Short:        Logical Device Manager
Author:       sisk637 cyberonic com (Robert A. Sisk)
Uploader:     sisk637 cyberonic com
Type:         util/misc
Version:      2.8
Replaces:     util/misc/AssignToy.lha
Requires:     util/libs/mui38usr.lha util/rexx/rxmui.lha util/rexx/royalbridge11.lha
Architecture: generic

AssignToy is a GUI version of the AmigaDOS Assign command. It is a MUI
application written in ARexx, developed on an A4000/040 with AmigaOS 3.9 +
BoingBags 1 & 2, MUI 3.8, RxMUI 42.2, and RoyalBridge 1.1.

I use the Icon datatype class, util/dtype/IconDT44.lha, so several About windows
look a bit prettier.

The links in the About requesters use OpenURL, comm/www/openurl.lha. To make the
About AssignToy address link work, in OpenURL preferences I edited my mailer
command's address argument so the keyword is joined to its value by a space
instead of an equals sign. The equals sign apparently exposes a bug in
dos.library/Execute() that assumes an angle bracket indicates a stream
redirection.

AssignToy is a demonstration of the power of ARexx and RoyalBridge to access
arbitrary libraries (in this case dos.library). By releasing this script, I hope
to encourage more development in ARexx.


Startup Options:

If AssignToy receives options from the command line or from the Cmd tool type,
it processes them with the following argument template. Otherwise, it reads its
options as tool types with the same keywords.

ListSelectFix/S,NList/S,NoBubbleImages/S,PubScreen/K

  · ListSelectFix applies a workaround for MUI's List Select bug (see below).
    This option is ignored when the NList option is in effect.

  · NList substitutes NListview and NList classes for Listview and List.

  · NoBubbleImages substitutes a device list help bubble without images, which
    are mishandled by MUI.

  · PubScreen names a public screen to open on, overriding the corresponding
    setting in MUI preferences.


Operation:

The gadgets have help bubbles that describe their functions.

In the device list the volumes and logical devices use MUI's dedicated Volume
and Assign images, respectively. For mounted devices I arbitrarily chose the
HardDisk image. The actual images displayed are, of course, your preferences.
;-) The defaults are rather unattractive in my opinion; I use these:

HardDisk: External Goonie/NewLook/11pt/HardDisk
Volume:   External Goonie/NewLook/11pt/Disk
Assign:   External Goonie/NewLook/11pt/Assign


Known Problems:

Images in help bubbles are vertically misaligned by MUI. See the NoBubbleImages
option above.

When the mouse is over a listview gadget with a pop-up menu, window menu
shortcut keys don't work. According to YAM 2.4's YAM.guide > Known Problems
page, this is MUI's fault. You can disable pop-up menus by unchecking the
Settings > Enable Pop-Up Menus? menu item.

List class's Select method fails to trigger SelectChange notification. To
demonstrate the bug, activate a logical device and from the target list's pop-up
menu choose the All item. The None item remains disabled. See the ListSelectFix
option above.

When a device is active, inserting a new entry via the Assign button jumps to
the active entry. This is apparently a bug in RxMUI or MUI.

Moving the balance bars can prevent the window from resizing correctly.
Apparently a MUI bug.


History:

2.8  Fixed bug: Last fix was broken.

2.7  Fixed bug: Mishandled 32-bit memory address values.

2.6  Fixed bug: New Device string disallows control characters.

2.5  About ARexx window listview now scrolls from keyboard without needing to be
     activated first (like About MUI listview).

2.4  About ARexx window library list now shows version and date.

     Removed About RoyalBridge window.

2.3  Added About RoyalBridge window.

     Expanded documentation.

2.2  Sets current directory to home drawer earlier so opening libraries always
     searches there.

     Ctrl C and halt interrupts no longer write console message before exiting.

2.1  Bug fix: Assigning a new logical device whose name already existed as a
     volume or a mounted or logical device crashed.

2.0  First Aminet release.


I welcome your comments and questions.