I really like Appleﾕs Control Strip program. It keeps everything I need handy, right there at the bottom of my screen. The only thing I don't like is that sometimes it just gets in the way! Even when itﾕs collapsed, sometimes that little stub is right where I need to click.
Anyway, hereﾕs a solution:
Included in this package are two different programs that do basically the same thing.
The first, ﾒControl Strip Toggleﾓ, is a tiny application which will toggle the Control Strip on and off. If you run it when the Control Strip is visible, the application will hide it. If you run the application when the Control Strip is hidden, the application will make it visible. You get the idea. You can just stick this program in your Apple Menu Items folder so it will be accessible when you need it.
The other program is an FKEY resource. Doesnﾕt anyone remember these things? They seem to have fallen on hard times with Apple, but are still really useful for doing things like this. Included are 5 copies of the resource, each with a different ID number. So, if you want to toggle the Control Strip by typing command-shift-6, you shound use the one numbered 6. If you want to type command-shift-5, use the one numbered 5. Simple.
If you are using System 7.1 or greater, you can stick one of these in the Fonts folder (yes, I know, they arenﾕt fonts, but the System thinks they are). You donﾕt even need to reboot. For the easiest install with System 7.1 or greater, just drag the file to the System Folder icon. The Finder will ask you if you want to put the file where it belongs. Click on ﾒOKﾓ, and youﾕre all set.
If you are using a System older than 7.1, you can use Suitcase or something similar, or hold your breath and use ResEdit to install one.
Personally, I use the FKEY and just flip the Control Strip in when I want it, then flip it right back out again. (Iﾕm on a PowerBook, so screen real estate is precious!)
These programs are in the public domain (heck, you know it was a simple program to write when the documentation is five or six times longer than the source code) so feel free to give them to anyone and everyone. Please do include these instructions though.
ﾊ
Customization and other technical stuff:
(you donﾕt need to read this part unless you want to play with the guts of the program)
The first time I sent these out I got a lot of people mailing me asking me why there werenﾕt files for the numbers from 0 to 4. Well, you see Apple has reserved those numbers for itﾕs own use, and if I put Control Strip Toggle on them, I might collide with something Apple did later on. Still, if you really, really want to use one of those numbers for Control Strip Toggle, you can use ResEdit to change the resource ID#. Be warned that if you make it 1 or 2, you lose the original uses for those keys (which was the magic-eject of your internal and external floppy drive. Since nowadays barely anyone has a second floppy drive, this most likely isnﾕt a problem.) If you want to use ID#3, you must edit your System file (generally not a good idea) to remove the ﾒscreen shotﾓ FKEY, which takes a picture of your desktop for you. As far as I know, ID#4 isnﾕt used anymore (it used to be the screen dump to the ImageWriter printer). ID#0 is used with the PowerBook ﾒAssistant Toolboxﾓ as a sleep FKEY, and on a few Macs as an external drive magic-eject.
One last thought: As of version 1.2, the FKEY resources are sent out to be memory-resident. This is to make life easier for the PowerBook people who want to avoid spinning up their hard drive just to flip off the Control Strip. (Of course, occasionally one of your Control Strip modules will need the disk and spin it up for you. How nice.)
Anyway, if you are on a desktop Mac, and want to save the 108 bytes, you can open the file with ResEdit, open the FKEY resource, then select ﾒGet Resource Infoﾓ from the Resource menu. Just switch off ﾒPreloadﾓ, and switch on ﾒPurgeableﾓ, and leave the rest of the flags alone. Still, the whole resource is only 108 bytes, so you're not losing too much memory if you leave it resident!
Update for version 1.1: Control Strip Toggle can now also toggle Men and Mice's Desktop Strip! Desktop Strip is a pretty neat replacement for the Control Strip with a few extra features.
Update for version 1.2: Improved documentation (especially for the question I got a zillion times - Why canﾕt I use numbers 0-4?), my email address changed, and the actual code got a lot smaller (heck, letﾕs save a few bytes if we can - no more Gestalt glue!)
Update for version 1.3: Improved documentation, a new email address for me (yet again). The actual code was not changed ﾑ At this point, the code could hardly get any smaller than it already was.
Any questions, comments, or chocolate chip cookies to <dshaw@jabberwocky.com>
Enjoy!
David Shaw
Baltimore, MD (USA)
June 6, 1997
I should be packing to move. Instead I'm doing this. Oh, boy.
