Brought to you by Skidperfect Software, Inc. <skidperfect@kagi.com> http://www.shore.net/~chanson
Shareware Fee: equivalent of US$10 during the year 1995, $15 afterwards.
Contents:
Version History
Future version features
Cost/fee and registration
Distribution
Contacting the author
Disclaimer
Acknowledgements
･ Version History:
1.2 (Dec. 9, 1995)
･ Installation is much simpler because the Extensions Strip application and control panel are FAT binary. Make sure though, if you used an older version of Extensions Strip, that you remove all of the old items (except for TSM Fix which hasn't changed.) PowerMac users remember that "ExtensionsStripLib" must be trashed because a newer version has been embedded into the control panel.
･ Extensions Strip will only run as a regular application. Background-only app support was dropped to solve some incompatibilities and allow for an extension of the API.
･ Modules can be moved to any spot on the strips. Simply drag and drop the module where you want it to reside.
･ "Promised" files, such as the ones displayed in Find File and Anarchie, can now be dropped onto the strips.
･ Added more complete support of aliases:
- ES can display individual strips for multiple aliases to the same folder. This is because preferences for aliased strips are now based upon the alias name, instead of the folder name.
- You may use aliases to remote modules and strip folders. (The AppleShare login dialog caused problems with older versions of Extensions Strip.)
- Extensions Strip Control will now launch ES if an alias to it is in the Startup Items folder.
･ ES is extremely idle time friendly now, using as little overhead as possible.
･ Fixed a File Sharing conflict that randomly prevented drag and drop loading of modules onto a strip.
･ The new Process Manager module initially filters out the display of Extensions Strip, and allows for any number of filtered processes. The other modules have also been updated, see their docs for details.
･ ES is less obnoxious if you haven't paid the shareware fee.
･ Programming related additions:
- Added a new trap for special alias resolving: SBResolveAliasFileMountOption. It has special features for dealing with AppleShare login dialogs. See the "Intelligent Alias Resolving" section of the Programming Notes for more info.
- Fixed a couple bugs in ESDemo. Now at version 1.1.1.
･ There is a new, temporary WWW home page for final and beta Extensions Strip updates: http://students.cs.byu.edu/~ammon/ES.html
1.1 (Nov. 17, 1995)
･ Folders that are empty, or contain no modules, are not displayed as strips on startup.
･ You can now click with the option key down on modules if you hold the mouse down for half a second, or click quickly. Dragging the mouse after an option-click will still move the module.
･ Supports a configurable disabled modules folder. The new Control Panels Strip module, which is in the "Control Strip Modules" folder of this package, supports this naming convention.
･ Window-shaded strips remain shaded the next time ES loads.
･ A menu item has been added to the application version of ES to hide or show all the strips.
･ All of the included modules in this package are Extensions Strip savvy. Check out their individual documentation for more info on the benefits that this brings.
･ Programming related additions:
- Added the Control Strip 1.2 font traps.
- Added a new FindFolder selector: 'sdeD' for finding the disabled module folder.
- Updated the header files to reflect these changes, and added a new THINK Pascal header file.
- When modules are asked to redraw after a mouse click, the event type returned by SBGetCurrentEvent is mouseUp.
- The ESDemo now supports large icons, and some other modifications were made. Now at version 1.1.
1.0 (Oct. 30, 1995)
･ Initial release.
･ Future version features:
Near future:
･ Ability to "latch" a strip onto a side of a monitor like Control Strip, but with the ability to stick to the top or bottom of a monitor. This will be nice for users who often change their monitor size.
･ Option to make a strip grow to the left or up, instead of always to the right or down.
･ "Always Visible" option for a strip so that the regular hide command will not hide that window.
･ Option to hide a strip window's title bar.
･ Global hide/show strip windows key, just like what Control Strip version 1.2 and later have.
･ Ability to make strip windows non-floating.
･ Removing the root module folder will cause the root strip window to be disposed (currently, it always remains active until you quit ES.)
･ Let some strips become visible only inside certain apps.
Mostly vapor:
･ Ability to run other kinds of modules such as Other Menu and DragStrip ones.
･ Ability to drag and drop onto the title bar of the strip windows. This would require overcoming a bug in Apple's Text Service manager through, which may be fixed anyway in Coplandﾉ
･ Scriptable! Ability to use AppleScript to communicate with, and command modules.
･ OpenDoc?
