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Text File | 1995-03-24 | 11.3 KB | 289 lines

Latest update: 950214 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frequently Asked Questions about FrexxEd ======================================== During the time we have developed FrexxEd, we have received similar questions several times. Here the most frequently asked questions and the answers to them: 1. How to open a file from the prompt into an already running FrexxEd? 2. Can't you add the function XXXXXX which is found in the editor XXXXXX? 3. I want FrexxEd to XXXX when I press XXXX! 4. Why isn't there any redo? 5. Why use FPL when there is ARexx? 6. How can I get FrexxEd to detach from the shell? 7. I change some settings and save them, but they have no effect! (i.e screen mode, fonts, screen/window sizes etc) 8. Why does not return/enter in the search/replace requester jump to the next string gadget instead of unactivate the current? 9. How do I remove that annoying 'End Of File' string? 10. How do I make FrexxEd read the file into a new buffer instead of inserting when I drop an icon on the FrexEd AppIcon/AppWindow? 11. Why isn't there any Amiga-symbol in the menu shortcuts? 12. On which system configurations have you tested FrexxEd? 13. I try to resize the FrexxEd window to cover the entire screen, but it always resizes back a few pixels!!? 14. I've found some non-localized strings in FrexxEd! 15. Is it possible to get two views of the same file? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. How to open a file from the prompt into an already running FrexxEd? (like the CED "ed <filename>") Use the 'Freds' script! USAGE: Freds [FILENAME] [STICKY] Where: FILENAME - Full path of file name to edit STICKY - If the parameter STICKY is entered, the script will wait until the loaded file is killed before exiting to shell again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Can't you add the function XXXXXX which is found in the editor XXXXXX? Before starting to ask questions like this, I urge you to read the documentation regarding FPL and the Functions.guide manual, since FPL is a very powerful controlling language of FrexxEd. Missing functions can very often be programmed/configurated using FPL. If you have read those parts and still can't figure out a way to code it in FPL, _then_ you should ask us that question! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. I want FrexxEd to XXXX when I press XXXX! FrexxEd features the ability of assigning functions to keys. Therefore do not ask questions regarding the postitioning of functions to certain key- sequences since you can modify them all to suit your own taste. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Why isn't there any redo? The "redo" function that exist in CygnusEd (and other editors?) is not included in FrexxEd since we think it's the wrong way of looking at the undo concept. FrexxEd allows all changes made in the text of a buffer to be undone, up to a certain amount of change. Each buffer records changes individually, and the undo command always applies to the current buffer. Usually each editing command makes a separate entry in the undo records, but some commands such as `Replace()' make many entries, and very simple commands such as self-inserting characters are often grouped to make undoing less tedious. The command `amiga u' is how you undo. The first time you give this command, it undoes the last change. Point moves to the text affected by the undo, so you can see what was undone. Consecutive repetitions of the `amiga u' commands undo earlier and earlier changes, back to the limit of what has been recorded. If all recorded changes have already been undone, the undo command prints an error message and does nothing. Any command that somehow changes the buffer breaks the sequence of undo commands. Starting at this moment, the previous undo commands are considered ordinary changes that can themselves be undone. Thus, you can redo changes you have undone by typing `amiga shift u' and then using more undo commands. If you notice that a buffer has been modified accidentally, the easiest way to recover is to type `amiga u' repeatedly until the `C' disappear from the front of the status line. At this time, all the modifications you made have been cancelled. If you do not remember whether you changed the buffer deliberately, type `amiga u' once, and when you see the last change you made undone, you will remember why you made it. If it was an accident, leave it undone. If it was deliberate, redo the change as described in the preceding paragraph. Whenever an undo command makes the `C' disappear from the status line, it means that the buffer contents are the same as they were when the file was last read in or saved. