Launching Shell
Version 2.0 15 Jan-90


OVERVIEW
The Call Box launching shell gives the user access to the various functions of the Call Box Toolbox programming system. This shell has 3 major functions or divisions.

SYSTEM: This group of functions are found in the File menu of the launchers menu bar. These functions include a programmable launcher, file utilities such as delete, rename, set filetype, set auxtype and file access bits, launcher desktop preferences, system installer, and eject drive(s).

EDITORS: This is where the WYSIWYG editors are launched from. These editors create source, object code or resources segments for use by any programming language. The editors create Window, Dialog, Menu, Icon, Cursor and pixel image data structures. Other editors will be released in the future and this menu will grow automatically as the need presents itself. (See. The EDITORS MANUAL for details)

BASIC: This is where the Call Box BASIC Interface resides. You can start Call Box BASIC, or Applesoft BASIC from their menu items and can run the Call Box BASIC Demo Tutorial as well. Another utility is provided to edit the CB.VARS file used with the BASIC interface.(See. The BASIC INTERFACE MANUAL)

This manual will explaln how to use the utilities found in the launching shell as well as how to use this shell with several different system configurations. The exact use of the EDITORS and BASIC Interface is described in their own manuals.


THE DESKTOP
When the CALL BOX LAUNCHING SHELL disk is booted up a menu bar with the selections (APPLE), File, Edit, Editors and BASIC will appear and a 320 mode graphic image will appear as your desktop. This image is in fact 2-65 block type $C1 super hi-res pictures named XXX and XXXX. These pictures can be edited by any paint program or can be replaced by any ones that you have created. Just a portion of the second picture (XXXX) is actually displayed by selecting the menu selection- Apple-About CALL BOX...

The desktop can be displayed in any one of4 different ways... 320 mode picture desktop, 320 mode' standard desktop (periwinkle blue) 640 mode picture desktop or 640 mode standard desktop. Select File-Preferences to set the way you want the desktop to appear. (See. Figure 1.1)

The next time the launcher is booted or launched your preferences will take effect.

If you exclude either or both of the pictures from your disk then the standard desktop appears by default Eliminating the pictures will free up 130 blocks of disk space and will eliminate 2 or 3 seconds of loading time.... I prefer to have a picture type of desktop, it looks fancier and the time difference is negligible.



Figure 1.1 Shell preferences


FILE UTILITIES
The selection File-File Utilities will bring up a Standard file selector box. Use the disk button to display the drive that contains the file you want to ediL use OPEN and the scroll bar to put this file in the scroll window. Point and click the arrow cursor on the file in question and it will hilite, then click the OPEN button. (You can just double~click the files title to accomplish the same thing).

The standard file box will disappear and the file utilities box will appear. (See Figure 1.2) This "Mini-utility" allows you to do five things to a ProDOS file.

1.To rename a file press the DELETE key and then type in your new filename, it will appear in the line edit box named Filename: Press RETURN or click the OK button to accept the new name.

2. To change the filetype of your file triple-click the line edit box named Filetype, press delete and type in the new filetype. You can enter the filetypes hex number (ie: $04.. $C1) or enter any of the standard 3 letter designators (ie: BAS, BIN, S16...) Press RETURN or click the OK button to accept the new name.

3. To change the Aux Type of your file follow the same procedure as outlined
in the previous description. You can only enter the hex number (minus the $...dollar sign) and it must be 4 digits. Press RETURN or click the OK button to accept the new name.

4.To set the access bits set the check boxes named Destroy, Rename, Backup, Write or Read to reflect the desired settings. A checked box "enables" the access and an unchecked one "disables" it. Press RETURN or click the OK button to accept the new name.

5.To delete a file click the DELETE button. A second box will appear as a safety which allows you to change your mind before doing something permanent and possibly destructive.

NOTE: If you accidentally delete a file you did not want deleted, all is not lost. STOP ALL WRITING TO DISK NOW!!! Utilities such as Disc Commander or Copy II Plus have undelete functions which will fix things up, but they are ineffective if you have written to disk after the file is deleted.

