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- kd_freq.library 3.13
-
- File Requester User Documentation
- ---------------------------------
-
- By: Khalid Aldoseri
- --------------------
-
- A File Requester is used to select a file name from the existing files on a
- system, or to enter a new file name. This file requester (FR) supports all
- normal features in a FR plus a lot of special features as desribed below.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- BASIC FILE REQUESTER OPERATION
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- The File Requester has three essential parts for its operation: The Path
- gadget, the File gadget and the File List:
-
- The Path gadget contains the path to the currently displayed directory. You
- can enter any directory name there directly if you like by clicking in it and
- editing the text there. The FR also changes the Path name in many cases.
-
- The File gagdet contains the currently selected file. You can manually edit
- the filename by clicking in it and editing the text.
-
- The File List is a list of file names that covers a major portion of the FR
- display. This displays the contents of the directory in the Path gadget.
- This contains both directories and file names. Every time you select a new
- directory the File List will start displaying the contents of that directory
- as it reads it from the device that directory exists on. As this is
- happening, the FR will tell you how many files/dirs it has found so far in the
- status line at the bottom of the FR. Once the FR has finished reading the
- directory, it will redisplay the File List starting with directories first
- and files second.
-
- Notes:
-
- - The FR stays 'live' while reading the directory, i.e. you can abort the
- directory read at any time by selecting a new directory. You can also
- scroll through the file list or resize the window and the FR will keep on
- reading the directory.
-
- - The ':' (colons) in the 'Files: nnn Dirs: nnn' display do not appear while
- the directory is being read. When they do show up, that means that the FR
- is done reading in the directory.
-
-
- The File List Display:
- ----------------------
-
- The File List display contains the following information:
-
- test.file * 11381 09-Dec-89 11:50 ----rwed
- | | | | | |
- filename | size date time protection
- filenote bits
- marker
-
- If the entry is a directory, it will be displayed in a different color and it
- will display '-dir-' instead of the file size. Read the 'Window Resizing'
- section for more details on the File List display.
-
- The job of the File List is to allow you to select an entry from the List. To
- do that, just click on an entry. That will have one of the following effects:
-
- a. If the entry is a file:
- The FR will copy that file's name into the File gadget and move the marker
- to that entry. If the file has a file note attached to it (i.e. it has a
- filenote marker) then the file's filenote is displayed in its place as long
- as you hold down the mouse button.
-
- If you double-click on the file entry, this will select that file and
- immediately 'ok' the FR and exit it.
-
- b. If the entry is a directory:
- The FR will clear the File List and start displaying the contents of the
- selected directory.
-
-
- The File List can be in normal or inverted colors. This is intended to create
- a visual difference for two different functions, like normal for load, and
- inverted for save.
-
-
- File List Modes:
- ----------------
-
- The File List can also contain other information. Clicking the right mouse
- button while the pointer is on the File List area will cycle through one of
- three modes:
-
- a. Normal mode : File List shows the selected directory.
-
- b. User List : Your own list of files/directories. Read the User
- List section for details.
-
- c. History List: The last 100 files you selected.
-
- d. Device list : File List shows the currently mounted devices by
- their volume names.
-
- e. Assign list : File List shows all assigns.
-
- If you return to the Normal mode by clicking several times, then the directory
- displayed previously will show up immediately. Note that if you had toggled
- the mode before the directory was completely read in by the FR, it will not be
- complete when you get back to it and the FR will re-read it.
-
- Notes:
-
- - The File List display is updated when the FR is done reading the directory.
- However, if the user clicks on any file before that, the FR will not update
- the display when it is done reading the directory. The user has to click
- on the prop gadget or move the list around and the FR will update the
- display.
-
- - If you insert a disk into a drive that has been selected in the Path
- gadget the disk's directory will automatically be read and displayed.
-
- - If the current disk is removed from the drive, the FR will clear the file
- list and bring up the device name (not the old disk name) in the Path
- gadget. This means that you can take a disk out of the drive and insert
- a new one and the FR will keep up with you if the current device is the
- one that you are using. This only works for devices DF0: to DF3:.
-
-
- The Path:
- ---------
-
- The Path is the string contained in the Path gadget. It shows the name of the
- currently selected directory. This can be changed in many ways:
-
- a. Direct entry:
- You just click in the gadget to activate it and edit it normally. Hit
- return when you're done with editing it so that the FR will start reading
- the directory you selected. If you enter the name of an actual file into
- the Path gadget, then the name will be split into its path and filename
- components and handled accordingly.