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Why use FPL when there is ARexx? * ARexx provides an interprocess programming language interface. FPL provides an internal interpreting language. * When using FPL, we don't have to interpret anything by ourselves, FPL does it for us. ARexx is a language that requires a lot of extra language coding within the program that uses it. * FPL communicates with direct function calls instead of sending messages to messageports which gives more internal flexibility with less overhead. * FPL is a platform independent language. FrexxWare intends to release software under different operating systems and we want continuity in the programming language. We want the same FrexxEd scripts to work on the Amiga version as on the future possible OS/2 and UNIX versions! FPL is easily ported to all modern operating systems. * FPL is, quite subjective, a more powerful and complete programming language. * It's not "yet another script language". It's 99% C. If you're familiar with C, you can code FPL. In fact, I think most programming people learn to code FPL faster than they learn ARexx. C is a universal language, Rexx is (mainly) Amiga and OS/2. * FPL isn't a substitute for ARexx. It's a different language and works as a complement to ARexx inside FrexxEd. FPL will (probably) never be able to perform the same tasks as ARexx and vice versa. That's not the idea either... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. How can I get FrexxEd to detach from the shell? By using the standard AmigaDOS way: "run <>NIL: FrexxEd" Which under V37/V38 causes enforcer hits, and instead should be written like: "run >NIL: <NIL: FrexxEd" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. I change some settings and save them, but they have no effect! In FrexxEd versions prior to 1.5: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You must be very observant *not* to use the 'copy_wb' flag if don't want FrexxEd to copy as much as possible from your workbench environment on every startup! 'copy_wb' works just as well on any public screen. When you want to change local settings, save them and have them take effekt on each startup, make sure you alter them with the 'All locals' setting window. Since 1.5: ~~~~~~~~~~ To make FrexxEd look like the public screen, CloneWB() must be used! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Why does not return/enter in the search/replace requester jump to the next field instead of unactivate the current? First, because of the simple reason that Amiga User Interface Style Guide clearly states that tab is the key to use when moving through input fields. "Let the user move trough fields with the Tab key." (p. 68) Second, the return/enter key is such an obvious keychoice to use to deactivate a text/string gadget and to equal with a press on the "OK" button. This question has been subject to many discussions between developers and lots of beta-testers. We did finally all agree that this way probably is the best way to go. Get used to it! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. How do I remove that annoying 'End Of File' string? Run the following line as an FPL program: FACT(-1, 'S', "New string"); ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. How do I make FrexxEd read the file into a new buffer instead of inserting when I drop an icon on the FrexEd AppIcon/AppWindow? Put the following little program in a file and execute it: /* start of file */ export int Dropped(string file) { int id=New(); if(0>Load(file)) Kill(id); /* failed loading */ else { Activate(id); /* popup a view */ CurrentBuffer(id); /* make it the current */ } return 1; /* stop the insert operation! */ } Hook("IconDrop", "Dropped"); /* end of file */ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Why isn't there any Amiga-symbol in the menu shortcuts? Because of the simple reason that the short cuts aren't put there the regular menu-shortcut way, and therefor we can't access that symbol. The shortcuts are visualized using our own custom routine for more control. We want to be able to add unlimited shortcut strings to the menus with any qualifiers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12. On which system configurations have you tested FrexxEd? Machines: A500(+), A1200, A2000, A3000, A4000 AmigaDOS versions: AmigaDOS V37-V40 Graphic modes/hardwares: Retina, Spectrum, Piccolo, Picasso II, A2024, AGA, ECS, OCS Processors: MC68000-MC68040 (native and with different accellerators) Memory amounts: 1MB-20MB RAM (chip/16bit/32bit) Systems: It has been used as window and screen in every thinkable screen mode, as backdrop on public screens, as mail editor in Spot and likewise applications. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. I try to resize the FrexxEd window to cover the entire screen, but it always resizes back a few pixels!!? The info variable "auto_resize" will, if enabled, force FrexxEd to use the minimum size that fits the same number of lines and columns that is set by the user. Disable "auto_resize" to stop all such attempts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14. I've found some non-localized strings in FrexxEd! FrexxEd is a very modular system. "All" built-in strings in FrexxEd does appear in the localized language. The drawback is that FrexxEd is very often extended with FPL programs that supplies strings in only one language, and sometimes there are messages from FPL appearing and those are in straight english always (this is subject to change in a future FPL version). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15. Is it possible to get two views of the same file? Indeed! The menu brought to FrexxEd by Menu.FPL sets the key sequence "Amiga d" to do the job. FrexxEd supports any number of views on the same file. Read more details under View Concepts in FrexxEd.guide.