TOS DESKTOP SURVIVAL KIT
ATARI TOS DESKTOP
SURVIVAL KIT
***********************
A GUIDE TO THE DESKTOP.INF AND
NEWDESK.INF FILES
by Thomas J Hopper
CONTENTS
--------
Legalities - Rights, etc.
Welcome - An introduction of sorts
DESKTOP/NEWDESK Basics - Get to know the INF files
Editing the INF File - Basics about editing the INF files
The Keyboard and Installing Apps - Keyboard functions
Neat Hacks - Some suggestions
INF File Composition - Explanation of INF file structure
Annotated NEWDESK.INF file - A real-life example
LEGALITIES
----------
I make no warranty as to the usefulness or accuracy of this document.
copyright ½ 1994 Thomas J Hopper
This file may only be distributed in its entirety and at no charge.
No portion of this document may be distributed for profit without the
explicit permission of the author.
WELCOME!
--------
There are lots of things you can do with the new Atari desktops (and
with the old ones!); almost as much as with a replacement desktop like
NeoDesk¿ from Gribnif Software! Unfortunately, the manuals Atari
gives us with the computers don't tell you about all of these great
features. I will try to rectify this deficiency.
I have compiled as much information on the NEWDESK.INF file that I
could, and thrown in some info on TOS 2.06. This file focuses on
Atari's NEWDESK.INF file, and in particular on TOS 2.06, since they
are what I have. If you don't have TOS 2.06, don't worry; most of the
really useful info in here is applicable to *all* versions of TOS, and
some info specific to TOS 4.0x is included, too. I have tried to
point out where information may be specific only to certain versions
of TOS. With this as a reference, you should be able to modify your
DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file to do almost anything with your desktop!
I have learned all of this partly through trial and error, and partly
through discussions on online services. A lot of the information came
to me by way of the NEWDESK topic on GEnie in the Atari Roundtable.
GEnie, by the way, is an excellent source of information and support
for the Atari line of computers; being the only official online Atari
service, there are more Atarians there than anywhere else. I highly
recommend this service. I suppose I should state that I have no
connection with GEnie other than as a satisfied user. Another
excellent source of info and programs is the Internet, where Atarians
from all over the world can (and do!) converse and share programs.
If you find that something is wrong, please let me know! If you see
something I missed, or if you think I should include some information
that isn't in here, let me know that, too. And of course, suggestions
are always welcome. When contacting me, include your machine type,
TOS, GEM, AES, MiNT, and MultiTOS versions (whichever apply). This
will help me decipher different, unknown parameters. If you don't
know some of this information or don't have MiNT or something, don't
let that stop you from contacting me! But please, try to include at
least the TOS version (TOS date will suffice, if necessary; just give
me the copyright dates in the "Desktop Info..." menu). Also include
your name and some way that I can get in touch with you, such as email
address or postal address.
I can be reached at:
GEnie T.HOPPER
Internet hopper_t@msupa.pa.msu.edu
or
Thomas Hopper
2910 BeauJardin #203
Lansing, MI, USA 48910
DESKTOP/NEWDESK BASICS
----------------------
The DESKTOP.INF and NEWDESK.INF files in Atari computers contain all
the information your computer needs to configure itself. It contains
all the names, positions and (for appropriate TOS versions) icon
numbers for your desktop icons. It stores all the info on Installed
Apps, desktop icons, and window positions (even for windows that have
been closed!). If you leave a window open when saving the desktop,
the location, current directory, and file mask (for those versions of
TOS that support masks) are saved. It stores info on whether or not
the key click and system bell are turned on, the repeat rate for key
clicks, mouse double click rate and tracking rate, current resolution,
keyboard shortcuts for menu items (in TOS >= 2.0x), and lots more. In
short, it stores every peice of information that you can configure
from the desktop or the standard Atari Control Panel.
