[comp.sys.mac] HierDA incompatibility with FullWrite

mha@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) (10/15/88)

I discovered recently that the HierDA init/cdev that turns the desk
accessory menu into a set of hierarchical menus (including making all
cdevs in your System Folder appear as submenus with the Control Panel
menu item) does not work properly with FullWrite Professional.  When
in FullWrite, the desk accessory menu has odd characters (some are the
rectangle, so I can't tell for sure what they are) replacing the right-
pointing triangle that indicates a submenu.  A few of these menu items
with submenus also get one or two of these garbage characters to their
LEFT, in addition to the ones replacing the triangle.

Astoundingly, HierDA still functions fine.  The menus act hierarchically;
you just see a very odd-looking menu.

Of course, when you try to use FullWrite's WalkDown menu function, the
DA menu acts even more oddly, but still works (though no longer
hierarchically).  

Does anyone know what's causing this, and what might prevent it?  It
still seems to work fine, so I'm not TOO concerned, but I'm worried that
it might not be as stable as usual.


-- 
Mark H. Anbinder                                ** MHA@TCGould.tn.cornell.edu
NG33 MVR Hall, Media Services Dept.             ** THCY@CRNLVAX5.BITNET
Cornell University      H: (607) 257-7587 ********
Ithaca, NY 14853        W: (607) 255-1566 ******* Ego ipse custodies custudio

mha obrtcomputer.tn.cor4.3 redu (Mark H. Anbinder) (10/15/88)

xt?sDepartment of Media Services, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 27

I discovered recently that the HierDA init/cdev that turns the desk
accessory menu into a secdevs in your System Folder appear as submenus with the Control Panel
menu item) does not work properly with FullWrite Professional.  When
in FullWrite, the desk accessory menu has odd characters (some are the
rectangle, so I can't tell for sure what they are) replacing the right-
pointing triangle that indicates a submenu.  A few of these menu items
with submenus also get one or two of these garbage characters to their
LEFT, in addmode>to the ones replacing the triangle.

Astoundingly, HierDA still functions fine.  The menus act hierarchically;
you just see a very odd-looking menu.

Of c!st!, when you try to use FullWrite's WalkDown menu function, the
DA menu acts even more oddly, but still works (though no longer
hierarchically).  

Does anyone know what's causing this, and what might prevent it?  It
still seems to work fine, so I'm not TOO concerned, but I'm worried that
it might not be as stable as usual.


-- 
Mark H. Anbinder                                ** MHA@TCGould.|T|!4.3 redu
NG33 MVR Hall, Media Services Dept.             ** THCY@CRNLVAX5.BITNET
Cornell University      H: (607) 257-7587 ********
Ithaca, NY 14853        W: (607) 255-1566 ******* Ego ipse custodies custudio
#! rnews 667
Path: munno
otes:
tnetor!utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!gamiddleton
From: gamiddleton@watmath.waterloo

see1@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Ellen Keyne Seebacher) (10/18/88)

Mark H. Anbinder writes, about the HierDA Init, that:

>in FullWrite, the desk accessory menu has odd characters (some are the
>rectangle, so I can't tell for sure what they are) replacing the right-
>pointing triangle that indicates a submenu.  A few of these menu items
>with submenus also get one or two of these garbage characters to their
>LEFT, in addition to the ones replacing the triangle.
>
>Astoundingly, HierDA still functions fine.  The menus act hierarchically;
>you just see a very odd-looking menu.

This is a perfect description of what happens every time I use VersaTerm
(and since I use it to read and post news, that's pretty often :-)).  As
Mark says, it doesn't seem to *hurt* anything -- I'm just a tad worried
about HierDA's stability.

Has anyone else encountered this bug, or figured out what might be causing
it? Is jbx on the net, or do we have to actually send him snail?


Ellen Keyne Seebacher                 University of Chicago Computing Orgzns.
see1@sphinx.uchicago.edu              staff.ellen@chip.uchicago.edu      

kateley@Apple.COM (Jim Kateley) (10/18/88)

In article <394@tank.uchicago.edu> see1@sphinx.uchicago.edu.UUCP (Ellen Keyne Seebacher) writes:
>Has anyone else encountered this bug, or figured out what might be causing
>it? Is jbx on the net, or do we have to actually send him snail?

jbx is aware of the Fullwrite problem, and I believe he is working on
version 0.9968 to take care of it.  Apparently, Fullwrite does some
bizzare things with menus, so it's taking him awhile.  He is not on the
net, so you can either snail him, or let me know and I'll forward it on
to him...

