Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-02.adf » !OmniDesk_OmniDesk » OmniStyle

OmniStyle

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 1994-02.adf » !OmniDesk_OmniDesk
Filename: OmniStyle
Read OK:
File size: 08A5 bytes
Load address: 0000
Exec address: 0000
File contents
Stylistic points for OmniDesk applications
By Richard Hallas

All the OmniDesk utilities should present a common appearance. There
is no size limit on the utilities which can be run from OmniDesk, but
they should generally have a single main window with associated menu.
Obviously, you would not write a complex multi-document editor to run
with OmniDesk.

If run separately from OmniDesk, the icon bar menu should have Info
and Quit options, but no others. The icon bar icon should also update
itself as appropriate to the mode it is running in, between high and
low resolution colour and high resolution monochrome versions. (See
the PROCUpdateIconForMode routine in any utility for details of how
this works.) It should respond to Select-clicks, but ignore Adjust
ones.

Every utility which has a main window (this is actually not an
essential requirement) must present a main menu which consists of a
bare minimum of three items: Info, Window position, and Save settings,
and these three items should be separated by two red dashed lines.
Extra information items should go in the top third (below Info), extra
save items in the bottom third (above Save settings) and any other
items necessary should go above Window position in the middle of the
menu.

All utilities should include the window-snap feature from the Window
position menu option, and it should be possible to disable the
snapping if the small window icon is removed (by clicking Adjust on
it) from the Location of window dialogue. The grid coordinates should
be saved (if nothing else) by the Save settings menu option.

A further related point is that when a window is snapped to the
right-most column of the grid, its main menu should work backwards
(right to left) under Risc OS 3, so that it does not collide with the
edge of the screen. If necessary, long (indirected) menu titles should
be provided under Risc OS 3, but they should still make sense under
Risc OS 2. See the !RunImage file of the CloseView utility to see how
this can be done.