When you boot up your machine, the computer loads in auto programs and
then reads the DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF (hereafter referred to collectively
as simply "INF") file for information on resolution, windows, etc. If
you have Atari's Control Panel (or a replacement), the key repeat
rate, printer and serial port configuration, and other information is
also loaded from the INF file and configured.
To change the INF file, you need simply alter a setting from either
the Control Panel (not the extensible control panel, however) or one
of the desktop menus, and then select "Save Desktop." If you do this
several times and display the INF file after each save, you will get a
feel for which changes to the desktop correspond to changes in the INF
file. Before doing this, of course, make a backup of your original
INF file by renaming it to DESKTOP.INX. This way if you somehow
"break" the INF file, you can always be sure to have a working one
handy.
You can view the file directly from the desktop; the INF file is
simply an ASCII file! This means that not only is everything in the
file plainly visible from the desktop, but you can load it into just
about any word processor, text editor, or DTP program and edit it by
hand. This has the advantage of allowing you to make certain changes
that the desktop doesn't allow for. If you're really familiar with
the INF file, you can also make multiple changes in much less time
than it would take you from the desktop. The editor, however, must be
able to load and save files in ASCII format, and it must not strip
trailing spaces from lines (more on this in a moment).
One important bit of information to know and understand when editing
the INF file is how TOS reads and applies the information in it.
Not surprisingly, the INF file acts as a filter, through which TOS
sifts programs and files to apply various actions (running files,
assigning icons, etc.). What *is* surprising is that these filters work
in reverse order from what you see in the INF file. The *last* entry
in the INF file is the *first* filter applied! The way this works is
as follows:
For icon assignments, TOS reads from the end of the file to the
beginning, comparing each file in a directory to each filter (icon
assignment) until a match is found. When TOS finds a match, it
moves on to the next file. So if you have a program SQUISHII.APP,
and assign an icon to it, that assignment should go toward the end
of the file, that way it will be filtered out early on. If you
have an icon assingment like #I xx xx xxx @ *.*@ @ *below* the
assignment for SQUISHII.APP, then SQUISHII.APP will be filtered out
at the *.* (and assigned that icon) rather than at #I xx xx xxx @
SQUISHII.APP@ @ . Hence, you would never see the special icon you
assigned to SQUISHII.APP. This is important to understand, for two
reasons. The first is that when editing the INF file, you want to
work down the file from most general to most specific; getting this
order wrong will give you results other than what you wanted. The
other reason is that when you make an icon assignment from the
desktop, it is saved at the end of the INF file. If you were to
make lots of assignments, then do a generic (*.*) icon assignment,
all your files would use the generic icon (until you edited the INF
file to have *.* be the last filter applied).
For program assignments, TOS reads the INF file in the same way as
for icons, and applies filters in the same way. When you double
click on a file (whether it's executable or not), TOS starts
looking for matches from the bottom of the INF file and works its
way to the top. If you were to install a program VIEWER.APP for
file type *.*, this assignment would be saved at the end to the INF
file, and hence be the first filter TOS saw; all files, no matter
what type they were, would cause VIEWER.APP to run and they would
be loaded in to it. This is true even for PRGs, APPs, TOSs, etc.;
in the INF file, these are just treated as applications installed
with no file type. As with icons, if you edit the INF file make
sure you work from most general at the top of the INF file to most
specific at the bottom.
EDITING THE INF FILE
--------------------
Before you begin editing your INF file, make sure that you have a
backup of you current, working version! It is possible (and fairly
easy, really) to change the INF file so that the computer will become
"confused" and not boot!
Probably the first thing to remember when editing your INF file is
that NEWDESK.INF can't be larger than 4kb (4096 bytes), and starts
causing trouble with the system around 3900 bytes. Similarly, the
DESKICON.RSC can only be 64kb (65536 bytes). The newer DESKCICN.RSC
(the color icon resource for TOS 4.0x and up) can be larger than this,
though I don't know if there is a limit. If you try to exceed the
limit, you'll get "Out Of Memory" errors and lots of headaches.
