Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (05/10/90)
Info-Mac Digest Wed, 9 May 90 Volume 8 : Issue 93
Today's Topics:
6.0.4 question
Address Finder Announcement
A distibuted spooler
AppleTalk to Ethernet
Application Icons
BINHEX??? - *THANKS*
CAP and AppleShare PC
Chinese Chess on the Mac / Computer Go Magazine
Dates
Dove MaraThon 030 report
Escher's rippled surface
Finder Sounds 1.2
FORTRAN compiler for Mac II
HP LaserJet III & Mac?
Info-Mac Digest V8 #89 (2 msgs)
Laserwriter
lipservice.hqx
Mac II menu problem
MItemView vs. MacWorkstation
PICT Resource Generation
Printing on CompuGraphic 8000?
Problems Reading MS-DOS-Discs formatted with an ATARI ST
scrollable text buttons
Your Info-Mac Moderators are Bill Lipa, Lance Nakata, and Jon Pugh.
The Info-Mac archives are available (by using FTP, account anonymous,
any password) in the info-mac directory on sumex-aim.stanford.edu
[36.44.0.6]. Help files are in /info-mac/help. Indices are in
/info-mac/help/recent-files.txt and /info-mac/help/all-files.txt.
Please send articles and binaries to info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
Send administrative mail to info-mac-request@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 05 May 90 20:37:21 (GMT)
From: Sak Wathanasin <sw@network-analysis-ltd.co.uk>
Subject: 6.0.4 question
> Given that most require you to boot from a separate disk
> to optimize a Hard Drive, are there any out there that
> work with Desktop Manager?
>
> It seems to me that they all try to create a desktop if
> you dont't have Desktop Manager in the floppy's system
> folder, and can't optimize correctly if you are using
> the Desktop Manager...
Make a bootable floppy with a minimal system file, the Desktop
Mgr and put the disk optimizer on it. Make the disk optimizer the
startup application (from the "Special" menu in the Finder).
Boot from this disk whenever you want to optimize your disk.
This trick also works for DiskFit for backing up to removable
(45mb) cartridges.
The problem with DTM arises because the Finder keeps the two invisible
DTM files open. By making the application the startup appl,
the Finder doesn't get to "see" the HD(s).
--
Sak Wathanasin
Network Analysis Limited
uucp: ...!ukc!nan!sw
other: sw@network-analysis-ltd.co.uk
phone: (+44) 203 419996
telex: 9312130355 (SW G)
snail: 178 Wainbody Ave South, Coventry CV3 6BX, UK
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 May 90 10:23:55 CDT
From: Dave Johnson <dmj@boombox.micro.umn.edu>
Subject: Address Finder Announcement
One way of providing an on-line campus phone book/E-mail directory
is to run the CSO Nameserver software developed by Steve Dorner at the
University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana. Because the CSO Nameserver was
written using a client/server architecture, it is possible to have more
than one sort of client access the CSO directory server. We recently
developed a Macintosh client for the CSO Nameserver. We call the client
Address Finder.
Address Finder is a HyperCard stack uses Apple's MacTCP network drivers
to send queries to a CSO Nameserver. You form queries in Address Finder
by selecting the CSO Nameserver fields you wish to search on from a popup
menu and entering the string to search for. You can set how close a
match you want (exactly matching, starting with, containing, etc.) by
selecting the match criteria from another popup menu. After the CSO
Nameserver returns its response to your query, you can save the entries
on separate cards in stack for future reference. Since E-mail addresses
are usually included in the CSO Nameserver's database, it is possible to
look up some people's E-mail address (as well as phone numbers and postal
address) over the network. This makes Address Finder a useful companion to
E-mail packages on the Macintosh.
We have tested Address Finder with several different sites' CSO
Nameservers; as far as we can tell Address Finder is compatible with all
versions of the CSO server software. You may need to use Address Finder's
settings card to configure the stack to match the server. Address Finder
has settings for server name (or IP address), Nameserver port number,
order in which the server returns names. Since Address Finder queries the
server to determine which fields are in the server's database, the stack is
independent of how the server's database was configured.
To run Address Finder, you need a Macintosh with a network connection,
HyperCard 1.2.2 or later, and Apple's MacTCP network driver software.
