*********************************************************
*                                                       *
*   STOOP, A Boot Manager for the Atari FALCON 030      *
*                                                       *
*   Shareware Version 1.03, 27th November 1994.         *
*                                                       *
*    1994 Phil Hodgkins                                *
*                                                       *
*          106 Knighton Fields Road East                *
*          Leicester                                    *
*          LE2 6DQ                                      *
*          U.K.                                         *
*                                                       *
*   If you use this program for more than a month you   *
*   must send 10 to me at the above address and I      *
*   will send you the latest version.                   *
*                                                       *
*   The following files must be included -              *
*                                                       *
*   INSTALL.PRG  - Run this to install Stoop, but does  *
*                  not set the screen resolution.       *
*   STOOP.PRG    - The program itself.                  *
*   LAUNCHER.PRG - Enables the passing of parameters to *
*                  to autobooted programs.              *
*   README.TXT   - This text file.                      *
*   STOOP.RTF    - The manual, (RTF version).           *
*   STOOP.TXT    - The manual, (ASCII version).         *
*   IMPROVS.TXT  - A list of improvements.              *
*   BUGS.TXT     - A list of bugs found & fixed.        *
*   WHATSNEW.TXT - New part(s) of the manual.           *
*                                                       *
*********************************************************
	
All of these files must distributed as a single group and must not be split or
altered in any way.

Translations of these text files into any other language may be added to the
group without seeking my permission. The English text in the program may also
be changed to another language and distributed without my permission.

If you have produced a translation of my work please send to me the following
information :-

    The name of new language.
    A PD library, etc., where it can be found.
	
I will add this information to this README text.


Future Developments

I shall continue to improve Stoop and I also have a few of my own ideas I want
to add. If there is some feature you would like added to Stoop please send
your ideas to me.

The following is a list of features that users have asked to be
included.

- Add a dialogue attached to the Auto-Program display which will allow
  you to  clear it and select from a  user-defined list a program for
  auto-booting.
 
- The SHOW button has been replaced by a CONFIG button, this merely
  displays a message at the moment, but this should have a dialogue
  which allows you to change  settings, e.g. colours.
 
- A password facility.
 
- I will try to get Stoop to change the screen resolution to what it
  needs and then drop back into the original start-up resolution after
  it has finished, this should make Stoop more compatible with any
  future and existing software that does not like 16 colours, etc. This
  will make the screen display faster when showing the installation
  messages of AUTO folder progs. This feature will rely on my finding
  all the Falcon video registers, (I have already tried it, the AES
  appears to lock-up completely as soon as it starts up, which probably
  means I have missed some).
 
- Add wide boards, showing 2 or more(?) columns of files.
 
- Re-write the file name storage routines to use linked-lists instead
  of arrays (this will considerable reduce the memory requirements, but
  might be slightly slower).
 
- Time-out & default config.
 
- Have a look at making it NVDI compat. when auto-booting (installing
  NVDI before Stoop will speed up display - I hope - and it was the
  C routines that came with NVDI that got me started in the first
  place).
 
- Enable the swapping of preset buttons, this will allow them to be
  re-ordered.

- Indicate default preset with a red-outline.  Indicate the preset
  button which matches the current file configuration shown the on
  boards with a green outline.



The Usual Disclaimer

While I have tested and use Stoop on my own machine in normal use, I cannot
guarantee that there are no bugs remaining, hence I disclaim any
responsibility for any data loss or damage that could be attributed to
using STOOP.PRG.

If you think this disclaimer is off-putting you ought to read the disclaimers
put on the sealed envelopes holding the program disks of some commercial
software!!!!!