On earlier versions of TOS (less than 2.0x), the limit on DESKTOP.INF
is even more restrictive; it can't be larger than 1kb (1024 bytes)!
However, you also don't have a lot of icon assignments eating up that
space, so it's a fair trade.
One excellent way around this is to have a directory full of different
INF files; a specific one for each task. If you put only those
application and icon assignments necessary for a particular task, you
should have no problem avoiding the size limit. To switch between INF
files, then you can just install either Charles F Johnson's shareware
product Desk Switch 1.1 or Klaus Pederson's public domain Load Inf as
the application for file types of *.INF. That way, when you want to
change to a different task, just double click on the appropriate INF
file, and away you go with all the key assignments, installed apps,
desktop icons, and icon assignments you want for that task.
Another way around this is to get a program like GEMRAM, which loads
GEM into RAM, and the program Shell Buffer (SHBUFxxx.PRG), which lets
you configure the allowed size of the INF file.
Both solutions should work great on any Atari, and both have their
advantages and disadvantages. Give them both a try and see which
works best for you.
Something else to keep in mind when editing your INF file is that TOS
expects to find certain formats at certain locations in the file.
Line #d, for instance, has to have a certain number of spaces in it
since TOS looks roughly 124 bytes into the INF file for the next line
(#Z if you have TOS >=1.04 and a program set to auto boot, or #K for
the menu key equivalents). That number for the bytes, incidently,
also includes carriage returns (EOL characters). Before changing your
desktop file, be sure you know *exactly* how many spaces belong in
line #d; the wrong number can produce unpredictable results and fatal
errors. To find out, of course, just load the file into a text editor
that doesn't strip trailing spaces (Word Writer, Alice, Everest, and
tons more) and start counting!
Most other lines (but not all of them) in the INF file require a
trailing space, so if you edit your file be sure to know which ones
need a space and which ones don't.
What this all means, of course, is that if you edit your DESKTOP.INF
or NEWDESK.INF file make sure you're using an editor that doesn't
strip trailing spaces, and which saves files as ASCII text. And, as
always, KEEP A BACKUP OF YOUR ORIGINAL INF FILE!
THE KEYBOARD AND INSTALLING APPS
--------------------------------
With the newer TOS versions, you can open a drive into a window by
pressing <Alt> and the drive letter. If you want to open a drive into
the current top window, you don't have to close the window and then
open the drive; just hold down <Cntrl> and press the drive letter!
The window will automatically be changed to the root directory of
whatever drive you selected.
With TOS versions 2.0x and up, Atari has made it possible to assign a
keyboard equivalent to any of the desktop menu items. That way you
can select a file and hit "I" to get info on it. Unfortunately, the
mneumonics can get pretty complicated, since there are also items that
could use "I" like "Show as Icons" and "Install Icon." "D" could be
used for "Sort by Date," "Delete," and "Install Devices." The
desktop appears to only allow normal characters (capital A through Z)
for these assignments, which gets pretty limiting. Luckly, you can
also use control-key combinations! When changing the menu assignments
in the Desktop Configuration menu, just hold down the <control> key
while pressing your key. Now, instead of accidently deleting a file
by pressing "D," you can assign <cntrl><delete> (or <cntrl><D>, if yo
prefer) to "Delete," and never have to worry about accidentally
deleting a file!
Take note! If you use a control-key combo for a particular menu item,
that combo will no longer be available for normal desktop usage. For
instance, if you assign <cntrl><D> to "Show by Date," <cntrl><D> will
no longer be used to open drive D into the currently active window,
instead it will be used to delete selected files.
Remember:
Alternate + (A-P) = Open the drive's directory into a window
Control + (A-P) = Open the drive's directory in the active window
You can get all of the normal Desktop key commands by pressing <help>
while at the Desktop.
Not only can you assign a key combo to "Delete," you can also remove
the trash icon completely, and free up space for more important icons!
Just select the Trash icon and then the menu item "Remove Icon." In
fact, since TOS versions 2.0x and up allow you to open drives by
pressing <alternate> and the drive letter, you can remove all the
drive icons, too, and replace them with programs, folders, and files!
