Copyright (c) Hyperion Entertainment and contributors.
AmigaOS Manual: AmigaDOS Workbench-Related Command Reference
The commands described in this chapter are command line equivalents of running Workbench programs. They are divided into the following functional categories:
- Preferences editors
- Commodities programs
- Other Workbench related tools and programs
These command groupings have been made for documentation purposes only.
| Note |
|---|
| A full description for using all of the Workbench editors, tools, and programs can be found in the Workbench User's Guide. |
Preferences Editors
The commands listed in this section invoke the Workbench Preferences editors.
The same arguments and switches appear within many of the Preferences Editors command format statements. These have the same meaning for each command that uses them and are described as follows:
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [FROM <filename>] | Specifies a Preferences preset file to open. This file must be previously saved with the given editor's Save As menu item. These files normally have the .pre extension and are stored in the Presets drawer. |
| [EDIT] | Opens the editor. This is the default if you enter the editor name alone. |
| [USE] | Uses the settings in the FROM file without opening the editor. |
| [SAVE] | Saves the settings in the FROM file as the default without opening the editor. |
| [PUBSREEN <public screen name>] | Allows the editor to open its window on a public screen. |
| [UNIT] | Causes an additional text gadget to appear in the editor for setting the default unit number. |
| [CLIPUNIT <clipboard unit>] | Determines which Clipboard unit to use during cut and paste operations. |
| [NOREMAP] | Turn off color mapping so that the system displays picture files using the colors with which they were saved. |
Font
Specifies the fonts used by the system.
- Format
- FONT [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> FONT
Opens the Font editor, the same as double-clicking on the Font icon.
IControl
Specifies parameters used by the operating system.
- Format
- ICONTROL [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> ICONTROL Prefs/Presets/IControl.pre
Opens the IControl editor and loads the settings saved in the IControl.pre preset file for editing.
Input
Specifies different speeds for the mouse and keyboard and selects a national keyboard.
- Format
- INPUT [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> INPUT Prefs/Presets/Input.fast USE
loads and sets the settings from the Input.fast preset without opening the editor. If the system is rebooted, the previously saved default settings are used.
Locale
Allows you to choose the languages available on the system.
- Format
- LOCALE [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVES/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> LOCALE Prefs/Presets/Locale.UK SAVE
Loads the settings from the Locale.UK preset and saves them as the default without opening the editor. The system retains the Locale.UK settings after rebooting.
Overscan
Changes the sizes of the display areas for text and graphics.
- Format
- OVERSCAN [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> OVERSCAN PUBSCREEN MyBench
Opens the Overscan editor on the public screen named MyBench.
Palette
Changes the color of the Workbench screen.
- Format
- PALETTE [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
Pointer
Changes the appearance of the mouse pointer.
- Format
- POINTER [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [CLIPUNIT <clipboard unit>] [NOREMAP]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,CLIPUNIT/K/N,NOREMAP/S
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> POINTER CLIPUNIT 1
Opens the Pointer editor, setting the Clipboard unit to 1. This is useful if the default Clipboard unit (0) is already in use.
Printer
Specifies a printer and print options.
- Format
- PRINTER [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>] [UNIT]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K,UNIT/S
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> PRINTER Prefs/Presets/Printer.post UNIT
Opens the Printer editor, loading the Printer.post preset. A text gadget appears in the editor window so that the default printer unit can be specified for the preset.
PrinterGfx
Specifies graphic printing options.
- Format
- PRINTERGFX [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
PrinterPS
Controls the features of PostScript printers.
- Format
- PRINTERPS [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
This editor only applies if you have a PostScript printer and if you choose PostScript in the Printer Preferences editor.
ScreenMode
Selects a display mode for the Workbench screen.
- Format
- SCREENMODE [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> SCREENMODE Prefs/Presets/DTPscreen USE
You are prompted to close all non-drawer windows; the system resets and uses the settings saved in the DTPscreen file. The editor window does not open. When the system is rebooted, the display mode returns to the last selection saved.
Serial
Sets the specifications for communication through the serial port.
- Format
- SERIAL [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>] [UNIT]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K,UNIT/S
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> SERIAL Prefs/Presets/Serial.9600 PUBSCREEN MidTerm UNIT
Opens the Serial editor, loading the Serial.9600 preset. The editor opens on the MidTerm public screen and its window contains a Unit gadget.
Sound
Controls the type of sound and sound attributes produced by the Amiga.
- Format
- SOUND [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
Time
Sets the system clock.
- Format
- TIME [EDIT | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- EDIT/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
Since setting the time from the Shell always involves saving, the USE option is omitted for the Time editor.
