Tera Desktop V1.24, 30-9-92, Copyright 1991, 1992 W. Klaren.
Contents:
1 Introduction
1.1 The Tera Desktop
1.2 Installation
1.3 Support BBS's
2 The menus
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Desk
2.2.1 Info
2.3 File
2.3.1 Open
2.3.2 Show information
2.3.3 New folder
2.3.4 Close
2.3.5 Close window
2.3.6 Select all
2.3.7 Set file type
2.3.8 Cycle windows
2.3.9 Quit
2.4 View
2.4.1 Show as
2.4.2 Sort
2.4.3 System and Hidden files
2.5 Options
2.5.1 Install application
2.5.2 Install desk icon
2.5.3 Install window icon
2.5.4 Change icons
2.5.5 Remove icons
2.5.6 Set preferences
2.5.7 Program options
2.5.8 Editor
2.5.9 Save settings
2.5.10 Load
2.5.11 Save as
3 Icons and objects
3.1 Introduction
3.2 ICONS.RSC
3.3 Opening icons and objects
3.4 Copying and moving icons and objects
4 Windows
5 The ARGV protocol
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction
1.1 The Tera Desktop
The Tera Desktop is a replacement of the ST (and TT) desktop. This
desktop offers much more possibilities, such as files and programs as
an icon on the desktop and files can be viewed in a window.
Furthermore the scrolling of windows is much faster.
This program may be copied freely, on the condition that program is
copied entirely (so with complete documentation) and unchanged.
The program consists of the following files:
DESKTOP.PRG
DESKTOP.RSC
ICONS.RSC
README.NED
README.ENG
CHANGES.NED
CHANGES.ENG
MANUAL.NED
MANUAL.ENG
CONVERT.PRG
This program may not be sold without the written permission of the
author. If the program is included in PD-libraries only the costs of
disks etc. may be charged.
When I wrote the manual, I supposed that everyone, who reads this,
knows how the common desktop of the Atari ST works.
1.2 Installation
The Tera Desktop is installed as follows:
- create a folder DESKTOP on your hard disk,
- copy the files DESKTOP.PRG, DESKTOP.RSC and ICONS.RSC to this
folder.
The desktop can now be started in the usual way. If you have a
TOS version 1.4 or higher, the desktop can be started automatically
after the computer has booted. This is done as follows:
- Select the Tera Desktop (DESKTOP.PRG) in the common desktop,
- Select Install application,
- Change the boot status from Normal into Auto,
- Click on install.
Do not forget to save the desktop configuration after you have
done this.
If you have a computer with TOS 1.0 of TOS 1.2 you have to use
special program, like STARTGEM.
The default name of the configuration file is DESKTOP.CFG. If you
want that depending on the resolution of the graphics mode, a
specific configuration file is loaded, you can create a file
DESKTOP.BAT. This file can also be used to start programs, when the
desktop is started. An example of a DESKTOP.BAT file is:
cd C:\DEMO
DEMO.PRG -a input.dat
#640,200 ST_MED.CFG
#640,400 ST_HIGH.CFG
#640,480 TT_MED.CFG
With the command cd the current directory can be changed. A command
line can be passed to a program. In the lines which start with a '#'
the configuration file, which has to be loaded, can be set. After
the '#' the horizontal, the vertical resolution and the name of the
configuration file, which has to be loaded, follow. The vertical
resolution should be separated from the horizontal resolution with
a comma. If the current resolution is not in the DESKTOP.BAT
file, the desktop will try to load the file DESKTOP.CFG.
Although the desktop can be used when you have not got a hard disk,
the usage of a hard disk is recommended. The usage without a hard
disk has no use, because if you for example install a program on the
desktop, the program, has got to be available all the time. Of
course this can be solved by putting the program on a ram disk.
The Tera Desktop will use about 120K of memory.
The Tera Desktop works on all current TOS versions, but the usage of
TOS version 1.4 or higher is recommended, because of some bugs in
TOS 1.0 and some extra possibilities from TOS 1.4. Usage with TOS 1.0
must be discouraged.
The most important bug why the program should not be used with TOS 1.0
is that the AES will crash, when in some dialog boxes certain
characters (like an underscore) are typed.
The most important reasons to use at least TOS 1.4 are:
- Folders can be renamed,
- This versions deal a lot better with files,
- Programs can be started automatically after booting.
