[comp.sys.mac] hyper StdFile xfunctions

g451252772ea@deneb.ucdavis.edu (0040;0000007540;0;327;142;) (05/27/88)

Question: is there an XFCN to pre-set the path used by StdFile functions
of applications launched by HyperCard?  I've seen the XPROC 'StdFile' in
'XFCN miscellany', but when Word 3x or most other apps are launched after
using this, they reset their search paths to start at the root of the 
volume launched from.

Related question: it seems inconsistant that one can't launch a document
from Hypercard and have it chase down and start the relevent application
itself as in the finder.  Would doing this conflict with the return path
to HyperCard after launch?  (Is there such a utility, if not?)

The application which prompts these queries is the familiar one of
trying to put a hard disk out for communal usage by a semi-annonymous
small group of grad students.  To restrict what programs are run with
the hard disk (and preserve the appearance of legal propriety), the
'miniFinder' potential of HyperCard is attractive, but limited by the
second grump above.  And to keep people off each others' toes (sectors)
it would be very nice to launch apps with StdFile funcs pre-set to
use a directory of their very own.  

Thanks !



Ron Goldthwaite / UC Davis, Psychology and Animal Behavior
'Economics is a branch of ethics, pretending to be a science; 
 ethology is a science, pretending relevance to ethics.'