Showing hour, minute and second sweep hands, clicking on the face changes the clock picture, resizable, works in the background so can be left on your desktop, optional digital display, optional country times (for over 100 countries) and correction for summer time. If you are familiar with ResEdit then you can add your own clockfaces over and above the provided ones (if you have some really good ones, you can even send them to me). Note that the second hand will appear to run slowly and irregularly in two situations, when a PowerBook is doing nothing else and its CPU slows itself down, and when you are doing intensive calculations (DeskMates is always the last to get idle time!). This will work on any depth screen, though you will have to set the memory partition to 650K if you want to run a full color clock picture with 24-bit color.
2. A notebook:
A text editor not limited to 32,000 characters, with full search, find (including grep search and replace) and replace functionality, and able to open any text file from within the application. It now supports multiple windows (ie notebooks) but not quite multiple text styles.
3. A stopwatch:
A stopwatch able to run in the back or foreground, with 3 timers able to record split times, and able to be restarted by clicking on their displays or command key equivalents, and 15 alarms which can optionally display reminder text at prespecified times, and record to a maximum time of over 16 hours. All three timers can be started together or separately. The alarms will sound once or continuously until switched off.
4. A calculator:
Containing simple and more complex mathematical formulae including reciprocals, roots, squares, powers, logarithms to base 2, e, 10, percentages, factorials combinations and permutations, hyperbolic and trigonometric functions (using degrees or radians), and financial functions. Has pretty full error trapping (to the limits of my testing). A new feature is the ability to continuously record the computations (in the NoteBook window, like a calculator tape).
5. A calendar:
Click on the month and year titles to set to any month or year. Click on the current date and time at the top to reset to the current date.
6. A scheduler
This is integrated into the calendar, and allows storage of specific activities for any day on the calendar, and quick find ability. You can also store templates for any day of the week. If you select text in the scheduler, you can easily set an Alarm Clock reminder for the selected line by clicking on the small alarm clock icon at the bottom of the calendar.
7. Alarm clock:
This is an alarm scheduler. It will also work in the background, and will put a small alarm clock in place of the Apple menu icon (System 6) or the Applications menu icon at top right (System 7) after sounding a beep. When you bring DeskMates back to the foreground, a dialog will tell you what alarm you have set. This supports multiple alarms (approx. 10,000 at present, though you may have to increase the memory partition to have this many!), each with premonitory timing and recurrent alarms settings (even several years later if desired). When the alarm sounds, you can elect to postpone it (minutes to weeks). This version will not wake sleeping PowerBooks because of predictable unrecoverable crashes (all models except Duo's and 100's). A version enabling waking up is available on request from the author (with payment of the shareware fee). This is a problem with Apple’s ROM routines not DeskMates' code. I’m also annoyed, since I wrote it to wake up my PowerBook 140 (and then discovered the bug)!
8. Date Pad:
Current date, day and month is shown in a small window. This can be moved around.
9. On-line help system/customization:
A fully integrated on-line help system (and hence DeskMates does not need a manual). Note that the positions and sizes of these tools can be set by the Preferences menu item under the File menu. You can set which tool windows will open at startup.
10. Compatibility:
It is compatible with Macintoshes with system 6.05 and above, including system 7+, and will run on any screen depth as long as color quickdraw is installed in your system folder, and there is enough RAM for the analog clock’s offscreen pixmap. It has been tested on the following models: MacPlus, PowerBook 140, 170, 180, LCII, LC III, IIci, IIvx, Centris 650 and Quadra 700. Note that it still crashes on 180c’s, so if you are lucky enough to own one of these, an upgrade will be along soon. Note that MacPlus’s cannot show the analog clock at present (but I could include this if there is any interest). The application is set to 520K, so you will be able to read the Help files on an 8-bit color Mac. You might want to alter the memory partition under two circumstances: (i) if you only use it on a monochrome Mac, you can probably reduce it to 440K of so, and try it. If there is insufficient memory, DeskMates should tell you; or (ii) if you use full color, then you should use 650K to see the clock picture. I have included a clickable “peek control” (courtesy FaceWare) on the top of the clipboard window, which can show you how much application free memory you have left (click it to see the different partition sizes). The first clue you might get would be a blank opening screen (with PICT... not found), or if you find free memory on the peek control shows less than 40K then you should definitely increase the memory partition (choose the File menu items “Get Info” whilst DeskMates is selected in the Finder and set the lowest application memory size partition). Another memory shortage may occur when trying to open very large text files using the NoteBook. If you get a “low on heap memory” error notification, then increase the memory partition if you really must use DeskMates to open such large text files.
