@database Associate.guide @Width 72 @Node Main "Associate Docs" Okay people! welcome to another stunningly useful util by Hydra / LSD! ___ _ _ / _ \ (_) | | V1.0 | |_| |___ ___ ___ ___ _ __ _| |_ ___ | _ / __/ __|/ _ \ / __| |/ _` | __/ _ \ | | | \__ \__ \ (_) | (__| | (_| | || __/ |_| |_|___/___/\___/ \___|_|\__,_|\__\___| A rather cool WB util for creating icons for files that don't have a .info file.. @{" Introduction " Link Intro} @{" Installation " Link Installation} @{" Distribution " Link Distribution} @{" Requirements " Link Requirements} @{" Instructions " Link Instructions} @{" Configuration! " Link Config} @{" History " Link History} @{" The Author " Link Author} @{" Greets! " Link Greets} @{"Other Programs by HYDRA/LSD" Link Other} @EndNode @Node Intro "Introduction to Associate" Introduction ============ Associate is a rather cool Workbench utility who's job is to create icons for files that you drop on it's appicon.. If (like me) you use the wb quite alot and then use the cli to create a few files as well you soon end up with lots of files missing icons.. so you then have to go to the workbench and do one of those "Show -> All Files" from the menu which then shows the files without icons.. This is where Associate is usefull.. First you define a few different types of files, e.g. Pictures, Lha's, Source Code, Document files and so on within the config part of the program. then you do your show all files and drag one of the files without an icon onto Associate's appicon (an icon that sit's on the main workbench window). Associate will then try and match the file you dropped on it to one of the filetypes you specified.. it matches the files first by looking at the filename and matching it to a wildcard string that you enter. If it can't find a match on the filename it will then try to match the file by looking at the first 20 bytes of the file If it can't find any match it will pop up a small requester prompting you for the file's type. With that you can selecte a filetype. Associate will then copy the icon associated with that file type to the to the file you dragged onto associate. You can also drag more than one file onto Associate and these may be from any window. If all that sounds complicated then don't worry.. it's just my crap way of explaining things.. here's an example Say you write lots of source code and have a file called "HELLO.C" in a directory called "DH0:Source/Test". If you then drag the icon for "HELLO.C" onto associate and it matches the extension to souce code file (because of the a #?.c pattern) it will copy a nice icon that looks like a source code file to "DH0:Source/Test/HELLO.C.INFO" It really is simple but i just can't explain things very well... :-) @EndNode @Node Installation "Installation" Installation ============ If you want you can copy the supplied icons to somewhere on your hard disk. I recommend you put all the files in "SYS:Prefs/Icons" as that is where the example config supplied will look for them.. You will also need to copy "reqtools.library" to LIBS: for Associate to work correctly.. Lastly copy the Associate program and icon to where ever you want.. I have mine in the SYS:WBStartup drawer so that it loads everytime the computer boots up. It's now installed.. So Just Double Click the program icon to load it up all being well you should see another icon appear on th WorkBench screen/window called Associate, if you double click this it will open a small config window. See @{" Configuration " link config}. @EndNode @Node Distribution "Distribution" Distribution ============ Associate is FreeWare :-) (Gosh I'm soooo nice) This program (Associate) and all it's files may be distributed to whoever you may feel like giving it to in any way you see fit on the condition that you don't change anything in it's documentation or code without first having contacted me. Permission is herby granted to distribute this file on PD disks and collections and so on but don't charge loads of money.. You can put this program on coverdisks/subscriber if you like but PLEASE let me know..(see @{" Contacting The Author " link author} ) (Unlike what Amiga Shopper Magazine did with XMASH!) @EndNode @Node Requirements "Requirements" Requirements ============ * Kickstart 2.04 or better, preferably 3.0+ * reqtools.library 38.1210 or better in LIBS: (supplied) * Workbench loaded :-) * Some nice icons installed in the right place (see @{" installation " link Installation}) (supplied) * And preferbly MagicWB but this is NOT required by the program, it just LOOKS nice :-) @EndNode @Node History "History" History ======= V1.0 * First release - written in SAS/C 6.50 @EndNode @Node Author "The Author" The Author ========== Associate was written by Hydra of LSD If ya wanna get hold of me then you should be able to find me on any decent UK BBs! or contact any member of LSD, Radiance or Tension! @EndNode @Node Greets "Greetings" Greets ====== Cruise! Lazzer Huk Mub/LSD Fish/LSD Trixter/LSD Equalizer (hi Al!) Axen/Tension Neutralizer/Tension And YOU the user for actually reading this bit :-) @EndNode @Node Other "Other Programs" Other Programs ============== Watch out for other forthcoming programs by HYDRA of LSD and Tension including : IDE2AMI5 - How to connect 3.5" IDE Hard Disks to Amiga 1200's has digitised pictures and cable diagrams along with good instructions. >>>>> also tells you how to fit 2 IDE drives!!!! ExApp1.2 - Multi App like program (only this one is good!) it's an appicon that sits on your WB and runs different program depending on the file type dropped onto it. Custom and user defineable file type matching via pattern matching and file content! UFF - Unused File Finder for /X 3.X finds files that are on your HD but not in conference lists so that you can delete them to free up hard disk space (thanks to Cruise/Sysop Fantazia) for the idea for that one!) ANSICLEAN - Cleans DIED files of two control codes that don't work on PC's XMASH - Stunningly Cool Disk