
        
                      Runner -- A Desktop Alternative

                                NEW STUFF
                         New Features and Changes
        
                        Software and Documentation
                    Copyright (C) 1991 by Dave Thorson
                    Version 1.50         March 10, 1991



        New Features: Version 1.50

        * Another small increase in size

        * Support for Regions program

        * Support for default parameter strings for all programs 
        and data files.  Name substitution is also possible based 
        on selected file.  Program comments can be stored instead 
        of parameter strings.  Both comments and parameter strings 
        can be skipped over when program is run or displayed for 
        editing (if parameters) or verification (if comments).
        
        * Installed applications and QuickKeys are now handled 
        from within the Description Dialog Box.  20 QuickKeys can 
        be defined and up to 63 applications can be installed, 
        with multiple file extensions recognized for each.
        
        * You can now place data files in Runner menus.  When 
        selected they will be viewed or run by a matching 
        installed application.

        * File View has been completely rewritten to be much 
        faster.  It now supports searches, screen printing, and 
        very fast moves forward, back, and to top of file.  If a 
        file is too large to fit in memory it will be loaded in 
        one section at a time.  Also supports 40 (wide) and 80 
        (narrow) characters in viewing on color monitors 
        (selectable from either low or medium res).
        
        * Additional time/date formats (alternating time/date).  
        12/24 hour time and mm/dd/yy or dd/mm/yy date formats are 
        all available, and you can chose time, date, alternating 
        or no display.

        * Number keys (on top row of keyboard) call file selector 
        for a specific disk drive (1 shows drive A:, 2 shows B:, 
        and so on up to the "~" key for drive M:, then doubling 
        back to use "_" for N:, "+" for O:, and "~" for drive P:.

        * Shifted number keys (1,2,3...,9,0) load in picture files 
        assigned within the Regions program.

        * Loading a picture file now loads a Runner configuration 
        file with a matching name (in addition to the pictures 
        config file).

        * Picture files can now be in compressed Degas Elite 
        format (.PC1, .PC2 or .PC3).
        
        * A picture file such as RUNNER.PI1 can now contain 
        another filename and path, allowing you to change one 
        small file to point at different startup pictures rather 
        than use more space to copy them or get confused by 
        renaming them.  RPICNAME.PRG will help you do this.

        * Program description dialog box now lets you select which 
        color palette will be used for each program.

        * Runner's menus can be turned on and off (press the "O" 
        key).  With active screen regions you may not want to see 
        the menus.

        * Menu names and data files can be assigned to QuickKeys.  
        Even if menus are off, a QuickKey (or screen region 
        assigned to it) can still display a sub-menu when needed.
        
        * "Color" menu for monochrome is now the same as that used 
        for color monitors.  The "W" key no longer changes 
        monochrome palettes (change BLUE of register 0 to alter 
        monochrome palette).

        * Color palette handling revised.
        
        * RCONFIG.PRG updated to convert Runner 1.3x and Runner 
        1.4x configuration files to 1.5x format.
        
        * Mini-Run program interface revised to track the Desktop 
        palette, so that this palette will not be lost when 
        calling Mini-Run as was done in the past.  Also, lower 
        case characters can now be passed to an application intact 
        without the uppercase conversion seen in prior versions.  
        To accomplish these, a tradeoff was made: characters in 
        the range of ASCII 225 to ASCII 250 can no longer be 
        passed as parameters using Mini-Run.  This shouldn't cause 
        anyone a problem since these are well outside of the range 
        of normal, printable characters; but let me know if it 
        won't work for you!
        
        * Quick escape has been added -- if you hold down either 
        Shift key while Runner loads, it will exit as soon as 
        possible once the program starts.

        
        
        
$$      New Features: Version 1.40

        
        Runner has grown by about 12K from the last release (1.3), 
        but there are lots of new features and a few fixes in 
        version 1.40:

        * Support for Mini-Run is main addition.  Programs can be 
        set in the description dialog box to always use Mini-Run, 
        or you can force a program to be run from Mini-Run as you 
        select it.

