X-Dock

X-Dock About Window

X-Dock Prefs Window

Introduction

X-Dock is a new dock application for the Amiga. It is part of the Enhancer Software package for AmigaOS.

The application allows single or multiple docks to be created and placed on the Workbench Screen with each containing icons for applications, scripts or even directories (drawers).

Docks can be customised in visual look and appearance by the user with orientation, position, different colours, transparency levels, rounded corners, highlighted edges and label fonts.

Using X-Dock

Lock/Unlock Modes

When a dock is locked, the dock cannot be changed and icons cannot be added.

The dock can be locked or unlocked by using the Lock checkbox option in the menu or the Amiga-C keys. Once unlocked, icons can be dragged and dropped over the dock to add them or alternatively the buttons tab in the X-Dock Preferences can be used to manage the icons on the dock. This includes adding, removing and arrange the order of icons as well as adding separators between icon groups.

If a dock is locked and an icon from the Workbench is dragged and dropped over an icon on the dock, the dock application will try to open or process that file associated with the Workbench icon. For example if you have a text document you wish to open to edit, then you could drag it and drop it over the MultiEdit icon. MultiEdit will then open and automatically load that document file. Multiple files dropping is additionally supported: for example, you can drop multiple picture files over Multiviewer to open them all.

Unlocking a dock allows the user to move and modify it. Unlocking a dock can be done through standard menu or PopupMenu (or Amiga-C keys). A quick unlock mode is available too by keeping Ctrl key pressed in locked mode.

When unlocked, a red border will be displayed surrounding the dock if Borders Unlock option is activated in the X-Dock Preferences Misc tab.

Buttons types

X-Dock can handle 3 different type of buttons:

standard program button: button that starts a program when pressed. This button is created by adding/dragging a standard program in an unlocked Dock

drawer/volume button: button that opens the drawer/volume location when pressed. This button is created by adding/dragging a drawer or a volume in an unlocked Dock

subdock button: button that opens a subdock when pressed. This button is created by using Insert subdock Popup menu option in an unlocked Dock.

X-Copy

Drawer/Volume buttons have a special feature. In Locked mode, if you drop file(s) or drawer(s) on it, the element(s) will be copied in the destination. If the element still exists in destination location, a confirmation requester will be displayed. At end of the copy, the destination drawer is opened with copied file selected.

Drawer copied with X-Copy

Menus

Two different menus are displayable in X-Dock, a standard menu and a PopupMenu one. When Right-Mouse-Button (RMB) is pressed outside of X-Dock window, the standard menu is opened. When RMB is pressed inside X-Dock window, a PopupMenu is opened.

Standard menu

Project sub-menu

Project sub-menu Unlocked mode

Open: Open an existing Dock by selecting his XML file in ENVARC:A-Eon by default

Save: Save settings/position of this Dock if modified

New Dock: Create a new empty Dock

Iconify: Iconify this Dock

About: About X-Dock and display the ARexx port of this Dock

Quit: Quit ALL opened X-Dock not only the current one.

Edit sub-menu

Edit sub-menu Unlocked mode

Undo: Undo last change

Redo: Redo last “undoed” change

Last saved: Reload the Dock with latest settings file before last changes

Revert to defaults: Restore defaults settings

Dock sub-menu

Dock sub-menu Unlocked mode

Lock: Switch between Lock and Unlock mode. See Lock/Unlock Modes section above

Identify: Blink the current Dock

Label: Display/hide names of the buttons

Label preferences: Open Preferences window at Labels settings section

Dragbar: Display/hide dragbar. Dragbar can be used to move the Dock in Unlocked mode. When Dragbar is inactive, Dock can be moved using middle mouse button.

Dragbar position: Position of the Dragbar when Dragbar is active

Orientation: Switch between Vertical or Horizontal Dock

Snap To: Choose to snap or unsnap the position of the Dock and the snapped position.

Preferences: Open Preferences window

Rename this dock: Change the name of this Dock

Delete selected dock: Delete this Dock. The first Dock cannot be deleted.

