!QuickLink is yet another shortcut creator - that is, given a file, directory or app, it makes a small file which, when clicked on, opens that file/directory/runs that app. Whilst it has none of the power of Unix/Linux's symbolic links (writing to a link will not write to the original file, for example), it has an extra feature over the other RISC OS shortcut-makers (AFAIK, anyway) in that it notices broken links and provides a facility to correct them.
To create a link, run the application and drag any file/dir/app (henceforth file) to the iconbar icon (alternatively, click on the icon to open a window and drap the file there). A save-box will pop up; drag this to where you want the link to go (as per normal). Clicking on this link will then access the file.
Should a link become broken (by a file moving, for example), clicking on it will not lead anywhere, but will instead change the icon to a red 'broken link' one. There are two ways to fix a broken link:
!QuickLink does not have to be running to open links, it merely has to have been seen by the filer.
It's pretty simple - the contents of the link is the path of the destination file. Clicking on it runs a little program which Filer_Runs this file. This does allow for some clever tricks though; the 'little program' automatically decodes any system variables it finds in the path, so you can 'hand-code' links to Wimp$Scrap etc. and it will open them. I have a utility from somewhere which encodes the CSD as a sysvar called CSD, and I have a QuickLink to open that.
One more trick: you can create links to links - if you want to have multiple links to a file, make one QuickLink link to it and the rest link to this one, so that if the file moves you only have to update one link.
Due to the way it works, you can't open applications, just run them. You can't write to links, like in Unix/Linux. All you can do is click on them. That's their purpose.
I can be contacted for suggestions (if there's really much else you can do with a shortcut-creator), bug reports (don't count on me doing anything, I'm pretty busy), or big fat cheques (some hope) at:
Mark Hutchinson
19 Larkhay Road
Hucclecote
Gloucester
GL3 3NR
My thanks go to Colin Granville for permission to use the most excellent 'link' sprite from his most excellent !FTPc program. Get it at http://ftpc.iconbar.com.
Copyright (c) 2003 Mark Hutchinson. All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use of this program is permitted provided that the following conditions are met: