Back to top
The p.OS-Workbench offers some very interesting specialities
which have already been discussed in other operating systems
as well, but which could so far not consequently be relocated to
fully eliminate certain disadvantages.
At a certain stage, it became clear, that it would not be sufficient to
install lots of additional patches (for popup-menus,
better system gadgets, mouse acceleration, toolbar, ...) and
other system-adaptives. Thus, it was not possible to effectfully
increase e.g. the Drag&Drop-features of the system.
Furthermore: The more is patched the more likely becomes a crash
of the system. Also the speed of the applications, the compatibilty in the
Clipboard and other important
system elements that are patched ad-lib, suffer from these measures.
For several reasons, the p.OS-Workbench offers certain advantages.
On the one hand, p.OS is a completely new OS, allowing a flexible
expansion in a way, that no restrictions are to be expected, and on the
other hand, p.OS was able to profit from the experience achieved in the
past (some operating systems already exist for 10, 15 or more years
and were up to date BACK THEN) so that some very popular luxuary
elements could be integrated as a standard without compromises.
Here is a brief overview on the most important "unusual" features:
Icon-Display
- even animated
Windows
- can be moved with the content visible, different new operation elements
- integrated animated symbols
System-Gadgets
- for uniform handling
Drag&Drop
- from applications to the p.OS-Workbench
- from applications to the Shell (!)
- from the p.OS-Workbench to the Shell (!)
- animated icons - Drag&Drop is possible
Menu in 3D-look
- can be opened at any position
- animated / still graphic symbols can be integrated
Docks
- administered by the system but can freely be configured
- graphic symbols as well as text are both possible for the buttons
- can freely be positioned
- Drag&Drop possible (e.g. as depot)
Configuration
via p.OS-Prefs
- one single control, that can even be completed by
configuration modules from application programs
Configuration files
- For complete control by advanced users
Demo programs
AdoTest (effect generator)
- to become familiar with the different kinds of menus and gadgets
p.OS-Filer
- As an example for Drag&Drop with "MultiList"
SCSIMount
- for manual mounting of SCSI-drives
pBall, Tetris, chess
- Games & Fun
Work Bench?
The p.OS-Workbench is the control-tower of p.OS.
It is not a "toy" but an intuitive user interface for anything
you wish to do with the OS, so that even advanced users will
have lots of fun working with it. Copying, deleting, re-naming,
moving files, starting programs, administration of tasks,
creating directories, installing software, ..., this is what
the p.OS-Workbench has to perform, without appearing to be inflated.
By the way: The Bubble-Help already explains quite a bit.
Best is, you try it out yourself:
Simply position the mouse-pointer on any of the graphic objects
and a small bubble will appear with a brief explanation.
Something different: the "Stop-Watch" is no longer needed.
All actions run asynchronously, the whole workbench is
multi-threaded.
Several big copying- or deleting tasks can simultaneously be,
started. No more waiting! The little important this absolutely
new feature seems to be in the first place, the more important
and dearer will the advantage in time become to you in pratice
(and some ask themselves how they could ever manage without).
The whole p.OS-Workbench is internally controlled via comands, that
can be used in different configuration files
to e.g. create new Docks, to adjust the internal functionning to the
individual requirements and even to change the occupation of
system gadgets. It is thus possible, to
occupy e.g. the action "click Icon" with the command "delete
selected file", which is of course not recommended...
Furthermore, a REXX-Port will in future be available for the p.OS-Workbench
so that it will be possible to write scripts that execute their actions via
the Workbench and not via Shell-commands.
Strictly speaking, we would therefore have to add to everything that is
said on the features of the p.OS-Workbench: "Provided you have not
changed the configuration". However, should this be the case,
you should then know, how the respective action responds, since in this
case you are already an expert user!
On the p.OS-Workbench almost anything can of course intuitively be
operated via Drag&Drop.
