;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ********* *** *** ********** *** *** *** ******* ******** ********* *** *** ********** *** **** *** ******* ******** *** *** *** *** *** *** **** *** *** **** *** ********** *** *** *** ***** *** *** **** *** ********** ********** *** *** ** *** *** **** *** *** *** ********** *** *** ***** *** **** ********* *** *** *** *** *** *** **** ****** **** ********* *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ****** **** ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; -= VERSION 1.2 =- Programmed : Tony Harris 36a Howard Close Braintree Essex CM7 6DS Date : 21/1/1995 Programmed in : 68000 Using : Devpac 2 ST WERCS ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; -= WHAT THIS IS ABOUT =- CHAIN ST was first programmed to solve a few of snags with the way my system booted up. 1) There's only 1 AUTO slot for GEM programs. 2) I would have to place any files I wanted into RAM Drives by hand. 3) To set a few minor system variables The reason why I could possible use more than 1 AUTO slot for GEM programs is very obvious, but as to why the second reason for this program, let's take a look at my requirements. Being the sad, sad pauper that I am, I have no Hard drive and only 1Mb of RAM. I have got fed up of waiting for the disk drive to load the required programs so I decided to dig out a RAM drive, and copy all these over to it, but alas, I need to do it by hand, sooo, I wrote a little program to copy the 4 files I needed. As time went on, I needed more and more stuff in the RAM Drive so I had to alter the copying program which became a bit silly if not tedious. At the same time, I was experimenting with replacement desktops, which needed the one and only AUTO slot, but, I had other GEM programs to run before, which again would have to be run by hand. Life is a pain... This led me to write another little program to run a few GEM programs in sequential order. This was to become the bare bones of CHAIN ST. Another bane was the 'wonders' of the key click, that had to go! The 50/60 hertz switch was also needed, well that would release some of the small programs lying around in my AUTO Folder. OK, I decided that even if I was the only one in ST land with these problems I would sort it out and write a program to solve it. Along came Version 1.0, this was a bit sad really, lets go on... Version 1.1 saw the introduction of a menu bar, hooray, but again a bit lame. By this time I was learning all about GEM windowing in assembly so I decided to make the program a damn sight better by adding one. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; -= OK, BUT HOW DOES IT WORK =- This is the stage were I don the white coat and bow tie. The program can be activated from the desktop by hand or left in the GEM AUTO slot. Note. For Pre. TOS v1.6. As you have not got a GEM AUTO Slot, you will need to use a program such as AUTOGEM.PRG or select from the desktop. Once the program is under way you will be greeted with a dialog box stating that if you press any key within around 3 seconds you will enter the editor. If you leave it for the said 3 seconds, the program will think that you do not want to change anything and will proceed with its stuff. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; -= OK, BUT HOW DO YOU USE IT =- Lets start with the window. The window layout is as follows. O The TITLE BAR tells which of the two sets of files is being viewed. O The CLOSE BOX lets you see the set of files called ASSIGNS. O The FULL BOX will reveal all current RAM Copy files. O The SRC column is for the Source drive, ie, where the programs / files will be loaded from. O The DEST column display the destination drive for files to be copied to. (RAM Copy only) O The FILENAME is simply the name of the said file. O The PATHNAME is the entire pathname (screen permitting). This will be updated at these points: O When a new .DAT file is loaded. O Whenever a file, be it Assigns or RAM Copy has been changed or deleted. O Whenever the CLEAR ALL has been selected. O Any screen disturbance. O The FULL / CLOSE BOX has been selected. Now for the menu. DESK O About, This gives basic info about the program. FILE O Load .Dat This enables the user to load in CHAIN.DAT files from other disks. O Save .DAT This will save the current Assigns, RAM Copy and prefs. O Clear All This will clear all current Assigns, RAM copy info out of memory and reset all prefs to default. O Run Current This will enable you to run the currently selected files, in order, first the copying (if any), then the Assigns (again, if any). It will then quit. O Quit This will obviously quit to the calling program. ASSIGNS This is where you select the programs to be run. They will run in the order that you see them in the menu and in the window. You will notice that there are 10 slots for Assigns. O A menu slot with ' -==- ' means that it is vacant and can be selected for assigning a program to the slot. Once you have selected a vacant slot, you will be presented a file selector for you to pick your requested program. Note. Only files with extensions of .PRG, .TOS or .TTP will be accepted. On acceptance, the slot will have been assigned, and the window updated. O A menu slot with a program file in it can be selected for adjustment and cancellation. You will be presented with an options box. The Option Box. O You are given 3 choices. i) REASSIGN. This allows you to reselect a program, and on acceptance the window will be updated. ii) DEASSIGN. This will clear out any trace of the program and render the slot vacant. iii) CANCEL. This will return you to the menu with no harm done. RAM Copy This is where you can select files to be copied to RAM drives. These, like assigns, will be copied in sequential order. You will notice that there are 10 slots for RAM Copy. O A menu slot with ' -==- ' means that it is vacant and can be selected for assigning a file to the slot. Once you have selected a vacant slot, you will be presented with a file selector for you to pick your requested file. Any files will be accepted, be it programs or not. You will then be greeted with a Drive selection box. This allows you to select the destination of the selected file. Range drives D to K. On completion of this, the window will be updated. O A menu slot with a file present in it can be selected for adjustment and cancellation. You will be presented with an options box. The Option Box. O You are given 3 choices. i) REASSIGN. This allows you to reselect a file, followed by a drive selection box. ii) DEASSIGN. This will clear out any trace of the file and render the slot vacant. iii) CANCEL. This will return you to the menu with no harm done. MISC This is where you can toggle different system variables on or off. O 50 hertz This will switch the screen redraw rate to 50hz. Note. This will be disabled if you are in Hi res. O 60 hertz This will switch the screen redraw rate to 60hz. Note. This will be disabled if you are in Hi res. O Key Click This allows you to toggle this on or off. O Key Repeat This allows you to toggle this on or off. O Bell This allows you to turn the bell or off. O Run other This simply enables you to run any program from within the environment, you will be brought back to the menu on completion. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; -= OTHER INFORMATION =- If the program has no CHAIN.DAT file to load in and is left for the few seconds before the editor is invoked, then it will just go to the desktop. If, however the editor has been invoked, but there is no .DAT file, you will have a near empty window, and loads of vacant slots to use. The CHAIN.DAT & CHAIN.RSC files MUST be in the same directory as the program itself. I haven't tried it, but it should work from a hard drive. This program is as compatible as possible, but will not run with extended resolutions of the Falcon. This program works in both MED and HIGH res. It will run in LOW res but, it doesn't really like it! I think I have canned most of the bugs, but if you find one, let me know about it and supply details of your system and other bits and bobs. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Tony Harris 36A Howard Close Braintree Essex CM7 6DS (sorry no phone, I told you I am a pauper) ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;