***************************************************************************** * * Program: WNote V1.0 (C) The Puzzle Factory 1988 Author: Jeff Lavin * Function: Easy creation & editing of FileNotes. Created: 05/14/88 * Last UpDate: 05/14/88 * Use: 1> [run] WNote * * Written entirely in assembly language to be small and fast. * Works with expanded memory, including 'sync-ram' at $C00000. * * Raison d'etre * ------------- * FileNotes or comments are extremely useful for all sorts of things. * As you collect more Amiga programs, pictures, text files, etc., it * becomes difficult to remember just what that particular item was * without taking the time to load it and check it out. * * Many bulletin boards use FileNotes as the description you see when * you ask for a file directory of listing. This particular use of * FileNotes is the principal reason for this program's existance. I * run an Amiga developer's BBS, and putting comments into all the * esoteric source files just got to be too much of a chore, hence * WNote (The "W" is short for Window'd... FileNote was already taken). * * This program makes creation, change, and removal of FileNotes a * breeze, and with the arp.library to make copying FileNotes and * DateStamps automatic, there is no longer any reason not to keep * your files organized! * * Instructions * ------------ * 1. First of all, WNote must be invoked from the CLI. I didn't feel * there was much need to use this program from WorkBench. * * 2. WNote uses HiRes and Lace modes and needs Topaz 11 font. This * font must be in your SYS:font directory. If not found WNote will * use Topaz 8, and the display will not look as intended. Topaz 11 * can be found on your 1.2 WorkBench disk. * * If it's not already there, create a subdirectory named "fonts/Topaz" * on your system disk, and copy the file named "fonts/Topaz/11" from * the 1.2 WorkBench disk to the "Topaz" directory. Copy the file * named "fonts/topaz.font" to your "fonts" directory. * * 3. The arp.library, version 34 (REL 2) is used extensively by this * program. If WNote can't find the arp.library, it will complain and * exit. A copy should be available on a bulletin board near you. * * Copy it to your system disk in the "libs" directory. If this seems * like a bother, consider that the arp.library and commands will: * * * Save space on your system disk * * Commands will be faster and much more flexible * * The CLI will be much easier to use * * You will be able to do things that are either difficult * or unlikely from the CLI * * Many programs will require the arp.library * * 4. When you first run WNote, you will see a full size window open on * a custom screen. I have done no color selection, this is just a * HiRes, Lace, 2 bitplane screen. Feel free to adjust the colors * any way you like. Low contrast combinations will tend to reduce * flickering to acceptable proportions, but this is a very personal * thing - some people are more sensitive to this than others. * * 5. There are 3 menu items: * * FILE - This will bring up the Arp File Requester (thanks to C. Heath). * You should immediately see all the files in your current * directory. By using the RIGHT mouse button, you can bring up * a list of all the physical and logical devices on your Amiga. * Click on the directory you want to list with the LEFT mouse * button. Please remember that for WNote, you are selecting a * *directory*, NOT a file! When you have selected a directory * you may click on "OK" immediately, without waiting for the * requester to finish displaying files. If you click on cancel, * no change will be made to the current directory or the display. * * ABOUT - This item will display the obligatory shareware notice. Please * take it seriously. * * QUIT - This selection will free all resources, and exit WNote right * now. No second chance. This way to the egress. * * 6. Assuming you have at this point selected a *directory* and clicked * on "OK", you should see a number of files displayed on your screen * in this format: * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- * | FileName (22 chars) | Size | Date | FileNote (38 chars) | * --------------------------------------------------------------------- * * You may have more of less than a full screen of files. Please * note that no directories are displayed, and that all FileNames are * truncated to 22 characters, and FileNotes to 38 characters. The * truncation only affects the display portion in order to show one * file per line. You will be able to enter a full 80 character * FileNote. You cannot use WNote to attach FileNotes to directories. * * 7. If you have more files in the selected directory than are able to * fit on the screen at one time, you may scroll to the beginning and * end of the list by using the up and down arrow keys, respectively. * If there are less than a full screen of files listed, the arrow * keys will be inoperative. * * 8. Select a FileNote to alter by clicking anywhere on that line with * the LEFT mouse button. The line will be hilighted and a string * requester will