If you need to actually see what's on drive D, just press <Alt><D>.
Something users of *any* TOS version can do is install more than one
document type for an application! To do this, first install the
application for one of the filetypes you want. Then load the
DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file into an ASCII editor. Make a copy of the
installed application line, making sure to keep all the copies
together with the original in the .INF file. It will look something
like:
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PI3@ @
Then rename the installed file type ("*.PI3") to whatever other file
type you want. Make sure to keep all of these lines together. After
doing this a few times, you might have the following lines in your
.INF file:
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PI?@ @
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PC?@ @
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.GIF@ @
Editing your INF file manually like this is the only way to install
one application for more than one file type, since using "Install
Application" from the desktop will just overwrite any previous
assignment, rather than adding to it.
Of course, instead of installing an application for a particular
extender, you might try editing the lines for a particular *prefix*!
You could do something like:
#G 03 04 000 C:\UTILS\FILE_VIE.WER\AV380.PRG@ READ*.*@ @
So that whenever you double clicked on a file like "READ.ME", ASCII
View 3.80 would be run and the file loaded into it for viewing!
In fact, you can replace the Desktop's boring old [ SHOW | PRINT |
CANCEL] by installing an application for all file types. Be careful;
since this works as a catch-all, you have to make sure that such an
installation is the *last* line TOS checks when you double click.
That means it has to be the first application line in the .INF file
(remember, TOS uses the DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file as a sort of filter,
working from the end of the .INF to the beginning. Basically, the
place to install an app like this is the line just before the *.APP,
*.PRG, *.TOS, etc. is defined. See the annotated INF file below for an
example.
NEAT HACKS
----------
In any version of TOS you can, of course, change the name of any
desktop icon to anything you want. This is true of the Trash can,
which can be renamed HAZARD or whatever you want. It's also true of
any programs or folders you put on the desktop (in TOS >= 2.0x); Just
look at the line of the INF file where that file/folder appears. It
will look something like:
#X 07 01 7B FF C:\UTILS\VIEWERS\VIEWER.PRG@ VIEWER.PRG@
The name seen on the desktop will be "VIEWER.PRG." You can change
this to "SEE IT!" just by changing the line to something like:
#X 07 01 7B FF C:\UTILS\VIEWERS\VIEWER.PRG@ SEE IT!@
Of course, as I said above, you don't really need the trash or drive
icons on TOS >= 2.0x, so why not just get rid of them? You can free
up tons of space on the desktop for commonly used programs, files, and
folders. It also has the nice side-affect of freeing up space in your
INF file, allowing you to have a few more lines of icon or application
assignments. This is a great tip for people who use Desk Switch or
Load Inf; you can replace the drive icons with INF file icons,
allowing you easy access not to your drives but to the work you need
to do.
One feature that deserves to be recognized, though it isn't a hack, is
the drag and drop feature of TOS >= 2.0x. With this feature, you can
put your commonly used programs on the desktops and then just drag the
file you want to work on over the app (until the app is highlighted),
then "drop" the file. This has the advantage of requiring fewer steps
to get working, as well as not requiring you to install the
application in the INF file, thereby saving a few bytes of space.
Create INF files specific to programs, put them all in a common
folder, and use Desk Switch or Load Inf to switch between them. You
can have a DTP.INF, WORDPROC.INF, GEMDRAW.INF, DEGAS.INF, TELECOM.INF,
UNARC.INF, etc. This frees up a lot of space in any particular INF
file. And with each INF, each type of file used with that task can
have its own unique icon, so it's easy to distinguish file types, and
you can also have all the installed application info you want! Using
just one INF file really limits you in what you can do, so make more!
Reset your keyboard-equivalents for the desktop menus so they make
sense! Use normal keys for one menu, and <cntrl>-key combos for the
other. You can even try <shft><cntrl>-key combos. Require two keys
to be pressed when deleting or formating.
