============================== =T A P E - C O V E R V 2.20= ============================== Release : 15.10.1995 Copyright 1992-5 Carsten Wich Hagebuttenweg 34 D-44289 Dortmund Germany Tel. +49-2304-43692 e-mail: c_wich@river.prima.ruhr.de Bank Account No. 315 1048 400 BLZ 441 600 14 Volksbank Dortmund Preface ======= 'TapeCover' Copyright (c) 1992-1995 Carsten Wich can be freely distributed, as long as the whole archive 'TC_211.lha' is copied and all of the files are in their original form without any changes. Upload to BBS's and includions on any cover disks or CD's is WELCOMED. This software is published without any warranties. The author does NOT take any responsibilities for any defects on soft- or hardware, that may result by this program or by using this program. I have tried to write the program code according to the AMIGA User Interface Style Guide and the AMIGA ROM Kernel Reference Manuals V2.04 so that the program should run correctly on any future operating systems. 'TapeCover' was permanently used by me in the last years and will be im- proved steadily. If anybody finds a bug or has any tips for improvement I would be very glad to hear from them. Although this program may be freely distibuted and used it would be very nice of the people who permanently use it to send me a small fee (I would say at least 15,- DM or $10,- US) as a little acknowledgement for my work. You can send it cash, as a EuroCheque or via a Bank Transfer on my Bank Account. This would naturally increase my motivation to develop the program even further (My plans are to develop this little tool into a whole music archive including CD's, Vinyl's, DAT Cassettes,... You should for example be able to transfer your CD titles directly to the TapeCover program to print the corresponding covers) What is TapeCover ================= TapeCover is a very simple to use and short program to print tape covers. I have written it because I didn't know any program of this kind that satis- fied me one hundret percent. It should even run on a stock A500 with 512K and OS2.1 (although this has not been tested, but anyway, is there anybody out there still using this kind of environment ???). As of now TapeCover only uses Text Printing for output but this may change future releases. Advantages ========== - The program does not need any GUI enhancement tools like MUI or any other libraries than the ones distributed with the official OS2.1 release (actually you only need the V38 asl.library, all the other needed libraries require a minimum version of 37 only). - Requires only minimum system resources. - Programmed according to the Commodore Guidelines (e.g. it runs fine on a third party graphics board in high resolution). - Uses the Preferences Printer Driver for output (output is currently only possible in text mode, but maybe future versions will also support the graphic mode printing using the density setting to scale the output). - Own input routine that lets you jump between every text gadget by using the cursor keys (Does anybody know how to realize this with Intuition gadgets ?). - Will be able to import data from future database applications that are under developement (e.g. CD-Archive and LiveTape-Manager). Disadvantages ============= - Static data structure for the text input (but that is the reason why this program is so short compared to the other contestants). - Needs a printer which is capable of printing text in 15cpi mode (that shouldn't be a problem these days, but who knows...). - Needs at least a 640x256 screen when using topaz 8 font and with options NOGADGETS and OLDLOOK invoked. Sorry for all NTSC Users but this is the smallest possible window height (A possible solution for NTSC users without a flickerfixer / AGA chipset / graphics board can run TapeCover on it's own Hires NonInterlace Screen with the autoscroll option). Systemrequirements ================== The program only needs a minimal Amiga System : - Any Amiga with at least 512 KB RAM - min. OS 2.1 (2.04 ROM & WB 2.1) - min. a NTSC Hires Interlace Screen The minimal window height ist 374 pixels (when using topaz 8), which is sadly not enough to fit on a non interlaced screen. This should be no problem today to display a productivity or DblPAL / DblNTSC screen mode. If there are many complaints about this I may make a preferences option to reduce the window height (this would obviously look not so nice as it is now). From Version