Use BeebEF
Once the categories, emulators, programs and required filters have been set up,
BeebEF can be used for what it is meant to: as a front-end for BBC
emulators.
The main window looks as follows.
All buttons on the tool bar have popup hints to
allow for easy reference.
The window offers the following possibilities.
Configure BeebEF
- Apply a filter. Select a filter name from the leftmost
drop-down box.
- Select an emulator. Select an emulator from the other
drop-down box. The selected emulator is then used for running
programs.
- Change the sort column and the sort order. Click on a
column header of the program list to have the programs sorted on the
text in that column. Click again to change the sort order from
descending to ascending and vice versa.
- Add, edit or delete programs. Select the appropriate menu
option or press the appropriate toolbar button.
- Edit lists, emulators, filters or options. Select the appropriate
menu option or press the appropriate toolbar button.
Run a BBC program or an emulator
- Select a program. Click on a program in the list.
Once a program has been selected, its associated picture is shown on the first
tab page ('Picture'), provided such a picture exists. The
picture file should have the same path and file name as the program, with the
extension replaced by '.jpg'. (Only JPEG files are accepted.)
So, for example, if the disk image name is
'C:\BBC\Software\Acornsoft\Snapper.ssd', the picture file name should be
'C:\BBC\Software\Acornsoft\Snapper.jpg'. If the picture
file does not
exist, a BBC start-up screen is shown.
A box cover image is show on the second
tab page ('Box cover'), again provided it exists.
This image is a file with the string '-box.jpg' added to the program file name
without the extension.
So, for example, if a disk image name is
'C:\BBC\Software\Acornsoft\Snapper.ssd', the box cover image file name should be
'C:\BBC\Software\Acornsoft\Snapper-box.jpg'.
The third tab page ('Information')
gives information about the program: free text, emulator warnings and linked
documents. Links can be clicked in order to view the contents of
the linked files.
- Run the selected emulator. Select 'Run|Run Emulator' from
the menu or press the 'Run emulator' button on the toolbar.
- Run the selected program with the selected emulator. Select
'Run|Run Program' from the menu or press the 'Run program' button on
the toolbar.
Alternatively, press the Enter key after selecting the program, or
double click on the program.
Before running a program, a window may pop up, giving you a warning about an
incompatibility of the emulator and the program, or about the fact that the
sideways ram slot of an E00 DFS should be writeable. (These warnings can be
switched off in the Options window.)

After running a program, a window may pop up that says 'Press OK
after running emulator.'
This window pops up in a number of circumstances in which BeebEF has
to do some work after the emulator has finished running. (For example,
to copy or delete a disk image, to restore the emulator's default DFS rom, or to
copy a picture file.)
It is important that you only press 'OK' after the emulator has
finished running. If you press 'OK' earlier, unexpected things might
happen. (For example, a disk image might be deleted while the emulator
is still using it, the default DFS rom might be restored while the
emulator still uses the E00 DFS, or the wrong picture file might be
copied.)
Other
- Save the current BeebEF setup. Select 'File|Save' from the main menu.
This saves the entire BeebEF program list, all categories, all emulator
setups, all filters and all options.
Note: the BeebEF setup is always saved when you exit the program. Therefore,
the save option is only useful if you made lots of changes and are afraid your
system may crash.
- Create various reports. The following report types are
supported under 'File' of the main menu:
- Programs report: creates a report of all programs in BeebEF, with their
associated information.
- Compatibility report: creates a report with all emulator compatibility
warnings entered for programs.
- Links report: creates a report with broken links, unused types and filters,
programs without pictures, etc.
The status bar of the main window gives information about the
selected program. The first panel displays the program type, the second one
whether a program was marked as 'favourite', the third one whether the program
requires an E00 DFS, the fourth panel displays an
exclamation mark (!) if there is any entry on the 'Information' tab page, and
the fifth one displays the number of programs in the current view.