Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!pprg.unm.edu!hc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!kepler.Berkeley.EDU!me128-aw
From: me128-aw@kepler.Berkeley.EDU (me128 student)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: WorkBench Dreams
Keywords: I wish..
Message-ID: <27075@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 9 Dec 88 06:16:08 GMT
References: <720@pdp.cs.OHIOU.EDU>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: me128-aw@kepler.Berkeley.EDU (me128 student)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 91

In article <720@pdp.cs.OHIOU.EDU> arp@pdp.cs.OHIOU.EDU (John Gordos) writes:
>
>	Folks,
>
>	I've got something that I'd REALLY like to see added to
>	the WorkBench;  Being able to "click" on an icon AND
>	while it opens, "click" on another icon AND... well, you
>	get the idea.

While we're on the subject, I have some wishes of my own.

A few of you might have seen a program I wrote called "WORPBench" standing
for WOrkbench Replacement Project.  I've shown it around here and there
and briefly at one BAADGE meeting.  It basically duplicates the functions
of workbench.  It's 80% done, and I havn't worked on it since classes started,
but might now that the semester is ending.

I would like, however, for some of my ideas to go into 1.4 anyway.  If they
do, and 1.4 comes out soon (yeah, right), then I don't have to waste all
that time coding.  Most of these features are already in my worpbench, but
I've still got quite a few arthopods in my code, and some features, such as
"Info" still aren't in.

YE OLE AMIGA WYSHLISTE:

1. Non-squished icons in interlace mode.
Nothing looks stupider to me than the flat icons in an interlaced workbench.
How about a preferences setting for horizontally squishing an icons to make
their aspect ratios correct?  In worpbench, I use a color-priority squishing
which seems to work well for almost all icons.  The color priority is there
so you don't have missing lines.  For instance, drawer icons won't lose the
left or right border (without both) so its aspect ratio stays correct.

Since Amiga icons tend to be too big and gaudy to begin with, I've found that
this works just great except for disk icons.  Instead, they should be doubled
vertically (halving makes them too small).  Since they are movable, this is ok.

2. No disk icon positions.
I HATE IT when people snapshot disk icons so they come up right under my
cli window.  There should be a preferences setting so workbench will ignore
the icon position and always align the disks itself (perhaps with a choice
of along right side, left side, top? )

3. Type text, Show IFF picture, print file, print picture from menu?

4. User definable menu.
This menu would be loaded from a file, and would execute programs as either
CLI or workbench tasks when the menu was selected.

5. User definable text and colors
The icon fonts and text color should be user selectable, as should be the
window title text and colors.  This may seem trivial, but I think a clean,
professional-looking workbench screen is important to selling amigas.
I think the dark text on light title bars of the Mac are much better looking.

6. Backdrop patterns.
Again, whimsical, but I like to customize.  Backdrop pictures might be an
option too, but I'd hate to give up all the chip ram.

7. Pulling icons out of windows onto the WB screen
How about fixing this so it works right.  Perhaps allowing them to be
snapshotted this way?  This would eliminate the window clutter I too often
have.  Also, fix the bug which loses the icons from time to time.  What 
causes this?  I remember the discussion about 2 years ago but never heard
an answer.  You remember, drag and icon out of a window, do stuff, DO NOT
snapshot, yet reboot and the icon will be gone when you re-open the
window.

8. Remapping icon colors
Worpbench has an option where it will remap icons so they look ok on your
colors even if they are switched from the standard.  See, I like black
text on white screen.  Less flicker too.

9. Stuff I believe already exists in 1.4
   - show as text, name, date, size
   - extended select ala mac

10. Option to run as cli
When you're in showastext mode, how about running the task as a cli process
if it does not have an associated icon file.  (double click..a cli window
opens...it runs).  CLI should really rarely be necessary

....

Anyway, these are just a few thoughts.  PLEEZE! save me from having to
write and debug all this code!  Put it in 1.4!

-Vincent H. Lee

D