DropURL lets you store URL bookmarks as icons in the Macintosh Finder. They can be arranged simply and hierarchically in folders, put in your Apple menu, or even used as startup items.
DropURL requires Internet Config 1.2 or later, and KeyQuencer 1.2 or later is desirable.
Creating a DropURL document
There are three ways to do this. DropURL’s documents are simply text files with a url in the standard format inside them. If you opened one of the documents with SimpleText it would look like this:
Method 1, manual.
So, you can open a URL by dragging a TEXT file containing the URL on to the DropURL application. It will then ask Internet Config, version 1.2 or later, to get the correct helper application to get that URL for you.
Additionally, DropURL will change the signature of the file to its own so that next time you’ll only need to double-click the URL file to open it. (Be careful you don’t do this to text files without meaning to). You may need to close and open the folder to see the icon change.
Method 2, using a KeyQuencer extension.
I use the fabulous shareware keyboard macro package called KeyQuencer. Rather than write yet another extension that patches GetNextEvent, I’ve provided a KeyQuencer extension that creates a DropURL file containing whatever text you’ve just copied to the clipboard.
Put the SaveURL extension inside your KeyQuencer Extensions folder (usually in the System Folder) and re-boot. You’ll see this icon if it loads, but don’t worry there are no patches:
To set up the keystroke to execute this extension, open the KeyQuencer control panel and make a macro like this:
The most basic form is just to invoke the extension:
In this case you’d copy the URL from wherever you saw it, for example by holding the mouse down on a link in Netscape, then hit your hot key (F14 in the example above), you’ll then be asked where to save the DropURL file:
Give your URL a meaningful name and save it where you want. KeyQuencer can be used to grab URLs in more interesting ways, for example you can simply select a URL and have a macro that does the copy for you.
Method 3, using an AppleScript
The well known scriptMeister Alastair Rankine, has contributed an AppleScript called “Save Clipboard URL”.
I’ve supplied both the source and a run-only version. This script prompts you for a file to save the current contents of the clipboard to. You would probably execute it from your script menu (made with the OSA menu extension).
You need some extra pieces to use this AppleScript:
Both SaveURL (when it creates the file) and DropURL (when it changes the file’s signature) also put the URL in the Finder’s comment field for your convenience. This means you can see the URL by doing a Get Info in the finder:
Note that although System 7.5.3 and greater maintain the finder comment field across desktop file re-builds, I still don’t think it’s the right place to keep the actual data.
I feel a bit funny even working on this project as I’ve started trying the CyberDog beta releases. CyberDog, the collection of internet OpenDoc parts gives you total control over your URLs. They can be dragged about, dropped in the Finder, embedded in documents, and stored in a great notebook.
So, this is just an interim measure until everyone has CyberDog.
Thanks to: Alastair Rankine, Phil Mills, George Bray, and the other testers.
