Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-11.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo » Newcomb/!SmallTask/!Help
Newcomb/!SmallTask/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-11.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo |
| Filename: | Newcomb/!SmallTask/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 06AD bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
!SmallTask v1.00
This application provides a task window which redirects its
output to a sprite instead of a text file (as is done in
!Edit's taskwindow). This means that programs can be run in a
window, but unlike other task windows, !SmallTask supports all
VDU commands, except the following:
-Mode changes
-Palette changes
-Paged mode is disabled
The mouse is buffered separately, and it's origin is the same
as the graphic origin of the window (default: bottom-left) of
the window.
Clicking SELECT/ ADJUST on the !SmallTask icon on the icon-bar
will start up a task window. To bring up the menu, click MENU
on the title bar of the window (NB clicking in the window work
area will buffer the mouse position instead!).
The menu is as follows:
-Info Program information.
-Pause Pauses current task.
-Save Saves task's screen as sprite.
-Kill task Terminates current task.
-Show caret Turns caret on or off.
-Gain caret Switches keyboard output to task.
-New task Starts up a new task with a *command.
-Next task Configures details for next task.
-Quit Quits !SmallTask.
Tasks can be started by:
-The 'New task' menu option
-Dragging an object onto the icon
-Clicking on the icon with SELECT/ ADJUST
This version does not support many features. Listed below are
those which are common in most programs:
-Direct screen accessing (usually within machine code)
-All MOUSE commands, except those used to read its position.
-Multi screen banking
-ARROW Keys and COPY key during line editing
-A few other things
Most simple programs should work without any problems.
Thomas Newcomb,
37 Crosby Road,
Birkdale,
Southport,
Lancashire,
PR8 4TE.
30th April 1994. 00000000 21 53 6d 61 6c 6c 54 61 73 6b 20 76 31 2e 30 30 |!SmallTask v1.00| 00000010 0a 0a 54 68 69 73 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 |..This applicati| 00000020 6f 6e 20 70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 73 20 61 20 74 61 |on provides a ta| 00000030 73 6b 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 |sk window which | 00000040 72 65 64 69 72 65 63 74 73 20 69 74 73 0a 6f 75 |redirects its.ou| 00000050 74 70 75 74 20 74 6f 20 61 20 73 70 72 69 74 65 |tput to a sprite| 00000060 20 69 6e 73 74 65 61 64 20 6f 66 20 61 20 74 65 | instead of a te| 00000070 78 74 20 66 69 6c 65 20 28 61 73 20 69 73 20 64 |xt file (as is d| 00000080 6f 6e 65 20 69 6e 0a 21 45 64 69 74 27 73 20 74 |one in.!Edit's t| 00000090 61 73 6b 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 29 2e 20 54 68 69 73 |askwindow). This| 000000a0 20 6d 65 61 6e 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 70 72 6f 67 | means that prog| 000000b0 72 61 6d 73 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 72 75 6e 20 |rams can be run | 000000c0 69 6e 20 61 0a 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 2c 20 62 75 74 |in a.window, but| 000000d0 20 75 6e 6c 69 6b 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 74 61 | unlike other ta| 000000e0 73 6b 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 73 2c 20 21 53 6d 61 |sk windows, !Sma| 000000f0 6c 6c 54 61 73 6b 20 73 75 70 70 6f 72 74 73 20 |llTask supports | 00000100 61 6c 6c 0a 56 44 55 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 73 |all.VDU commands| 00000110 2c 20 65 78 63 65 70 74 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 6c |, except the fol| 00000120 6c 6f 77 69 6e 67 3a 0a 2d 4d 6f 64 65 20 63 68 |lowing:.