An icon should be provided for use with the Pinboard, and all windows
should make use of version 2 of the public domain Interface Manager to
present a 3D appearance to both Risc OS 2 and 3 users.
00000000  53 74 79 6c 69 73 74 69  63 20 70 6f 69 6e 74 73  |Stylistic points|
00000010  20 66 6f 72 20 4f 6d 6e  69 44 65 73 6b 20 61 70  | for OmniDesk ap|
00000020  70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f  6e 73 0a 42 79 20 52 69  |plications.By Ri|
00000030  63 68 61 72 64 20 48 61  6c 6c 61 73 0a 0a 41 6c  |chard Hallas..Al|
00000040  6c 20 74 68 65 20 4f 6d  6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 75  |l the OmniDesk u|
00000050  74 69 6c 69 74 69 65 73  20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20  |tilities should |
00000060  70 72 65 73 65 6e 74 20  61 20 63 6f 6d 6d 6f 6e  |present a common|
00000070  20 61 70 70 65 61 72 61  6e 63 65 2e 20 54 68 65  | appearance. The|
00000080  72 65 0a 69 73 20 6e 6f  20 73 69 7a 65 20 6c 69  |re.is no size li|
00000090  6d 69 74 20 6f 6e 20 74  68 65 20 75 74 69 6c 69  |mit on the utili|
000000a0  74 69 65 73 20 77 68 69  63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 62  |ties which can b|
000000b0  65 20 72 75 6e 20 66 72  6f 6d 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44  |e run from OmniD|
000000c0  65 73 6b 2c 20 62 75 74  0a 74 68 65 79 20 73 68  |esk, but.they sh|
000000d0  6f 75 6c 64 20 67 65 6e  65 72 61 6c 6c 79 20 68  |ould generally h|
000000e0  61 76 65 20 61 20 73 69  6e 67 6c 65 20 6d 61 69  |ave a single mai|
000000f0  6e 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77  20 77 69 74 68 20 61 73  |n window with as|
00000100  73 6f 63 69 61 74 65 64  20 6d 65 6e 75 2e 0a 4f  |sociated menu..O|
00000110  62 76 69 6f 75 73 6c 79  2c 20 79 6f 75 20 77 6f  |bviously, you wo|
00000120  75 6c 64 20 6e 6f 74 20  77 72 69 74 65 20 61 20  |uld not write a |
00000130  63 6f 6d 70 6c 65 78 20  6d 75 6c 74 69 2d 64 6f  |complex multi-do|
00000140  63 75 6d 65 6e 74 20 65  64 69 74 6f 72 20 74 6f  |cument editor to|
00000150  20 72 75 6e 0a 77 69 74  68 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65  | run.with OmniDe|
00000160  73 6b 2e 0a 0a 49 66 20  72 75 6e 20 73 65 70 61  |sk...If run sepa|
00000170  72 61 74 65 6c 79 20 66  72 6f 6d 20 4f 6d 6e 69  |rately from Omni|
00000180  44 65 73 6b 2c 20 74 68  65 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 62  |Desk, the icon b|
00000190  61 72 20 6d 65 6e 75 20  73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 68  |ar menu should h|
000001a0  61 76 65 20 49 6e 66 6f  0a 61 6e 64 20 51 75 69  |ave Info.and Qui|
000001b0  74 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e  73 2c 20 62 75 74 20 6e  |t options, but n|
000001c0  6f 20 6f 74 68 65 72 73  2e 20 54 68 65 20 69 63  |o others. The ic|
000001d0  6f 6e 20 62 61 72 20 69  63 6f 6e 20 73 68 6f 75  |on bar icon shou|
000001e0  6c 64 20 61 6c 73 6f 20  75 70 64 61 74 65 0a 69  |ld also update.i|
000001f0  74 73 65 6c 66 20 61 73  20 61 70 70 72 6f 70 72  |tself as appropr|
00000200  69 61 74 65 20 74 6f 20  74 68 65 20 6d 6f 64 65  |iate to the mode|
00000210  20 69 74 20 69 73 20 72  75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 20 69  | it is running i|
00000220  6e 2c 20 62 65 74 77 65  65 6e 20 68 69 67 68 20  |n, between high |
00000230  61 6e 64 0a 6c 6f 77 20  72 65 73 6f 6c 75 74 69  |and.low resoluti|
00000240  6f 6e 20 63 6f 6c 6f 75  72 20 61 6e 64 20 68 69  |on colour and hi|
00000250  67 68 20 72 65 73 6f 6c  75 74 69 6f 6e 20 6d 6f  |gh resolution mo|
00000260  6e 6f 63 68 72 6f 6d 65  20 76 65 72 73 69 6f 6e  |nochrome version|
00000270  73 2e 20 28 53 65 65 0a  74 68 65 20 50 52 4f 43  |s. (See.the PROC|
00000280  55 70 64 61 74 65 49 63  6f 6e 46 6f 72 4d 6f 64  |UpdateIconForMod|
00000290  65 20 72 6f 75 74 69 6e  65 20 69 6e 20 61 6e 79  |e routine in any|
000002a0  20 75 74 69 6c 69 74 79  20 66 6f 72 20 64 65 74  | utility for det|
000002b0  61 69 6c 73 20 6f 66 20  68 6f 77 0a 74 68 69 73  |ails of how.this|
