Utilis

Introduction

Utilis is a general utility, adding various functions to the desktop. Double click on the !Utilis icon in the directory display as usual to start the program. This adds an icon to the right-hand side of the iconbar, next to the display manager. Initially, this icon is a digital clock, but you can change this if you prefer to use a different clock utility.

The main features of Utilis are:

• application launcher
• calculator
• a quick method of closing open files
• date window
• easy-to-use alarm function
• facility to force the screen to redraw
• temporary file storage directory
• pointer movement with cursor keys (+ mouse lock)
• file information utility
• quick method of setting the Currently Selected Directory

...plus many more. To explain each function, each option on the main menu is described in turn, followed by some 'hidden' features that are not immediately obvious.

Setup

This leads to a submenu with the following options:

Configure

This opens the main configuration window.

The first option is which type of iconbar icon should be displayed. You can choose between the 'normal' icon (used in the filer window), a clock with ordinary small numerals, or a clock with an extra large display (the default choice).

If you choose a clock display, you can select the foreground colour (for the numerals) and the background colour, using the pop-up menus.

The next section defines what should happen when the iconbar icon is clicked upon with the select or menu mouse buttons. For example, is you choose:

   Select: Calculator
   Adjust: Date

Utilis also defines Ctrl-F11 to have the same effect as clicking select on the iconbar icon, and Shift-Ctrl-F11 to have the same effect as clicking adjust.

Reverse main menu: as Utilis appears to the right of the iconbar, it can be awkward to access submenus leading from the main menu. To make this easier, Utilis can be configured to open submenus to the left of the main menu instead of to the right.

Show Temp icon from startup: if this option is selected, then the temporary directory icon is automatically added to the iconbar every time Utilis is started. For more information about this, see the relevant section below.

Custom date format: this allows you to choose the style of the date display in the date window. For example, you could choose between:
Friday, 19th June 1998 or Fri 19.6.98
or any other format you choose. This option uses the system time and date variables - see your computer's User Guide for details.

Click Save to save the choices to disc, so that they will be used every time Utilis is started. Any changes should take effect immediately.

If you click on Cancel or close the configure window, then any changes are forgotten.

Add to menu

This opens a window which lets you set up the application launcher built into Utilis. The application launcher consists of two menus, Applications and Utilities. You can add items to these menus which run your favourite applications when you select them. For example, you could add an item called Draw that loads the !Draw application when you select it, saving you from having to open filer displays etc. as you normally would.

The easiest way to add an item is to drag an application to the window. You can then alter the Item field, removing the ! for example, or perhaps changing it to something more descriptive. This is the text that will appear on the menu. (Do not change the Run object field, otherwise the launcher might not work). Next, select which menu the item should appear on - applications or utilities. This is entirely up to you, for your convenience. If you prefer, you can use only one menu, and leave the other empty.

In fact, any application, directory or file can be added to the launcher - files will be run and directories opened when such items are selected.

Click OK to add the new item to the menu. If you click OK with the adjust button, the window remains open, allowing you to add further items without having to re-open it.

Remove from menu

Select this option when you want to remove an item from the application launcher. While the 'Remove from menu' window is open, any menu items clicked upon will be removed instead of running an application. When you have finished removing items, be sure to close the window, otherwise you may unintentionally remove further items!

Applications/Utilities

These two menus constitute the application launcher. You can add items to these menus which load applications, files or open directories when they are selected. The procedure for doing this is explained in the Setup section above.

Calculator

This is an simple-to-use but advanced desktop calculator. Enter the whole sum (using the cursor keys to edit it if necessary) and then press Return or click on Calculate (you should not include an = sign). The result is displayed at the top of the window.

To access the calculator quickly, you can also open the window by pressing F11.

Other features are:

• Ans - this enters the answer to the last calculation into the calculator, so that it can be used in the next calculation. You can also press F1 to access this function.
• Pre - this recalls the last calculation so that is can be altered, and recalculated. You can also press F2 to access this function.

Other hot-keys are: F3 to calculate the sum, and F4 to clear the input display.

If you make the calculator window full-sized, you will find the decimal to hexadecimal converter. This shows the answer to the last calculation in hexadecimal. Enter a decimal integer to convert it to hexadecimal. (Hex numbers can be converted to decimal by entering them with the & prefix. You can also convert binary to decimal and hex by entering them with a % prefix)

• Operators allowed include the usual + - * / and ^ for powers.
• You can use trigonometric functions SIN COS TAN ASN ACS ATN
  These all work in radians, but you can use RAD(45) to convert degrees, or DEG(ACS(0.2)) for a result in degrees.
• Other functions are LOG (base 10), LN (log base e)
• You can also use constants PI and e.