The File utilities box has one more button and that is CANCEL.... its function should be obvious.



Figure 1.2 File utilities

MY APPLICATION
The menu selection FILE-MY APPLICATION will allow you to launch your own program from this launching shell. Your program may be your programming language environment, the finder, or any launchable application. This selection provides you quick access to another program which will return to the CALL BOX launching shell when the other application is quit.

To set which program you want to launch with this feature select FILE-SET MY APPLICATION and a standard file box will appear. (See Figure 1.3) Use the disk button to display the drive that contains the file you want to launch. Use OPEN and the scroll bar to put this file in the scroll window. Point and click the arrow cursor on the file in question and it will hilite, then click the OPEN button. (You can just double-click the files title to accomplish the same thing).



Figure 1.3 My application


CONFIGURE CB.VARS
This utility allows user to alter the variable names assigned for the functions of the CALL BOX BASIC driver. These variable names are contained in a variables file named CB.VARS. This file is RESTOREd at the beginning of each CB BASIC program to link the program to the CALL BOX BASIC driver.

The selection BASIC-CONFIGURE CB.VARS will bring up a Standard file selector box. Use the disk button do display the drive that contains the CB.VARS file you want to edit. Use OPEN and the scroll bar to put this file in the scroll window. Point and click the arrow cursor on the file in question and it will hilite, then click the OPEN button. (You can just double-click the files title to accomplish the same thing). The standard file selector box will disappear and the CB.VARS configuration box will appear. To alter a variable triple-click the desired variable, press DELETE and then type in the new variable. CALL BOX BASIC drivers variables must be "Real" and have 2 letters. A real variable is one in floating point format. (See Figures l.4)

Repeat this process for each variable you want to alter. When done either click the OK button or press RETURN.


Figure 1.4 Configure CB.VARS


1 DRIVE OPERATION
Single drive operation of the CALL BOX Toolbox Programming System is the least recommended type of operation. You can successfully operate this system on one drive but you will have to eject and insert disks quite often.

NOTE: Always use backup copys of the CALL BOX disks when operating from disk. Many things can happen to a computer system while operating it such as power transients or bad keypresses and even bad programming procedures. Any of these occurrences can cause disk damaged. Play it safe and use only backup disks when programming.... this applies to all software, not just ours.

Boot-up the Launching Shell disk and the desktop will appear. The EDITORS menu selection will be disabled at this time and the CALL BOX BASIC specific selections in the BASIC menu selection will be disabled as well.

To launch an editor eject the launching shell disk and insert the editors disk... the EDITORS menu selection will become selectable. Pull-down and select the desired editor and it will be launched. In the launching process the editor will need to load or access some things in the launching shell disk and you will be prompted to insert the needed disk(s) as applicable.

While in the editor you will need to load or save editor data to or from your own disk. Eject the EDITORS disk and insert your disk to load or save things. The EDITORS disk can remain out of the drive during the editing session because the editors are loaded entirely in memory and need no further disk access to operate once up and running.

When you QUIT the Editor you will need the Launching Shell disk back in the drive, if you forget, the system will prompt you to do so.

This procedure holds true for the BASIC Interface disk as well. The system is designed so you can not select a system function that is not on-line currently.

The FILE-EJECT.. functions are provided to eject the disks from the drives. You can just press the button on the face of your disk drive to accomplish the same function.

There are 3 CALL BOX disks, the names of the disks differ from their volume names. When prompted for a different disk the actual volume name is requested and not the name on the disk label.


Launching Shell = /CALL.BOX
Editors = /CALL.BOX.2
BASIC Interface = /CALL.BOX.3


2 DRIVE OPERATION
Double drive operation of the CALL BOX Toolbox Programming System is quite similar td single drive operation except that you will have to swap disks less frequently.

NOTE: Always use backup copies of the CALL BOX disks when operating from disk. Many things can happen to a computer system while operating it such as power transients or bad keypresses and even bad programming procedures. Any of these occurrences can cause disk damaged. Play it safe and use only backup disks when programming.... this applies to all software, not just ours.

