@database finditgui
@$VER: FindItGui Documentation Version 1.09 (08.04.96) by Michael Griggs
@node main "Contents"
FindItGui by Michael Griggs
chef@dillusio.demon.co.uk - personal
fgui@dillusio.demon.co.uk - FindItGui specific
Please Choose a topic:
@{" Introduction " link intro } What's it all about?
@{" Installation " link installation} How do I install FindItGui
@{" Command Line Options " link commandline } What goes in the CLI line?
@{" Icon Tooltypes " link tooltypes } What goes in the icon?
@{" Commodity " link commodity } What's a Commodity?
@{" Hotkeys " link hotkeys } What hotkeys can I use?
@{" Wildcards " link patterns } What wildcards can I use?
@{" Buffering " link buffering } How do I use the buffer system?
@{" Help Pages " link helppages } Help!
@{" Address " link address } How can I get in Touch?
@{" Distribution " link distribution} Do I have to pay for this?
@{" Thankyou " link thanks } Who helped ya?
@endnode
@node intro "Introduction"
Hello, and welcome to FindItGui. FindItGui is a Graphical User Interface
based file finding program for the Commodore Amiga. But then you knew that
already!
While reading an article in a magazine, entitled "Amiga vs. The Rest of The
World" or something, I realised that operating systems and user interfaces
on other platforms were becoming friendlier because they had many more
built-in features than Workbench. I noticed in an accompanying photograph
to the article a file finding utility that ran on the Mac. "Aha!", I
thought, "that's just what the Amiga could do with".
So here it is... FindItGui.
I have tried to make FindItGui as simple to use as possible - one of the
main features of the Mac is that it is aimed at the inexperienced user, and
I think this is something that the Amiga OS should look to in the future.
In the meantime, it's up to third-parties to improve the user-friendliness
of one of the world's best multi-tasking environments.
BGUI.Library
------------
FindItGui uses the *marvellous* BGUI.Library (c) by Jan van den Baard. This
is a GUI library along the lines of MUI, but with a number of important
differences.
Firstly, BGUI.Library is not as user-configurable as MUI, secondly it
doesn't patch into the existing OS functions, and thirdly, it doesn't
require the obscene amounts of RAM and processor power that MUI does!
In my opinion, MUI sucks. If any programmers are *still* trying to defend
their using MUI by saying that "it makes programming the GUI easier..."
then they should try BGUI.Library. BGUI.Library makes life *so* simple,
that the world's most complicated GUIs can be created in just a few
minutes.
It doesn't require a 40Mhz 030 with 6Mb of RAM, either. I run
BGUI in 2Mb of RAM with a 7Mhz 68000, and it's still acceptably fast!
MUI IS RUBBISH! DON'T STAND FOR IT! IT SUCKS!
@endnode
@node installation "Installation"
FindItGui uses the Commodore Installer software to install itself. Simply
double-click the Install icon and FindItGui will do it's stuff.
I have not included the Installer program in this archive. This is not due
to licensing worries that other PD authors seem to fret about, but simply
due to size. The Installer program is over 100k, and since the vast
majority of you will have it already, I don't see the point in wasting your
phone bill downloading it! If you don't have Installer, then follow the
steps below will allow you to install FindItGui manually.
1. Copy the file libs/BGUI.Library to your LIBS: directory
2. Copy the file
FindItGui to wherever you wish to run it from - WBStartup is the
recommended place.
And that's it! Simple!
@endnode
@node helppages "Help Windows"
Pressing the HELP key while in FindIt brings up a small requester
detailing the major functions available to you.
@endnode
@node buffering "Buffering"
FindItGui can be made to use a buffering system to speed up the
updating of the display. Instead of simply adding an item to the
listview gadget as soon as it is identified, FindItGui will store
the name of the file in a buffer area, and carry on reading the
disk. When the buffer is full, it is flushed and the listview
gadget is updated with the data that has been stored. This reduces
the number of times that the listview gadget has to be redrawn by
BGUI.library.
Settings
The level of buffering can be selected either through the
@{"command-line" link commandline} or on the "options" page of the main window.
There are four different levels of buffering available:
Command-Line Options Page Description
0 None No files are buffered
1 Light 25 files are buffered before flushing
2 Medium 50 files are buffered before flushing
3 Heavy 75 files are buffered before flushing
The default level of buffering is Medium.
@endnode
@node address "Getting In Touch"
You can reach me via the following methods
Electronic Mail:
Mail: chef@dillusio.demon.co.uk
Please note that e-mail response may not be immediate, but
I will try and get to you as soon as I can.
For FindItGui-specific enquiries, please use the following
address:
fgui@dillusio.demon.co.uk
Postal Mail
Address:
Michael Griggs
Palette
Black Barn
Gedney Marsh
SPALDING
Lincs
PE12 9NE
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone:
In the UK: 01406 550452
From Abroad: Your international dialing code + 44 1406 550452
Please phone after 6.p.m. British Time (GMT/BST)
I can also be found on the Multi User Dungeon, "Mars Base Alpha Four",
which is located in the UK. To access it, TELNET to
jumper.mcc.ac.uk port: 3214
My MBA4 name is "Mebby", and I will always be happy to talk to you. MBA4
is *brilliant*. If you never do anything else in your whole life, log into
it for half an hour - I guarantee you'll love it!
