D&Do v. 1.0   Prev   Next   Top


Overview

Here is a detailed description of each of its user-interface components:

This section contains also the following sub-sections:

 

Auxiliary Commands

D&Do has one main command: "execute the program"; this is usually triggered by clicking the target area. However, D&Do accepts auxiliary commands for selecting the program to be executed, preconditioning its execution or for displaying the proper documentation. These commands are accessible from a popup menu and from the keyboard (through a one-key action). Some auxiliary commands, however, are accessible only from a popup menu item or only from the keyboard.

 

Popup Menu Commands

With the popup menu, you have access to all auxiliary command except those related to the Variant selection (see the Typed Character Commands, below).

 

Typed Character Commands

While D&Do has the desktop focus, you have access to many auxiliary commands by typing just one associated character. When you become accustomed with D&Do, you can increase your production by typing just one character instead of using the related popup menu item. Digit characters are pre-assigned but letter characters can be re-assigned by editing the related fields in the dragdo.ini configuration file. In this document, it is assumed that the dragdo.ini file has not been modified.

A digit character (0 to 9): It selects the argument list variant that is identified by the digit.

Any non-assigned character (or digit): It selects the default argument list variant.

The following characters are initially assigned as follows:

 Note: On a QWERTY keyboard, you will realize that the "xzasq" keys are clustered at the left side of the keyboard. For a right-handed person, he moves the mouse with the right hand and he accesses the most common auxiliary commands with the left hand, without moving the arm.

 

Metascript List

 Note: This is an advanced feature that is available only with a commercial license.

You might need many metascripts while you are doing a specific job; for this reason, you might want to switch from a metascript to another in an instant, without going through a File dialog display. For that purpose, D&Do can contain many metascripts in its internal metascript list.


Metascript Management System

When you load a metascript file, it becomes the current metascript. The current metascript is the one that controls the behavior of D&Do. Since loading a metascript takes some time and might disrupt your workflow process, you can keep that metascript as part of the preloaded metascript list. You can copy that current metascript to the list with the Metascript List > Add menu command (Add). You can add as many different metascripts, as long as they have different (file) names. Once you have some metascripts in the list, you have the option of either, loading a metascript file or selecting a metascript from the metascript list. You select from the list with either the "Next" or "Previous" metascript command; both commands are available from the popup menu or from the keyboard. If, you do not need anymore one of the pre-loaded metascripts from the list, you select the one to be removed then use the Metascript List > Remove menu command (Remove).

The title bar display is slightly different if the current metascript comes from the metascript list; it displays also the list item index, between two hyphens. Here is an example (if the DCreator metascript is the second one from the list):
D&Do-2-DCreator

If it comes directly from a file, it would display as follows:
D&Do: DCreator

 


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Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Marcel St-Amant