+--------------------------------------------+ | FI2config v2.10 (FileInfo II configurator) | | (c) 1994-1998 Thierry Godefroy. | +--------------------------------------------+ A.- LEGAL STUFF ~~~~~~~~~~~ a.- Copyright notice: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FI2config v2.10 is a freeware, it is NOT in the public domain. This software is copyright (c) 1994-1998 Thierry Godefroy, all rights reserved in all countries. You are granted a restrictive and limited license to: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - use this software free of charge for your own usage and/or in your own programs (including commercial and shareware programs); - make as many copies of this software as you like; - give to others as many copies of this software as you like, by any means you like (BBS, Internet, disks, CD-ROM, software libraries, etc...); provided however that: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - when you incorporate my software into yours, this is mentioned; - any copy given to another person be entire and unmodified, i.e. contains all the unmodified files of this software, including this copyright notice; - any copy given to another person be so on a non-profit and no benefit basis (i.e. you may charge for the media and mailing cost ONLY); - you do not claim for any ownership/rights on this software and you do not place any restriction on its further distribution. b.- Disclaimers: ~~~~~~~~~~~ The author cannot be held liable for any loss or damage -direct or not- resulting from the use of this program or its documentation. Although carefully tested, this program is not guaranteed being bug free. This software is free, use it at your own risks or just don't use it at all. c.- Misc.: ~~~~~ FI2config has been compiled with Qliberator v3.36 (c) 1991 Liberation Software. The menus have been created with Easy- Ptr v3.50 (c) 1991 Albin Hessler Software. This program runs under "Qjump extended environment" (c) QJUMP Ltd and uses "Qmenu" (c) 1989-96 Jochen Merz if present in your system. B.- GENERAL FEATURES & REQUIREMENTS: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FI2config v2.10 allows you to configure FileInfo II v3.1x. To run, this program needs the Extended Environment (PTR_GEN, WMAN and HOT_REXT), the Toolkit II and Qlib_run (v3.36mod at least). These files must either be in ROM or loaded once for all as resident procedures. Version "3.36mod(ified)" of QLib_run rectifies two bugs of v3.36 which prevented to get the error code with ERNUM (ERNUM was in fact equivalent to ERLIN !). "FI2config" will not trap errors properly without this version 3.36mod which will replace any former versions with benefit (total ascending compatibility). You can check the version of QLib_run installed by typing the Super Basic command "Q_L". Although the QMenu extensions (MENU_REXT) can be dispensed with, they greatly ease the use of the program thanks to their file selector. The "MENU_REXT" file can be found in some commercial software ("QD" for instance). Furthermore you must load the FileInfo II thing in memory (with something like: LRESPR FileInfo2_bin) before trying to configure it. C.- USING FI2config: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1.- The help menu: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Four buttons allow to: - return to the main menu, - read again the help file from the start, - display the next page, - display the next line. 2.- The main menu: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The top left four buttons respectively enable to move the menu around, to leave the program, to call this help menu ("?" button) and to make the program dormant and reduce its display size to a button one (the "zzz" button that can be activated if - and only if - QPAC2 has been loaded). The bottom left four buttons entitle you to load and save FileInfo II either from/to a file or from/to memory. The current FileInfo II data base is not changed until you save the data to memory from FI2config or you LRESPR a new "FileInfo2_bin" file. 2.1.- The "Extensions" window: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The left window ("Extensions") entitles you to choose the extension to be configured. When FI2config starts, it loads the current FileInfo II data base from memory and presents you with the known extensions. If FI2config was passed a filename in its command line (e.g. EX FI2config_obj;"my_filename") then the extension of this filename is extracted and FI2config either selects the corresponding extension as the current one (if this exten- sion already exists in the FileInfo II database) or creates a new extension and prompts for the first action name. If "my_filename" did not get any extension, then FI2config will select the joker extension ("*"), or create it if needed. If no command line was passed to FI2config, then the first extension of the data base is selected as the current one in the FI2config menu. Some empty slots (11 or 12) are allocated by FI2config into the "Extensions" window each time a new data base is loa- ded. This entitles you to add new extensions to the data base; if this number of free slots is not enough, then you will have to save (either to file or memory) and to load back the current configuration so that new empty slots are allocated. Issuing a "hit event" (left mouse button or space bar) on an extension name into the "Extensions" window selects it as the current extension and makes FI2config updating the windows so to reflect the current data configuration for this extension. Issuing a "do event" (right mouse button or ENTER) on an extension name (or issuing a hit on an empty slot), allows to edit the extension name. If you enter an empty string for this extension name then the extension and all its associated data will be cleared and the corresponding slot in the "Extensions" window will be made empty. Valid extension names are made up of one to four alpha- numeric characters ("a" to "z" and "0" to "9"). There is no theoretical limit to the number of extensions you can have in one FileInfo II data base but FI2config will not allow for more than 32767 extensions (limitation due to the SBASIC arrays maximum index value). 2.2.