To select a file or folder, just click on its name in the list of files. If you select a folder, its contents will automatically appear in the file list immediately to the right, sliding all the file lists to the left to make room if necesary. Your current selection is displayed at the bottom left of the window. You can select multiple files at once by holding down <shift> while clicking. Double clicking on an entry in the file list will open the selected files or folders just as if you were in the Finder.
To move back up through the folder hierarchy, click on the title box above one of the file lists. If you click and release quickly, the file lists will slide to the right one position. If you hold the mouse down, a menu will pop up letting you choose how far you want to move up the folder structure. When you release the mouse, the file lists will slide right repeatedly until the folder you chose has moved to the position from which you chose it.
The row of icons at the top of the window and the trash icon at the lower right act as "bookmarks", letting you jump quickly to a file or folder that you use frequently. To add a new bookmark, drag the icon from the lower left of the window and drop it on one of the unoccupied positons at the top. You can move or delete a bookmark (except the Desktop and Trash) by dragging it to a new position or away from the top row. Clicking once on a bookmark will reset the file lists, displaying the bookmark file or folder in the left-most file list. Double clicking on a bookmark will open the corresponding file or folder.
If you drag the icon from the lower left of the window onto a folder bookmark, the Browser will move the selected files into that folder. In particular, this lets you move files to the trash. If you hold down the option key while dragging, the Browser will copy the files instead, just like in the Finder.
Most of the functions of the Browser are available via the keyboard. You can jump quickly to a file in the active file list by typing the first few letters of its name, and you can move around the file lists using the four arrow keys. The only change from using the mouse is that the file lists will not automatically slide left when you select a folder in the right-most file list. In such a case, pressing the right arrow will slide the file lists left and display the contents of the selected folder. Similarly, if you are in the left-most file list and press the left arrow, the file lists will slide right to display the parent folder. Alternatively, pressing <esc> will also slide the file lists right by one position. Pressing <delete> will move the selected files to the trash, and pressing <return> will open the selected files.
PREFERENCES:
⁄ Show Invisible Files
When this box is checked, the Browser will show files that have their invisible bit set. Such files, which include desktop databases, custom folder icons, and the famed "AppleShare PDS", do not appear in Finder windows. Note that you cannot move, copy, or trash these files.
⁄ Confirm <delete> Key
When this box is checked, the Browser will put up a caution alert whenever you hit the <delete> key to move a folder to the trash. This is in case you press <delete> by accident. Although such mistakes can easily be undone by dragging the files out of the trash, it can be disconcerting to have your files magically disappear from their folder.
⁄ Slide Right Automatically
As you know, if you click on a folder in the right-most file list, all the file lists will slide left to make room for the subfolder. If you check this box, then the Browser will behave similarly when you click on a file in the left-most file list, sliding all the file lists right to make room for the parent folder. Some people prefer this as an alternative to clicking on a folder title box to move up through the folder heirarchy, while others find it confusing.
⁄ Display Splash Screen
When this box is checked, the Brower will put up its about box for two seconds when you launch it. This is as close as I get to the proverbial "Annoying Shareware Message".
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTONS:
Q: Could you put in a quick way to open the Browser, such as a menu bar icon or hot key?
A: No, since I do not want to patch the system or run in the background. However, if you use the shareware control panel "AppDock", it will open the Browser automatically if you hold down the option key while clicking on the AppDock tile in the dock. Another solution is to put the Browser (or an alias) in your Apple Menu Items folder.
Q: Can I change the font used in the Browser window?
A: Yes. The Browser uses the same font that the Finder uses in its windows and on the desktop. You can change this font with the "Views" control panel.
Q: Can I change the background color in the Browser window?
A: Yes again. The Browser uses the same background color as Finder windows. This is usually white, but you can change it using my shareware control panel, "Greg's Buttons".
Q: The Finder seems to think that the Browser is a control panel. Should I put it in the Control Panels folder? Doesn't that make it more conflict-prone?
A: Yes, the Browser is implemented as a control panel, but it does not actually control anything. It does not patch the system, nor does it need to be loaded at startup. There is absolutely no reason to put it in the Control Panels folder, and it will be much more useful if you leave it on your desktop or put in your Apple Menu Items or Startup Items folder. The reason the Browser is a control panel is so that it can seamlessly blend in with the rest of the Finder, and control panels are the only documented and Apple authorized way of opening up a window within the Finder.
Q: Those mini-icons are great! Can I design my own?
A: If you ask, I'll e-mail you a mini-icon editor that you can use with ResEdit. Send me your mini-masterpieces. I'll put them in the Browser if I like them.
SHAREWARE:
Greg's Browser is shareware; it is NOT free. If you use it regularly for more than two weeks, you should complete the enclosed registration form and send it to me with your payment of US$10 or UK£6. You can also register online using CompuServe. Just type "GO SWREG".
I understand if you have trouble converting foreign currencies, are an impoverished student, or have trouble dealing with your company's bureaucracy, and if that is the case, then just try your best. From my previous experiences, I estimate that about 1 in 20 people registers the shareware that (s)he uses regularly, perhaps much less, so if you have ever wanted to rise above the rest of humanity, here is your chance!
I do not send out announcements of new versions, nor will I send you a floppy disk with the latest update. Please do not give me a disk and then complain when I do not respond. Sorry to sound so mean, but I'm a Ph.D. student in mathematics, not a software publisher. Although it does not seem like a big deal to mail a postcard or copy a floppy disk, it becomes a pain to have to do so for several people every day, particularly when I'm preparing for exams or writing a thesis. Also, the time I spend trying to run a business detracts from the time I spend programming.
On the other hand, I respond to nearly all e-mail, and I will e-mail a copy of the latest version in stuffit/binhex format to anybody who e-mails me a request. Unfortunately, the file is too big for the America Online e-mail gateway.
Please note that although I plan to release new versions with significant enhancements and will attempt to fix problems that are brought to my attention, there is no guarantee that I will continue to support this product indefinitely. You should register because you think the copy currently sitting on your hard drive is worth the money, not in the expectation that I will fix the bug that is annoying you. If you have a complaint about this version, or worry that it might not support System 7.6.4 with QuickStep, AppleSeed, A.R.G.H., and PowerLunch, please do not register until I have addressed your concerns. In the interim, you can always drop me a note telling me what those concerns are and letting me know that you care.
DISTRIBUTION:
This software may be distributed via the InterNet archives, online services such as CompuServe, America Online, or AppleLink, user groups, BBSs, and informal transfers between friends. Any other means of distribution, such as including it on a CD-ROM, bundling it with a book or magazine, or selling it as a commercial shareware/public domain software distributer, requires the written consent of the author. Whenever this software is distributed, it must be distributed unaltered and as a complete package, including the registration form and this documentation file in full. Charges for distributing this software must not exceed a reasonable downloading cost or the price of the medium on which it is distributed.
DISCLAIMER:
Use this software, Greg's Browser, at your own risk. The author, Gregory D. Landweber, makes no claims as to the fitness of this software for any particular purpose other than taking up about 80k on your hard disk. The author's liability in case of damages caused by use or misuse of this software is limited to one tall glass of freshly pressed melon nectar, or the cash equivalent thereof. Don't sue!
