Who likes manga?

What are the minimum specs?

While I don’t expect it to be used on ancient hardware, I can’t offhand think of anything specific that should stop it from working; asides from native JPEG support and an internet stack. That might make it RiscPC only? When did SpriteExtend support JPEG? Is there a softload version?

Guess I could try installing it on my A4000 for laughs.

Let me know how you get on.

When did SpriteExtend support JPEG? Is there a softload version?

The hard disc image contains a SpriteExtend softload suitable for 3.5+. Building a version for older OS versions might run into difficulties since the JPEG code uses dynamic areas.

ChangeFSI might work, though – I think it has its own JPEG decoder.

Thanks for the clarification. I guess therefore the bottom limit is RISC OS 3.5. I’ll add some checks to the !Run file for this.

Internally it assumes JPEGs, so it would take a fair number of changes to support sprites as well. Not to mention conversion speeds on such a machine. In short, RiscPC or later…

3.5 plus Nested WIMP/UniBoot IIRC – I am fairly sure that the first JPEG-enabled SpriteExtend was delivered with RO3.6.

You can now upgrade to v0.15 if you wish.

Apologies to those who were unable to upgrade. It was late, I was stupid, etc etc and I set the archive filename tail to 18 (which was the date) instead of 15 (the version).

Should be fixed now.
Sorry.

PS: If you get 404s and stuff in the future, let me know as it’s 99.9% going to be my cock-up.

PPS: Thanks to Doug Webb for pointing this out.

And thanks Rick for the quick response and fix.

Beta-track, minor update:

0.16  2018/02/06

      Added keyboard control, as it's cold and I didn't want to keep
      holding the mouse with the same hand (switching is not an option
      due to where it is).
      So... keyboard controls! ;-)
      
      Alt-click the manga viewer window to give it focus (yellow
      highlight). When it has focus...
      
         Left - Previous page
        Right - Next page
           Up - Scroll up
         Down - Scroll down
         
           ^C - Toggle AutoCentre
           ^S - Toggle Scale-to-Fit
           
           ^Q - Quick Exit (quits application immediately)
           ^V - View cache (opens cache directory)
           
           F1 - Runs !Help


      Minor changes to !Run to ensure that we have at least RISC OS 3.50
      and Internet.
      Manga needs JPEG drawing so this precludes RISC OS 3.10, and since
      it fetches from a website, checking for Internet (TCP/IP) is logical.

Keypress mechanics and behaviour tested. A lot. 8-)

Having not used your no-doubt excellent program, can I ask what is a potentially stupid question?

Why isn’t the keyboard control for “AutoCentre” not “C”, rather than what anyone might expect would be the keypress to copy the contents of the window to the clipboard?

Reasons:

1, to avoid weird effects sure to pressing the keys by accident (^C is a lot less likely than C).
2, I wouldn’t expect a non-editor to implement copy paste functionality

It’s easy enough to change. What say you all?

I wouldn’t expect a non-editor to implement copy paste functionality

Document viewers typically implement copy functionality – web browsers, PDF viewers, etc.

Whether people would expect an image viewer to implement copy functionality, I’m not so sure.

Regardless of whether ^C copies the window contents, I certainly wouldn’t expect it to indicate its inability to do that by launching intercontinental missiles at Russia (on account of ^C being harder to press than C).

Whether people would expect an image viewer to implement copy functionality, I’m not so sure.

Windows™.

Regardless of whether ^C copies the window contents, I certainly wouldn’t expect it to indicate its inability to do that by launching intercontinental missiles at Russia (on account of ^C being harder to press than C).

Plus you need to alt-click the window to give it focus in the first place!

Overly-complex keyboard shortcuts are annoying. E.g. the TV tuner software I’m currently using on my PC uses Ctrl-M for mute, which is a lot more annoying than just using M directly (I should probably check for an updated version, since the UI is a bit dodgy in general).

I’m assuming you can’t type text into the Manga window – so what’s the harm in using regular, unmodified alphanumeric keys? Unlike a lot of other OSes, RISC OS seems to be pretty good at communicating to the user which window/icon has input focus, so the chances of the user attempting to interact with Manga and accidentally interacting with something else (or vice-versa) should be minimal.

Plus you need to alt-click the window to give it focus in the first place!

That’s because a regular click already does something.

Okay, world plus kitten prefers normal keypresses – anticipate version 0.17 Real Soon Now™.

Windows™.

RISC OS isn’t Linux Windows…

That’s because a regular click already does something.

I have become converted to the paradigm that if a window can gain the focus and if the user clicks in the window when it doesn’t have the focus then that click sets the focus only.

This protects against unintended consequences far more than it inconveniences.

RISC OS isn’t Windows…

And telling newbies that they should bloomin well stop pressing Ctrl-Z and remember to press F8 instead is not actually making anything easier to use. However, my point was that the Windows image viewer does implement ^C, so it’s not an unimaginable expectation.

There is a lot to be said for properly configurable hotkeys. Having just implemented exactly that in my labelling disassembler I have to concede that it’s actually a great deal of hard work, and affects menu creation and interactive help as well as keyboard handling.

I remember “PC delete” being a controversial innovation. Want to go back?

user clicks in the window when it doesn’t have the focus then that click sets the focus only.

