Let 'em Fly! ------------ (Flying Dials and more ...) Version 1.20 April 1993 (c) 1991-93 by Oliver Scheel Freaky Deaky Software (it's Freeware) 1. Introduction =============== With Let 'em Fly! in your AUTO-Folder, many normal GEM dialogs can use the shortcuts Let 'em Fly! offers. There are many more features: - flying dials Many GEM dialogs learn to fly. This means you can drag them around by using the mouse. - key dials Many dialogs can be operated by using shortcuts. Let 'em Fly! scans the dialog for possible keys. For example, the button 'Cancel' may be activated by pressing [UNDO] and/or [ALT]+[C]. - new edit functions within editable fields This includes clipboard support, a history and a special character box to enter ASCII chars. - new alert boxes with new icons The alert boxes have also been modified to load new icons. - grow and shrink boxes can be switched off This speeds up screen redraws. - intuitive function, easily understood Let 'em Fly! works on Atari ST/STe/TT/Falcon computers in all resolutions, including True Color; MultiTOS is supported, too. Let 'em Fly! comes with no warranty. This means that the author will not be liable for any damage which may caused by using Let 'em Fly!. Let 'em Fly! is Freeware; it may be freely used and distributed for noncommercial use. All rights are reserved by the author! The Let 'em Fly! distribution package (English version): - LETEMFLY.PRG the program itself - LET_CONF.PRG/ACC the configuration program - LET_CONF.CPX the same thing as a CPX module - GEM1ICON.RSC the original Atari icons - GEM2ICON.RSC the GEM/2 icons - LTMFICON.RSC the Let 'em Fly! icons - LETEMFLY.TXT this manual 2. Installation =============== Copy the program LETEMFLY.PRG into your AUTO-Folder and restart the computer. To configure Let 'em Fly! use the accessory LET_CONF.ACC or the CPX LET_CONF.CPX. The ACC also runs as a program by renaming it LET_CONF.APP or .PRG. The switches are described later on. 3. Usage ======== Let 'em Fly! requires programs use the right AES calls to handle dialogs; otherwise Let 'em Fly! can't act as wanted. 3.1 Flying Dials ---------------- Within a GEM dialog there are selectable and nonselectable objects. If you click a non selectable object the mouse arrow changes into a hand and you can drag the dialog around by moving the mouse. By holding the [SHIFT] key or the right mouse button, the dialog gets transparent and you can look through it if it's hiding some important information. 3.2 Key Dials ------------- Let 'em Fly! scans the current dialog for possible shortcuts and marks them by drawing a line under the corresponding letter. You can activate the button by holding the [ALT] key and pressing the letter or number. If there is no editable field you don't need to press the [ALT] key. The function keys [UNDO] and [HELP] are supported, too. Let 'em Fly! scans the following strings to define these f-keys: [UNDO]: 'abbruch', 'abbrechen', 'verlassen', 'ende', 'nein', 'quit', 'cancel', 'abort', 'no', 'exit' [HELP]: 'help', 'hilfe' The UNDO button and the default button can be normally activated via the first letter (e.g. 'Cancel' via [ALT]+[C]). Furthermore it's possible to 'move' the default button around by pressing [ALT]+[Tab] or [ALT]+[SHIFT]+[Tab] (backwards). [SHIFT]+[Help] displays a copyright information including the current version number. 3.3 Extended Editor ------------------- Within editbalbe fields, there are more functions when using Let 'em Fly!. GEM supports the following functions: [Cursor Up] one field back [Cursor Down] one field forward [Cursor Left] one character left [Cursor Right] one character right [TAB] one field forward [RETURN] terminate (apply) the dialog But Let 'em Fly! gives you many many more functions ... [RETURN] if there is no default button, jump to the next editable field [SHIFT]+[RETURN] jump to the next editable field, even if there is a default button [SHIFT]+[TAB] one field back [SHIFT]+[Crsr Left] jump to the beginning of the field [SHIFT]+[Crsr Right] jump to the end of the field [CTRL]+[Crsr Left] jump one word left [CTRL]+[Crsr Right] jump one word right [Home] jump to the first editable field [SHIFT]+[Home] jump to the last editable field [CTRL]+[Delete] delete all characters to right of the cursor Furthermore the keys [Crsr Up] and [Crsr Down] include a wrap-around feature. If you are within the first field and press [Crsr Up], the cursor jumps to the last field and the other way around. At least you can place the cursor directly using the mouse. legal filename letters ---------------------- When an editable field uses a template for filename characters, normally you can enter characters which are not allowed in filenames. Let 'em Fly! fixes this bug, now. special characters ------------------ There are some characters which are difficult to enter. If you press [SHIFT]+[Insert] within an editable field a character box appears where you can click the character you want. This function is only available, when the template allows every character. GEM-clipboard ------------- Let 'em Fly! supports the GEM-clipboard with the premise that the environment variable CLIPBRD is set correctly (e.g. with SETCLIPB.CPX). The following functions are supported