** PD/Shareware review / 414 words **

Boxkite v2.13e
** On Reader Disk logo here **
86%

** BC **
Utility
Shareware, all Ataris
Email: hbeckerh@atari-computer.de
** /BC **

** BOXKITE.GIF here **

BoxKite is a replacement file selector programmed by Harold Becker. Although BoxKite has been under development for many years has never attracted much attention from English speaking users - partly because alternatives such as Selectric and Freedom have been actively promoted by InterActive and CyberSTrider.

With Selectric and Freedom no longer under development Harold has taken the opportunity to release a new version which supports all the features users of modern operating systems and applications expect including:

** UL **
* File selector and dialogs in GEM windows
* Long filename support up to 255 characters
* BubbleGEM support
* Font selector support
* Multiple file selection
* Automatic path history popup
* Auto filename completion
* Re-sizeable file selection window
* Colour display of folders and programs
* Integral file search
* Integral file copy/move and delete operations
* Sort by name, type, size, date and unsorted
* File creation, touching and info
* Symbolic files displayed in italics
* Keyboard operation
* Popup menus
* Scrollable edit fields
* Wildcards and masks
* User-definable file masks
** /UL **

Installation is easy, copy BOXKITE.PRG to your Auto folder and reboot. There are a few optional extras including an accessory/application and CPX to call BoxKite on demand, a BubbleGEM help file, some programming examples and a utility to convert existing configuration files.

BoxKite is multitasking friendly which allows background applications to continue running while the file selector is displayed - several concurrent applications can even open file selector boxes at the same time.

Loadable file systems under MagiC/MiNT and filenames with mixed case and/or special characters are all supported and BoxKite intelligently recognises applications which do not support long filenames - displaying only TOS 8.3 filenames for selection. Attempting to load a long filename into an application which doesn't support long filenames (by toggling the Long names option) displays a warning alert.

The auto Path history popup keeps track of your most frequently accessed files paths - although it doesn't track filenames like the Freedom history popup and is limited to eight files. The interface is functional but feels drab and I'd like to see the options in the functions popup implemented as icons to liven things up a bit.

Registration costs just DM20 or 10 Euros (around œ7.50) which removes the nag boxes and enables file moving/touching and the save configuration option.

Although BoxKite doesn't offer the same razzmatazz as Freedom it's easier to install and still actively supported. 

Joe Connor