Service call TaskManagerAcknowledgements

RISC OS 4 has a service call for TaskManagerAcknowledgements (0×42680) which is not in RO5.

It is used for modules supplied by third parties so that they can provide acknowledgements of their source, more than can be shown in the module help information. The RO4/6 TaskManager requests this from the ‘About the Operating System’ dialogue when the user clicks on an icon or button, and it is displayed as a list.

For example, SpriteExtend says ‘This software is based in part on the work of the Independant JPEG Group’, and SharedSound says ‘Copyright © 1995-2002 Expressive Software Projects’

The only module I can find on RO5 which currently has code to use this is SharedSound, but there may be others.

I have been looking at updating a third party module for later versions of RO5, and the original developer has asked if the information can be retained and displayed.

Would there be any interest in adding this facility to RO5?

‘About the Operating System’

I’m wondering about mission creep. While it might be nice to include a copyright/URL for, say, my MIDI module…I certainly wouldn’t consider adding it to “About the operating system”. Does it have a section for third party additions?

The RO4/6 TaskManager requests this from the ‘About the Operating System’ dialogue when the user clicks on an icon or button, and it is displayed as a list.

I can’t say I recall seeing that in RO4.02, is it perhaps a 4.3x thing?

On RO4.39 it is seen when a small ? icon is clicked.
On RO4.02 it is seen when a button is pressed to the right of RISC OS Ltd.
These are both on the version info box for RISC OS ie Switcher → Menu → Info.

It seems to be for 3rd party code in any module.

I had never noticed it either when I used RO4!

It seems to be for 3rd party code in any module.

My impression, having looked at the lists of credits in 4.02 and 4.37, is that it’s intended for third-party code that’s bundled into the RISC OS release. That is, it was a way for ROL to easily credit third-parties whose code they had used in making bits of RISC OS (from the user’s point of view) itself.

It is also used by modules which were not part of the ROL bundle.

These are both on the version info box for RISC OS ie Switcher → Menu → Info.

Switcher → Menu → Info → More in 4.02
Seems of little use and buried deep enough to be obscure. Would there be any point to reproducing a hidden item like that?

My impression, having looked at the lists of credits in 4.02 and 4.37, is that it’s intended for third-party code that’s bundled into the RISC OS release. That is, it was a way for ROL to easily credit third-parties whose code they had used in making bits of RISC OS (from the user’s point of view) itself.

The documentation does say it can be used by both ROM/system components and third-party software.

http://riscos.com/support/developers/riscos6/desktop/taskmanager.html#L0041

Seems of little use and buried deep enough to be obscure. Would there be any point to reproducing a hidden item like that?

“Many components of the system are required to provide an acknowledgement of their licence to the user.”

Software licenses. Gotta love ’em!

Admittedly the information could be placed in the module’s help text, but if you need to include the full licence text then that could get awkward.