
        
                        Runner -- A Desktop Alternative

        
                                  GEM MENU BAR

                             Files / Menus / Colors


                       Copyright (C) 1991 by Dave Thorson
                       Version 1.50         March 10, 1991


        Runner lets you use the traditional GEM menu bar for the most 
        common commands.  Notice that when you move the mouse into the 
        menu bar, the arrow turns into a pointing hand.  While the hand 
        is visible, you cannot select anything EXCEPT what's in the GEM 
        menus.  Press the left mouse button (outside of any pull-down 
        menus and below the menu bar) to change the hand back to an 
        arrow.


        
$$      Desk
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
          Desk     File     Menus     Colors
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
         | About....        |
         | Use Accessories  |
          ------------------
        
        Desk - About....

        Under Desk you will find About...   Click on it to see my name, 
        Runner's version number, and the approximate amount of free RAM 
        (Runner uses lots of stuff internally that gets cleared before a 
        program is run, and there's no good way to tell exactly how much 
        space will be available to the program -- this estimate may be 
        off by several thousand bytes).


        Desk - Use accessories

        Click on Use Accessories to get to any of the shaded desk 
        accessories in the Desk menu.  The screen will clear and a 
        single Desk menu will appear.  Accessories can be freely used 
        now, although many of them leave behind "holes" in the screen 
        (depending on your color choices).  Under the Desk menu, the 
        second item is now called End Accessories.  Click on this to 
        quit using accessories and get back to the Runner program.



$$      File
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
          Desk     File     Menus     Colors
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
                  | Load config    |
                  | Save config    |
                  | Background     |
                  | Installed Apps |
                  |----------------|
                  | Fix (rerun)    |
                   ----------------
        
        The File menu contains Load, Save, Installed Apps, Background 
        and Fix options.  Note that Quit is not available here as it is 
        in most File menus.  Exit Runner is available from the top level 
        Runner menu or by pressing the Undo key.


$$      File - Load config

        Load lets you load RUNNER.CFG.  It opens a file selector showing 
        Runner's home directory, but you can change to another directory 
        or load a different configuration file.  There is no warning to 
        save any changes you may have made to the configuration already 
        in memory, so be careful.  Loading a new .CFG file will replace 
        anything already in memory except the picture.  Clicking on 
        Cancel in the file selector box will stop the load operation.


$$      File - Save config

        Save lets you preserve your current setup for the next time you 
        run Runner.  Program configurations and descriptions, menus, 
        menu structures, initial and text color palettes and the main 
        title are all saved in the configuration file (as well as lots 
        of other stuff).  Use the name RUNNER.CFG if you want that 
        configuration to be auto-loaded the next time you start Runner, 
        or give it another name if you choose.  "File - Load config" 
        lists all files in Runner's home directory that end with ".CFG", 
        so you should use this extension (.CFG) for any configuration 
        files you save.  Clicking on Cancel in the file selector box 
        will stop the save operation.

        Note: File - Save may also create a picture configuration file 
        recording any changes in menu list position, menu space display 
        attributes (how much of the underlying background picture is 
        blanked out by spaces around the menu), background picture 
        palette, and any Regions information for the picture if you have 
        changed any of these since loading the picture.  These files 
        have the same name as the current picture in memory, but with a 
        file extension of .CF1, .CF2 or .CF3 to match the picture's 
        screen resolution.  If you loaded MOUNTAIN.PI1, File - Save 
        might create a MOUNTAIN.CF1 picture configuration file.  If you 
        want to force the save of a picture configuration file without 
        updating the RUNNER.CFG file on your disk, hold down Alternate 
        or Control when selecting the "Save config" command.

        Safety Feature: Both Runner configuration and picture 
        configuration files are saved using this procedure:

          1. Create ".TMP" filename (ex: MYCONFIG.CFG becomes 
             MYCONFIG.TMP)
          2. Write file to disk using ".TMP" filename
          3. If successful:
          3a. Delete any file matching desired save name (ex: 
             MYCONFIG.CFG)
          3b. Rename ".TMP" file to desired name (ex: MYCONFIG.CFG)

        If a save is NOT successful (disk full or other problems) then 
        your original file is not changed in any way.  You may want to 
        erase any ".TMP" files Runner creates, although they won't cause 
        any problems for Runner.  There is no good way to check disk 
        space requirements for saving a file without a lot of extra code 
        in memory.  If you try to save a file and fail, you will see 
        Runner's main error message dialog box, giving you the choice of 
        exiting Runner or returning to Runner.  You can always select 
        the option to return to Runner and try again to save the file to 
        a different disk.