WBPattern
Creates background patterns for the Workbench and Workbench windows.
- Format
- WBPATTERN [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [CLIPUNIT <clipboard unit>] [NOREMAP]
- Template
- FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,CLIPUNIT/K/N,NOREMAP/S
- Location
- SYS:Prefs
- Example
1> WBPattern Prefs/Presets/Wallpaper.pattern NOREMAP
Opens the WBPattern editor, loading the Wallpaper.pattern preset. The NOREMAP option prevents the remapping of colors in loaded pictures and patterns.
Commodities Programs
The following commands invoke the Workbench Commodity Exchange utilities. They are located in the Tools/Commodities directory.
The following arguments in Commodities program format statements have the same meaning for each command in which they appear. These are the same as entering the corresponding Tool Type in the icon's Information window.
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] | Sets the priority of the commodity in relation to all the other Commodity Exchange programs. The default value is 0; values higher than 0 give priority over other commodities in regard to hot keys and other commodity related issues. This does not affect task priorities. |
| [CX_POPKEY <key>] | Allows you to specify the hot key that opens the program's window, if any. When specifying more than one key, enclose the keys in double quotation marks. (For example, CX_POPKEY="Shift F1"). |
| [CX_POPUP=<yes/no>] | Selects whether the program window opens when the command is given. |
AutoPoint
Automatically selects any window the pointer is over.
- Format
- AUTOPOINT [CX_PRIORITY <priority>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K
- Location
- SYS:Tool/Commodities
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit AutoPoint when it is started from a Shell.
Blanker
Causes the monitor screen to go blank or display an animation if no input has been received within a specified period of time. This helps preserve your monitor.
- Format
- BLANKER [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP=<yes | no>] [SECONDS <timeout>] [CYCLECOLORS <yes | no>] [ANIMATION <yes | no>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/S,SECONDS/N/K,CYCLECOLORS/K,ANIMATION/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools/Commodities
The arguments for Blanker are the same as the Tool Types in Blanker's Information window.
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit Blanker when it is started from a the Shell.
- Example 1
1> BLANKER SECONDS 45
The Blanker window opens and 45 is displayed inside its text gadget. If no mouse or keyboard input is received during a 45 second interval, the screen goes blank.
- Example 2
1> BLANKER CX_POPUP=no
The Blanker program starts. If no input is received within 60 seconds (the default), the screen goes blank. The Blanker window does not open.
A further example using Blanker appears in Chapter 8.
ClickToFont
Allows you to bring a window to the front of the screen by double-clicking on it.
- Format
- CLICKTOFRONT [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [QUALIFIER <qualifier>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K,QUALIFIER/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools/Commodities
ClickToFront does not open a window. The arguments are the same as the Tool Types in ClickToFront's Information window.
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit ClickToFront when it is started from a Shell.
CrossDOS
Sets text filter and conversion options for CrossDOS devices.
- Format
- CROSSDOS [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP <yes | no>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/K,
- Location
- SYS:Tools/Commodities
CrossDOS lets you read from and write to MS-DOS formatted disks using your standard Amiga drives.
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit CrossDOS when it is started from a Shell.
Exchange
Monitors and controls the Commodity Exchange programs.
- Format
- EXCHANGE [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP <yes | no>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools/Commodities
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit Exchange when it is started from a Shell.
- Example
1> EXCHANGE CX_POPKEY "Shift F1"
The Exchange program is started and its window appears on the screen. When its window is hidden, pressing Shift+F1 reveals it.
FKey
Assigns commands to special key sequences, eliminating the need for repetitive typing.
- Format
- FKEY [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP <yes | no>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools/Commodities
FKey assigns any of eight commands to any key sequence that can be entered.
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit FKey when it is started from a Shell.
MouseBlanker
Removes the mouse pointer from the screen while entering input from the keyboard.
- Format
- MOUSEBLANKER [CX_PRIORITY <priority>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools/Commodities
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit MouseBlanker when it is started from a Shell.
NoCapsLock
Disables the Caps Lock key.
- Format
- NOCAPSLOCK [CX_PRIORITY <priority>]
- Template
- CX_PRIORITY/N/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools/Commodities
Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit NoCapsLock when it is started from a Shell.
Other Workbench-Related Tools and Programs
The following group of commands invoke other Workbench tools, utilities, and programs.
Calculator
Provides an on-screen calculator.
- Format
- CALCULATOR [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>] [TAPE <window>]
- Template
- PUBSCREEN,TAPE/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools
The output of the Calculator can be copied and pasted into any console window, such as the Shell or ED.