(Notes: all functions must be entered in capital letters. As the calculator is based on the BASIC programming language, you can use any BASIC functions)

Close all files

This is useful if you ever see a file open error message. However, this option should be used with caution. Use while copying files for example, may result in data loss. Only use when you see the error message and no other program is performing any sort of disc operation.

Date

This opens a window containing the current date in three different formats. (One of these formats is user definable - see the Setup section above for details.)

If you click on one of the dates, it is typed at the cursor. This is useful when you wish to enter the date at the start of a letter, for example.

Quick alarm

This is designed to be a quick method of setting an Alarm, for people who don't require the full functionality of the !Alarm application.

Simply enter the time and day when you wish the alarm to sound, and click on Set alarm. To cancel an alarm, open the window again, and click Clear alarm.

You can change the sound used for the alarm by clicking the menu button over this window and selecting Sound... from the menu.

Redraw screen

This forces the entire screen to redraw, useful is an application does not redraw properly, or an application has crashed leaving the screen in a mess.

Remove caret

This removes the caret (the text-entry cursor) if it is currently on screen. This is necessary if you want to move the pointer using the cursor keys, for example.

A keyboard short-cut is provided for this feature - hold both Ctrl keys and press F12.

Temporary dir

This leads to a submenu controlling the temporary file storage directory.

The temporary directory is useful if you need somewhere to store files temporarily - you could copy an application you are trying into here while you decide where on your hard disc to put it, or you could use the directory to store old versions of the document you are working on in case you make a mistake. There are many different uses. (This feature is intended as a convenient replacement for the RamDisc.)

You can either open the directory from the Temporary dir submenu, or you can add a special icon which will open the directory whenever it is clicked. (This icon can be added permanently - see Setup above for details). Pressing Shift-F11 also opens the temporary directory.

One useful feature is the Wipe dir option, which deletes the entire contents of the temporary dir when it is selected. Use this with caution, as even locked files are deleted (you are prompted for confirmation). This method of clearing the directory is much quicker than using the usual filer Delete option.

Note: the temporary directory is actually a directory stored inside the Utilis application. This must be on a writable disc, otherwise the directory will not be any use. If you wish to use a different directory, see the file TempDir inside the !Utilis directory.

Quit

This exits the Utilis application, and removes its icon from the iconbar.

Hidden features

These are useful features of Utilis that are not immediately obvious from the main menu.

Pointer control

Utilis allows the pointer to be controlled using the cursor keys. You can also hold Shift or Ctrl to make the pointer move more quickly.

For the cursor keys to work in this way, the caret must be removed from the screen. This can be done using the main Utilis menu, or by holding both the left and the right Ctrl keys and pressing F12.

Of course, clicking must still be carried out using the mouse. This introduces the problem of unwanted pointer movement when the mouse buttons are pressed. If you press the End key (or Copy key on earlier machines) then the mouse is locked so that only the buttons operate, not the movement. Pressing Shift-End unlocks the mouse again.

You can also lock the mouse in just the vertical or horizontal. To make the mouse move only horizontally, press Shift-Ctrl and one of the horizontal cursor keys. To limit the mouse to vertical movement, press Shift-Ctrl and up or down.

Sometimes, you might have to hold the lock keys whilst clicking as the mouse may decide to unlock itself.

Summary of keys:

Up, down, left, right                Move pointer
Shift-cursor key                     Move pointer four times as fast
Ctrl-cursor key                      Move pointer 16 times as fast
Shift-Ctrl-up / Shift-Ctrl-down      Lock mouse horizontally *
Shift-Ctrl-left / Shift-Ctrl-right   Lock mouse vertically *
End / Copy                           Lock mouse completely
Shift-End (Shift-Copy)               Unlock mouse
                           (* unlocks horizontal/vertical locks as well)
LeftCtrl-RightCtrl-F12               Remove caret

Also, don't forget the following hot-keys:

F11                              Calculator
Shift-F11                        Temporary directory
Ctrl-F11                         Same as clicking select on iconbar icon
Ctrl-Shift-F11                   Same as clicking adjust on iconbar icon

File information utility

If a file, directory or application is dragged to the iconbar icon, then a window containing information and various options is opened.

Information includes:
Pathname, filetype, size; number of sprites (spritefiles only); size and type of unsquashed file (squashed files only).

For GIF and JPEG image files, the utility displays the width and height of the image, and for a GIF indicates whether it is interlaced or has transparecny. This can be useful for web page authors.

The options available depend on the type of object. The options always available are Run, and Set CSD to parent. The latter is the most useful, and makes the parent directory of the object the currently selected directory.

Sprite files also include the option of Iconsprites and Toolsprites, which add the sprites in the file to the wimp sprite pool. There is also the option to screenload (view) the sprite.

Drawfiles include the option to render the file (similar to screenloading a sprite.)

Applications and directories include the option to set the CSD to the dragged directory, as an alternative to the parent.
Applications also have the option of opening the application directory, or forcing the application's !Boot file to run.

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