        * A separate text palette is available (and remembered 
        when saving a RUNNER.CFG file).  This lets you select the 
        colors you like best for reading text, regardless of 
        preferences for running programs or other Runner 
        background colors.

        * All color palettes can now be changed from within 
        Runner.

        * QuickKeys can be assigned to any program in your Runner 
        menu lists to let you run that program by pressing the 
        assigned QuickKey.  QuickKeys can be listed like a Runner 
        menu.

        * Ability to restore a dropped program or menu to 
        another place in your menu structure.

        * All Adds and Restores are now sorted alphabetically, 
        with menus at the top of each list (to sort older menus, 
        drop and restore any names out of order).

        * On-line help for keyboard commands is available (this is 
        done by viewing a disk file to save memory, but the file 
        is small and is quickly accessed by pressing the HELP 
        key).

        * 12-hour time, 24-hour time or date can be displayed on 
        main menu screen.  The Backspace key switches between 
        them.

        * File selector can now be accessed by pressing SPACE 
        (since the HELP key is now used for, would you believe it, 
        Help).

        * Mouse clicks in File View now move forward/backward and 
        exit.

        * Smart mouse click checking lets you consistently 
        register BOTH buttons (in the few places BOTH are needed) 
        by pressing the second any time before releasing the 
        first.  No more need to violate of the Laws of Physics by 
        trying to press both buttons at EXACTLY the same time.

        * New RUNNER.CFG file format is not usable by older 
        versions of Runner, but RCONVERT.PRG is included to 
        convert older .CFG files to the new format with NO loss of 
        information.

        * You now stay in the file selector until you select 
        Cancel, rather than exiting any time a program is run.

        * Palette checking for background/text color distinction 
        has been  removed.  It is now possible to make text 
        invisible if you want, but you also have easy access to 
        palette changes to fix this problem.  This also fixes the 
        problem where text colors were sometimes changed to be 
        less readable than when they started.

        * Several routines built in to GFA BASIC 3.x now replace 
        the ones I wrote in GFA BASIC 2.x, to take less memory and 
        provide greater speed in places.

        * The keyboard commands for selecting color palettes have 
        changed to N-iNitial, K-desKtop, G-backGround and T-Text.

        * Menu location (left and right) and menu background (type 
        of space blanked out behind menu lists) are now adjustable 
        and are saved for each background picture as well as for a 
        single no-background setup.  Changed picture palettes are 
        also saved for each picture.  These adjustments can be 
        made within Runner.

        * Degas Elite color-cycling animation is now supported, 
        all four channels of it.

        * H key now hides all text, leaving the background picture 
        (or blank screen) in full view.  Z key hides picture AND 
        text.

        * Support for remembering the color changes made by a 
        program run from runner is disabled; the meaning of that 
        flag in the description box has been changed to force 
        Mini-Run to run the program.  Check the description dialog 
        box for any programs where you enabled "Keep Colors".

        * .APP programs are now supported - maybe.  I'm not sure 
        what these are (my TOS 1.0 desktop doesn't know about 
        them) but have been told they are set up just like .PRG 
        files.  Runner treats them as .PRG files.  If this doesn't 
        work for some reason, write me and let me know.

        * RCONVERT.PRG provided to convert older configuration 
        files to the current format.
        

$$      Standard Features of Runner:

        * Runs in ANY resolution.

        * Programs can be run without worrying about what folder 
        or disk they're physically stored in.  Runner switches to 
        the program's disk and folder automatically (usually -- 
        see details below).

        * Tos-Takes-Parameters (.TTP) programs normally require a 
        command line or parameters to be entered; Runner prompts 
        you for this.  Command lines can be longer than the 20 
        provided for in the desktop's dialogue box.

        * Lets you include up to 15 programs per menu; any of 
        these programs can be run with the click of a mouse.  
        Programs are included by simply selecting them from a file 
        selector box, regardless of drive or folder.  Additional 
        information may be entered about the program to customize 
        how it will work and what it is called in menu lists.

        * Any of the 15 programs in a menu can be a menu itself, 
        giving you access to 15 more programs or menus by clicking 
        on the menu.

        * Menus can be nested up to 15 levels deep (although why 
        you would ever need more than three levels I don't 
        know....).

        * Programs and menus are listed using descriptions rather 
        than filenames.  The default description for Degas Elite 
        is "Degelite", the original program name minus the .PRG 
        extension.  If you like "Degelite" as a description, fine, 
        or you can change it to the more readable "Degas Elite".  
        Descriptions can be up to 20 characters.  Runner tries to 
        "beautify" filenames such as "CAD3D.PRG" to the 
        (sometimes) more readable form of "Cad 3 D", or 
        "SHOW_PIC.TTP" to "Show Pic", but you can still change the   
        description Runner provides to whatever you like.

        * Programs and menus can be forced to appear only in 
        certain resolutions.  You don't need to see Spectrum 512 
        in the list when using a monochrome monitor, for example.

        * Runner can force the screen resolution on a color 
        monitor from low to medium or from medium to low, and this 
        is remembered independently for each listed program.  
        While GEM does not always keep up with this trickery, it 
        does allow you to run some programs successfully (or 
        perhaps well enough to gain benefit) from the wrong 
        resolution.  Mini-Run supports these forced resolution 
        changes as well.

        * Programs and menus can be added, dropped, restored or 
        changed at any time.

        * Access to a file selector is always a mouse click or 
        keypress away.  If a selected file is a program, Runner 
        will run it as if it were listed in a menu.  Otherwise, 
        Runner will display the file on the screen.  "Funny" 
        characters are stripped out, and the text is wrapped at 
        the right edge of the screen, word-processor style.  The 
        GEM Desktop has trouble displaying files in low res that 
        are more than 40 characters wide; it breaks them at the 
        40th column, usually in the middle of a word, and loses   
        the line count so that up to forty half-lines may scroll 
        off the screen without being read.  To make matters worse, 
        a text file in the wrong format (such as from ST Writer) 
        just keeps scrolling on by.  Runner's file view fixes all 
        these problems, and lets you move backward through the a 
        file as well.

        * Programs can be "installed" so that clicking on one of 
        their document or data files in the file selector will 
        cause the program to be run.  The name of the data file is 
        passed to the program so it can be automatically loaded if 
        the program supports this.

        * If you use an advanced file selector like Universal Item   
        Selector (UIS III) from Application and Design Software or   
        Little Green File Selector (from Charles F. Johnson), all 
        of its capabilities will be available.  UIS III, for 
        example, lets you rename, copy, delete, print and move 
        files, as well as format disks.  You will not need to exit 
        to the desktop for these functions.

        * Runner will use any Degas-compatible picture as a 
        background display.  Pictures for the current resolution 
        can be loaded on startup or after Runner is running.  If 
        memory is short, a picture can be unloaded to free up 
        32,000 bytes.  Template "guide" files are included to help 
        you design your own background scenes.

        * Desk Accessories are also available while in Runner.  
        Due to some insurmountable quirks in GFA BASIC (or is it 
        GEM?), the accessory interface is a bit strange but it's 
        there....

        * Runner's menu lists can be saved any time, loaded on 
        startup or loaded from within Runner.  You can have 
        different "configuration" files (containing different menu 
        lists and color selections) for different purposes, if 
        desired.

        * The palette used for running programs can be selected to 
        be the desktop colors, the colors last saved in 
        RUNNER.CFG, colors used for viewing text files, or the 
        colors of whatever picture file is loaded at the time.  
        This palette selection does not affect the displayed 
        picture (unless you want it to).

