Apollo version history

27th November 1992: shareware 1.0 release (Eagle 1.21, Converter 4.0, Localiser 1.0)
    • “active group” concept added: choosing group name launches
      all items in the group
    • folder dynamic submenus now work three or four levels deep
      (restriction imposed by Apple)
    • top-level folder submenus are saved at shutdown, so pop up
      much faster the first time after restart
    • added window-switching menu for the frontmost application,
      with its own popup modifier combination (yes, yet another)
    • application-switching menu now has submenus for each
      application containing their open windows (system 7 only)
    • added “groups at top/bottom” option for main menu
    • added “recently used applications” group
    • added 15-second timeout for auto-drop
    • optional icons in all menus (system 7 only)
    • system heap grow resource now updated as appropriate
      (may have been the cause of crashes in the past)
    • contains code to print registration form, better
      About… dialog and a little registration sermon
    • Eagle is now a system extension
    • Documentation is now in DOCMaker format
    • Added Gestalt registration and on/off switch
    • bug fixes:
        • keyboard switching now works under system 6 if menu
          font is not the system font
        • “Desk Accessories” now checked in switching menu
          when appropriate
        • doesn’t crash when system’s ‘scrn’ resource is missing,
          and handles invalid ‘scrn’ resources better (was
          causing funny depth & colour setting changes)
        • only sets sound level when needs to be changed
        • fixed conflict with BFD INIT when auto-drop on
        • folder and disk aliases no longer fail to open
        • various bugs which caused occasional crashes during
          configuration fixed
        • problem with sound volume settings fixed - it was a bug
          of quite amazing stupidity
        • problem with checkmarks and apple symbol in system font
          with non-Roman script fixed
        • crash when adding app to “excludes” list if system 6
          system folder opened in standard file dialog fixed
        • failure to open folders in folder submenus if not on
          startup volume
        • dynamic menu for folder containing only invisible items
          now appears as “empty”, not “no suitable items”
        • reversion of popup menus to 12 point after running
          some Microsoft and Claris programs
        • startup crashes when “icons in menu bar” set to “none”
        • failure to recognise “DA Handler” (system 6)
        • improved handling of low memory conditions (system 7)
        • crashes after application settings dialog
        • converter no longer removes Purge… menu command when
          updating from 0.8
        • finally fixed the conflict with SuperClock on a Plus
        • fixed a nasty when "Other document" launch fails because
          of insufficient memory

5th May 1992: 0.8b3 release (Eagle 1.1, Converter 3.2)
    • folders in the menus can now have dynamic submenus, updated
      as their contents change: however, these only work one 
      level deep for now
    • folder selection dialogs more closely follow Apple guidelines
    • changes made to screen depth by Monitors control panel and
      the like (DepthGauge) now immediately reflected in default
      depth setting (previously had to wait for restart)
    • better handling of Quit and Open in non-English systems
    • added “purge” menu command
    • Application settings dialog now shows whether an app has its
      own settings or not
    • bug fixes:
        • application switching menu now works under system 6
          (was destroyed in 0.8b2)
        • apps with menu metacharacters (‘(’, ‘/’ etc) in their names
          now inserted properly in app switching section of main menu
          (system 6 as well as system 7)
        • SE startup problem worked around
        • apple symbol restored on early Macs under system 6
        • conflict with TOM√INIT worked around (not Apollo’s fault)
        • default “open” folder can now be root folder under system 6
        • default application settings can now leave default “open” folder
          folder unchanged, as advertised

14th April 1992: 0.8b2 release (Eagle 1.1, Converter 3.1)
    • “auto-add” in DA part of configuration dialog now on by default
    • bug fixes:
        • moving a DA or an app with settings to another group
          no longer makes Apollo fail to load subsequently
        • style of new groups now as defined in preferences dialog
        • first-class documents now not disabled under system 6

