********************************************************************** * * * AmiFlash version 1.0.0 Release Date: 04/03/93 * * Copyright ©1993 Michael Neylon and Bill Gundlach * * All rights reserved * * * * Fully-functional 'demo' version of a fast and flexible * * flashcard-type study program. (requires WB 2.0) * * * ********************************************************************** 0. Reqtools Copyright Reqtools.Library is Copyright © Nico Francois. As per his documentation, the 2.0 version of the library is the only file from that archive that is distributed in this package. 1. What is AmiFlash? Simply, AmiFlash is a program to help you memorize information. Remember when you were in school and you memorized your vocabulary words by writing them on index cards? AmiFlash can 'ask' you questions, repeat the words that you missed, and also keep track of your score. 2. What do I need to run AmiFlash? AmiFlash was written to work on an Amiga computer system that has Workbench 2.0 or above. To use the program, you decompress the files in the archive and click on the Install icon. This will copy the reqtools library to your libs: drawer. In order for AmiFlash to work, it is necessary that the reqtools.library be in libs:. Overall, both the AmiFlash program and the editor take about 40K of free memory apiece plus the amount of data stored in the current 'deck' of cards. AmiFlash has been tested on all models of the Amiga computer under 2.0x and 2.1/3.0. No errors have been reported by Enforcer when run on a MMU machine (according to the beta testers). 3. Starting the Program You can start AmiFlash by either clicking on its icon or running it from the command line. The command line invocation is: AmiFlash [options] [] Where [options] are in the following format: [options] = [STRAIGHT|RANDOM] [ONCE|STUDY] [KEYPRESS|TIMEOUT] [DELAY=] and the follow template: STRAIGHT/K, RANDOM/K, ONCE/K, STUDY/K, TIMEOUT/K, KEYPRESS/K, DELAY/K/N The options STRAIGHT, ONCE, and KEYPRESS are on by default. The default DELAY is 3 seconds. You may call AmiFlash with the infamous '?' option to remind yourself of the commands. Note that this does not behave the same as with most AmigaDOS commands YET. Similarly, there 4 ToolTypes that are in the .info file. These are: ORDER = STRAIGHT|RANDOM (off by default) MODE = ONCE|STUDY (once by default) WAITTYPE = KEYPRESS|TIMEOUT (key is default) DELAY = ## Futhermore, you may start AmiFlash from the workbench by using the multiple select and double-clicking on AmiFlash or setting a datadeck's ToolType to AmiFlash. 4. Using the program Overall, using AmiFlash is very straightforward (almost not worth reading the manual 8^)). Once you start the program, it will ask you to load the deck (if necessary) and then wait for you to begin. The menu is very straight-forward. (I hope!) AmiFlash has been programmed with GadToolsBox using the Adapt.Font/ System.font option. Thus, it will attempt to open the window using your system font for the gadget text, but if it is too big, it will default to topaz 8. On a non-interlaced, NTSC screen, this allows a maximum point size of 12. Thus, for you interlaced folk, you should have no problem seeing the text :) There are two types of testing modes currently available in AmiFlash. The first method is a 'once-thru' mode. This allows you to study the cards in the deck, being tested on each one only once. For those that are more pesistent, a 'study' mode is available. This allows you to go through the deck, but put cards back in stack if you don't get the right answer. Just so you don't get bored seeing the same cards every time you run the program, we've included a randomizer that will 'shuffle' cards in the deck. Of course, if you don't use this option, you'll see the cards in the order in wwhich they were entered. Finally, there is an option which determines how AmiFlash will wait after you have entered your answer to a question. The default will wait for you to press a key to go to the next card. As of v0.9.6, only the and keys will perform this actions. The gadgets shortcuts will perform their actions as well. If you don't want to do this, you can set AmiFlash to wait for a number of seconds (1-15) before going on to the next card. Right now, only one wait method can be used. If you use the timer, pressing a key will now (starting with version 0.9.2!) send you to the next card, however, intuition functions are currently disabled during this brief time. You may quit or load a new deck while using a deck without a problem. If you answer all the cards in one deck, you will be presented with a small requestor with very simple statistics. 5. Important note about AmiFlash This version of AmiFlash is what is commonly referred to as "cripple-ware." The program will only use the first 15 cards out of every deck. Yes, Mike and I know that this is annoying, but this is necessary to get people to register. We're asking for a very small amount of money for our programming efforts. The suggested donation is $5.00 US. If you use AmiFlash and like it, we ask that you send us the registration fee. In turn, Mike and I will send you a full registered copy of AmiFlash, in which the decksize is only limited by the amount of free RAM. Registered users will receive free updates to AmiFlash. See Section 7 for the new features to be added to the newest registered version of AmiFlash (we're already working on a number of them - HINT HINT). 