-
- If the selected directory does not exist the FR will ask you whether you
- want to create it. Read 'Create Directory' below for details.
-
- b. File List entry:
- If you click on an entry in the File List that is a child directory of the
- current Path, then that child directory is added to the Path name and that
- directory is displayed.
-
- c. Parent:
- If you click on the Parent gadget (up-arrow to the right of the Path
- gadget) then the parent of the current Path is displayed, if it exists.
- This can be clicked several times to go up to the root directory of the
- current device. You can also use a short-cut to get the root of the device
- by just clicking the _right_ mouse button on the Parent gadget.
-
- d. Disk Icons:
- These are disk icons that represent the currently mounted storage devices
- in the system. If you click on any disk icon with the left mouse button
- the root directory of the selected device will be displayed. You can
- scroll through the mounted disk list via the 'Disk Scroll Up' and 'Disk
- Scroll Down' arrow gadgets. (up and down arrows at the top right of the
- window). These only work if the number of available devices is too big to
- fit in the current window.
-
- If you click on the right mouse button over any disk icon, you will get
- info about the device displayed in the file list area. The file list is
- not erased from memory, you just have to click on the prop gadget or the
- up or down scroll gadgets and the file list will reappear.
- Note: If there isn't enough space to display 4 lines in the file list
- area, this function will not work.
-
- e. Reset Path Gadget: (the 'Path' text)
- Clicking on the Path: text will restore the contents of both the Path and
- File gadgets to what they were when the FR came up.
-
-
- Exiting the File Requester:
- ---------------------------
-
- You can exit the file requester with either an 'OK', which tells the calling
- program that you like what you selected, i.e. the Path/File selected. Or by
- a 'CANCEL' which just aborts the FR.
-
- You can OK the FR by:
-
- a. Clicking on the OK gadget.
- b. Double-clicking on a filename.
- c. Typing a filename in the File gadget and hitting return.
-
- You can cancel the FR by:
-
- a. Clicking on the Cancel gadget.
- b. Hitting the 'Escape' key.
- c. Closing the FR window by clicking on the close window gadget.
-
-
- The File Gadget:
- ----------------
-
- This is the most important gadget in the FR. The selected file name is the
- contents of this gadget. You can change the contents of the File gadget by
- any of the following ways:
-
- a. You just click in the gadget to activate it and edit it normally. If you
- hit return when you're done editing it, the FR will immediately exit with
- an OK status.
-
- b. Clicking on a file in the File List.
-
- c. Moving the marker around in the File List.
-
- A special feature of this string gadget over other string gadgets is that you
- don't really need to click in it to activate it. This is summarized by the
- following points:
-
- - Hitting any alphanumeric key when no string gadget is active appends the
- key to the File gadget and activates it.
-
- - Hitting the DELETE key when no string gadget is active clears the File
- gadget and activates it. Hitting the Right Amiga-x key clears the File
- gadget without activating it.
-
- - Hitting the TAB key will just activate the File gadget.
-
- - Hitting the BACKSPACE key when no string gadget is active deletes the
- last character in the File string gadget and activates it.
-
- - If the FR is reading the directory, it will not activate the File gadget
- but you can still type into it and edit it using any alphanumeric
- character or any of the above keys.
-
-
- Moving Around The File List:
- ----------------------------
-
- You can move around the File List in many ways. The major control is the
- Prop (proportional) gadget, which represents the position of the currently
- displayed files in the File List in relation to the total files in the
- selected directory. You can move around the list by holding down the Prop
- gadget with the left mouse button and moving the gadget up and down.
-
- You can also you click the right mouse button over the Prop gadget it will
- move to the top of the File List, unless it is already at the top in which
- case it will move to the bottom of the list.
-
- Another way is to use the Scroll gadgets. These are two gadgets above and
- below the Prop gadget. The Scroll Up gadget (above the Prop gadget) scrolls
- the file list up at a slow speed if you click it with the left mouse button,
- or it will scroll the file list down if you click it with the right mouse
- button. If you hold down both buttons at the same time, the right button will
- take priority. The Scroll Down gadget (below the Prop gadget) does the same
- as the Scroll Up gadget expect that it moves the list a lot faster and the
- mouse button directions are reversed. Try it, it'll make sense.
