Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!HNYKUN53.BITNET!SCHOMAKE
From: SCHOMAKE@HNYKUN53.BITNET (Lambert Schomaker)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: fsel_input
Message-ID: <8802250623.AA17637@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 24 Feb 88 14:26:00 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 36

[]
About the recent requests about fsel_input. Wouldn't it be nice to re-design
the selecting of files, instead of modifying the existing fsel_input?
In my opinion, opening files should be done by means of the standard
double-clicking procedure on the desktop. The scenario:

1) Double-click on a .PRG file icon and the program starts,
2) but the desktop stays intact containing all windows. Only, the menu_bar
   changes into a program title bar, now containing a prompt, (e.g.):

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |     MYPROGR    Input file? ________.___                               |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |   ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---  |
 |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   | |
 |  |fil|  |dta|  |etc|  |foo|  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   |  |   | |
 |   ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---  |
 |                                                                       |
   After a single click on a file icon, the selected file name appears in
   the bar, clearly visible in system font. D-clicking on a file opens it.
   Characters typed from the keyboard appear in the bar if manual input
   is preferred by the user. All Gem desktop manipulations (apart from the
   drop-down menu's) such as resizing, opening windows etc. are possible.
3) This is repeated for all required input and output files, the prompt
   changing accordingly.
4) The desktop dissappears and the program starts with its own desktop and
   menu_bar.
5) Intermediate file saving etc. is handled likewise: the Gem desktop
   pops up "from under", to give the user a broad overview and desktop
   control as opposed to the limited fsel_input dialog box.

A similar approach could be used in place of the .TTP dialog box,
e.g., the user types "<" and selects an input file, types " >" and selects
an output file, possibly followed by some typed options. Characters appear in
the program title bar, as above.

   Lambert Schomaker,  SCHOMAKER@HNYKUN53.BITNET