![[Navbox]](../images/navbox.gif)
![[Navsoft]](../images/navsoft.gif)
![[InterActive logo]](../images/logo.gif){kind=logo}
![[ST-Guide icon]](../images/icons/stg.gif){kind=icon}
ST-Guide
ST-Guide is the de-facto standard hypertext system for the Atari platform. ST-Guide HYP files can include text, images up to 16 colours, links to related topics and context sensitive interaction with other applications.
These features have proven extremely popular with software developers (both commercial and non-commercial) and most new software releases include ST-Guide HYP files instead of large ASCII text files.
There are plenty of other uses for ST-Guide hypertexts, here's just a few examples:
- Atari World article/review database
- Atari Computing article/review database
- AtariPhile disk magazine
- ATOS disk magazine (German)
- English/German dictionary
- Alice in Wonderland, complete, illustrated (and other out of copyright material)
- CMOS IC reference, each IC illustrated with pinouts
- And much more...
Best of all ST-Guide only consumes around 42K memory and provides a convienent file viewer when insalled as a desktop accessory.
System requirements
ST-Guide runs as a program or desktop accessory on all TOS compatible machines in all screen resolutions above 640x200 (ST Medium).ST-Guide hypertext features
- Comprehensive graphics facilities includes:
- Popup nodes as alternatives to normal pages
- Graphics can be included, inline or overlaid, up to 16 colours
- Lines, arrows and various predefined boxes available
- All the usual text attributes
- Minimal disk space required
- Minimal memory requirement
- Database features include:
- REF-Link to merge REF files into a global index
- STool to create a catalogue of all available HYPs
- Use as desktop accessory or program
- Can also convert hypertexts from most other formats
- Keyboard or mouse operation throughout
- Search function, with wildcard support
- Can display any ASCII format file
- Can call external viewers for any filetypes, via AV protocol
- Alternative font support (requires GDOS)
Benefits for authors
- Easily learned commands syntax
- Compiler optionally creates cross-reference links automatically
- Compiler optionally creates an index automatically
- Each hypertext results in a single compressed HYP file
- Myriad range design options
- Context-sensitive on-line Help can be called directly by your programs
- RSC files from your programs can be called as graphics
- No restrictive distribution policy, you can include it free of charge with your software!
- Available as export option from UDO!
Registration benefits include:
- Master disk containing latest version, support utilities etc.
- A nice warm feeling knowing you've supported ongoing ST-Guide development!
Other reading
- Atari World #10/p25/26: Ground Breakers feature on ST-Guide
- Atari World #8/p85: Public Arena review, rated 6/10 (A travesty IMHO!)
- Atari Computing #1 September 1996/p40: Review of ST-Guide v1.4, rated 80%