8th April 1992: 0.8b1 release (Eagle 1.1, Converter 3.0)
    • “application settings”: each app can have its own screen depth,
      sound level, colour/b&w setting, default document (opened if no
      other document specified) and default “open file” folder
    • can now have “first-class” documents in main menu and groups
    • improved internal data structures: much reduced memory requirements
    • internal aliases for disks under system 7
    • when launching “other app”, holding option key down when
      app selected from dialog now brings up “other doc” dialog
    • in “set switching key” dialog, delete without modifier
      clears the key (sets to <none>)
    • not loaded at startup if shift key or mouse button held down
    • can now exclude DAs and extensions (notably CEIAC) from
      keyboard switching rota and app popup menu (system 7)
    • now better at finding “Quit” in app’s File menu (system 6)
    • if group name chosen from main menu and group contains item with
      same name, item is launched
    • can now have “Other…” and “Default” in document submenus
    • can draw the menu in any font and size
    • bug in Eagle fixed: Eagle now v1.1
    • bug fixes:
        • keyboard switching under 6 with DAs active now works all the time
        • serious problems with folder aliases fixed
        • fixed a bug which prevented opening of a folder when it
          referred directly to a disk
        • cosmetic bugs fixed:
            • in Configuration dialog for folders (happened when folder
              ID was very large)
            • in application switching part of preferences dialog under
              system 6 (non-colour QuickDraw)
            • when drawing small icons (configuration dialog arrows and
              menu bar icons)
        • apps with menu metacharacters (‘(’, ‘/’ etc) in their names
          now inserted properly in app switching section of main menu
        • fixed a problem causing crashes with old MacWrite under uniFinder
        • missing error messages under system 6 restored
        • bug when “renaming” app with submenu fixed
        • crash when adding a running DA to the menu fixed
        • can now add DAs from alias to DA file
        • fixed further conflicts with QUED/M
        • fixed (I think) a conflict with Type Reunion which was causing
          lots of crashes at random times in applications with font menus
        • fixed further bug in group rename dialog
        • fixed bug when deleting non-empty group and its entries

31st December 1991: 0.7b2 release (Eagle 1.0, Converter 2.0)
    • Eagle v1.0 introduced
    • includes application switching menu & keyboard switching
    • supports control panels and folders under system 7
      (with a little help from Eagle)
    • popup menu appears more rapidly when menu structure is complex
    • much improved configure dialog (again):
        • app & da dialogs merged: control panel and folder options added
        • “build group” option added (not folders)
        • popup menus everywhere!
    • holding down option key when choosing “Other application…” now
      allows selection of a document for the new application
    • Finder and MultiFinder now treated as applications,
      so can be included in menu and launched (no documents, though)
    • more robust handling of very low memory situations (was causing
      crashes, particularly with DarkSide)
    • much better handling of aliases
    • automatic menu drop-down added (ugh!)
    • active areas in menu bar can now extend right into corners:
      optional, as this causes problems with some other extensions
      and screen savers when auto drop-down enabled
    • bug fixes:
        • now doesn’t give error -192 when DA file is lost
          and then found again
        • conflict with Nisus macros & top-left corner fixed
        • problem with Finder not saving window positions or
          emptying trash under uniFinder fixed
        • group names longer than 31 characters now rejected:
          used to cause crashes
        • launches under pre-7 systems when DA is active now work
        • fixed (or rather worked around) a problem which caused crashes
          when certain applications (Red Ryder and QUED/M) were frontmost
        • fixed problems when moving items from a deleted group when
          items with the same name were already in the main menu
        • fixed problem with document list in configure dialog when app
          with document list was selected and moved to another group and
          the same app then added to the main menu (didn’t happen very often!)

8th November 91: 0.6b1 release (Converter v1.0)
    • now compiled under THINK C 5
    • better handling of low memory launches under system 7
    • documents from an app’s submenu now opened if app already running
    • optional icon at left of menu bar
    • active area at top left made larger
    • configure dialog changed to show groups under applications:
      also made more responsive
    • proper handling of DAs under system 7
    • nicer About box
    • groups can be renamed
    • bug fixes:
        • now works on Mac Plus/Classic under system 6
        • apollo submenu conflict with White Knight and some other apps
        • groups menu conflict with Type Reunion
        • menus with same IDs as Apollo’s lost colour info: now don’t
        • standard file current directory settings improved
        • groups and apps having the same name and app added after group
        • active rectangle in top right corner without icon there now works
        • aliases now resolved before launching
        • problem when item moved from group to main menu was new last
          item in main menu
        • conflict with ShortCut (changes not saved) fixed
        • pictures in Preferences dialog changed to PICT 1 format
        • Remove Document button in Configure Application dialog
          now disabled when new app selected

26th September 91: 0.5b1 release (first release)