If you have an idea for a feature you'd like to see, why not write and let us know about it? I love comments about my stuff: positive and especially negative (yeah, right!). So if something's eating you, don't hesitate to write!
･ Cost/fee and registration:
Extensions Strip is shareware. This means that you can freely copy the unregistered version of the software and try it out before you pay anything. If you decide to continue using this software after 30 days, you are obliged to register it by sending in the registration form and registration fee.
Note that this version is fully functional - there are no locked out or missing features. After 30 days, Extensions Strip will randomly bring up a registration reminder whenever it is launched.
Offer: registrations are offered in exchange for translations into other languages. Contact us at <skidperfect@kagi.com> for information about this. You will need an e-mail address if you want to do a translation.
Offer: registrations are also offered for a limited time to module developers who make good use of the new API. Contact us for details.
How to register: open the control panel Extensions Strip Control and click on the 'Fill registration form' button. The will launch the Register program, by Peter N Lewis. Register is used for payments to Kagi Shareware, a registration service run by Kee Nethery <kee@kagi.com>. The big advantage for you (and me) is that you can pay shareware fees with your credit card (VISA, MasterCard and American Express) via e-mail. This also makes it easier for people in other countries, since the currency conversions are handled automatically. If you are paranoid and concerned that this might be a clever forgery, feel free to mail me at <ammon@cs.byu.edu>. If you are a shareware author interested in this system, e-mail Kee.
When Kagi receives your fee, you will be sent the necessary registration information (preferably by e-mail.) If you do not have an e-mail address, then you must check the Paper Receipt box (for $1 extra) in Register so that Kagi can return the information to you.
Note that when Extensions Strip is registered, the information is stored in its preferences file - ie. Extensions Strip does not modify itself.
Upgrade policy: minor upgrades (eg, version 1.5 to 1.6) are free. Major upgrades (eg, 1.6 to 2.0) may have a small fee involved to upgrade - the details will be included in the upgrade's Read Me.
･ Distribution:
The Extensions Strip package may be distributed freely, but it must remain in its unmodified entirety. It can be put on disks and CD-ROMs that charge a reasonable fee for the cost of distributing it. I would appreciate a copy each of any such disks or CD-ROMs so that I know what it is being distributed on, but it is not a necessity. Thank you.
I also ask that you contact me about the latest version so that only that version is distributed. The latest version is always available at this internet World Wide Web location:
http://students.cs.byu.edu/~ammon/ES.html
･ Contacting the author:
The author, Ammon Skidmore, can be reached by sending e-mail to <skidperfect@kagi.com>, which currently gets forwarded to my regular address of <ammon@cs.byu.edu> here at Brigham Young University.
Note: rarely, the CS alias file here becomes temporarily corrupted, in which case mail will never get to me, yet will not bounce! So, if I do not respond to an email message within 3 business days, please send it again.
If you're really bored, you can also check out my WWW homepage:
http://students.cs.byu.edu/~ammon/ammon.html
･ Disclaimer:
This software is provided as-is. The author cannot be held responsible of any damage it might cause. There is no warranty, express or implied. Blah, <insert standard disclaimer here> blah, blahﾉ
All copyrights are property of their respective holders.
･ Acknowledgements:
･ Matt Slot, for his 'appe' Windows code, and Guillaume Lessard, for porting it to CodeWarrior and making it PPC native.
･ Troy Gaul, for permission to use Infinity Windoid.
･ All my beta testers, as listed in the control panel, for their ideas and dedication.
･ Chris Hanson for keeping the Skidperfect Web page alive.
･ Vincent Tan for lending some of his reusable code developed for Control Strip Menu, for help with the readme layout and proofreading, and for being one of the first people to support Extensions Strip's API - long before Extensions Strip was ever released.
･ Bert Wynants for the most number of implemented technical suggestions, and for being the other first person to support ES' API in his HandyMan module.
･ Fran腔is Pottier for his work on the ShowInitIcon code, and for keeping me on my toes while he developed the ES savvy module D残or CSM.
･ Neil Green for help with design of the icons.
･ Jim Logan for the long-term loan of MacsBug Reference and Debugging Guide, which I read quite thoroughly. This is not to be attempted without a large supply of caffeinated soda.
･ Mick Jones and Joe Strummer for their great programming music.
･ Kee Nethery for founding Kagi Shareware, and Peter N Lewis for the companion Register program.
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ﾒIndeed, it would not be an exaggeration to describe the history of the computer industry for the past decade as a massive effort to keep up with Apple.ﾓ