6. Contacting the Authors The majority of the included programs were coded by Mike Neylon. Bill Gundlach helped out and wrote the wonderful documentation that you're reading now. Yay! Mike and I can both be contacted by e-mail through Internet. In fact, we prefer this method of communication. Mike Neylon - mneylon@jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu Bill Gundlach - bgundlac@jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu These addresses should be valid any time during the normal school year. Mine should also be valid for the 93-94 school year. I don't know if Mike's will. (Mike sez: I will try to release my summer email address as soon as possible. To be safe, you can probably get me at the above address.) During school, our Snail-mail address is: Bill Gundlach #117 White Hall 2061 Campus Dr. Toledo, OH 43606 During the summer, use: Bill Gundlach 1611 Cedar Point Rd Sandusky, OH 44870-5210 Mike and I welcome suggestions and bug reports concerning AmiFlash. Actually, we don't mind complements, either. :-) 7. Features planned for future versions - Multiple right answers for questions - More quiz modes - Multiple line questions - User-definable categories for words and quizzes by category - Enhanced reporting features - Decks that 'remember' what you missed last time 8. History of the Program AmiFlash started as a project that I (Bill) started to try and learn C. Many crashed program later, I brought the idea to Mike. He helped me code the mechanics of the program and skillfully wrote the entire user interface. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version MM/DD/YY 0.9.0b 03/07/93 First release to beta testers 0.9.1 03/08/93 - Changed Version numbers to strings (giving a bit more freedom with these.) - Fixed 'About' requester problem with Version numbers (gave nonsense before) - If user enters a delay time <0 or >15 secs (while in the program), a requester is brought up telling him of the error, and the delay is reset to 5sec. - A VersionString is now impletemented, so it works with the AmigaDOS Version command. 0.9.2 03/09/93 - Time delay with key interrupt added...however, plans to move the timer device init and cleanup out of the routine are in development. Currently, if one types fast enough, they can freeze input. - Bug with Mutual Exclude menus in the Modes menu fixed. - User cannot Start a deck without one in memory. - Deck_Pointer and File Requester dealloced (oops!) - File Requester comes up WITHOUT looking for AFlash: (if program gets large enough in future....) 0.9.2a 03/10/93 - Internal rewrite to remove global varibles - File Requester only allocated once - All allocation is now using Amiga allocation stuff 0.9.3 03/11/93 - Further revise of code (separating into two files) - Text Attribute for menus removed - now uses system font. - Reqtools file requester will now only show #?.deck files (and a pattern display will appear as well) 0.9.4 03/12/93 - Interface changed slightly to include 'load' and 'start' deck gadgets at bottom of window. (as well as keyboard equivalents) - Interface supports user's System and Screen font for menus and gadgets (all gadget text limited to screen size - see above) - Added MENUTOGGLE qualifier to 'Randomize' menu option 0.9.4a 03/14/93 - Some Style guide issues fixed (naming of gadgets) 0.9.5 03/16/93 - Bug with Randomize option (added MENUTOGGLE when selected at runtime) - File loader will now abort after 2 (I can adjust) errors in reading a file - no file will be in memory - If deck is loaded in middle of testing, program will now reset to pre-testing mode. 0.9.5a 03/16/93 - NOT RELEASED FOR BETA TESTING AS SUCH - CLI args to be adjusted to be same as WB tooltypes, such that ArgArray stuff can be used. (hopefully) 0.9.6 03/17/93 - IDCMP loop added to 'On key' delay - TAB will now activate the string gadget - 'On key' delay only proceeds on or - Gadgets shortcuts available during 'on key' delay - CLI args are now same as WB ToolTypes - Code rewrite to let SAS/C do all the work with handling Libraries... *ARCHIVE UPDATE* - Changed default tool of .readme files to SYS:utilities/more instead of C:more 0.9.7 03/18/93 - Changed CLI args to more sytle-complient ones - Attempted to use '?' option as with most AmigaDOS commands, but only will give usage and template information before quitting. 1.0.0 04/03/93 - FIRST PD RELEASE - Line # of error in reading a file did not increament properly --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Disclaimer! If AmiFlash causes any harm to any hardware or software on your system, we do not take responsibility for it. That is, you are using AmiFlash, its collective programs, and files at your own risk. However, the program has been tested to reduce that risk and to minimize any problems you may encounter. AmiFlash, its collective programs, and files (excluding reqtools.lib) may not be used commerically without both Bill and Mike's written consent. AmiFlash may be distributed in any Public Domain collections (ie Fred Fish) as long as all files remain intact. 10. Thanks To..... The authors of this program would like to thank: Nico Francois for reqtools.lib Doug Walker of SAS for his patient help with dynamic mem. allocation Jan van der Baard for GadToolsBox 1.4 - possibly the greatest developement tool for Amiga programmers The other fine people on comp.sys.amiga.programmer CBM for the Amiga and the new OS (Let's start *using* it!) Our Beta Testers... Chris Poirier - LOTS and LOTS of help with programming issues. Jeff Menzigian Vidar Petursson Taka 'Dr. Love' Torimoto Karl Staas