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Difference between revisions of "AmiDock and Dockies"
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= Introduction = |
= Introduction = |
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| + | On every OS you can meet with panel launchers, tray bars, launch bars and so on, and AmigaOS4 is not exception. The realization of such thing on OS4 done via AmiDock commodity and while there can be another 3d party realization of toolbar systems, AmiDock start to be de-facto standard and provided with OS4 by default, and that is thing on which our article is based. |
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| − | AmiDock is a toolbar system. It is a commodity program that will stay on the Workbench screen. Amidock allows the user to always have at hand program icons or to keep an eye on some information. This way it is very easy to run a program: one click is enough. Also Amidock can host some small programs that displays some information. The user can then get these information in a blink of an eye. |
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| + | = What is AmiDock = |
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| + | AmiDock for OS4 is a almost completely rewritten version of the former AmiDock from AmigaOS3.9. And while AmiDock is a single commodity, its more that just that as its provide you with necessary for today set of features like Arexx support and feature rich APIs by which your Dockies can control most of AmiDock's features and expand them. |
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| + | You can follow [http://in-progress to that] article if you want to know user-kind details about, but there we will concentrate on technical details to help programmers to make their Dockies as best as it possible. |
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= What are a Dock and a Docky? = |
= What are a Dock and a Docky? = |
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To sum up in "standalone dockies" the docky itself is the application (the only reason of existence of the application is the docky) while for "AppDockIcon dockies" the docky is just a graphical representation of a bigger application (the docky is just here to add user friendliness or visual feedback of the surrounding application) |
To sum up in "standalone dockies" the docky itself is the application (the only reason of existence of the application is the docky) while for "AppDockIcon dockies" the docky is just a graphical representation of a bigger application (the docky is just here to add user friendliness or visual feedback of the surrounding application) |
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| − | ==== Dockies provided with AmigaOS4 ==== |
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| − | ===== Access.docky ===== |
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| − | Single click with the left mouse button on this docky to open a list of screens and windows. Select a window and it will be activated and come to front (optionally). This docky especially is cool when using a hotkey - this way you can use the popup on EVERY screen. Just specify the hotkey like you do it with normal icons, too. Use the context menu to toggle to-front mode |
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| − | ===== Anim.docky ===== |
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| − | On a empty Anim.docky (no Animation assigned yet), drop a GIF-Animation (e.g. Boing#?.gif) on this dockie to change the current animation(in a selected dock) point with the mouse pointer over the docky and press the "+"/"-"-Keys to change animation speed. Use the context menu to specify a tool which shall be combined with this docky. You can also change the used animation here. |
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| − | |||
| − | ===== Button.docky ===== |
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| − | On a empty Button.docky (no Picture assigned yet), drop a picture on this docky to change the current image. Use the context menu to specify a tool which shall be combined with this docky. You can also change the used picture here. |
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| − | ===== Clock.docky ===== |
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| − | A analog clock in the dock. This docky changes automatically to a digital clock if you change to name or button style docks. Double click the docky or use the context menu to open the system time preferences. |
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| − | ===== Debugger.docky ===== |
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| − | This docky opens a window and shows debugging information for docky-programmers. Needed only for people developing third-party dockies. Single-click it to enable/disable debug mode. Debugger.docky saves its state in its preferences. Use the context menu to toggle between single-dock and global (all docks) debugging. |
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| − | ===== Lens.docky ===== |
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| − | Double click this docky to switch between normal or maximized view |
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| − | |||
| − | Note: Normal and maximized view do have their own settings. Do that in a selected dock: |
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| − | point with the mouse pointer over the docky and press the key "x" - this will toggle between "cross-hair" mode and non-cross-hair mode. |
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| − | point with the mouse pointer over the docky and press the "+"/"-"-Keys to change the used magnification |
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| − | point with the mouse pointer over the docky and press the key "c" to enable coordinates |
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| − | point with the mouse pointer over the docky and press the key "v" to enable RGB values output (only available in a maximized lens!!) |
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| − | point with the mouse pointer over the docky and press the key "g" to enable/disable the grid. |
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| − | You can also use the context menu to change all the above described settings. |
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| − | ===== Minimizer.docky ===== |
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| − | As soon as this docky was added to a dock (to make the docky "invisible" use another category for placing the docky), the dock will shrink to the minimized state after some time. As soon as the pointer is placed over the drag-bar, it expands to normal size. You can change the delay time until this docky minimizes the dock using the contextual menu. |
