eam@aipna.ed.ac.uk (Emilio Agustin) (05/04/89)
Hi there, I was wondering if anybody in the net has any idea on how to make a kind of link to an application (in the UNIX(TM) style) or to any file in general. The idea is to have a file of minimal size in the desktop (or wherever) pointing to file. When you double-click on it should behave exactly as if you double-click on the linked file. I would like to have links to the most used applications/files on the desktop for easy access. However, I can think of several uses for such a thing (avoiding duplications of text files, for example). Is this a cracy idea? Is it possible? How do I do it? Any ideas will be very much appreciated. Emilio Agustin JANET: eam@uk.ac.edinburgh.aiai Dept. of AI ARPA: eam%uk.ac.ed.aiai@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk University of Edinburgh UUCP: ...!ukc!ed.ac.uk.aiai!eam Scotland, U.K. You may have heard that a dean is to faculty as a hydrant is to a dog. -- Alfred Kahn
rang@cpsin3.cps.msu.edu (Anton Rang) (05/05/89)
In article <813@aipna.ed.ac.uk> eam@aipna.ed.ac.uk (Emilio Agustin) writes: I was wondering if anybody in the net has any idea on how to make a kind of link to an application (in the UNIX(TM) style) or to any file in general. I've done it manually, by playing around with the directory structure. Nasty things happen, though, if one of the files is removed--there's no clean way to remove both of them (you're almost certain to wind up with a system error if you try). Until Apple puts it in the system software, you're probably out of luck :-( . Anton P.S. (to Apple people out there, or whoever else...). Would it be possible, in some future release of the Finder, to support files on the desktop which are not in a top-level directory? Some applications, for instance, look in their directory for configuration files; I would like to keep these in a separate directory, but I can't do this and put them on the desktop too. I know scanning a whole HFS volume would be time-consuming, but would it be possible to keep, say, a resource in the Desktop file which lists directories to search? Keeping this up-to-date wouldn't be too hard, and the added functionality would be nice. +---------------------------+------------------------+-------------------+ | Anton Rang (grad student) | "VMS Forever!" | VOTE on | | Michigan State University | rang@cpswh.cps.msu.edu | rec.music.newage! | +---------------------------+------------------------+-------------------+ | Send votes for/against rec.music.newage to "rang@cpswh.cps.msu.edu". | +---------------------------+------------------------+-------------------+
folta@tove.umd.edu (Wayne Folta) (05/05/89)
This has been (sort of) done. There is a Public Domain program called
Launcher, which is actually a small (14K) application. You can
duplicate this application several times, then initialize each copy
to launch a different program on startup. For example, I have a folder
with 7 copies of Launcher, named: {MS Word}, {PageMaker}, etc. You
can even do some customization as to whether the screen is in B&W or
Color mode before the program is launched, as well as specifying any
document. The bad news is the 14Kbytes each.
I forget where I got the program (maybe CompuServe, I think). It works
fine on my SE, System 6.0.2.
If there is interest, I may find a way to get it to the net.
Wayne Folta (folta@tove.umd.edu 128.8.128.42)englandr@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Scott Englander) (05/05/89)
I was thinking of exactly this the other day! The problem is figuring
out what folder to put applications or files in. Most beginning users
make folders like ""Graphics" and "Word Processing" and "Letters." Then
later go to folders organized by project. The problem is that sometimes
a file belongs in two projects, or sometimes an application needs to be
in a folder to know where to get its files, but then you spend hours in
dialog boxes getting at your files. UNIX has both hard and symbolic
links, and both would be really useful, displaying an icon anywhere,
regardless where the file really is.
--
- Scottksitze@nmsu.edu (Kevin Sitze) (05/05/89)
In <eam@aipna.ed.ac.uk's message of 4 May 89 16:24:04 GMT> Emilio Agustine write: >I was wondering if anybody in the net has any idea on how to >make a kind of link to an application (in the UNIX(TM) style) or >to any file in general. > >The idea is to have a file of minimal size in the desktop (or wherever) >pointing to file. When you double-click on it should behave exactly as >if you double-click on the linked file. > >I would like to have links to the most used applications/files on the >desktop for easy access. However, I can think of several uses >for such a thing (avoiding duplications of text files, for example). I been working on an INIT that will allow links to be created in the manner you specified. I expect to have this done sometime in June and will post it at that time. While I'm thinking about such things, if anyone out there has an idea that would look good in this kind of a program, please send mail. -Kelesi -- ------------------------------------+------------------------------- From the Macintosh of: Kevin Sitze | Disclamer: Who the heck needs | a disclamer? After all, Dan EMail: ksitze%NMSU.edu | Quayle doesn't. SMail: 601 S. Melendres +------------------------------- Las Cruces, NM 88005 | "We have the answers, the ------------------------------------+ trouble lies in finding the "The difference between intelligence| questions..." and stupidity is that intelligence | "The information is there, has a limit." - anonymous | finding it is another story." The dolt confuses you -- more -- | - Any consultant ------------------------------------+-------------------------------
moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) (05/06/89)
In article <2849@cps3xx.UUCP> rang@cpswh.cps.msu.edu (Anton Rang) writes: > Until Apple puts it in the system software, you're probably out of >luck :-( . According to the preview in MacWeek, System 7.0 will have a feature called "Aliases" which, as far as I can tell, are iconic symbolic links. "Sorry, boys, there's nothing I can do for you. I'm all washed up; my super-hero days are over. But as long as you're here... how about a little stud poker?" Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer INTERNET: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM Manual UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, hplsla, thebes, microsoft}!fluke!moriarty CREDO: You gotta be Cruel to be Kind... <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>
chou@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU (Hsiang Chou) (05/06/89)
