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Suggestive Remarks

Mike Kerslake with a look back at what we have achieved so far and some 
more ideas for programmers...

Sadly this is going to be the final Suggestive Remarks column to be 
published in Atari Computing, but I'm hopeful that something similar can 
be carried on via my web site in tandem with "The Contact Files". I'll 
come back to this at the end of the article.

Let's take a look back now at some successes the column has notched up. 
The accompanying table shows where something suitable has been written, or 
an alternative has been found, and also where there is still a need for a 
particular program!

** table format - to be put across the text columns, probably in lower half 
of the page **
** I've leave you to sort this mess out! **

Idea	Result 	Other option Email address book	
-	Address program and cut and paste!
Stamp value calculator	Stamp Value CPX by Mark Baines A-Z 
Sorter	A-Z Sorter from Matthias Jaap Port activity monitor	
-	Rely on hardware activity lights!
HTML to DTP style text	HTML Export by Mark Wherry	
Papyrus 7 also converts HTML to text or RTF various CPX's	Nothing known	
Suitable Accessories or apps available CVG to GEM	Nothing 
specific	Artworx is perfect but slightly OTT! Printer handler	
-	Mario Becroft suggests drivers for NVDI and GDOS AC 
Roadshows	Apathy struck big time!	Join a local 
user group for help and advice
Label templates for Papyrus	Autolab from Gary Bainbridge HTML 
to text	HTML Export by Mark Wherry ASCII as well as HYP help 
files	Some programmers are doing this	UDO can 
translate HYP into ASCII (at a price) Print utility for ST-Guide	
-	Use the HYP2GDOS TTP utility if your German is good! 
More colours in ST high res	Not technically possible with 
s/ware	Mario Becroft might have a hardware solution soon!
Help directory	Limited response	The Contact Files may be able to 
help Stock control/invoicing program	Gaven Miller is working on it!
Pager-type program 	-	 -
Record/CD database	Nothing specific	An existing database program might 
do
Parcel rate CPX	-	-
Multiple clipboard	-	Clipboard+ by Katherine Ellis
Text file merger	-	Append supplied with ST-Guide 
Multiple text file viewer	-	Revenge 
Document Displayer, Textview and ST-Guide GEM front end for ICQ	
Nothing I'm aware of	Install MiNT!!!

As can be seen from the table we have had a reasonable amount of success, 
either with completed programs, work in progress or an alternative has 
been found which will handle some if not all the requirements. There's 
still room for new programs though and I look forward to future software 
releases. My personal everyday faves are HTML Export, Stamp Values and A-Z 
Sorter. AUTOLAB also comes in useful when setting up new label documents, 
and has saved much time and paper!

Now here's a final few suggestions for programmers to get their teeth 
into.

** my bit **

The MagiC Desktop Themes reviewed in AC#14 changes the look of MagiC's 
windows by manually replacing the WINFRAME.RSC file which controls how the 
window appears on screen. However, because WINFRAME.RSC is a standard RSC 
file, it's also possible to load this into Interface or ResouceMaster and 
edit the window gadgets and even mix and match themes at will.

Instead of manually editing the various RSC files it would be much nicer, 
and far more flexible to configure the individual window gadgets from a 
small utility. The COLOURS.CPX is halfway there already. It may also be 
possible to extend the scope of a configuration utility to handle changes 
to the Appline and SMU RSC files.

** COLOURS.CPX here (if you have the English release use it instead **

A complementary suggestion would be to automate the installation of entire 
themes using the excellent GEM-Setup utility.

** /my bit **

The last suggestion from me personally is for a program that will 
catalogue and convert vector graphic files. Something like Image Copy 
would be ideal, although I'd go without the advanced layout and editing 
functions that program offers. The formats able to be handled would 
include GEM, CVG, EPS, CWG (Artworx), CDR and WMF.

Going back to my opening paragraph, well as can be seen we have devoted an 
entire page of the magazine over to "The Contact Files". This feature 
should be a reasonable source of help and advice for Atari users for a 
while after the magazine is published. However, things change and TCF will 
be out of date in parts before too long so I've taken on the task of 
maintaining and adding to the file for as long as possible into the 
future. You can read more about my plans in TCF itself further on in this 
issue. What I would like to do is add another part to the file and that is 
a continuation of this column. In other words if anyone has an idea for a 
program, then I will publically post that idea in TCF and get some 
feedback from programmers on whether or not the idea is feasible. If you 
want to contribute then please use the contact points in TCF.

And now, time to say goodbye. I hope the column has been an interesting 
read, and that some of the programs that have resulted from it will 
benefit the users for a long while to come. My thanks to both the 
originators of the ideas and the hard-working programmers that have 
produced the goods!

Let's carry on the good work!