
Frontier Help
              
                                            version: 2.2
                                            created: 03/18/1991 {10:22:14 AM}
                                        last update: 10/06/2003 {01:05:39 PM}

This document explains how to use Alpha as Frontier's external editor.

For help how to use Alpha as an HTML editor see "HTML Help", the manual for
HTML mode.

Please see the HTML mode home page, <http://go.to/alpha_www_tools> for the
latest version of HTML mode and Frontier menu.  There you can also download
the HTML mode manual if you haven't got it already.

The code has been tested with Frontier 9.0.

Johan Linde, <alpha_www_tools@go.to>


	  	Table Of Contents


"# Acknowledgments"
"# Installation and configuring"
"# Upgrading from an earlier version of Frontier menu"
"# Inserting the Frontier menu in the menu bar"
"# Opening a Frontier text window in Alpha"
"# Frontier menu"
"# Scripts menu"
"# Frontier database browser"
"# Frontier shell"
"# Option-Click in titlebar"
"# Version history"

<<floatNamedMarks>>


	  	Acknowledgments

Almost immediately after I had released Frontier menu 1.0 I got to know that
Danis Georgiadis <dmg@hyper.gr> also had written some code to integrate Alpha
and Frontier.  He generously gave me his code to freely use together with
mine.  In this version I have taken the parts from his code which could easily
be integrated with mine and which worked without problems.  The Frontier
database browser and the Scripts menu are both made by him.  When I made the
Frontier shell I used some of Danis' code and some from Matlab mode by Stephen
Merkowitz <merk@lnf.infn.it>.

	  	Installation and configuring

	Installing verbs into Frontier

The two files

	system.verbs.apps.Alpha
	user.Alpha

must be imported into Frontier.  You find these in the folder Frontier verbs.
Just double-click the files to import them.  Frontier will ask for a name of
the imported objects.  Use the ones suggested.

	Configure Frontier to use Alpha as its external editor

Change the value of suites.odbEditor.editors.Text.apps to {'ALFA'} and delete
user.odbEditors.TextEditor in the Frontier database.


	  	Upgrading from an earlier version of Frontier menu

The file 

	system.verbs.apps.Alpha

has been updated since the previous version of Frontier menu, and has to be
imported again, while

	user.Alpha

is unmodified and doesn't need to be imported again.

The verbs

	system.startup.clearAlphaFiles
	shutdown.closeAlphaWindows
	user.html.editors.Alpha

are no longer needed (and will probably not work).  Delete them in your
Frontier database.

The modification of the verb suites.odbEditor.editors.Text.edit in the
Frontier databasem, which was required for earlier versions of Alpha's
Frontier menu, has to be reverted.  The last lines of
suites.odbEditor.editors.Text.edit should read

	bundle Çsend an Apple Event to the editor to open the temp file
	       Çuse an open protocol that's implemented by BBEdit 4.0 and greater
	       Çthe extra parameter to the odoc event is Frontier's app id
	appleEvent (ideditorapp, 'aevt', 'odoc', '----', alias (tempfile), 'FSnd', Frontier.id)
 

	  	Inserting the Frontier menu in the menu bar

The Frontier menu doesn't automatically appear in the menu bar.  To insert it
in the menu bar select Frontier menu "Config > Global Setup > Menus" dialog.

Preferences: Menus


	  	Opening a Frontier text window in Alpha

Text windows in Frontier can be opened in Alpha using 'Edit with App' in
Frontier's Main menu.  Whenever you save changes the Frontier database is
automatically updated.  If you use 'Save as...'  in Alpha the new file is
disconnected from the Frontier database.

You can also use the Frontier database browser, see below.


	  	Frontier menu

	Switch to Frontier 

Launches Frontier or brings it to front if already running.

	Preview Page    

Makes Frontier render the page and sends it to the browser for previewing.
This is the same as 'Preview Page' in Frontier's Web menu (or 'View in
Browser' in Frontier 4.2.3).  This should only be used for files opened from
Frontier.  Other HTML files are sent to the browser using 'Send File to
Browser' in the HTML menu.
				  
	Publish Page   

Makes Frontier render the page and publish it.  This is the same as 'Publish
Page' in Frontier's Web menu.  (This function only works together with
Frontier 5 or later.)

	Frontier Shell 

Opens a shell window where you can run Frontier scripts, see below.
				  
	Browse 

Opens a Frontier browser at different points in the database.  Use AddÉ and
RemoveÉ to edit this menu.

	Open 

Opens a Frontier window in Frontier.  Use AddÉ and RemoveÉ to edit this menu.

	Scripts Menu 

Rebuilds the Scripts menu and loads the script corresponding to the menu
items.

	PreferencesÉ 

To set your preferences for Frontier.  Currently you can choose if you want to
automatically launch Frontier when you launch Alpha.  This is not done by
default.


