Freedom 2 is available now in German. An English release of Freedom 2 is in progress.

Freedom is the first and only 'non-modal' file selector for the Atari platform. Normally file selectors are 'modal' which means other applications are frozen while the file selector is on screen.
This became a serious limitation when multitasking operating systems such as MultiTOS, MagiC and Geneva became popular.

Freedom allows applications to open their own file selector instead of sharing one with other applications. Even under single TOS desktop accessories are unblocked and free to multitask with each other.
Freedom can be set to use any installed font (proportional, monospaced, vector and bitmap) and user defined icons can be assigned to any filetypes.

Freedom can call other applications to display different filetypes, for example ST-Guide can be used to display hypertexts along with ASCII and text files, 1stGuide for JPEGs, IMGs etc.

Multitasking is the future for Atari software. Software has to adapt to survive! Programmers were quick to see the advantages of flying dialogs -but those days have flown already, dialogs and alerts in windows are de rigour! Two other system blocking relics remain:

• File selectors
• Alert boxes

Reasons to be cheerful...

Freedom removes both these obstacles and sets your applications free! Here's some reasons to use Freedom:

• You're using MagiC, Geneva, MultiTOS or other multitasking OS
• You can't resist the sexiest, feature packed, GEM software around!
• A non-windowed dialog, file selector or alert is open (blocking the system) then:
  • Your comms software rings or reports an up/download error
  • Your window clock stops
  • You press F1 and Kobold doesn't appear
  • You try to open a MagiC popup -but can't
  • You try to access the menu bar -but can't

Feature list!

• Multiple Freedom selectors may be open at the same time!
• Parallel processing capability!
• Freedom can optionally force alert boxes into windows
• Program which support VA_START or has a menu bar is no longer blocked!
• Long filename support
• User selectable font/size (any bitmap/vector/proportional font)
• Drag & drop font, path, file copy/move/delete support
• Keyboard layout 99% Selectric compatible
• Multiple file selection (naturally Selectric compatible)
• Up to 40 user definable filenames, paths and extensions
• History popup to select from last 200 selected files
• The ultimate in intuitive interface design using Enhanced GEM
• Left handed mode!
• Unix masks (*,?,[]) and extension lists (*.TOS,*.PRG)
• User defined icons for files and folders
• Drag & drop path support
• Fuzzy file location! Freedom checks the XAcc, AV & Menutitle0
• File delete, new file/folder creation and file/folder info
• Search using mask to select or deselect files
• Export paths or selected files to formatted ASCII listing via clipboard
• Freedom works with other AV Servers (Thing/Gemini/Ease etc)
• Kobold support for ultra high speed file operations

Parallel processing -even under single TOS!

Freedom includes it's own internal mini co-operative multitasking OS, allocating processor time between all the currently running tasks. This means Freedom can work on a file search whilst reading a large directory or performing a file count for a drive.

All actions started from Freedom (search, delete, file counts, directory reading, copy, move, etc.) can run in the background even if individual tasks opens popups, windows or dialogs! Unfortunately thanks to GEMDOS parallel copy/move operations really slows things down and should only be started on fast machines.

How Freedom works

Freedom consists of two parts:
A file selector/alert box 'server' (FREEDOM.APP) which runs as a parallel application or desktop accessory and waits to be activated by calls from AES messages etc.
A resident part (FFSEL.PRG) which goes in the Auto folder. Applications which call the file selector or an alert box send an appropriate request to the server which (if necessary) starts itself in parallel and waits in an event loop for a reply from the server. This part also handles conversion of the reply from Freedom¿ using one of the three Selectric protocols.

Adding direct Freedom support to your applications

We're always keen to help authors who wish to directly support Freedom in their applications and the archive includes a Source folder with examples in C.

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Registration benefits include:

• Key to remove shareware restrictions
• Master disk containing the latest version including additional icons
• A nice warm feeling knowing you've supported ongoing Freedom development!

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Other reading

• Atari World Issue 6, Ground Breakers feature, p28/29

Please email jconnor@cix.compulink.co.uk details of any reviews etc. I've missed!

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