@endnode
@node commandline "Command Line Options"
The following options may be placed in your command line:
(Do not include the angle-brackets: < > in your command line)
CX_POPKEY/K =<"hotkey description">
The hotkey that activates FindItGui
You can use the following in your @{"hotkey" link hotkeys}
definition.
The hotkey string *must* be surrounded by quotation marks: "<hotkey>"
String value.
Defaults to "Right Amiga f"
CX_POPUP/K =<TRUE or FALSE>
Whether you want FindItGui to open its
window as soon as you run it.
String value.
Defaults to TRUE
CX_PRIORITY/K/N =<-127 to 128>
The Priority of FindItGui in the Commodities
Chain.
Numeric value.
Defaults to 0.
PATH/K =<path description>
The initial path to place in the "Search for Items
on" string gadget.
Defaults to nothing.
PATTERN =<pattern description>
The initial string to place in the "Matching" string
gadget.
You can use a number of different @{"patterns" link patterns}.
Defaults to nothing.
B=BUF/N =<0 to 3>
The level of @{"buffering" link buffering} you wish to use.
Defaults to 2 (Medium).
CASE/S =<TRUE or FALSE>
Determines whether your search will be case-sensitive
or not.
Defaults to FALSE.
None of the above arguments *must* be specified. You can leave the command
line blank, and FindItGui will use its default configuration.
@endnode
@node tooltypes "Icon Tooltypes"
All of the tooltypes that FindItGui can use are stored in the icon itself.
Simply select the icon from Workbench and press "right amiga i" to
view/edit them.
The definitions for all tooltypes are as in the @{"command line" link commandline},
except that the hotkey definition need *not* be surrounded in quotes: "<hotkey>"
@endnode
@node commodity "FindItGui is a Commodity"
Commodities are a new feature of V36 which allow the user to run
several background tasks that can be activated independently. For
example, a screen blanker can run as soon as you hit it's hotkey.
Similiarly, the FindItGui window can be shown on screen at any time
by depressing *it's* hotkey combination. This allows for a very
powerful system of tasks which take up virtually no processor time
but, paradoxically, are ever aware when you send a message their way!
Commodities can be controlled from the central Commodities Exchange
program which you will find on your Extras disk.
@endnode
@node hotkeys
You can use the following hotkeys
One or a combination of:
lshift (Left Shift)
rshift (Right Shift)
shift (Either shift)
ctrl (Control)
lcommand (Left-Amiga)
rcommand (Right-Amiga)
caps (Caps Lock)
lalt (Left Alt)
ralt (Right Alt)
alt (Either Alt)
along with one of: a-z; A-Z; f-keys; 1-9; rawkeys (e.g. esc)
@endnode
@node patterns "Wildcards available"
The following wildcards are available on Kickstart 2+
? Matches a single character.
# Matches the following expression 0 or more times.
(ab|cd) Matches any one of the items seperated by '|'.
~ Negates the following expression. It matches all strings
that do not match the expression (aka ~(foo) matches all
strings that are not exactly "foo").
[abc] Character class: matches any of the characters in the class.
[~bc] Character class: matches any of the characters not in the
class.
a-z Character range (only within character classes).
% Matches 0 characters always (useful in "(foo|bar|%)").
"Expression" in the above table means either a single character
(ex: "#?"), or an alternation (ex: "#(ab|cd|ef)"), or a character
class (ex: "#[a-zA-Z]").
@endnode
@node distribution "Distribution"
FIG is classified as PostCardWare/E-MailWare/MBA4Ware. That is, if you use
it then get in @{"touch!" link address} I don't solicite any money, and I don't ask for
any donations. If you feel inclined to, the next time you go past a
charity collector in the street, chuck fifty pence in or whatever you can
afford.
I regret that I cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage FIG
causes, but if you find a bug then report it to me ASAP. I will do my best
to fix it.
@endnode
@node thanks "Thankyou to the following"
The following people have my eternal thanks...
Phillip Snell - truly the *best* bloke I've ever met. I'd hug you if you'd
let me, Phil :)
Jan van den Baard for BGUI.Library - where's your email address gone, Jan?!
Wouter van Oortmerssen for Amiga E.
Dietmar Eliert for GoldEd.
Tiama@MBA4 for being a wonderful friend!
And finally, to God, for *always* being there.
@endnode
@node future "Future Developments"
I am open to suggestion as to the future development of FIG. If you want
new in the program, and I think it's worth it, I'll do my *best* to put it
in, along with a credit to you.
As for other projects, if anyone wants to collaborate on something new, or
wants to suggest something new, then get in touch!
@endnode