This allows object-oriented operation,
just as if one would really sit at a work bench or a desk and would literally
put things together or move things to different places where
something happens to them. Almost like in real life, where however,
sometimes really nothing happens - at least when speaking of authorities.
We also throw the mail into the mail-box, the invoices in the paper bin,
the money out of the window and the egg into the mixer, or we set an
expensive Ming-vase or books on the shelf, (so that our guests and
ourselves can see them and this way remind us of our wealth, of our
cultural sense and our ability to read) etc.
The p.OS-Workbench is also able to display normal AmigaOS ".info"-files
(i.e. the files where as well the graphic data of the Icons are stored).
However, NewIcons are not (yet?) possible.
Since in the basic package of p.OS, the drive where p.OS was installed, is
available as ASSIGN pos:
(it has to be),
the icon of the respective drive is displayed upon
starting the p.OS-Workbench. The AmigaOS RAM-Disk is (hopefully) already
available as well.
Just let's have a go: open (Double-click with left mouse key)
your drive "pos:".
The files available in this directory should now be displayed
in a separate window (directory window).
NewIcons (© The NewIcons Team), not containing an additional
standard-icon are, however, only displayed as
small framed dots. Directory windows can be opened, moved and
sized as usual (by double-click). Its content can be scrolled with
the cursor keys or with the mouse.
If a file has a comment
starting with"#", this will be displayed in the bubble-help.
The titles of the p.OS-Workbench-windows do have the following format:
The root directory of the disk:
Window active:
![pOS: [66% full, 310 M free, 342 M used] Dirs: 1/14 Files: 0/20](pix/acdevtitle.gif)
1. Name of the disk
2. occupancy level in percent
3. free space
4. space used
5. number of directories selected/number of all
directories displayed
6. number of files selected/number of all
files displayed
Inactive:
![Volume pOS: [66% full]](pix/indevtitle.gif)
1. Name of disk
2. occupancy level in percent
With other directories:
Active:
1. directory name
2. Number of sub-directories selected/number
of all subdirectories displayed
3. number of files selected/number of all
files displayed
Inactive:
1. directory name
So far, there is nothing spectacular with this. Let us now
select a project file (best is a small graphic).
Click on it once and then select the menu item "Expand"
(right mouse-key to open menu). Instantly, the icon is replaced
by the file content which is now displayed in the directory window
(this is of course not very useful in case of large graphics).
This way, we are able to see the contents of a file without a display program.
This is e.g. especially useful, when you have lots of cliparts
to select which ones you wish to keep and which can be deleted.
The viewing and deleting can easily be done in one process - without
several additional tools - via the p.OS-Workbench.
Let us now try to open a directory in a different way:
Press the Shift-key while double-clicking: now, those files
and directories not containing an individual icon are displayed as well.
Depending on the file type, the respective standard-icon is used.
Is a file double-clicked this way, p.OS recognizes the file type and
automatically boots a suitable program to e.g. display the graphic in case of
a graphic file.
Talking about the shift-key: Please open several directory-
and sub-directory windows. Then press the Shift-key and
click on the Close-Gadget
of the winodw opened first. All other sub-directory windows disappear
as well! No more tiring and time-consuming closing of windows!
Gadgets are objects displayed in the windows, that by mouse-click
either start an action, where you can enter something or via
Drag&Dropdrag something, or they
simply display graphics or text information.
This can be simple things like text output boxes or buttons as well as
even interactive list views, where graphics and text can be mixed.
The System-Gadgets are primarily those gadgets located in
the window frames. The bubble-help provides the corresponding
information. Furthermore, the animations in the gadgets should be
clear enough to show the respective effect, so that a detailed
explanation should not be necessary here.
We have now repeatedly mentioned the Drag&Drop-
features of p.OS. The reason is that without this basic element, most of the
innovative features of p.OS cannot be sufficiently explained.
In combination with datatypes, it is one of the most important novelties
not found with most other existing operating systems.