The Tera Desktop was tested on TOS 1.4, KAOS-TOS 1.4.2, TOS 2.05
(Mega STe) and TOS 3.05 (TT). On these TOS version the program worked
correctly, but there still may be some bugs left. It is also possible
that the program will not work properly on other configurations than
it was tested on. That is why:
The author can not be held responsible for any damage caused by the
usage of this program. Use the program at your own risk.
Should you find a bug, I would appreciate it very much if you would
report this to me with a description of the bug and a description
of your configuration (TOS version, auto boot programs, accessories
etc.).
If you already have an old version of this program, you have to
use CONVERT.PRG to convert the old configuration files to a format
the new desktop understands. Before you convert the configuration
files, you should first make a backup of them, because the conversion
program will overwrite the files with the converted files. Converting
configuration files is simple. First start CONVERT.PRG. Select in the
file selector, which appears, the file which has to be converted and
click on OK. The program now converts the selected configuration file.
If the conversion is ready the file selector will appear again. If you
want to exit the program click on cancel, else select the next file to
convert.
The desktop works with some limitations on the resolutions ST-low and
TT-low. The limitations are that the dialog box for the input of the
command line of TTP programs is smaller and that the dialog boxes of
Install application and Set preferences will not work, because they
are to big. To install an application or change the settings, load
the configuration files in an higher resolution and install
applications and changes the settings in this resolution.
The desktop does not work on the resolutions ST-low and TT-low (and
all other resolutions smaller than 640x200), because some dialog
boxes contain to much information to be displayed in these
resolutions.
1.3 Support BBS's
In the United Kingdom new versions can be downloaded from:
System ST
tel. +44 (0)533 413443
FidoNet 2:255/320
NeST 90:102/131
The file is called TERADESK.LZH. This BBS is also support BBS for the
Tera Desktop. If you have any suggestions for improvement or if you
want to report bugs, you can leave these there.
In the Netherlands new versions can be downloaded from:
Moir Brandts Honk BBS
tel. 070-3461215
2 The menus.
2.1 Introduction
In this chapter the menus will be discussed. Most menu entries can
also be selected with a key. Behind the menu entries corresponding
keys are mentioned. The sign '^' means that the CONTROL key should be
pressed at the same time as the key behind it.
Buttons in dialog boxes can be selected with the keyboard, by
pressing the underlined character in the text of the button
together with the ALTERNATE key. Buttons with an arrow can be
selected by pressing CONTROL and the corresponding key on the
keyboard.
2.2 Desk
2.2.1 Info
When you select this menu entry, a dialog box with the copyright
notice will appear. The TOS version and the amount of free memory
will be displayed as well.
2.3 File
2.3.1 Open
With this menu entry a selected object can be opened. See chapter 3
for more information.
2.3.2 Show information
When you select this menu entry the desktop will display information
about the selected objects.
If the object is a file, the date, time and name of the file will be
displayed. If necessary the name of the file can be changed.
If the object is a folder, the date, time, name and the disk usage of
the files in the folder will be displayed. From TOS 1.4 it is
possible to change the name of the folder.
If the object is a drive, the disk label, the number of files and
folders on the disk, the disk usage, the free space, and the total
space will be displayed. It is possible that on an empty disk there is
a difference between the total space and the free space. This is
caused by a bug in the current TOS version.
It is possible to use Show Information on more than one object at the
same time. The dialog box will appear again for every selected object.
2.3.3 New folder
With New folder a new directory can be created.
2.3.4 Close
With Close a window is closed. If the window is a directory window,
the window will be closed only if the window is displaying the root
directory. Otherwise the window will display the directory one level
up in the directory structure. A text window is closed immediately.
2.3.5 Close window
This menu entry has the same function as Close. The difference with
Close is that directory windows will always be closed, even if they
are not displaying the root directory.
2.3.6 Select all
With this menu entry all objects in a window can be selected.
2.3.7 Set file mask
With this menu entry you can select which files should be visible in
a window and which should not. You can type a file mask, but you can
also select a mask from a list predefined masks. Double clicking on
a mask has the same effect as selecting the mask and clicking on OK.
With the buttons Add and Delete it is possible to add and delete types
from the list.
2.3.8 Cycle windows
With this menu entry you can make the the bottom window to be the
top window. This is useful when a window covers the other windows
entirely. You can make the bottom window the top window without
changing the position or size of the top window.
2.3.9 Quit
With this menu entry you can leave the desktop and return to the
common desktop.
