IDT Cookie Configuration CPX v1.10 2/07/95 ½1993-94 NewSTar Technology Management All Rights Reserved TOS versions 4.00 and higher (on the Atari Falcon030) have a new cookie added to the Cookie Jar called International Day and Time (IDT) Cookie. The IDT Cookie has a Cookie ID of "_IDT". The IDT Cookie specifies how the time and date should be formatted according to international conventions. The IDT Cookie does not affect the internal time and date maintained by TOS, its purpose is for specifying how the time and date will be presented to the user. The IDT Cookie specifies the following: Time Format: 12 Hour with AM/PM 24 Hour Date Order Format: Month Day Year Day Month Year Year Month Day Year Day Month Date Separator: usually '/', '-', '.', etc. Programs can now look for the IDT Cookie and use its value to determine how the time and date should be displayed. The IDT Cookie value is a long word defined as follows: bits 0-7: date separator character ASCII code 0x00 is equivalent to '/' bits 8-11: date order format code 0 = MM-DD-YY 1 = DD-MM-YY 2 = YY-MM-DD 3 = YY-DD-MM bits 12-15: time format code 0 = 12 hour format with AM/PM indicator 1 = 24 hour format bits 16-31: reserved On the Atari Falcon030, the IDT Cookie value is set on bootup from a value stored in the battery backed NVRAM. A utility exists for the Falcon030 to change the TOS nationality, which is also stored in NVRAM. As the TOS Nationality is changed by this utility, it also changes the IDT value in NVRAM to a default value, based on the TOS nationality. Default IDT Values by TOS Nationality Country Time Date Separator ------------------------------------------------ USA 12 Hour MM-DD-YY '/' Germany 24 Hour DD-MM-YY '.' French 24 Hour DD-MM-YY '/' Spain 24 Hour DD-MM-YY '/' Italy 24 Hour DD-MM-YY '/' Sweden 24 Hour YY-MM-DD '-' Norway 24 Hour YY-MM-DD '-' Finland 24 Hour YY-MM-DD '-' There is no provision to change a specific IDT setting to a users preference over the default values. The IDT Configuration CPX overcomes this limitation by allowing the user to specify specific values for each IDT field. The IDT Configuration CPX will _not_ modify the IDT value in the NVRAM of the Atari Falcon030, instead it allows the user to save the IDT value stored in the CPX itself. At boot up, when the eXtensible Control Panel (XControl) Desk Accessory is loaded, the IDT Configuration CPX will change the IDT Cookie value in Cookie Jar in system RAM to the value stored into the CPX file. The IDT Configuration CPX has three popup menus that allow specification of the Date Order Format, Date Separator Character and Time Format. The IDT Cookie's value will be temporairly changed if any of the settings in the popup menus are changed. To keep the changes made to the IDT Cookie in the Cookie Jar, exit the CPX with the 'OK' button (or Alternate-O or Return Key). To save the IDT Cookie value into the IDT.CPX file, select the 'Save' button (or Alternate-S). An Alert Box will be displayed allowing to confirm the save operation. The next time the system is booted, the saved IDT value will be used to update the IDT Cookie. Initially the CPX is configured without a saved IDT value. To cancel any changes made to the IDT settings and restore the IDT Cookie to its previous value, exit the CPX with the 'Cancel' button (or Alternate-C) or close the CPX window. If the Undo Key is pressed while the IDT Configuration CPX is active, then the IDT Settings and IDT Cookie value will be restored to the previous state. The IDT Cookie value may be displayed with the Show Cookies CPX from Dieter Fiebelkorn or a similar utility. On older TOS versions (prior to TOS 4.00), the IDT Cookie is not installed in the Cookie Jar automatically by TOS. The IDT Configuration CPX will also create an IDT Cookie in the Cookie Jar, provided that the Cookie Jar exists and that there is room in the Cookie Jar for an additional cookie. Normally, it is not "recommended" that a CPX install new cookies into the Cookie Jar. However, in the case of the IDT Cookie, its value in the Cookie Jar is the actual IDT value, not a pointer to where the actual IDT value exists in memory. There is also no program code or other memory that is installed with the IDT Cookie. TOS versions 1.06 and above automatically install a Cookie Jar. AUTO folder TSR (Terminate and Stay resident) utilities that install cookies will create a new Cookie Jar if necessary on TOS versions prior to 1.06. As long as there is one free slot in the Cookie Jar, the IDT Cookie CPX will install the IDT Cookie. In the case that there is no room in the Cookie Jar or there there is no Cookie Jar in memory at the time the XControl Panel is loaded, the public domain Cookie Jar Manager TSR from Gribnif Software (JARxxx.PRG) can be used to install a Cookie Jar of sufficient size. On older TOS versions, when the IDT Cookie is installed, its value will be set from the IDT value saved into the CPX. If the IDT value has not been saved into the CPX (which will be the case the first time that the IDT CPX is installed), the IDT value will default be set from the table above, as per the country code returned by the version of the XControl Panel in use. Installation ============ Copy the IDT.CPX file to the folder specified by the 'CPX Directory Path' where the XControl Panel CPX Modules are located (usually C:\CPX or C:\XCONTROL). If you are unsure of where this folder is located, activate the XControl Panel Desk Accessory, Select the 'Setup...' command from the 'Options' popup menu on the main XControl display, the 'CPX Directory Path' will then be displayed in the window. Reboot the system or select the "Reload CPXs?" command in the Setup display in the XControl Panel. Operation ========= Activate the IDT Configuration CPX. Select the desired IDT settings using the popup menus as described above. Save the desired IDT settings with the 'Save' button. Exit the CPX with the 'OK' button to have the new IDT settings updated into the IDT Cookie in the Cookie Jar. Application programs, such as STraight FAX!¿ from NewSTar Technology Management will search for the IDT Cookie and use its value to determine how the time and date is displayed in the program. Note: STraight FAX!¿ versions 2.00 and below read the IDT Cookie value once when the program is executed. Changes to the IDT Cookie made with the IDT Configuration CPX will not be recognized until the next time that STraight FAX!¿ is run. STraight FAX¿ 2.10 and higher will read the IDT Cookie value prior to any operation that will display the time and/or date. The GEM Desktop in TOS versions 4.00 and higher reads the IDT Cookie one time, prior to the IDT Configuration CPX being executed. If a resolution change is performed, the GEM Desktop will recognize the updated IDT Cookie value. The GEM Desktop in TOS versions below 4.00 will not look for the IDT Cookie and will format the time and date as per the Nationality of the version of TOS installed. For more information please consult the following: XControl Panel documentation from Atari Corp. Cookie Jar Manager documentation from Gribnif Software. Atari Compendium from SDS Publishing.