$$      File - Installed apps

        This is not exactly a "file" operation but this used to be where 
        you came to "Install Apps", and it's been left here for the 
        convenience of long-time Runner users.  Selecting this option 
        displays a list of any installed applications.  Each application 
        is shown following the file extension that triggers it.  If more 
        than one extension is used to trigger an application, each one 
        appears on a separate line.  If there are too many lines to fit 
        on one screen, press a key to see the next part of the list.  At 
        the end of the list, press a key to return to Runner's normal 
        menu list display.  For information on how to install 
        applications, see the file DIALOG.HLP, which describes the 
        Add/Change dialog box where applications are installed.


$$      File - Background

        Background lets you load and unload pictures.  If no picture is 
        in memory, a file selector will appear showing all the .PIx and 
        .PCx (x=1,2,3) files for the current resolution in Runner's home 
        directory.  Use the file selector box to move to another disk or 
        directory if needed.  Select the picture you want, and it will 
        become the background for Runner's screen.
        
        If a picture is already displayed when you select Background, 
        you will be asked if you want to load another picture or unload 
        the one you've got.  Unloading a picture frees 32,000 bytes of 
        memory for larger applications.  Loading a new picture replaces 
        the old one and brings in the color palette for the new picture.

        Clicking on Cancel from the file selector box will stop the 
        picture load operation and leave the current picture (if any) in 
        memory.

        If a picture has an associated picture configuration file (.CF1, 
        .CF2 or .CF3 extension), it will be loaded along with the 
        picture.  And, if a Runner .CFG config file is found in the 
        same directory as the picture file, with the same name (except 
        for the extension), it will be loaded as well.  This will 
        replace all menus in memory so be sure to save them first if 
        needed.  This feature lets you have customized menu lists for 
        each picture.  If no matching .CFG file is found, the menus in 
        memory are not affected by loading a new background pic.  As an 
        example, if you load MOUNTAIN.PI1, Runner will also try to load 
        MOUNTAIN.CF1 and MOUNTAIN.CFG.  If a matching picture config 
        file is not found, the default picture parameters are used.  If 
        a matching .CFG file is not found, the menus and related info in 
        memory are left unchanged for the new picture.  Note that a 
        picture file can also contain the filename of another picture to 
        load, instead of picture data.  In this case, the filename read 
        from this "faux picture file" is used to determine the .CFx and 
        .CFG filenames to look for.
        
        There is one important exception to the above: if a picture file 
        called RUNNER.PIx or RUNNER.PCx is selected, and it has the name 
        of a picture file in it instead of picture data, and a matching 
        .CFG file is not found, then RUNNER.CFG will be loaded from 
        Runner's home directory.

        Background pictures can also be loaded by pressing a shifted 
        number key (from the top keyboard row, not the keypad).  For 
        this to work, the picture name must be assigned to the key 
        within the Regions program.  If no picture file is assigned, the 
        key does nothing.  The same filenames can also be assigned to a 
        screen region within the Regions program; then clicking within 
        that region will load the appropriate picture and config files.

        Note that if the color registers used for the background color 
        and the text color have color values that are too close, you may 
        not be able to read text on the screen.  You'll need to change 
        colors.  This is described in detail in KEYBOARD.HLP, but for 
        now hold Control (or Alternate) and press G to make the 
        background palette the current colors.  Press 0 on the numeric 
        keypad to select the background color, and press R, G or B to 
        change the background colors.  Now you should be able to see 
        what you are doing.  You'll need to change the picture's palette 
        with a paint program to make the change permanent, or select 
        Save from the File menu to save the changed colors in a 
        configuration file for the picture.


$$      File - Fix (re-run)

        This command lets you "fix" Runner when an unruly application 
        messes it up.  Fix simply reloads Runner, but this is often 
        enough to solve most problems.  For example, after running ST 
        Writer, Runner has serious problems with clearing inverse video 
        colors and restoring what the mouse covered.  After spending 
        hours searching for a solution (to absolutely no avail) I 
        realized that other applications might cause different problems, 
        and that Runner's size would grow considerably if code had to be 
        added to handle any condition.  Fix is clean and simple....   
        Running a program via Mini-Run should also isolate most problems 
        from Runner.  Lest you think that these problems are common, I 
        should point out that the ONLY two problem programs I've seen 
        are ST Writer and Word Writer (which forgets to clear its 
        buttons from memory - they get redrawn even after exiting Word 
        Writer).  I regularly use GFA BASIC, Laser C, Degas Elite, 
        Spectrum 512, DO-IT!, Turbo ST, Atari Planetarium, Flash, Real 
        Time, Fontrix, and several other programs and games with no 
        problems!  The only programs I've found that do not work with 
        Runner, other than self-booting games, are Diablo and MidiDraw 
        from Intelligent Music (these don't seem to work any time my 
        Atari SH-204 hard drive is running, whether or not Runner is in 
        use).