	  	Scripts menu

The Scripts menu is a menu which you define inside Frontier in the same way as
you define shared menus for other applications.  (The Scripts menu has the
cowboy menu icon like the Frontier scripts in the Finder.)  The menu
definition must be in user.Alpha.menubar.  Alpha does not support menu
sharing.  Therefore there are a few things which differ from how shared menu
work.  In particular:

¥ If you launch Frontier after Alpha the menu it not automatically inserted in
the menubar.  You have to use 'Rebuild Scripts Menu' to insert it.

¥ Whenever you modify the menu you have to use 'Rebuild Scripts Menu' to
rebuild it.  Note!  This has also to be done when you modify a script
belonging to a menu item.

¥ Keybindings for the menu items must be defined the way Alpha defines
keybindings.  Alpha uses certain meta characters to define menu items.  See
the section 'Menu Creation Syntax' in "Extending Alpha".


	  	Frontier database browser

The Frontier database browser lets you navigate through Frontier's database
without leaving Alpha.  You can also open Frontier windows in Alpha without
leaving Alpha.  In the browser windows, tables are red, text windows are
green, and everything else is blue.  To navigate the windows you can use key
shortcuts similar to those used to navigate Finder windows.

	UpArrow

move up one line

	DownArrow 

move down one line

	RightArrow 

Right-Arrow on a table displays the content of the table.

	LeftArrow 

LeftArrow on a table hides the content of the table.

	Command-UpArrow

Opens the parent table in a new window.

	Command-Option-UpArrow 

opens the parent table in a new window and closes the current window.

	Command-DownArrow 

Command-DownArrow on a table opens a new window with the content of that table.

	Command-Option-DownArrow 

Command-Option-DownArrow on a table opens a new window with the content of
that table and closes the current window.

	Return 

opens the selected object for editing.  Text objects are opened in Alpha, and
most other things are opened in Frontier.


	  	Frontier shell

The Frontier shell is an alternative to the Frontier Quick Script window for
those who like a command history.  Type a command and hit return to have it
executed in Frontier.  The return value is then displayed on the next line.

You move up and down the command history using Control-UpArrow and
Control-DownArrow.

Control-U erases the current line.

WARNING! Don't send commands which will make Frontier open an alert window,
like e.g. dialog.notify.  If this window is hidden behind your other windows
it will freeze your machine with command-option-escape as the only way out.


	  	Option-Click in titlebar

Option-Clicking in the titlebar of the Frontier shell window pops up a menu
with the command history.  Selecting an item from this menu inserts the text
in the window.  If the Option key is held down while you select the menu item
the command is immediately evaluated, otherwise it is only inserted so that
you can edit it before evaluating it.


	  	Version history

	2.2, 1 August 2003

¥ Compatibility update for Alpha 8/X.
¥ Frontier menu now relies on the ODBEditor package.

	2.1.6, 9 June 2001

¥ Compatibility update for Alpha 8.

	2.1.5, 30 April 1999

¥ In Alpha 7.2 windows with names containing brackets were not saved in 
Frontier. Fixed!

	2.1.4, 25 April 1998

¥ Fixed a startup problem. Alpha wouldn't launch completely when being 
launched by dropping a file on it while Frontier was running, or by using 
Edit with App in Frontier. 

	2.1.3, 1 March 1998

¥ Compatibility fix for Alpha 7.1.

	2.1.2, 7 February 1998

¥ Made 'View in Browser' compatible with Frontier 5, and renamed the menu 
item to 'Preview Page', which it's called in Frontier 5.
¥ Added 'Publish Page'. This only works with Frontier 5.
¥ Improved error handling. In some cases Alpha would previously show 
incorrect error messages.
¥ Option-click in title bar of Frontier shell window pops up a menu with 
the command history.
¥ 'Save asÉ' now disconnects the window from the database, which is more 
logical than the previous setup.
¥ Some small bug fixes.

	2.1.1, 3 November 1997 [update of version 2.0.1]

¥ The same as version 2.1 but for Alpha 7.0.

	2.1, 3 November 1997 [update of version 2.0]

¥ A startup and a shutdown script to be imported into Frontier have been 
added. Together they solve a problem which sometimes prevented the windows to 
be saved into Frontier's database. The shutdown script closes all open 
Frontier windows in Alpha. Thanks to Mike Carney <mike_carney@mediaone.net> 
for ideas and some code snippets.
¥ Various problems for windows with names containing brackets have been 
fixed.

	2.0.1, 19 October 1997

¥ Updated to be compatible with Alpha 7.0.

	2.0, 17 August 1997

¥ Added a Frontier shell.
¥ Added database browser and a Browse submenu.
¥ Added the Open submenu.
¥ Added Scripts menu, which is defined in Frontier as with other apps.
¥ 'Save as...' works now.

	1.0, 20 July 1997

First public release.
