Rules for Tools/Accessory Introduction
Introduction to accessories
Bars&Pipes has a system for adding small sub-programs that complement the list of
Bars&Pipes' built-in features. These sub-programs are called Accessories.
Unlike Tools, Accessories are general purpose. One Accessory, MuFFy, translates
Bars&Pipes compositions into the MIDI File Format, while another, True Colors, lets the
user change the Bars&Pipes screen colors. If you are writing a program that adds
features to Bars&Pipes, write it as an Accessory.
Each Accessory is represented by an icon in the Accessories window. The user
activates an Accessory by double clicking on its icon, thus opening a control window
for that Accessory. The only standard items that each Accessory must provide are an
icon for the Accessories window, a set of routines to handle opening, processing, and
closing the control window, and optional routines to load and save the Accessory data
as part of a song. Other than that, your Accessory is free to interact with the
Bars&Pipes environment in any way you see fit.