-Mode ch| 00000130 61 6e 67 65 73 0a 2d 50 61 6c 65 74 74 65 20 63 |anges.-Palette c| 00000140 68 61 6e 67 65 73 0a 2d 50 61 67 65 64 20 6d 6f |hanges.-Paged mo| 00000150 64 65 20 69 73 20 64 69 73 61 62 6c 65 64 0a 54 |de is disabled.T| 00000160 68 65 20 6d 6f 75 73 65 20 69 73 20 62 75 66 66 |he mouse is buff| 00000170 65 72 65 64 20 73 65 70 61 72 61 74 65 6c 79 2c |ered separately,| 00000180 20 61 6e 64 20 69 74 27 73 20 6f 72 69 67 69 6e | and it's origin| 00000190 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65 0a 61 73 20 | is the same.as | 000001a0 74 68 65 20 67 72 61 70 68 69 63 20 6f 72 69 67 |the graphic orig| 000001b0 69 6e 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 |in of the window| 000001c0 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 3a 20 62 6f 74 74 6f | (default: botto| 000001d0 6d 2d 6c 65 66 74 29 20 6f 66 0a 74 68 65 20 77 |m-left) of.the w| 000001e0 69 6e 64 6f 77 2e 0a 0a 43 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 |indow...Clicking| 000001f0 20 53 45 4c 45 43 54 2f 20 41 44 4a 55 53 54 20 | SELECT/ ADJUST | 00000200 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 21 53 6d 61 6c 6c 54 61 73 |on the !SmallTas| 00000210 6b 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 |k icon on the ic| 00000220 6f 6e 2d 62 61 72 0a 77 69 6c 6c 20 73 74 61 72 |on-bar.will star| 00000230 74 20 75 70 20 61 20 74 61 73 6b 20 77 69 6e 64 |t up a task wind| 00000240 6f 77 2e 20 20 54 6f 20 62 72 69 6e 67 20 75 70 |ow. To bring up| 00000250 20 74 68 65 20 6d 65 6e 75 2c 20 63 6c 69 63 6b | the menu, click| 00000260 20 4d 45 4e 55 0a 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 74 | MENU.on the tit| 00000270 6c 65 20 62 61 72 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 77 69 |le bar of the wi| 00000280 6e 64 6f 77 20 28 4e 42 20 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e |ndow (NB clickin| 00000290 67 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 |g in the window | 000002a0 77 6f 72 6b 0a 61 72 65 61 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 |work.area will b| 000002b0 75 66 66 65 72 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 75 73 65 20 |uffer the mouse | 000002c0 70 6f 73 69 74 69 6f 6e 20 69 6e 73 74 65 61 64 |position instead| 000002d0 21 29 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 69 73 |!)...The menu is| 000002e0 20 61 73 20 66 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 73 3a 0a 2d 49 6e | as follows:.-In| 000002f0 66 6f 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 50 72 6f 67 72 61 |fo Progra| 00000300 6d 20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 2d |m information..-| 00000310 50 61 75 73 65 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 50 61 75 73 |Pause Paus| 00000320 65 73 20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 20 74 61 73 6b 2e |es current task.| 00000330 0a 2d 53 61 76 65 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 53 61 |.-Save Sa| 00000340 76 65 73 20 74 61 73 6b 27 73 20 73 63 72 65 65 |ves task's scree| 00000350 6e 20 61 73 20 73 70 72 69 74 65 2e 0a 2d 4b 69 |n as sprite..-Ki| 00000360 6c 6c 20 74 61 73 6b 20 20 20 54 65 72 6d 69 6e |ll task Termin| 00000370 61 74 65 73 20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 20 74 61 73 |ates current tas| 00000380 6b 2e 0a 2d 53 68 6f 77 20 63 61 72 65 74 20 20 |k..-Show caret | 00000390 54 75 72 6e 73 20 63 61 72 65 74 20 6f 6e 20 6f |Turns caret on o| 000003a0 72 20 6f 66 66 2e 0a 2d 47 61 69 6e 20 63 61 72 |r off..-Gain car| 000003b0 65 74 20 20 53 77 69 74 63 68 65 73 20 6b 65 79 |et Switches key| 000003c0 62 6f 61 72 64 20 6f 75 74 70 75 74 20 74 6f 20 |board output to | 000003d0 74 61 73 6b 2e 0a 2d 4e 65 77 20 74 61 73 6b 20 |task..