Autodoc View 1.0

                                    by

                              Jean-Guy Speton

                                May 2, 1995


This program uses triton.library, which is Copyright © Stefan Zeiger.


DESCRIPTION

This program is a GUI viewer for your autodoc files, with a simple
point-and-click interface.


MOTIVATION

I've been a long-time user of Steve Bond's Autodoc program from 1992, but
I always felt there were some features lacking.  Among them:

  · Inability to resize windows cuts off the right side of autodoc entries
    which have long lines (which most do!).
  · Topaz/8 hard-coded.
  · The "double-click" system used to select autodoc entries would always
    be activated at the wrong times, sometimes bringing up the same window
    many times (most annoying).
  · Only one entry could be open at any one time.
  · Sometimes not all autodoc entries would show up, usually from the
    end.

I also was wanting to write a program with triton.library and this seemed
the perfect candidate for my first use of the library.  I'm very pleased
with the results.


BLATANT PLUG

At the time of this writing there is a debate raging on some of the
comp.sys.amiga forums about the usefulness (and appropriateness) of MUI
(MagicUserInterface).  In my own experiences, I've found the GUI of
programs written with MUI to be slower than others.  With triton, I find
the speed perfectly acceptable, and it certainly has made the development
of this program easier (it was written in a day, whereas writing the
equivalent GUI code using only GadTools would surely have taken me at least
a week).

I guess what I'm trying to say is: if you don't like MUI, give triton a
try.  It's not as powerful, but it's much smaller and noticeably quicker.

Here's hoping OS 3.2 (4.0?) comes with a library with similar functionality
to either triton or MUI.  Standards are good.  :-)


DISTRIBUTION

Autodoc, the source file, and all other files (excluding those in the
Triton directory, which are © Stefan Zeiger) are public domain.


DISCLAIMER

Use this program at your own risk.  This program comes with no warranties,
either expressed or implied, of any kind.  You take all responsibility for
the use (or misuse) of this program.  So there!


INSTALLATION

Use the Install script in the Triton directory to install triton.library.
Then move the Autodoc icon to wherever you want.  :-)


OPERATION

Autodoc takes no arguments, simply execute it from the shell or WB.

Autodoc expects to find your autodoc files in the directory AUTODOC:.
Assign it in your s:user-startup or something.

Autodoc expects your autodoc files be very similar (virtually exact) to the
format of the official Commodore autodoc files.  This shouldn't be a
problem: all third party autodoc files I've tried this program on also
work.

There is no limit to the number of windows which Autodoc can open (well, I
suppose your available RAM limits it somewhat).  To close a window simply
click on its close gadget.

When you click on the close gadget of the top-level window (the listing of
all autodoc files) the program will terminate, closing all other open
windows (if any) in the process.  Autodoc also exits cleanly upon receipt
of a CTRL-C (break) signal.  (Don't you wish all programs did this?)


BUGS

There are no known bugs, but if you find any please let me know at
jspeton@quest.blaze.bc.ca.

An improvement which probably should be made is to speed up the scanning of
the autodoc files for the selected entry: at the moment it's rather slow.


AUTHOR

Contact me at jspeton@quest.blaze.bc.ca for any reason.  If you (dis)like
the program I'd like to hear from you.