Get a resource editor (like MKRSC; this works with TOS 4.0x icons) and
build your own icons, then assign them by hex number to files in your
INF file.
Put a folder on the the desktop and save the INF file. Then edit the
INF file so that the line containing that folder begins with #X
instead of #V. Now when you double click on the folder, the default
document displayer is run, and the contents of the folder are loaded
in a batch mode. This is an excellent way of viewing new pictures or
text files! You can even use masks to control what sort of files load
in. Of course, your viewer has to be capable of processing batch
jobs.
Make yourself a blank icon (no mask, nothin'). You can now assign
short notes to the name of the icon, such as Fkey assignments, short
reminders, and whatnot. If you have TOS >= 2.0x, you can put these
"sticky notes" on the desktop, too. They are easily editable from the
desktop.
INF FILE COMPOSITION
--------------------
Below is a (fairly) complete explanation of the lines in the
DESKTOP.INF or NEWDESK.INF files. Some parameters only apply to
specific versions of TOS. Compare what's below to what is already in
your .INF file, and if it's not already there, DON'T ADD IT! TOS
expects certain lines to have a particular format, and adding to these
lines can confuse TOS and give you headaches. On the other hand,
deleting things can have the same effect, so don't do that either.
Where a description is given by "bits," the following procedure will
produce the needed hexidecimal number:
start with the high bit (e.g. bit "7"), and begin writing down
the desired configuration as a binary number (1's and 0's) from
left to right. Unlisted bits should not be changed. When the
number is complete, convert it to hex. Any decent calculator
will do this without a fuss.
For example: For the "Other configuration parameters" (see
below), I want bit 4 set to "filname," so I write a 0; bit 3 I
want set to "top window", so to the right of the zero I write
another 0; then bit 2 I set "size to fit" on, so I write a 1 to
the right of bit 3; bit 1 is not listed so I write a 1 (since
that's what it was originally); finally bit 0 I want set to
"sort on," so I write a 0. The resulting number is "00110." I
set my calculator to "bin" and plug this number in, then convert
it to hex (by changing the calculator mode to "hex"). The
resulting number, which goes in the fourth column of line #E is
06.
If you aren't familiar with doing this, I suggest you try it out a
couple times and compare it with what's already in your desktop file.
Don't try changing anything until you are confident you can get it
right! Wrong values can do unpredictable things to your system,
including causing it to crash!
I have been unable to determine the usage of some bits. In these
cases, I list the bit with a question mark and give the current value
in my NEWDESK.INF file. Yours may be different, so check it and use
whatever your INF file uses. To check it, convert the current hex
value to binary: the rightmost number is bit 0, the digit to the left
of that is bit 1, and so on. Converting hex 06 to bin is 110: bit 0 =
0; bit 1 = 1, bit 2 = 1, bit 3 = 0 (not shown), and bit 4 = 0 (also
not shown).
And remember, if you find you've made a mistake, just delete the
broken .INF file and re-load the old version that you backed up.
All "@" symbols must be followed by a space.
=====================================================================
Keyboard equivalents (available on TOS >= 2.0x)
#K xx xx xx xx ... @
next 28 columns = hexidecimal value of kbd equiv. (00 = none)
next 2 columns = 00
next column = Video prefs. key (not on all TOS versions)
last column = @
=====================================================================
Video settings (some features not available on some versions of TOS)
#E PR BR xx OP LD CM xx xx xx...
PR = Preferences (Confirm file copy, delete, and overwrite; display
options)
bit 7: show files as
1 = show as text 0 = show as icons
bits 6,5: sort
00 = by name 01 = by date
10 = by size 11 = by type
bit 4: confirm deletes
1 = yes 0 = no
bit 3: confirm copy
1 = yes 0 = no
bit 2: ?
0
bit 1: ?
0
bit 0: confirm overwrites
0 = yes 1 = no
B = Blitter
1 = on 0 = off
R = Resolution #
1 = ST Low or RGB 320 x 200
2 = ST Med or RGB 640 x 200
3 = ST Hi or RGB 640 x 400
4 = Falcon 80 col x 240 or 480
5 = TT monochrome(?)
