[comp.sys.mac.digest] INFO-MAC Digest V5 #81

INFO-MAC@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (Moderator Dwayne Virnau...) (04/27/87)

INFO-MAC Digest         Saturday, 25 Apr 1987      Volume 5 : Issue 81

Today's Topics:
                      COPYING DIRECTORY STRUCTURES
      JUGGLER, AppleShare, PowerPoint, more - in today's InfoWorld
               Making the Mac OS multitasking ("Juggler")
                           Floppy disk driver?
                              RDrvrInstall?
                       Switcher versus System 4.0
            problem report: DF SuperSpool-3.1 and MaxRam-2.5
         Request for help on shipping postscript to networked LW
                              RE: Bigscreen
                             ScrapSaver INIT
                           CompleteDelete.hqx
                         New Release of FzzPlot
                             BEEPINIT sounds
                        Emacs and Scribe for Mac
                   Symbolics-bit-maps==>MacPaint-docs
                   Symbolics-bit-maps==>MacPaint-docs
             Word 3.0 footnote bug and workaround (sort of)
                           SE-WORD1.X PROBLEMS
   if you have a DataFrame you want to get the latest software Vn 5.0
                   Printing Labels and Imagewriter II
                              mac question
     looking for text-database manager (comparable to Ask-Sam on PC)
                              re: Keyboards
                              Cricket Draw


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Apr 87 11:04:22 SET
From: Norbert Mueller <K360171@AEARN>
Subject: COPYING DIRECTORY STRUCTURES

RECENTLY THERE WAS A POSTING ON HOW TO COPY A DIRECTORY (I.E. FOLDER)
HIERARCHY WITHOUT COPYING THE FILES THEMSELVES. (SORRY I DON'T REMEMBER WHO
POSTED IT) BY CHANCE I JUST DISCOVERED A WAY TO DO THIS. I USED AN SE WITH
SYSTEM 4.0.

I STARTED A FINDER DISK-COPY BY DRAGGING THE SOURCE ICON INTO THE
DESTINATION ICON. AFTER THE FILES/FOLDERS TO COPY BOX APPEARED I PRESSED
COMMAND-PERIOD.  THE COPYING PROCESS STOPPED AFTER A SHORT WHILE (NO
MESSAGE GIVEN) AND ON MY DESTINATION DISK I FOUND A HIERARCHY OF EMPTY
FOLDERS (I.E. CONTAINING NOTHING BUT EMPTY FOLDERS THEMSELVES) AS A PRECISE
REPLICA OF MY ORIGINAL DIRECTORY HIERARCHY.

I THINK THIS MAY BE USEFUL BUT DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THIS IS DOCUMENTED?

NORBERT MUELLER

INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY
JOHANNES KEPLER UNIVERSITY
A-4040 LINZ AUSTRIA

------------------------------

Date: Tue 21 Apr 87 05:21:40-CDT
From: Werner Uhrig  <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: JUGGLER, AppleShare, PowerPoint, more - in today's InfoWorld

[ today's InfoWorld (of April 20) covers some topics of interest ]

RE: Juggler.  front-page article states:

         "Mac OS Said To Offer True MultiTasking"

 it quotes some developers as saying that it "eventually" will provide
 true multitasking capabilities.  oh well, not quite the way one would
 tend to understand the headline.  Otherwise just lame speculation
 and hopeful rumour-mongering.  no critical analysis of the rumours.

RE: AppleShare - Review on page 62. compares it with TOPS and MacServe.
    positive evaluation.

RE: Power Point slide generator - reviewed in column "First Look" on page 48
    at $395 expensive but well worth it if you can afford it.

Cringely rumours:  Steve Jobs will give keynote speech at USENIX in Phoenix
 in June.  no NEXT workstation expected by September.  if lucky, maybe
 by Xmas (says the grapevine).  note on Guy's departure from Apple
 to head ACIUS to put 4th Dimension on the shelves by July 15.
 Ann Arbor to send FullWrite Professional to beta-testers this week.
 buyout-rumours.

Macintosh News:

 free software upgrade for MacTablets from SummaGraphics

 Open Mac Enterprises announces Mac upgrades:  SCSI-port ($100);
  Plus-upgrades: to 2Meg =  $300, 4Meg = $800.

 blurp on success of Sharware on the Mac

 WordTools is feing shipped (finally?!)