Let us stick with the example of the previous section: Please
drag a project file to the ToolBar at the bottom right, and carefully
watch it. What can be seen? Some Toolbar-gadgets
are marked with a bright frame when a file is dragged on the Toolbar
and some are not. The Toolbar immediately "knows", if a program on the
Toolbar can read the file or not. In the positive, the frame appears.
However, under p.OS, Drag&Drop means a lot more than this. Not only Icons
resp. files are objects that can be edited with Drag&Drop. Even texts or
path names can be dragged and dropped at your wish: e.g.from a text entry field
to the Shell-window or to a program (on the Toolbar), that is then started
taking the path name as argument. An object can be dragged and dropped on top of
another one with the center mouse-key; in case of a mouse with just 2 keys, it is
the left and CTRL-key.
Since the different features of the p.OS-WB can hardly be
explained separately, we herewith give you an example on
the use of Drag&Drop to exchange data between different programs,
with the programs p.OS-Filer and MultiList
cooperating via Drag&Drop.
Those p.OS menus are really practical and smart!
They always "unroll" close to the mouse-pointer and the content depends
on the window where the mouse-pointer is located.
By right mouse-click, the menu-bar pops up and you have all the time of the
world to select a menu item with the left mouse-key.
As to the p.OS-Workbench, here are the meanings of the different menu items:
"Project"-Menu:
Command
A command can be entered.
However, here no Shell-commands,
are meant but p.OS-Workbench commands. For more
details please see section Configuration files
Update
The current directory window is re-rendered, and all
changes are updated.
About
Information on the version and copyright are displayed.
Quit
The exit...
quits p.OS-Workbench.
"Window"-Menu:
Open
Opens the window of the selected icon.
Close
Closes the active window.
Information
Displays information on the selected icon.
Delete
Deletes the selected object (not without a previous
control message).
Clone
Creates a copy of the selected object.
MakeDir
Creates a new directory in the active window
Layout
The icons in the active window are re-rendered and
the window content is cleared up
Show all files
All objects (files and directories) even those not having
their own icon are displayed in the window.
This can be achieved more easily by using the afore-
mentioned "Shift-Click"-method.
DtTypeIcons
Is this menu item selected, the p.OS-Workbench
checks all files for their data type and displays
a corresponding icon for each type.
This does not only mean a rough differentiation into
programs, projects etc. but each file type where
a DataType exists
is assigned with a special icon and is then especially
treated by p.OS.
"Icon"-menu:
Select All
All icons of a window are selected
Select None
The selection of all icons is undone
Select...
a pattern name may be
entered, determining which objects are to be selected.
Rename...
Renames the selected object
Expand
Instead of the icon, the content of the selected file
is directly displayed in the directory window.
(see above).
"Settings"-menu:
Open All Docks
Opens all defined Docks,
which also means that the configuration of the Docks
is read anew.
Close All Docks
Closes (removes from the screen) all Docks.
Open Config
The configuration file is read anew.
"Special"-menu:
Close All Requesters
Closes all open requesters.
Cancel All Threads
All current Threads (like e.g. copying or
deleting processes) are cancelled.
Parent
The parent directory of the active directory window
is opened or, if it is already opened, is brought to front
and is activated.
Root
The root directory of a disk where the current
directory is located is opened resp. activated.
Go To Parent
Like "Parent", but closes the current directory as well.
Go To Root
Like "Root", but closes the current directory as well.
Close Sub-Windows
Closes the sub-windows of the current directory window.
As you know, a Dock is a thing where something can be fixed that
otherwise would freely fall around. The p.OS-Workbench allows to
define several Docks. Here as well the Drag&Drop principle is the basis,
i.e. Icons can be dragged on the Docks so that for each Dock-item, actions
are executed with the files or directories, depending on what the icons
stand for.