-
-
- The Marker:
- -----------
-
- The marker is a small arrow that points to an entry in the File List. This is
- used to control the FR via the keyboard. The marker is normally not visible
- unless you control it in one of the following ways:
-
- a. Clicking on any entry in the File List will move the marker to that entry.
-
- b. The cursor up/down keys move the marker up/down one entry at a time.
-
- c. The shift cursor up/down keys move the marker up/down one page at a time.
- (a 'page' is the number of files that can be shown in the File List area)
-
- d. The alt cursor up/down keys move the marker all the way to the top or the
- bottom of the File List.
-
- As the marker moves outside the currently visible File List entries, the File
- List will be paged up or down to show more entries.
-
-
- Moving the marker to an entry will have the following effects:
-
- a. If the entry is a file, the name of that file will be copied into the File
- gadget.
-
- b. If the entry is a directory name, then the File gadget will be cleared.
- To display that marked directory, hit the cursor right key to enter it.
-
-
- Window Resizing:
- ----------------
-
- The amount of data displayed in the File List depends on the size of the FR's
- window. The FR is resizable by the user. The resize gadget is invisible, but
- it actually occupies the bottom 5 lines across the window. Just click there
- and resize the window. The whole requester will resize accordingly.
-
- Resizing the window horizontally will make space for more information in the
- File List to be displayed. This is based on the following method: The FR
- checks to see the longest file name in the list and it fits in whatever extra
- data it can starting with the file date, file time and finally protection bits.
-
- There are also three small gadgets at the bottom right corner of the FR that
- immediately resize the FR to small, normal, and full screen respectively from
- left to right. This action will also automatically centers the FR in the
- screen. If the FR is already at the requested size, then this request will be
- ignored.
-
- The FR will always try to come back up where it was previously, and in the
- same size. If it can't do that, it will move/resize to attempt to be as close
- as possible to what it was.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- THE RETURN KEY
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- The Return key has so many functions that it is worth devoting a section to
- it. Normally hitting the Return key while a string gadget is active will
- 'accept' that gadget and deactive it. The following is a description of the
- effect of the Return key on each string gadget:
-
-
- General Return Key Functions:
- -----------------------------
-
- a. Hitting Shift-Return will activate the File gadget or Path gadget
- alternatively. The cursor is positioned at the end of the current text in
- the gadget.
-
- b. Hitting RightAmiga-Return on any string gadget will just ignore the hit and
- deactivate that gadget. i.e. if a string gadget was active and you wanted
- to use the keyboard controls, you just hit RightAmiga-Return.
-
-
- The Path gadget:
- ----------------
-
- a. Hitting return when the Path gadget is active tells the FR to start reading
- in a new directory. (Note that if the directory is the same as the one
- currently displayed and it has not changed since the last time it was read
- the FR will not re-read the directory)
-
- b. Hitting Shift-Return when the Path gadget is active will just deactivate
- the Path gadget and activate the File gadget.
-
- c. Hitting RightAmiga-Return when the Path gadget is active will only
- deactivate the Path gadget.
-
-
- The File Gadget: (also applies if no string gadget is active)
- ----------------
-
- a. Hitting Return will OK the requester.
-
- b. Hitting Alt-Return will call up Auto-Complete.
-
- Auto-Complete:
- --------------
- If you type the first few characters of a file name into the File gadget
- and hit Alt-Return, the first matching filename from the file list will be
- used to complete the filename in the File gadget.
-
- c. Hitting Control-Return in the Extended Select mode will call up Wildcard
- Extended Select. (Read 'Extended Select' section for details)
-
- d. Hitting LeftAmiga-Return will call up the String Search feature.
-
- String Search:
- --------------
- If you type a string in the File gadget then hit LeftAmiga-Return, the FR
- will search through the files currently in the File list for the string
- you specified. The actual sequence is as follows:
-
- a. all marked files will be unmarked.
- b. the marker will point to each file as it is being searched through.
- c. if the requested string is found in the current file, it will be marked
- and the status line at the bottom will update the marked files count.
- d. this will continue until the last file is searched thru.
-
- Notes:
-
- - The string search is case-insensitive.
-
- - You can abort the search by hitting the right mouse button or the space
- bar. This will stop the search at whatever stage it got to.
-
- - The search only works correctly with text files so far... binary files
- don't really work.. this will be fixed.