 Sigma to offer monitor, card for new Macs

 Experinterface Builder, uses AI to build Mac interfaces

------------------------------

Date: 22 Apr 87 10:52:45 PDT (Wednesday)
From: Mackey.osbunorth@Xerox.COM
Subject: Making the Mac OS multitasking ("Juggler")

A cover story for the April 20th InfoWorld was about "Juggler". The
title says "Mac OS Said To Offer True Multitasking" but the story says
"an updated Macintosh operating system that will \eventually/ provide
true multitasking capabilities." (my emphasis) The article goes on to
say that one developer who has seen Juggler says that a true
multitasking Juggler will be available by the end of '87.

Given the excitement in the press, the misunderstanding of the term
"multitasking", and the reasons for it (Gasse says it will mainly "sell
RAM"), does anyone want to comment on the Mac OS (not something else,
like A/UX) having multitasking? I'd like to hear comments from someone
who is familiar with the guts of the Mac, particularly the memory
manager, and multitasking operating systems. What it will take (or has
taken) Apple to do to get multitasking? How long will it take them to do
it? How much code will have to change? What changes will developers have
to make to their programs? How will the Mac UI have to change?

Kevin

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 22:15:33 EST
From: sbm@purdue.edu
Subject: Floppy disk driver?

     My worst fears have been realized.  I have been working on a
multitasking operating system for the Mac that disables interrupts to
insure exclusive access to data structures during system calls.  I found
that interrupts were being enabled during system startup, and, after
much hunting, I discovered that a call to GetFontInfo (which accesses
the floppy disk) was enabling them.  It looks to me like the floppy disk
driver enables interrupts, since the problem didn't happen when I ran
from a hard disk.  Can anyone confirm this?

     Having found the problem, I am at a loss to solve it, short of
writing my own floppy disk driver.  I can't believe Apple was so sloppy
here, especially since the rest of the ROM routines that modify the
interrupt mask so carefully make sure that interrupts already masked
don't become enabled (using "ori" instead of "move") and restore the
mask afterward.  I can see why the driver would restore interrupts,
since it apparently disables them to poll the disk (isn't this wonderful
hardware design?), but why would it *enable* interrupts?

     Comments, please.  Am I jumping to a wrong conclusion again?

Steve Munson
sbm@Purdue.EDU
sbm@Purdue.CSNET

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 22:42:40 EST
From: sbm@purdue.edu
Subject: RDrvrInstall?

     I have a program that wants to be very thorough in its
initialization, so that it can restart no matter what state it is in
without Launching itself.  It is all pretty straightforward, but there
is one catch.  When the heap is reinitialized, all the DAs disappear,
but, if any of them performed periodic actions, the next time SystemTask
is called it will try to run those nonexistant DAs.  There are many ways
this problem can be solved:  I can close desk accessories by looking
through the window list for system windows or by looking through the
unit table for open desk accessories.  I prefer the latter, but I don't
think either looks very attractive (because I can't find any
documentation on exactly how to do it).  Needless to say, this problem
has to be dealt with by Launch and ExitToShell, and they seem to use a
trap called RDrvrInstall to eliminate the desk accessories.
RDrvrInstall is undocumented, though; apparently, Apple doesn't want us
to use it.  Does anyone know for sure what RDrvrInstall does and/or how
Apple wants us to close all open desk accessories (including those
without windows)?

     By the way, I am using RDrvrInstall as part of the initialization
(after RsrcZoneInit and heap initialization), and it seems to do what I
want.

Steve Munson
sbm@Purdue.EDU
sbm@Purdue.CSNET

------------------------------

Date:   Thu, 23 Apr 87 16:30:30 PDT
From: PUGH%CCC.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: Switcher versus System 4.0

So, is it just me, or does Switcher not work under system 4.0?  I have been
trying to bring up the About box and it refuses to work.  I keep getting an
ID 2 as it draws the box.  Could it be garfing on some renumbered system
resources?  I backed it up off of my Excel 1.03 disk, but when I checked to
see what version it was it gave my screen a real fright.

Any clues?  Things to avoid?

