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1992-02-26
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@3
THE INTOS AMOS EXTENSION@2
Reviewer, Steve Bye
-------------------@4
Intos is an extension that allows you to create intuition Gadgets, Windows,
Screens, Menus, etc. for your own programs. INTOS will allow you to create
Workbench applications just like the users of C, Blitz etc. Have enjoyed
for years. INTOS works on Amos and Amos Pro and comes boxed, complete with a
nice, professionally printed 75 page manual covering over 120 new commands.
When I first received the Amoszine complimentry copy of INTOS (Thanks,
Martin & Steve) I must admit I was a bit worried that this extension was
going to be a bit above my head, ie. Complicated. Luckily INTOS is anything
but that, and even a complete wibble brain such as I, had it installed in no
time. Firstly I must point out that INTOS isn't quite what you would expect
in terms of being an extension. INTOS, uses a different path to what
most of us are used to. Firstly most of the commands are a set of Procedures
that must be loaded first into your listing, or be built on to.
True, there is a .lib file that the procedures make calls to. The .lib
actually has to be placed in the LIBS directory of your boot disk as opposed
to the normal Amos_system directory. The plus side is there are no hassles
with extension numbers and the like, OK by me matey!
With the extension installed the first thing I wanted to try out was the
File requester commands. I had a lovely ASL file requester running perfectly
from within Amos within a few minutes. In this early version of INTOS there
are only a few example programs and none of them do an ASL file requester
and yet a thicky like me had one up and running, no trouble. Looking good.
Just to give you an idea of how easy it all is here is how to get an ASL
file requester up a running and returning the selected file string to Amos.
First of all you must load ALL_PROCS.AMOS which contains all of INTOS's
procedures, you can later delete un-needed procedures when your program is
complete. Once loaded a REM will tell you where to enter your code.
This is what you need:
@5
REM Set up the file requestor parameters
Width of requestor box 640 max
|
| Height of req box 256 max ____leave this as it is.
| | |
IN_FSEL_[0,0,320,200,"LOAD A FILE","ram:","","#?"]
| | | | |
| y coord | Directory to open |
| | |
| Title bar message |
x coord Wildcard shows all files
0,0 =Top left of screen
REM Sel$ will equal the path and file of anything selected
SEL$=Param$
_CLOSE_INTOS
Amos To Front
Print SEL$
@4
Very, Very simple indeed. I know this can be done without INTOS, but do you
really want to mess with tons of DosCalls etc. I don't, not anymore.
There are five example programs on the INTOS disk on this early version,
(more are being done) and they cover setting up an intuition menu system,
which is easier to use the Amos's own menu system and of course much better,
Blitzer's eat your heart out, it's never been so easy! Another supplied
example does a brilliant job of showing how to use a "Type some text in"
gadget, which would entail a major coding session using Amos's normal
commands.
The next task I had set myself/Intos was to display a 256 colour AGA
picture. I expected a lot of fumbling about, as I said I am a bit slow
on the uptake at times, but as you may have guessed by now this was just all
too easy using INTOS. It took me all of two attempts to get to display an
AGA pic on an intuition screen. It would of been first time if the manual
was a little bit clearer. Here is how to display a 256 colour pic using
INTOS, You all know this is just NOT POSSIBLE using Amos on it's own,
so think on and look at this:
@5
IN_SCREEN_[1,0,320,256,8,$0,""]
IN_LOAD_IFF_[1,"DH0:AGA_PIC.IFF",0]
IN_WAIT_RAT
@4
The first line is similar to SCREEN OPEN,but opens an intuition screen.
In this case the screen is to be numbered 1,( You can have up to 63 screens)
the 0 is the Y positioning of the screen, 320,256 is the size of the screen,
the 8 is the screen depth (256 Colours) and the 0 indicates the screen mode
(Lowres) Easy peazy, lemon squezzy. The LOAD IFF is virtually thesame as
Amos's and the IN_WAIT_RAT is a mouse wait.
I am really getting to like this cool extension.
All the above parameters are explained clearly in the manual, but the manual
is a bit short on rabbit, ie. It doesn't say you need to open a screen before
you load a pic on the Workbench. OK it's bloody obvious really, but to real
beginners it could put them off.
On refelection I have just written an AGA picture viewer, use the ASL file
requester to select the PIC and then show it, ?Hmm INTOS writes it almost on
it's own. With the help of INTOS, Amos is getting closer to beating Blitz at
it's own game, without things getting too complicated.
I could carry on with more examples but I think you now have the general
picture. INTOS in the hands of a good Amos coder would be dynamite!
There must be a down side to any program, especially one of this type. The
only drawbacks I can find with INTOS is the fact that it makes your overall
program much larger. Hardly end of the world material, you will agree?
@4And the manual needs to be a bit more talkative, not just giving the bare
essentials of each command. I hope the promised extra examples come soon as
without them some users will feel a bit lost. Apart from those small nags
INTOS is another step forward for Amos, and I would personally recommend it,
hand on heart, especially if you are into writing applications/utils.
@7
AZ Rating 92%
@1
INTOS £29.99 For Amos/Pro
Available from:
OTM Publications,
5, Albert Road,
Tamworth, Staffs.
B79-7JN
@6
Oh,and by the way, OTM are looking for more quality products to market, so
if you have what you think could be a commercial product, drop them a line.