now within editable fields: [CTRL]-[X] Copies the current line into the clipboard and deletes the field. If you press the [SHIFT]-key, too, the line will be appended to the content of the clipboard. [CTRL]-[C] Copies the current line into the clipboard but doesn't delete the field. The [SHIFT]-key will react as described above. [CTRL]-[V] Insert the first line of the clipboard into the current field. The previous content of the field will be deleted, but you can suppress this by pressing the [SHIFT]-key. history (will teach us nothing...?) ----------------------------------- As in a commandline shell, Let 'em Fly! supports a small history (20 entries with each 40 characters) of the strings you typed before. Double entries are suppressed automatically. With [CTRL]+[Crsr Up/Down] you can scan the history and get back the previous typed strings. If you press [SHIFT]+[Crsr Up/Down] the content of the field represents (the beginning of) a string Let 'em Fly! searches the history for. 3.4 New Alert Boxes ------------------- Let 'em Fly! Alert Boxes will look a little bit differently from the originals. The size of the box is 'best-fitted' and there are new icons. The three buttons can be activated by pressing [F1]-[F3], too. To use another set of icons or a different color or shape, you can edit one of the icon resources (LTMFICON.RSC or GEM1/2ICON.RSC) with a RCS and copy it as LET_ICON.RSC into the AUTO folder. 3.5 Have a nice time with Niceline ---------------------------------- At the beginning, Niceline was a stand alone program. It replaces the '---' strings in the menu by a 'nice line'. But I must add, that this is a small hack and doesn't always work with all programs (e.g. GFA basic). If there are any problems concerning menus, turn this feature off. 4. The Configuration Program ============================ There are two programs to configure Let 'em Fly!: a normal program, LET_CONF.PRG/ACC, which can be installed as an accessory, too and a CPX for the extendable control panel. When you call the program/CPX, you see a scrollable list of switches. The meaning of the switches: Let 'em Fly!: allows switching off Let 'em Fly! copmletely! Alert-Boxes: (de)activates the new alert and error boxes. Key Dials: must be on if you want shortcuts within dialogs. Extended Editor: configures the new functions within editable fields. Flying Dials: movable dialog boxes or not. Fly Type: There are two different types of movable dialog boxes - Solid: They will be moved in realtime. I recommend you use a blitter or a graphic accellerator like NVDI or WARP9. Hollow: A dragbox will be used (like moving windows). Ghost Flights: Normally, the dialog can be made transparent by holding the right mouse button at the start of a flight This switch allows you to invert this feature. Dials to Mouse: dialogs will be centered around the mouse. Jumpin' Dials: If you click outside a dialog box, it flys to the mouse position. A double click in the dialog box recenters it. Save Position: The last position of the dialog will be saved. Send Redraw: Some programs get problems with the flying dials. This switch forces screen redraws after movement. VSCR-Support: Some virtual screen drivers (such as BigScreen 2.0) use a Cookie to indicate the coordinates of current detail of the complete (virtual) screen. Let 'em Fly! utilizes this cookie when centering dialogs, so that they will appear within the visible part of the screen. Form Grow/Shrink: Switches the dialog grow and shrink boxes on/off. Graf Grow/Shrink: Switches on/off other grow/shrink boxes (e.g. windows). Niceline: Configures the Nicelines (see above). Some programs may have problems (e.g. GFA BASIC programs). Fly Delay: This allows you to set the time between the click and the flight. Shortcut Disp.: You've got the choice between shortcuts as underscores or colored characters (only in a color resolution). Shortcut Col.: You want to have pink underscores? No problem ... Alert-Border: Configures the thickness of alert borders (even no border). 'OK' confirms the settings. To make them resident, you can 'Save' them. The fileselector box expects the LETEMFLY.PRG. The button 'Config CPX' allows you to configure the CPX itself. You can fade out rare used switches to keep the overview. 'Save' saves this settings. In the main dialog, you can switch between this selection or all switches. 5. Known Problems ================= - UIS III should be started before Let 'em Fly! within the AUTO folder. - The Little Green Selector 'gambles' a bit with the AES keycodes, so that Let 'em Fly! gets a bit confused. LGS also has some flight problems. - If you confirm a dialog in NEODESK by pressing [RETURN], the dialog box won't vanish. 6. Some Internals ================= Let 'em Fly! latches into the AES trap #2 (AES/VDI) and trap #13 (BIOS) and uses the XBRA-ID 'LTMF'. Let 'em Fly! also installs a cookie with the same ID. 7. The future of Let 'em Fly! ============================= For various reasons, I decided to leave the computer scene. This means, that the version 1.20 will be my last version of Let 'em Fly!. Sorry. 8. My adress ============= Oliver Scheel Mundenheimer Strasse 254 D-67061 Ludwigshafen Germany email: Oliver_Scheel@lu.maus.de