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LazyBench
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LazyBench1.3.doc
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1993-06-26
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Distribution
Briefly, LazyBench is a copyrighted product and all the rights are
reserved to Werther 'Mircko' Pirani (referred to as "the Author").
Nonetheless, LazyBench may be freely distributed as long as the
following restrictions are met:
- The distributor may only charge a fee up to the cost of obtaining
a public domain disk from a PD Library.
- The distributor agrees to cease distributing the program and any
data involved if requested to do so by the Author.
- The distributor may only distribute an unmodified copy of the
original program, with all supplied documentation and copyright
notices intact. Read the file "License.doc" for more details.
The original distribution includes:
LazyBench1.3.doc 9279 bytes (this document)
LazyBench1.3.doc.info 745 bytes (its icon)
LazyBench1.3 14172 bytes (LazyBench for OS 1.3)
LazyBench1.3.info 454 bytes (its icon)
LazyBench2.0.doc 17181 bytes (the document for OS 2.xx)
Lazybench2.0.doc.info 745 bytes (its icon)
LazyBench2.0 16692 bytes (LazyBench for OS 2.xx)
LazyBench2.0.info 500 bytes (its icon)
License.doc 7897 bytes (legal stuff)
License.doc.info 745 bytes (its icon)
If one or more of the above is missing, then your distribution is
incomplete: please, dump it immediately and check it out with your
favourite BBS or PD Library. If all else fails, you can try to get
in touch with me for a complete distribution. Read the chapter
"Feedback" for more details.
LazyBench and Kickstart 1.3
This is the documentation about LazyBench for the Amiga OS 1.3.
Read the file "LazyBench2.0.doc" and be sure to install
LazyBench2.0 if you are running OS 2.xx (and above).
Needless to say, LazyBench1.3 is fully compatible with OS 2.0
and higher but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles you
could expect from the last generation of applications and is
somewhat ugly to look at. Anyway, if you run LazyBench1.3 under OS
2.0 and the default font for the Workbench screen is something
different from the topaz font, you should experience no problems
at all.
LazyBench1.3 is a very *basic* version of LazyBench2.0, so what
you see is what you get: a bare bone, no frills interface.
Nonetheless, you'll find LazyBench both easy to operate and useful.
Introduction
LazyBench is a little utility for lazy people with a hard disk
crammed full of goodies, which are too difficult to reach because
they are buried away in drawers inside drawers inside drawers
inside drawers ... I could go on and on but ... I'm too lazy!
Laziness aside, LazyBench opens a little window on the Workbench
screen and delivers you a fully configurable menu, which brings at
your fingertips up to 30 applications (tools or projects) without
having to reorganize the Workbench.
Such utilities are usually called "hard disk menus" and while
LazyBench is neither the only one, nor the best available, it's
tiny enough (just 14172 bytes) to fit even in the most crowded of
the hard disks. Furthermore, it's easy to configure even for the
laziest person in the world!
Installing LazyBench
1) Copy LazyBench to your C: directory or whatever directory you
prefer to store utilities like this.
2) Edit the startup-sequence in the S: directory.
Just before the line that says 'LoadWB' insert the command:
LazyBench
LazyBench is made to be detachable from the original Shell, so you
won't have to use the command:
Run >NIL: LazyBench
Anyway, remember to use the full pathname for the command itself:
SYS:C/LazyBench, SYS:Utilities/LazyBench or SYS:MyTools/LazyBench.
Configuring LazyBench
Create a file called "LazyMenu" in the S: directory. This is a
plain text file, so you can use the editor you feel more
comfortable with, from the humble Ed to a word processor with all
the bells and whistles. LazyBench reads this file to know about the
applications (tools or projects) you would like to have handy
without messing the Workbench screen with many open drawers and
windows.
Each line in this text file is the full pathname for the
application you want LazyBench to launch and each line can be up to
256 characters in length:
SYS:Utilities/Clock
SYS:Tools/Calculator
SYS:Work/FinalCopy_II/FinalCopy_II
SYS:Work/NComm/NCommSYS:Work/Games/Amoeba Invaders
Please note the space within the last line: when a directory or an
application name contains spaces you *don't* have to use double
quotes, just type the full pathname as above. Of course in the
"LazyBench" menu you'll see just the applications name, not the
full pathnames, so in this case you'll see items named "Clock",
"Calculator", "FinalCopy_II", "NComm" and "Amoeba Invaders".
How many custom items can you insert in the "LazyBench" menu?
Well, it depends on the system (PAL or NTSC) you're running on,
but basically you can refer to the following figures:
NTSC: 17 items;
PAL: 22 items;
PAL or NTSC Interlaced: 30 items;
Extra lines in the "LazyMenu" file are simply ignored.
Please also note that you can also use a line of the type:
SYS:Work/WriteStuff/Documents/Letter
where "Letter" it's not an application (a tool) but a document (a
project) and choosing the item named "Letter" from the "LazyBench"
menu would start the word processor used to write such a document
and load the file named "Letter". Since most word processors,
desktop publishers and paint programs save their settings along
with the document, you can start an application and load its
preferences just by picking an item from the "LazyBench" menu.
Neat, isn't it?
Activating LazyBench
Reboot and a tiny window named "LazyBench" should appear in the
upper left corner of the Workbench screen.
Using LazyBench
Each time you make the LazyBench window the active one by clicking
on it (actually on its title, since it's the only thing you get to
see) you can hold down the right button mouse to display the
"LazyBench" menu. Select an item and hey presto, the matching
application is running! I promised you: no more drawers to open and
no more windows to resize or depth arrange...
To quit LazyBench you can either click on the close gadget from the
LazyBench window or select the 'Quit' item from the "LazyBench"
menu. Anyway, if an application started by LazyBench is still
running, you can't quit and the Workbench screen will flash to
warn you. That is, to quit LazyBench you must quit all the
applications started by LazyBench.
Quick Troubleshooting Guide
Due to its simplicity, LazyBench doesn't really need a
troubleshooting guide. Anyway, if one or more items are present in
the "LazyMenu" file but are missing from the "LazyBench" menu, you
may want to look for one of the following:
1) Either you've made a typo or you have gotten the pathname for
one or more of the applications wrong;
2) The pathname is correct but the application it's neither a tool,
nor a project. A directory perhaps?!?
3) The pathname is right and the application is really a tool or a
project but has no icon. Since LazyBench purpose is to launch an
application without having to double-click on its icon, you're
definitely out of luck. How can you double-click on something with
no icon at all?!?
Feedback
LazyBench is freely distributable and so I'm not asking for money.
Anyway, if you are using LazyBench I'd like very much to hear it
from you. Suggestions, bug reports, positive criticism and
contributions are welcomed at the following addresses:
internet: werther@karunko.nervous.com
fidonet: 2:335/602.12 (Mirko Pirani)
amiganet: 39:102/1.12 (Mirko Pirani)
If all else fails you can always reach me by snail mail (even a
simple postcard will do):
Werther 'Mircko' Pirani
Via Mario Torresi, 74
60128 Ancona
ITALY
Dedicated to
Mila, Yaya, Tina, and Biba: Wish you were here.
Betty: You really make my day!
Steve B. from Bernardones. Look out for their "19 BON BUSTE"
demotape: punk'n'roll at its best!!!
Anyone who has taken the time to get in touch with me. Thanks!
June 26, 1993
Werther 'Mircko' Pirani