000002c0  20 77 6f 72 6b 73 2e 29  20 49 74 20 73 68 6f 75  | works.) It shou|
000002d0  6c 64 20 72 65 73 70 6f  6e 64 20 74 6f 20 53 65  |ld respond to Se|
000002e0  6c 65 63 74 2d 63 6c 69  63 6b 73 2c 20 62 75 74  |lect-clicks, but|
000002f0  20 69 67 6e 6f 72 65 20  41 64 6a 75 73 74 0a 6f  | ignore Adjust.o|
00000300  6e 65 73 2e 0a 0a 45 76  65 72 79 20 75 74 69 6c  |nes...Every util|
00000310  69 74 79 20 77 68 69 63  68 20 68 61 73 20 61 20  |ity which has a |
00000320  6d 61 69 6e 20 77 69 6e  64 6f 77 20 28 74 68 69  |main window (thi|
00000330  73 20 69 73 20 61 63 74  75 61 6c 6c 79 20 6e 6f  |s is actually no|
00000340  74 20 61 6e 0a 65 73 73  65 6e 74 69 61 6c 20 72  |t an.essential r|
00000350  65 71 75 69 72 65 6d 65  6e 74 29 20 6d 75 73 74  |equirement) must|
00000360  20 70 72 65 73 65 6e 74  20 61 20 6d 61 69 6e 20  | present a main |
00000370  6d 65 6e 75 20 77 68 69  63 68 20 63 6f 6e 73 69  |menu which consi|
00000380  73 74 73 20 6f 66 20 61  0a 62 61 72 65 20 6d 69  |sts of a.bare mi|
00000390  6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 6f 66  20 74 68 72 65 65 20 69  |nimum of three i|
000003a0  74 65 6d 73 3a 20 49 6e  66 6f 2c 20 57 69 6e 64  |tems: Info, Wind|
000003b0  6f 77 20 70 6f 73 69 74  69 6f 6e 2c 20 61 6e 64  |ow position, and|
000003c0  20 53 61 76 65 20 73 65  74 74 69 6e 67 73 2c 0a  | Save settings,.|
000003d0  61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 73  65 20 74 68 72 65 65 20  |and these three |
000003e0  69 74 65 6d 73 20 73 68  6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65 20  |items should be |
000003f0  73 65 70 61 72 61 74 65  64 20 62 79 20 74 77 6f  |separated by two|
00000400  20 72 65 64 20 64 61 73  68 65 64 20 6c 69 6e 65  | red dashed line|
00000410  73 2e 0a 45 78 74 72 61  20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61  |s..Extra informa|
00000420  74 69 6f 6e 20 69 74 65  6d 73 20 73 68 6f 75 6c  |tion items shoul|
00000430  64 20 67 6f 20 69 6e 20  74 68 65 20 74 6f 70 20  |d go in the top |
00000440  74 68 69 72 64 20 28 62  65 6c 6f 77 20 49 6e 66  |third (below Inf|
00000450  6f 29 2c 20 65 78 74 72  61 0a 73 61 76 65 20 69  |o), extra.save i|
00000460  74 65 6d 73 20 69 6e 20  74 68 65 20 62 6f 74 74  |tems in the bott|
00000470  6f 6d 20 74 68 69 72 64  20 28 61 62 6f 76 65 20  |om third (above |
00000480  53 61 76 65 20 73 65 74  74 69 6e 67 73 29 20 61  |Save settings) a|
00000490  6e 64 20 61 6e 79 20 6f  74 68 65 72 0a 69 74 65  |nd any other.ite|
000004a0  6d 73 20 6e 65 63 65 73  73 61 72 79 20 73 68 6f  |ms necessary sho|
000004b0  75 6c 64 20 67 6f 20 61  62 6f 76 65 20 57 69 6e  |uld go above Win|
000004c0  64 6f 77 20 70 6f 73 69  74 69 6f 6e 20 69 6e 20  |dow position in |
000004d0  74 68 65 20 6d 69 64 64  6c 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68  |the middle of th|
000004e0  65 0a 6d 65 6e 75 2e 0a  0a 41 6c 6c 20 75 74 69  |e.menu...All uti|
000004f0  6c 69 74 69 65 73 20 73  68 6f 75 6c 64 20 69 6e  |lities should in|
00000500  63 6c 75 64 65 20 74 68  65 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77  |clude the window|
00000510  2d 73 6e 61 70 20 66 65  61 74 75 72 65 20 66 72  |-snap feature fr|
00000520  6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 57  69 6e 64 6f 77 0a 70 6f  |om the Window.po|
00000530  73 69 74 69 6f 6e 20 6d  65 6e 75 20 6f 70 74 69  |sition menu opti|
00000540  6f 6e 2c 20 61 6e 64 20  69 74 20 73 68 6f 75 6c  |on, and it shoul|
00000550  64 20 62 65 20 70 6f 73  73 69 62 6c 65 20 74 6f  |d be possible to|
00000560  20 64 69 73 61 62 6c 65  20 74 68 65 0a 73 6e 61  | disable the.sna|
00000570  70 70 69 6e 67 20 69 66  20 74 68 65 20 73 6d 61  |pping if the sma|
00000580  6c 6c 20 77 69 6e 64 6f  77 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 69  |ll window icon i|
00000590  73 20 72 65 6d 6f 76 65  64 20 28 62 79 20 63 6c  |s removed (by cl|
000005a0  69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 41  64 6a 75 73 74 20 6f 6e  |icking Adjust on|
000005b0  0a 69 74 29 20 66 72 6f  6d 20 74 68 65 20 4c 6f  |.it) from the Lo|
