PowerPlatform Release 1.1
              =========================


                  Shareware Version


This archive contains the following files:

    PowerPlatform
    PowerPlatform.info
    Rexx/Profile.APP
    Rexx/MainFunctions.APP
    Rexx/CommFunctions.APP
    Rexx/GraphicsFunctions.APP
    Rexx/GIFtoSHAM.APP
    Rexx/GIFtoIFF.APP
    Rexx/Extract.APP
    Rexx/Strip.APP
    Docs/PowerPlatform10.Doc

To preserve the directory structure unpack as follows:

    LHARC -x x PowerPlatform11.LZH


Quick Install
=============

IMPORTANT: This PowerPlatform archive contains a new
           Profile.APP. Make sure you save your
           existing profile.

Copy PowerPlatform and PowerPlatform.info to any directory.
Copy the #?.APP files to your REXX: directory.


Documentation
=============

The documentation file has been formatted. To view on your
screen use more. To print it:


    Copy PowerPlatform11.Doc PRT:

Note: The documentation file has not changed from release
1.0. Documentation changes are included in this document.


What's New
==========

I have fixed a couple of bugs:

    PowerPlatform would sometimes GURU when executing a
    program from the menu bar if the DefineItem command
    incorrectly defined the program name.

    If you issued the CDSource PowerPlatform command
    from an ARexx EXEC invoked from the menu bar, the
    new PowerPlatform source directory was set but
    the display was not refreshed.

I have included more example EXEC's with this version
of PowerPlatform. There are now examples of how to
change the PowerPlatform function buttons from the
menu bar. If you bring up PowerPlatform with the new
Profile.APP supplied everything should look the same
except that there is now a new menu, the Functions menu.
This menu contains three items, Main, Graphics and
Communications. Selecting any of these items will redefine
the PowerPlatform function buttons. Play around with these
menu items. You can select Main to return to the original
function button definitions.

The way it works is that the new Profile.APP sets up the
new menu bar. It uses the DefineItem command to instruct
PowerPlatform to invoke the appropriate ARexx EXEC when
the menu item is selected. For example, selecting Graphics
results in the GraphicsFunctions.APP EXEC being invoked.
This EXEC actually redefines the buttons. You can easily
add additional function groups to the menu by changing
the Profile.APP. You can copy one of the supplied function
EXEC's to create your own. I think this is a very useful
feature, play around with it.

There is one other change I made to the standard Profile.
It no longer includes any function button definitions.
Instead it executes the MainFunctions.APP EXEC before it
terminates. This is simply so that the main function group
can be set from the profile or the menu bar. You don't
have to maintain two sets of definitions.

I mention in the documentation that when PowerPlatform
invokes a command it supplies the full file name as a
parameter. For example if you select the file
"DH0:Dir1/Dir2/Sample.File" PowerPlatform invokes the
command as "CommandName DH0:Dir1/Dir2/Sample.File". It
is often useful to strip off the path within an ARexx
EXEC. I have included a sample EXEC, Strip.APP which
does exactly this. It contains a lot of comments and
you should be able to easily adapt this EXEC for your
own needs.

The GIFtoIFF.APP and GIFtoSHAM.APP EXEC's will convert
GIF pictures to IFF or SHAM format. They use public
domain conversion programs which can be found on
most BBS. It is important to remember that the EXEC's
included with PowerPlatform are examples only. Some
will not work on your system if you don't have the
required programs installed. You can modify them to
meet your own needs and use them as examples when
writing your own.


If you like PowerPlatform and continue to use it,
please register the program. Full details and a
registration form can be found in the documentation.
You will receive the latest registered version of
PowerPlatform which opens without the stupid
information window.

I welcome your comments and suggestions. You can
reach me at:

    BIX:            mwarnett

    PLINK:          Martin*W

    Compuserve:     70431,3565

    U.S. Mail:      Martin Warnett
                    2407 25th Av
                    San Francisco,
                    CA 94116.


If you redistribute PowerPlatform please include this
file and all the files listed above.


Thank you.



Martin Warnett.