Boot-up the Launching Shell disk and insert either the EDITORS or the BASIC Interface disk in drive 2. The system will automatically sense which disk(s) is on-line and will enable the appropriate menu selections.

Removing either the EDITORS disk or the BASIC Interface disk will disable the menu selections automatically... reinserting them will enable the selections.

You can boot-up the Launching shell disk and when the desktop comes up you can then eject this disk and put the EDITORS and BASIC interface disks in the 2 drives. No matter how you use your drives the system will prompt you when a disk that is not currently on-line is needed.

There are 3 CALL BOX disks, the names of the disks differ from their volume names. When prompted for a different disk the actual volume name is requested and not the name on the disk label.


Launching Shell = /CALL.BOX
Editors = /CALL.BOX.2
BASIC Interface = /CALL.BOX.3


HARD DRIVE OPERATION/INSTALLATION
The CALL BOX TPS was designed with the hard drive user in mind. A large storage device such as a hard drive is basically necessary for any serious program development task. The limitations of disk drives becomes apparent when developing software on a par with commercial and professional applications.

An installer script is provided to install the system on a hard drive. The only prerequisite is that the hard drive volume must be GS/OS V5.0 minimum. Using this software with versions prior to 5.0 will create all kinds of problems and will probably not work. The Shell and Editors take advantage of NEW GS/OS and toolbox calls plus utilize the Resource Manager which is not present on earlier versions.

The Launching Shell disk has a minimal GS/OS V5.0 system on it which does not include many of the segments that a real GS/OS V5.0 system disk does. There is only enough of the system present to make it boot and support the functions of this software. if you do not already have GS/OS V5.0 min. Installed in your hard drive, go to your local Apple dealer and purchase a copy and install it.

To install the CALL BOX TPS on your hard drive select FILE-INSTALLER from the launching shell menu. Click the INSTALL button from the installer program and follow the prompts as they come up.... That's all there is to it!

There are 3 CALL BOX disks, the names of the disks differ from their volume names. When the installer asks for a different disk the actual volume name is requested and not the name on the disk label.


Launching Shell = /CALL.BOX
Editors = /CALL.BOX.2
BASIC Interface = /CALL.BOX.3


A subdirectory named CALL.BOX will be created in your root directory and will contain the Launching Shell, Editors and the BASIC driver all together. Segments from all 3 disks will be required for this installation procedure. An additional tool will be installed and the basic.launcher program will be overwritten with a different version.... the finder will not be affected by this.

To use the CALL BOX TPS Launch the file named CALL.BOX in the CALL.BOX subdirectory~ with whatever launcher you have in the START position of your hard drive volume.


ICONS
This disk contains special icons for use by the "Finder" or other icon based programs. These icons are CALL BOX specific and are in 640 mode using dithered colors. The installer script for putting CALL BOX on a hard drive automatically installs them in the icons folder of you hard drive root directory. If you will be using disk drives instead of a hard drive then copy the file CB.ICONS from the CALL BOX icons folder to the same folder on your system disk so the "Finder" on that disk can bring them up.

These icons are simply cosmetic and do not affect the operation of CALL BOX in any way.


T00L053
There is a "NEW" tool on the CALL.BOX disk called Tool053. This tool provides the user interface for loading and saving resources.

All CALL BOX editors depend on the presence of this tool and will not operate without it. You must include this tool in any system disk that will be used in conjunction with the CALL BOX editors. This tool goes in the SYSTEM/TOOLS folder of your boot volume.

There are 2 functions in addition to the normal housekeeping functions for tools, these functions are RFPutFile. and RFGetFile.

RFPutFile will provide the user with point-and-click access to any resource fork, showing the resource I.D.'s for any specified resource type. (See the save sections for each editor in the EDITORS manual for detailed operating procedures)

RFGetFile will provide the user with point-and-click access to any resource fork, showing the resource LD.'s for any specified resource type. (See the load sections for each editor in the EDITORS manual for detailed operating procedures)

A complete Tool053 reference document is available separately from us for those of you who wish to incorporate this tool in your own programs. (product #M4OO-004)