Tiger 2: Detailed Catalogue Application
by Graham Crow

This application is an update of the Tiger application originally published on RISC User disc 3:10.

OVERVIEW OF TIGER
-----------------
Under RISC OS, an object name (file or directory) is restricted to 10 characters. Tiger (big CATalogue) overcomes this limitation by providing a window in which you can enter a description of up to 110 characters for each object.

The contents of a Filer window may be dragged into the Tiger window, whose menu provides the means of traversing the directory hierarchy.  Any executable object may be run by double-clicking on it in the normal way. You may add or edit descriptions at any time and use Tiger's menu to save them as data or text. You may also drag objects from Tiger to a different Filer window, and the description is automatically transferred too.

EXAMPLES OF USE OF TIGER
------------------------
If you keep all your correspondence in a suitable directory then you can use Tiger to add a description for each letter giving the date, addressee, and subject. This greatly simplifies subsequent access to the data: having identified the required document just double-click on the filename to launch the relevant application with the document loaded.

Since several Tiger windows may be dragged into an Editor, the 'Save text' option (F4) provides a neat way of compiling a hard copy catalogue of the contents of your disc with descriptions to help you find the files you need.

INSTALLING AND LOADING TIGER
----------------------------
Running the Tiger application installs the Tiger icon on the icon bar. Subject to memory, you may have several copies of Tiger running simultaneously, each in its own window.

To load the Tiger window, drag any object from a Filer window onto the Tiger icon on the icon bar. Alternatively, double-click on any !TigerData icon to install Tiger with the relevant directory loaded.
 
When the Tiger window appears, click the Toggle Size icon to open the window to its fullest extent. Once the Tiger window is present, you may drag any object from a Filer window onto the Tiger window to load the relevant directory. If you drag a directory with Shift held down, then the contents of the dragged directory are loaded into Tiger.

There are two columns - object name and object description. The top line is for information only, and shows the description (if any) of the current directory. Note that this is added and edited in the parent directory.

OBJECT NAMES
------------
A single click on the object name selects it. A double-click has the following effects:

-  if the object is executable (a file or application) then it is run;

-  if the object is a directory, then its contents are loaded into Tiger, replacing the original contents.

The contents of an Application are loaded by double-clicking with the Shift key held down.

OBJECT DESCRIPTIONS
-------------------
Clicking Select in the description column moves the caret to the cursor pointer position. The cursor keys, Return, and Home are all functional. Text is inserted at the caret position, with left and right scrolling if necessary.

Clicking Adjust marks/unmarks a description. A marked description may be copied to the slot containing the caret by pressing Ctrl-C. To restore the original description press Ctrl-R.

MENU OPTIONS
------------
There are seven options, with F1 to F6 providing short cuts when Tiger has the input focus (title bar must be highlighted).

'<filename>'
Leads to a submenu for selected objects:
Info     submenu leads to object information window
Rename   can rename object and preserve description
Copy     can copy object and preserve description
Delete   can delete object and description
Convert  if selected object is a Release 1 TigerData file then choosing this option converts it to a Release 2 !TigerData application.
                                         
'Open viewer  F1'
Opens the Filer window for the directory concerned.

'Goto parent  F2'
 Loads Tiger with the parent of the displayed directory.

'Save data    F3'
Saves data to disc as application !TigerData. Saving with Shift held down deletes any redundant descriptions from the data file.

'Save text    F4'
Saves data as a text file, with options, for dragging into (e.g.) DeskEdit for subsequent embellishing and printing.

'Set extent   F5'
Allows you to toggle the window width to suit 80 and 132 column modes. The initial setting is appropriate for the mode at the time of launching Tiger.

'Refresh      F6'
Redraws the Tiger window. This is useful if you have changed the contents of a Filer window.

COPYING OBJECTS BETWEEN DIRECTORIES
-----------------------------------
Dragging an object name from Tiger to a Filer window copies the object to the target directory, together with any description(s). Directories are copied recursively. Note that the 'Force' option is set so that an object in the target directory with the same name as the dragged object will be overwritten without warning - so take care!

If you drag an object with Shift held down, then the source will be deleted after copying.

PROMPT TO SAVE DATA
-------------------
If you have added or edited a description, and then attempt any operation which would replace the contents of the Tiger window without having first saved the data, you are asked 'Save edited descriptions?' and must reply with Yes, No, or Cancel.

'Yes'     saves the descriptions and carries out the action
'No'      carries out the action without saving the descriptions
'Cancel'  merely returns you to the Tiger window.

SUMMARY OF IMPROVEMENTS OVER RELEASE 1
--------------------------------------
Descriptions are saved as files in an application directory (!TigerData) to allow file operations. Double-click on !TigerData to run Tiger with that directory loaded.

Improved screen design, using icons for filetypes.

Space for slightly longer descriptions.

Dragging directory onto Tiger with Shift held down loads contents of dragged directory.

Can drag file from Tiger to Filer and transfer description (Shift-Drag as above deletes source after transfer).

Menu option allows you to rename, copy and delete objects (and Tiger automatically does same to descriptions).

PreQuit works properly (i.e. prompt to save edited descriptions if choose Exit from Task Manager menu).

Saving data with Shift deletes redundant/null description files.

Object info is a menu option.

New menu option to save information as a user-definable text file (printing is now done using text file in DeskEdit or similar application).

New menu option to toggle between 80 and 132 column widths.

Keys F1 to F6 provide menu short-cuts.

 RISC User 1992
