This is README for the Starter App, written by 
Robert Vasvari Dec 1994.


	The Starter Application



	What is Starter ?

	Starter is an app that does nothing and looks great doing it... :)

	When a developer set out to build a new app, there are many
	functionalities and mechanisms that need to be implemented.
	The purpose of the Starter app is to provide the developer
	with a framework that has all these mechanisms already working
	in some basic way, so that instead of implementing them from
	scratch, they can simply be extended in a kind of "fill in the 
	blanks" way.
	
	Starter is great for developers who are not yet familiar with
	all the basic Mechanisms in NEXTSTEP and would still like to
	write an app that conforms to the general guide lines of NS.
	The code is not complicated, and browsing through it is a 
	great way to learn NEXTSTEP progrmming.


	List of these general features:

1: 	Create, destroy, open, revert and save document files
	All documents are in their seperate zones.
	When a document is closed, its zone is destroyed.
	All three save functions (Save, Save As, Save To) are
	provided. Saving documents is done by opening a stream,
	putting clear text into it, then saving it to a file.

2:	Multiple screen Inspector panel that changes with the
	currently selected document. 
	This Inspector is modeled
	after the Workspace Inspector. The top part contains
	a textfield for the filename that will change its font
	to make sure the entire name fits (within reasonable
	limits, of course). The default implementation contains
	two screens. More screens can very easily be added. The 
	screens can be invoked by by typing <COMMAND><Screen#>
	just like the Workspace. 

3:	Multiple screen Preferences window. 
	Each screen contains
	items that are saved as defaults for the program.
	The Set and Revert buttons become enabled/disabled according
	to changes made (even on the textfields).
	Pressing the Set button saves the changes into the Defaults
	Database. There are utility routines provided to get defaults
	of different types with error checking (util.h/m).
 
4:	Menus that enable/disable themselves according to current
	selection. 
	This done through the [NXApp updateWindows] method
	which gets called after any change in the program. The method
	in turn calls each window in the app (including the menus) to
	update themselves.
	
5:  	A Controller object that is the delegate of NXApp, it performs
	all interfacing between the menus, the worspace and the documents.
	Also keeps a list of documents. A document can either be opened
	or just put to the fron if it is already open. Upon termination
	a standard process is performed to save altered documents.
	
6:  	A RemoteManager object is a simple Distributed Objects interface.
	It makes Starter a server, such that other apps can remotely message
	it to open, hide docs, etc... These simple operations demonstrate
	the ease of use for the DO interface.
	

		List of classes: 

AdjFontTextField: 	changes fontsize according to contents.
ClockView: 		Displays date graphically in the inspector.
CommandView: 	routes <COMMAND><Screen#> keystrokes to the inspector.
Controller:		Application's delegate.
DocumentWindow:	sends updateWindows message on Miniaturize.
Document: 		Generic document that Save/Load itself.
InspectorManager: 	subclass of MultipleScreenManager that dynamically
			changes its contents according to the current selection.
KeyPanel:		subclass of panel with a button that shows a return sign
			only if the panel is the Key Window af the app.
MenuController: 	subclass of controller that updates all menucells.
MultipleScreenManager: Changes the screens by the popup button on 
			the top of the panel.
PreferenceManager: 	subclass of MultipleScreenManager, saves 
			changes per screeen.
RemoteServer: 		provides methods that can be called from other apps through
			the Distributed Objects interface.

util.m/h: 		utility routines.


	How do I use Starter ?

	There are a few simple steps to perform to change the name to the new name
	of your application:
	1: Change the name of the project directory to AppName;
	2: Change the name of English.lproj/Starter.nib to English.lproj/AppName.nib;
	3: in defs.h change the value for DOC_EXTENSION to the new document ext.;
	4: Start Project Builder by double-clicking on PB.project;
	   a: In the Attributes Window, change project name and doc extension;
	   b: In the Files/Interfaces Window remove Starter.nib and add AppName.nib;
	   c: Save PB.project
	5: build app;
	6: At this point you are ready to implement your own features..


Foundation Kit users:

	I also have a version of Starter App that is moreless "foundationized"
	That version is available upon request.
	
	
Correspondence:

	Comments, bugreports, suggestions should all go to:
	
	vrobi@futon.sfsu.edu
	
	
	Enjoy!!!
	
				=[vrobi]=