-
- - At the moment, it allocates memory for each file in one chunk, so it may
- fail if the file it too large. It will only ignore that file and
- continue with the rest of the files.
-
- - This feature works in all modes except when the File List is displaying
- the device or assign list or the Select List.
-
-
- e. Hitting Shift-Alt-Return will call up the File Finder feature. (see the
- 'File Finder' section for details.)
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- WILDCARD PATTERNS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Wildcard Patterns:
- ------------------
-
- There are two string gadgets that allow you to specify what files to show in
- the File List. These are the 'Show Wildcard' gadget and the 'Hide Wildcard'
- gadget. Both gadgets expect a wildcard pattern (as described below in
- 'Supported Wildcard Patterns').
-
- As the FR reads a directory's contents, it will apply both wildcards to
- control what files it will display. The Show pattern tells the FR to 'show
- only files that match this pattern' and the Hide pattern tells it to 'don't
- show files that match this pattern'. This allows you to specifically select
- what files you want to see.
-
- Both wildcards default to 'show all files' unless the calling program sets
- them to something else.
-
-
- Supported Wildcard Patterns:
- ----------------------------
-
- The supported wildcards in pattern are:
-
- 1. Standard AmigaDOS Wildcards:
-
- ? Matches any single character
- #p Match any number of occurences of the pattern p
- % Matches the null string
- () Make a group of characters into a single pattern
- | The OR operator
- ' Disable wildcard interpretation of next character
- (unless it is an extended wildcard as shown below.)
-
- 2. Extended Wildcards:
-
- These are wildcards not supported by the standard AmigaDOS
- convention, but expand it to make it more versatile.
-
- 'd Matches any single digit. (0 to 9)
- 'a Matches any single alpha character. (a to z)
- 'n Matches any single alphanumeric character.
-
-
- For examples of standard wildcard usage look up any AmigaDOS tutorial book.
-
- Examples of extended wildcards:
-
- Pattern Matching possibilities
- ------- ----------------------
- test'n test0, test1, test9, testa, testA, testz, testZ
- test'd test0, test1, test9
- test'a testa, testA, testz, testZ
- test 'd test 1, test 2, test 9
- test#'d test1, test100, test10234
- #'a#'d a1, ab12, abc1, abc123, adks34234
- (matches any string with some or no alpha characters,
- then some or no digits.)
- #'a'd#'d.c a1.c, a203.c, 100.c, 1.c, adsdfs931234.c
- (matches any string that starts with some or no alpha
- characters, then at least 1 or more digits, and ends with .c)
-
- Note: You can use the '*' instead of '#?'. It will be automatically
- expanded into '#?'.
-
-
- Size Wildcards:
- ---------------
-
- If the first character of the Show wildcard is an equals, greater than, or
- less than sign, then that is used to control which files are shown by their
- size. i.e..
-
- Show: "=232" Shows only files that are 232 bytes in size.
- Show: ">232" Shows only files that are larger than 232 bytes.
- Show: "<232" Shows only files that are smaller than 232 bytes.
-
- The same applies to the Hide wildcard, only in the opposite manner:
-
- Hide: "=232" Hide any files that are 232 bytes in size.
- Hide: ">232" Hide any files that are larger than 232 bytes.
- Hide: "<232" Hide any files that are smaller than 232 bytes.
-
- You can use both the Show and Hide wildcard size features to specify a range
- of sizes to show.
-
-
- Reset Wildcards Gadget:
- -----------------------
-
- If you click on the Reset Wildcards gadgets (click on the 'Show' text) both
- wildcards will reset to "#?" and "".
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- THE USER & HISTORY LISTS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- User List:
- ----------
-
- The User List is simply a list of directories and files that the user
- defines and can access quickly. To get to the list, just click the right
- mouse button once to get the User List, or hit the F2 key. You can then
- pick any entry in that list to go to that directory, or select that file.
-
- The User List is read from a file called "s:kd_freq.user.list", which you
- create. It is simply a list of directories or files, each on its own line.
- Each entry must be terminated with a return. A directory must end with
- a : or a / so that it is recognized as one. A file is any entry which
- doesn't end with a : or a /. The library will read the user.list file
- when it FIRST starts up, so any changes to this file won't show up until
- the next time the library starts itself. (normally at boot-up time).
-
- You can also quickly add the current file/directory to the User List,
- just hit F8 and it will be added to the user list, however, this will
- only remain for the duration of the current session.. once the library
- is flushed, these will be lost. As long as the library is not flushed,
- all programs using the library access the same list, so if you add an
- entry from the FR in one program, it'll show up in the other, i.e. the
- User List is global.
