@2{LAST MINUTE UPDATES NOTES FOR F1 GOLD VERSION
      @3
      }By Andy Gibson
      @4

      As  you  probably  know by now, DMC is very good at testing for any
      errors that occur.

      But how many of you have actually seen any error messages as yet ?

      Well,  in  this  file I will tell you of some of the error checking
      that I had to do before releasing DMC GOLD.

      This  file is only to give small details of some of the features of
      DMC  and  some of you may not be interested in any of this dribble,
      but  for  those peeps that like to read about these sort of things,
      then this file is for you.

      I first had to start at the Crm.Library installing routines for DMC
      as this is one of the first things done.    If DMC cannot find this
      library on the Boot Disks Libs: Dir, it will bring up a neat screen
      asking you what you want to do etc.

      Not too much in there you might say, well think again.
@4      First of all your boot disk can be any disk, not just the DMC disk.
      So to check your boot disks libs directory is an easy task, but DMC
      already  had its path set to read in all the DMC files, thus making
      DMC  think  that  the  boot disk was in fact the place where DMC is
      loaded  from.     Hmm,  easy  solution is to store the old dir in a
      string  variable  and  then  search for SYS:Libs which could be any
      disk (the one you booted from)

      After  checking  for the actual Crm.Library, DMC also checks to see
      if  there is enough space on the disk to save it to.    You will be
      told  if there is or isn't.    Now let's say you didn't have enough
      space and decided to copy the library anyway.    Normally you would
      get  a  DISK  FULL  error on WBench and your disk could also become
      corrupt !

      So  to  stop  this  from happening, DMC won't allow you to save the
      library  anymore.     It  will  then also inform you NOT to use any
      crunched  files on your disk as DMC will not run RTDD (obviously it
      won't if there is no library on disk to support it)

      So  if  you  do  use  crunched  files,  DMC will certainly crash!!!
      However,  I  am  working on a new file reader routine that will not
      allow files to be loaded if they are the wrong type.  (Just like my
      Article Tester which won't allow you to load in anything apart from
@4      ASCII text files (or ASCII text files crunched with CMania)

      This  will be a new feature of a future update of DMC if I ever get
      around to releasing one.  (FIXED NOW - Aug 95 - See Later .... )

      So I hope that has sorted that problem out.    Now DMC reverts back
      to its default path (where DMC was loaded from) so that it can read
      all its files. (see I told you it was intelligent)

      The music selector is still causing a few problems, nothing for you
      to really worry about as the bug I've found should never happen!

      Let's  say you try to load one of the music mods and the disk isn't
      in  the  drive.     You  will  get  the usual System Message saying
      Replace XX in any Drive etc.    Now clicking on CANCEL should bring
      you back to DMC and a message should say that an error has occurred
      because the module couldn't be loaded.

      Unfortunately it doesn't - DMC crashes !!!  :(  I'll look into it &
      maybe have it fixed by the time you read this file. If not, then it
      will certainly be fixed for a future update. (FIXED NOW - Aug 95)

      Now let's just say that you have left a music module off the disk &
      try to load it.   DMC handles that no problem  :)  It will tell you
@4      of the error and continue to work fine.    (I've already programmed
      that part)

      You  may be interested to try this - Select OFF on the music screen
      and try and load another module.  Watch the Music On/Off button. It
      will automatically be turned back on when the music has loaded. Yes
      I  know it's nothing to brag about, but I bet not a lot of you even
      thought  about it.    I had to when I was coding the routine or DMC
      wouldn't be half as good as it is.

      I had to try an think of everything ya know.    Like, let's say you
      are playing module number 1 and press F1 to try and play it again -
      it won't play or load, even if the music is turned off. There would
      be no point in it loading again as it is already in memory.  Simple
      things  like  this  are  taken  for granted by many non-programming
      peeps  as  they  don't  really  know what goes into the making of a
      program !

      In total, five key presses and five zones have to be checked on the
      music selector screen - all at the same time and all work correctly
      no  matter  what abuse the user throws at them.    (by the way, the
      fifth  key  is the RETURN key which can be used instead of clicking
      on  the  OK  button) Which has to be made to look as if it has been
@4      pressed whether you click on it or press Return !!!

      I  could  go  on all day about what other things had to be done for
      the  music  selector screen like how the text had to be positioned,
      how  the  screen was made up etc.    but I will spare you the nasty
      details!    hahaha!  After all, what do you care?  It works.

      If  anyone reading this is into programming, you will no doubt know
      that  Sprites  use  the  second  set  of  16 colours in a 32 colour
      palette.     This  applies to the mouse pointer in DMC.    So let's
      say  you loaded in a 32 colour screen piccy (from the Index Pages),
      what do you think would happen to the mouse pointer's colours ?

      Obviously they would be altered to use the colours of the picture's
      second set of 16 colours !  I originally just had DMC just recolour
      the  mouse  to  it's normal colours, but that altered the 32 colour
      pic's colours !!! (how stupid of me - of course it would)

      So now the mouse pointer is limited to just the INDEX button (which
      is on a separate 16 colour screen - the panel) and therefore it can
      use  its  own  colours  no  problem  without affecting any pictures
      palette or its own.)

