@database "RndBG" @author "J. Tierney" @(c) "Copyright © 1996 J. Tierney" @$VER: RndBG.guide 1.0 (5.4.96) @node MAIN "RndBG Documentation" @{fg shine} ????? ? ????? ???? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ????? ???? ???? ????? ? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ???? ????? ???? RndBG v1.15@{fg text} @{b}© 1996 J. Tierney@{ub} @{"Introduction " link INTRO} @{"Legalities " link SMEG} @{"Requirements " link NEEDS} @{"Installation " link INSTALL} @{"Options " link OPTS} @{"The Settings File" link SETFILE} @{"How It Works " link EXPLAIN} @{"The Future " link PLANS} @{"Thanks To... " link GRACIAS} @{"The Author " link SMEGHEAD} @endnode @node INTRO "Welcome to RndBG" RndBG randomly selects background pictures to be displayed on Workbench, windows, and/or the Workbench screen. It can also use specific pictures. @{u}@{b}Features:@{ub}@{uu} - Supports AmigaDOS wildcards in both the settings file and CLI options. - Runs from either Workbench or the CLI. - Mix 'n' match the options; i.e. use a random picture for Workbench, specify a picture to use within windows, and leave the screen pattern unchanged. - ENVARC:Sys/WBPattern.prefs is never modified; only the WBPattern.prefs in ENV:Sys/ is rewritten. - User may choose specific pictures, too; do an endrun around the WBPattern preferences program. :-) - May be run at any time; not just at boot up. - Use multiple settings files. - Tested with Enforcer and Mungwall. @endnode @node SMEG "RndBG: Legal Issues" @{u}@{b}Copyright Info:@{ub}@{uu} RndBG, copyright © 1996 Jody J. Tiereny. All rights reserved. ...with an option on the lefts, too. RndBG is FreeWare. @{u}@{b}Disclaimer:@{ub}@{uu} No warranties, expressed or implied. Use this program at your own risk. Although much effort has been, and continues to be, put into this program to ensure safe and stabe operation, I take no responsibility for any damages and/or losses incurred through the use/misuse of this program. However, I will take credit for anything you like about the program. :-) @{u}@{b}Distribution:@{ub}@{uu} RndBG may be freely distributed in it's original form so long as no fee, beyond a nominal copying charge to cover time and media, which is not to exceed $4 US, is attatched. RndBG may not be included with any commercial product without written permission from the author. Special permission is granted to include RndBG in public domain collections such as Fred Fish's disks and CDs, and the Aminet CDs. A copy of the disk, while not mandatory, would be appreciated. @endnode @node NEEDS "RndBG: Requirements" @{u}@{b}Required:@{ub}@{uu} - Workbench 3.0 or above. - Pictures; IFF or any format that you have a datatype for. @endnode @node INSTALL "RndBG: Installation" @{u}@{b}Installation:@{ub}@{uu} - The RndBG program may be placed anywhere. - Settings files may be placed anywhere. If no settings file is specified at startup, RndBG will look for a file named "RndBG.config" in the "S:" directory. Settings files are optional. @endnode @node OPTS "RndBG: Options" RndBG may be started from Workbench or the CLI. All arguments are optional. @{u}@{b}CLI Arguments:@{ub}@{uu} Format: [FROM ] [WBPIC ] [WINPIC ] [SCRPIC ] [IWB=IGNOREWB] [IWIN=IGNOREWINDOW] [ISCR=IGNORESCREEN] [NS=NOSETTINGS] Template: FROM,WBPIC/K,WINPIC/K,SCRPIC/K,IWB=IGNOREWB/S,IWIN=IGNOREWINDOW/S, ISCR=IGNORESCREEN,NS=NOSETTINGS @{u}@{b}ToolTypes:@{ub}@{uu} SETTINGS WBPIC WINPIC SCRPIC IGNOREWB IGNOREWINDOW IGNORESCREEN NOSETTINGS @{u}@{b}Function:@{ub}@{uu} - FROM/SETTINGS - Name of the @{"settings file" link SETFILE} to use. - WBPIC - Picture to use as the Workbench background. - WINDOWPIC - Picture to use as window backgrounds. - SCRPIC - Picture to use as the screen background. - IGNOREWB - Don't change the current Workbench background. - IGNOREWINDOW - Don't change the current window background. - IGNORESCREEN - Don't change the current screen background. - NOSETTINGS - Don't open a settings file. The WBPIC, WINPIC, and SCRPIC options may, instead of a file name, use "!BLANK!" (all capitals, minus the quotes) for a blank (color 0) background. These options also support AmigaDOS @{"wildcards" LINK WLDPAT}. @endnode @node SETFILE "RndBG: The Settings File" @next EXPLAIN The settings file contains the names of the pictures you want to use for backgrounds. Usually it will contain three groups of file names, each name on a line of its own, and with each group separated by a blank line. The first file names will be treated as candidates for a Workbench background. Once a blank line is encountered, one of the following names will be selected as a window background. Another blank line marks the beginning of names to choose from for the screen background. Partial settings files are valid. For example, a file that begins with a blank line, lists four file names, and then ends will randomly choose one of the four file names for use as a window background (the first blank line signifies the end of the filees to use for Workbench backgrounds). The Workbench and screen backgrounds will remain unchanged, unless the @{"WBPIC" link OPTS} or @{"SCRPIC" link OPTS} options were also used. File names may contain AmigaDOS @{"pattern matching" link WLDPAT} characters. The line "PICS:Hires/#?.wb" would make any picture in the "PICS:Hires" directory that ended in ".wb" a candidate for a background. Any directories which match the pattern will be ignorred. A special name exists, "!BLANK!", which, as its name implies, produces a blank (color 0) background. It may also be used with the @{"WB/WIN/SCRPIC" link OPTS} options. Any text following a semicolon, ";", is treated as a comment and ignored. @{b}@{u}Example settings file:@{ub}@{uu} ; RndBG sample configuration file. ; Any text after a semicolon is a comment, and ignored. ; Separate each category (Workbench, Window, and Screen pictures) with one ; blank line. ; ; *** Workbench Background Pictures *** ; PICS:Hires/#?.wb ; AmigaDOS wildcards are supported. PICS:Tiles/EnergyNet PICS:Tiles/Marble.002 ; ^^^ A blank line signals we're ready for the next category: ^^^ ; *** Window Backgrounds *** ; PICS:Tiles/#? ; Anything in the tiles directory, ... !BLANK! ; ...or nothing at all. ; ; *** Screen Backgrounds *** ; ; It isn't necessary to create a complete configuration file. ; The current WBPattern Preferences for whatever category (Workbench, Window, ; Screen) will be used if no data is found in the config. file. @endnode @node WLDPAT "AmigaDOS Pattern Matching" @prev SETFILE @next WLDPAT A brief summary of important AmigaDOS pattern matching wildcards: (What, you don't already know these?! :-) ) #? (or "*", if enabled) - Match any characters. ? - Match a single character. #