        
        
$$      Menus
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
          Desk     File     Menus     Colors
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
                           | add Program    |
                           | add Menu       |
                           | Change         |
                           | Drop           |
                           | Restore        |
                           | QuickKeys Show |
                            ----------------

        The Menus menu contains add Program, add Menu, Change, Drop, 
        Restore and Quickkeys show.  This is where you change Runner's 
        program menus to contain the programs you use most often, and 
        configure those programs to run the way you like them.


$$      Menus - add Program

        This option lets you add a new program to Runner's menu lists.  
        It places the new program in the currently displayed menu, and 
        makes an effort to keep things in alphabetical order with 
        submenus at the top and programs at the bottom.

        Add Program displays a file selector box.  Select a .PRG, .APP, 
        .TTP or .TOS file from any disk or directory, or select cancel 
        if you decide not to add a new program after all.  Note that if 
        you already have fifteen programs or menu names in the list 
        displayed on the screen, Add Program will do nothing.  In this 
        case you must first remove something, or move to another menu.  
        If you have pressed the Tab key to show all items in the menu 
        regardless of screen resolution, then you might try to press Tab 
        to hide the ones for the wrong resolution and see if you then 
        have room to add another item.  It is possible to have more than 
        15 items in a menu if some of them are hidden via the resolution 
        flags (see DIALOG.HLP for more info).  

        You can also add non-program files to Runner's menus.  They can 
        be text files (such as Runner's .HLP files) that you want to 
        access quickly, or they can be data files or documents with file 
        extensions that will trigger an installed application to run and 
        then load the file.
        
        If you select Cancel or select OK with a blank filename, no 
        change takes place and Runner's menu list reappears.  Otherwise, 
        you will see Runner's Add/Change Dialog Box.  Operation of this 
        box is described in detail in DIALOG.HLP, but for now just 
        change the name in the Description line to the way you want it 
        to look in Runner's menu list and press Return or the right 
        mouse button.  All the other default values should normally be 
        okay, and you can easily change them later.


$$      Menus - add Menu

        Adding a menu works the same as adding a program, except that 
        instead of a file selector you are prompted at the top of the 
        screen for the menu name to add.  Then you will see the same 
        Add/Change dialogue box used for "add Program".  The Hold Screen 
        and Use Mini-Run options don't have any effect on Menus, but to 
        save memory the same dialogue box is used for both menus and 
        programs.  Don't worry about it.  Other options not compatible 
        with menus are not displayed or are disabled.  If you leave the 
        Description line empty, no menu is added.  See DIALOG.HLP for 
        more information.

        As with programs, if you already have fifteen programs or menus 
        displayed, Add Menu has no effect.  Menus can be nested, that 
        is, a menu list can contain menus which can, in turn, contain 
        more menus.  Simply click on Add Menu while you're inside 
        another menu, and the new menu will be nested inside the current 
        menu.  Menus can be nested in this fashion up to maximum of 
        fifteen levels deep, probably more than you could ever use.  
        Since one purpose of Runner is to avoid all the folder searching 
        that goes on from the Desktop, you may want to use as few menus 
        as necessary.  This is still easier than on the desktop since 
        you're only dealing with program names and don't need a separate 
        menu to group together all the .RSC, data, font files and 
        anything else needed for a program.  Folders continue to do this 
        quite well.


$$      Menus - Change

        Change lets you change the configuration for any program, 
        document/data file or menu.  When you click on Change, a prompt 
        at the top of the screen tells you to select a menu or program 
        that you want to change.  Use the mouse to pick a menu item, and 
        you will again see the Add/Change Dialog Box.
        Change the description or any of the other 
        options, and press Return or the right mouse button when 
        finished.  See DIALOG.HLP for more information.

        When the "Select to Change" prompt is visible, clicking the left 
        mouse button away from the programs, menus and GEM menu bar will 
        exit the change prompt.

        If you select the title line for Change, you can change Runner's 
        main title.  The main title only appears on Runner's top level 
        menu (the one you see when Runner starts).  On lower level menus 
        the name of the menu appears instead.  Click on any of these 
        title lines to change the main title.  The new title is saved to 
        disk when you save a configuration file.  Add your own name or 
        whatever you like!

        It's possible to change (and Drop - see the next section on 
        Menus - Drop) programs or menus that appear only in a resolution 
        you're not in at the time.  Press the Tab key to show ALL 
        programs and menus; a "registered" symbol ("R" inside a circle) 
        appears in front of anything you normally can't see in the 
        current resolution.  These menus or programs can now be changed 
        or dropped normally.  Press Tab again to hide items from the 
        wrong resolution.


$$      Menus - Drop

        Drop lets you delete a program or menu from the display.  It 
        DOES NOT change the programs on disk.  Drop is similar to 
        Change.  Click on Drop and a prompt appears telling you to 
        select a program or menu to drop.  Click on the program or menu 
        you no longer want in the list.  If you drop a menu, EVERYTHING 
        in the menu is dropped as well -- all its programs and submenus.