V2.20 on you can set the NOGADGETS and OLDLOOK options which shrink the window height so that you can display TapeCover on a PAL Hires Noninterlace Screen using topaz 8. - A printer that is supported by the standard Preferences and which can print 15cpi !!! TapeCover has been positivly tested on HP Deskjet, Panasonic KX-P1124 and the Epson Stylus Series. Development environment ======================= Hardware : - Amiga 2000C Big Tower with ECS Chipset (1MB Chip RAM) - GForce 030 50MHz with 12MB 32Bit RAM - GVP EGS 28/24 LC - NEC 3D - Toshiba MK-537 1 GB HD - Toshiba XM-3401TA - HP-38470A DAT Streamer Software : - Kickstart V40.63 ROM - Workbench V40.42 - CyberGraphX V2.10reg - SAS-C V6.55 - GoldEd V3.1.3reg. - Enforcer / Mungwall / Sushi - Diavolo Backup V3.2 (Yeah, the best backup program around) - DOpus 4.11 Files ===== Tapes (dir) Adams-WakingUp.tpc Bap-BessDemnaexh.tpc BonJovi-KeepFaith.tpc Bruce-92-06-25-I.tpc Bruce-92-06-25-II.tpc Bruce-93-06-26-I.tpc Bruce-93-06-26-II.tpc Bruce-River.tpc Cougar-Daddy-Whenever.tpc Etheridge.tpc Stones-SteelWheels.tpc U2-AchtungBaby.tpc Source (dir) SCOPTIONS tapecover.c tapecover.cd tapecover_deutsch.ct tapecover_io.c tapecover_norsk.ct tapecover_strings.h Icons (dir) def_project.info Export (dir) Bruce-River.asc Catalogs (dir) norsk (dir) tapecover.catalog deutsch (dir) tapecover.catalog TapeCover TapeCover.doc TapeCover.doc.info TapeCover.info Tapes.info HD - Installation ================= Just extract the archiv to the directory of your choice on your harddrive. Attention !!! Introducing Version 2.00 TapeCover needs to know in which path it could be found. The default setting is "TapeCover:", but you can change this via the Shell-Argument or Tooltype "PATH=xxx" (where xxx stands for the path in which TapeCover can be found). The assign TapeCover: is therefor not necessarily needed. The default language installed into TapeCover is English. What can YOU do ??? =================== If you find any bugs or if you have any proposals then let me know. Maybe I include them in future versions. I have included all source code including the locale files so you can easily adapt the program to your own language. If you have translated the catalog to a new language than please send a copy to me (preferable per E-Mail). And please forgive me for any possible mistakes regarding the english language, my native language is german. Menus ===== Project ------- New - The current dataset will be erased. A safety requester will appear if the current dataset was not saved already. Open... - With the use of an ASL File Requester you can choose a file to load. Only TAPECOVER V1.x datasets (Header: 'TPCV1.0T') will be loaded, otherwise an error message will appear. A safety requester will appear if the current dataset was not saved already. The default settings for the Filerequester Pattern field ist '#?.tpc', that means that only files with the exten- sion '.tpc' will be displayed. Save - The current dataset will be saved under its original file name. If the current dataset was just created then an ASL File Requester appears just as in the menuitem "Save As". Save As... - The current dataset will be saved. The filename can be edited via an ASL-File-Requester and if necessary the extension '.tpc' will be added. A safety requester will appear if the choosen file exist already. Print... - The current dataset will be printed with the help of the Workbench Preferences Printer. Before printing a window showing the current preferences printer driver appears and the user has the possibility to cancel the printing. During printing a window with a progress indicator appears. Edit - The current dataset can be edited. The following keys have special functions : Cursor left, Cursor right - The cursor can be moved left and right on the inbounds of the field. Cursor down, Cursor up - The next resp. previous field will be activated. Return - Has the same effect as "Cursor down" Escape - The editing will be finished and the menu will be activated again. Delete - Deletes the character under the cursor and shifts the characters right to the cursor one place to the left. Ctrl-X - Deletes the whole field. Ctrl-S - Inserts a space. F1 - The Cursor is placed on the beginning of the first line of side A. F2 - The Cursor is placed on the beginning of the first line of side B. F3 - The Cursor is placed on the beginning of the first line of the Titel field. F4 - The Cursor is