PART 3: APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES

Let the desktop do the work for you

When Apple introduced the Macintosh 11 years ago, personal computing suddenly became easier. Much of this was a result of the Mac's windows and icons and the simple way that it could be made to copy and move files or even entire subdirectories -- or folders, in a lexicon that soon became popular on other platforms. But more than anything else, the Mac was easy to use because its operating system associated data files with applications. Generally, a Mac user never has to run a program directly; all that's necessary is to double-click on a data file, and the rest is handled by the Mac.

On the Mac, all applications -- computer jargon for programs of any kind -- work this way, and so there is no such thing as an "installed application." Apple works with software developers to assign data types and icons to all new software, so that applications install themselves, so to speak.

The ST, TT and Falcon work the same way, except that applications must be installed by the user. Here, in its basics, is how the process works:

Let's suppose that you are using LHARC.TTP as your standard software for extracting archived files that have the ".LZH" filename extension. One way to use this utility would be to double-click on its icon or filename from the desktop and then fill in the "parameters" box that appears when it runs. (As a "TOS-Takes-Parameters" program, it requires command-line instructions when it is invoked.) A typical set of parameters for LHARC.TTP might be "x FILENAME.LZH" to extract all the files from the archive named FILENAME.LZH.

But LHARC.TTP is specially written to accept just the filename itself as a parameter. You could, of course, run it from the desktop and type in the filename of the archive, but there's a much easier way -- by associating a filename extension when you install each program in the GEM desktop's "Options" menu. (You must save the desktop to make the change permanent, of course.) Then, all you need to do is to double-click on the archive's icon or filename; the archiving utility automatically runs and extracts the files.

Here's another example, which is perhaps just as common. Suppose your favorite word processor is Atari Works. This application generally saves its texts with an ".STW" filename extension. If you want to edit or read an Atari Works document, one way to do it is to open up the folder where Atari Works is located, double-click on the Atari Works icon or filename, and then select the document you want to edit or read from the file selector that appears.

But that's just plain dumb. (I'm not referring to your intelligence, of course, but to the mindless way the computer would be operating in that situation.) The sensible way is to install Atari Works in NeoDesk 4 with ".STW" as its associated filename extension. Then any time you click on a file that has ".STW" as its extension, Atari Works will automatically run and load the text.

(Those of you who use this feature of GEM on a regular basis will have to bear with me for a while, since I'm convinced that only a small fraction of Atari users know about installed applications. I hope I'm wrong!)

This method of associating data files with applications does not work with all programs, but it operates with most of the ones that are written properly. It's important to note that some applications may require specific filename extensions, but others, such as text editors, usually have no restrictions.

To link applications with their data types -- filename extensions, in other words -- within NeoDesk 4, click once on the icon or filename of the application and drop down the "Options" menu. (You'll find an "Options" menu in each desktop window and in the main NeoDesk GEM menu bar.) Choose "Install Application" and type in the filename extension you want to associate with the program. You'll notice that the dialog also lets you set other parameters, and it also allows you to scroll through the full list of currently installed applications if you want to change any of their settings.

NeoDesk 4 lets you specify two data types (filename extensions) for each application. You can add more extensions by editing the NeoDesk information file -- a simple procedure, but one that could cause a disaster if you fail to heed the next two warnings:

1. Work on a backup copy of the information file, not an original copy.

2. Edit the file with a text editor or word processor that has word-wrap turned off and that can save its output in standard ASCII form. (An ASCII file is just text, with no word-processing codes.) STeno, EditPlus, Everest, SpiritEd, Edith, and the editors built into Flash, Flash II and Storm all meet this ASCII criterion. If you use a full word processor for this kind of editing, you're asking for trouble unless you make sure word-wrap is off and the text is saved as ASCII. If you're not sure if your word processor can do that, don't even try. (Buy a copy of STeno or EditPlus instead.)

The information file is usually named NEODESKn.INF, with the "n" representing the resolution. A typical information file for ST high resolution would be named NEODESKH.INF. It is easy to decipher. You will see a section that begins with a line that looks like this:

    ;Applications: type,flags,2 extensions,name,path

If you have not yet installed any applications, the entire section will be blank. Otherwise you will see each application listed in one line. Here is one for Calligrapher:

    APPLIC 152 1F `.CAL` `.CAT` `CAL.PRG` `D:\WORDPROC\CAL\`

Calligrapher should not need more than two file extensions associated with it (".CAL" for Calligrapher documents and ".CAT" for Calligrapher templates, which cannot be saved until you rename them). But a program that can make good use of multiple file associations is STeno. What I am about to show you may be unfamiliar, so look it over carefully.

First, note the name of the application -- STENO2.PRG instead of STENO.PRG. On both my systems, I have many variations of STeno -- two STeno desk accessories and three STeno programs. The ones with "2" in their names are set up strictly as programmers' editors, with word wrap turned off and the default window set quite wide. I use these versions of STeno whenever I need to edit a data file. I work at the desktop extensively, and that means I am nearly always dealing with files and folders -- not applications. Why should I have to run a text editor manually when I want to edit a text or ASCII data file? It's much easier to double-click on the file. Entering lines like these in your NeoDesk 4 information file makes that possible:

APPLIC 152 1F `.TXT` `.ME` `STENO2.PRG` `C:\SYSTEM\`
APPLIC 152 1F `.SYS` `.SYX` `STENO2.PRG` `C:\SYSTEM\`
APPLIC 152 1F `.INF` `.INX` `STENO2.PRG` `C:\SYSTEM\`
APPLIC 152 1F `.CFG` `.CFX` `STENO2.PRG` `C:\SYSTEM\`
APPLIC 152 1F `.DAT` `.DAX` `STENO2.PRG` `C:\SYSTEM\`

Look at the extensions for STENO2.PRG. You'll see ".TXT," of course, but you'll also see ".SYS" and others that are usually not considered as texts. But in many cases, they ARE texts -- with ASSIGN.SYS being the most prominent example. Note also that I also list these extensions ending in "X," is in ".SYX" and ".DAX." This allows me to double-click on a data file that is, in effect, turned off (hidden from its application through the renaming process) and still edit it via STeno.

Note that under a multitasking environment, the same copy of a properly written application can be running in multiple instances at the same time. This makes multiple associations even more powerful.

INFinite wisdom

Within the NeoDesk information file itself, or (preferably) within NeoDesk's "Set Preferences" menu (under the "Options" drop-down menu), you can add to the list of executable file types or change the ones that are already listed. Normally, the only executable file types are those that end in these extensions: .APP, .PRG, .TOS, .TTP and .GTP, in addition to the special NeoDesk-compliant applications, which have the extensions .NPG and .NTP, and NeoDesk 4's program information files, which end in .NPI.

The extensions have these meanings:

.APP - Application
.PRG - Program