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◊ NOTE: Getting some (usually very few) bucks is what you write shareware for, but getting a note, a postcard or anything else is a lot better than getting nothing. I'd like to know how far this program has gone, so remember that you can do something nice even if you don't have a couple of $$$ to spare.
• Errditor is a powerful graphical editor for system error and system startup alerts. It lets you modify or move text, icons, buttons and even procedures (assembly-language programs that are associated to some of the alerts).
• When launched, Errditor automatically reads the current System alert tables (DSATs), makes a copy of them and displays the first alert of the first DSAT- which will usually be the "Welcome to Macintosh" alert. Use the "<<" and ">>" buttons to move across the alert tables. You may choose to see empty alerts and unreferenced procedures from the Options menu. The System will not be modified unless you select "Install into current System" and repeatedly confirm your command. It would be a good idea to close all open applications before installing to the System.
• There are two classes of objects in an alert: PRIVATE and SHARED. You can edit both of them, but shared objects are used in more than one alert and your changes will affect all of them. Text is usually private, while icons and buttons are often shared. Objects can't be shared across different DSAT's. Errditor can't currently make a copy of a shared object to make it private, but this may be implemented in future versions.
• Double-clicking on a text item brings up an edit dialog where you can type a new text for the alert. System alerts have a very primitive text formatting, so you'll have to type <Return> when you want a new line. There's currently a 255-character limit on the text length, which is due to the program and not to the system alert handler, but I don't think you'll ever have to write alerts with more than 255 characters. You can paste text directly in a text item if it's hilited.
• Double-clicking on an icon brings up an icon editor with simple drawing features. If you need a more complete editor, just use your own: select the icon, copy it, paste it in your icon-editing or painting program, modify it, and copy/paste it back. You may paste ICONs, ICN#s and PICTs on an icon (under system 7 you can copy a file's icon from the Get Info window and then paste it into the alert).
• Double-clicking on a button brings up a dialog with the button text and size. Note that the System always draws the text in the upper left corner of the button, regardless of its size. You may paste text direcly in a button if it's hilited.
• When moving objects, you may need to align them across different alerts. The "Show Markers" option displays a couple of movable lines that don't change their position when you move to another alert. Click on the small black squares and drag to move the lines. "Show bounds" displays a gray outline around the objects.
• Each system alert has two different button configurations: the first pops up when there's no resume procedure installed in the current application, the other comes out when a resume procedure has been defined. You may switch between the two configurations (which are usually identical, except for alerts that have a "Resume" button) with the "Resume" check box in the lower right corner of the window. The "Keep Normal & Resume in Sync" option (in the Options menu), which is on by default, allows you to modify both configurations at once. If you want to make the two configurations look different, just disable this option and work on each one separately.
• Programmers and expert users: alert procedures can be copied and pasted into ResEdit (as 'PROC' resources) to be decompiled and explored. Errditor has an Expert Mode that also allows you to paste back modified procedures or add your own procedures to alerts that don't have one. Since it's easy to mess up the System this way, Expert Mode is not immediately available as a menu command. Write me (and send your shareware fee) if you want to learn how to enter Expert Mode.
• VERSION HISTORY:
◊ 1.03 - Minor fixes.
◊ 1.02 - Minor fixes, never released.
◊ 1.01 - Added warning dialog and watch cursor during System installation.
◊ 1.00 - First final release.
• HAVE FUN! And don't forget to $$$ SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTION $$$ so that more cool utilities will see the light in the near future, at the low-low-low costs of shareware.