placed on the beginning of the first line of the Info field. Preferences... - A new Preferences Window will appear on the same screen as the mainwindow is. See below... About... - The program version and the author's address will be shown in a new window. Quit Program - The program will be ended (The activation of the CLOSE- GADGET has the same effect). A safety requester will appear if the current dataset has not been saved already. Mask ---- Labelline 1 bold - If this menuitem is choosen the text in label line 1 will be bolder (46 character than 67 characters) displayed. Labelline 2 bold - The same as above only for label line 2 Clear Side Fields - Erases all the text fields on side A and side B Export ------ ASCII-File... - The current dataset will be saved as an ASCII file. The file extension will be changed from ',tpc' to '.asc'. Gadgets ======= The gadgets in the mainwindow have the same function as the menuitems with the same name. Preferences =========== PublicScreen - If this option is selected, TapeCover will try to open its windows one the PublicScreen named in the String gadget that is displayed to the right of this one. If this fails, TapeCover will use the Default PublicScreen instead. Own Screen - If this option is selected, TapeCover will open its own new PublicScreen using the screen mode selected by the next Gadget. Defaultsetting: Use Workbench Screen Screen Mode... - An ASL ScreenMode Requester opens and you can choose your desired mode for TapeCovers own PublicScreen. Only selectable when the "Own Screen" option is selected. Defaultsetting: PAL Hires Lace 640x512 Create Icons? - With the use of this gadget you can set the option to create Workbench icons when you save a project file. Therefore a valid def_Project.info file must be in the "Icons" directory. Defaultsetting: Don't create Icons Form Feed ? - With the use of this gadget you can set the option of sending a form feed after a printout or not. Some printers (especially the Epson Stylus Color) have problems with a shorter form length and a form feed so that the whole paper is ejected after the first printout. So no second cover can be printed on the same page. Defaultsetting: No Formfeed Snapshot Mainwindow Position - When use choose this option the current position of the mainwindow will be snapshot and saved so that the mainwindow will always open in this position on future startups. Center Mainwindow - The mainwindow will be centered (as the other windows) on the screen. Defaultsetting: Center Mainwindow Tapes Path... - Here you can choose via an ASL-Directory- Requester a default path for the Tapes directory. Defaultsetting: "Tapes" Export Path... - Here you can choose in the same manner as in the gadget above the default export path. Defaultsetting: "Export" Mask Font... - Here you can choose the font via an ASL Font Requester that is used for writing the dataset mask. Defaultsetting: "topaz.font" 8 Point General Font... - Here you can choose in the same manner as in the gadget above the font which will be used for all other text outputs than in the mask. Defaultsetting: "topaz.font" 8 Point Open... - With the help of an ASL-Requester you can load a TapeCover Preferences file. Save as... - With the help of an ASL-Requester you can save the current settings under a new path / file name. If the saving was successful the path and the filename will be the new default path and filename for the settings file (But not saved permanently in the Tooltype !!!) Save - The current settings will be saved under the current settings path and filename. Ok - The mainwindow will be closed and it will be reopened by using the choosen settings. If this should fail the default settings will be used. Set Default - Sets all settings to its default values. Cancel - Returns control to the mainwindow. Tooltypes ========= SETTINGS - Sets the filename (inclusive path) for the Preferences file. At start the program first tries to load this file as the settings if this is present. If this fails the file PROGDIR:TapeCover.prefs will be tried to open and if this also fails the program searches in the path TapeCover: for the desired file. Otherwise the default settings are used. PATH - Sets the path for the main TapeCover program. FILE - When this Tooltype is used, the program tries to load the following file as a project. NOGADGETS - Turns the Gadgets in the mainwindow off. OLDLOOK - Turns the rendering of the mainwindow to the old style of TapeCover Versions lesser than V2.03. Shell Arguments =============== Exactly the same arguments as by the tooltypes are used, so no further explanation here. You can however get help from shell when you start TapeCover with a questionmark as an argument : "TapeCover ?". Thanks to ========= - The SAS-Institute for a very good C-Compiler (now what about a very good C++ Compiler for the Amiga ???) and a very good support in the past. It is too sad that they stopped the Amiga developement. - All the people who designed the Amiga and who kepp it alive. - Martin Huttenloher for the wunderful MagicWB 2.0. - Mr. Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp for making the best music. Without them I surely would not be able to develop such a big project over the years. Keep on rockin... Tramps like us, baby we were born to run !!! - Christoph Stoppe (wilson) for uploading this gem to aminet and for supplying me with the latest aminet stuff. - Jan-Tore Eliassen for translating the catalog file to norsk. - Markus Eggers for his critics and propositions. - Jürgen Schneider for registering. - and finally to all the ones who have supported me in making this project (???) and who will support me in the future (!!!). Bugs ==== - None known by me right now (Are there any more ???) Planned Features ================ - Currently the programm terminates if the mainwindow does not fit on the choosen screen. In later version the programm will fall back to the default settings instead - Using the Commodore Installer for installation - Documentation in Guide format - Support of other languages - ARexx Port - Other Export- and Import-Formats - Change in the printing format (vertical lines) - Add a Stop gadget in the print window - Redesign the whole printing process so that it can be aborted manually and in the case that an error occurs - Add the ability to print up to four tape covers on one printer page - Optimize the input routine so that it does not print the entire line even if only one character is entered. History ======= V2.20 - Release : 15.10.1995 (Fourth AmiNet Release !!!) - Changed the rendering of the text boxes in the mask. All boxes are rendered raised now, only a box that is currently edited is recessed - Changed the way shell arguments are parsed. Now the dos.library function ReadArgs is used. You can can get help when starting Tape- Cover from cli with a questionmark. - Fixed bug in the prefs-routine for converting a modeid into a screen- mode name. - Made the distances between the gadgets in the prefs window smaller which results in a smaller prefs window that now fits on a PAL Hires screen. - Made the main, info and print window some pixels smaller. - Added Tooltype / Shell argument NoGadgets. - Added Tooltype / Shell argument OldLook. V2.13 - Release : 19.07.1995 (Third AmiNet Release !!!) - Bugfix: Ugly bug in printing routine removed. Every label was printed twice beneath each other. I accidently left the beta code for the print_dat procedure in the release version. Big Sorry - Removed the second E-Mail address because it exists no more - Changed the pixels inbetween text lines in the info window from two to four V2.12 - Release : 20.06.1995 (Second AmiNet Release !!!) - Changed the Prefs TapePath and ExpPath gadgets from TextEntry to Text- Display type - New E-Mail address. Now full internet account, so every sent mail should arrive at my site. The previous one was just an german Z-Net account, which was not capable of sending / receiving mails to other states than germany V2.11 - Internal Version : 24.02.1995 - Bugfix: When you choose Cancel in the preferences window the preferences were not reset to the old ones - Bugfix: When using another language than german the printer output was wrong for the Side line - The feature of clearing the filename after erasing the side fields only is removed V2.10 - Release : 17.02.1995 (First AmiNet Release !!!) - Now requires at least OS2.1 because of the asl screenmode requester - Makes use of some special OS3.x features, e.g. scalable checkboxes, radio buttons and the default busy pointer if available - Some complete rewritten routines using new data structures including a new preferences data structure (TPCV2.1C) which is incompatible with the older ones This makes it alot easier to use some of the routines from TapeCover in future projects - Removed Settings Menu and introduced a Preferences Window