Masher that uses the XPK libraries! Get it or DIE! AUTOID - Cool Traders Tool, extracts file id, lets you edit it, checks archives and packs it back again. Very cool! AFCOPY - A Rather Excellent File Manager that's nice and small but VERY configureable and user friendly.. >>>>> Version 4.0 coming out SOOOOON with other COOOOOOL features and an updated GUI for even more SPEED and USERFRIENDLYNESS! And the HydraTools series of doors for /X sysops.. @EndNode @Node Instructions "Instructions" Instructions ============ Ok, when you first load up Associate you will find it pops up the Configuration window so i suggest you read the docs on how to @{"Configure" link config} it first. :-) Ok, now you've done that just type dropping an icon onto the Associate AppIcon that is sitting on your workbench.. Associate will now try to determine what icon to give that file by looking first at the filename of the icon you dropped onto it and secondly the actual data in the file. If it matches it to a file it will tell you what type of file it matched it to and will prompt you to either create the icon or contine and try for a different match. If it can't match the file then it will tell you so and let you cancel or pick a filetype from the icons you defined. Once it has created an icon it will update the wb so that the icon image appears immediately. Now another cool feature of this program is that if you drop a drawer icon onto the appicon it will ask you wether you want to create the default drawer icon for the drawer.. the same applies if you drop a disk icon onto it.. (note: the default drawer icon will be copied from "ENV:Sys/def_drawer.info" and the disk icon from "ENV:Sys/def_disk.info" as of v1.0 this can't be changed) If you double click on the AppIcon Associate will pop up it's Configuration window.. @EndNode @Node Config "Configuration" Configuration ============= The config window should look a BIT like this :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | @{"File Type" link FileType} @{"Name Patterns" link NameP} @{"File Patterns" link FileP} | | ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ | | |Picture |#| |#?.pic | | |FORM????ILBM#? | | | | |Source Code |#| |#?.gif | | |GIF#? | | | | | |#| |#?.jpg | | | | | | | | |#| |#?.jpeg | | | | | | | | | | |#?.iff | | | | | | | | | | |#?.ilbm | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_| | |_| | |_| | | | |_| | |_| | |_| | | |_________________|_| |_________________|_| |_________________|_| | | _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ | | |_ADD_||_DEL_||EDIT_| |_ADD_||_DEL_||EDIT_| |_ADD_||_DEL_||EDIT_| | | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | Icon Filename |@{" Save "link Save}| | _ ________________________ ___________ |--------------------| | [F] @{"[________________________]" link IconName} @{"[_Icon_Info_]" link IconInfo} |@{" Help " link Help}| | _ |--------------------| | Run Info When Activated @{"[_]" link runinfo} |@{" OK " link OK}| ------------------------------------------------------------------- The add, delete and edit buttons are self explanatory.. There are also two tooltypes that you can use on the Associate icon itself. These are ICONX and ICONY and they set the position of the appicon on the workbench. E.G. ICONX=50 ICONY=47 @EndNode @Node FileType "FileType Gadget" This list is just used for naming the different types of files that you want associate to recognise. For each entry in the list you should have picked an icon in the @{" Icon Filename " link IconName} gadget. It is this .info file that is used when it matches a file to a filetype. You also have to enter a something in the other 2 lists for each type of file. @EndNode @Node NameP "Name Patterns" This is a list of all the different filenames and wildcards that are associated with the filetype. An Example is shown on the configuration screen.. All AmigaDOS wildcards can be used I.E. ? #? ( | ) ~ and so on... @EndNode @Node FileP "File Patterns" This is a list that contains all the different possible file matches for each filetype.. For example, a normal Iff Picture file starts off with the data "FORM" and then 4 bytes which is different for each file and then "ILBM" and then lots of other data.. so to create a pattern match for this you would use the following pattern FORM????ILBM#? the 4 ?'s means any 4 characters and the #? means the rest of the data It's always best to end a match pattern with #? :-) @EndNode @Node IconName "Icon Name" This is a string gadget, into which you can type a filename (must have .info on the end) of an icon that you want for the filetype.. For example, say you had defined some file types like in the example you would want to create some nice icons that visually represent the file.. Example.. say you defined text file as a type you might want an icon to have a picture of a notepad or something. You can use the tiny pick file button at the right of this gadget to bring up a ReqTools file requester that will let you pick a .info file.. @EndNode @Node IconInfo "Icon Info" If you have workbench 3.0 or better (v39) then you can use this gadget to bring up the standard workbench Icon Information requester (same as single clicking an icon and selecting Information from workbench's icon menu..) @EndNode @Node RunInfo "Run Info" If this box is checked and Associate matches a file to a filetype and creates an icon for the file, associate will bring up the Info screen for the icon (WB 3.0 or better only (v39+) @EndNode @Node Save "Save" When the save button is clicked Associate will save it's config to S:Associate.CFG. this IS a text file and can be hand edited but BE CAREFULL if you really want to do this.. :-) @EndNode @Node Help "Help" When clicked it will try and bring up this amigaguide help file :-) @EndNode @Node Ok "Ok" When clicked the configuration window will close and the appicon will remain on the workbench screen. To quit Associate use the Quit option on the config windows menus.. @EndNode