      Aha, you might be saying.    What about the new feature of DMC GOLD
      to display Full-Screen IFF pics now.    Where does that leave you ?
@4      No  problem as the mouse is simply switched off during this process
      and therefore everything is fine.    See, I told you I have thought
      of everything!

      I  mean to say, I have only been coding and updating DMC for a year
      now,  so I'm bound to have come across quite a few bugs in the time
      I  have spent working on it.    Which you'll be glad to know I have
      done my best to squeesh.

      The only thing that has had me stumped for ages was how to stop any
      errors being made on the configuration files by `YOU' the purchaser
      of  DMC.     I have tried my best to make DMC notice any errors you
      could make like not putting both files on the disk etc.

      There  are  errors that can occur if you create more Index Headings
      than   Index  Pages,  but  these  errors  are  just  for  your  own
      information and won't stop DMC from functioning in any way.

      Why  don't  you  try that one.    Create, let's say two Index Pages
      and then create three Index Headings in DMC.Config1. and load DMC.

      This  should  also be true the other way round.    I coded these in
      to  let  you know instantly what is wrong.    You will also be told
      if  you  have created too many Index Pages (remember the maximum is
@4      thirty  now  instead of the usual fifty!    Surely that is mistake?
      Nope, I personally don't think anyone will require more than thirty
      index  pages.    This also helps to keep the memory requirements of
      DMC down which can only be a good thing for low end Amiga users out
      there.

      This should mean your productions created with DMC can be spread as
      widely  as  possible  to as many Amiga users as you wish, no matter
      what system they have.  (I think DMC is compatible with them all !)

      The  Fatal  Errors only occur if you do something drastically wrong
      and I hope you never get to see them.  Obviously I can only code in
      some error checking as DMC could become a mega huge hunk of code if
      I were to check for every type of error that could happen.    It is
      really  up to you to make sure you follow my instructions carefully
      to stop any errors occurring in the first place.

      Many  other  things  had  to be error trapped like the Registration
      Section for example.    There was a lot of work involved in setting
      the  routines up and as you can probably guess, I have done as much
      as possible to stop any errors happening there too.

      eg.     When  you are asked to type in your name, if you just press
      return  or  the mouse button, the cursor will jump to the next name
@4      and will keep on doing this until you have typed in both your first
      name and second name.

      These Text Windows have been coded in much the same way as the most
      common ones that you use every day on the Amiga.  Ie. You can erase
      your  full  name  by positioning the cursor at the first letter and
      pressing Shift and Del or by positioning the cursor at the very end
      and pressing Shift and Back Space.    (There's a top tip for all of
      you that didn't know that Amiga shortcut to deleting names etc.)

      See, this file is well worth reading !  :)

      (right I'm off for a couple of hours break now ....)

      OK, just sorted out every file that DMC loads up including Config1,
      Config2, Intro Pics, Panel, Music Mods, Articles and Pictures to be
      fully  tested  to  see whether any have been packed with PPacker or
      CMania.

      So  now  DMC will no longer crash if the wrong packer has been used
      and  you  are  either not using a Data Decruncher or are even using
      the wrong one.

@4      eg.     If  you  have  crunched all your files with PPacker and are
      running  RTDD in the hope that DMC will still load these file, well
      think again!
      
      DMC  is  far  too intelligent now and won't let you use them unless
      you run PPatcher instead.
      
      eg.     If you have crunched all your files with CMania and are not
      running  RTDD, DMC will no longer attempt to use the files which is
      Bloody good news at last.

      Noticed  a  nasty  bug  when  trying  to  run  DMC_RTDD version and
      PPatcher both at once. It will CRASH your system !!!  Don't Do It !

      It  seems  that  the  Amiga  cannot  handle  running  both RTDD and
      PPatcher  at the same time !   Sorry, but you'll have to use CMania
      only to crunch your files. (it's far better anyway :)

      I think it has something to do with both patchers requiring certain
      patches to be made to the DOS.Library.   Obviously they cannot both
      make  patches  at  the  same time, so the Amiga obviously thinks to
      itself,  Bugger  This  For A Game Of Soldiers, and crashes !    (Or
      something like that)

@4      Spent over two hours writing a new printer routine to print out all
      those Split-Screen articles as normal text again to save paper.  As
      you  know,  the  Split-Screen arts print down the left hand side of
      your paper and this wastes a heck of a lot of it.  Unfortunately my
      routines are not 100% completed yet and I don't think it will be an
      easy task either.   I don't have enough time to work on the routine
      at present, but maybe for a future update?

      Sorry,  but  you'll  just have to put up with the print routine for
      now folks :-(

      I have now also removed the RTDD set up screen as it was not really
      required and just made DMC look shitty!!!  RTDD is still installed,
      so don't panic.

      Fixed  small  bug when choosing Index Page (Space Bar) and page was
      not available.  The info bar would revert to saying "Index" instaed
      of "INDEX:" - nothing major.

      Too  much  to type and not enough time, so I'll leave you to get on
      with  your  own  productions.    Sorry, but I would be here forever
      typing up my work.  Gotta dash now - See Ya.

      @1
      Andy Gibson (AGAS Productions)