop Alternative

Copyright (C) 1990 by Dave Thorson
Version 1.22  February 8, 1990



Shareware Stuff

I am releasing Runner as shareware to test the market for such
programs.  Runner is not "Public Domain" and I reserve all rights
to the program and this documentation.  You are free to take
Runner for a test drive on your own computer, and see if you find
it to be of value.  Whether you keep it or not, feel free to give
copies of RUNNER.ARC to your friends.  I save on distribution and
marketing costs, and you don't get stuck buying a program that
doesn't work out for you as you expected after seeing it for only
a few minutes in a store.  If Runner doesn't meet your needs,
please send me some suggestions for improving it.  If you decide
not to send a donation, please stop using Runner - it's not yours!

If you find Runner to be useful, please send a donation of $10 to:

     Dave Thorson
     3018 East Cheery Lynn Road
     Phoenix, Arizona  85016

Be sure to include a return address if you need a reply, and tell
me what program you're registering so I can keep my records
straight.

I could charge more (like the "going rate" for ST software of $40
per package), but through shareware you can save on marketing and
distribution costs as well!  Shareware can make all of us come out
ahead, but only if donations are sent.  Without them, shareware
developers like myself will have no incentive to develop more
software, and you will stop seeing nifty utilities and games come
your way.

As they always say with programs, the author (Dave Thorson) cannot
be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this
program, including loss of your files or time or any business
damages whatsoever.  I don't expect you'll have any problems at
all, but if claim the program is 100% error free and that there is
no way you can ever lose files while using it, then one of you out
there will find a way to prove me wrong....  Another saying: "You
can't make anything foolproof because fools are so ingeniuos".



Features of Runner:

* Runs in ANY resolution.

* Programs can be run without worrying about what folder or disk
they're physically stored in.  Runner switches to the program's
disk and folder automatically.

* Tos-Takes-Parameters (.TTP) programs normally require a command
line or parameters to be entered; Runner prompts you for this.
Command lines can be longer than the 20 characters allowed in the
desktop's dialogue box.  The previous command line can be recalled
and edited.

* Lets you install up to 15 programs per menu; any of these
programs can be run with the click of a mouse.  No more waiting
for the desktop to redraw: on exiting a program you are returned
immediately to Runner's screen.  Programs are installed by simply
selecting them from a file selector box, regardless of drive or
folder.  Additional information may be entered about each program
to customize its installation (see below).

* Any of the 15 programs in a menu can be a menu itself, giving
you access to 15 more programs or menus by clicking on the menu.

* Menus can be nested up to 15 levels deep (although why you would
ever need more than three levels I don't know....).  For example,
on the top level menu you might have several programs and another
menu named Graphics.  Clicking on Graphics displays a new menu
containing more menus called Paint Programs, Drafting, Slideshows
and Conversions.  Clicking on Paint Programs reveals Degas Elite,
Colorburst 3000 and Spectrum 512.  This nesting capability of
Runner means you can logically arrange your programs for quickest
access.  Runner can theoretically store many billions of programs
in its menus.  With only 3 menu levels, you could access up to
3,375 programs, more than will fit on any hard disk I know of....

* Programs and menus are listed using descriptions rather than
filenames.  The default description for Degas Elite is "Degelite",
the original program name minus the .PRG extension.  If you like
"Degelite" as a description, fine, or you can change it to the
more readable "Degas Elite".  Descriptions can be up to 20
characters.  Default descriptions are adapted from file names with
a (small) bit of intelligence: "1TO3FOUR.PRG" becomes "1 To 3 Four"
and "TNY_VIEW.PRG" becomes "Tny View".

* Programs and menus can be installed to appear only in certain
resolutions.  Spectrum 512 won't appear in the list when using a
monochrome monitor, for example.  It is possible to override this
and list ALL programs when needed.

* Runner can force the screen resolution on a color monitor from
low to medium or from medium to low, and this is remembered
independently for each installed program.  While GEM does not
always keep up with this trickery, it does allow you to run some
programs successfully (or perhaps well enough to gain benefit)
from the wrong resolution.

* Programs and menus can be added, removed or changed at any time.

* Access to a file selector is always a mouse click away.  If a
selected file is a program, Runner will run it as if it were
installed in a menu.  Otherwise, Runner will display the file on
the screen.  "Funny" characters are stripped out, and the text is
wrapped at the appropriate place.  Low resolution is temporarily
switched to medium during file views.  The GEM Desktop has trouble
displaying files in low res that are more than 40 characters wide;
it breaks them at the 40th column, usually in the middle of a
word, and loses the line count so that up to forty lines may
scroll off the screen without being read.  To make matters worse,
a text file in the wrong format (such as from ST Writer) just
keeps scrolling on by.  Runner's file view fixes all these
problems.

* Up to 16 programs can be "installed" in a fashion similar to the
desktop, with support of wildcards in the extensions (for example,
".PI?" will load a program for files selected with extensions of
".PI1", ".PI2", and ".PI3").

* If you use an advanced file selector like Universal Item
Selector (UIS II or UIS III) from Application and Design Software,
all of its capabilities will be available.  UIS II, for example,
lets you rename, copy, delete, print and move files, as well as
format disks.  You will not need to exit to the desktop for these
functions (in fact, since using Runner with UIS, I RARELY ever see
the desktop anymore).

* Runner will use any Degas-compatible (.PI1,.PI2,.PI3) picture as
a background display.  Pictures for the current resolution can be
loaded on startup or after Runner is running.  If memory is short,
a picture can be unloaded to free up 32,000 bytes.  Template
"guide" files are included to help you design your own background
scenes.

* Desk Accessories are also available while in Runner.  Due to
some insurmountable quirks in GFA BASIC, the accessory interface
is a bit strange but it's there....

* Runner's menu lists can be saved any time, loaded on startup or
loaded from within Runner.  You can have different "configuration"
files (containing menu lists and color selections) for different
purposes, if desired.

* The palette used for running programs and viewing files can be
selected to be the desktop colors, the colors last saved in
RUNNER.CFG, or the colors of whatever picture file is loaded at
the time.  This palette selection does not affect the displayed
picture (unless you want it to).

* Runner will not permit a bad selection of colors to make text
completely unreadable.  If a picture file is loaded that would
make the text and background colors too close, Runner changes the
text color (you may not like the color, but you'll be able to see
enough of what's going on to fix it!).



ARC Contents

The RUNNER.ARC file contains the following files:

     RUNNER.PRG - the Runner program file

     RUNNER.HLP - a quick "get started" help file, it contains a
                  summary of all the stuff that's not obvious from