I sent a shorter answer on this earlier but maybe its best to explain what i meant...
wrote: >> What about a startbutton? that folds itself up'n'down instead of the >static toolbar. >I like and dislike autohides, you could have the toolbar zap away if you >mouse >isnt near, but then in arachne you could be unlazy and press "*" I dont like autohides, they usually gets in the way. I was more thinking of something like the small menu that pops up when pressing the mouse in the right corner. but instead of showing connection data, it should show the toolbar. (And btw, "*" doesnt work in my resolution of 640x480x16) >> a standardset of graphical windows, like filerequesters, menus and >alertboxes, >A windows maniger of anykind is good i still thin X11 clone/port is all >good! No, i meant some small stuff that is useable in simple DGI-batchfiles. Have you seen the commandline tools for amigaOS?? Like filereq that pops up a window and asks for a filename and then passes the results back to the shellscript. A graphical version is much more in the line of arachne than existing text versions like WBAT or BE. >> this will need a mime.cfg flag to tell arachne not to clear screen but >> instead to shadow itself(black dots?), and to redraw screen when >returning. >? no comment This is the important part =) When a batchfile is run in the background, for example: getofflinemail.dgi then a filerequester would pop up and ask for the files to be imported. And for the user (me?) not should be fueled to think it was multitasking, arachne should look as if it was abandoned. It could be done by drawing a pattern of black dots across the screen and thereby make arachne that resides behind the "window" to look darkened/shadowed. And yes, it could be done in the beginning of the "windowprogram" itself too... >> Also, good documentation on all the files (like arachne.pck) that is used. >> -This would help people like me to write programs that expands the >functionality of arachne. >> Maybe even put together libraries for popular compilers like TASM/MASM,) >with predefined >> widgets >How bout real languages that are more portable like C++ and C Why should a dosprogram be portable!? But anyway, assembler is portable between C(++) and any other language too, if the user actually knows how to use their language... >> for use in programs that should be integrated and have the arachne >look'n'feel. >> (like cdplayers, calculators or even small games like "w95-solitaire" ) >Ok dude, im seeing that if you where in charge i would see arachne >as another bloated O/S like windows. No, more in the opposite direction. With "windows" i mean a small program that draws graphics on top of arachne, just like that small textline of editable text when adding a new hotlist entry, except it is drawn without any help, by an another program, outside arachne. Ok i went too far by writing "games and w95-solitaire" ... Well, actually i was more on the line with cd players and similar stuff even if the libraryfunctions to draw a "window" on top of arachne always is the same, regardless of what the program behind it does. Think of LSICQ for example, Today it is run in textmode. But, it could have been graphical, using arachnes screenresolution, fonts and ikon files. wouldnt that be nice?? >> And finally, make a cleanup in the use of external protocols, to make it >possible >> to use a homemade downloader as smooth as if it was integrated. >> ( Like HTTPS://,Zmodem://,or something else... ) >What???! Zmodem this is TCP/IP not a dumb terminal application. >But yes arachne needs HTTPS to ever be liked by a "Dumb" >user. Here you loose me again... If i myself, regardless of xchaos , can make a working HTTPS:// addon then i also can add a Zmodem:// protocol, just for fun :) Well, i have tried some other more useful protocols like FAX://sendfile@telnr, but arachne doesnt seem to be able to handle it as smooth as i want. >Why dont you write a DGI based desktop yourself for arachne you lazy bum Because i got the idea about a DGI based desktop just after i sent the mail. ... but i still havent found out what would be the best way to solve how it should work. (for example .LNK files is a BAD solution) >It has a desktop, your computers slow not arachne! (NC will always be faster than arachne) It has a static desktop, not as easy to change on the fly as i wanted. And arachne really feels like overkill for such a simple task as showing a bunch of clickable icons. ( Max 10KB of code seems more reasonable... ) >Arachne isnt realy designed for those who know about computers. >teach the dumbasses and its quite easy. I have answered phonecalls in the middle of the night about arachne. But Arachne tries to be userfriendly in many cases. like installscript and wizards for instance... Sometimes even its userfriendlines gets in the way for dumb users, like the badly emphazed helptext in errormessages... >> ...people may prefer ikons that look like windows instead) >Then they can F### off and Bum bill gates! Hehe :)