-
- Note: If the user list is empty, it will NOT show up, and the FR will skip
- it and go to the next list instead.
-
- The User List ignores duplicate entries.
-
-
- History List:
- -------------
-
- The history list is the last 100 files you OK'd in any invocation of
- the FR during the current session. (i.e. since the library was loaded).
- It acts like the User List, except that entries are added to it
- automatically as you use the FR. If you cancel the FR, the entry will
- not be stored. To access the History list click on the right mouse
- button twice, or hit the F2 key twice.
-
- Note: If the history list is empty, the FR will skip it and show the
- storage devices list instead.
-
- The History List is NOT sorted, it shows up in reverse order of
- selection, i.e. last file selected shows up at the top of the list.
-
- The History List deletes duplicate entries. When the list is
- filled up, the new entry pushes out the oldest entry.
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- FILE FINDER
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- File Finder searches through all your devices for a file or directory that
- matches a wildcard pattern. It is based on a program called 'Find' by
- Larry Phillips and uses Find's data file. As such, you have to have Find
- before you can use this facility. The Find package is included in its own
- arc file. You should follow Find's documentation and try it out before
- trying to use the FR's File Finder.
-
- To invoke the File Finder, type a valid wildcard pattern (or just a filename)
- into the File string gadget and then hit shift-alt-return. The file list
- will go blank and you will see a counter showing how many files/directories
- have been found so far.
-
- Once the search is complete, you will see a list of files/directories in
- the file list. The complete path to each is displayed in the file list.
- To select a file, just move the marker to it and hit return, or click on
- it. If you need to see the directory itself, either click on the entry or
- move the marker to it and hit the cursor left button.
-
- To abort the search, hit the right mouse button or the space bar. This will
- stop the search at whatever stage it got to.
-
-
- Notes:
-
- - File Finder is only effective when you have a hard disk.
-
- - This mode requires that a file called "FindDB:find.codes" exists. If
- it doesn't, then it won't operate. This file is generated by a program
- called "UpdateDB" which is part of the Find package.
-
- - Using a wildcard like "test#?" is fairly fast, while "#?test" is slower
- because of the nature of the pattern matching logic.
-
- - There is a maximum limit of 200 matches. You will be informed if the
- search is aborted because of too many matches. You can then use a more
- precise pattern. E.g. if you use "inf#?" and you get too many matches,
- you might then use "inform#?".
-
- - The Extended Select mode does not operate in the Find List mode.
-
- - CED Pro uses the right alt/right shift/return combination to invoke the
- editor. If you have CED Pro running, you should use the left alt/left
- shift/return combination instead. (both work when CED Pro is not running)
-
- - Many many thanks to Larry for allowing me to use Find. and:
- FIND, Copyright ⌐ 1989, by Larry Phillips.
-
- You will need the Find package. It is included in this package as Find.LZH
- (it contains 3 files, Find, Find.DOC and UpdateDB)
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- HELP FACILITY
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- The FR supports two methods of online help. The first is pointer-relative.
- All you need to do is move the pointer on top of something in the FR's window
- and hit the F1 key. As long as you hold down the F1 key you will see a help
- message telling you what the right mouse button and the left mouse button do
- in this position. e.g. 'L: do this' 'R: do that' in this case the left
- button will 'do this' and the right button will 'do that.' If only one entry
- is shown, then it relates to the left button.
-
- The second method just displays a screen that summarizes all the available
- keyboard commands. To call this up, hit the Shift-F1 key and you will get
- that screen. You can then hit any key to get back to the FR. You can also
- access this via the Help gadget. Just click on the Help gadget and the Help
- screen will show up. Click on that screen again and the FR will return.
-
- If you hit the HELP key, you will get a message telling you to use either F1
- or Shift-F1.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- EXTENDED SELECT
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- In some cases, it is necessary (or desirable) to select more than one file
- from a single directory. If the Select List mode (see below) is enabled or
- the Extended Select mode is enabled, then the user can mark multiple files
- from a single directory for further operation.