6 = Falcon 40 col x 240 or 480
OP = Other configuration parmaters
bit 4: Input parameter (from "Desktop Config")
0 = filename 1 = pathname
bit 3: Default directory (from "Desktop Config")
0 = Top Window 1 = Application
bit 2: Size to fit
0 = off 1 = on
bit 1: ?
1
bit 0: Sort on, off
0 = Sort on 1 = Sort off
LD = Line Doubling or Interlace
00 = Line Doubling or Intlace off
01 = Line Doubling or Intlace on
CM
bit 7 - ST Compatibility:
0 = non-compatible; 1 = ST compatibility on
bit 4: Hardware Select
0 = RGB mode 1 = VGA mode
bit 3: nuber of text columns
0 = 40 columns 1 = 80 columns
bits 0-2: number of available colors
000 = 2 colors
001 = 4
010 = 16
011 = 256
100 = Truecolor mode
==================================================
Desktop & Window settings
#Q xx xx xx xx DC WB
D = Desktop Background Pattern
0 = transparent 1 = Pattern #1
2 = Pattern #2 ... 7 = Solid
C = Desktop background color
0 = Color #1 1 = Color #2
A = Color #10 ... F = Color #16
W = Window Background Pattern
0 = transparent 1 = Pattern #1
2 = Pattern #2 ... 7 = Solid
B = Window background color
0 = Color #1 1 = Color #2
A = Color #10 ... F = Color #16
=====================================================================
Installed Applications have the following info
#n 04 04 000 C:\path\progname@ *.*@ @
Where #n is any of the following:
#G for GEM prg
#Y for GTP prg
#P for TTP prg
#F for TOS prg
The first 04 is the prg icon. Changing this has no effect
The second 04 is the document icon. Changing this has no effect.
Both of these should be set to the same value.
000 contains the following information :
First Digit - Number Meaning
0 Default Directory = Top Window
Parameter = Filename Only
1 Default Directory = Application
Parameter = Filename Only
2 Default Directory = Top Window
Parameter = Full Path
3 Default Directory = Application
Parameter = Full Path
Second and Third Digit = Function key assignment F1 to
shiftF10:
00 = no assignment 01 = F1
0A = F10 0F = F15
10 = F16 14 = F20
Following this is the full path and file name, followed immediately by
an "@" symbol. After the "@" is a space followed by the installed
document type (if any), followed by a second "@". Next comes another
space followed by any parameters that are to be passed to the program
(for GTP or TTP programs). Finally comes another "@" and a space.
For example,
#P FF 04 009 C:\PATH\VIEWER.TTP@ *.*@ @
would install the program VIEWER.TTP as the default document displayer
(this then supercedes the desktop [ SHOW | PRINT | CANCEL ]). This
line also sets VIEWER.TTP to run when F9 is pressed. There are no
parameters passed to this program.
===================================================
Default window icons-
Example: #G 03 03 000 @ *.PRG@ @
First column = type
#I = specific file or file type *
#N = non-specific file *
#D = folder
#G = Gem app
#Y = GTP app
#P = TTP app
#F = Tos app
second column = default icon # for #G, #F, #Y, #P
New default icon can be installed for app type by changing this #
third column = default icon # for #N, #D
New icon can be installed for non-prg files by changing this #
Both the second and third column should contain the same hexidecimal
number.
fourth column - function key assignment. Leave at 000 (no assingment)
fifth column - @ filename.ext@ @ wildcard
* #I assigns an icon to the specified file or file type. It does not
assign an action.
#N assigns an icon to the specified file or file type and specifies
it as a non-executable file. If the line
#N 0B 0B 000 @ *.*@ @
appears below the default lines for APP, PRG, etc. (i.e.
#G 03 FF 000 *.APP@ @ @
#G 03 FF 000 *.PRG@ @ @ etc.),
programs will not execute when double-clicked on.
=====================================================================
Desktop Icons-
Example: #X 08 02 18 FF C:\UTILS\VIEWER\VIEWER.PRG@ SEE IT!@
first column = type
#M = Storage Device
#T = Trash
#O = Printer
#X = Application
#V = Directory
second column = horizontal position in icon widths
third column = vertical position in icon widths
fourth column = Hex value of Icon number in DESKTOP.RSC
fifth column = FF (function unknown)
sixth column = Device ID (A-P) or space
Finally: full path and filename@ icon label@ (for a file or folder)
Device name@ @ (for a device)
======================================================================
Annotated NEWDESK.INF File:
---------------------------
#a000000
Stores serial communication info. Not very important since
the terminal program alters this info anyway.
#b000000
Printer Configuration:
digit \ setting 0 1
1 dot matrix daisy wheel
2 black & white color
3 1280 dpl 960 dpl
4 draft final
5 parallel serial
6 continuous single sheet
#c7770007000600070055200505552220770557075055507703111103
Color palette settings, mouse double-click response, key-click, bell
sound, key delay and key repeat rate.
#d
Reserved. Needs to have roughly forty-seven spaces since GEM looks
roughly 124 bytes into the file for the next line.
#Z 01 F:\RUNPROG\PROGRAM.PRG@
Program to Auto-run at bootup. Does not apply to TOS earlier than
1.04.
#K 4F 49 53 1F 46 20 43 00 41 4D 00 09 14 0E 04 13 05 0F 00 00 00 01
00 12 00 52 00 44 00 00 @
Keyboard assignments for desktop menu items. (should all be on one
line)
#E 50 13 00 06
Default screen resolution; window sorting method; show as icon
or text; confirm copies, deletes, etc. Second digit of the second
byte is for screen resolution: 13 = blitter on, ST High rez.
#Q 41 00 43 40 43 40
#W 00 00 02 07 4B 11 00 F:\RUNPROG\*.PRG@
#W 00 00 16 02 35 0B 00 @
#W 00 00 2E 0E 22 0A 00 @
#W 00 00 00 0C 21 0C 00 @
#W 00 00 00 04 4C 0C 00 @
#W 00 00 02 0D 4C 09 00 @
#W 00 00 0E 0F 2A 09 00 @
#W 00 00 06 01 34 09 00 @
Default window locations, sizes, and open directories and masks.
#P 03 04 000 C:\UTILS\FILE_VIE.WER\GUCK18\GUCK.TTP@ *.*@ @
This line installs Guck as the default file viewer. When the file is
double clicked on, TOS checks all the #G, #P, #Y, and #F assignments
below, and if the file doesn't match any of those, Guck is run and the
file is loaded in. Notice that it is the first assignment in the INF
file, and hence the last assigment TOS checks. If you moved this one
down a few lines (say, underneath #F 03 04 000 *.TOS@ @ @ ), you'd
never get any programs to run; everything (except the .INFs and
archives) would be loaded directly into Guck!
#G 03 FF 000 *.ACC@ @ @
- This line lets you run an ACC as a program, if the ACC is capable of it,
by double-clicking on the ACC in any window.
#G 03 FF 000 *.APP@ @ @
#G 03 FF 000 *.PRG@ @ @
#Y 03 FF 000 *.GTP@ @ @
#P 03 FF 000 *.TTP@ @ @
#F 03 04 000 *.TOS@ @ @
#G 03 A0 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\STZIP26\STZIP.PRG@ *.ZIP@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ARC@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.LZH@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ZOO@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ARJ@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\LOADINF\LOADINF.PRG@ *.INF@ @
Executable programs and programs to run when files with the
appropriate mask are opened. The second two digits of the third
column of numbers ("00" of the "200") is the hex number of the
function key assignment. "0A" would be F10.
Other parameters (for GTP or TTP) can be included before the last "@".
#D 0A 0A 000 @ *.*@ @
Default folder icon
#I 0B 0B 000 @ *.*@ @
Default file icon
#I 0C 0C 000 @ *.PR?@ @
#I 11 11 000 @ *.AC?@ @
#I 2E 2E 000 @ *.CPX@ @
#I 3A 3A 000 @ *.TTP@ @
#I 0D 0D 000 @ *.TOS@ @
#I 39 39 000 @ *.APP@ @
#I 39 39 000 @ *.PRG@ @
#I 12 12 000 @ *.ACC@ @
#I 52 52 000 @ READ*.*@ @
#I 52 52 000 @ *.ME@ @
#I 2C 2C 000 @ *.INF@ @
#I 13 13 000 @ *.RSC@ @
#I 3B 3B 000 @ DC*.*@ @
#I 1B 1B 000 @ *.HLP@ @
#I 6F 6F 000 @ G+*.*@ @
#I 3C 3C 000 @ DATADIET.*@ @
#I 46 46 011 @ WORDUP.PRG@ @
#I 49 49 004 @ QVIEW.PRG@ @
#I 51 51 000 @ SUPER*.PRG@ @
#I 63 63 002 @ PGS2.PRG@ @
#I 70 70 000 @ WARP9_ST.PRG@ @
#I 73 73 000 @ DFORMAT.PRG@ @
#I 3D 3D 00A @ SQUISHII.APP@ @
#I 6D 6D 001 @ TWOINONE.PRG@ @
File icons and function key assignments. Notice these act as filters
also, and hence files are applied from the bottom up. For example,
SQUISHII.APP is assigned icon 3D, but a file called SQUID.GHU doesn't
match any filter, it would be assigned the default icon 0B.
#D 4E 4E 000 @ TELECOMM@ @
#D 3E 3E 000 @ AUTO@ @
#D 37 37 000 @ CLIPBRD@ @
#D 53 53 000 @ ACCS@ @
#D 55 55 000 @ CPX@ @
#D 35 35 000 @ TEXTE@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ BILDER.PAD@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ MYDRAW@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ META@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ GRAPHICS.Z@ @
#D 4F 4F 000 @ GAMES@ @
Folder icon assignments. Again, assignment is from bottom to top.
#M 00 00 00 FF A FLOPPY DISK@ @
#M 01 00 02 FF C BOOT@ @
#M 02 00 02 FF D PUBLISHING@ @
#M 03 00 02 FF E FILES@ @
#M 04 00 02 FF F PROGRAMMING@ @
#M 05 00 02 FF G GRAPHICS@ @
#M 06 00 02 FF H TELECOM@ @
#M 05 01 05 FF M RAM DISK@ @
Drive icon, letter, position, and label assignments.
#O 06 01 08 FF PRINTER@ @
Printer icon, position, and label assignment.
#T 07 00 09 FF GARBAGE@ @
Trash icon, position, and label assignment.
#X 07 01 7B FF C:\UTILS\RECV_CAN\RT.PRG@ TRASH CAN@
Executable file on the desktop. Icon, position, and label assignment.
#V 04 01 3E FF C:\AUTO\SUPERBT\*.INF@ DESKTOP@
Directory folder on the desktop. Position, icon, pathname, and label
assignment.
COMMENTS
--------
Notice if a file is clicked on and is not a *.INF or one of the
listed archival types, TOS then checks to see if it is either TOS,
TTP, GTP, PRG, or APP (in that order), and if so executes it. If it
is not one of these, the remaining installation for types *.*
"catches" it, so GUCK will be run and the file will be loaded in.
This then replaces the desktop [ SHOW | PRINT |CANCEL]. Remember
that each of these acts as a filter and that TOS applies them from
*bottom* to top; so when you double-click on a file, TOS first checks
to see if it is *.INF, and if so runs LOADINF.PRG, then it checks for
type *.ARJ, then... through the executables (TOS, TTP, GTP, PRG, APP
in that order), and finally if the file wasn't one of those, TOS type
*.* (that's everything left) is loaded into GUCK.
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