Hot Editor 3.1 ============== Freeware from CodeHead Software by John Eidsvoog and Charles F. Johnson Copyright 1991 CodeHead Software Release date: Monday, July 1, 1991 About Hot Editor -------------------- Hot Editor is a utility designed to help you easily edit your HOT files (HotWire configuration files). It helps simplify the task of relocating installed pathnames after you've moved files, renamed them, or just reorganized your hard disk. Hot Editor is also very useful if you're trying to adapt a HOT file that was set up on another system. Hot Editor evolved from the previous Hot Pathsetter. It is now capable of changing all aspects of your HOT files, not just the paths. This makes it handy for editing such settings as ledgering, and the corner clock. Hot Editor and HotWire 1.4 and later ---------------------------------------- If you previously owned HotWire version 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2, and you've recently upgraded to HotWire 1.4 or later, you'll need to use this version of Hot Editor to convert your old HOT data files to the newer HotWire 1.4 format. All you have to do to accomplish this is load your old HOT files into Hot Editor and immediately save them. When Hot Editor asks whether you'd like to save in "compressed" or "normal" format, choose "compressed," and the HOT file will be saved in a format compatible with HotWire 1.4 and later. (See below for more details.) Using Hot Editor -------------------- The first thing you will want to do when you run Hot Editor is choose a HOT file. As the HOT file is loading, you may hear a lot of drive access. This is because Hot Editor is checking each pathname to see if it exists. NOTE: Hot Editor has special routines to eliminate a folder-count overflow, but if you experience problems (such as files not found that are really there) you should use the FOLDRxxx.PRG from Atari to increase your available folder count. The use of Hot Editor is quite self-explanatory and has a help screen explaining the commands and use of the program. You can use the mouse to click on Load, Save, Quit, Help, page up/down (click on the + or - areas of the page display), or the right/left areas of the mode display. You may also use the keyboard for any of these commands, (L)oad, (S)ave, (Q)uit (or Esc/Undo), Help, up/down arrow keys for paging (or +/-), or right/left arrow keys for mode changing. There are four different display/edit modes in Hot Editor. These modes allow you to view or change various parameters of your HOT file configuration. All modes show the title of each entry on the left side of the screen. If you click on any title, an editing cursor will appear allowing you to change the title. Use the standard editing keys (Delete, Backspace, Esc, and arrows) to make the changes. Hit Return to exit from edit mode and accept the changes. If you've left the line blank (by hitting Esc), an alert box will appear asking if you want to delete the entire entry. Deleted (or blank) entries will appear with the "light" text "_blank_entry_". Clicking on one of these will change it to a header with a single space. This allows you to quickly blank out areas of your HOT files which normally contain rows of underlines associated with blank entries. Paths Mode -------------- The Paths Mode displays the full path of each entry (except headers). If any of the pathnames do not exist and they are on drive C through P, they will show up in light text. This will quickly show you any names that must be fixed. You may click on any line to change its installed path and filename. Use the up and down arrow keys (or +/-) to page back and forth through the list. After you've selected the first pathname, the "Current Path" will change from "NONE" to the path selected. You can then hold down the Alternate key when clicking on a name and that filename will be changed to the current path. This is especially useful if you have moved or renamed a folder which contains many files installed in HotWire. After relocating the first pathname, you can literally "paint" the new path into the others by slowly dragging the mouse through their names while holding the Alternate key. Options Mode ---------------- The Options Mode displays most of the parameters in the HotWire Program Options Box. If the changing of an options is allowable, you can change it by clicking on it. For instance clicking on GEM or TOS will toggle between GEM and TOS. Clicking on the hot key display will cause it to change to an edit cursor and you may then enter a key combination using any of the shift keys and a key from A to Z. If you enter a key combination that is already defined, an alert box will inform you of such and the combination will remain unchanged. You can delete a hot key by hitting Esc. The "Return Options" will