Address Finder works well on a 1 MB Mac Plus, but Mac users running in
color or using other software may need more memory. Address Finder is
available via anonymous ftp from boombox.micro.umn.edu
(128.101.95.95). Look in the /pub/addfinder directory. Address Finder
has been compressed and binhex'ed using Stuffit 1.5.1, so you will need
Stuffit to reconstitute the Address Finder stack into a Macintosh-usable
form.
E-mail comments, suggestions, or bug reports about Address Finder
to the development team at: addfinder@boombox.micro.umn.edu
David M. Johnson dmj@boombox.micro.umn.edu
Mark P. McCahill mpm@boombox.micro.umn.edu
Microcomputer & Workstation Networks Center
University of Minnesota
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 May 90 09:35 EDT
From: DAOPLAND%VASSAR.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Subject: A distibuted spooler
A call for help...
We currently have 4 LaserWriter IINTs which are used as our public printers.
Apple's LaserShare is spooling documents sent to all of them. However,
students/faculty/staff still have to choose the printer and so distribution of
printouts between the 4 printers is not even. Also, there are times when there
are 7 jobs waiting on one printer while another stands idle.
So, here's what we'd like: some software/program/hardware that will allow users
to print to one (count 'em, 1) generic print queue. This queue would then
search amongst the 4 laserwriters, found an available one, and print to it.
So, how about it? Anyone know of any commercial stuff? Or can anyone suggest
possible solutions? Thanks in advance.
Dan Opland
Microcomputer Specialist
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie NY 12601
(914) 437-7221
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 05 May 90 19:57:41 MDT
From: "Bruce A. Carter" <DUSCARTE@idbsu.idbsu.edu>
Subject: AppleTalk to Ethernet
We are using several GatorBoxes to link various AppleTalk zones to our campus
fiber backbone. I'm not so sure that routing all traffic through one GatorBox
is a good idea, both because of the load it would have to handle, and the
physical lengths of the AppleTalk parts of the network. We are currently
running 1 GatorBox per building and have had very good results. Running fast
bridges within the building for AppleTalk-AppleTalk and running one GatorBox
for linkage to the backbone (the GatorBox is not a particularly fast bridge,
but it is an excellent intelligent gateway) is our planned strategy as more
AppleTalk nets appear on campus. Right now, it happens that there is only
one network in each of the buildings that are connected with GatorBoxes.
By the way, Cayman has been extremely responsive to our questions and
suggestions. I heartily recommend them as an organization to deal with in
general. I have no connection with Cayman other than being a very satisfied
customer.
Bruce A. Carter, Courseware Development Coordinator = Boise State University
"It is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer"= 1910 University Drive
======================================================== Boise, ID 83725
InterNet/Domain: duscarte@idbsu.idbsu.edu = Office: (208) 385-1250
CREN (BITNet): duscarte@idbsu [] CompuServe: 76666,511 = Lab: (208) 385-1859
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 May 90 08:37:08 edt
From: Rocky_Olive@dgc.mceo.dg.com
Subject: Application Icons
CEO summary:
I'm just learning to program on a Mac. How do I get my application
to use a custom icon, instead of the "hand-writing-on-paper" icon?
Thanks. <rocky_olive@dgc.mceo.dg.com>
------------------------------
Date: Saturday, 5 May 1990 3:20pm ET
From: "Leora.Druckman" <21765LD%MSU.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: BINHEX??? - *THANKS*
To all the folks who replied to my inquiry about binhexing, ftping etc.:
Thank you for the many informative responses and offers of assistance. Your
help is much appreciated.
To all the folks who requested that I forward replies to them:
You should have received a file of all replies. If you did not, or are
interested in receiving a file with basic intro information on binhex and file
transfer, just drop me a line.
Thanks again,
Leora Druckman
21765ld@MSU
------------------------------
Date: 4 May 90 10:26:00 MDT
From: "Sean M Rieb PHYSICS" <rieb@bootes.unm.edu>
Subject: CAP and AppleShare PC
WHat is exactly ment by "no support for AppleShare PC"? And, why not?
It seems to me that this is an impossibility, but I dont have CAP or a unix
machine yet, and I need AppleShare PC support. What is not supported and
why? Will it eventually be supported.
Sean Rieb
UNM undergraduate student.
