[net.micro.amiga] Workbench Questions

new7582@ritcv.UUCP (Norman E Wright) (10/18/86)

(hope this works, I've only posted once before)  munch.


Some questions from a novice Amigaphile:

1) Is there a way to create a workbench icon which when 'opened' would
   execute a sequence script rather than running a program?
   
2) What would it take to create an icon or window which you could drag
   file icons over and drop there with the resulting action being that the
   file represented by the moved icon would be printed?
2a)If not 2), is there a program (something like DirUtil) which allows
   mouse selection from a list of files and a print button which causes
   the selected files to be printed? (If not, I might try writing it,
   but I have an immediate need, and I'm still quite new at this.)

If you can answer any of these, I'd prefer to see answers posted,
but if you'd rather send me mail, that's okay too.
   
Norm (Ned) Wright

carolyn@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Carolyn Scheppner) (10/30/86)

In article <106@ritcv.UUCP> new7582@ritcv.UUCP () writes:
>
>1) Is there a way to create a workbench icon which when 'opened' would
>   execute a sequence script rather than running a program?
>   
>2) What would it take to create an icon or window which you could drag
>   file icons over and drop there with the resulting action being that the
>   file represented by the moved icon would be printed?
>2a)If not 2), is there a program (something like DirUtil) which allows
>   mouse selection from a list of files and a print button which causes
>   the selected files to be printed? (If not, I might try writing it,
>   but I have an immediate need, and I'm still quite new at this.)


1)  Fish disk 31 contains Xicon by Peter Goodeve.  Xicon lets you
    "use icons to call up scripts containing CLI commands".
    
2)  This would be tough.  The WorkBench windows belong WorkBench and
    the results of various icon moves and manipulations in those
    windows are decided and carried out by the WorkBench process.
    And WorkBench won't let you move icons to non-WorkBench
    windows.  As an alternative, it would be fairly simple to
    write a program which would parse WorkBench arguments passed
    by icon extended selection and print the files.

    Check out Ticon by Peter Goodeve, also on Fish Disk 31.
    I have not seen it, but the description says it displays
    text files selected by icon.  Should be a simple mod to
    make it print them insteead.

3)  Haven't seen one.  Don't you like CLI ?
    ( cd directoryname,  dir,  copy filename to prt: )

-- 
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Carolyn Scheppner -- CBM   >>Amiga Technical Support<<
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pete@topaz.berkeley.edu (;;;;HC70) (10/30/86)

In article <106@ritcv.UUCP> new7582@ritcv.UUCP () writes:
>.....
>
>
>Some questions from a novice Amigaphile:
>
>1) Is there a way to create a workbench icon which when 'opened' would
>   execute a sequence script rather than running a program?
>   
> [other questions that I don't have answers for...]
>   
>Norm (Ned) Wright


I wrote a little program called Xicon, which Fred Fish has included on his
public domain disk #31, that should do exactly what you want.  You can
give any script file an icon, and run it by clicking on that.  Instructions
and examples are in the package on the disk.  Have fun with it.

Pete Goodeve
Berkeley

cmcmanis@sun.uucp (Chuck McManis) (11/01/86)

The question was posed :
>   
>2) What would it take to create an icon or window which you could drag
>   file icons over and drop there with the resulting action being that the
>   file represented by the moved icon would be printed?
>2a)If not 2), is there a program (something like DirUtil) which allows
>   mouse selection from a list of files and a print button which causes
>   the selected files to be printed? (If not, I might try writing it,
>   but I have an immediate need, and I'm still quite new at this.)
The answer is no, not like that you can't. Although you should send
it in as a suggestion. Probably the easiest way to implement it would
be like the trashcan, rather like a directory that when it has something
in it would begin to print out those things. The biggest difficulty is
that you probably don't know what it is that your printing. Ideally I 
should be able to move a Dpaint icon or a text file icon into this
thing and have it work correctly. You could look at the default tool
in the tool type field of the .info file but that only works if you
know the name of all the paint programs around. What you can do now
and is fairly straight forward is either write a program or an execute
script that prints  files and activate it by using extended select
on the things you want printed, and then double click the icon for
your print program. The workbench will forward the names of the
other icons to your program so that you can print them. Unfortunately
this is not available "right now" and so is probably not much help.
There is the added difficulty that many files (like C sources) have
no icon and thus can't be selected easily from the workbench.

-- 
--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.