Vaporware Launches Two New Software Titles

Recently included within the Vapor range is the release of Scalos v1.1. Amiga users can now purchase Scalos keyfiles via the existing Vapor channel (registration tool or via the online registration form).

X-Arc

X-Arc is a new tool created for managing archives on the Amiga computer. X-Arc is very similar to the famous WinZip� and Stuff-it� for Windows and Macintosh systems.

• Thanks to an intuitive and highly configurable interface, it offers the user an easy way to manage the contents of an archive, by adding, extracting, renaming, showing and deleting files and directories.
• X-Arc is targetted to both beginners and to expert users: it can immediately be utilised by everyone, but it offers numerous advanced features and options for those who like to have every single element of the program under their control.
• X-Arc is modular: to read different types of archives it uses "plugins". This provides the user with a common interface for every format, and offers the possibilty to add further modules at a later date, making the program more and more powerful. At present, the modules included with X-Arc v1.2 handle LHA, LZX and ZIP files, but other modules are under development (TGZ, UUEncode, ...) and will be included in future versions of X-Arc.
• X-Arc is able to link itself automatically to Scalos, allowing advanced drag & drop options from/to workbench, making the extraction of files a matter of seconds.
• X-Arc has been translated into various languages. It also includes HTML documentation which can be read internally within the program, or via an Internet browser, that includes pictures to explain every single function.
• X-Arc is being distributed by VaporWare, and it is able to interface itself with all the programs of the VaporWare suite (Voyager, AmFTP, AmIRC, MimePrefs, Scalos, Vapor Update System, ...) becoming a tool very powerful and highly integrated into the OS.

Contact Manager

The Contact Manager is a diary or system address book which allows you to store all your favourite user information, web sites, ftp sites and IRC server/channels. It is designed as a replacement to all the different bookmarks, addressbooks and similar GUI's that are built into the many different Amiga Internet and comms programs.

It offers a number of features not found in many of the internal bookmark/addressbooks:

• You can store a range of different information for one user. In the user section, for instance, you can include their address, email address, phone number, fax number, web site, ftp site and so on. All these options can be utilised by other software. Voyager can use the web information, Microdot-II can use the email address, STFax Pro can use the fax number etc.
• One GUI, many programs. You can store all the information you require within one interface. No need to worry about Microdot-II's addressbook, Voyager's bookmarks, STFax Pro's phonebook, AmFTP's server list etc.
• Interacts with other software. Microdot-II, AmIRC, Voyager, AmFTP, STFax Pro, DOpus Magellan and IBrowse (all available separately) will all add information to the Contact Manager from within these programs. For example. find an email address when reading a mail within Microdot-II? Just click 'add to addressbook' and the email address will be added to the Contact Manager. Some of these programs will use the Contact Manager in additional ways. For instance Microdot will call the Contact Manager when you press to: or cc: when writing a new message.
• Textinput (the built in Vapor text editor that ships with Microdot-II, Voyager, AmIRC, STFax Pro amongst others) now supports the ability to insert Contact Manager information into any document. For instance, say you were writing a message with Microdot-II, you could insert a name, email address, phone number or any other Contact Manager field, directly into that document. You will never have to remember a friends email address ever again!
• Groups and sub-groups. The Contact Manager allows you to create groups for different kinds of users/addresses. AmFTP, for instance, does not allow you to create groups or sub-groups within its server list, however this can be achieved via the Contact Manager.
• Multi-user support. If you are using Genesis as your TCP/IP stack, the Contact Manager will support and allow multiple users within one interface. If there are more than one user in your house (family members), each user can have their own configurations (with password) so that their information remains private.
• Plugin links. AmIRC (from v2.1) now ships with an internal Contact Manager plugin. This allows you to add users to the Contact Manager from within AmIRC (based on the current userlist), add interesting channels to your Contact Manager channel list and even search for entries within Contact Manager from within AmIRC.

Scalos v1.1

Scalos is a 100% Workbench replacement with all functions working like the WB ones. Some of the features include:

• 64bit arithmetics for harddisk sizes
• Full multitasking, every window has its own task, while loading icons any window function (e.g. Drag&Drop) is available
• All icon imagetypes are supported such as backfill or complement, configurable surrounding iconborder
• Icon datatype system. NewIcon datatype included. If you have the knowledge and will to write a datatype for Mac or even Windows icons please contact the author.
• Icon dragging is far less flickery on graphics cards, whilst dragged icons are displayed with their text and they become transparent over anything where they can be dropped. MUI-alike transparency on low color screens. Real transparency if running at 15+ Bit.
• Cybergraphics and 24bit datatypes support.
• Unlimited number of window patterns, configurable via tooltypes.
• Optimised background patterns. Routine patterns can be tiled, centred or even scaled to fit into the windows. With the use of render.library you can achieve full control over the dithering and pen usage of your patterns.
• Live updating of window scrolling, even via the middle-mouse-button.
• Drawer/folder windows can be iconified.
• Menu preferences are fully configurable. Includes ToolsDaemon and Parm import and support for context sensitive Pop-Up-Menus.
• Major Application interface (internal API), anything is possible from outside.
• Custom palette and pattern preferences program, no penlocker needed anymore.
• Nearly all WB-preferences will be used, install and uninstall is very easy.
• Plugin system to exchange or add features
• Scalos enhances the Workbench to make it more configurable: Iconborders (nice looking), Icontext variations (normal, shadowed, outlined), Screen title text.

For further information about these products, please check the Vapor web site. http://www.vapor.com/.

Amiga News IndexAmiga Web Directory