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Windoid helps on Hypercard



Author: David Leffler and Phil Wyman
Date: March, 1989
Keywords: Hypertalk programming hypercard
Text: (The following are excerpts from WINDOID No. 8, a publication for the Informed HyperCard User and the newsletter for the Apple HyperCard User Group. David Leffler is the editor.) By David Leffler Thank you all for your continued support of WINDOID and your many kind letters. Keep them coming. I'm sorry that it has been such a long time between WINDOID issues and I promise the next issue will be out on schedule. However, I hope that this issue will have been worth your extended wait. We're very pleased that you have enjoyed the efforts of our many friends and colleagues who contribute to these pages and actively encourage you to continue sending comments and suggestions to the HyperCard team. We love the mail, and you might just inspire us to include your most wanted feature in the next version. Speaking of new versions, we would like to introduce you to HyperCard version 1.2.2. WINDOID No. 8 delineates HyperCard 1.2.2, the first world-wide release. For all of you dedicated users who are not in the United States, we thank you for your patience. Many people have worked very long, hard hours here at Apple to give the world the power of Apple HyperCard. We know you'll love it! NOTE: Developers who plan to license and ship HyperCard with their products outside the United States should use version z1.2.2, which contains a special resource for handling non-U.S. date, currency, and other number formats. Stack Design Guidelines Not all stack designers start out equal. Some have an advantage. Professional stackware design has gotten considerably easier with HyperCard Stack Design Guidelines from Addison-Wesley. Written here at Apple Cupertino by Rachel Rutherford and staff, this book is as MacWeek reviews it, ''one of the most useful HyperCard books we've seen,'' and ''This is a 'must have' book for serious HyperCard developers.'' I could not agree more. Great job, Rachel et al! Power Tips by Phil Wyman 1) If you are using Finder and not MultiFinder, there is a nice option you should know about. If you are in HyperCard, and you open an application, i.e., Microsoft Word, when you quit the open application, you return to HyperCard. However, if you want to go directly to the Finder and not back to HyperCard, hold down Option key while quitting the application. 2) You can bring an object all the way to the top by using Shift-Command-Plus or send it all the way to the bottom with Shift-Command-Minus. Be very careful when using Command-Plus to bring a button or a field one object closer. If you hit Command Backspace (or Command Delete), which is right next to the Plus key, you will delete the card (if it's unprotected). 3) Scripts are not saved until you click OK in the script editor. Be sure to do this often, even if you're not finished working on your script. One problem I had was working for a long time fine-tuning a script and accidentally hitting Cancel instead of OK. You lose all your changes that way. Additionally, it's really smart to periodically save a copy of your stack as a backup. 4) Sometimes your ''if then elses'' don't indent properly and it's very difficult to understand why. Here's a couple of possible debug tips. 1) Look for an ''exit <handlerName>,'' where handlerName is not the current handler. 2) Indent problems can also happen if you just say ''if'' and forget to say ''then.'' For example, the following will not indent: if x=0 put x into z end if 5) If you click in the space beneath the last text entered in a field, you will get extra returns in the field down to the point where you clicked. If you don't want those extra returns, Shift-Clicking anywhere beneath the last of the text in a field puts the cursor directly after the last character of the field without putting in returns. 6) ''Show all cards'' shows each card once. However, ''show cards'' will keep showing all the cards in the stack forever -- or until the mouse click, whichever comes first. 7) To clear a global variable, put empty into the variable. 8) If you were using 1.1 or 1.0.1 before you installed version 1.2, you may have kept your old Home stack. There are, however some nifty new handlers in the 1.2 Home stack script. You should add them to your home stack script. The new handlers do the following when typed in message box: ''xy'' puts the mouse location into the message box until the next mousedown. ''c'' does a doMenu ''Card Info...'' ''b'' does a doMenu ''Bkgnd Info...'' ''s'' does a doMenu Stack Info...'' Interestingly, if after typing ''s'' into the message box you press the Shift key when hitting the Enter key, you will get the script of the stack. This is the same as if you had chosen the menu item ''Stack Info...'' with the Shift key depressed. 