11. The hidden salutation:
There is a hidden salutation (the Aussie way) within the program somewhere. Good luck finding it.
12. Installation:
Just copy it to your hard disc and double click to begin. Preferences files are created if they do not exist and reside either in the System folder (systems before 7) and in the Preferences folder within the system folder (system 7 and higher). When you click the save preferences or save as default buttons in DeskMates, your chosen settings will be stored and activated next time you use the program. If you are running DeskMates on a color Macintosh then you should increase the RAM partition to at least 650K (and if you want to open large text files you may also need to increase this memory partition size).
If you are updating DeskMates from an earlier version, please delete the old file called “DeskMates.prefs” which will be in the system folder or preferences folder before starting DeskMates (or you will see unpredictable behavior in the clock font particularly).
If you like this and use it for more than 15 days, then I ask you to be honest, and to send:
(i) suggestions about improving it (eg adding functionality or even adding new modules), eg I am adding multiple clocks (so you can know the time in more than one time zone), and an address book (simple but powerful).
(ii) send the shareware fee (currently $20) to me at either of the addresses below. If you do, I will register you for free upgrades and be able to enact your suggestions quickly (even customize your copy ). I am sending it out as shareware since I would get the same slice anyway (or less) if I fully published it, which believe me I’ve tried with similar programs.
David Darby, WhiteAnt Occasional Publishing
Current Address: 69 Saco St, Newton, MA 02164, USA (current address until 1994), phone 617-965-6506, email ddarby@bih.harvard.edu.
Of course I give no warranty, or guarantees that this software will do what it is intended to do, and it may not be distributed commercially or packaged with any product placed for sale or profit without the explicit permission of the author. If you find any bugs or incompatibilities I will be most surprised and disappointed, but in any case please inform me. Full legal information is contained within the program help.
Please enjoy!
David Darby August 1993
(Plans for future upgrades include: address file database with quick searches and printing facility, multiple clocks, amortization and re-design of the calculator and possibily modem support (aiming for a similar RAM footprint). So if you are interested please send your shareware fee!)
Evolutionary Log
##############
DeskMates v1.0.1
#Calculator handling of the logarithms of zero were fixed (thanks to Ashley ß Bush).
#TickClock alarms are now able to sound continuously until cancelled by the user by clicking on the stopwatch text field.
#Support for 24bit color using gWorld routines replaced the older pixmap routines.
DeskMates v1.0.2
Upgrade Note (versions below v1.0.2):
Upgrading from older versions:
If you have used an older version of DeskMates, then you must throw away the “DeskMates.prefs” file which you will find in the System folder. It will either be found just within the System folder, or if you have a version more recent than v1.0, and are running under system 7 or higher, it will be in the Preferences folder within the System folder. This now has been altered, and should be thrown away completely. A new one will be created when you start up, but you will lose any stopwatch alarms you may have set and will need to reset these.
Secondly, please ensure your ‘ Alarm Clock ‘ settings file is in the correct place for DeskMates to find it. DeskMates will now look in the System folder if you are not using system 7 (ie system 6.05 and above), or in the Preferences folder within the System folder if you are using system 7 of higher. If you have set lots of alarm warnings, then move the file to the correct spot, or you will lose all your hard work setting customized alarms!
#Start up configuration customizable through the Preferences menu item: based an email user suggestion. Clock options dialog simplified with removal of redundant Show at startup option.
#Alaska was added to the American time options: user suggestion.
#Day Sheet Pad added. To allow easy reminders of the date.
#Preferences menu item added to allow customization of startup settings and setting of any window’s position.
#Calendar error fixed: when the current day of the month was one whose first day of the month equivalent in the first line of the calendar was unfilled (did you understand this?).
#Color QuickDraw required error alert. DeskMates formerly crashed Macintoshes running without Color QuickDraw installed. An alert has now been added and the clock window will not show without Color QuickDraw installed when DeskMates is started.
DeskMates v1.0.3
#Calendar initialization bug fixed (bug occurred when new position calendar saved with a date outlined).
#Calculator change sign key added. To accommodate the wishes of several users, the minus operation now performs exactly like the other operation keys. Hence serial subtractions can be done, even when the equals key has computed a prior result. Even the second of 2 numbers in an expression can be negated within that expression, eg “4 * 6 ± =“ will correctly return “-24”. This key can be activated by “Option-Shift-=” also.
#Calculator: traps for simple functions using 0 fixed (previously used logarithm function unprotected to scan for out of range errors).
#Tool Menu items altered to improve visibility and access.