-New task | 000003e0 20 20 20 53 74 61 72 74 73 20 75 70 20 61 20 6e | Starts up a n| 000003f0 65 77 20 74 61 73 6b 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 2a |ew task with a *| 00000400 63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 2e 0a 2d 4e 65 78 74 20 74 |command..-Next t| 00000410 61 73 6b 20 20 20 43 6f 6e 66 69 67 75 72 65 73 |ask Configures| 00000420 20 64 65 74 61 69 6c 73 20 66 6f 72 20 6e 65 78 | details for nex| 00000430 74 20 74 61 73 6b 2e 0a 2d 51 75 69 74 20 20 20 |t task..-Quit | 00000440 20 20 20 20 20 51 75 69 74 73 20 21 53 6d 61 6c | Quits !Smal| 00000450 6c 54 61 73 6b 2e 0a 0a 54 61 73 6b 73 20 63 61 |lTask...Tasks ca| 00000460 6e 20 62 65 20 73 74 61 72 74 65 64 20 62 79 3a |n be started by:| 00000470 0a 2d 54 68 65 20 27 4e 65 77 20 74 61 73 6b 27 |.-The 'New task'| 00000480 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 0a 2d 44 72 | menu option.-Dr| 00000490 61 67 67 69 6e 67 20 61 6e 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 |agging an object| 000004a0 20 6f 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 0a 2d | onto the icon.-| 000004b0 43 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 |Clicking on the | 000004c0 69 63 6f 6e 20 77 69 74 68 20 53 45 4c 45 43 54 |icon with SELECT| 000004d0 2f 20 41 44 4a 55 53 54 0a 0a 54 68 69 73 20 76 |/ ADJUST..This v| 000004e0 65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 64 6f 65 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 |ersion does not | 000004f0 73 75 70 70 6f 72 74 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 66 65 61 |support many fea| 00000500 74 75 72 65 73 2e 20 4c 69 73 74 65 64 20 62 65 |tures. Listed be| 00000510 6c 6f 77 20 61 72 65 0a 74 68 6f 73 65 20 77 68 |low are.those wh| 00000520 69 63 68 20 61 72 65 20 63 6f 6d 6d 6f 6e 20 69 |ich are common i| 00000530 6e 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 3a |n most programs:| 00000540 0a 2d 44 69 72 65 63 74 20 73 63 72 65 65 6e 20 |.-Direct screen | 00000550 61 63 63 65 73 73 69 6e 67 20 28 75 73 75 61 6c |accessing (usual| 00000560 6c 79 20 77 69 74 68 69 6e 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e |ly within machin| 00000570 65 20 63 6f 64 65 29 0a 2d 41 6c 6c 20 4d 4f 55 |e code).-All MOU| 00000580 53 45 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 73 2c 20 65 78 63 |SE commands, exc| 00000590 65 70 74 20 74 68 6f 73 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 |ept those used t| 000005a0 6f 20 72 65 61 64 20 69 74 73 20 70 6f 73 69 74 |o read its posit| 000005b0 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 2d 4d 75 6c 74 69 20 73 63 72 65 |ion..-Multi scre| 000005c0 65 6e 20 62 61 6e 6b 69 6e 67 0a 2d 41 52 52 4f |en banking.-ARRO| 000005d0 57 20 4b 65 79 73 20 61 6e 64 20 43 4f 50 59 20 |W Keys and COPY | 000005e0 6b 65 79 20 64 75 72 69 6e 67 20 6c 69 6e 65 20 |key during line | 000005f0 65 64 69 74 69 6e 67 0a 2d 41 20 66 65 77 20 6f |editing.-A few o| 00000600 74 68 65 72 20 74 68 69 6e 67 73 0a 4d 6f 73 74 |ther things.Most| 00000610 20 73 69 6d 70 6c 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 | simple programs| 00000620 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 77 6f 72 6b 20 77 69 74 | should work wit| 00000630 68 6f 75 74 20 61 6e 79 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d |hout any problem| 00000640 73 2e 0a 0a 54 68 6f 6d 61 73 20 4e 65 77 63 6f |s...Thomas Newco| 00000650 6d 62 2c 0a 20 33 37 20 43 72 6f 73 62 79 20 52 |mb,. 37 Crosby R| 00000660 6f 61 64 2c 0a 20 20 42 69 72 6b 64 61 6c 65 2c |oad,. Birkdale,| 00000670 0a 20 20 20 53 6f 75 74 68 70 6f 72 74 2c 0a 20 |. Southport,. | 00000680 20 20 20 4c 61 6e 63 61 73 68 69 72 65 2c 0a 20 | Lancashire,. | 00000690 20 20 20 20 50 52 38 20 34 54 45 2e 0a 33 30 74 | PR8 4TE..30t| 000006a0 68 20 41 70 72 69 6c 20 31 39 39 34 2e |h April 1994.| 000006ad
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