---------------------------------------------------- GadToolsBox Converter V3 - Written By Fabio Rotondo. ---------------------------------------------------- WARNING: -------- This software is provided "as is", the author cannot be found guilty for any hardware/software damage, os anomalyes deriving from using this program. Use this program at your own risk. COPYRIGHT: ---------- This program is (C)Copyright 1995 Fabio Rotondo. Even if the program is copyrighted, you can freely use and redristribuite it without asking any money for the sharing. This program is GiftWare, that means if you use it, you should send me a "gift" of any kind (disks, money, software you made, postcards ...) Sed your gift and comments to Fabio Rotondo C.so Vercelli 9 28100 Novara Tel 0321 - 459676 You can find contact me also at: fsoft@intercom.it I hope you will enjoy my work and will use my program. SHARING: -------- This program is freely distribuible. So you can copy and install it on your HD without breaking any law. For the sharing, anyway, you have to follow these rules: 1 - Do not modify in any way the ".lha" archive the program is shared in. 2 - Do not add, delete or modify any file inside the archive. 3 - In case you would translate the program or docs in other languages, you have to obtain written permission from the author. 4 - In case you would insert the program in a compilation of free/shareware programs to be sold, you have to obtain written permission from the author. I would appreciate receiving also a copy of this compilation. 5 - If you use these program to create a PD or Commercial software I would appreciate being mentioned inside Greetings and, if possible, receive a copy of the program. 6 - This program is GiftWare: send me something... If you follow these conditions, then we will friends forever. -->> SORRY FOR MY BAD ENGLISH !!! <<-- :) INTRODUCTION: -------------- GadTools Converter V3 is a program which allow you to convert GadToolsBox created interfaces into BlitzII code. Its use is very simple and immediate. If you know how GadToolsBox works, then you can also use GadToolsBox Converter (from now on, simply GTConv). This program was born as a little personal-use software for convertion and it evolves to what you now have inside your own hands: V3. A lots of modifies applied to the original software and a lot will change in future releases (assuming new releases will be done... ;) Initially, when they implemented gadtools.library into BlitzII, there was no way to write pretty good interfaces, then I begun playing with GadToolsBox by Jaba Developement and understood that with a bit of work, I should be able to create a converter from GadToolsBox to BlitzII. And here it is :) The most important things of the new version V3 you have are: - You can select max number of BevelBoxes, Texts and Menus. - You can select GTList and WindowNumber to generate. - Self memory allocation for gadget creations. - Using of CONSTANTS defined inside GTBox for gadget numeration. (This simplify and enhance code creation. :) - New and more efficent version of gadgets handler which could be created automatically by GTConv (see below) - New system of cretion of windows: now requesters ReqTools ALWAYS open on the correct window. - Better GTBox parsing of C code. - Enhanced and better working looping routine. NOTE: this is the first real PD release of this program. Other versions were always given only to "close friends". I hope this will encourage its using and could help me getting GTConv always better. INSTRUCTIONS: ------------- Being a converter, GTConv needs some code to conv. At the moment, GTConv converts into BlitzII code C version of GTBox generated code. So, to use GTConv you have to have GTBox (but who has not? :) and let it generate a C source pressing Amiga-C or choosing "Generate C Source" from the menu. NOTE 1: GTConv reads many times the same code generated by GTBox, so it is better to save the source C code into Ram Disk. This speeds up convertion a lot. NOTE 2: GTConv needs in the same directory both ".c" and ".h" code. This should be no problem, considering the fact that GTBox creates these two files into the same dir, but PAY ATTENTION NOT TO DELETE ".H" FILE! Otherwise, GTConv won't generate good code. NOTE 3: Even if GTBox allows to edit a lot of windows at the same time, this is not possible using GTConv. You have to generate a different C source for every window you want to create. If you have a C source generated by GTBox, you have almost end all your work. GTConv window could be ideally split into three zones: 1 - "Actions" zone 2 - "Settings " zone 3 - "Advanced Settings" zone ACTIONS: ------- Possible operations in "Actions" zone are: CONVERT: this is the main operation. It will open a file requester and asks for a C source GTBox generated to start the convertion. At the end of the convertion a new requester will pop up asking for a DESTINATION file name, where GTConv will write its own code for BlitzII. ABOUT: it writes a (C)Copyright message. QUIT: exits from GTConv. SETTINGS: --------- This zone has Check Boxes and Integer Gads, checking CheckBoxes will influence code generated by GTConv. Here there is a brief documentation of them. Values between parentesys are defaults. Add GadHandler (CHECK): (OFF) if selected, it adds a short routine to handle gads. It is useful to start quickly your own program generation. Add Comments (CHECK): (OFF) if selected, it adds a few comments to BlitzII code to help novice programmers to understand the code better. Show Operations (CHECK): (ON) if selected, GTConv shows in the "operations" zone some messages about current operation. Generate Gads & Bevels Only: (OFF) if selected, only gadget and bevel box code will be created without generating nothing more. It is useful in case you have modified gads interface, but window and screen were left untouched. GTList Number (INT): (0) this gad contains the GTList value used to generate code. Window Number (INT): (0) same as GTList Number for the window. ADVANCED SETTINGS: ------------------ Modify these setting sin case you will need more Bevels, texts or Menus. These gads contain the default values. Usually, you won't need to change these values, anyway. CONCLUSIONS: ------------ I hope GTConv will be useful and you will use it as often as you can. If any "bug" or anomaly in conversion would occur, please contact me and send me a copy of teh ".gui" file, so I will fix the bug. THANKS AND GREETINGS: --------------------- I would like to thank the following people for their creations: Nico Francois : For his great "reqtools.library" Neil O'Rurke : For his BlitzII ReqTools implementation. Commodore Amiga: For "gadtools.library" and the BEST COMPUTER EVER. :) Jan van der Baard: For creating GadToolsBox. A WONDERFUL program. I would like to greet these: Michele Puccini (ClassX) : for appreciate my programs and warning me about GTConv bugs. (And also for all his programming tricks... :) Kronos The Wizard : for giving me always a wonderful time when I write code with him. Stefano Clemente : for always encouraging me in my programs creations. Commando Unlimited: for his great graphic and for not minding at all about my not-game programs. Fabio Milos: forloving my Quadranoid! AUTHOR: ------- GTConv has been written by: Fabio Rotondo. The author can be contacted in this way: FABIO ROTONDO C.so Vercelli 9 28100 Novara ITALY Tel. 0321 - 459676 E-Mail: fsoft@intercom.it