Amiga

An AmigaGuide window consists of a tool bar containing frequently used navigation aids and a view into the current node of the hypertext database. Figure 1 shows what a typical AmigaGuide window looks like.

AmigaGuide features include:

• Supports a truly hierarchical hypertext database.
• Dynamic node host feature provides the application developer with the ability to incorporate live application data into their help system.
• Multi-level table of contents.
• Unlimited history of nodes visited, allowing a complete path retrace.
• Rich hypertext support.
• Supports multiple font attributes.
• Sophisticated paragraph layout.
• Allows links to be made to external AmigaGuide or text files.
• Clipboard support.
• Multi-colored text support.
• Advanced scripting support via ARexx.
• Utilizes DataTypes to provide picture, sound and animation support.

AmigaGuide is available for the Amiga and requires a minimum of AmigaDOS 1.3.

Copyright © 1991-1993 Commodore-Amiga, Inc.

The concept, and realization, of DataTypes is to be able to, in an object-oriented manner, display or play any type of multimedia data. This includes documents, hypertext documents, sounds, pictures, animation and video data. Figure 2 shows a simplified view of a portion of the DataTypes class hierarchy.

By dropping any type of data file on a display utility or other DataTypes-aware application, the appropriate class is dynamically bound and the data displayed.

DataTypes features include:

• Object-oriented using the language-independent features of the Amiga's Class Manager.
• Common functionality is placed in the root-level class.
• Provides the ability to embed different object types within an application. For example, an application can embed a picture object or even an AmigaGuide hypertext document browser within its window.
• Objects can be embedded within other objects. For example, a picture object can be embedded within an AmigaGuide hypertext object.
• Dynamic binding.
• DataTypes objects can be multi-threaded. For example, the video class uses one thread to display the video and another thread to stream the video data.
• Objects can be queried to determine what functionality they support.
• Clipboard support.
• Applications can use DataTypes as a file loader. For example, a paint program can use DataTypes to transparently load any type of picture data file.
• Format conversions between objects of the same base type. For example, a GIF picture can be saved as an ILBM picture.
• Can be used to determine the data type of any file or clipboard data.

DataTypes is available for the Amiga and requires a minimum of AmigaDOS 3.0.

Copyright © 1991-1993 Commodore-Amiga, Inc.

Unlike the complex and cryptic syntax that other REXX GUI systems require, ZedREXX syntax is structured, simple and easy to read. Common GUI techniques are implemented in the command host instead of in the REXX script, making the run-time speed and response time of a ZedREXX script similar to the same application written in C.

ZedREXX features include:

• Abstract textual definition of all user-interface elements.
• Platform independent user-interface description.
• Multiple or single window interfaces.
• Keyboard shortcuts for all GUI elements.
• Font and text sensitive layout of all GUI elements.
• Fixed or resizable windows.
• Support for context-sensitive on-line help.
• Blocking or non-blocking windows.
• Drag and drop support.
• Transparent handling of all event processing.
• Resource tracking.
• Support for object observers and multiple targets.
• Iconification.
• Access to common dialog boxes, such as File and Font dialogs.
• Persistent object and attribute support.
• Automatic snapshot of window size and placement.

ZedREXX is available for the Amiga and requires a minimum of AmigaDOS 2.04 with ARexx installed.

Copyright © 1993-1995 Reality Check, Inc.