TAPE creates a Calculator window of a specific size in which your input and output is displayed. The specification is in the form of:
TAPE=RAW:x/y/width/height/title/options
For a description of the options and arguments used for the TAPE window, see the description of window specification for the NEWSHELL command in Chapter 6.
Clock
Provides an on-screen clock.
- Format
- CLOCK [DIGITAL] [<LEFT>] [<TOP>] [<WIDTH>] [<HEIGHT>] [24HOUR] [SECONDS] [DATE] [<FORMAT><n>] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]
- Template
- DIGITAL/S,LEFT/N,TOP/N,WIDTH/N,HEIGHT/N,24HOUR/S,SECONDS/S,DATE/S,FORMAT/N,PUBSCREEN/K
- Location
- SYS:Utilities
The DIGITAL option opens a digital clock. A resizable analog clock is the default.
The LEFT, TOP, WIDTH, and HEIGHT options allow you to specify the size and position of the clock. The keywords are optional; if not given, the numerical arguments are interpreted by their position as follows:
| 1st number | The clock opens <n> pixels from the left edge of the screen. |
| 2nd number | The clock opens <n> pixels from the top of the screen. |
| 3rd number | The analog clock is <n> pixels wide. |
| 4th number | The analog clock is <n> pixels high. |
For example, to specify only the width and height of the Clock, use the WIDTH and HEIGHT keywords. When entering only two numbers, the clock interprets them as the LEFT and TOP positions. WIDTH and HEIGHT are not available if you use the DIGITAL option.
The 24HOUR option displays the time in 24 hour mode, which is not available for the analog clock.
The SECONDS option displays a second hand on the analog clock and has no effect if DIGITAL is specified.
The DATE option displays the date.
The FORMAT option applies only to the digital clock. It takes a value from 0 to 5, which determines which of the six digital formats is used. Formats 4 and 5 vary, depending on your Locale Preferences Editor settings. To specify a digital format, either include the FORMAT keyword or use LEFT, TOP, WIDTH, and HEIGHT values; the WIDTH and HEIGHT values function as placeholders only and are ignored.
- Example 1
To open a clock that is 75 pixels from the left edge of the screen, 75 pixels from the top edge of the screen, 300 pixels wide and 100 pixels high, enter:
1> CLOCK 75 75 300 100
- Example 2
To use the SECONDS and DATE options, enter:
1> CLOCK SECONDS DATE
- Example 3
To open a 24-hour digital clock with seconds that is 320 pixels from the left edge of the screen and in the screen's title bar (0 pixels from the top), enter:
1> CLOCK DIGITAL 320 0 FORMAT 2
For more examples using Clock, see Chapter 8.
CMD
Redirects serial or parallel output to a file.
- Format
- CMD <devicename> <filename> [OPT S | M | N]
- Template
- DEVICENAME/A,FILENAME/A,OPT/K
- Location
- SYS:Tools
The <devicename> can be serial or parallel. To redirect printer output, it should be the same device as specified in the Printer editor. <Filename> is the name of the file to which the redirected output should be sent.
The CMD options are as follows:
| S | Skip any short initial write (usually a reset if redirecting a screen dump). |
| M | Redirect multiple files until a BREAK command or Ctrl+C is entered. |
| N | Notify user of progress (messages are displayed on the screen). |
- Example
1> CMD parallel RAM:cmd_file
Any output sent to the parallel port is rerouted to a file in RAM: called cmd_file.
DiskCopy
Copies the contents of one disk to another.
- Format
- DISKCOPY [FROM] <device> [TO] <device> [NAME <name>] [NOVERIFY] [MULTI]
- Template
- FROM/A,TO/A,NAME/K,NOVERIFY/S,MULTI/S,
- Location
- SYS:System
The <device> parameters specify the name of the disk devices to copy from and to copy to; for example, DF0: and DF1:.
By default, the destination disk has the same name as the source disk. If you specify the NAME option, you can give the destination disk a different name from the source disk.
Normally during a DiskCopy, the Amiga copies and verifies each cylinder of data. The NOVERIFY option allows you to skip the verification process, making the copy faster.
The MULTI option loads the data on the source disk into memory, allowing you to make multiple copies without having to read the data from the source disk each time.
- Example 1
1> DISKCOPY> DF0: TO DF2:
copies the contents of the disk in drive DF0: to the disk in drive DF2: overwriting the contents of the disk in drive DF2:.
- Example 2
1> DISKCOPY DF0: TO DF2: NAME NewDisk NOVERIFY
copies the contents of the disk in drive DF0: to the disk in drive DF2: and gives the disk in drive DF2: the name NewDisk. The disk is not verified as it is copied.