2.4 View
2.4.1 Show as
With Show as text and Show as icons you can select if the files in
the windows should be displayed in text or as icons. In text mode the
length, creation time and the file attributes will be displayed
besides the name of the file. The attributes have the following
meaning:
d - directory,
s - system file,
h - hidden file,
w - file is not write protected,
a - archive bit.
2.4.2 Sort
With the menu entries starting with sort you can select in which way
the files in a window are sorted. With the menu entry Unsorted the
files will be displayed in the order in which they were read from the
disk.
2.4.3 System files and Hidden files
With these menu entries it is possible to make files, of which the
hidden or system flag is set, visible.
2.5 Options
2.5.1 Install application
With this menu entry an application can be installed. In
contradiction to the common desktop, it is possible give more
than one file type and to give the format of the command line.
With the buttons Add and Delete file types can be added and removed.
In the command line %f and %n have a special meaning:
%f : Names of the files which were opened or dragged to the
application with their full path name.
%n : The same, however without their full path name.
In the command line it is also possible to give options of the
program. For example it is possible to automatically extract LZH
files when they are opened. This is done as follows:
- Select LHARC.TTP,
- Select the menu entry Install application,
- Click on Add and type in the dialog box, which appears, *.LZH and
click on OK.
- Give the following command line:
e %f
- Click on Install.
With application type you can set the type program. For instance it
is possible to start GEM programs as GTP (GEM Takes Parameters)
program, without changing the extension of the program to GTP.
With Current directory you can set the directory, in which the program
has to be started. If Program is selected, the program will be started
in its own directory. If window is selected, it will be started in the
directory of the topmost directory window. If no directory window is
opened, the program will be started in its own directory.
With the button Use ARGV protocol you can set if the command line
should be passed to the program using the ARGV protocol. See chapter 5
about the ARGV protocol.
The settings made here will also be used if the program is started in
the usual way or if files are dragged to the program.
Furthermore it is possible to give a function key. If the function key
is pressed the program will be started. The number of the function key
should be between 1 and 20, where a number from 1 to 10 corresponds
with function keys 1 to 10 and where a number from 11 to 20
corresponds with the SHIFT key and a function key from 1 to 10.
It is not mandatory to give a file type, Install Application can also
be used to give just a function key or to set one of the other
options.
If you delete a program, which is installed as an application, using
the desktop, then all settings, made with Install Application, will be
removed automatically. This does not happen when you delete the
program outside the desktop. If the program is started anyway, a
dialog box will appear, in which you can choose between removing the
application, locating it and cancel. If locate is chosen a file
selector will appear, in which you can select the new location of the
program.
2.5.2 Install desk icon
With this menu entry you can install an icon on the desktop. First
you have to give the position, where the icon has to appear, using the
mouse. The a dialog box will appear in which you can give the name, if
necessary a character, the type of the icon and the shape of the icon.
Besides drive or trash can, the icon type can also be printer. If you
drag files to a printer icon, these files will be printed on the
printer.
Installing files and folders as an icon on the desktop is discussed in
chapter 3.
2.5.3 Install window icon
With this menu entry you can set the shape of the icon of files and
folders in directory windows. There are two lists with rules, one for
folders and one for files. You can switch between them by using the
buttons Files and Folders.
When a directory is read, the desktop will determine which shape the
icon of the file or folder has to have. Because the rules may contain
wild cards, the order of the rules is very important, for the desktop
will use the icon of the first rule to which the name of the rule
satisfies. The most general rules should be last.
With the button Add a rule can be added. The new rule will be
inserted at the position of the selected rule. A dialog box will
appear, in which you can give the rule and the corresponding icon
shape. Use the button Delete to delete a rule. With the button change
you can change a rule.
2.5.4 Change icons
With Change icons the shape and the name of the icons can be changed.
It is allowed to selected more than one file at the same time.
Of files and folders only the name and the shape of the icon can be
changed. Of trash cans, drives and printers the type can be changed
as well.
2.5.5 Remove icons
With this menu entry you can remove icons from the desktop. It is
possible to remove more than one icon at the same time.
2.5.6 Set preferences
With this menu entry several options for copying and deleting files,
for dialog boxes and for text windows can be set.
With confirm copies you can set if a dialog box has to appear when
files are copied. With Confirm deletes you can set the same for
deleting files. With Confirm overwrites you can set if a dialog box
will appear when during the copying of files a file is found, which
already exists. With Copy buffer the maximum size of the buffer, which
has to be used during the copying of files, can be set.
With tab size the default tab size of text windows can be set.
