
    Cris' widgets - readme
    ======================

    This is a little collection of rexx widgets written to work with
    Martin Lafaix' Widget Library.
    
    Included are:  a Z! controller widget (actually two cooperating widgets)
                   a clock widget
                   a swap-file-monitor widget
                   a PM123 controller widget
                   a CDPlay controller widget
                   
    This time I wanted to provide a rexx program to install thse scripts.
    Unfortunately, there is still no way (other than writing a WPS class)
    to query XCenter settings from a rexx program, so I'm not able to update
    your XCenter's setup (I could only overwrite it). So you'll have to
    install them manually as before, sorry.
    
    Look in the provided text files (in each widget's subdirectory), it's
    very easy to set them up.
    
    
    Z! Controller
    =============
    
    This is a controller for the Z! mp3 player.
    
    To install Z! Controller you'll have to install first a Rexx-button and a 
    gauge (or two, read more below).
    
    Since version 0.4, this widget comes as two cooperating widgets: the main
    "Z! Controller" part, which is a rexx button, and a "Z! Monitor" part,
    which is a rexx gauge. I've also set up a second rexx gauge that does
    nothing but adds to the "eyecandy". See the screenshot named zctrl.png
    to see what I mean... the second gauge is simply an empty gauge, 3 pixel
    wide (fixed), with black background, put to the left of the rexx button.
    You may find it simply useless or stupid... :-)
    
    Features: All the usual operations (skpi fwd, skip backwd, pause, stop,
              vol+, vol-) can be carried out by clicking on the icon in the
              XCenter.
              
              A small red bar on the icon visually indicates the volume level
              set in Z!. Note that this will work only with the next Z! release.
              
              The tooltip shows the volume level as a number percentage.
              
              New MP3s can be added to the Z! play-list by dropping them on
              the icon.
              
              You can save a playlist in Z!, and later recall it with a single
              drag-n-drop on the icon.
              
              You can drop a directory full of MP3s on the icon, and the 
              widget will add all the MP3s (even in subdirs) to the playlist.
              
              If you drop an MP3 file/playlist on the icon while Z! is not 
              playing, it will start playing the dropped file immediately.
              
              If you drop an MP3 file/playlist on the icon while Z! is not 
              running, it will be started, and it will then begin to play.
              
              The "Monitor" widget shows the running time, a progress-bar
              visually indicating the percent of the song played, and a
              scrolling view of the song title.
              
              In the Monitor's tooltip you'll be able to see the title, album,
              author and total playing time of the current song.
              
              Double-clicking on the "Monitor" part will start Z!. If it is
              already running, it will resurface.
              
              The widgets are now ready to work with internet streams, and
              some more features have been added to deal with them (see
              history.txt).
              
    In the "wider" subdirectory, you'll find an alternate setup for the main
    widget part. Look at the "wider.txt" file in that directory to learn more.
    
    NOTE: The "wider" widget has not been updated to the latest feature set.
    	  It is still at the v0.4 level. I'll update it as time permits.


    Clock
    =====
    
    This is a simple clock. It has slight enhancements over the clock built-in
    wigets in XCenter.
    
    To install Clock, you'll have to install first a rexx gauge.
    
    Features: It only shows hours:minutes, to conserve XCenter space.
              
    		  It can change his background color based on the hour of the 
    		  day.
              
    		  It shows the weekday and the date in the tooltip.
              
    
    Swap File Monitor
    =================
    
    This is a monitor for your swap file.
    
    To install Swap-Monitor, you'll have to install first a rexx gauge.
    
    Since version 0.4, the calculation of the percentage has changed (it was
    incorrect previously, and could lead to percentages > 100)... you'll
    probably find that it is lower now. I've also slightly changed the
    behaviour: since the percentage varies when you're writing to the disk
    where the swap-file is held, I was constantly moving my mouse to the
    widget to see (from the tooltip) if it was the swapper that was growing 
    or the free space that had dropped. Now, if the swapper grows past its
    initial size, the bar graph will change its color, and the text will turn
    blue.
    
    Features: It shows the percentage of space occupied by the swap file,
              with respect to the free space on the swap drive.
              
              It changes its color when the swapper starts growing, and
              then again when the percentage goes over 90%.
              
              It shows the real size (in megabytes) of the swap file in
              the tooltip.

    
    PM123 Controller & CDPlay Controller
    ====================================
    
    These two widgets have been contributed by ??? (I can't find your name
    anymore... sorry, please write me!!).
    
    They're two controllers, in the style of the early Z! Controller. The
    first one controls PM123 (a shareware skinnable PM MP3 player), while
    the second controls CDPlay (an old CD player, which - unlike modern
    ones - can be controlled via named pipes... it can be found on hobbes).
    
    I've not tested them, cause I'm not using either program. BTW, the code
    is derived from early versions of my early Z! Controller, with a few
    changes regarding pipe commands and volume setting.
    
    I'm distributing these widgets for the convenience of end users, but
    I don't have the time to keep the code aligned to the main Z! Controller.
    If anybody wants to do this, I'd be very grateful. Send the updated code
    to me and I'll distribute it.
