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Get Instant Access to Your IIgs

Ever thought there should be some way to quick-launch favorite programs and have
comprehensive disk management options without starting the Finder? What about
also being able to get detailed file information, view super-res graphics, and listen
to sound effects and SynthLab sequences with a single click?

This sort of instant access may sound too good to be true; but, you can get it now.
A click on the download link just below is all it takes to get Ian Brumby's
Instant Access for your GS!
 
 

Download

Instant Access in .SHK file
Use GS ShrinkIt to unshrink to hard disk or diskette.
 
 
 

Docs

Instant Access 3.0b4
7th July 1994

   by Ian Brumby
 

Fixed since version 3.0b3

* Path is now correctly set when QuickLaunching
* Applesoft BASIC programs can now be QuickLaunched
* Radio button controls now work properly (Boot options fix)
* NDAs now work
* Fixed the "wrong filetype in Undelete" bug
 

New in version 3.0

* All new interface, designed by Clue from NinjaForce.
* All new stand alone preferences editor.  This has been seperated from the
  main program to cut down the size of IA itself.  It is a desktop program,
  because they are easier to maintain than "no tools" programs.
* Now uses the Event Manager, which should make it more friendly to the
  system.
* Added QuickLaunch buttons.
* New menu manager code, which uses resources.  Therefore you can now edit
  the menus using Genesys, or a similar resource editing utility.
* Animated watch cursor used in situations that take some time.
* There are more icons and identifiers for file types.
  (e.g. TOL (tools), DRV (drivers), CDV (control panels))
* The "Get File" dialog (used in Copy/Move) supports all the things it
  should have supported in the v2.3.
* New "Verify" option for verifying files and disks.
* New "System Info" option for information about RAM usage and other things.
* Now plays MidiSynth files.  Because the MidiSynth tool is just one big
  kludge, IA has to startup QuickDraw to keep it happy.
* Print Shop GS files are now viewed in colour. (by request)
* New "active scrolling" mode (optional).  Gives it an X-Windows feel.
  (by request)
* The MegaTracker sequencer is now the latest version - 4.31
* HyperStudio sound support has been extended to cover SoundShop files
  that don't conform to the file format, plus HyperStudio sounds that
  have been compressed.
* New "Undelete" option.  Lets you recover those files you accidentally
  deleted.  Only works with ProDOS disks.
* The keystroke for file dialogs: "Open Apple-Tab", which goes back one
  volume.  This is the opposite of "Tab", which goes forward one volume.
  (by request)
* Apple Preferred Format (APF) pictures have a totally rewritten viewer.
  It now supports pictures up to 65535x65535 in 16 or 256 colours, with
  scrolling by either the mouse or the keyboard.  There is also support
  for APF 3200+ format pictures.  These can be up to 65535x2048 in size.
* All "Packbytes" compression (e.g. APF pictures) now uses no tool code,
  instead of the toolbox call _UnpackBytes.  This results in a 25%
  improvement in unpacking speed.
* There is now limited The Manager (tm) support.  IA should update the
  screen when it is switched in now.  You'll have to use TM's switch
  key sequence to switch out.  When the necessary IPC code is implemented
  in TM, I'll add a TM menu to IA's menu bar, and you'll be able to
  switch out with the mouse.
* New internal text file viewer.  Will view text files, standard source
  code files, Merlin source code files and AppleWorks Classic files.
  The AppleWorks Classic viewer supports the indenting command, as well
  as bold and underline, which will come out as different colours.
* You can now pick which text viewer/editor you want for viewing text
  files.  IA can either use the internal text viewer, or send Message
  type $01 (suitable for WriteAway), Message type $11 (suitable for
  Teach), or send a Finder IPC request (suitable for ShadowWrite).
* Added "Autoboot" option.  If enabled it will automatically launch the
  given file unless you press ESC during the boot process.
* "Move files" is now better and faster.
* Sorting directories is now much faster. (by request)
* Launching files is now a bit smoother, as it fakes the standard desktop
  pattern before launching.
* New graphical shutdown routine.
* New keystroke: "Open Apple-`", which automatically initiates the
  screen blanker.
* Now views DL animation files.  They need to be named using the "*.DL"
  convention for IA to recognize them.
* Now views MacPaint pictures.  They need to be named using the "*.MAC"
  convention for IA to recognize them.  It will still view text files
  (filetype TXT) as text files though, as they could be Macro files. :)
* New IPC requests can be made to IA.  I'll document these sometime. :)
* Plus quite a lot of bug fixes!
 

What's incomplete in this version

* "Super Data Path"(tm)-like pathname changer
* File info doesn't set the "bits", and doesn't save any changes you make
  to the file info.  Also the "Change filetype" window is incomplete.
* The "Help!" menu item isn't done.
* Most of the shell, so I haven't included it in this version.
  (ignore the notes on the shell below)
* Amiga IFF ILBM viewing.  The code is finished, but I want to improve it
  further.
* Text file viewer choices are hardcoded.  All except "Teach" format files
  get viewed by the internal viewer.  "Teach" files will get viewed by
  ShadowWrite (or any other program that accepts IPC requests).
* The following preferences have no effect: "Hide QuickLaunch Window",
  "Reverse Mouse Scrolling", "Autoboot...", plus the text file viewers as
  described above.
* QuickLaunch application's attributes (e.g. border colour, system speed)
  aren't set on launch.
* The manual!
 

What's still to come?

* Hopefully some more features, plus whatever you request
 

The shell

Commands that work:
LS, CAT, CATALOG, QUIT, SHOW, HOME, SHUTDOWN, DEVICES, CD, PREFIX, TYPE,
HISTORY, VERSION, RENAME, EDIT, CREATE, ENABLE, DISABLE, TOUCH, FILETYPE,
ERASE, INIT, ECHO, *, SET, UNSET, EXISTS, ASSEMBLE, COMPILE, ASML, CMPL,
ASMLG, CMPLG, RUN, LINK, NEWER, INPUT

Refer to your ORCA/Shell manuals if you have one, or yell at me to write
a manual.

Some of those commands are incomplete, but they shouldn't be dangerous, so
just play around and see which flags work, and which don't, if you want.

Almost all ORCA/Shell 2.0 callbacks have been implemented, so you should
be able to run most shell executables.

The important thing to note is that the wildcard handler supports UNIX
style regular expression, and not ORCA style wildcards.  Basically this
means you'll have to use "*" instead of "=".
 
 

I've probably forgotten some things...

Ian Brumby
Address: 57 Macleay St
Turner ACT 2601
Australia

E-mail:  ibrumby@cairo.anu.edu.au
 
 
 

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