000005c0  63 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f  66 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77  |cation of window|
000005d0  20 64 69 61 6c 6f 67 75  65 2e 20 54 68 65 20 67  | dialogue. The g|
000005e0  72 69 64 20 63 6f 6f 72  64 69 6e 61 74 65 73 20  |rid coordinates |
000005f0  73 68 6f 75 6c 64 0a 62  65 20 73 61 76 65 64 20  |should.be saved |
00000600  28 69 66 20 6e 6f 74 68  69 6e 67 20 65 6c 73 65  |(if nothing else|
00000610  29 20 62 79 20 74 68 65  20 53 61 76 65 20 73 65  |) by the Save se|
00000620  74 74 69 6e 67 73 20 6d  65 6e 75 20 6f 70 74 69  |ttings menu opti|
00000630  6f 6e 2e 0a 0a 41 20 66  75 72 74 68 65 72 20 72  |on...A further r|
00000640  65 6c 61 74 65 64 20 70  6f 69 6e 74 20 69 73 20  |elated point is |
00000650  74 68 61 74 20 77 68 65  6e 20 61 20 77 69 6e 64  |that when a wind|
00000660  6f 77 20 69 73 20 73 6e  61 70 70 65 64 20 74 6f  |ow is snapped to|
00000670  20 74 68 65 0a 72 69 67  68 74 2d 6d 6f 73 74 20  | the.right-most |
00000680  63 6f 6c 75 6d 6e 20 6f  66 20 74 68 65 20 67 72  |column of the gr|
00000690  69 64 2c 20 69 74 73 20  6d 61 69 6e 20 6d 65 6e  |id, its main men|
000006a0  75 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64  20 77 6f 72 6b 20 62 61  |u should work ba|
000006b0  63 6b 77 61 72 64 73 0a  28 72 69 67 68 74 20 74  |ckwards.(right t|
000006c0  6f 20 6c 65 66 74 29 20  75 6e 64 65 72 20 52 69  |o left) under Ri|
000006d0  73 63 20 4f 53 20 33 2c  20 73 6f 20 74 68 61 74  |sc OS 3, so that|
000006e0  20 69 74 20 64 6f 65 73  20 6e 6f 74 20 63 6f 6c  | it does not col|
000006f0  6c 69 64 65 20 77 69 74  68 20 74 68 65 0a 65 64  |lide with the.ed|
00000700  67 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68  65 20 73 63 72 65 65 6e  |ge of the screen|
00000710  2e 20 49 66 20 6e 65 63  65 73 73 61 72 79 2c 20  |. If necessary, |
00000720  6c 6f 6e 67 20 28 69 6e  64 69 72 65 63 74 65 64  |long (indirected|
00000730  29 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 74  69 74 6c 65 73 20 73 68  |) menu titles sh|
00000740  6f 75 6c 64 0a 62 65 20  70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 64  |ould.be provided|
00000750  20 75 6e 64 65 72 20 52  69 73 63 20 4f 53 20 33  | under Risc OS 3|
00000760  2c 20 62 75 74 20 74 68  65 79 20 73 68 6f 75 6c  |, but they shoul|
00000770  64 20 73 74 69 6c 6c 20  6d 61 6b 65 20 73 65 6e  |d still make sen|
00000780  73 65 20 75 6e 64 65 72  0a 52 69 73 63 20 4f 53  |se under.Risc OS|
00000790  20 32 2e 20 53 65 65 20  74 68 65 20 21 52 75 6e  | 2. See the !Run|
000007a0  49 6d 61 67 65 20 66 69  6c 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68  |Image file of th|
000007b0  65 20 43 6c 6f 73 65 56  69 65 77 20 75 74 69 6c  |e CloseView util|
000007c0  69 74 79 20 74 6f 20 73  65 65 20 68 6f 77 0a 74  |ity to see how.t|
000007d0  68 69 73 20 63 61 6e 20  62 65 20 64 6f 6e 65 2e  |his can be done.|
000007e0  0a 0a 41 6e 20 69 63 6f  6e 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64  |..An icon should|
000007f0  20 62 65 20 70 72 6f 76  69 64 65 64 20 66 6f 72  | be provided for|
00000800  20 75 73 65 20 77 69 74  68 20 74 68 65 20 50 69  | use with the Pi|
00000810  6e 62 6f 61 72 64 2c 20  61 6e 64 20 61 6c 6c 20  |nboard, and all |
00000820  77 69 6e 64 6f 77 73 0a  73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 6d  |windows.should m|
00000830  61 6b 65 20 75 73 65 20  6f 66 20 76 65 72 73 69  |ake use of versi|
00000840  6f 6e 20 32 20 6f 66 20  74 68 65 20 70 75 62 6c  |on 2 of the publ|
00000850  69 63 20 64 6f 6d 61 69  6e 20 49 6e 74 65 72 66  |ic domain Interf|
00000860  61 63 65 20 4d 61 6e 61  67 65 72 20 74 6f 0a 70  |ace Manager to.p|
00000870  72 65 73 65 6e 74 20 61  20 33 44 20 61 70 70 65  |resent a 3D appe|
00000880  61 72 61 6e 63 65 20 74  6f 20 62 6f 74 68 20 52  |arance to both R|
00000890  69 73 63 20 4f 53 20 32  20 61 6e 64 20 33 20 75  |isc OS 2 and 3 u|
000008a0  73 65 72 73 2e                                    |sers.|
000008a5