- The "Actions" window: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This window holds the names of the actions associated with the current (selected) extension. When you hit an action name, FI2config updates all the other windows/buttons so to reflect the associated fields for this action. Issuing a do event on a name entitles to edit it. An action may be removed from the list by leaving its name empty. Note though that it is not allowed to suppress all the actions associated with an extension (there must be at least one action associated with each extension). There is always one empty slot into the action list; this allows to add new actions (an empty slot is added each time a new action is added). You may associate up to 32767 (!) actions to each extension. Special action types may be selected by selecting either the , the or the button. If neither of these buttons are selected, then the action type will be either one of the "normal" ones (if the button is selected) or the "Pick job" one (if the button is selected). Once you entered the action name and chosen its type, you may then fill in the associated action fields as described below. 2.3.- The "Mandatory/forbidden job name" field: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When comes the time to "execute" a file (the "file to process"), FileInfo II scans for all the possible actions associated with the file to process extension. If the "Mandatory/forbidden job name" field of the considered action is not empty then FileInfo II checks for the name of the calling job and rejects the action either if this name is not matching the field and the name is Mandatory, or if this name is matching the field and the name is forbidden. The actual meaning of this field (mandatory or forbidden) is to be specified at configuration time from FI2config by selecting either the or the button. The comparison between the calling job name and this field contents is case independent and only the number of letters of the field contents are checked (i.e., if the field holds "QD " and the calling job name is "QD myfile_txt", then a match will be reported as the comparison only takes place on the first three characters of the job name, here "QD "). Issuing either a hit or a do event on this window will entitle you to edit the job name. 2.4.- The "Thing to launch/Job to pick" field: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The purpose of this field is to hold the name of a thing or a job that FileInfo II must launch/pick in order to set up the "processing job" which will be responsible for proces- sing the "file to process". The actual meaning of the field (thing or job name) is to be specified thanks to the and buttons. Note that only executable things may be launched by FileInfo II (there is an exception though: if the calling job is QD then QD2M and QD5T things may also be launched). 2.5.- The "Executable file to load" field: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This field is to contain the name of the executable file that FileInfo II will load in order to set up the "processing job" when FileInfo II failed to launch the thing or to pick the job which name was in the previous field (or when no name was in that previous field). Issuing either a hit event on this window will entitle you to edit the filename, while issuing a do event will pop up the QMenu file selector (if QMenu is present) so to allow you to choose the file. 2.6.- The "Command line" field: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This field holds the command line that will be sent by FileInfo II to the processing job in order to instruct it how to process the "file to process". Note that for the action type, this command line will be sent to the S(uper)BASIC interpreter (job 0). The command line may be either put on the processing job stack (if the button is selected) before its activation, or stuffed into its keyboard queue after its activation. If the processing job allows for both methods to be used, then you should use the stack method as it is by far the cleanest one. The "Command line" sub-menu: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When issuing either a hit or a do event on the "Command line" window, the "Command line" sub-menu is popped up. This sub-menu contains 9 buttons and one editing window. The upper left three buttons are (from left to right): - the exit button to return to the main menu and validate the new command line. - the "cursor" button to trigger the command line editing and activate the cursor in the editing window. While the cursor is active the pointer is hidden and may be activated back by moving the mouse or keying-in the "·" character (with on a QL). - the BACKSPACE button enabling to erase the last symbol or character in the command line. The other buttons enable to insert the special symbols recognized by FileInfo II into the command line. All these symbols (except "·") may be entered directly with the keyboard from the editing window. The buttons are just there to save you to remember what special symbol is associated with a particular key combination... - : orders to insert the name of the "file to process" in the command line. The associated symbol for this button is "¾". - : same as above but the name without its extension is inserted instead. The associated symbol for this button is "¼". - : same as above but the name without its device is inserted instead. The associated symbol for this button is "½". - : same as above but the name without device neither extension is inserted. The associated symbol for this button is "¿". - : orders to insert a random number (4 characters from 0 to 9). This may be useful for some programs (like Xchange) that asks for a different parameter each time that a new file is to be loaded, example: a temporary file name, a task name (Xchange), a keyword, etc... Of course you may give the filename (or a part of it) as a parameter but this parameter is perhaps limited to a given number of characters (this is the case with Xchange which allows 8 chars max.)... - : orders to insert a pause when stuffing the command line into the keyboard queue. The corresponding symbol must be followed with a number (1 to 9) which gives the pause length (in seconds), then when you hit this button, the editing window cursor is activated, enabling you to enter the number. Of course this button is unavailable if you chose to pass the command line onto the job stack. The associated symbol for this button is "·". 2.7.- The "Requested file type" field: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This field decides whether or not the action must be retai- ned as a possible action depending on the "file to process" type (FTYP). If the "irrelevant" item is selected then FileInfo II will not take care about the file type and the action will be retained (provided that the "Mandatory/for- bidden job name" field also matches). If any other item is selected then FileInfo II will check the file type of the "file to process". This field is very useful when used with the "joker" extension ("*"). 