9) To send a typed arrowKey in HyperTalk, use ''arrowKey right'' or ''arrowKey left,'' etc. 10) From James Francis Redfern, HyperCard tester, comes a workaround for getting user Key Strokes: Show message window off-screen and have the user type into the message window. Then get what they typed. 11) You may already know that in the script editor, once you have done a ''find,'' you can do a CMD-G to ''Go'' to the next occurrence of the found string. But an even neater way is to type CMD-H to find the next occurrence of the highlighted string, without ever having done a find! 12) Sometimes, when you need to place a field or a button in the background, it's very difficult to tell where to place it since when you edit the background, the cards foreground information is not visible. A solution is to create the field or button on the card level in exactly the spot you would like it to appear. Then select it and cut it. Then go into the Background and Paste it. It will be in exactly the right spot! Another workaround would be to just create it willy-nilly on the background, then go to the foreground (card level). You will then be able to manipulate your background buttons and fields from the foreground! 13) From Paul Foraker of HyperPro... If you want to paste into the message window, most people think that you first have to click in the empty message window with the mouse. Here's a shortcut which bypasses the mouse and keeps your fingers on the keyboard. Hit the Backspace (or Delete) key. This deletes any message you have in the message box. Even without a cursor in the message window, or any text in the message window. If you hit Backspace (or Delete) you will get a cursor in the empty message window. You can then paste without having to use the mouse to select the message window first. 14) To get to the end of a long script in a flash without scrolling, try CMD-A, then right arrowKey! 15) You have to be careful when asking for the result. For instance, consider the following script: find ''findwhat'' put ''test'' into var if the result is ''not found''then answer ''not found'' The above script won't answer ''not found.'' The result has to be asked for on the next line of code: find ''findwhat'' if the result is ''not found'' then answer ''not found'' put ''test'' into var 16) To test whether you have version 1.2.2, put the following handler in your stack script: on openStack if the long version < 01228000 then (do whatever) --you have an older version of HyperCard else (do whatever) --you have at least version 1.2.2 or higher of HyperCard end openStack 17) From Scott Bongiorno HyperCard tester* Here's a handler to display the current shipping version of HyperCard. This handler gets and converts the value of the long version and displays it in the message box as the shipping version number. Editors Note: Remember that the Box Characters are Option-Return. on theVers put the long version into thisVers put char 2 of thisVers & ''.''` & char 3 of thisVers & ''.'' &* char 4 of thisVers into thisLongVers put ''Version'' && thisLongVers into the msg end theVers Editor's AfterWord by David Leffler We hope you have enjoyed reading this latest issue of WINDOID and have found it to be interesting and informative. Please remember that the purpose of this newsletter is to help you help us to make a quality difference in the world. We provide a unique opportunity for WINDOID readers to contribute to the ongoing growth and excellence of Apple's HyperCard* and would like to make a request for a little of your time. There is a form at the back of this, and every, issue of WINDOID that allows you to communicate directly with the HyperCard Team. Bill, Dan and the entire team really want to know what you would like to see in HyperCard and are more than willing to give you what you want. What we need to make this happen is your input. We want to know what you like, and what you don't like, regular copies as I publish them. Again, if you like HyperCard and WINDOID, please let us know. Individuals make a difference! If you would like information about AHUG, write to: Apple HyperCard User Group MS/27-AHUG 20525 Mariani Ave. Cupertino, Calif. 95014
Our AppleLink is: UG.AHUG The form If you have a bug, suggestion, comment, or just want to know the best way to do something in HyperCard, you can fill out the form below and send it to: AHUG c/o David Leffler Apple Computer Inc. MS/22-0 20525 Mariani Ave. Cupertino, Calif. 95014 Or copy the format and AppleLink* it to: HYPERBUG$ Tell HyperCard You can use this form to notify the HyperCard team of problems, bugs, and enhancement requests. Please use the following form:
Date:
Name:
Address: Phone No.:
Versions of: a. HyperCard: b. Associated software: c. System software: 1. System 2. Finder 3. ImageWriter file 4. LaserWriter file 5. Any others
Type of Macintosh:
Peripherals: Description of problem, suggestions or comments: If you have some information for us please fill this form out as completely as possible and send it to us. You will be glad you did!

Copyright © march, 1989 by David Leffler and Phil Wyman


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