-
- When this mode is active, there are several ways to mark a file: (In all
- cases, the file itself is shown in inverted video on the screen to show that
- it is marked)
-
- 1. Clicking on a file (from the file list) while holding down one of the
- shift keys on the keyboard. (Shift-click)
-
- 2. Keyboard methods:
-
- a. Wildcard Extended Select:
- -------------------------
- You can mark multiple files by entering a valid wildcard pattern in
- the File string gadget and hitting Control-Return. This will mark
- all the files in the File List that match the pattern.
- For Example: #?.c will highlight all files that end with .c
-
- b. The Cursor Right Key:
- ---------------------
- If the current entry is a file, then hitting the Cursor Right key will
- toggle the file between marked and not-marked.
-
- c. Alt-Cursor Right and Shift-Cursor Right:
- --------------------------------------
- Alt-Cursor Right clears all marked files.
- Shift-Cursor Right marks all files.
-
-
- If there is one or more selected files, the number of files selected will be
- shown at the bottom of the file list.
-
-
- Note:
-
- The marked files list is not the same as the currently selected file
- (the one in the File gadget.) The calling program can (if it so wishes)
- differenciate between the two types of files.
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- THE SELECT LIST
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- The FR can allow the user to select multiple files instead of just one file.
- This is accomplished by a 'Select List'. It is up to the calling program to
- decide whether the user is allowed to select multiple files or not. If the
- Select List mode is enabled, two gadgets will show up at the top right corner
- of the FR window, labelled 'Select' and 'Show SL'.
-
- The Select List is a list of files that the user selects. Each file can be
- from a different directory, which is why the Select List display shows the
- full path to each file.
-
- You can add a file to the Select List by moving the marker to that file and
- then clicking on the 'Select' gadget. To view the Select List, click on the
- 'Show SL' gadget. The Select List Display show the files in the Select List
- in the File List display.
-
-
- The Select Gadget:
- ------------------
-
- Adds files marked for selection using the shift-click or the cursor-right key
- using Extended Select. These are added to a seperate list called the 'Select
- List'. Files that already exist in the Select List are ignored. All marked
- files in the current directory are then unmarked.
-
- If no files are currently marked, then the current file in the File gadget is
- added to the Select List. If the File gadget is empty, then nothing happens.
-
-
- The Show SL Gadget:
- -------------------
-
- 'Show Select List'. Clicking on this gadget will bring up the Select List in
- the File List display. You can move around this display but you cannot select
- any files. Hitting this gadget again will return you to the previous display.
- Selecting a disk icon or any other method of changing the directory will do
- the same thing as well. Entries in the Select List are shown as
- path/filename.. i.e. the full path to the file.
-
-
- The Path/Name Gadget:
- ---------------------
-
- When the FR is in the Select List display mode, the Select gadget will change
- and show either 'Path' or 'Name'. You can toggle between those by clicking on
- the gadget. This allows you to change the display of the Select List from the
- full path to a file to only the filename itself and back.
-
-
- Removing Entries from the Select List:
- --------------------------------------
-
- Clicking on any entry in the Select List will remove that entry from the list.
-
-
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- OTHER KEYBOARD COMMANDS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- The Cursor Left Key:
- --------------------
-
- Changes the display to the parent of the current directory.
-
- Note:
-
- The Parent function (whether called from the keyboard or the mouse)
- brings up the 'Storage Device List' if the Path was already at the root
- of a device. Using the Parent function again after that will bring up
- the 'Logical Device List'.
-
-
- Control-Cursor Keys:
- --------------------
-
- - Control-Cursor (left, right, up or down):
- Resizes the window in the direction selected by 24 pixels.
-
- - Control-Alt-Cursor (left, right, up or down):
- Resizes the window in the direction selected all the way to the limit of
- the screen or the minimum window height/width size possible.
-
- - Control-Shift-Cursor (left, right, up or down):
- Moves the window in the direction selected by 24 pixels.
-
-
- Function Keys:
- --------------
-
- Normal:
-
- F1 Help about gadget/item under pointer
- F2 Toggle 'File List/Device List/Assign List'
- F3 Go to next device from disk list
- F4 Go to Root Directory
- F5 Go to Parent Directory
- F6 Restore startup directory and file name
- F7 Next Buffer
- F8 Toggle 'Show Info Files' on/off
- F9 Display info about current device
- F10 Create Directory
-
- Shifted:
-
- F1 Display Keyboard Help Screen
- F2 Delete File
- F3 (unused)
- F4 Print Current Directory
- F5 Reset wildcard pattern to "#?"