MAIL: RIEB@BOOTES.UNM.EDU
WORK: 505 768-1123
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 4 May 90 10:42 +0100
From: Pieter Stouten <STOUTEN%EMBL.bitnet@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Chinese Chess on the Mac / Computer Go Magazine
The summary of respones to my question:
>Are there any reasonable Go, Shogi (Japanese Chess), Xianq Qi
>(Chinese Chess) programs available for the Mac ?
appeared in the Info-Mac Digest Vol. 8 #85 (26 Apr 90), resulting
of course in more information to arise.
** Chinese Chess **
Chris Sterritt forwarded the following (slightly edited) message
about a Chinese Chess program (from comp.sys.mac):
>From: loganj@yvax.byu.edu
>There is a commercial Chinese Chess program for the Mac available
>for $25 from Holley Corp. 2051 S. 50 East, Orem, Utah 84058. It's
>a weak player, but the graphics are great (understatement) and
>you can use it to play by modem or over appletalk. It supports
>color monitors, the board and pieces are done in 3-D and move
>around on a life-like battlefield terain, the pieces are images of
>their real life counterparts, the river in the middle of the board
>flows and sometimes fish jump out, and there's online help.
>Considering that the author is about 17 years old, this is an
>incredible implementation of Chinese Chess.
>I have no interest in Holley Corp. or it's products.
** Go **
David Erbach publishes a magazine called "Computer Go", which is
addressed to everybody who is interested in applying computer
technology to the game of Go. It is a bimonthly magazine and costs
US$ 15 a year. Order from: David W. Erbach, 71 Brixford Crescent,
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2N 1E1, Canada.
Thanks again to all who replied,
Pieter Stouten (stouten@embl.bitnet)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 May 90 10:38:10 EDT
From: Kathy DuBose <DUBOSE%AKRONVM.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: Dates
Hi folks,
I know that this is a very simple question, but I just don't know the answer.
Why is it that sometimes dates on macintosh files get dates that are way
off course like 1949 or 2047?
Thanks,
Kathy DuBose
DUBOSE@AKRONVM
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 May 90 19:10 EDT
From: John Scudder <JSCUDDER%WATSON.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Dove MaraThon 030 report
Several weeks ago I posted a request to hear people's experiences with 030
accelerators for the SE. Evidently not many people are using them, since I
received no reviews or reports.
I have compiled a small file of information by calling and writing
manufacturers of accelerator boards, but what I really wanted to post here was
practical experience. I did find out one important and surprising piece of
information, though:
The Dove Marathon 030 Upgrade does NOT significantly acclerate a Mac Plus or SE
when installed, according to Dove. It has no onboard RAM and no caching. This
forces it to access RAM through the Plus or SE's 16-bit data bus, effectively
halving the potential speed of the 030. Furthermore, it apparently is clocked
off of the Plus or SE's 8 MHz clock, bringing the speed of the chip down to
maybe 20% faster than a stock 68000 (the speed increase is due to tweaking of
the 030 to make certain instructions execute faster). Finally, the board has
no socket for a 68881 or 882 math chip.
Dove is apparently pitching this board as an "upgrade to System 7.0." In
practice, the only advantage that it will give you is that it will (presumably)
support virtual memory.
On the basis of Dove's information, I can't recommend the Marathon 030 to
anyone at its current price tag of around $450. Spend another 200 bucks and
get a real accelerator instead, or shell out the money for an SE/30.
--John Scudder
JSCUDDER@WOOSTER
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 90 09:56:08 -0700
From: jdee030@ucsci.ucsc.edu (Mike Wilson)
Subject: Escher's rippled surface
here; name this one 'escher-rippled.surface.hqx'. replies to haphip@ucscb.ucsc.edu
-jq
[Archived as /info-mac/art/escher-rippled-surface.hqx; 38K]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 90 23:44 EDT
From: Greg Smith <SMITH@coral.bucknell.edu>
Subject: Finder Sounds 1.2
Since the Macintosh System Software version 6.0.4 came out, the Finder
has had the undocumented ability to play sounds corresponding to
various events. Such events include opening and closing windows,
creating and deleting files, and even modifying windows. All you
really need to take advantage of this feature is a piece of code. Drag
Finder Sounds and Finder Sounds Config to your system folder and
reboot. You will then have a sonic Finder!
This is version 1.2 of the package. New features in version 1.2
include support for a sound that will play continuously while you are
dragging an icon on the desktop. Another new feature is the ability to
change the pitch of a sound to reflect the current position of the
thumb within the scroll bar. Sounds will also vary in pitch for mouse
down actions on an icon, as well as when you are dragging icons across
folders or changing the size of your window. A major new feature is
the ability to customize and hear your sounds from the control panel.
