GFAMAKER.TXT

GFAMAKER is copyrighted freeware.  The following files must be
distributed with this package:
GFAMAKER.PRG
GFAMAKER.TXT
RSCPROC.LST
TEST.RSC
TESTMAKR.LST 

UPDATE NOTE:  This version, 0.6, creates a much smaller resource
.LST file than version 0.5.  Code created by this version requires
two procedures to run, these are in the file RSCPROC.LST.

GFAMAKER.PRG converts a resource file into GFA BASIC 3.0 source
code.  Please note that this is a program in developement, and it
does not support resource files that contain icons or bit images. 
It does support all other resource objects.

When you run the program, a fileselector asks for a resource
file.  The resource file, created with Atari's resource
construction program, must end with the extension .RSC.  It is
loaded into memory, and an output file is opened.  The output file
has the same name as the input file, except it has the extension
.LST (an existing file with the same name is overwritten)  Make
sure you have some room on the disk.  After the output file is
created, you have the option to write RSCPROC.LST to the same
path. (This is just in case you have lost RSCPROC.LST)

To use the resource, the .LST file and the procedures in
RSCPROC.LST must be merged into your GFA code.  When the code is
executed, it sets up the resource in memory claimed by the
objects|() and tedinfos|() arrays.  Each object tree is referred
to by the variable tree_addn%, where the number of the tree
replaces n.  For example, tree_add1% points to the first tree,
tree_add2% points to the second, etc.

The code produced does not display or manipulate the dialogs, it
simply sets them up in memory.  The advantage of converting the
resource file into source code is that the resource can be
imbedded into your program, and will not have to be loaded
separately with the RSRC_LOAD call.  Another way to imbed resource
files is to load them into INLINE statements, then call Larry
Duke's set-up routine in CBARRON.  The disadvantage to this is
that if you want to modify the resource, you have to exit GFA, run
the resource construction program, load your resource, make
changes, save, run GFA, reload the resource into the INLINE, then
test it.  With the GFA source code, you can simply move to the
line you want to change and change it.

You will notice that the code created by GFAMAKER is larger than
the original .RSC file, and makes your source code that much
bigger.  However, when the code is compiled, the program
length is much more tolerable.  But, if you have a very large
resource that you want to imbed, you may find that using the
INLINE method is easier and saves space.  Try both methods and see
which is more convenient for you.

TEST EXAMPLE

Run GFAMAKER.PRG, and select TEST.RSC.  TEST.LST is created on the
same disk.  Now run GFA BASIC 3.0 and MERGE the file TESTMAKR.LST.

TESTMAKR.LST is an example program that displays the dialogs
created by TEST.LST.  Merge TEST.LST into the beginning of
TESTMAKR.LST, then merge RSCPROC.LST at the end.  Run the program. 
You will see a dialog box on the screen, press a key to see the
next one, then press a key to quit.

Comments, suggestions?  Please contact Jim Burton on GEnie,
address ANTIC.
