WWWworkbench v 2.0
for AWeb-II 3.1+


by Andres Pääbo ©98 Shareware-US$10


Introduction


PREFACE

This project developed as a result of my doing some commercial work creating websites with lots of graphics (see later for some of my websites). In the process of creating websites with a nice graphic appearance, it is necessary to view what you have visually. Thumbnail systems have the problem that you have to deliberately create the thumbnails. Also not all software support the same thumbnails (ie for loading and saving). Thirdly, if you move files, the thumbnails will not move with the file (except for newicons, and thumbnails that are actually put onto the workbench icons--but when thumbnails are put on workbench icons, the workbench slows down ...and so it goes....)

But for website work how necessary are permanent thumbnails anyway? Websites are designed to travel over phone lines, and most images used should be under 15k so as not to try the average internet user's patience. Website images arrive quickly. So they do not need thumbnails. They only need to be scaled to a fixed size and layed out on the screen for easy viewing. The HTML parameters of WIDTH= and LENGTH= for images, make browsers natural image scalers. So why not load all images, from their source, and generate a temporary html document with images required to be scaled to a specified WIDTH and HEIGHT. It is relatively easy to do, and some others have done so.

But when I began doing so, I started running into real world problems and requirements. What is the file name? What is its filesize? How would you use browser displays of directory contents? What about non-images in the directories? What about directories? What about navigation? What can we do with the thumnail display when it is created? One answer led to another and another and eventually the result is WWWworkbench.

It is called this because in its final form it resembles a workbench. You open many browser windows each with thumbnail -size displays, and perform typical directory editing actions on them--just like regular workbench windows. Version 1.0 was a basic version originally designed for IBrowse 1.2. Because of limited IBrowse arexx commands, actions on files was all done by file requesters. This version for AWeb 3.1 is so much more advanced that it was necessary to jump the number. Using special arexx-supporting features in AWeb 3.1, especially the ability to not only launch an arexx script from a web page link but also to pass arguments to it , allowed almost unlimited potential. Now, in this AWeb version, instead of requesters, there is workbench-like operation. If you click a file thumbnail, you activate it for menu operations. If you double click a thumbnail you view the original; if you double click a drawer it opens up. And much more......

This is not a true program. It is a system of interrelated and interdependent scripts and html documents triggered by links on the browser display, and feeding the browser script-generated html documents. This is a first version of the complex v 2.0 form, so it will be fixed and improved as various problems crop up or if I can see more efficient ways of performing the operation internally or externally. I offer this as shareware because it is quite elaborate and took me much time (and I will inevitable spend more time on it). Whoever is registered, will get improvemetns and fixes and additional scripts via email.



HOW CREATED

Programmers tend to design a computer program from the point of view of acheiving a very fast and efficient script that does many things. But the interface and operations may not be as good as when the project starts with the interface, and works backwards. The interent browser is by its very nature an interface creator. So you can easily envision how the interface should look, nd then work backwards to determine what should happen underneatht to generate the html code that will rpoduce the desired effect. I'm not a programmer, but come from the real world of art; so my prime interest is the interface and operation. Making the operation and interface the greater importance may result in less efficient operations underneath, but the way I look at it its that if the arexx script takes a second longer to do something, and if it looks untidy in form, what does it matter? WWWworkbench was built up interractively. First you get something happening and then add and change this and that. It becomes more and more complex and messy; but when it is running properly it can be rewritten, tightened up, after turning attention to the script operation as opposed to the user interface. The objective is to get the final operation first, and then to tighten up the scripts afterward. The above approach, of building it interractively as you go, can result in scripts that even the creator cannot understand mere hours later. At one point I put this aside for two weeks. When I came back, to make changes, it took me two hours of studying it, before I could begin. I considered subtitling WWWworkbench as 'An experiment in how complicated you can get with use of arexx scripts'


FEATURES



WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT DOES

AREXX SCRIPTS AND WWWw

It is important to note that unknown arexx scripts are dangerous . That is why the AWeb folks havee designed their arexx support so that x-aweb:rexx/ will launch only local arexx scripts. By running an arexx script, you are allowing the creator of that script to operate your AmigaDos commands. (And this is also true of installation scripts when you install software--poor docs don't tell you what the installation script will do.) Anyway, the most dangerous thing would be if a bad, or evil arexx script deletes directories. (My suggestion is that before you run any unknown arexx script search it for the word ALL, because 'Delete ALL' will not ask your permission to delete a directory. Normally arexx scripts will delete only files that they created in Ram: or Ram:T ) . So for your information, here is what WWWworkbench does in terms of creating or deleting directories and files: It creates a temporary directory, Ram:T/W4 , and EVERYTHING WWWworkbench generates and/or deletes is put in there, with the following exception: to save a permanent configuration file ( W4-config.txt ) to the WWWworkbench directory. You can also SAVE a selection list, but you will be presented with a file requester so you can choose where it will go. The directory Ram:T/W4 will remain until you reboot or explicitly delete it. The few script files in RAM:T/W4 are so small in filesize that they barely take up any memory. If it is a problem for anyone, just open Ram: T and delete it. I could put a 'close' button on the title page which does it, if many want it...



Installation & Configuration


INSTALLATION

1. USE INSTALL SCRIPT
The install script will copy the directory WWWworkbench to the Plugins directory of Aweb, and you can select to add STARTWWWworkbench to the arexx menu or other methods of launching WWWworkbench to AWeb. After installation, find the menu or button you have created and launch it. You can then test it and if desired further configure it.

2.MANUAL INSTALLATION
CONFIGURATION



Useage

GENERAL

The concept here is that you have several windows open at the same time, reduced from screen size so you can view two or three directories at the same time. You can then perform operations between them--copy or move pictures from one directory to another, delete this or that, rename for greater clarity... A good approach for such operations is to place two vertical half-screens side by side , dividing the screen in two. Set the number of pictures in a row to about three or four (depending on how small the thumbnails.). Since changes are immediate you can change the thumbnail size, number across, and the maximum filesize allowable to be loaded to thumbnail--ANYTIME.
WWWworkbench operates very much like a workbench--if you click a thumbnail you select it, and when you double click you open it up (drawer) or view it (file). But it goes far beyond workbench operations in that a central feature is that you can assemble a selection of images into the Selection List (and these selections can come from many directories). Operations can then be performed on the files in the selection list, including passing the selected files to another open program, like ImageFX or Personal Paint

The following is an inventory of specific things you can do:

VIEWER OF CONTENTS OF DIRECTORIES

INFORMATION ABOUT THE FILES:



GENERATION OF THUMBNAIL HTML DOCS FOR ARCHIVES

WWWworkbench generates the directory displays into html documents (as Ram:T/W4/xx-PICS.HTML )which then the browser loads. Once loaded these files are deleted because they will be available on the browser screen or cache. If you want to create indexes for archives, first create the archives, then open up a WWWworkbench window for the archive drawer, and then save the on-screen display via 'save source'

DIRECTORY MANAGEMENT AND EDITING

Each display provides a number of menu items that trigger AmigaDos commands -- Delete -- CopyTo -- MoveTo -- Rename -- Clone -- MakeDir -- DelDir (delete directory). The system is designed so that you select the desired file from the file requester. Multiple selection is achieved through the Selection List which even allows files to be selected across many directories. Note the destination directory for copy and move are another open window, which you can select. Prompts will help you understand how it works, so there is no need to cover all the details here. As mentioned above, if you select a single filethumbnail (and if teh selectionlist is CLEAR) no selectionlist will appear. You can select a menu action at it will be performed on that selection. If more than one file is selected, the selectionlist becomes active.

NAVIGATION NOTES



MENU OPERATIONS

The most powerful addition to this version of WWworkbench is that it is possible to compile an action list of files. The list does not appear when you click only one image, for speed convenience. It only appears when you click on two files in a row. NOTE: the delay between two clicks is 2 seconds. So if you click the same file more than two seconds appart you will enter that file twice into the selection list. if you click it twice quickly, you will enter the View mode, and NOTHING IS ADDED TO THE SELECTION LIST. Note that !! the selection list pictures are links. If you click them they will dissappear. THUS YOU HAVE THE POWER TO EDIT YOUR LIST and don't have to start over again.