@database Chooser.guide
@master DCC:User/Chooser/Chooser.guide
@$VER: Chooser.guide 1.0 (13.1.95)
@author "Simon Dick"
@(c) "
 1995 Simon Dick, Mailware"
@index HeddleyAutoIndex
@remark Created with Heddley v1.1 (c) Edd Dumbill 1994
@node "main" "Chooser"
                             @{u}Chooser V1.0@{uu}
                          
 1995 Simon Dick
        @{"Introduction" link "intro" 0}                   @{"System
Requirements" link "Requirements" 0}
        @{"Installation" link "installation" 0}                   @{"Usage
Shell" link "usage_cli" 0}
        @{"Usage
Workbench" link "usage_wb" 0}           @{"File
Format" link "fileformat" 0}
        @{"History" link "History" 0}                        @{"Future" link "future" 0}
        @{"Copyright" link "copyright" 0}                      @{"Author" link "Author" 0}
@endnode
@node "intro" "Introduction"
Chooser was written to be a replacement for Nico Fran
ois' menu program,
Selector. This is because Selector didn't adapt to screens which didn't use
the topaz 8 font. This meant that it didn't look that good when run on a
lot of peoples Workbench screens.
Another problem with Selector was that it couldn't be run from the
Workbench, only from the CLI which made it a bit awkward to use if you want
to use it on a non autobooting disk. This would mean that you would have to
write a script using IconX or some equivalent to run it.
@endnode
@node "requirements" "Requirements"
Chooser needs the @{"reqtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/reqtools.library" 0} (V38 or higher) installed in order to
run. If you want to be able to run Chooser under Workbench 1.3 then you
need @{"gadtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/gadtools.library" 0} V34 installed (supplied).
@endnode
@node "installation" "Installation"
@{u}Workbench 2+@{uu}
All you need to do to install Chooser under Workbench 2+ is copy the file
libs/@{"reqtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/reqtools.library" 0} to your LIBS: directory and then put Chooser wherever
you want to keep it.
@{u}Workbench 1.3@{uu}
Under Workbench 1.3 you need to copy both the libraries in the libs13
drawer to your LIBS: directory. The @{"reqtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/reqtools.library" 0} is the 1.3 compatible
version and the @{"gadtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/gadtools.library" 0} is a 1.3 compatible version of the
gadtools.library which is built into the Kickstart 2+ ROM, it was written
by Massimo Tantignone. Then you can put Chooser wherever you want to keep
it. Although this version of Chooser runs under Workbench 1.3, there is the
obvious drawback of needing the 50k @{"gadtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/gadtools.library" 0} installed, also I
can't guarantee that future versions of Chooser will be able to use every
feature under Workbench 1.3. Also Nico Fran
ois has stopped development of
the Workbench 1.3 compatible version of @{"reqtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/reqtools.library" 0}.
@endnode
@node "usage_cli" "Usage from the Shell"
Chooser can be used from the Shell, here is a list of the different
commands that it accepts:
@{u}FILE@{uu}
This tells Chooser what menu file to load and use, if you don't specify it,
Chooser will try to read a file called 'S:Chooser.programs'.
@{u}-H=EVENUP/S@{uu}
This tells Chooser to try to even up the lengths of the two columns. It has
no effect if all of the gadgets are in a single column. For those of you
who have previously used Nico Fran
ois' Selector then you can also use the
-h option instead of using EVENUP (they are both exactly the same). But if
you are running Chooser under Workbench 1.3, only the -h argument will be
recognised, the EVENUP argument will not be. But the -h argument works
under Workbench 1.3 and 2+.
Chooser can also be made resident.
@endnode
@node "usage_wb" "Usage from Workbench"
This is probably the way quite a few people will use Chooser. You can use
Chooser from the Workbench in a number of different ways, here they are:
   You can just double click on Choosers icon, Chooser then looks for a
menu file called @{b}S:Chooser.programs@{ub}. If you include the USETHISDISK
tooltype then Chooser won't look for @{b}S:Chooser.programs@{ub}, but
@{b}:S/Chooser.programs@{ub} instead.
   You can give your menu file a project icon and set Chooser as its
default tool.
Here is a list of the tooltypes that Chooser supports:
@{u}EVENUP@{uu}
If this tooltype is present and all of the buttons won't fit in a single
column then two columns will be used (as usual) but instead of being very
uneven
@{u}FILE@{uu}
Using this tooltype you can tell Chooser what file to try to load, if you
add a tooltype saying FILE=Work:AMenuFile, Chooser will try to load a menu
file called @{b}Work:AMenuFile@{ub}. This tooltype is only checked for when you run
Chooser without any arguments and is checked for before the USETHISDISK
tooltype.
@{u}USETHISDISK@{uu}
This tooltype is only checked for if you run Chooser without any arguments.
It causes Chooser to change the file that it looks for as the default.
Usually the menu file that Chooser looks for is called @{b}S:Chooser.programs@{ub},
but if you use this tooltype Chooser will look for a menu file called
@{b}:S/Chooser.programs@{ub}.
@{u}NOTE ABOUT TOOLTYPES UNDER WORKBENCH 1.3!@{uu}
Under Workbench 1.3, you need to have an equals sign after a tooltypes name
for it to be recognised, you don't under Workbench 2+ (but it still works
with an equals sign as well) so if you want your tooltypes to work under
both, just include an equals sign after the tooltypes.
