This file contains information about how to use Kelly's Player. You can use it as a quick reference if you ever get stuck on something or want to know what this or that does.
What is Kelly's Player?
A long long time ago, in a corporate office far far away, a Bill Atkinson wrote up the code for a program called HyperCard. That was in the late 1980's, shortly after the Macintosh was made. It was included with every computer and thus, the ordinary user could actually program. Ten years later, it's at version 2.4.1, and there is talk of a HyperCard 3.0. Some people even claim they've seen it, just like Elvis. However, two or three years after that, nothing has come out. And with MacOS 9, they haven't even included the HyperCard Player on the installation CD!
Anyway, Kelly's Player is here to fill that void, and whatever other void may come of it. Kelly's Player will open any HyperCard stack you can throw at it, even corrupted ones. Plus, it throws in a bunch of other stuff, too. Just download KHyX, put its folder in the same folder as Kelly's Player, and you instantly have access to even more stuff than before.
Installation
To install Kelly's Player, all you need to do is move the Kelly's Player program to the folder you keep your application programs in. That's it. No installer programs or complicated setup procedures.
System Requirements
System 7 or later (considering how ultra-modern everything is nowadays, EVERYBODY should have at least this).
At least 2MB memory (same thing as above).
256 colors or more
If any stacks use AppleScript, you will need AppleScript 1.1 or later.
If any stacks use QuickTime movies, you will need QuickTime 3.0 or later. MPEG files require the QuickTime MPEG extension. QuickTime VR files need QuickTime VR 2.0 or later.
Any stacks using speech synthesis need MacinTalk II, III, or Pro and English Text-to-Speech 1.5.
As you can see, Kelly's Player doesn't need very much. That's the great thing about HyperCard; EVERYONE can use it.
Using Kelly's Player
First, you will need to get some HyperCard stacks. That's easy to do, since they can be found everywhere (see the Links section). Then you can open Kelly's Player, select Open Stack from the File menu (either one, there are two), open one, and play around with it. That's all you do.
If you want a stack to open with Kelly's Player automatically when you double-click it, drop it onto the STAK-to-KPla program included with Kelly's Player.
Menus
I won't tell about the main menu bar at the very top of the screen, because most of the commands in the main menus are either self-explained or usually unused by the beginner. The information here will be for the tiny menu bar in the Kelly's Player window. Most of Kelly's Player's functions can be accessed entirely from these menus.
File Menu
Contains commands for opening files and quitting the program.
Open Stack...
Lets you open a HyperCard stack or Kelly's Software product.
Open Stack Safely...
Opens a stack without letting anything happen. This is useful getting stuff out of corrupt stacks that bomb the instant they do anything.
Quit Kelly's Player
Closes the player, just like in any other program.
Options Menu
Contains commands for selecting different options.
Browsing, Typing, Painting
Allow you to set the level of Kelly's Player's complexity. Browsing doesn't allow you to change anything in any stacks. Typing adds the ability to edit text. Painting adds the ability to edit graphics. Normally set to Painting.
Shortcut Keys for Painting
Allows you to press shortcut keys to do some graphics functions. Normally off.
Use Arrow Keys for Text Cursor
Allows you to move around while editing text by pressing arrow keys. Normally on.
Change User Name...
Some stacks use this setting to determine your name (although I have yet to see one). Comes preset as "Kelly's Player User," but you can use this to change it.
Edit Search Paths...
Whenever a stack looks for an application, document, or another stack, Kelly's Player looks through its list of folder paths to find it. Selecting this option opens a window to add or change the folder paths Kelly's Player uses. Use the left and right arrow keys or click the title bar of the window to change between stacks, applications, and documents.
More Preferences...
Works only if KHyX is installed. Opens up the HyperCard Preferences extension to change some more settings. Some options, such as Script Editor and Show Variable Watcher at Startup, require the full developer version of HyperCard.
Apple Menu
Contains shortcuts to some HyperCard stacks from Apple Computer. You may or may not have all of these.
HyperCard Help
Opens help for the entire HyperCard program.
Audio Help
Opens information for using audio.
Addresses
An address book with many features. (Whatever happened to Appointments, however, I have no idea.)
Graph Maker
Draws different types of graphs.
Art Bits
Tons of clip art images you can use for stuff.
Kelly's Software Menu
Contains shortcuts to some Kelly's Software products.
KHyX
Opens the help and settings for KHyX, if you have it.
Kelly's BASIC
Opens Kelly's BASIC, if you have it.
Graphin' Stuph Again
Opens the Graphin' Stuph Again graphing calculator, if you have it.
Number Theory
Opens the Number Theory stack, if you have it.
Special Menu
Commands in this menu are only available if you are using HyperCard of 2.5.
Open KHyX
Opens the help and settings for KHyX.
Run Script from Text File...
Allows you to select any text file and run the HyperTalk commands in it. This allows you to script repetitive tasks and do things that Kelly's Player doesn't already provide.
No Limits Message Box...
The message box in the development version of HyperCard can do anything you ask it to do. The message box in the player only lets you search for text and execute simple navigation commands. This thingy brings the power of the full-fledged message box to the player.
HyperCard Toolbar
Enables the toolbar for quick access to many commands.
Links
Believe it or not, there are a lot of individuals and even companies still using HyperCard, just because it is so easy to use it. Here are some web site addresses you can look at for information, help, HyperCard stacks, and many other things.
Kreative Korporation
http://kreativekorp.cjb.net
Has many HyperCard stacks available for download, including the KHyX, Graphinﾕ Stuph Again, and Number Theory programs mentioned, and any future versions of Kellyﾕs Player.
HyperActive Software
http://www.hyperactivesw.com
An excellent HyperCard web site with downloads, tips, success stories, virus protection information, etc.
Save HyperCard
http://www.savehypercard.com
A little web site with stack reviews, a stack and external command archive, a HyperNetwork, and some other things.
Info-Mac
http://www.info-mac.org
A huge archive of all sorts of Macintosh software. Look under DEV and then CARD to find HyperCard stacks.
International HyperCard Users Group
http://www.ihug.org
The official web site for the HyperCard booth at MacWorld.
Apple HyperCard Web Page
http://www.apple.com/hypercard/
Appleﾕs page on HyperCard, but itﾕs a little outdated.
HyperCard Newsgroup
comp.sys.mac.hypercard
The only newsgroup about HyperCard. If you have a question, usually youﾕll find the answer here.
Kellyﾕs Software Technical Support
support@kreativekorp.cjb.net
Any question related to Kellyﾕs Software products can be sent here. Youﾕll usually get a response within two or three days.