Jon

 N         L                          pugh@nmfecc.arpa
  M    A    L          National Magnetic FusionEnergy Computer Center
   F    T    N             Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    E         L                       PO Box 5509 L-561
     C                           Livermore, California 94550
      C                                (415) 423-4239

------------------------------

Date: Tue 21 Apr 87 23:57:57-CDT
From: Werner Uhrig  <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: problem report: DF SuperSpool-3.1 and MaxRam-2.5

I use an environment where I activate the PrintSpooler, then create a RamDisk,
then install 4 Switcher-partitions, on of which is VersaTerm.

If I create the RamDisk *FIRST* before activating the spooler, I lose my
modem-port and cannot communicate with the modem anymore.  Matter of fact when
checking with PRAM, I find that the printer is assigned to the modem-port !!!!
Only by rebooting and executing the Spooler before creating the RamDisk do
I get to talk to you guys again ....(-:

Configuration: Mac+, 2 Meg, Finger-5.4, System-4.0, DataFrame-XP20,
DataFrame Software Version 5.0 ...

any thoughts, anyone?

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 09:12:54 +0300
From: Tamir Weiner <UMFORTH@WEIZMANN>
Subject: Request for help on shipping postscript to networked LW

Without success we've been trying to send a postscript file to a networked
LaserWriter for printing.

The Laserwriter is sitting as a server on a Sun3 network and seems to handle
file printing as straight text or postscript instructions just fine.

Not being a postscript programmer, what I have tried to do is generate a
postscript file using the option K feature from either MacDraw or MacWrite
and I get what seems to be a complete postscript file including a lengthy
header for initialization of the printer (BTW I've tried sending files
without Apple's header using the option F feature, but without success either)

After transfering these text only files to a VAX and putting them on Magtape,
then we transfered the now unix files to the Sun network.  Seemed a pain
but we haven't the software to support phone line transfer to the Sun network.

Upon attempting to print the files on the LW operating as a server, it just
dumps these files as text without interpreting them as Postscript instructions.

There must be some simple sequence which gets the files recognized as
Postscript instead of straight text.

Looking at postscript files which succeed in printing as postscript we tried
inserting a %! at the begining of the file.   This didn't work either.

Seems like someone on the net must have encountered this problem before...
How does one send Mac generated Postscript files to a LW on a SUN network?

Any ideas?  If possible write me directly as I don't always keep up with
INFO-MAC Digest material.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Tamir
UMFORTH@WEIZMANN.BITNET

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 13:54 EST
From: <EWING@TRINCC.BITNET> (The Byte Busters)
Subject: RE: Bigscreen

"Autoblack", the nifty screen saver that installs itself as MacsBug, also
causes Berkeley Design System's Stepping Out program to fail (read: BOMB!)
Seems that Autoblack want's full control of the screen situation and assumes
512x342 screen size, which directly conflicts with the bigscreen emulators.
Also, Autoblack's design is to blank to secondary video buffer, and bring
it to front when the time comes, thus it will also never work on a Mac SE
(which doesn't have a second screen buffer), much less on a Mac II.  Sigh...
(it was such a nice screen saver too)

Richard Ewing
Trinity College
EWING@TRINCC.BITNET
EWING@YALEVM.BITNET

------------------------------

Date:   Tue, 21 Apr 87 15:39:43 PDT
From: PUGH%CCC.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: ScrapSaver INIT

Here is a must have for your System Folder.  This is ScrapSaver,
an INIT that retains your Clipboard across crashes and reboots.
It work flawlessly for me and I cannot live without it now.  I
have no idea where it came from since I got it off a BBS without
any documentation.

Jon

[
archived as [SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>INIT-SCRAPSAVER.HQX

DoD
]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Apr 87 17:32:52 MST
From: t-jacobs%ced@cs.utah.edu (Tony Jacobs)
Subject: CompleteDelete.hqx

REALLY erases a file!

Complete Delete is for really getting rid of a file.  When invoked, it
zeros out the designated file and THEN deletes it.  The effect is
PERMANENT and irreversible; use it with caution.  This file was packed
with PackIt III.

