Copyright © 1996-1997 Jeremy Wyld. All rights reserved.


Quick Xtras

Quick Xtras is a floating, tappable view which hovers at the top twenty pixels of the silkscreen.  When tapped, a popup menu appears listing the folders available in the Extras Drawer and the applications that are available in the currently selected folder.  If you select one of the folders, the Extras Drawer will open to that folder.  If you select an application, it will execute as if you had tapped that icon in the Extras Drawer.  The same is true for script icons, frozen icons, and soup icons.  The order of folders first or applications first is based upon which Quick Xtras you install.  "Quick Xtras (Apps First).pkg" displays applications and then folders.  "Quick Xtras (Folders First).pkg" displays folders and then applications.

Note that on rotation, the Quick Xtras "hot spot" exists in the same place.  In otherwords, it stays in place even on rotation.  I wrote this for the MessagePad 120/130 with the Newton 2.0 operating system only, so I don't guarantee that it will work on any other system or version thereafter.

Quick Xtras requires "XtrasLib" (version 1.0 or greater) in order to work.  Make sure this package is loaded on the same Newton.


Installing

Use NPI or NBU to install this extension onto your Newton device.  This extension only works on the Newton 2.0 operating system.  It will only work with screens which are 320x240 (or 240x320, depending on orientation ;^).  It is required that you install Quick Xtras on the internal store (e.g., make sure the "Save new info and packages on this card" checkbox in the card slip is unchecked).  By NOT installing it internally, you will get the dreaded "grip o' death" problems if you try to remove the card.  I could always make Quick Xtras able to exist on a card, but you would lose 2-3k in heap (I don't think you want that).  Instead, it takes all of 100 bytes from the heap and around 8k of user store.


Version History

v2.0	Rewrite major methods to use "XtrasLib" and no longer use undocumented functions.
	Fixed "DoNotInstall" script.  Create "Apps First" and "Folders First" packages.  Set up
	for localization.  Anyone got French and German strings?

v1.10   Comments.  Some faster lookup (plenty left to do).  No major changes.

v1.01   Clean it up.  Shrunk it in size.  Added application support.

v1.0    A simple hack only existing on my Newt and supporting only the folders.


Any Ideas Or Requests?

Send email to me, Jeremy Wyld, for any requests or ideas.
jeremy-wyld@postmaster.net