Developer Info Assistant (DIA) is designed to help you find answers to your development questions. Developer Info Assistant replaces Qstack and adds new features designed to serve your information needs better. How? First its link to a new search engine lets you look for answers in Apple publications on the Developer CD Series CD-ROM.
Second, its communication management facility allows you to send questions and receive answers from Apple's Developer Support groups. You can also organize messages (both yours and Developer Support replies) by discussion topics (discussions were known as "threads" in the Qstack).
Why Developer Info Assistant
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1. Developer Info Assistant speeds your turn-around time! Questions sent to Developer Support groups from the Developer Info Assistant receive priority over non-DIA questions. Developer Info Assistant helps you easily formulate your question. It also helps us categorize your question, get it into the database and to the appropriate Support group specialist. Since all of the data we need to answer your question were collected the first time around there are fewer AppleLinks going back and forth to gather more information. You receive a prompt, complete response—quicker.
2. Developer Info Assistant's discussion topics serve as a local information resource customized to your specific needs. If you are a part of a larger company, this is even more true. For example, suppose an engineer has a question answered by the Developer Support groups that is key to the technology your company is developing. With Developer Info Assistant's discussion topics you can make this information available to your entire group for ready reference tomorrow or six months from now. Having information ready at your fingertips prevents frustrating time delays as you wait for information as well as the connect time expenses involved in long drawn out volley of new AppleLinks.
Features
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Take a look at some of the outstanding features of Developer Info Assistant:
• Links to search capabilities for information stacks (SpInside Mac, Q&A, Tech Notes, HI Notes, d e v e l o p magazines, and the Master Index) on the Dev CD
• Ability to remember what information sources you looked at on the CD using the "Search Knowledge Base" search engine so that this information ("references") will be added to your message (with your permission) when you communicate with the Developer Support groups
• Threading (the ability to group links sent to and received from Developer Support groups on specific subjects) of messages into discussion files
• Multiple project and discussion support
• Compression of files as packages to include with links, from within the Developer Info Assistant
• AppleLink address book access (but only if you have an AppleLink address book)
• Ability to read in links and archive them out to your hard disk
• Adjustable windows for entering text, changed arrow key functions, and other editing enhancements
• Automatic retrieval of system configuration information, with your permission
• Menu bar access and a cleaner, more intuitive interface
Before You Use Developer Info Assistant
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1. HyperCard 2.0 is required to run Developer Info Assistant. You will find HyperCard 2.0 in DiskCopy format in:
System 7.0:HyperCard:
2. It's a good idea to use the Developer Info Assistant on the machine you are using for development. Why? Since Developer Info Assistant automatically retrieves system configuration information from the machine it is on (with your permission, of course), this allows the Developer Support groups to get the necessary system configuration info from the machine that is actually giving you development problems.
Developer Info Assistant's Future Possibilities
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We see Developer Info Assistant as an evolving tool. With each future release of Developer Info Assistant, you’ll see increased integration with an ever-widening base of information resources, evolving into a ‘knowledge-base’ that will help you get what you need as quickly as possible with less effort on your part. For example, watch for additional AppleLink support, including direct AppleLink access from HyperCard and templates for routine communication such as font ID registration. This is just the beginning.
Developer Info Assistant's Future is Designed to Your Specs
We would like to incorporate your wish-list items and comments into the development of Developer Info Assistant. Your input does matter! Indeed the next generation of the Developer Info Assistant will be designed around the feedback our developers give us. Take this chance to get involved. Use the feedback mechanism built into the stack and send your recommendations, complaints, and bright ideas to AppleLink address KB.FEEDBACK (do NOT send them to MacDTS).