        Remember that none of your changes are permanent until you save 
        this new configuration back to disk with the Save command in the 
        Files menu.  The Tab key (see above section on Menus - Change) 
        is also useful with Drop.


$$      Menus - Restore

        When you Drop a menu or program name from a menu list, it goes 
        into a "drop buffer" for safe keeping.  Selecting Restore brings 
        it back, and inserts it into whatever menu list you're looking 
        at.  This lets you move menus or programs around in your lists, 
        or recall something you dropped by accident.  Note that the 
        contents of a menu that is dropped are also restored with it, so 
        whole menus can be moved wherever you like.  Also note: there is 
        only one drop buffer; when you drop a second item it clears the 
        old information from the drop buffer first.  If an item assigned 
        to a QuickKey is dropped, it will no longer appear on the 
        QuickKeys list either.  Restoring it will return it to the list, 
        unless that QuickKey is reassigned to another program first.

        Restore also places a restored item in alphabetical order, so if 
        any of your menus get out of order, simply drop and restore the 
        items you wish to resequence.  Alphabetical order is determined 
        by the contents of the Description line in the Add/Change Dialog 
        Box -before- you see it, so by changing the first few characters 
        of a description it may get out of alphabetical order.


$$      Menus - QuickKeys show/hide

        This option lets you display a list of QuickKeys assignments 
        instead of the normal Runner menus.  Programs in the list can be 
        selected for running as usual, and the Change option works also.  
        Programs Dropped from the QuickKeys list are not dropped from 
        your normal menus, they are simply deassigned from the 
        corresponding QuickKey.  Restore is disabled in the QuickKeys 
        list, and new QuickKeys cannot be added.  Selecting this option 
        a second time returns to the normal menu display.  Holding down 
        BOTH mouse buttons works the same as selecting this option 
        (except in file view, where pressing BOTH buttons exits file 
        view).  To view the list of alternate QuickKeys, hold down 
        Alternate or Control when requesting the list (either Shift will 
        also show the alternate list, which makes some amount of sense 
        since you need Shift with the QuickKey to run a program in the 
        alternate list).

        The exit line at the top of a QuickKeys list is different: it 
        lets you view the other set of QuickKeys.  The right mouse 
        button alone does this also (remember that in normal menu lists, 
        the right button moves you to the top menu, similar to selecting 
        the exit line).


$$      Colors
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
          Desk     File     Menus     Colors
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                     |  desKtop    |
                                     |x iNitial    |
                                     |  backGround |
                                     |  Text       |
                                      -------------
        
        The color menu lets you select which color palette you want to 
        use when a program runs.  If no picture is loaded, palette 
        changes affect Runner's screen as well.  If a picture is loaded, 
        a new palette is displayed only briefly, then the picture's 
        palette is restored.  This lets you use a reasonable palette for 
        running programs while displaying a picture that uses colors too 
        disgusting for most programs.  A checkmark (represented by "x" 
        above) appears in front of the currently selected palette, also 
        known as the "Current Palette".

        If you want to use a different palette for displaying a picture, 
        hold down the Alternate or Control key when selecting the 
        palette.  You can always restore the picture's original palette 
        by selecting backGround, or by selecting another palette without 
        holding down Alternate.

        Four palettes are available:

             Initial - the palette loaded from Runner's configuration 
                    file

             Desktop - the colors in the desktop palette before Runner 
                    was started

             Picture - the colors from the last picture loaded into 
                    Runner

             Text - the palette used for viewing files from the file
                    selector (also loaded from Runner's config file)

        Runner uses the concept of the "Current Palette".  The Current 
        Palette is the set of colors Runner switches to when running a 
        program.  It is a copy of one of the other palettes listed above 
        (you can select which one from the menu bar -- it always starts 
        out as a copy of the Initial Palette).

        If no picture is loaded then the Current Palette is used for 
        Runner's menu screen as well.  If a picture IS loaded, its 
        palette normally overrides the Current Palette while the picture 
        is visible, but the Current Palette is still used when running 
        programs (you normally don't want your picture's colors when 
        running your word processor).  If a palette is selected with 
        Alternate or Control depressed, then the picture is displayed 
        using the new Current Palette.

        The Current Palette in effect when you save a configuration file 
        becomes the Initial Palette the next time that configuration 
        file is loaded.  A separate Initial Palette is maintained for 
        each resolution.  A single Text Palette is also saved in your 
        config file and shared by all resolutions.  Note that the Text 
        palette is ALWAYS used when in File View, but you may select it 
        for use at other times as well.

        Individual colors within a palette can also be changed; see 
        KEYBOARD.HLP for more information.
        

        [end of MENU_BAR.HLP]
        