2.8.- The "Redirections" fields: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These fields are used when the button is selected to tell FileInfo II to put as well some channel Ids together with the command line on the processing job stack BEFORE activating it. These channel Ids are usually used by the processing job to redirect its input/output. You may choose to put 0 (no redirection) or 1 to 3 channel Ids on the processing job stack (for C68 compiled programs, this will allow to redirect stdin, stdout and stderr). Whatever the number of Ids (1 to 3), the same Id will be put on the stack each time: this Id is either the Id passed by the "calling job" (the job that invoked FileInfo II), if any, or a S(uper)BASIC (job 0) Id (from #1 to #15). 2.9.- The "On returning from FileInfo II" buttons: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The button will instruct FileInfo II to pick back the "calling job" (the job that invoked FileInfo) after starting the "processing job" and/or stuffing the "command line" into the keyboard queue. The button will instruct FileInfo II to wait for the "processing job" termination before returning back to the "calling job". The button allows to disable (when unselected) the history recording for the current action (there is also a mean to disable the history for ALL the actions but this button entitles to do so on a per-action basis). This is useful for actions that change the name of the "file to process" or even move/delete this file (the history records the file to process name together with the action name; if the filename is not valid any more, there is no point to record it and waste resources...). 3.- The selection keys: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To make the use without a mouse easier, the buttons and the windows can be selected with the following keys: "Move" button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : CTRL F4 "Flash" button (help menu) . . . . . . . . . . : CTRL F2 "Sleep" button () . . . . . . . . . . . . : CTRL F1 "Exit" button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : ESC "Help " button () . . . . . . . . . . . . . : F1 "Next page" button (help menu) . . . . . . . . : P "Next line" button (help menu) . . . . . . . . : L button . . . . . . . . . . . . : B button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : X button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : I button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : M button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : D button . . . . . . . . . . . : H button . . . . . . . . . . . . . : J button . . . . . . . . . : P button. . . . . . . . . . . : K button. . . . . . . . . . . : W "Extensions" window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . : E "Actions" window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : A "Mandatory or forbidden job name" window . . . : N "Thing to launch or Job to pick" window. . . . : O "Executable file to load" window . . . . . . . : F "Command line" window. . . . . . . . . . . . . : C "Cursor" button (command line editing menu). . : TAB "Back space" button (cmd line editing menu). . : CTRL ¼ or BACKSPACE button (cmd line editing menu) : R button (cmd line edit. menu) : N button (cmd line editing menu) : D button (cmd line editing menu) . . : E button (cmd line editing menu). . . : X button (cmd line editing menu). . . . . : A button (error alert box). . . . . . . . . : O button (confirmation box). . . . . . . . : Y button (confirmation box) . . . . . . . . : N 4.- Errors: ~~~~~~~ When an error arises an alert box appears. You can exit it by hitting the "OK" button. D.- UPGRADING FROM AN OLD FILEINFO (II) THING: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From time to time new versions of FileInfo II will be released and you may want to upgrade without loosing the previous version configuration. Here is how to do this: Step A: =-=-=-= 1.- With old QL ROMs: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With these buggy ROMs, when you LRESPR new PROC/FN with the same name as older ones, the old PROC/FN will stay in force. Because of this, you will have to follow these steps: Let's assume as an example that your boot file holds the following line: 250 LRESPR win1_sys_FileInfo_bin - First, copy the file holding the old FileInfo thing together with your configuration into a safe place (i.e. another directory or a floppy disk). In our example, you could do: COPY win1_sys_FileInfo_bin TO win1_tmp_FileInfo_bin - Then overwrite the old file with the new "FileInfo2_bin" file. In our example, you would have to do: COPY_O flp1_FileInfo2_bin TO win1_sys_FileInfo_bin - Reboot your computer. - Then Jump to step B. 2.- With modern QL ROMs and SMSQ(/E): ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - Install first the new FileInfo II thing code in your system (just "LRESPR FileInfo2_bin", there is no need for you to reset your computer). - Then Jump to step B. Step B: =-=-=-= - EXECute FI2config_obj(you must execute the FI2config ver- sion joined with the NEW FileInfo II release). - Load the file holding the OLD FileInfo II version (or FileInfo v2.xx) together with your configured data into FI2config. You will then see your extensions and associated data in the FI2config windows. - Edit/add extensions/actions (you will probably wish to rename the actions to more sensible names than "Action 1" and "Action 2"). - Save a configured copy to file, the saved file now holds the new FileInfo II thing code with your old data base (which as been converted into the new "FIv3" data base format). - Now you may either save the configuration to memory from FI2config or reboot your computer to install FileInfo II again. Please note that this applies only to old FileInfo II releases from v1.8 onwards and to FileInfo releases from v2.00 onwards, and NOT to FileInfo v1.xx NOR to FileInfo II from v1.0 to 1.7. E.- CONFIGURATION: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "FI2config" is configurable with "CONFIG" (level 1) which is the configuration software common to the most of the programs running under the Extended Environment. The configurable parameters are the following: - The help file name, - The default name for the file holding FileInfo II thing. If this name is an empty string, FI2config will use the default DATA_USE directory together with the "FileInfo2_bin" filename. That's it ! You know everything ! For any suggestions or remarks, you can contact me on QLCF BBS (2:2503/402.2 or 2:252/67.7) or on Internet (email: godefroy@imaginet.fr, Web site: http://www.imaginet.fr/~godefroy). Thierry Godefroy.