\pard\tx1140\tx2300\tx3440\tx4600\tx5760\tx6900\tx8060\tx9200\tx10360\tx11520\f4\b\i0\ulnone\fs24\fc0\cf0 What is this thing, anyway?\
\f0\b0 The concept of SndMount came to me on a
\f1\i shinkansen
\f0\i0 (bullet train) from Hamamatsu to Tokyo as I was going up to a NeXT User Group meeting. Since you can already personalize directories with a
\f2 .dir.tiff
\f0 file, my thought was that you should be able to personalize removeable media with a
\f2\fc1\cf1 .dir.snd
\f0\fc0\cf0 file. Accordingly, I wrote this program, which receives messages from the Workspace when removable media are inserted, searches for a file called
\f2\fc1\cf1 .dir.snd
\f0\fc0\cf0 and plays it. A "replay" panel is also provided in case you didn't catch the message the first time round.\
\f4\b\fc1\cf1 What use is it?\
\f0\b0\fc0\cf0 What practical uses (despite the subtitle of this Info panel) could this possibly have? At the User Group, we kicked the idea around, and we came up with the following possible uses:\
\pard\tx600\tx3440\tx4600\tx5760\tx6900\tx8060\tx9200\tx10360\tx11520\fi-580\li580\fc0\cf0 i) Software distributors could put a
\f2\fc1\cf1 .dir.snd
\f0\fc0\cf0 file onto the first distribution disk of a multi-disk set telling the user to "read the README file" or something similar\
ii) In an environment where removable media are sent around between members, internal messages such as "I need this disk back soon - 3.5" MO disks are expensive, you know" or "let me know what you think of Chapter 7" could actually be useful.\
\pard\tx1140\tx2300\tx3440\tx4600\tx5760\tx6900\tx8060\tx9200\tx10360\tx11520\f4\b\fc1\cf1 How it works and what it might do in the future\
\f0\b0\fc0\cf0 The program itself uses the Workspace messaging protocol and the Sound object. When the disk is unmounted, the Sound object is freed. This means that even a multi-disk Installer
\f2\fc1\cf1 .pkg
\f0\fc0\cf0 should be able to include a
\f2\fc1\cf1 .dir.snd
\f0\fc0\cf0 , as SndMount relinquishes any claims to the disk when the Workspace sends an
\f2\fc1\cf1 unmounted:
\f0\fc0\cf0 message to it. SndMount supports multiple removable media (floppies, ODs, CD-ROMs, etc.), but I haven't tested everything out, so you may find bugs.\
Future releases may use the SoundView object (depends if people feel if it's useful). Another potential enhancement would be to read the language preferences, and play the appropriate sound (
\f2\fc1\cf1 .dir.English.snd
\f0\fc0\cf0 , or
\f2\fc1\cf1 .dir.Swedish.snd
\f0\fc0\cf0 ).\
\f4\b\fc1\cf1 Disclaimers, etc.\
\f0\b0\fc0\cf0 This software is supplied on an "as-is" basis. No warranty for fitness of use, implied or otherwise, is provided with this software. All operation of this software is at the user's own risk, and the writer of this program and his employers cannot be held responsible for any damge or loss consequent on any failure of this program to perform as described.\
You are free to hack this software as required. I can't put the source code on an ftp site, and I pay for all e-mail, but I'll try and make the source code available if I can.\
Bug reports, chocolates, money, etc. to\
hashton@crestec.twics.co.jp\
Hugh Ashton\
Tel:+81-53-435-3553 \
Fax:+81-53-435-3356\
SnailMail:Crestec Inc., 676 Kasaishinden-cho,Hamamatsu-shi 431-31, Japan NextMail welcome