                                Place It
                                --------


This program allows files to be stuck onto the background. When the files are
stuck on the background they act very much like being in filer windows.
Files, and groups of files, may be selected by clicking with select or adjust
over the icons. An icon or group of selected icons may be dragged into a
filer window or onto an application. If the drag is carried out with adjust
or shift is held down then the icons will be removed from the background if
the drag was successful (ie if dragged into an application the application
can actually load files of that filetype). The icons may also be dragged
about the background. It is possible to drag files of the edge of the screen
by grouping the icons together. You can get the icons back by using the
select all menu entry then unselecting an icons you don't want to move. Then
start the drag from one of the visible icons and move the icons back onto the
screen.

A similar problem may occur if changing to a smaller mode (for instance if
you where using one the NewModes supplied with Impressions and then returned
to mode 12). In this case all the icons may be off the edge of the screen. If
this occurs you will not be able to move them back onto the screen. If you
want them then you will have to return to the larger mode and move them
before returning to the smaller mode. This shouldn't be much of a problem as
most users tend to use one mode for most of the time. If they change mode it
is usually to free memory upon which quitting Place It would also help.

Files can also be double clicked on. You can also shift double click on
applications to open the directory instead of running it.

To remove icons from the background select the icons to be removed (either
explicity with select/adjust or if only one is wanted by clicking menu over
it) and select the menu entry.

The text beneath applications can be in black or white. I personally prefer
white as it is more legible, but some users may want things to look more like
a filer window. This option is saved with the backdrop when the save backdrop
menu entry is used.

When the application is first run the presence of a configuration file is
checked for (it is in the !PlaceIt directory called !Config). If one is not
found then a blank background with black icon text is used (so if the
configuration file gets corrupted just delete it). If you receive a copy of
this application which has been configured for someone else's set up then I
recommend that you delete the !Config file and set up your own configuration.
If a configuration file is found then the icon text colour is set and the
background recreated. When applications are stored on the background they are
initialised in the same way as the filer does. This is first the wimp sprite
pool is checked to see if the sprite for the application already exists. If
it does then nothing is done. If one is not found the a !Boot file is looked
for in the directory. If this is found then it is run. If one does not exist
then *IconSprites !Sprites is performed. This means that if for example you
put !Paint on the background you may double click on sprites and !Paint will
automatically be loaded, if it isn't already of course.

You can open the viewer(s) of the selected items on the background by
clicking on the open viewer (becomes open viewers if more than one item is
selected) menu entry.

Also a fake file may be added which allows the directory to be changed. To
install this icon choose the directory changer menu entry from the options
submenu. This icon (which is a directory with cd in the middle and the word
changer beneath it) will appear in the middle of the screen. You can drag it
about like any other icon. To change directory drag it into the relevent
filer window. Obviously you cannot run, open viewer, or save to an
application this icon. If you try to remove this icon by using the remove
menu option an error box is produced asking if this is what you want to do.
It is better to delete this icon via its menu entry on the options submenu.
If a drag is performed with this icon that would result in it being removed
(ie by using adjust or holding down shift) the icon is NOT deleted. It may be
used during a multiple drag, although I fail to see why anyone would want to
do this.

The restore backdrop menu entry reloads the config file. The resets all the
sprites on the background and all the flags (eg text colour).

The lock option makes it less easy to accidently drag files around the
backdrop (I am continually doing this). With this option selected files will
only be moved around the background if you are holding shift down. This
option is stored in the config file.

Possible improvements are :-

Allow small icons to be used (aka the filer)
Allow a picture to be displayed on the background (aka !StickyBD)
Allow different configuration files to be stored for use at different times

If you would like to see any of the above implemented, have any other ideas
for improvements, bug reports or good clean jokes then send them to me using
email at pmf@uk.ac.warwick.cs or if you have to via snail mail to

                Mr Ian Ashley,
                14 Whitelands Avenue,
                Chorleywood,
                HERTS.
                WD3 5RD
                England

Although I have tested this program fairly thoroughly I offer no guarentee
what so ever. But please report any bugs found to pmf@uk.ac.warwick.cs.

This program is in the public domain and may be freely copied as long as no
charges are made for it and this file is left unchanged. You may use the
source of parts of it in your own programs as long I am credited.


Yours,

        Ian Ashley (Pop Mobility Freak)
