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WHAT'S NEW IN SNOOPDOS 3.0

If you are one of the many users of SnoopDos 1.7, you will be pleased to see that SnoopDos 3.0 has a host of new features designed to make it more useful.
   Alas, nothing is for free in this world. SnoopDos has grown from a lean and mean CLI-only utility into a rather large GUI-based application. Since most serious Amiga users these days have an accelerated system with plenty of memory and hard drive space, this seems like a reasonable trade off. If your Amiga has more modest capabilities, you may find one of the other SnoopDos-like utilities more suitable.
   Now, without further ado, here's a list of the major new features in this version of SnoopDos:
  • A fully font-sensitive GUI lets you control all options using the mouse or keyboard. The main window gadgets can be selectively disabled to allow as many lines of text as possible to be displayed.
  • A memory buffer stores details of all function calls that scroll off the top of the window. These can then be reviewed using the scroll bar.
  • Many new functions can be monitored, including Workbench tooltypes, ARexx messages sent by any ARexx script, and a variety of new 2.04 DOS functions.
  • Programs compiled with GNU C, which bypass dos.library and talk directly to DOS devices using packet i/o, can now be monitored.
  • Additional information is available for each function monitored, including the time the function was called, what program module made the call (if SegTracker is loaded), the process ID, and much more.
  • You can choose exactly which programs to monitor or ignore, using a standard AmigaDOS pattern string.
  • For DOS device programmers, a packet debugger allows you to monitor every packet sent to any currently mounted filesystem device.
  • A convenient "drag & drop" format editor allows you to easily select exactly how much or little information you wish to see about each event. For even greater control, you can directly adjust the width of each column of output in the main window using the mouse.
  • All of the sub windows used to control various settings are modeless. You can leave them open all the time if you like, and any changes you make take effect immediately.
  • SnoopDos can now run as a commodity, continuing to monitor activity while hidden in the background.
  • A new Pause option allows you to freeze any tasks being monitored by SnoopDos, or single step through the calls they make, one at a time.
  • A comprehensive command language with over 100 commands lets you control SnoopDos from the CLI, Workbench, ARexx, or script files.
  • SnoopDos can read an external language catalog file to allow it to be localised for any country.
  • Context-sensitive AmigaGuide help is available from within the program, both for windows and menu options.
  • The clipboard is fully supported, allowing you to quickly copy SnoopDos output into your favourite editor or wordprocessor.
  • Function calls can now be simultaneously written to a disk file while being displayed in the SnoopDos window.
So what are you waiting for? Go and give it a try!

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Last updated 26 November 2000. Comments to ecarroll@iol.ie.