Furthermore it is possible to set if the dialog boxes have got to
appear in the center of the screen or on the position of the mouse,
what is useful on screens with a high resolution. With Screen
buffering it is possible to set if the screen under a dialog box has
to be buffered or has to be redrawn. If screen buffering is on, it is
possible to move dialog boxes by clicking on the upper right corner
and dragging them to the desired position.
2.5.7 Program options
With this menu entry can be set if after TOS programs has to be waited
for a key, which files are programs, which kind of programs it are and
what the current directory should be when a program is started.
With the button Wait for key you can make the desktop to wait for a
key after a TOS or TTP program have finished.
With Add new rules for program types can be added. A new rule is
inserted at the position of the selected rule. A dialog box will
appear, in which the rule can be typed, the type of the program can be
set, the directory in which the program is started can be set and the
usage of the ARGV protocol can be switched on and off. The following
types of programs are possible:
GEM : GEM programs,
GTP : GEM takes parameters, these are GEM program, to which a
command line can be passed,
TOS : TOS programs,
TTP : TOS takes parameters.
In the rule wild cards may be used, so here the order of the rules is
important as well.
See for the button Current directory Install application.
With Change the selected rule can be changed and with delete it can
be deleted.
2.5.8 Editor
With this menu entry the default editor can be selected. A file
selector will appear, with which the editor can be selected. If in a
window a program is selected, the name of this program will appear in
the file selector. Otherwise the name of the currently selected editor
will appear in the file selector.
2.5.9 Save settings
With this menu entry the desktop configuration can be saved.
2.5.10 Load
With this menu entry a configuration file can be loaded.
2.5.11 Save as
With this menu entry the configuration file can be saved under another
name.
3 Icons and objects
3.1 Introduction
In this chapter the usage of icons and objects will be discussed.
Among others adding your own icons, moving and copying icons and
objects and opening icons and objects will be discussed.
3.2 ICONS.RSC
This file contains the icons from which you can choose in Install icon
and Change icon. If you have a resource editor, you can add your own
icons. The maximum size of these icons are 64 pixels wide and 32
pixels high. Do not add other objects than icons to this resource,
otherwise the desktop will not load the file. Owners of a Mega STe or
a TT can also use the resource file, which comes with these computers.
Copy this file to the folder DESKTOP and rename it to ICONS.RSC. The
maximum size of ICONS.RSC is 64Kbytes.
With a resource editor the default icons, which for example appear
when a file is dragged on the desktop, can be replaced with others.
This is done as follows:
- Put the icons you want to use as default icons on top of the box.
Use the following order:
1 - disk drive
2 - hard disk
3 - file
4 - program
5 - folder
6 - trash can
7 - printer
- Sort the icons with the sort function of the resource editor,
- Save the resource file.
3.3 Opening objects and icons
An object in a directory window or an icon on the desktop can be
opened by double clicking on it or by selecting it and selecting the
menu entry open.
Depending on the object the following will happen:
- disk drive : a new window will be opened with the root directory of
this drive. Drives can also be opened by pressing ALTERNATE and the
corresponding character.
- folder : If the folder is on the desktop a window will be opened
with the directory of the folder in it. If the folder is in a
window the directory window will display the directory of the
opened folder. If ALTERNATE is pressed when the folder is opened,
a new window will be opened with the directory of the opened folder.
The folder '..' behaves different from the other folders. This
folder stands for the directory one level higher in the directory
structure. The opening of this folder has the same effect as
closing it one time. If ALTERNATE is pressed when the folder is
opened, a new window will appear displaying the directory one level
higher in the directory structure.
- file : If the file is a program, the program will be started. If the
program is a GTP or a TTP program, a dialog box will appear in which
a command line can be typed. If the file matches one of the file
types installed with Install application, the corresponding program
will be started. If you do not want to start that program, press
ALTERNATE when you open the file. The file will now be treated in
the usual way. If the file does not match one of the file types,
a dialog box will appear, in which you can choose between Show,
Edit, Print and Cancel. If you choose Show, a text window will
appear with the contents of the file in it. If the first 256
characters of the file contain less than 90% ASCII characters, then
the desktop will automatically switch to the hex mode. If you choose
Edit, then the default editor will be started. If you choose Print,
the file will be printed.
If a file or folder corresponding to an icon on the desktop is not
found when it is opened, a dialog box will appear in which you can
choose between locate, remove and cancel. If remove is chosen, the
icon will be removed from the desktop. If locate is chosen a file
selector will appear, in which you can select the new position of
the file or folder.