appear in the lower third of the screen. If there * was a FileNote attached to the file, it will be displayed in the * string requester. Clicking anywhere except on a line listing a * file will have no affect. * * The string requester has been activated for you, but because of a * small undocumented bug in Intuition by the nice folks at C/A, it * may not always activate. If this happens, just click in it before * you start typing. * * 9. You may now edit the string requester using all the normal Amiga * editing functions: Backspace, delete, R/L-Arrow, ShiftR/L-Arrow, * R-Amiga Q or X. There is an arrow "V" on the string requester * indicating where 38 characters end. Many BBS listings only allow * 38 or 40 characters. The arrow points at the 38th character. You * may leave the FileNote unchanged by pressing without * altering the text. You may also remove a FileNote by deleting all * the text, and pressing . In any case, press when * you are finished editing the FileNote. Your new FileNote will be * displayed on the screen, and written to the file on disk. Remember * to leave the disk write-enabled. If WNote cannot write the FileNote * to the disk, or fails for any reason, it will call DisplayBeep, and * flash the screen or whatever is appropriate. All requesters, such * as "Insert Volume XX..." should appear on the WNote screen. * * On the subject of disk errors, one of 3 situations is possible: * * 1. If you have removed the disk being displayed and there is no disk * in the drive, you will get a system requester saying, "No disk in * drive X". If you then click on cancel, WNote will beep at you. * * 2. If you have write-protected the disk being displayed, you will * get a system requester saying, "Volume XX is write protected". * If you then click on cancel, WNote will beep at you. * * 3. If you have removed the disk being displayed and replaced it with * another disk, WNote will beep at you, but you *will not* get a * system requester. * * In any case, the filenote will be displayed on the screen as you * have altered it, but it *WILL NOT* be written to the disk. Please * remember this. You may get a fresh screen display by selecting the * "file" menu, and immediately clicking "OK" when the requester * appears. * * 10. Because of the way WNote deals with MouseButton events, the * following situation may occur: You have been using WNote and have * pulled down or pushed back the WNote screen to use the CLI, or some * other program. You have now returned to WNote to find that the * window is not active, and clicking in the title bar will not * activate it. You also have more than 32 files listed, and there is * no blank space under the file names in which to click. * * You may click on a FileName and press . If you don't want * to do that because your friend, who has just left on an extended * trip to Outer Mongolia, borrowed the disk that is being displayed, * and you are deathly afraid of system requesters, do the following: * The bottom 4 lines of the window are not trapped, so you may move * the mouse cursor to the extreme bottom edge of the window and click * there. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I hope you enjoy using WNote. If you like it, please send me $10. * If you don't like it enough not to send the $10, don't use it. It's * all between you and your concience. If shareware ceases to be viable, * there won't be any more shareware, and there certainly won't be any * public updates to WNote. 'Nuff said. * * If you have any comments or suggestions about the program or the * quality of the documentation, I would like to hear them. Leave a * message on the board listed below, or write me a letter via US Snail. * If you have problems with WNote, please try to document them as * thoroughly as possible, so as to facilitate bug hunting. * * The Author * * >> No warrantee of any kind whatsoever expressed or implied! << * * This program is shareware, NOT public domain, and is copyrighted * by the author. All rights are reserved. This program may be freely * distributed if the following conditions are observed: * * 1. This notice must be distributed intact with the program. * 2. The following files must be distributed intact with the program. * * WNote - Executable * WNote.doc - Documentation * * 3. Only a reasonable distribution fee may be charged, such * as by Users' Group PD Libraries. * 4. Commercial use is prohibited without the author's written * consent. * * The assembly source for this program, WNote.asm, may be obtained * by sending either a 3 1/2" disk and $10.00, or $15.00 to the address * listed in the "About" requester in the program. * * I can be reached at: The Symposium * Amiga Development BBS * 1 Meg Memory - 33 Meg Hard Drive * 300/1200, 8-N-1, 24 hr, (503) 935-7883 * Another Citadel-68K BBS * * (This BBS is devoted to Amiga software and hardware development, and * all users are required to register. Just follow the instructions.) * * Amiga is a trademark of Commodore-Amiga, Inc. *****************************************************************************