There will be more information about that feature and other changes in
the documentation. Please send any bug reports to one of the addresses
below.
Finder Sounds is FreeWare. You are encouraged to redistribute this
package to your heart's content, but you must include the document,
Finder Sounds and Finder Sounds Config in any redistribution. You are
also not allowed to charge any money for the Finder Sounds package.
While Finder Sounds is FreeWare, it is not public domain, and I retain
the copyright. You must be running System 6.0.4 or 6.0.5 to use the
Finder Sounds package. Enjoy!
+----------------------------+------------------------------------+
| Gregory J. Smith | Internet: smith@coral.bucknell.edu |
| Systems Analyst/Postmaster | smith@bucknell.edu |
| Bucknell Computer Services | BITNET: smith@bucknell.bitnet |
| Bucknell University | smith@bknlvms.bitnet |
| Lewisburg, PA 17837 | AT&Tnet: (717) 524-1801 |
+----------------------------+------------------------------------+
[Archived as /info-mac/sound/program/finder-sounds-12.hqx; 210K]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 05 May 90 17:12:45 EST
From: Murph Sewall <SEWALL%UCONNVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: FORTRAN compiler for Mac II
I'm finally ready to order a Mac II and get my number crunching off the
mainframe and onto my desktop. However, I'll need to run some custom
software written in FORTRAN.
I'm told there are several FORTRAN compilers for the Macintosh, so my
question is: which should I purchase?
I'm most interested in a compiler that delivers the most efficient (fastest)
object code. The source already is debugged FORTRAN 77 ('production
programs'), so execution speed is more important to me than debugging and
error checking (although I would hope every compiler includes some error
checking).
I will, of course, be happy to summarize responses for this discussion.
/s Murph <Sewall%UConnVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.Edu> [Internet]
or ...{psuvax1 or mcvax}!uconnvm.bitnet!sewall [UUCP]
+ Standard disclaimer applies ("The opinions expressed are my own" etc.)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 05 May 90 17:33:08 EST
From: Murph Sewall <SEWALL%UCONNVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: HP LaserJet III & Mac?
On Tue, 1 May 90 02:01:56 -0400 (EDT) you said:
>I'm interested in knowing a little more about the HP LaserJet III ...
>
>Is HP planning to create (or has already created) a driver for use
>with the Mac?
At the time the LaserJet III was announced, HP said they will offer
an AppleTalk interface later this year (this Summer?). As I recall, the
list price was going to be $250 or $275 (that's at least close). I
*assume* the AppleTalk driver will require the postscript cartridge
(already available -- again, trusting to a sometimes faulty memory --
for $699 list). I have not heard whether the LJ III with postscript
and AppleTalk interface implements the enhanced resolution printing,
but the combined list price for the LJ III in that configuration is
about $1,000 below the posted price for a LaserWriter (all prices
subject to change without notice, naturally).
/s Murph <Sewall%UConnVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.Edu> [Internet]
or ...{psuvax1 or mcvax}!uconnvm.bitnet!sewall [UUCP]
+ Standard disclaimer applies ("The opinions expressed are my own" etc.)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 04 May 90 11:25:56 CST
From: Bill Hayes <IANR012%UNLVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Info-Mac Digest V8 #89
Re: Comics, Copyrights, and Startup
The best advice I can give you about distributing comics images which are
protected by a copyright is DON'T. This has been something which has haunted
the print media for years. The most common infractions were the use of comic
strip characters in overhead transparancies or newsletters.
This wound up costing several companies big dollars. The courts have always
ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in these cases.
Reproduction of any copyright material must be made with the creators'
permission. If we protect even one person's right's, everyone benefits.
Whether or not you get caught should not be an issue.
Bill Hayes
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 4 May 90 04:00 CDT
From: <VS83F8%UMKCVAX3.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Info-Mac Digest V8 #89
Regarding public distribution of scanned images:
Both UPS (United Press Syndicate) and AP (Associate Press)
have either snail mailed or e-mailed threatening letters
to the sysops of several mac boards I frequent, requiring
them to remove all electronic images of comics copyrighted
by the respective news agencies or they would persue
legal action.
sigh.
So much for my calvin and hobbes collection.
