Finder Alias Extensions Enabler is a system extension that enables two hidden (System 7.1 Pro or later) Finder features relating to aliases:
1. If you control drag an item, it will create an alias instead of moving/copying that item.
2. Reveal Original (R) menu item is added to the File menu: if you have an alias selected and choose Reveal Original, the folder that holds the original item is opened and the original item is selected.
Licensing
Finder Alias Extensions Enabler is being distributed as DropMeANote-Ware. Just send me a note and tell me how you feel about this software. For site licensing or commerical distribution, please contact me, and let's make a deal! Contact information for me is near the end of this document.
Publishers of collections of shareware and freeware software on book or disk may include Finder Alias Extensions Enabler if and only if the publisher sends me a copy of the book or disk collection at the address below, or makes other arrangements with me (I'm very reasonable).
Installation
Finder Alias Extensions Enabler requires System 7.1 Pro or later (I've tested it with System 7.5.1 as of the time of this release).
To install, just drop Finder Alias Extensions Enabler in your Extensions folder and reboot.
Holding the shift key down while Finder Alias Extensions Enabler is loading will disable the extension.
There is balloon help, in case you forget what Finder Alias Extensions Enabler does.
Hackers
If you wish to enable only one of the two features, just set/reset the corresponding bits in the 'Gslt' resource using ResEdit. Actually, this extension will set any arbitrary Gestalt selector/value pair (although the corresponding 'TMPL' resource is only set up for the two hidden Finder features); just add another 'Gslt' resource, the format of which is a list of (literal longint) selector / (longint) value pairs.
Release Notes
1.0.0 January 11th, 1996
First released.
Credits
I was skimming the Gestalt selectors list, and I came across these two hidden features of the Finder. I grabbed ControlDragEnabler from the info-mac archives, but that only implemented control dragging. After hacking it to enable both features, I decided that I wanted to implement it in a cleaner way. I wrote this extension in under an hour, complete with a resource ('Gslt') for the Gestalt selector/value pairs so that it can be modified trivially with ResEdit, in case Apple decides to add more hidden features in the future. I've been a bit under the weather lately, so I polished it up and released it to the world.
I would like to especially thank the following people: Rene G.A. Ros, for maintaining the Gestalt selectors list, which is where I first discovered these hidden features; Leonard Rosenthol and Anthonis DeRobertis for discovering the control dragging; Marco Piovanelli for discovering Reveal Original; and Jim Luther and Eric Slosser on the SmartFriends¬ Network who pointed out GestaltValue calls to me. Thanks, y'all!
About the Author
Who am I? Well, I like to tell people that I am an International Secret Agent and Swashbuckling Hero Extraordinaire, cleverly disguised as a computer science graduate student at the University of Arizona in Tucson (please don't blow my cover). In former times, I have been a Blue Meanie and a Speech Recognition Guy at Apple Computer, Inc., as well as a Phone Cop at AT&T Bell Laboratories. If you wish to reach me, here are my URLs:
mailto://nevin@CS.Arizona.EDU
usps://USA/AZ/Tucson/#1007/405 East Prince Road/85705-6154/Nevin ╥:-)╙ Liber
phone://011-01/1-520/293/2799
or, in case your Internet helpers don't support those:
Nevin ╥:-)╙ Liber
Sector Scan Software
405 East Prince Road, Suite 1007
Tucson, AZ 85705-6154
(520) 293-2799
nevin@CS.Arizona.EDU
Enjoy!
Nevin ╥:-)╙ Liber & Sector Scan Software
January 11th, 1996
The Fine Print:
Finder Alias Extensions Enabler is ⌐ 1995-1996 Nevin ╥:-)╙ Liber & Sector Scan Software; all rights reserved.
This is a legal agreement between you and Nevin J. Liber covering your use of Finder Alias Extensions Enabler. Be sure to read the following agreement before using the software. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, DO NOT USE THE SOFTWARE AND DESTROY ALL COPIES OF IT.
The software is owned by Nevin J. Liber and is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions. Therefore, you must treat the software like any other copyrighted material (e.g. a book or musical recording).
Commercial distribution of the software is restricted without permission of Nevin Liber. I am more than happy to allow you to distribute my software, but you must first have a license to do so. Contact Nevin Liber for details on obtaining a license.
You may not rent or lease the software, nor may you modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software. If you violate any part of this agreement, your right to use this software terminates automatically and you then destroy all copies of this software in your possession.
The software and related documentation are provided ╥AS IS╙ and without warranty of any kind and Nevin Liber expressly disclaims all other warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Under no circumstances shall Nevin Liber be liable for any incidental, special or consequential damages that result from the use or inability to use the software or related documentation, even if Nevin Liber has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
All trademarks are held by their respective owners.
This software is not designed or intended for use or resale as on-line control equipment in hazardous environments requiring fail-safe performance, such as in the operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or communication systems, air traffic control, direct life support machines or weapons systems in which the failure of the software could lead directly to death, personal injury, or severe physical or environmental damage ("high risk activities"). Nevin ╥:-)╙ Liber & Sector Scan Software specifically disclaims any express or implied warranty or fitness for high risk activities.