Two examples are already included. At the bottom left there is a purely
graphic Dock, and the icons have the following meaning (from left to right):
1. System disk - display system directory
2. Info - display information on disk-objects
3. clipboard - delete disk-objects
4. Shell - opens a Shell-window
5. p.OS-Filer - starts the program p.OS-Filer
6. Prefs - opens the p.OS-Preferences-Editor
7. Guide - displays the help files
At the right of the p.OS-Workbench there is another Dock to start demo
programs. These are the following (from top to bottom):
1. pBall - a pinball-like game
2. Chess - Well, guess what?
3. Tetris - An indispensable game!
4. AdoTest - Demo version of an effect generator
5. Fractal - a fractal generator
The different Dock-Items do have a bubble-help as well. Furthermore,
a menu can freely be configured for each Dock.
The Docks can also freely be positioned on the screen (move them
with the mouse). When defining, the buttons may either be positioned above
each other or next to each other. Separation lines may also be defined, etc.
How to define the appearance and characteristics or possible menus of
a Dock, is explained in the section Configuration.
The configuration of a new operating system to the individual
requirements, is of great fun for many people and they wish to have as
many control knobs as possible to adjust and turn them. Others, however,
do not want to spend their whole time searching for different setting options
and appreciate a system where they can start working right after
the installation.
In any case, a clear and intuitive operation of the settings
programs is of great importance. This way, many people do not
use UNIX-like operating systems, because of the fact that really
everything can be configured, but to do this, hundreds of configuration
files have to be edited with a text editor (which usually is quite strange to use )
only to set a certain font type, which then only becomes visible after
the next login... and all this to finally find out that the font type selected
does not at all fit into the environment....
Under p.OS, this has been solved by the program p.OS-Prefs. All
settings, even those of subsequently installed software, are executed
by this program in standardized and clear atmosphere. Thanks to the
modular structure, new setting modules can easily be added.
"Prefs" is the abbreviation of "Preferences". If we, e.g. prefer to use a
different screen background or different font type set, we simply
use this program to select the setting we wish to adjust
from the list at the left in the window. With "Test" we can
then have a preview of the changes made to check if we wish to accept the
changes with "Use" - the changes will then be replaced by the previous settings
with the next start of the operating system - or you "Save" the changes so that the
changes remain valid after each new booting of the system.
Since we no longer depend on the bubble-help, we now turn it off
as a test: Start here the p.OS-Prefs program
(if this has not yet been done) and then click on "Bubble-help".
The adjustable parameters appear in the window. At the very top there is a
PopUp-Gadget. If we click on it, a small
menu opens with just two menu items: "Bubble-help available" and
"No bubble-help active". We select the latter item and click on "Use".
This way, anything can be set.
Let us now have a look beneath the surface and take a closer look
at the ASCII-files (this is for advanced users only)...
This release (still?) contains configuration files under p.OS
that have to be edited manually. However, these are assigned with
comments so that this should not cause any problems. Furthermore,
there are just a few of them and are only meant to configure the
Docks and the p.OS-Workbench.
These files are located in the directory EnvArc:WB
The file config.cfg
contains the configuration of the p.OS-Workbench itself. The comments in the file
are self-expanatory (some are still under development). The file is structured in lines,
and each line has the following structure:
Keyword [Command] Parameter
The keyword is one of the characteristics set in the first section
of the file.
Command is one of the commands listed under "Commands".
The respective parameters can also be seen from the file.
For each Dock a corresponding sub-directory exists, here:
Page1 and Page2
These contain a separate configuration file for each button and each menu item of
the window as well as one for the window of the Dock itself.(Window.cfg).
The following parameters are available for menu-items and Dock-Buttons:
NAME
The name of the button
GFX1
The icon, that is to be displayed in normal status (not selected)
GFX2
The icon that is to be displayed when selected
MENU
The file with this content defines a menu item and
not a button
NCOMM
p.OS-Workbench command, executed when clicking on the
button.
DCOMM
Command executed when an object is dragged on this button
BAR
A separation line is inserted to the Dock
HELPID
The text displayed in the bubble-help, when the mouse-
pointer remains on this button.