Jonathan.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 May 90 09:06:11 EDT
From: Kathy DuBose <DUBOSE%AKRONVM.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: Laserwriter
Hi folks,
We would like to use a Laserwriter IINT on an appleshare network and on
a PC type network. Thus, using both the appletalk and serial ports
on the laserwriter simultaneously. I would like any comments, suggestions
or recommendations that you may have on this scenerio. Hopefully, we
will be able to do this (with minimal hassle) !
You may respond directly to me.
Kathy DuBose
DUBOSE@AKRONVM
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 90 10:10:54 -0500
From: Bill Taroli <wwtaroli@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Subject: lipservice.hqx
Lip Service is a CDEV that allows a voice synthesized greeting to be given
each time your system is started. You can include the day part (ie evening),
day of week, date, month, year, time, etc. in your greeting. There is a
limit to the length of the greeting, but I haven't taken the time to figure
out what it is and no mention of an explicit limit is given in the CDEV,
although the time/date stuff is mentioned as a reminder.
I've noticed no conflicts with other CDEVS or INITS, although I do run it last
since I use it partially to indicate a successful startup (I do this by
prefacing the name with a tilde).
*******************************************************************************
* Bill Taroli (WWTAROLI@RODAN.acs.syr.edu) | "You can and must understand *
* Syracuse University, Syracuse NY | computers NOW!" -- Ted Nelson *
*******************************************************************************
[Archived as /info-mac/cdev/lip-service.hqx; 10K]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 May 90 22:27:26 MDT
From: EPETERS%CSUGREEN.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: Mac II menu problem
Hello, all:
I have a friend with a Mac II ('020) running System 6.04, who is having
problems with a lot of new commercial software, including Excel 2.2,
DeltaGraph 1.5 and MacDraw II. Apparently, when he opens these (and some
other) applications, all he sees are the first characters of each menu
title (with the remaining characters stretching out toward the right and
infinity), and his pull-down menus are goofed up in the same way, rendering
them unusable. Since he is about the most INIT-shy Mac user I know, I'm
pretty sure he doesn't have any INIT conflicts (he has ATM, but it's turned
off)., and the only thing I've been able to suggest is to replace the Chicago
screen font (his dialog boxes are also messed up). I recall seeing this same
behavior with the old MacDraw when the Mac II first came out, but the version
1.96 seemed to fix it, and I haven't seen this since. Any ideas? Please
send to me, and I'll post the successful answers.
Eric
***************************************************************************
* Eric L. Peters BBS/DATA: 223-0229 *
* Dept. of Radiology and Radiation Biology GEnie: E.PETERS2 *
* Colorado State University America Online: Eryx *
* Fort Collins, CO 80523 BITNET: EPETERS@CSUGREEN *
* Voice: (303) 491-5343 FAX: 491-0623 INTERNET: EPETERS@ *
* 226-3610 CSUGREEN.UCC.COLOSTATE.EDU *
***************************************************************************
* Radioactive cats have 18 half-lives. -Randy Builder *
***************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: 07 May 90 11:44:27
From: Robert.H.Gross@mac.dartmouth.edu
Subject: MItemView vs. MacWorkstation
Hi-
We (Dartmouth) will be building a Macintosh front end to a set of programs
that currently run under VAX/VMS. There are about 20 different programs that
are accessed through a common (command-line) interface. The programs are
accessed by about 25 different labs (each having several users) and have been
unanimously praised for their utility while being unanimously criticized for
their interface. (We are a Mac institution so most folks have a very low
tolerance for non-Mac interfaces.) The programs are mostly written in
Fortran, but some are written in C.
There seems to be two ways of making a Mac-like front end: MitemView and
MacWorkstation. There was an article recently in a Macintosh periodical that
compared the two (I looked through my back issues of MacUser and MacWorld but
could not find it - was it in MacWeek?). I was wondering if anyone out there
had any wisdom or experience they could share with me about the choice. How
complex is the programming in MWS? Does it require modification of the source
code of the VAX programs? Is MitemView strictly a Hypercard front end? What
happens when there is a new system from Apple? from DEC?
I will summarize if there are sufficient responses. Thanks in advance.