- F6 Tiny size
- F7 Medium size
- F8 Full screen size
- F9 Scroll Device List Up
- F10 Scroll Device List Down
-
-
- Examples Of Keyboard Usage:
- ---------------------------
-
- - Selecting a specific file from the current directory:
-
- a. Using the Cursor up/down keys, move the marker until you find the
- file, and hit return.
-
- b. Type the first few letters of the file name, then hit alt-return.
- If the file that shows up is the one you want, then hit return.
- Otherwise, use the cursor up/down keys to track it down.
-
-
- - To display a subdirectory:
-
- - Using the Cursor up/down keys, move the marker until you find the
- directory, and hit the cursor left key.
-
-
- - To display a directory's parent:
-
- - Hit the cursor right key.
-
-
- - To display a different device:
-
- a. Hit F2 to display the Device List, then use the cursor keys to select
- the device. Hit the left cursor key to select that device.
-
- b. Hit the right cursor key multiple times until you get the Device List.
- (then same as above.)
-
- c. Hit F3 until the device you want shows up in the Path gadget.
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- OTHER FEATURES
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Create Directory:
- -----------------
-
- To create a directory, enter its name into the Path gadget and hit return.
- If that directory doesn't already exist, the FR will inform you of that and
- also asks you to "Hit F10 to create it." If it can't create the directory,
- it will complain. Hitting F10 on an existing directory has no effect.
-
- Note: The new directory requested must have a valid parent. If it doesn't,
- the FR will tell you that it can't create the directory.
-
-
- Print Directory:
- ----------------
-
- To get a hard copy of the currently displayed directory onto the printer,
- click on the 'Prt' gadget or hit the Shift-F4 key. The printout will be
- sent to the currently selected printer in Preferences. If the printer is
- busy, the FR will complain and abort the print. (output is sent to PRT:)
-
- This function recognizes if the printer is not available and complains
- instead of just waiting around for it. It recognizes the following
- cases: printer offline, printer off, paper out, printer not selected.
-
- If the current directory is empty, the print will abort.
-
-
- Delete File:
- ------------
-
- You can delete the currently selected file in the File gadget by hitting
- Shift-F2. The FR will bring up a requester asking you if you're sure you want
- to delete the file.
-
-
- Directory Buffers:
- ------------------
-
- The File Requester has multiple directory buffers. A directory buffer is a
- temporary storage area for the contents of a directory. Normally, the FR
- will come up displaying directory buffer # 1. You can use up to 5 buffers to
- store directory contents. The Next Directory gadget allows you to move to
- another buffer. If no other buffer exists, it will provide you with a new
- buffer. As you use the Next gadget, the buffer number will be shown at the
- bottom of the FR. This is a circular gagdet that moves between buffer 1 to
- 5 and then back to buffer 1.
-
- As you move between buffers, the directory in the buffer to be displayed is
- shown immediately and does not have to be read back again from the drive,
- unless the directory has been changed since it was last read, in which case,
- the FR will re-read the directory.
-
- The directory buffers store the following information:
-
- - The full path name of the directory.
- - All the files in the directory along with their sizes, date, time and
- protection settings, and marked files.
- - The number of files and directories in the directory.
- - The position where the scroll bar was in. (This means that when you return
- to a directory, the file list will be exactly where you left it.)
- - The current filename in the File gadget.
-
-
- For your information, each buffer used allocates memory in 2k chunks as it
- needs them. Average memory usage is 70 files for a 2k buffer. The only limit
- to the number of files per directory buffer is available memory. If the FR
- runs out of memory, it will inform you that the directory was truncated.
-
-
- Buffered directories between FR calls:
- --------------------------------------
-
- A special feature of the FR is that it can store all 5 directory buffers
- between calls to it if the calling program requests it to do so.
-
- In this mode, the FR will not clear its buffers upon exit and will come up
- the next time with all the directories intact. This means that the FR does
- not need to re-read the directories, unless these directories have changed
- since the last time they were read. This will only be done for the first
- buffer that shows up, and will be done later for each other buffer as the
- Next gadget is used to move between buffers.
-
-
- Sort Mode:
- ----------
-
- The File Requester sorts the files in the File List display as it reads them
- from the directory. The files are sorted either alphabetically, or by their
- size or their date.
-
- The 'Sort Mode' gadget allow you to toggle between these modes. The gagdet's
- text changes between the following states:
-
- "FILE" The File list is sorted by the file name. (default mode)
-
- "SIZE" The File list is sorted by the file size.