[
archived as [SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>UTILITY-COMPLETE-DELETE.HQX

DoD
]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Apr 87 12:48:59 edt
From: rs4u#@andrew.cmu.edu (Richard Siegel)
Subject: New Release of FzzPlot

A new release of the FzzPlot program is ready for distribution. This
release (numbered 7.2) provides many enhancements over version 3.95 (the
first release).

For example:

Much faster loading and processing of data.
Much lower bug count.
On-Line help
Completely rewritten documentation

This update will be sent free to registered owners.

For those of you who don't know what FzzPlot is:

   FzzPlot is a shareware ($15) program that does simple plotting
and data analysis. It loads data much faster than Cricket Graph,
and has a larger data capacity that Microsoft Chart.

   If you are interested in trying the program, send me
your name and US Mail address and I will mail you a copy of FzzPlot
with a tutorial. (This is a fully function al program; no
"teaseware")

   Because the program is 70K and the tutorial is another 70K,
I will not be uploading these files for archiving. But as I said, anyone
can get a copy simply by asking.

DO NOT SEND MONEY. Simply send me your mailing address.

Rich


Richard M. Siegel
Materials Characterization Instrumentation Section
Mail Stop 231
NASA/Langley Research Center
Hampton, Virginia 23665
(804) 865-3036

Arpanet: rs4u@andrew.cmu.edu
Uucp: {your fave gateway}!seismo!andrew.cmu.edu!rs4u

Disclaimer? I don't even KNOW 'er!

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Apr 87 13:25:48 EDT
From: cperry%bert.mitre.org@gateway.mitre.org (Chris Perry)
Subject: BEEPINIT sounds

Does anybody have a comprehensive list of BEEPINIT
sounds?  Where can I get them?
Thanks.
Chris Perry
(cperry@gateway.mitre.org)

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 8:08:50 EST
From: Allan Doyle <adoyle@VAX.BBN.COM>
Subject: Emacs and Scribe for Mac

Is there an Emacs out there for the Mac?

Is there a text formatter that does not do WYSIWYG on the Mac?
(I know this is blasphemy but give me FinalWord or Scribe over Word any day!)

Allan Doyle

[
there are two versions of EMACS for the Mac available in the archives.
MICROEMACS-BETA-0PT6.HQX
UEMACS.HQX

Both label themselves as preliminary versions, but I have not seen later
releases.  DoD.
]

------------------------------

Date: 22 Apr 1987 12:29-EDT
From: VERACSD@A.ISI.EDU
Subject: Symbolics-bit-maps==>MacPaint-docs

I'm interested in converting Symbolics screen dumps into MacPaint
documents.  Theoretically, this appears *straightforward*, but I
suspect it may be hairy.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience (or even
solid suggestions about ) doing  this.

Thanks,
Cris Kobryn

VERACSD.CK@A.ISI.EDU

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 20:56+0100
From: "Juergen Christoffel" <unido!gmdzi!LISPM-1!JC@seismo.CSS.GOV>
Subject: Symbolics-bit-maps==>MacPaint-docs

    Date: 22 Apr 1987 12:29-EDT
    From: VERACSD%A.ISI.EDU%unido@gmdzi

    I'm interested in converting Symbolics screen dumps into MacPaint
    documents.  Theoretically, this appears *straightforward*, but I
    suspect it may be hairy.

This really should be straightforward. See the June 1986 issue of Byte;
there appeared an article describing how to convert MacPaint files to
a format suitable for IBM PC's. It explained the format used by MacPaint
to compress its data, which is rather simple. Obviously the 'format' of
Symbolics' bitmaps is as simple as one could whish(?).

But doing it this way limits the size of bitmaps you may use. There
might be a better solution. I assume that you want to include those
bitmaps into text produced on the Mac:

You may take the PostScript output produced by the Symbolics and take
the PostScript output produced by your Mac editor and combine them to
produce the output you want. We actually do this with output from
TeXtures, which runs on a Mac.

JC

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Apr 87 14:30:09 -0400
From: Joel B Levin <levin@CC5.BBN.COM>
Subject: Word 3.0 footnote bug and workaround (sort of)

I don't recall seeing this specific one noted, but for general
information:

If you are using footnotes, before you print your document check Page
Preview and verify that none are missing.  Occasionally a footnote
disappears completely from output (it is still in the document,
though).  In Page Preview, if you twiddle the margins (1/8th inch
change was enough), the footnote will appear.  I suppose if you have
lots of footnotes, there may exist no margin setting where some
footnote isn't missing...  The file in which I noticed this had lots
of 'Keep with Next Paragraph' in force, but I don't know if this
affects probability of the bug.