Bob Gross
bob.gross@mac.dartmouth.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 May 90 06:36:12 PDT
From: gbrown@tybalt.caltech.edu (Glenn C. Brown)
Subject: PICT Resource Generation
In comp.sys.mac.digest you write:
>I have a question about PICT resources in files. I would like to make my own
>PICT resources and was wondering if there was an easy way of doing so, without
>resorting to using the opcodes and diong it all in ResEdit. I have tried using
>SuperPaint 2, MacPaint II, MacDraw II to gernerate files that might have
>stored the data in a PICT resource, none did so, and I tried all the file
>formats that each allowed.
You need a program that can save pictures as resID = 0 picture files or
as Startup Screens. (Giffer 1.06 will load PICTs and save them as
resID=0 pict files.)
Once you've done this, you can go in with ResEdit and change the PICT
resource ID to whatever number you want or even copy the resource to
another file.
If you have trouble, let me know.
--Glenn
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 4 May 90 13:32 EDT
From: <PJORGENS%COLGATEU.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> (Peter Jorgensen)
Subject: Printing on CompuGraphic 8000?
Greetings,
I'd like to hear from anyone with experience (positive or negative) using a
CompuGraphic 8000 "printer" with a Mac.
Please respond directly to me and I will post a summary.
Peter Jorgensen
Microcomputer specialist
Colgate University - Hamilton, NY 13346
AppleLink - U0523
BITNET - PJORGENSEN@COLGATEU
tel - 315-824-1000 ext 742
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 May 90 09:25
From: "Peter Maurer" <RY06%DKAUNI2.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Problems Reading MS-DOS-Discs formatted with an ATARI ST
I've got a problem reading MS-DOS disks formatted with an ATARI ST
in the superdrive of my MacIIci. It does not recognize these disks
and wants to format them. Disks formatted on my MAC and written on
the ATARI are readable in the MAC, and there is no problem with
disks formatted on a PC, but it refuses to read the 720K MS-DOS
disks from the ATARI.
Does anyone has experience with that problem, is there a special
program you have to use on the ATARI instead of HYPERDISK, we used
to format the disk. Why is the ATARI able to operate on MAC for-
matted MS-DOS-disks, but not the other way round. By the way, is
there a possibility to read disks in ATARI-format directly ?
Answers are wellcome directly to my mail address as well as in the
list. If there is enough interest on the topic, I will make a
short comprehension for the list.
Thank you in advance.
Peter Maurer * All opinions are my own,
RY06@DKAUNI2@DEARN * not the computer-centers.
Computercenter Uni Karlsruhe,West Germany * Sorry my bad english.
Programmers information team
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 4 May 90 16:48 EST
From: GODDEN@gmr.com
Subject: scrollable text buttons
Dan Lunderville in issue 89 asks how to make text buttons in a
scrolling Hypercard field. I've recently thought about how to
do this and have determined a method, but it would only be
practical if the text is locked and there were no plans to
change it by adding or deleting words. Given those caveats,
here's yow you can do it:
1. For each word you want to be a button, determine the logical
centerpoint of the word in pixels from the top-left of the
field. You do this in the y-axis by adding the scroll of
the field when the word is visible + the vertical offset of
the word from the top of the window. Get this vertical
offset of the word by reading the mouse's location when it's
on top of the word and then subtracting the vertical offset of
the top of the window from the top of the screen. Get the
logical x-axis value in a similar manner using horizontal
offsets.
2. Create a table (in a hidden bg field) that relates the
words to those positions within the scrolling text field,
AND lists the name of the target to be shown on mouseUp.
e.g. line 1 of that hidden field might be something like:
tiger,254,112,card field "Tiger Info"
(the word itself (e.g. 'tiger') need not be used by your
script, but it should be there for ease of debugging)
3. When the user clicks on a word 'button', you have to calculate
which word the click is on (just as you did above to create
the table), then look up that word's coordinates in the table
field described above --use some variable x,y fudge factors
to allow for the user not clicking on the exact point you put
into the table-- retrieve the name (or other reference)
of the target, and then display that target (or execute the
script that's in a target field, for example, for full
generality.)
4. Put all this code into the script of the locked, scrollable
field, add bells and whistles to taste and trigger it with
a mouseUp message.
You can see that ANY changes to the text of the scrollable
field will invalidate the calculations of coordinates, and
that is why you should only do this AFTER the text has been
cast in stone. I decided not to implement all this myself,
because it'd be a helluva lot of trouble given the restrictions.
Nonetheless, it should work unless there are bugs in my
thinking.
-Kurt Godden
godden@gmr.com
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End of Info-Mac Digest
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