instead - Can now open its own Public Screen - Implemented the option to choose between centering the mainwindow on the used screen or to save the current window position - Removed the PUBSCREEN Tooltype / Shellargument in favour of the new preferences screen options - Now scans the PROGDIR: first for the TapeCover.prefs file and only if that fails it checks the TapeCover: path for it - Implemented the feature to load a file using the project option - Added AppWindow to the mainwindow for loading project files - Removed some bugs, e.g. the one that draws the menu black on black when running under OS2.04 (sorry but I have got the 3.1 ROM) - Some internal changes - Currently I am heavily in my studies so that the german documentation has been dropped for this and future versions V2.06 - Internal Version : 01.12.1994 - removed the bug in the textinput routine which didn't let you use all the special characters in the Amiga character set - Added MenuItem : Mask/Clear Side Fields V2.05 - Release : 17.11.1994 - Tooltypes / Shellarguments EXPORTPATH and PROJECTPATH removed - Introduced FormFeed Flag -> You can now choose between sending a form feed after a printout and not - Added MenuItem: Preferences/Form Feed ? V2.04 - Internal Version : 16.11.1994 - Added a routine to proof that the mainwindow can be opened on the publicscreen - Redesigned infowindow - Added internal routine to write centered 3D text - Printing routine printed labels twice when they were bold. Fixed - From now on no formfeed will be send after printing a dataset, because my new Epson Stylus Color the whole ejected the whole sheet V2.03 - Internal Version : 28.08.1994 - Again a redesign of the mainwindow, now every editable line is surrounded by a recessed box - While editing a line this will be emphasized by a raised box - Two new gadgets in the mainwindow : 'About' and 'Quit' - New Tooltype and Shell Argument PUBSCREEN - Added a internal routine for raised boxes - The centering of the gadgets in the mainwindow was improved - Attention: New E-Mail address !!! V2.02 - Internal Version : 25.08.1994 - The mainwindow has been compleatly redesigned. Therefore six gadgets that control the most important functions have been added to the mainwindow - Added a BusyPointer - Added a progress indicator during printing in a new window - Added a internal routine to localize the gadget shortcut keys - Added a internal routine for 3D surroundings - Parted the textoutput routine into two parts - Oops, I just forgot to include the german catalog file in the last two versions, fixed V2.01 - Internal Version : 23.08.1994 - Added english documentation - Added some errortrap functions - Added the window that shows the printer driver again - Usage of the gadtools functions GT_GetIMsg and GT_ReplyIMsg instead of the equivalent intuition functions V2.00 - Release : 18.08.1994 - Completly rewriting of all routines in SAS-C - New menu structur under awareness of the Style Guides - Support of Shell arguments and Tooltypes - Creates Icons for project files V1.30 - Release : 10.01.1994 - New menu Preferences which allows the choice and saving of fonts and directory paths - Functions to add the extensions '.tpc' and '.asc' have been added to the Load- and Save routines. The ASL-Filerequester now allows pattern matching with the corresponding default settings - Internal change: The modul TapeCoverFunctions was integrated into the TapeCover main module V1.20 - Release : 07.11.1993 - The program now supports the locale.library. It exists at this time only a german catalog. If anybody has interest in translating the programs texts to other languages, just give me a message. - New menu Export with the menu item "ASCII-File" - No documentation in TEX-DVI format anymore because of lack of time V1.10 - Release : 22.07.1993 - The program is now completly font sensitiv, that means it uses the default System-Font to render its texts. This feature was necessary because more and more highresolution Grafikcards will be available and then you can use TapeCover also in these high resolution with the use of bigger fonts V1.03 - Release : 05.07.1993 - New German ZIP Code added in Info-Window - Some texts improved - File comment "TapeCover V1.x Dataset" will be automatically created when saving - Documentation in TEX-DVI Format added V1.02 - Release : 26.02.1993 - First published Version - Filename-String Bug removed V1.01 - First Version in M2Amiga