I called Microsoft Tech Support, and they already know about this.

/JBL

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 14:07:03 SET
From: Norbert Mueller <K360171@AEARN>
Subject: SE-WORD1.X PROBLEMS

I JUST WISH TO REPORT AN OBSERVATION (PROBABLY A BUG) ON THE SE USING
MS WORD (1.15 GERMAN, 1.09 ENGLISH). THE RELATIVE SCALING OF PASTED PICTURES
(FROM MAC DRAW) AND THE WORD TEXT IS DIFFERENT ON THE SE AND THE MAC+. I WAS
NOT ABLE TO USE THE SAME DOCUMENTS WITH EMBEDDED PICTURES (CONTAINING TEXT)
WORKING ON A MAC PLUS AND ON A MAC SE, THE ONES GENERATED IN ONE OF THE
CONFIGURATIONS FAILED (I.E. THE TEXT PART OF THE PICTS WAS DISTORTED) ON THE
OTHER.
 AH, I REMEMBER NOW I HAD TO REDRAW IN MACDRAW SO IT IS PERHAPS NOT A
PROBLEM OF WORD BUT OF TEXT HANDLING IN MACDRAW. I HAD TO USE SYSTEM 3.2 ON
BOTH MACHINES AS WORD 1.X DISPLAYS GARBAGE WHEN USED WITH SYS 4.0. IT SEEMS
TO ME THAT THERE IS NOT ONLY ADD ON ROM IN THE SE BUT ALSO SOME CHANGES TO
THE LOWER 128K |?

N. MUELLER
INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY
UNIVERSITY LINZ/AUSTRIA

------------------------------

Date: Tue 21 Apr 87 06:35:28-CDT
From: Werner Uhrig  <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: if you have a DataFrame you want to get the latest software
Subject: Vn 5.0

SuperMac has distributed the latest software versions in a folder with the
version number 5.0.  They have dropped the SupeBackUp software and recommend
that you not use it anymore (I've heard reports that you may not be able to
complete a backup or restore your backup).  The replacement program is
called DiskFit.  But until you hear good things about it, you may want to
consider using HFS-Backup, which gets the best reviews in my neck of the woods.

All the software and version numbers distributed are:

      Initializer 2.5
      Change ID 1.4
      DiskTimer II.a
      SuperLaserSpool SLS 1.01 df
      SuperParker 1.3
      SuperSpool 3.1 df

   I also have a SuperSpool 3.2 since January, but I don't trust it
   and suspect it to be the cause of some crashes I've experienced.

I tried 2 DataFrames on an SE last week, one a 20, the other a 20XP, and
neither would work with the SE's hard-disk until I installed the 2.5 driver.
(one had the 2.1 driver, the other the 2.2).  Also, there seems to be some
incompatibility again between DeskTops under Finder-5.4 and 5.3 which may
have you lose your DeskTop GetInfo comments if you're not careful (lucky??)

SuperMac has allowed that their software is made available online at some
other nets and if I can get confirmation that they permit it being made
available here, it will be archived at SUMEX (or elsewhere) for FTP-access.

Cheers,
Werner

------------------------------

Date: 21 Apr 87 13:07 EST
From: Hallett@ge-crd.arpa (Jeff)
Subject: Printing Labels and Imagewriter II

Hi all!

  There was some talk a while back about problems printing labels in the
IW2 and some even said not to do it.  Well, I'll throw in my two cents.
I have had no problems printing great labels in my IW2.  Using SuperPaint
or ColorPrint, I've created some nifty color labels for my VHS tapes,
notebooks and other things.  Also, using myDiskLabeller from William&Macias
I've done some really great diskette labels too.  The disk labels are on
tractor feed backing while the VHS labels are just inserted by themselves.
  So, for the more adventurous of you, try it, but don't blame me if you
have a problem.  My IW2 is one of the "2nd generation" ones correcting a
bug in the first version of IW2.  Maybe you need to watch out if you have an
older one.

