The Preferences Dialog

The Preferences dialog allows you to configure several aspects of ProCalc. Select Preferences... from the File menu to access the dialog. All options are explained below, and are also summarized in Balloon Help.

Use 3D-style buttons - this option affects how buttons are drawn when they are depressed. Selecting this option will offset them one pixel down and to the right, with appropriate shading, to produce a more enhanced 3D appearance. If this option is left unchecked, the buttons will be not be offset when depressed, only the shading will be changed. This option is not available on non-color monitors.

Show minimized status - select this option to display the status line in the minimized display window. If this option is not selected, an error condition will be indicated by an error indicator in the upper right of the display.

Show background clock - this option determines whether the minimized display window will switch to a time and date display when ProCalc is in the background. The time and date is displayed in the format selected in the Date & Time control panel.

Fixed-size RPN stack - this option determines whether ProCalc will allow the stack in RPN mode to grow and shrink. Selecting this option forces ProCalc to maintain a stack size of four.

Iconize button minimizes - this option determines the function of the iconize button. If this option is checked, the button reduces ProCalc to the minimized display window. If unchecked, it iconizes (reduces ProCalc to its iconized state). The alternate function can be performed by pressing the [2nd] button first. This option also determines the function of the following option.

Iconize (Minimize) on app switch - this option, when enabled, automatically iconizes (minimizes) ProCalc when it is switched to the background, and de-iconizes (maximizes) when switched back to the foreground. The text and function of this button changes depending on the setting of the “Iconize button minimizes” option above.

Switch to previous app on:

   Iconize, Minimize - automatically switch the previous application to the foreground when ProCalc is iconized and/or minimized.

SwitchBack keys...  the four options relating to this option allow you to set the key combination that will activate the SwitchBack feature of ProCalc, bringing the calculator immediately to the front if it is in the background. You can select any combination of the shift, control, option, and command keys. Select the keys carefully to avoid conflicts with your other applications. You should select at least two keys to avoid inadvertent switching. You can deselect all four options to disable SwitchBack.

Display Font 

   LED - this option determines the font used in the main and minimized displays. If this option is selected, an LED-style font is used, otherwise a Helvetica-style font is used.

   Small - this option determines not only the size of the display font, but also the maximum number of digits that can be displayed in the scientific and basic 4-function modes. See “Numeric Display and Entry”.

Button popups 

   Delay - this popup menu determines the delay before a popup menu appears when the selected button has a popup attached. Setting this option to '0' causes the popup to appear instantly. If you release the mouse button while the mouse is still on the button, that button's normal function will be performed.

   Markers - this option determines whether to show a popup marker, a small downward-pointing triangle, on those buttons that have a popup menu attached. Deselecting this option will not disable the popup menus.

Conversions menu 

   Show reverse conversions - this option determines whether ProCalc will automatically display the reverse conversion for each entry in the conversion list. You can always perform the reverse conversion by holding down the shift key on the keyboard before selecting the conversion from the menu.
   Submenus - this popup menu determines how ProCalc will display the conversion list in the menu. Always will use submenus for every conversion in the list. Never will show a separate menu item for each conversion. 2+ entries will only use a submenu if there are two or more entries for that conversion.

Display color 

   Main, Mini - these buttons allow you to change the background and text color of the main ProCalc display or minimized display window. Clicking either button will display the standard Apple Color Picker, from which you can select a new color for the display background. Option-click either button to change the text color. The new background and text colors are saved with preferences. These options are disabled and unavailable if Color QuickDraw is not detected (on pre-System 7 systems without CQD installed, and on all 68000-based Macs).

NOTE:  Custom display colors are not saved if ProCalc is not registered.

Show title bar when:

   Iconized, Minimized - draw the title bar on the iconized and/or minimized window. If the title bars are not shown, you can still drag the windows around by clicking on and dragging the display or icon itself.

Automatic tape logging - selecting this option automatically turns tape logging on while the tape window is shown, and turns logging off when it is hidden. If this option is not selected, you can turn logging on and off manually from the Options menu.

Log intermediate results - selecting this option will log intermediate calculation results to the tape window. For instance, entering 1 + 2 + 3 shows the result of “1 + 2” when the second ‘+’ is entered.

Prompt to save changes - selecting this option tells ProCalc to warn you when you are about to erase unsaved changes to a tape document, with the option to save changes or cancel.

Save with preferences:

   Display - save the currently displayed value with preferences.

   Memories - save all memory contents with preferences.

   Tape - save tape window contents to a separate file in the Preferences folder.

   Layout - save current button layout with preferences.

   Keys - save currently defined key assignments with preferences.

   Const & Conv - save constants and conversions lists with preferences.

NOTE:  The preceding six options are only available in the registered version of ProCalc. These optional preferences are not saved if ProCalc is not registered.

The status of all options in this dialog (except as noted) are saved to the ProCalc Preferences file in the System folder when you quit ProCalc. Other options saved are window position and status, calculator display settings, and all calculator mode settings. These settings and options are then restored when ProCalc is next started up. If you wish to bypass these saved settings and restore ProCalc to its default condition, press and hold option as ProCalc starts up.