So the first page change will be two clicks. I’ll have to think about that…

However, my point was that the Windows image viewer does implement ^C, so it’s not an unimaginable expectation.

It’s the RISC OS clipboard now advanced enough to copy stuff like JPEGs (no, it’s not a sprite)? I’ve never meddled with the global clipboard. If somebody can point to to some docs or example source, I could always make ^C do something useful…?

There is a lot to be said for properly configurable hotkeys.

Hehe, I ought to create a “Settings” dialogue before thinking about such fancy things. ;-)

I remember “PC delete” being a controversial innovation. Want to go back?

What, you mean delete to the right? Remind me – didn’t we already have a different key that did that?

What, you mean delete to the right?

No. Before “PC Delete” the great big backspace button above Return did just that – backspace. NOT delete. It did VDU8, not VDU127. “Delete” deleted left, “End” deleted right. The BBC Micro had a lot to answer for.

Is the RISC OS clipboard now advanced enough to copy stuff like JPEGs

It’s just a lump of data and a filetype, so yes. You can degrade to a sprite if you can be bothered. Whether ClipboardHolder (or equivalent) does that automagically I don’t know.

So the first page change will be two clicks

So your focussable window does not take the focus when it opens? A courageous decision, Minister.

So your focussable window does not take the focus when it opens? A courageous decision, Minister.

Scenario:
On a PeeCee, running windows
Activate secure login software by inserting smartcard in reader built into keyboard and window requesting PIN opens.
Sadly you have to click in the text field to allow the entry of the PIN because something grabbed the focus -

- the totally f’in redundant and useless icon¹ on the bar at the bottom associated with the PIN entry window.

OK it’s not like it’s a security login used by every member of staff in the NHS is it? Oh…

On thread: Rick, you need to use key shortcuts that fit the standard use by not trampling on cross app and OS consistency. Remember that thread a few months back about what makes a good OS / API?

¹ You know the damned thing is running or the sign box wouldn’t be there and it’s not for closing things because removing the smartcard does that.
Actually, adding insult to injury the removal of the smartcard closes the browser session you used to access the systems and also closes other browsers. Yes folks, if you run Firefox AND IE simultaneously using the IE session to run the secure session then the athenticated session closure closes your Firefox session as well.

So your focussable window does not take the focus when it opens?

Keyboard control was a quick hack to something that didn’t take focus at all previously – Select to go to next page, Adjust to go back a page – intentionally simple UI.

OIC

Activate secure login software

This is not that scenario. This is an application window opened by direct user interaction, not some popup.

Yes folks, if you run Firefox AND IE simultaneously using the IE session to run the secure session then the athenticated session closure closes your Firefox session as well.

I’m sure Steve knows this, but just in case he doesn’t, there is a registry hack to prevent this. Really intuitive :(

As per discussion here:

• First click to give input focus (no more Alt-click) and from then on click or keyboard control as before.
• Keyboard shortcuts are now simple letters, not Ctrl-letter. C(entre), S(cale), Q(uit) and V(iew cache).
• The Ctrl keypresses are still active, for those who used them. They will be withdrawn soon…
• Minor tweak to !Run to check for a JPEG capable version of SpriteExtend (0.63 or later). This only affects RISC OS 3.50 and I have neither tested this nor do I intend to test something of that vintage. Surely anybody with a non-ROLtd RiscPC is running 3.7x by now?!?

Beta-update push, so just fire up Manga and it’ll notify you (if you’re in beta-track). Otherwise, pop over to my Pi server (the ddns URL) and pick up Manga v0.17 using the painfully obvious filename. Or just go /manga for a list. ;-)

Right. Now I need to walk half a mile up the access road to collect the bin. It’s 1.8C so I’m guessing it’s a clear sky and not raining. Okay, might be some good stargazing, just so long as there’s no seeing (which was really bad last night when I took the bin UP).

As of recently, none of the manga links work – they all return error 301.

After some quick examination, this is because every http link redirects to https.

The problem is . . . !Manga doesn’t support SSL.

The question therefore is : how does a program using socket calls support SSL? I have SecureSockets (Secure32) in !System. Is there an API or example code for how that works?

Thanks.

Okay, just reading the SecureSockets API on my phone (on way to shops) and it looks like I open a socket like normal then switch to using the SSL within. I’ll have a crack at that “soonish”.

Update at the usual place…

For those with the !Store release, pop over to http://heyrick.ddns.net/manga/ and pick up version 0.18.

Here’s the change log for this version:

0.18  2018/03/05

      Quick hack to support SSL since mangareader.net now redirects all
      requests to SSL.
      This requires the R-Comp SecureSockets module. You may have this
      if you have NetFetch or the like (look in !System.500.Modules.Network
      for "Secure32"). If not, please ask R-Comp for a copy.
      
      As I said, this was a quick fix to get Manga running again. It seems
      to work okay on my Pi2, reading several different manga. If it
      should misbehave, please let me know.
      
      You are given a "bytes transferred" instead of a slidey bar like
      before, as for some reason the server headers do not include a
      length report, so Manga just needs to keep going until it runs out
      of data. <shrug>
      
      Also, there is some subtle throttling in there (which will slow
      things down) as running SSL too fast resulted in the transfer
      throwing error 99 (no idea what that means, but throttling made it
      go away). <shrug more>

If this works for you guys too, I’ll push an update to !Store.