Topic : Documentation for Thing
Author : Arno Welzel/Thomas Binder/TransAction
Version : thing.hyp 1.27E (23/8/1998)
Subject : Documentation/Shells
Nodes : 269
Index Size : 6336
HCP-Version : 4
Compiled on : Atari
@charset : atarist
@lang :
@default : %I
@help : %Hilfe
@options : +g -i -s +y +zz -t4 -d10
@width : 75
@hostname : THING
View Ref-FileInstallationIntroduction: Preface Thing
By Arno Welzel:The German version of Thing was released for the first time in December
1994. Since then many additional features and suggestions from users
have been implemented. The healthy number of registered users and
articles in ST-Computer, Atari World and ST Format have motivated
me to continue Thing development so if you haven't registered already
please do!
The current version is now 'real' shareware with key registration, and
one minor limitation (any saved information about opened windows will be
disregarded at the next start).
The hypertext documentation has been completely re-written (the new
release 1.4 of ST-Guide was one reason to do this). You should use
ST-Guide Release 14 or newer because this version includes a new
'See also' button to access associated pages and displays the pretty
pictures in the text properly.
By Thomas Binder:When Arno told me at the start of 1996 that he could/would no longer
continue to look after Thing, I didn't hesitate for long before offering
to take on further development, since I didn't want this desktop simply
to die out.
To my surprise Arno quickly agreed to this, and Thing 1.27 now represents
the fourth version that has been published under my editorship. I would
once more like to express my heartiest thanks here to Arno both for Thing
itself and for his confidence in me.
In the meantime Arno has completely withdrawn from Thing and even passed
the 'registration sovereignity' to me (⇨ *Unfortunately it would appear also that this had led to
Arno not reacting at all to moneys sent to him in error,
so that he neither passes on the money to me nor informs
the sender about his mistake.
As I can't keep on chasing missing resgitrations and Arno
resists all reproaches, I want to point out clearly here
that from now on I will no longer do anything about this
but insist on correct (repeat) transfer of the money due.
Non-German users can also register with Joe Connor's
InterActive suport scheme -- see SUPPORT.TXT.
). However I still regard Thing
as Arno's program to which I have simply added some extensions and removed
some bugs.
Where it seemed sensible to me, I have arranged some reference links in
this document to other hypertext files. These files should also be
installed in the GUIDES folder of ST-Guide, of course, so that the
cross-references can be accessed automatically (if they are available):
ST-GUIDE.HYP ... The ST-Guide documentation
TOS2GEM.HYP .... The TOS2GEM documentation from Thomas Binder
AIP.HYP ........ Atari Info Pages by Manfred Ssykor
(Release 8 or newer -- currently German only)
Try it out now: ⇨ Open the ST-Guide hypertextAn essential point during the development of Thing was, above all, ease
of use and supporting all important standards.
An overview of the main Thing features:
∙ Context sensitive help using ST-Guide: Help is called by pressing the
Help key. Under a multitasking environment ST-Guide can also be
called as an external program.
∙ Full support for alternative file systems: Thing supports long,
case-sensitive filenames up to 32 characters in length, which may
contain spaces. Even the special attributes, such as are offered by
the Minix file system, for instance, can be displayed and altered
by Thing.
∙ Context sensitive popup menus called by a single right-click of the
mouse (alternatively with Control + left-click) onto files, folders,
window backgrounds, icons on the desktop and the desktop itself.
∙ Support of TOSWIN under MiNT -- so you can run TOS/TTP programs
parallel to the desktop even under Single-TOS.
∙ Console window using TOS2GEM from Thomas Binder. All features of
TOS2GEM are fully supported.
∙ Active support for Alice, Let'em Fly, WINX, Freedom and Space
(or Freedom2).
∙ Kobold support: Kobold 2 and later can be used both as an accessory
or a program for Copying/Moving/Deleting files and formatting disks.
The minimum number of files or the amount of data before Kobold is
called is user definable.
∙ Resolution-independent: Thing works in every resolution and with any
size system fonts -- without additional external RSC files.
∙ Via an external graphics module desktop background pictures can
be displayed (for those who like them).
∙ Full GDOS support: Even proportional fonts and all variants of
TrueType and Speedo fonts can be used in directory windows.
∙ Full AV Protocol support: Most of the tools which where designed
for use with Gemini can also be used with Thing (e.g. ParaFin,
PacShell, TreeView etc).
∙ Font Protocol support (specified by Christian Grunenberg): Thing can
be used as a font selector by using the FONT_SELECT message or, via
Drag&Drop, pass fonts to other programs or receive them from an
alternative font selector.
∙ Drag&Drop Protocol under MultiTOS and MagiC!3 onwards.
∙ 'Modern' dialogs in windows, non-modal with keyboard shortcuts.
'Tabs', 'Drop Down Listboxes' and 3D-look in suitable resolutions
have all been implemented.
∙ Almost all actions run in parallel or in the background: While Thing
is formatting a floppy disk you could call the font selector from
ST-Guide (so long as the system is set up correctly and you're using
a recent version of ST-Guide) and select a new font by selecting
Alternate + Y (not Z as shown in ST-Guide's menu, which only
applies to German and some other foreign keyboards!).
∙ Icons of any desired size in a normal GEM resource file. Colour and
'animated' icons are also supported. The assignment to files and
folders is achieved by icon labels, so that the resource file can be
altered or supplemented without problems.
∙ 'Object groups' to hold several files, folders and programs in
common windows -- effectively a 'desktop in a window'.