- (files with matching size are sorted by name)
- (files are shown largest first)
-
- "DATE" The File list is sorted by the file date and time.
- (files with matching date & time are sorted by name)
- (files are shown newest first)
-
-
- The No .Info Gadget:
- --------------------
-
- The No .Info Gadget is a small box with 'I' in it, below the 'Next' gadget.
- If the No .Info Gadget is active, it will be a blank box, or will have an 'I'
- in it is it isn't active. This tells the FR not to display files ending with
- '.info' in the file list. This gadget is actually a toggle switch. In most
- cases the default setting for this gadget is ON.
-
- Note:
-
- When moving from off to on, the FR will remove all entries in the File List
- ending with .info. When moving from on to off, it will re-read the directory.
-
-
-
- File Requester Look:
- --------------------
-
- The FR borders have two different looks. One is the standard look that is
- designed for a normal screen. The second look is designed to match the look
- that Workbench 2.0 uses and is almost identical to it. The FR automatically
- detects if it is running under 2.0 and will switch to that look.
-
-
- Error Messages:
- ---------------
-
- If the FR cannot access a device, it will report one of the following errors:
-
- - No disk in drive. (drive empty)
- - Not a DOS Disk. (bad or kickstart disk)
- - Can't find Path. (bad device or directory name)
- - Output Device. (device selected is not a disk.)
- - DOS Error: xxx. (where xxx is the DOS error number.)
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- SUMMARY OF FILE REQUESTER GADGETS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Gadget Name | Gadget Position
- -----------------------|------------------------------------------------------
- Path Gadget | String gadget at top of window
- File Gadget | string gadget below File List
- File List | set of gadgets that display the file list
- OK Gadget | bottom left of window
- Cancel Gadget | bottom right of window
- Close Window Gadget | standard close window gadget
- Show Wildcard Gadget | string gadget below Path gadget
- Hide Wildcard Gadget | string gadget to the right of Show gadget
- Scroll Up Gadget | up-arrow above the proportional gadget
- Scroll Down Gadget | down-arrow below the proportional gadget
- Prop Gadget | proportional gadget across the center of the window
- Parent Gadget | up-arrow to the right of the Path string gadget
- Disk Icons | set of disk icons across the right side of the FR
- Disk Scroll Up Gadget | top right, up-arrow
- Disk Scroll Down Gadget| top right, down-arrow
- Resize Gadget | bottom 5 lines across window
- Next Directory Gadget | bottom right, marked 'Next'
- Reset Path Gadget | the 'Path' text
- Reset Wildcard Gadget | the 'Show' text
- Print Gadget | bottom right, marked 'Prt'
- Help Gadget | bottom right, marked 'Help'
- Sort Mode Gadget | bottom right, marked 'File' 'Date' or 'Size'
- Preset Resize Gadgets | 3 small box gadgets, below Sort Mode and Next gadgets
- No .Info Gadget | small box gadget below Next gadget
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Quick installation instructions:
-
- 1. Copy the kd_freq.library file into your LIBS: directory.
-
- 2. Either:
-
- a. Copy the FR_Bypass file into your C: directory.
- b. Put the following line into your startup-sequence:
- FR_Bypass
-
- OR:
-
- Drag the FR_Bypass icon to your WBStartup drawer.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- All files are ⌐ 1990-1992 Khalid Aldoseri. You may distribute these files
- in any electronic form as long as you keep them in the original format and
- archive file or at least as the full package. These are freely distributable
- only if they are not used for a commerical purpose. I am not liable for
- anything resulting from the use of these files and programs. The above
- applies to all the abovementioned files.
-
- If you want to use 'kd_freq.library' in any freely distributable program, you
- may include the 'kd_freq.library' file as long as you also include the
- 'FR_User.DOC' file and mention 'Copyright 1990-1992 Khalid Aldoseri'. I would
- like to hear about what the FR is being used for.. so please give me some
- feedback so that I can make the next release even better.
-
- If you want to use these for commercial purposes, please contact me at the
- following address:
-
- /-------------------\
- | Khalid Aldoseri |
- | P.O. Box 3300 |
- | Manama, Bahrain. |
- | Fax: (973) 694777 |
- \-------------------/
-
- Compuserve 75166,2531
-
-
- Copyright 1990-1992 Khalid Aldoseri.
- 29 April 1992.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-