Your basic unadorned Amiga comes with a number of ways to run applications. You can use the most basic of GUI methods, i.e. double click on an Icon, you can also run programs from the shell by typing their names. However, although effective, these methods can be cumbersome. If you have many programs on your hard drive, running your applications can seem like an endless series of "click, click, click..." as you burrow your way to the location of the program. And running programs from the shell can be even more frustrating when you've forgotten the location or name of a program.
There have been many attempts, on many platforms to solve this, from the Next's Docks, to Windows Start Menu, and a squillion in between. The Amiga has been graced by versions of almost every method of launching programs you can imagine, and that is what I'll be covering in the next several articles.
What's up Dock?
One of the more popular forms of launching programs is through a so called dock. A dock is, at it's most basic, a list of programs. You click on the one you wish to run, and the program runs. Docks can be comprised pf programs from anywhere on your hard drive. Once configured correctly, you never have to worry about clicking your way through twelve sub directories, or typing an obscure filename again. Depending on which Dock program you use, docks can be composed of plain text, icons, pictures, even animations. Along with the text or images, docks might also allow sounds, hot keys, and numerous other enhancements.
ToolManager
This issue, I'm going to cover a long time Amiga favorite, Stefan Becker's ToolManager. Just about anything you can wish for in a Dock program is available. Version 3 of ToolManager is a fairly radical break from the older versions, and has many new features, a new GUI, and is quite different in usage, which has caused some users, myself included, a bit of confusion when trying to install and configure it. See Figure 1 for a screen shot showing Several ToolManager Docks in operation.
Figure 1: ToolManager in Action
Getting Started
Before you install ToolManager, a little planning is in order. You'll need the latest Installer, available on Aminet. Since ToolManager uses datatypes to load the images, you'll need the appropriate dataypes installed for the Images you wish to use. One Datatype in particular you may find useful is Oliver Seiler's Info datatype. This will allow you to use icons, including NewIcons, for your ToolManager Docks.
Once you have all your datatype's installed and working, you need to decide on which images you'll be using. If you are using standard NewIcons or Magic Workbench icons for your programs, then you might want to use the corresponding icons for your docks. This is easiest and provides a consistent look to your Workbench. Aminet is chock full of icons in many styles suitable for dock usage.
You can also, if you want a more elaborite look, use bitmap pictures for your docks. You can use a paint program to scale the pictures down in resoution and color to your needs. If you run on a high resoution/high color Workbench, you might like to use scaled down screen shots of your programs, or perhaps scans of their logos, for easy recognition.
Installation of ToolManager should be fairly straight forward, as long as you have the latest installer from Aminet. Once installed run the ToolManager preference to configure the program.
Across the top of the ToolManager Preferences, you will see a series of tabs, Exec, Image, Sound, Menu, Icon, Dock, and Access. The Exec tab is where you will compile a list of programs you wish to run, and any parameters those program need. Start off by clicking on the Add new group. Select a name for the group. If you want, you can group your programs according to type, Apps, Games, graphics etc. Again look to Figure 1.
Next, click on New Object. This is the heart of ToolManager, and will require the most effort. The Edit Exec Object Window pops up. Here you will enter the name of the program, and all the sordid details it may require to run. The easiest way to do this is to drag the actual program icon onto the window. This will automatically fill in the details. For programs run from the shell, make sure you specify shell as the Exec Type. Also make sure the stack is high enough for the program. If the program's documentation doesn't specify a stack value, you can probably leave the stack at 4096. Click on the use button to go back to the Main Preferences window. Repeat this process until you have all your programs entered. See Figure 2 for the Edit Exec Object Window.
Figure 2: Edit Exec Objects
Step two is the Image Tab. Here you will pick the images you want to use for your Dock. If you are making a text only dock, then this part can be ignored. Click on the New Group button first, and duplicate the groups you created in the Exec section. Click on New Object to enter the Picture or .info file you want to use. See Figure 3.
Figure 3: Edit Image Objects
Once you have all the images selected, it's time to make your dock. Note you can also add sound, and select Icon or menu items, but for brevity, I'll just cover the basic process of creating a dock.
Click on the Dock tab, then click on New Group. You might want to create separate groups for differnet purposes, say an image dock for your main apps, and a text only dock for utilities.
Click on New Object to create the actual docks. The Edit Dock Objects Window will open. Here you specify the name, appearance, composition and location of your docks. First, look at the center area labeled Entries. It has three subdivisions, Exec, Image, Sound. This is where you build the actual dock, by adding the programs and their images and sounds. To add a program, click on the Exec tab in the main Toolmanager Preferences window, and click and drag an exec item over to the Exec subsection in the Entries section of the Edit Dock Objects. use the same drag-n-drop porcedure for the Images and sounds you wish to use. If you are making a text only dock, check the Text box in the lower part of the window, and make sure the Images button is not checked. See Figure 4 for the settings for an image dock, and figure 5 for a text only dock.
Figure 4: Edit Image Dock Objects
Figure 5: Edit Text Dock Objects
To place your dock on the screen, either type in the x/y coordinates, or use the "move me!" window by clicking on the gadget next to the position window. Click on the Window box, then drag the Move Me! window to the location you wish for the upper left hand corner of the dock. Uncheck the Window box and click on OK when you are satisfied. See Figure 6.
Figure 6: Positioning your Dock
There you have the basics of ToolManager. There is much more you can do, sounds, icons, menus, hotkeys etc., but I'll leave those as homework for the adventurous. Next episode we'll get into some more trouble...er...projects! See you then.