>
>Ellen Keyne Seebacher                 University of Chicago Computing Orgzns.
>see1@sphinx.uchicago.edu              staff.ellen@chip.uchicago.edu      

Jim Kateley          UUCP: {sun, voder, nsc, mtxinu, dual}!apple!kateley
S,P,HnS!             DOMAIN: kateley@apple.COM  Applelink: kateley1
Disclaimer:   What I say, think, or smell does not reflect any policy or
	      stray thought by Apple Computer, Inc.

u545731798ea@deneb.ucdavis.edu (L. Greg DeMichillie) (10/18/88)

In article <394@tank.uchicago.edu> see1@sphinx.uchicago.edu.UUCP (Ellen Keyne Seebacher) writes:
>Mark H. Anbinder writes, about the HierDA Init, that:
>
>>in FullWrite, the desk accessory menu has odd characters (some are the
>>rectangle, so I can't tell for sure what they are) replacing the right-
>>pointing triangle that indicates a submenu.  A few of these menu items
>>with submenus also get one or two of these garbage characters to their
>>LEFT, in addition to the ones replacing the triangle.
>>
>
>
>Ellen Keyne Seebacher                 University of Chicago Computing Orgzns.
>see1@sphinx.uchicago.edu              staff.ellen@chip.uchicago.edu      

I don't know about VersaTerm, but FullWrite uses a custom MDEF (menu definition
routine) that make a number of INITS not function correctly.  In addition to
hierDA, Larry Rosenstein's ApplicationMenu doesn't work and all menus are in
black and white, regardless of how you set the Kolor cdev. :-(

However, I have had no such problems with VersaTerm Pro and do not understand
why hierDA wouldn't function under VersaTerm.

Greg DeMichillie
lgdemichillie@ucdavis.edu
AppleLink: ST0178

Mark_Peter_Cookson@cup.portal.com (10/21/88)

That is FullWrite's falt.  It redoes the menus in its own fasion and HierDa
just doesn't get along.  If you have SuitCase and a lot of fonts or DAs you
will notice a massive speed increase in getting to the end of your 6 foot
long lists (well, ok, only 5 feet 8 inches).  Nice trick, too bad it doesn't
work....

Mark Cookson

billkatt@caen.engin.umich.edu (Steve Bollinger) (10/21/88)

From article <6602@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>, by mha@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder):
> I discovered recently that the HierDA init/cdev that turns the desk
> accessory menu into a set of hierarchical menus (including making all
> cdevs in your System Folder appear as submenus with the Control Panel
> menu item) does not work properly with FullWrite Professional.  When
> in FullWrite, the desk accessory menu has odd characters (some are the
> rectangle, so I can't tell for sure what they are) replacing the right-
> pointing triangle that indicates a submenu.  A few of these menu items
> with submenus also get one or two of these garbage characters to their
> LEFT, in addition to the ones replacing the triangle.
> 
> Astoundingly, HierDA still functions fine.  The menus act hierarchically;
> you just see a very odd-looking menu.
> 
> Of course, when you try to use FullWrite's WalkDown menu function, the
> DA menu acts even more oddly, but still works (though no longer
> hierarchically).  
> 
> Does anyone know what's causing this, and what might prevent it?  It
> still seems to work fine, so I'm not TOO concerned, but I'm worried that
> it might not be as stable as usual.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Mark H. Anbinder                                ** MHA@TCGould.tn.cornell.edu
> NG33 MVR Hall, Media Services Dept.             ** THCY@CRNLVAX5.BITNET
> Cornell University      H: (607) 257-7587 ********
> Ithaca, NY 14853        W: (607) 255-1566 ******* Ego ipse custodies custudio
Yes, Ann Arbor softworks (who wrote FullWrite and sold out to Ashton-Tate)
uses their own proprietary menu format (real menus don't change when you
press the option key after they are pulled down), and apparently, it doesn't
support h-menus (they don't use them, why should it).  But you are right, it
seems harmless.  By the way, they don't use realy dialoug boxes either, they
use 'Banter' boxes, their own format which is much more flexible and powerful
.
Steve Bollinger
University of Michigan
billkatt@caen.engin.umich.edu