Alphatk can run on Windows (all versions), Unix (anything with X-windows running), MacOS X (either with aqua-tk or on top of any X server running on MacOS X), and possible MacOS classic (but it has some problems there, and in any case you might as well use Alpha).
This page is to discuss problems specific to any of these platforms. Each use a different appearance/look-and-feel, with potentially different font, layout, size problems. Also various system specific toolbars/docks may obstruct (or be obstructed by) Alphatk on one side of the screen. What we would like of course if for Alphatk to be able to deal with all of these permutations relatively seamlessly.
Feel free to edit this page! Just click the 'edit' link at the bottom.
(see the bottom of the page for issues which have been fixed in the latest release).
All items listed on this page, unless explicitly described otherwise, will be fixed, and are being actively worked on. All critical problems will be fixed before Alphatk 8.3 goes final, but some more cosmetic or intractable problems will wait until later releases. New features may or may not make the next release.
Unix
No outstanding problems
MacOS X - verified problems being worked on
Also see Alphatk on OS X with TeX applications
- the status bar might be better off as a floating window to avoid focus shifting back and forth between editing-window and status bar.
- focus gets lost (I believe I have this nearly fixed now)
- can't save files with names beginning '.'
- First time you try to send a document to a helper, it might not get the event if it is not already running. Once the helper is running, everything works fine.
- Torn-off menus have numerous cosmetic/usability problems.
- no native drag-n-drop interactions
- various cosmetic problems in dialogs
- sending apple-events to Alphatk when it is not running can cause it to miss the first such event (as Alphatk is launched). They work fine if Alphatk is already running.
Windows
Issues which have been fixed
Please ensure you are using the latest release so you have all these fixes!
- MacOS X: most bindings which use the 'Option' key don't trigger the action they are supposed to.
- MacOS X: dead-keys on foreign keyboards won't work (TkAqua bug).
- MacOS X: Alphatk refuses to hide.
- MacOS X: Icons in menubar now allowed.
- Unix/Windows: native drag-n-drop of text added to Windows/Unix
- Windows: much better use as an executable
- MacOSX: F7 to describe keybindings doesn't detect the Ctrl, Command, etc.
- MacOSX: balloon help causes focus/clicking problems
- Unix/MacOSX: file saves do not preserve the existing permissions. Solved.
- MacOS X: When using split windows for a single file, the lower half is missing the down arrow for scrolling (the scroll bar and the up arrow is there). Solved.
- MacOS X: When minimising a window (genie effect) and maxmising again, the content of the window is not displayed. Solved.
- MacOS X: Can't double-click documents or drop them onto Alphatk to open them. Solved.
- MacOS X: paste won't paste into dialogs. Solved.
- MacOSX: The fonts are very large, and the menubar (given we don't have icons for menus at present) is very crowded. You can add 'alpha::overrideMenuName ftpMenu F' (for example) to your prefs.tcl to shorten the names. (Workaround)
- MacOSX: There appears to be an odd problem where sometimes Alphatk refuses to startup and you get the 'flashing startup screen of death'. I am looking into this problem. Solved.
- MacOSX: "No more menus can be allocated" -- this Tk error has been resolved in 8.2b6. Solved.
- MacOSX: Scrolling is very slow. This is due to a bug/feature in Tk.framework, but there is a workaround in the code now. This issue will hopefully be fixed in Tk soon. Solved.
- MacOSX: Helper applications issues. Solved.
- MacOSX: upcaseWord goes wrong when the cursor is near the whitespace separating two words: it will upcase both words, instead of just the second one. (Downcase and capitalise work all right.) Solved.
- MacOSX: F7 to describe keybindings doesn't work (the action is taken instead of described). solved.
- MacOSX: 'paste' pastes into underlying window instead of a dialog (e.g. find dialog). solved.
- MacOSX: lots of status-bar related problems fixed.
- MacOSX: Twiddle: twiddle chars works all right. Opt-Cmd-` to twiddle words doesn't: it only twiddles chars. Solved.
- All platforms: The V popup menu doesn't work: it gives the error message: "invalid command name ".al2.rt.vcs.menu" " It ought to say something like: this button requires the package vcs... solved.
- All platforms: iSearch minor bug: upon exiting with a arrow key, the status line responds: "exited with no key press". Solved.
- All platforms: possible crash with 'auto save' on -- fixed in next release.