toggle through the four different types as you click on it; A-Always, N-Never, S-Same, and O-Opposite. All of the other Options have check marks which can be toggled on or off by clicking on them. If you select "Auto-run", any previous auto-run selection will be canceled since only one program may be auto-run enabled. All of the options are editable for GEM and TOS types. DOC types only allow the hot key and auto-run to be edited. Only the hot key may be edited for HOT, MLT and SYS types and the options of all "headings" entries will be blank. You can install a new program entry by clicking in the blank "type" area of a heading. Hot Editor will first take you to the title to edit it, and then to the file selector to locate the program. After that you may change any of the options for that entry. If you want to install a program in a "_blank_entry_", simply click on it (as described above) to change it to a header, and click in its "type" area to install the program. Command Line Mode --------------------- This mode will display the command line for each entry. Since HotWire allows up to 66 characters in the command line, Hot Editor will display only the first 13 characters of each title followed by its command line. Titles may not be edited in this mode. Click on a command line to edit it. You may delete a command line by clearing it (Esc) and hitting Return. Documents Mode --------------------- This mode shows the four document types for each entry, its document mode, password, and text color. To edit any document type, click on it and edit it using the standard editing keys. Clicking on "mode" will toggle between the HOT and GEM methods of document passing. Passwords and color may also be edited by clicking on them. Finishing ------------- As soon as you make a change to your HOT file, an asterisk (*) will appear in front of its displayed name. This shows you that you've made a change. When you are finished editing, click on Save (or hit S) to save your edited HOT file (you'll also be warned if you try to quit without saving an edited HOT file). If you loaded a HOT file that was created with HotWire 1.3 or later, the edited file will be saved at this point with no further prompts. However, if you loaded a HOT file created with HotWire 1.0-1.2, at this point you'll see a prompt asking you whether you'd like to save the edited file in "Compressed" or "Normal" format. If you're still using a version of HotWire earlier than 1.3 (get an update for heaven's sake!), you should choose "Normal" format; otherwise your copy of HotWire will be unable to load the new file. If you're converting files to use with HotWire 1.3 or later, you may choose the "Compressed" format. New Features of Hot Editor 3.1 ---------------------------------- You can now install Hot Editor as an application. This means that you can start it up with desired HOT or HBL file already loaded into it. To do this, install Hot Editor in your HotWire menu. On the "Documents:" line enter "HOT" and "HBL". You can now double-click on HOT and HBL files in MaxiFile and Hot Editor will run and load the file you've selected. You can also install these files in the HotWire menu as documents if you like, but you'll have to use a special trick to install the HOT files. Normally, if you install a HOT file in the HotWire menu, HotWire thinks that you want that entry to load another menu. If you want to install a HOT file as a document, you'll have to first rename it to something like HOX. Now you can install it in the HotWire menu as a document. After installing it, rename it back to HOT and use the "SET PATH" option to change the entry back to your re-renamed HOT file, selecting "Keep" in answer to the alert box. Hot Editor 3.1 has also had a few bug fixes, one of which was that deleting an entry in Hot Editor would not successfully delete it in the HOT file after it was saved and loaded back into HotWire. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hot Editor is Freeware from CodeHead Software. It may be distributed freely as long as this text file is included, but may not be sold commercially or included with a commercial product without written permission from CodeHead Software. CodeHead Software is presently marketing the following commercial products: G+Plus Replacement for GDOS. MultiDesk Loads up to 32 accessories at any time. HotWire The Ultimate Atari ST Shell/desktop. MaxiFile The Ultimate File Maintenance Tool HotWire Plus HotWire and MaxiFile packaged together. MIDIMAX A real-time MIDI performance tool. CodeHead Utilities A collection of useful programs and accessories. LookIt & PopIt Two Powerful Utilities for the Price of One. CodeKeys The Macro Tool! CodeHead Software P.O. Box 74090 Los Angeles, CA 90004 Phone: (213) 386-5735 FAX: (213) 386-5789 BBS: (213) 461-2095