#StopWatch menu item to stop all timers simultaneously, and then with another Command-zero to reset them all to zero.
#Calendar and stopwatch date and time displays will now show the seconds if the “Show seconds” option is checked in the Clock Options dialog.
#Alarm Clock: the actual date and time when an alarm will be activated are now shown on the initial Alarm Clock dialog, and are updated with changes in the prior warning settings. The notification dialog also shows the new date and time for the current postponement settings.
v1.0.4
#Calculator: Record check box added to calulator, allowing all actions to be recorded in the NoteBook window (feature requested by many registered users).
#Alarm Clock: user is presented with a dialog requesting confirmation that they really do want to delete an alarm.
#Alarm window: Extra button added to allow one step deletion of annoyingly repetitively alarms (eg when the system clock has been put forward accidently). Note that the user can quit DeskMates, then reset the clock, then resume and all alarms then should work correctly. Note that this alert window is not modal, and you can leave it in situ whilst doing anything else, including deleting any offensively recurring alarms in the Alarm Clock window.
v1.0.5
#Upgrading to this version from versions 1.0.4 and below:
My apologies, but the alarm clock scheduler no longer uses the same format (almost) for its alarms in the “ Alarm Clock “ file stored in the System folder under System 6.x (and in the Preferences folder under System 7). You can actually edit this file if you have lots of alarms so that it conforms to the new version. To do this you should make a copy of the old “ Alarm Clock “ file to work on. Then open it in any word processor (or even DeskMates itself). You will see a series of four numbers after the main message you have set, each separated by one space. In the new version, there are now 8 numbers. The first 2 numbers are to be left alone, but after these add a 1 and a space ie “1 “. Then add 3 1’s separated by one space each after the original 4th number, ie “ 1 1 1”. There should be a total of 8 numbers before the long negative numbers begin. You should then open DeskMates and check each alarm’s popups. You can open up the alarm file directly in the NoteBook if the message appears as the date only, and use the copy and paste commands to correct them, then reset each one (the older version will be replaced with a correct version). This was unfortunately necessary to add in the flexibility of reminders for a specified recurring weekday. I think the change is worth the effort.
#Extra options for daily reminders were added.
#The postpone dialog can now allow direct deletion of a complete alarm (including subsequent reminders).
#If the second hand is removed from the analog clock, then the cursor should not flash more than once each 5 seconds when over it (this is unavoidable at present).
v1.0.6
#The PowerBook 180 (and 180c - what a nice machine!) crashed with a bus error as soon as an alarm was set (due to accessing the SetWUTime toolbox call). Since the toolbox and Gestalt Manager will tell me the likely Mac model DeskMates is working on, but Apple recommend I not use this in my code (sic) to make important decisions, I have decided to eliminate the possibility of setting wake up reminders (partly since I cannot make use of them on my PowerBook 140 anyway). If you have a Duo or PB 100 and want this feature, then you can still use v1.0.5. There are no other major enhancements in 1.0.6 that would affect your enjoyment of DeskMates.
v1.0.7
#Color icons were added to the menus (because I liked them!).
#Support for multiple NoteBooks added (limited only by RAM).
v1.0.8
#Scheduler attached to calendar window. Schedule.prefs file is created in system folder/preferences folder with schedules in resource fork.
#Icon light and shadow directions aligned. Support for 3-D buttons commenced (test button on notebook window in B&W).
#Resource bugs fixed (when adding to resource file), deleting old templates and schedules.
v1.0.9
#Alarm clock pre-times error finally fixed. It would give unpredictable prefatory times when more than 15 - 20 hours were requested. It was due to Date2Secs not handling negative hours and days correctly.
#Alarm clock recurring intervals by specific day of month (eg first Wed) error corrected. If the day worked out to be "0" (in terms of dayOfWeek mod 7) then would default to a Sunday. Now correctly resets to next specified day.
#Scheduler parsing facility implemented. If a recognized time format is selected in a line in the scheduler window, it will be correctly parsed and the correct date and time selected when the small alarm clock icon at the bottom of the Calendar is clicked.
v1.1
#Schedule find option enabled (case sensitive searches through all or only future schedules).
#Menu item to delete out-of-date schedules added to calendar (to preserve disc space).
#Preferences: saving window positions now works first time (previously required using the OK button before could save screen positions).
#Clock: more faces added (esp for color screens), hands made into regions rather than lines, shadows added (color editable). Shadow of hands and adjustable offset added. This change requires older versions of the “DeskMates.prefs” file in the Preferences folder to be discarded before starting up.
