TJstick version 1.1

June 3, 1999

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Thankyou for evaluating TJstick, a powerful joystick component for Borland/Inprise Delphi.

This document contains
1. Introduction
2. Features
3. Limitations of the shareware version
4. Purchase information
5. Installation
6. Contact information


INTRODUCTION
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Using TJstick, you can very easily provide joystick support for any of your applications. Simply drop the component onto your form and then start reacting to the joystick events when they occur. The component takes care of all the low level fuss for you, giving you more time to concentrate on developing your application, you don't even need an understanding of joystick devices to use it. TJstick not only provides you with true event driven joystick support, it also enables you to access a host of information about the joystick device connected to the system. Full access to all low level joystick routines is provided although you will probably never need to use these.

Joystick device capabilities are not purely the domain of games programmers. Many applications could benefit from joystick input for say scrolling, button macro events, development of applications for the handicapped and so on.

Please take 10 minutes to read through the help file and familiarize yourself with the Events, Properties and Methods of TJstick. It is probably a good idea to have a look at the included demonstration program to give you a better idea of what some of the more obscure properties and methods are for (you will probably never use them though).

For information on installing the TJstick component, read the Installation section of the help file. TJstick events such as OnButton, OnAxis, OnPov are detailed in the Events section of the help file. TJstick properties such as JoystickID, NormalizeAxis, ThreadPriority are detailed in the Properties section of this help file. TJstick methods such as QueryIsConnected, QueryNumButtons, QueryHasZaxis are detailed in the Methods section of this help file. It is also recommended you read the Axis Information Sheet in the help file for a detailed explanation of how joystick axis values are reported and manipulated using TJstick.

For information on ordering TJstick please refer to the Purchase section of the help file. Please also read the License Agreement before using or purchasing TJstick.


FEATURES
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Very small component optimized to provide the greatest speed possible for capturing joystick information

Works with joysticks, gamepads, flight yokes, steering wheels, virtually anything that is plugged into the PC game port

Support for up to 16 joystick devices

Support for up to 32 buttons per device

Support for up to 6 axis per device

Support for POV (Point of View) switches

Event driven notification for axis, buttons and POVs

Ability to independently change the nullzone for any of the device axis

Works with Windows 95, Windows 98 and NT 4

Works with DirectX although DirectX is not required

TJstick "engine" runs in a separate thread for very smooth operation, you can of course control this thread

Select to monitor any combination of axis, buttons and POVs

Axis information can be returned in a variety of ways including percentages, raw values, normalized values and custom using axis ranges

Includes 3 events, 22 properties and 35 methods so you the developer can get every bit of information available from the connected joystick device


LIMITATIONS OF THE SHAREWARE VERSION
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The only difference between the shareware version and the full version is the removal of the dialog box which appears whenever you enable TJstick. Purchase of the full version will also provide you with the full source code to this component.


PURCHASE INFORMATION
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The price of TJstick is $20 US. Upon registering, you will receive the full source code to the TJstick component. Please read the help file for more information on how to order TJstick using credit card or other methods.


INSTALLATION
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1. Unzip the archive into the directory of your choice.
2. Run Delphi 2, 3 or 4 if it is not yet running.
3. Pick "Component" - "Install component" from the menu. Select TJstick.dcu as the component unit name. Select the package of your choice and hit OK.
4. The TJstick component will appear on the "System" palette of the component bar

I have noticed in Delphi version 4 that the above method of installation does not always work. If you get an error when adding the component that says something like "One or more lines were too long and have been truncated" then you will need to open the delphi package you wish to install the component into (using the File / Open menu) and then select "Add" from the package editor and add the component that way. Typically you would add it to one of the packages (*.dpk) located in your Delphi\lib directory.


CONTACT INFORMATION
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My name is John Hnidec, I am the author of TJstick.

Email: johnh@powerup.com.au
Web: http://www.powerup.com.au/~johnh