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| − | ===== Online.docky ===== |
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| − | Allows you to go on- and offline with RoadShow. Not fully implemented yet!!! |
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| − | ===== Rainbow.docky ===== |
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| − | This docky shows a colorful rainbow with alpha channel (!) - but nothing more. Double click it to toggle between icon and image view. This dock needs screen depth >8Bit. AmiDock will deny it on screen depths below 8Bit. |
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| − | ===== Seperator.docky ===== |
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| − | This docky is nothing more than just a seperator line. It automatically adjusts itself to the size and orientation of a dock. |
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| − | ===== SubDocks.docky ===== |
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| − | Use the shortcut Amiga+U to place it in the current dock or throw it in the dock which shall contain it... |
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| − | - drag&drop a icon on it to configure its icon in AmiDock |
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| − | - if you delete the subdock, the docky will remove itself automatically |
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| − | - if you delete the docky, the docky will remove the subdock itself automatically |
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| − | - (in a selected dock) point with the mouse pointer over the docky and press the key "p" to toggle between popupmode (default, closes the dock after a object was clicked) or normal mode (doesn't close the dock) |
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| − | - Use the context menu to toggle the popup mode and ti change the icon. |
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| − | ===== Test.docky ===== |
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| − | The first docky ever written. Just a fun-docky. This docky "listens" to all possible events and shows this by flashing in some color when a action is detected. Move your mouse over the docky and click it. Drag&Drop several files on the docky and watch what happens. This dock needs screen depth >8Bit. AmiDock will deny it on screen depths below 8Bit. |
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| − | = AmiDock's hints = |
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| − | - If the Minimizeable-Checkbox is checked, you can minimize a dock by double-clicking it's drag-bar. |
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| − | - Bring to front/send to back can be done by double clicking on an empty area in a dock (SHIFT together with a dobule click will send it to back). |
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| − | - in a selected dock: shift+click+hold on a icon and move around to interactively change the icon-position |
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| − | - to interactively delete a icon or a whole dock: click+hold the object, press the Backspace or Delete key |
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= AmiDock's API = |
= AmiDock's API = |
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Revision as of 11:19, 5 August 2013
Contents
Introduction
On every OS you can meet with panel launchers, tray bars, launch bars and so on, and AmigaOS4 is not exception. The realization of such thing on OS4 done via AmiDock commodity and while there can be another 3d party realization of toolbar systems, AmiDock start to be de-facto standard and provided with OS4 by default, and that is thing on which our article is based.
What is AmiDock
AmiDock for OS4 is a almost completely rewritten version of the former AmiDock from AmigaOS3.9. And while AmiDock is a single commodity, its more that just that as its provide you with necessary for today set of features like Arexx support and feature rich APIs by which your Dockies can control most of AmiDock's features and expand them.
You can follow to that article if you want to know user-kind details about, but there we will concentrate on technical details to help programmers to make their Dockies as best as it possible.
What are a Dock and a Docky?
Dock
A Dock is an area/a window (currently provided by the "AmiDock" commodity) where the user can put some icons and other stuff. Some may call it "Panels".
So, Docks can be used as Launcher Panels:
And as Tray Bar panels:
As anything else anyone can come up with: you can put everything inside of panels of any size, structure and design it as you wish.
Docky
A Docky is this item the user can place in the dock: a program icon or an interactive program. Dockies are able to control most of AmiDocks feature and provide a great way to expand AmiDocks features beyond its default features. Dockies may be invisible to the user or show static or dynamic (animated) content. You may change their behavior, size and look acording their current equirements. Dockies can be of 2 main types:
Standalone Dockies.
Is a special type of program which is made to show an icon in a Dock, delivering some functionality to the user. It is the most common form of Dockies. This docky-type uses the shared library feature of AmigaOS4 as common interface to the internal properties and behavioral possibilities of a docky.
Application Dockies.
That second type of dockies are application dockies (short form 'AppDockies' or as some call it 'AppDockIcon Dockies'). An AppDocky is a docky which is introduced to the system during runtime by an application using application.library registration mechanism for applications. The biggest diference between the two docky types is that AppDockies belong to a running application and usually are used to represent the current state of the owning application.
To sum up in "standalone dockies" the docky itself is the application (the only reason of existence of the application is the docky) while for "AppDockIcon dockies" the docky is just a graphical representation of a bigger application (the docky is just here to add user friendliness or visual feedback of the surrounding application)
AmiDock's API
Different types of Dockies
Standalone Dockies
AppDockIcon Dockies
How to make a right Docky
How to make a Docky for tray-bar kind Docks
If you are a developer and you want to make your dockies to work in tray-bar kind docks, you need to make a docky more flexible, and you should follow some rules when you do it:
1. You should write Dockies more flexible when it comes to visual appearance like checking for the max. icon size of the Dock they appear.
2.
3.
FAQ
Final Words
Links
1. SDK:Documentation/AutoDocs/docky.doc
2. Sys:Documentation/Commodities/AmiDock_Arexx.doc
