Many software programmers realising that the TOS selector is
inadequate build their own into the applications they are developing.
Below are a few examples.
The Interface file Selector.
This is the selector built into Interface. It is automatically set up
to look for *.RSC files. It can store different paths and sort files
by name, date and extension. The extra functions it can carry out
include disk formatting, copy/delete files and create new folders. It
can be disabled if you want to use your own replacement.
The That's Write 3 Selector.
The That's Write 3 selector has no built in extra functions as these
already exists in That's Write 3. The built in Macro language is the
primary reason for including a custom file selector. Macro commands
can be executed by this selector. You can, as in Interface, use your
own. Do remember though that macros including file selector functions
will stop when your replacement is displayed.
The MagiC 4 Selector
MagiC 4 is a full OS replacement. For this reason it has a custom file
selector. It's pretty basic, in fact it's only slightly more advanced
than the normal TOS selector. However if you're running MagiC 4 the
chances are you'll be using Freedom. Having said that there are still
one or two programs that play up when Freedom is displayed under
MagiC. The Freedom authors realise this and include an option in
Freedom that disables it when these problem programs call the file
selector. So even if you're using Freedom you'll still see this
selector from time to time.
The Geneva Selector
The best "built in" selector around.
Most of these custom file selectors are pretty basic and are easily
beaten on the features front by the likes of Selectric. Geneva's
selector however has some very powerful features. Unique in having the
only 2 window display, showing folders on the left and files on the
right it is easily Selectric's equal. Geneva has no desktop unless you
use a replacement such as Neodesk or Thing. You'd think this was a
major draw back but no, the Geneva file selector can perform most of
the file operations found in your average desktop. You can't move the
dialogue and it's modal, strange when you consider that Geneva is a
multi-tasking OS.
The future is closer than you think.
Here's a sneak preview of the future. Freedom 2. Not only a file
selector but also an Xcontrol panel replacement. CPXs are run in their
own windows and can be various sizes. These new CPXs are called ECPXs
or extended CPXs. Freedom 2 also addresses the main problem with
Freedom 1, it now has a configuration program.
If you're multi-tasking or single tasking with a full AV Protocol
server such as the replacement desktops Gemini or Thing, Freedom can't
be beaten. Put simply it is the Rolls Royce of file selectors. However
if you are single tasking with the GEM desktop on a on a standard ST
you can't go wrong with Selectric or UIS. Selectric would be my
personnel choice. Multi-TOS users can of course use Boxkite, but again
with the alternative being Freedom I think you'd have to be a little
crazy.