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1997-02-10
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ExtraBar Version 0.77
=====================
Purpose
=======
Extrabar is one of those desktop utilies that you will either hate or decide
you can't live life with out it. It has been designed to ease the use of the
desktop. It does this by creating a new tool bar for the desktop, which can
have buttons created on it.
These buttons can do a number of things;
• Opening a 'Filer_Menu' which shows the contents
of a directory and leads to it's sub-
directories.
• 'Insert_text' to enter frequently used text in
to an application.
• 'Emulate_Key' presses for use with applications
that do not have tool bars.
• Move the caret.
• Issue any star command.
• Dynamic buttons. These can have a system variable, the current time,
amount of free memory or freespace on a disc.
and it also features;
• Easy save. Just drag a file from the Save As
window of any application on to the ExtraBar and
it will get saved in to a central directory just
like with a normal directory. So no more messing
around opening filer windows.
It can also issue multiple commands so that with one mouse click you could
run your internet software, mail reader as well as a desktop publiser and
graphics program. Why is, of course, another question :-)
Connected
=========
If you have seen the latest pre-christmas Intel adverts about 'connectted'
software and are wondering what this has to do Acorn, well.
***** THIS IS A CONNECTED APPLICATION *****
In the Info window is a button, containing the words 'WWW home
page',clicking on that will take you straight to the Extrabar home page
where upgrades are placed when they become available. Upgrading is now much
easier than before.
This is only available is you have a supporting web browser loaded.
Currently that includes Webite, Fresco and ArcWeb.
Older versions
==============
Version 0.40 of Extrabar contained a small buglet. When a button was setup
the wrong bits of the data flag where setup. So when a button file was
loaded in to a older or new version of Extrabar it would look different. The
horizontal gaps became vertical gaps. This has been fixed in this version of
Extrabar however it could mean that some of you tool bars could look
different to how you expected them.
Using
=====
To use ExtraBar you first need to load it, a window will then open. This is
the extra bar. On the extra bar there will be an icon with the time and date
in it. Dragging files, directories and applications on to the bar will
create a button with the items name and sprite in it. Clicking on that icon
runs the item that created it. Shift and Ctrl have the same effect as they
normally would have if you where double clicking in a directory.
You can also create an empty button from the 'Button > New button' menu
item. Selecting this item creates a blank button with the name Undefined and
a small ExtraBar file for it's sprite. It has no commands defined for it so
clicking on it will show an error. You can alter any button that you create
at anytime.
If you click on the background of the extra bar with MENU and also have the
Ctrl key held down then the extra bar's position will be toggled. If it is
hidden then it will come to the front, if it is already at the front then it
will go to the back.
To save any buttons that you have created you need to use the save window.
If you click on the save menu item that leads to the save window then the
file will be saved to where it was loaded from or the save window will open.
Auto loading a file
===================
You can make Extrabar load a set of buttons every time it's loaded by saving
a buttons file as the default. This is very simple as all you need to do is
from the 'Toolbar' submenu select the 'Save default' menu item. So long as
ExtraBar is not loaded via a double click on one of it's buttons it will
load.
Altering a button
=================
If you wish to change a button's configuration then by opening the main menu
over it and going the to main menu and then to the;
Button => Alter button
dialogue box allows you change it configuration easily. The top icon is
where you can enter the text that will appear in the button, and the icon
below that is the sprite name for the the sprite you want to appear in the
button. Below these are the command icons where you type in the the command
that you want to be issued when the button is clicked on with SELECT or
ADJUST.
You can also make the button the last one on the row which forces any
subsequent button to move downwards as well as putting a gap after the
button.
At present you can make the button run a number of commands. You can also use
the short two letter version of the command if you wish.
They can be;
• A star command.
Syntax: * <command>
• 'Caret_Back' moves the caret back n places.
Syntax: Caret_Back <places>
• 'Caret_Forward' moves the caret forward n places.
Syntax: Caret_Forward <places>
• Emulate a key press. You will need to use
KeyCode to find out the value to use.
Syntax: Emulate_Key <Key code>
• Opens a menu created from the contents of a
directory.
Syntax: Filer_Menu <Directory path>
• Opens a menu created from a user definable menu file.
Syntax: User_Menu <Menu file path>
• 'Insert_Contents' moves the caret forward n places.
Takes a file and sends it's contents to the the
current application with the input focus.
Syntax: Insert_Contents <file>
• 'Insert' takes a string and sends to an
application, no special actions are taken except
changing '|m' to a Return press.
Syntax: Insert "<text>"
• 'Insert_text' in to an application, after
passing it to GSTrans and inserting any time
variables that may have been used. ie. %m3 will
become Jun, Dec, etc.
Any system variables that are named will be
convertted to the value that they are set to.
ie. Insert_text "<Wimp$State>" will send the
work 'desktop' to the application.
If you want to send a < or " to an application
you must first put a | in front of it. You can
also send a Return with |m and a | with ||.
Syntax: Insert_text "<string>"
• 'Save_file' opens a window allowing you to save
a file from one place to another. For example
you could use this call to allow the user to
save a file to a directory after a processing
activity (Jpeg to Sprite, etc...)
Syntax: Save_File <directory>
• 'Web' Will send a request to any web browsing
software to go to a particual page. Can be
http://, mailto:, telnet:// or any other
protocolo.
Supported by Termite and Fresco
Syntax: Web <Web address>
• 'Task_Loaded' will execute a command if an application is loaded or an
optional command if it is not.
Syntax: Task_loaded <appname> then <command> [else <command>]
• 'Task_NotLoaded' will execute a command if an application is not loaded
or an optional command if it is. The application name <appname> is the
same as the one that appears in the task window. It is a case-
sensitive. If the application's name includes spaces it should be
surrounded by quotes.
Syntax: Task_notloaded <appname> then <command> [else <command>]
• 'ModTask_Loaded' will execute a command if an module task is loaded or
an optional command if it is not.
Syntax: ModTask_loaded <appname> then <command> [else <command>]
• 'ModTask_NotLoaded' will execute a command if an module task is not
loaded or an optional command if it is. The module task name <appname>
is the same as the one that appears in the task window. It is a case-
sensitive. If the module's name includes spaces it should be surrounded
by quotes.
Syntax: ModTask_notloaded <appname> then <command> [else <command>]
• 'AllTask_Loaded' will execute a command if an module task or application
is loaded or an optional command if it is not.
Syntax: ModTask_loaded <appname> then <command> [else <command>]
• 'AllTask_NotLoaded' will execute a command if an module task or
application is not loaded or an optional command if it is. The mod