For the "Window.cfg"-files:
LEFT
x-Position of the dock-window
TOP
y-Position of the Dock-window
HORIZ
Is this keyword used, the buttons are justified in horizontal
and not in vertical direction
G
Here the name of a configuration file for a button is entered
BORBOTTOM
Width of the bottom border of the Dock-window
GRPSPACE
Space between the buttons in pixels
Such an operating system is very nice indeed, but without any software
for experimenting it is not of too much use. Therefore, some programs
are already included in this PreRelease, to see the impact of the
operating system on the operation of programs. The main aspect should
however, be the operation and not that much the practical use of the application
since they are demo programs - as already mentioned. Other programs
will be available upon release of the operating system; of course not only
proDAD programs. Other innovative manufacturers and PD-programers
do already develop corresponding software. Nevertheless, a
software cannot be developed just like that. This is why it will certainly take some time
until a software for each application will be available - which will then be up to date
and innovative ! But lets now talk about the programs included here:
Some demos do not require additional explanations, some do, however,
need a few remarks:
AdoTest
Here, animation effects can be rendered and
viewed. There are lots of parameters to render
many different wipes.
p.OS-Filer - A p.OS-DirectoryTool
Despite of the features of the p.OS-Workbench, there is an
additional Directory-Tool, allowing to display, delete, copy etc. files
in the usual way with source- and target window.
Here as well, everything is done with Drag&Drop. Start
the p.OS-Filer here and next
MultiList.
Multilist shows a directory of graphic files in a list requester.
In the "MultiList"-window a directory should be displayed
with different small graphics (belonging to the game
pBall).
You may now drag a "Stone" from the
MultiList-window with [ctrl]+left mouse-key (or
center mouse-key of a three key-mouse) to the
Filer-window. The window, where we dropped
our stone now changes to the directory currently
displayed by "MultiList".
The same is vice versa! Let us now search a directory
with the p.OS-Filer, containing graphics (but please
not too large ones! SYS:EnvArc/Rec is higly suited.
We then drag the content of the text entry field underneath
the directory-window of the filer, being the current path,
(do not forget to press the CTRL-key) to the MultiList-window..
We may of course, also directly select an entry from the directory
window of the filer (e.g a subdirectory) and drag it to the
Multilist-window.
All this is naturally possible with the p.OS Workbench just like
with the filer.The p.OS-Filer contains a number of configurable
knobs underneath the two directory windows. Their respective
meaning needs to be briefly explained below:
In the first line, some directories can be selected,
a few command-knobs are located underneath:
Parent
Change to parent directory
Copy
Copy object from source to target
Makedir
Make new directory
GetSize
Get size of the selected directory
Read
Display file content
Root
Change to root directory of disk
Copy As..
Copy and simultaneusly rename
Rename
Rename files or directories
Protect
Change protection bits of a file
Read Hex
hexadecimal display of file content
All
Select complete window content
Move
Move file/directory
Clone
Copy a file keeping the additional information
like e.g.
Comment
Date
protection bits
Comment
Change file-comment
LHA List
Display content of LHA-archive
None
Undo selection of all selected objects
Move As..
Move and rename
Delete
Delete
TestComm
enter Shell-command as a test
SCSI-Mount
With this, AmigaOS-drives that have an RDB
(RigidDiskBlock, standard as of AmigaOS V2), can automatically be
integrated into the system. A list of drives is displayed and one
containing the partitions. Is a partition marked with a green
tick, it can be recoginized and used by p.OS.
With the gadget "Permanent" the partition is entered into the mounting list
of the system when clicking on "Mount", so that with each booting of p.OS
the selected partitions are integrated into the system.
The menu also contains a "UnMount" which removes a partition
from the system.
pBall
After all this work and concentration it is now time to relax with a game.
So: start playing!
And now to something completely different...
The p.OS-Shell