Jeffrey Hallett
Software Technology Program
General Electric - Corporate Research and Development

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 23 Apr 87 14:00 EDT
From: <TAM@MCOIARC.BITNET>
Subject: mac question

Are there any MAC user's out there using their MAC systems in an
image processing environment?

Paul Tam
TAM@MCOIARC   (bitnet)

------------------------------

Date: Tue 21 Apr 87 04:54:27-CDT
From: Werner Uhrig  <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: looking for text-database manager (comparable to Ask-Sam on
Subject: PC)

this week's InfoWorld reviews Ask Sam Version 3.02, a text-database manager
for the PC-world.  A lawyer-friend is in danger to buy a PC to get the
program's facilities.  Is there hope for him?  Is there any Mac-product that
will provide him with the capabilities of a TEXT DATABASE MANAGER?
Anything in the wings?   I couldn't come up with anything comparable ....

S.O.S.
Werner   @r20.utexas.edu

------------------------------

Date: 22 Apr 87   09:59 PST
From: DAVEG@SLACVM
Subject: re: Keyboards

   This is in response to BBAKER on delphi who was wondering about
the DataDesk keyboard he ordered due to the MS Word flyer. First of all
the DataDesk people are big in the PC world and have been around for a while.
I played with their Mac keyboard at the West Coast Computer faire and really
liked the feel. The layout is PC style with LOTS of keys (if you like that
sort of thing) and looked somewhat like the Apple Extended keyboard
(the Aircraft carrier as Lonnie Abelbeck calls it).
   Personally I would probably buy this keyboard instead of the Apple
Extended keyboard if those were the choices since the tactile feel was
good and Apple never has been very good at keyboards.
   They have two models, one for the Apple Desktop Bus in the SE and Mac II
and another model for the Classic Macs.
David Gelphman                  BITNET address: DAVEG@SLACVM
Bin #88 SLAC                    ARPANET address:  DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET
Stanford, Calif. 94305          UUCP address: ...psuvax1!daveg%slacvm.bitnet
415-854-3300 x2538
usual disclaimer #432 applies: my employer apologizes for the fact
that I have access to this net.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1987 10:43 PST
From: CADS079%CALSTATE.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: Cricket Draw

    I have it, and I guess I can say that I like it.  The interface is
comparable to all the other object-oriented programs, but the degree of
control is better by at least an order of magnitude.  One nice thing is the
ability to control shading and line width numerically.  In other words, if
you want 65% gray scale shading, or a .5 pica line width, you can have it.

    And if you're using a laserwriter, this program really shines.  You can
shade an object using a GRADUATED gray scale, i.e., the top of a box can be
shaded at 10%, and the bottom can be shaded at 70%, with a smooth transition
in between.  You can even shadow text in this manner.

    Text is handled well, although I had problems with bit-mapped (i.e.,
non-laserwriter) fonts.  Full justifcation is supported, as well as style
and font changes within a block of text.  You can also do fancy things like
rotate and tilt text (or anything else), and those of you who have been
hankering to wrap text around curves can stop waiting.

    What else...  The fatbits mode works flawlessly (down to 8X)...  You can
edit your document by tweeking with the PostScript (if that's what turns you
on)...  It has a new kind of curve called a "bezier", which I find quite
handy for data-flow diagrams (bubble charts)...  You can create you own guide
lines...

    The program has a few (very few) flaws.  Screen refresh is slow,
especially during scrolling (must be an upward-compatibility compromise).
I've had problems with imported bitmapped objects, and bitmapped fonts.
So...  if you have a laserwriter, and need a program that handles objects
well, I recommend Cricket Draw over any other purely object-oriented program.
However, it does not replace Superpaint, or any of the high-power desktop
publishing programs.

    I guess the bottom line is this:  For the past year or so, I have been
waiting for a product that would allow me to toss both MacDraw AND MacDraft,
and Cricket Draw seems to fit the bill.

Richard S. Smith

BITNET:  CADS079@CALSTATE
  ARPA:  CADS079%CALSTATE.BITNET@WISCVM.EDU

------------------------------

End of INFO-MAC Digest
**********************