In article <813@aipna.ed.ac.uk> eam@uk.ac.ed.aipna (Emilio Agustin) writes: > >I was wondering if anybody in the net has any idea on how to >make a kind of link to an application (in the UNIX(TM) style) or >to any file in general. > >The idea is to have a file of minimal size in the desktop (or wherever) >pointing to file. When you double-click on it should behave exactly as >if you double-click on the linked file. > >I would like to have links to the most used applications/files on the >desktop for easy access. However, I can think of several uses >for such a thing (avoiding duplications of text files, for example). > >Is this a cracy idea? Is it possible? How do I do it? > >Any ideas will be very much appreciated. > I have the same needs too. Fortunately, Apple finally decides to put this linking capability in their future version of Finder. According to a news on the cover page of the April 25 issue of MacWeek, the Finder in the System Release 7.0 will provide a new organizing mechanism called "alias" which I think is the Macintosh version of the Unix "ln". The following paragraph is what I read in the news: "The prototype Finder includes an organizing capability called "aliasing". An alias is an icon that transparently references another file or folder. When opened, this icon finds and opens the original file or folder, mounting network servers automatically if necessary." Also, network services like printers and file servers will be put into a Devices folder on the desktop analogous to Unix "/dev". System Release 7.0 won't be available until early next year. -- --- Chih-Hsiang Chou chou@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu Department of Computer Science University of Minnesota
gersh@aplvax.jhuapl.edu (John R. Gersh) (05/06/89)
> [Much discussion of icons transparently linking to files elsewhere, > Unix links, and System 7.0 aliasing] While it involves nowhere near the same mechanism, and only some of the functionality described, OnCue provides some of the features discussed in this thread. OnCue allows you to configure a popup menu, available anywhere, containing the names of your favorite applications. Each item may have a submenu containing selected documents for that application. So, wherever in the file hierarchy the application is, and wherever the documents are, you can run it or open them at any time. Configuring the menus is extremely easy; it is no problem to set up a document set for a particular work session. What you can't do, of course, is have directories that oppear to have the same file in more than one place. For now though, I don't know how I ever lived without OnCue. - John Gersh --------------------------------------------------------------------- gersh@aplvax.jhuapl.edu {backbone!}mimsy!aplcen!aplcomm!gersh The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20707 (301) 953-5503
ksitze@nmsu.edu (Kevin Sitze) (05/07/89)
Gad, You mean this program I'm working on is going to be done for me,
how disappointing! Oh well, finals are coming up anyway...
If anyone out there still thinks they have a use for the program
(System 6.0.2 compatatable (with MF)) then send me mail and if I get
enough of it, I'll consider keeping with the project...
-Kelesi
--
------------------------------------+-------------------------------
From the Macintosh of: Kevin Sitze | Disclamer: Who the heck needs
| a disclamer? After all, Dan
EMail: ksitze%NMSU.edu | Quayle doesn't.
SMail: 601 S. Melendres +-------------------------------
Las Cruces, NM 88005 | "We have the answers, the
------------------------------------+ trouble lies in finding the
"The difference between intelligence| questions..."
and stupidity is that intelligence | "The information is there,
has a limit." - anonymous | finding it is another story."
The dolt confuses you -- more -- | - Any consultant
------------------------------------+-------------------------------dierks@ndmath.UUCP (Tim Dierks) (05/07/89)
From article <8154@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, by englandr@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Scott Englander): > dialog boxes getting at your files. UNIX has both hard and symbolic > links, and both would be really useful, displaying an icon anywhere, > regardless where the file really is. I saw in MacWeek the other day that they got a preview of Finder 7.0 (supposedly- grain of salt time) and that it supported links. Lots of other neat stuff, too, like network icons: open up the Appletalk "folder" and see all the LaserWriters, servers, etc... Double click them to choose them, etc... It also said something about supporting user- written code modules... Sounds like a great new Mac fad of the season (the list so far: FKEYs, INITs, CDEVs, XCMDs...) -- Tim Dierks dierks@darwin.cc.nd.edu - Apple Student Rep, University of Notre Dame I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I Am.
relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) (05/08/89)
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but you could create a blank
document with the same signature as a document created by the application.
You could make copies of this document, and place them whereever you want a
link. When you double click on the icon, the appropiate application will be
launched from within the current folder.
Rob
--
ARPA: relkins@vax1.acs.udel.edu UUCP: ...!uunet!vax1.acs.udel.edu!relkins
Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor not a <Insert Occupation Here>
I am the NRA.palmer@tybalt.caltech.edu (David Palmer) (05/09/89)
In article <3568@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) writes: >I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but you could create a blank >document with the same signature as a document created by the application. >You could make copies of this document, and place them whereever you want a >link. When you double click on the icon, the appropiate application will be >launched from within the current folder. > >Rob I didn't see the article which prompted this, but presumably the original author is looking fo some way to run programs equivalent to having copies of the application in many different folders, without using all that extra space. I have written a program called 'Makerunner' which creates these links. I sent it in to comp.mac.binaries, and the mac digest moderator, but I don't know whether it was ever posted. If not, mail me and ask and I'll try to re-post it. (the program is version 0.1, and under multifinder it will not run programs in some folders--but when it works, it is exceedingly adequate.) David Palmer palmer@tybalt.caltech.edu ...rutgers!cit-vax!tybalt.caltech.edu!palmer "I was sad that I had no shirt, until I met a man with no torso"