Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!mintaka!wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu!rjc
From: rjc@wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell)
Subject: Re: IAC (was Re: Clipboard (was Re: The Amiga's Future))
Message-ID: <1991Jun9.084438.8745@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Sender: news@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu
Organization: The Internet
References: <1991Jun8.044840.1404@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> <1991Jun8.074935.781@neon.Stanford.EDU> <38@ryptyde.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9 Jun 91 08:44:38 GMT
Lines: 36

In article <38@ryptyde.UUCP> dant@ryptyde.UUCP (Daniel Tracy) writes:
>Responding to the following:
>
>"  I think the whole question here is how strictly enforced these
>"standards" are.  You're right in that there's no reason why the
>clipboard couldn't be better than the Mac's.  But Marc's also right
>in saying that if applications don't support it, then the technical
>superiority is wasted."
>
>This is one instance in which the Mac's clipboard is superior to the Amiga's.
>Specific data types are contained in the clipboard (TEXT, PICT, etc), a list
>which grows as the need arises. An application in which a Paste command was
>given can check to see what data type the clipboard contains because this
>information is provided by the OS. The Amiga's clipboard is too free-form,
>or so recent posts would have me believe.

  The Amiga method is way more flexible. Using IFF it's possible 
(if developers would implement it) to cut and paste TEXT, Graphics,
SOUND, Animation segments, brushes, Music arrangements, and even
3-d objects! This is because the Amiga has one file format for all
of these, IFF. An application would simply need to check the header
(ILBM=Bitmap, ANIM=Animation, DCMS=Music, 8SVX=Digitized sound,
FXTX=Text, DR2D=Cad objects, TDDD=Turbo Silver 3-d object
format) And iffparse.library makes this task even easier.
Again, the idea with the Amiga is openness. It's a pity no one
hardly supported the clipboard.device, it would really rock if done
properly. Imagine cutting a new rendered animation out of 
Imagine, pasting it into Showmaker, cutting out a few sounds from
audiomaster and pasting/syncing them to animation in Showmaker, and
why not add a MEDplayer module to boot!

--
/ INET:rjc@gnu.ai.mit.edu     *   // The opinions expressed here do not      \
| INET:r_cromwe@upr2.clu.net  | \X/  in any way reflect the views of my self.|
\ UUCP:uunet!tnc!m0023        *                                              /