- Match zero or more occurrences of

. ~(

) - Do not match

. (|) - Logical OR - Match or (-) - Set a character range (e.g. (A-E)) @endnode @node EXPLAIN "RndBG: 'You Got Some S'plaining To Do..." @prev SETFILE What goes on behind the scenes... - Read current preferences from ENV:Sys/WBPattern.prefs. - Read settings file, if one exists. - Interpret any arguments and choose pics. - Write a new "WBPattern.prefs" file in "ENV:Sys/". NOTE: Only the WBPattern.prefs file in ENV: is ever read and modified. The preferences saved in ENVARC: are never accessed. @endnode @node PLANS "RndBG: Future Features" @{u}@{b}Future Possibilities:@{ub}@{uu} - Fix bugs (what bugs??! :-) (I shouldn't have asked; just found and fixed a few. :-) )). - Maybe a !SOLID! keyword, where is the fill color. - The code could probably use a good Spring cleaning. @endnode @node GRACIAS "RndBG: Credit Where Credit is Due" @{b}Many thanks to the folowing:@{ub} - God - Life, the universe, and everything. - Wouter van Oortmerssen - Amiga E. The best programming language I've ever used. - Matt Dillon/Aaron Digulla - DME/XDME. - Heinz Wrobel - HWGRCS. - My cat - Various programming suggestions and solutions. "Sleep on it," being one of many valuable lessons. - Blondie, Deborah Harry, Ramones, Animal Logic - Music to program by. @endnode @node SMEGHEAD "RndBG: The Author" Feel free to send comments, bug reports, suggestions, and/or gifts to: Jody J. Tierney 29118 Lark Street Elkhart, IN 46514-9579 USA @{b}E-mail: 102673.1743@compuserve.com (Greg Donner will relay any messages)@{ub} - Fido: Um, it's kinda up in the air right now. - Pro~Net BBS - (219) 825-9164 Handle: Grey Wanderer - Panoptic Network BBS - (219) 674-5292 674-9250 Handle: Grey Wanderer @endnode