Installing HTML.edit

This section is for new HTML.edit users, as well as those upgrading from previous versions.

Installation
HTML.edit is a standalone application developed in HyperCard 2.3, and does not require HyperCard to run. It's larger than a stack, as it includes the HyperCard engine. Installation is simple. There are no external files needed to run, and it does not automatically create a “prefs” file. Merely double-click the application to begin.

HTML.edit System Requirements
HTML.edit requires:
 ⌥ Macintosh system software version 6.0.5 or later.
 ⌥ A minimum of 1.3MB of system RAM, although 2MB is the preferred amount. More memory will increase system performance.  
 ⌥ Approximately 1.9MB of disk space for the 68k version, 2.9MB for the "fat" version, plus the amount of space needed to store each document.  
 ⌥ AppleScript installed, if you wish to use the Preview or Browse features (which rely on AppleScript to send messages between HTML.edit and your browser).  

Memory Hog
As with HyperCard or HyperCard-based applications, HTML.edit likes memory, and shows improved performance with at least 2MB. The minimum recommended is about 1300K (1.3MB), where you might find some problems displaying the About Box or other supplementary windows. The application itself will actually run in about 1,050K of RAM, but you may find an error message or two regarding not being able to display the opening window, etc., and some text processing features may have trouble. Most crashes I've seen have been due to low memory errors. And yes, I'm trying to catch these HC 2.3 problems before they occur.

Note that Power Macintosh versions require more memory to run, depending on your virtual memory settings. I personally haven't seen an enormous difference in speed between 68K and PowerMac versions, and since I go back and forth between 68K and PowerMac machines, I've been personally using the 68K version (yes I actually use this monster in my day job).

If you have enough memory to allocate 4MB of RAM to HTML.edit, you should notice a marked performance improvement. HyperCard applications "precompile" scripts before use and cache these "compiled" executables. The more memory allocated, the less it needs to recompile.

Upgrading from Previous Versions
Versions previous to 1.6 used two external files, the HTML.edit.Help  file and the installation of the Futura font. The functions and resources represented by these two files are now embedded in the HTML.edit application, so the Help file and the installed Futura font are no longer necessary.

Transferring Documents from Previous Versions
Version 1.7 (and some of the later beta versions of 1.7) allow saving and restoring to and from a preferences file. This allows preferences to be moved version to version. 

A method of transferring all documents from one copy of HTML.edit to another is as follows:

1. On Import/Export Preferences, turn off all translation options.
2. Be sure your server name and path (ie., location) is defined (on Paths & Labels Preferences), and that all documents having a location within the server hierarchy contain a BASE element. This may be done from the Index card (select all documents, then choose the Insert BASE in Selected" command from the Index popUp menu). The BASE element stores the location of each document as a URL within the document.
3. Create a "temp" folder somewhere on your hard disk.
4. From the Index card, change the path of all documents to the "temp" folder and export all to that folder. If there are any duplicate file names, you will need to create multiple folders to keep them separated.
5. Quit the current copy of HTML.edit and open the new copy.
6. Set the server name and path, and make sure "Derive Path from BASE" (on Import/Export Preferences) is checked.
7. Open the "temp" folder, select all files, then drag them all over the HTML.edit application icon to begin importing all documents. You should be able to see the initial "temp" folder location being overwritten as HTML.edit restores the original location from each document's BASE element.

Note that while this method (in combination with saving and restoring preferences) migrates almost everything from one copy of HTML.edit to another, you will lose your document Labels. The only way I can think of storing a label within a document is using a META element, which may be a future feature.

A Font Digression for the Interested
Depending on system configuration (ie., your system's font management), you may find some strange font behavior if you keep the old Futura font, or have a Futura and/or H Futura Heavy font installed. This shouldn't cause any crashes, but may show up in screen drawing anomalies or Help window fonts defaulting to Geneva.

This version uses a font called "H Futura Heavy" for the bold version of Futura, which works better with the popUps and with the Help windows. The regular Futura 10 and 12 point have different font numbers than HTML.edit versions previous to 1.1.2.

   Font Test 
   Futura 10
   Futura 12
   H Futura Heavy 10
   H Futura Heavy 12
   H Futura Heavy 14

If you wish to actually install the fonts used in HTML.edit into your system, use Apple's Font/DA Mover 4.1 (holding down the Option key when clicking Open) to open the HTML.edit application and transfer all the fonts to an external suitcase. Put this suitcase into your system folder "Fonts" folder and reopen HTML.edit.

Simply put, HTML.edit will use the Futura fonts built into the application or look to the System if they can't be found. It's best not to have them in both locations. And the old versions of the fonts may not work correctly with the Help window on some systems. If you see the default Help font as Geneva, remove the old Futura fonts from your System.

Back to New Features, on to HTML Help, or return to HTML.edit Features.