3.4 Copying and moving objects and icons
By dragging icons and objects, it is possible to copy and delete
files. In this section will be discussed what will happen if you drag
files to a given destination. Depending on the destination, the
following will happen:
- disk drive : The selected object will be copied to the root of the
drive. If the object is also a disk drive, then the desktop will
perform a file copy, not a disk copy. If you want to perform a disk
copy, use a copy program like Fcopy.
- folder : the selected object will be copied to the folder.
- directory window : the object will be copied to the directory, which
is displayed in the window.
- program : the program will be started with the selected object as a
parameter.
- desktop : if the object is already on the desktop it will be moved
to the position were the mouse button was released. If the object
is a file or folder in a window, this object will be installed on
the desktop as an icon. The icon can be used in the same way as the
files and folders in a window. It is not possible to drag more than
one object on the desktop in the same time.
- trash can : the selected object will be deleted.
- printer : the selected object will be printed.
If the CONTROL key is pressed when the mouse button is released, the
object will not be copied to the destination, but it will be moved to
the destination. If you move a file or folder which is an icon on the
desktop, the path of the icon will be updated automatically.
If the ALTERNATE key is pressed when the mouse button is released, a
dialogbox will appear before a file or folder is copied, in which the
file or folder can be renamed.
If a file or folder, which is installed on the desktop as an icon, is
deleted, the corresponding icon will be removed from the desktop.
If during the copying of files a file or folder is found with the same
name, then, unless you switched it off with Set preferences, a dialog
box will appear, with in it the name of the existing file and the name
of the file which is being copied. With respect to the common desktop,
there are the following new possibilities:
- Not only the file which is being copied, but also the existing file
can be renamed. (This only works if source and destination directory
are different.)
- If you want to overwrite all existing files, click on the button
All. All existing files will be overwritten. It has the same effect
as switching off Confirm overwrites in Set preferences.
If during the copying both a file and a folder with the same name
are found, then the dialog box will always appear, even if you have
switched off Confirm overwrites or clicked on All.
If you overwrite a folder the contents of this folder will not be
deleted. The contents of the folder, which is being copied, will be
copied into the existing.
With Escape the copying, deleting and printing of files can be
aborted.
4 Windows
There are two kinds of windows in the desktop, namely text windows and
directory windows. In text window opened files are being displayed, in
directory windows the contents of opened drives and folders are being
displayed. Most functions of the windows have already been discussed
in the previous chapters. In this chapter the remaining possibilities
will be discussed.
Both types of windows can be controlled with the cursor keys. If the
SHIFT key is pressed, the windows will be scrolled over an entire
page, not over one line. With Clr-Home and SHIFT Clr-Home you can
jump to the top and the bottom of a window.
You can also use the following keys as well in directory windows:
Escape : Read the directory again,
C : Has the same function as CONTROL C and Close window.
In text windows the following keys can be used:
Q, C and Escape : close window,
Space : next page,
Return : next line.
Every text window has its own menu bar, which can be used to switch
between ASCII mode and hex mode and can be used to set a new tab size
for the window. If a window is being opened the tab size is equal to
the default tab size set with Set preferences.
5 The ARGV protocol
In GEMDOS the length of command lines is limited to 125 characters.
The ARGV protocol makes much longer command lines possible. A
disadvantage of this protocol is that many programs do not support it
or even do not work properly when it is used. That is why it is
possible to switch the protocol of in Install Application and Program
options.
There are two possibilities to make sure that programs are not
bothered by the ARGV protocol:
- Install programs, which do not support the ARGV protocol, as a
separate program type in Program options and switch the ARGV
protocol off for these programs and switch it on for all other
programs. Be sure to install these programs before the program types
containing wild cards.
- Do the opposite: switch the ARGV protocol off for all program types
and install all programs which support the ARGV protocol as a
separate program type.
Instead of installing a separate program type for each program, a
program can also be installed as an application, by which the options
of Install application can be used to switch the ARGV protocol on or
off.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the members of the TOS-crew (especially Mr Ni!
and Insh_Allah) for testing the desktop and the design of some icons.
I would also like to thank my brother for the program fix icons. I
would like to thank Keith Frisby and Mark Matts for spreading the
Tera Desktop in the United Kingdom and the US and supporting the
Tera Desktop in the United Kingdom.
Send suggestions for improvement or report bugs to:
Wout Klaren
Zwolsekanaal 18
7681 ED Vroomshoop
The Netherlands