CONTENT OR CONTAINER ?  - KOKO, a prototype

by Martijn Plak,  ©1998,  version 0.5.3b1,  4 March 1998

QUICK INSTRUCTIONS
Use the mouse to browse around. Click and drag to scroll the view, or move things around. Command-click (or click second mouse button) to zoom in and out. Double-click to open or jump-zoom an object. Option-click (or third button) for a context-sensitive popup menu. You can also use the arrow, + and - keys. 

(Resize or zoom this text if it doesn't fit.)

INTRODUCTION
This piece of software is not a finished, polished thing. It is a prototype of a new kind of file manager. I invite you to play with it and tell me what you think. It can still go many different ways.

One day, I was struck by an idea. Of all the software I use, one kind has not changed much for a long time. The kind I was thinking of is the file manager. Why is a directory always a window? Why can't we zoom into a file and edit it in-place?
We're not working on a command-line (only) anymore, that's true. But why isn't there a magic wand to select all files with similar attributes? There should be. We should rethink how we work with files, and come up with tools to do that with ease.

Luckily, I had the BeOS at hand. I started working on a prototype. After four long days here it is. What does it do? It lets you browse around your harddisk. You can zoom into a file and see it's name, it's file info or even it's text contents. You can resize your view of a file or move it around. Of course the faster your machine, the smoother it will work. I admit it isn't like lightning on my Bebox-66&66. But remember this is a non-optimized prototype.

NEAR AND DISTANT FUTURE
So what else is coming? I definitely won't stop to experiment with new features. Things I have in mind are: file moving, renaming, and the like, queries, drag-and-drop, replicants, more file types, in-place editing, procedural backgrounds, multiple windows, window splitting, sharing one worksheet over the network, and many, many flexible tools.

In the not-so-near future, an application should emerge that can replace the Tracker. But also replace (or integrate) your text editor, sound player and web browser. It should step away from the hierarchical ordering of files on the harddisk. It might even blur the boundaries between disks, folders, files and file content.

Please think about it. Play with the prototype. And then tell me what you think. 

KNOWN BUGS
I'll try to iron out the bugs in a next release.
- Sometimes updates don't work correct, objects leave behind some lines.
- The PR2 app_server sometimes crashes. I checked all my BRects, but hey, who knows what else it chockes on.

SMALL PRINT
You may use this software without paying for it (freeware). I do reserve all other rights. As the software is of beta quality, it may crash. Use it at your own risk. 

CONTACT INFO
Martijn Plak
e-mail: tigrfhur@xs4all.nl
web: http://www.xs4all.nl/~tigrfhur/beos/