@endnode
@node "fileformat" "Menu File Format"
Chooser will read a script and interpret in this way:
  line    | description                        |  example          |
----------+------------------------------------+-------------------+
    1     | Window title                       |  Utilities Disk   |
    2     | text for 1st gadget (max 79 char)  |  EdWord Pro V5.0  |
    3     | command sequence (max 256 char)    |  *Work:EdWordPro  |
    4     | text for 2nd gadget                |  Heddley          |
    5     | 2nd command sequence               |  *Work:Heddley    |
    .     | ...                                |  .....            |
    The command sequence consists of any number of commands seperated by
';'. The following characters all have a special meaning, use them as the
first character of a command:
 '*' : Put a '*' in front of the MAIN program if you want to multitask. If
you don't want to be able to multitask a program don't put a '*' in front
of the main program. (see RUN mode)
 '#' : When there is a '#' in front of a program it will allways be
launched, even in EXEC or RUN mode. This is mainly useful for programs
which need as much memory as possible or don't return to the CLI.
 '!' : The prompt command. The string following the '!' isn't a command but
instead is a prompt. A string gadget will appear and prompt you for the
arguments to be passed to the next command. The '!' must be the command
directly in front of the command you want the parameters to be passed to.
One word of warning, if you are typing a filename which has spaces in it
into the prompt requester, please put quotes around it otherwise it will
not work.
 '<' : Read new file list. The selector will read the file directly
following the '<' and will use this to display a new file list. This is
useful to implement sub-menus.
 '@' : If you want to use a subtitle enter a '@' instead of the command
sequence, the text will appear as a subtitle and can't be selected.
NOTE : - Include the path to avoid problems, e.g. 'Disk1:Program' instead
         of 'Program'.  Be careful when you use spaces !
    Example script:
        UTILITIES
        This program is the editor
        !Edit what file ? ;*c:MicroEMACS
        This is a subtitle
        @
        This program doesn't work with fast memory
        c:Run SYS:System/NoFastMem;*:ProgramName
The number of gadgets that will appear in Choosers window is dependant on
how large the users Workbench screen and default font is.
@endnode
@node "history" "History"
@{u}Chooser v1.0 (13 January 1995) 18888 bytes@{uu}
  Initial release
@endnode
@node "future" "Future"
Possible future improvements to Chooser
   Allow Chooser to have more than two columns of gadgets.
   Have multiple menus open on the screen at once.
Suggestions please.
@endnode
@node "copyright" "Copyright"
Chooser is 
 1995 Simon Dick
This software is subject to the "Standard Amiga FD-Software Copyright Note"
It is Mailware as defined in paragraph 4b. For more information please read
"@{"AFD-COPYRIGHT" link "AFD-COPYRIGHT/main" 0}" (Version 1 or higher).
Thanks to various members of Amigaholics International for their
suggestions. If you want more information about them, contact Kevin Bryan
                Amigaholics Club
                49 Coutts House,
                Charlton Church Lane,
                Charlton,
                London.
                SE7 7AS.
                England
 - @{"reqtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/reqtools.library" 0} is Copyright (c) Nico Fran
 - @{"gadtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/gadtools.library" 0} v34 is Copyright (c) Massimo Tantignone.
 - Thanks to the authors of the AFD-Copyright text file!
 - Thanks to Nico Fran
ois for writing Selector in the first place.
@endnode
@node "author" "Author"
Chooser was written by:
    Simon Dick
My address is:
    31 Salisbury Road
    Bexley
    Kent DA5 3QE
    England
or until the end of June 1995 during term time:
    Avon Way House 2.3/B
    Avon Way
    Colchester CO4 3TZ
    England
My Email address is currently:
    sidick@essex.ac.uk
Chooser was developed on an A1200 with 4MB of RAM, a 20MHz 68882, with an
80MB hard drive, running Workbench 3.0. Chooser was compiled using DICE
V3.0. The Chooser documentation was written using the Heddley AmigaGuide
authoring system.
If you have any suggestions, bug reports, questions, spare money, etc. then
feel free to write to me. I will do my best to reply as long as you supply
return postage (preferably IRC's unless you're in the UK).
@endnode
@node HeddleyAutoIndex "Index"
@remark Index auto-generated by Heddley
Index of database Chooser.guide
Documents
@{"Author" link "author"}
@{"Chooser" link "main"}
@{"Copyright" link "copyright"}
@{"Future" link "future"}
@{"History" link "history"}
@{"Installation" link "installation"}
@{"Introduction" link "intro"}
@{"Menu File Format" link "fileformat"}
@{"Requirements" link "requirements"}
@{"Usage from the Shell" link "usage_cli"}
@{"Usage from Workbench" link "usage_wb"}
Buttons
@{"AFD-COPYRIGHT" link "AFD-COPYRIGHT/main" 0}
@{"Author" link "Author" 0}
@{"Copyright" link "copyright" 0}
@{"File
Format" link "fileformat" 0}
@{"Future" link "future" 0}
@{"gadtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/gadtools.library" 0}
@{"History" link "History" 0}
@{"Installation" link "installation" 0}
@{"Introduction" link "intro" 0}
@{"reqtools.library" alink "SystemGuide/reqtools.library" 0}
@{"System
Requirements" link "Requirements" 0}
@{"Usage
Shell" link "usage_cli" 0}
@{"Usage
Workbench" link "usage_wb" 0}
@endnode