Popup menu

Popup menu Unlocked mode Lock / Unlock: Switch between Lock and Unlock mode. See Lock/Unlock Modes section above Add item: Open an ASL requester to add an item (file or drawer) Remove selected: Remove the selected element Remove: Remove one of the element that is displayed in the list Remove all: Remove all the elements. Insert Separator: Insert a Separator before or after the current element Insert subdock: Open the “Add subdock” window to insert a Subdock before or after the current element. Modify subdock: Select an existing subdock in the list and open the “Modify subdock” window (see “Modify button” below) Show / Hide: Hide the Dock by displaying only a Dragbar and redisplay it Rotate: Switch between Vertical or Horizontal Dock Reveal in Workbench: Open the location where reside the current element and highlight it Icon information: Open the Workbench information of the current element Modify button: Modify the current element. If the current element is a standard button, not a subdock, the “Modify button” window is opened. Button name and opening type (Workbench, CLI or Rexx) can be changed

	If the current element is a subdock button, the “Modify subdock” window is opened.

Subdock orientation, position relative the parent Dock and picture can be modified. Picture can be selected from an ASL requester or by dragging a .INFO file ins the window

Iconify: Iconify this Dock Close: Close the current Dock

Dock Icon Dragging

Whilst the dock is in unlock mode, hover the mouse pointer over the icon you wish to move to a new location on the dock so that it is highlighted. Hold down the Shift key and the mouse pointer will change to a hand icon. Keep the Shift key depressed and click the left mouse button (but do not release). Move the mouse pointer to the new location that you wish the icon to be moved to and release the Shift key and left mouse button. The dock will be redrawn with the icon in the new location.

Arexx Interface

Commands

X-Dock can handles the following ARexx commands on it's ARexx message port:

XDOCK.n

(where n = the instance number of the targeted X-Dock)

NAME return name of the program "X-Dock"

VERSION return version number "0.33 (10.04.2016)"

ABOUT open About window

SAVE save the currents X-Dock settings

UNDO undo last change

REDO redo last change

HIDE hide the X-Dock (only Dragbar is visible)

SHOW show the hiddent X-Dock

IDENTIFY identify the X-Dock by bringing it to front and by blinking twice his buttons

HORIZONTAL make the X-Dock horizontally oriented

VERTICAL make the X-Dock vertically oriented

ICONIFY iconify X-Dock

MOVE_WINDOW x y move X-Dock window to x,y coordinates

CLOSE close this X-Dock

QUIT quit all running X-Dock

HIDE_DRAGBAR hide the drag area if displayed

SHOW_DRAGBAR show the drag area if hidden

LOCK lock X-Dock

UNLOCK unlock X-Dock

HIDE_LABEL hide the labels below the buttons

SHOW_LABEL show the labels below the buttons

ACTIVATE activate the X-Dock window

TOFRONT bring X-Dock window to the front (call ACTIVATE to activate it)

TOBACK send X-Dock window behind others

DELETE_XDOCK delete the corresponding X-Dock

REMOVE_ALL remove all buttons

OPEN n open X-Dock n (if not opened)

NEW creates a new empty X-Dock

RINGHIO_ON turns ON the Ringhio notifications

RINGHIO_OFF turns OFF the Ringhio notifications

MOVE a b move button at position a to position b

ADD [index_num program_name] icon_name program_label start_mode icon_selected_name"

Add a program at specified index. index_num and program_name are both required.

Examples

Add MultiEdit application icon at the fifth position with .info as button picture in WB start mode and a dummy selected icon (not needed in .info mode):

ADD "5 SYS:Utilities/MultiEdit/MultiEdit.info MultiEdit WB DUMMY"

Add a Separator at fourth position:

ADD "4 Separator"

Remove the specified index button:

REMOVE "index_num"

The following example with remove the second element of the dock:

REMOVE "2"

See X-Dock.rx for a ARexx sample.

XDock ARexx port can too be addressed by using the CLI:

	rx 'ADDRESS XDock ADD 4 Separator'
	rx 'ADDRESS XDock REMOVE 4'
	rx 'ADDRESS XDock save'