New stacks made with HyperCard 1.2 should have a warning in the script to let people know it was created with 1.2. Script the stack this way:
on openStack
if the version <1.2 then
answer "this stack requires HyperCard¬
version 1.2" with "Continue" or "Go Home"
if it is "Go Home" then go Home
end if
end open stack
Here is a way to “zoom” directly to the point you want to work on in FatBits on a HyperCard graphic:
on mouseUp
wait until the mouse is down
choose pencil tool
click at the mouseLoc -- reference point for
-- FatBits
click at the mouseLoc -- erases the pixel just
-- made
doMenu FatBits
end mouseUp
Of course it would help if after returning to the screen from FatBits, the tool would revert to the browse tool. I haven’t figured out how to do that. But then, who needs it. Just use Command/Tab.
Changing button attributes is easy. Use the Message Box and type in this script to change the font:
set textFont of button "My Button" to "Font¬ Name"
Instead of My Button type in the name of your button, and instead of Font Name use the name of the font you want for the button name.
You can change size by typing in:
set textSize of button "My Button" to 14 -- or
-- whatever size is desired
To change style, simply type:
set textStyle of button "My Button" to Bold
-- or Italic, etc.
To change the alignment, type:
set textAlign of button "My Button" to right
-- or left, or center
(Thanks, NibbleMac.)
How about letting your "next" and "previous" arrows on your cards automatically repeat while the mouse is held down. Script a button like this to do it:
on mouseDown
repeat while the mouse is down
doMenu "Next" -- or doMenu "previous"
end repeat
end mouseDown
If you want to find text in HyperCard which contains two different text items, but which are not adjacent items, use the Message Box and type:
find "more less" -- where "more" and "less"
-- are the 2 different text items to be found
HyperCard will find any field on any card containing both words, even though they may be separated. The first word in the message box will be the one “boxed” when the Find locates an occurrence.
Something for everyone
Install ClipEdit DA when you use FullWrite Professional. Since FWPro doesn’t let you see the Clipboard, this will be your cure. As the name indicates, ClipEdit will also let you EDIT the contents of the Clipboard.
Try out the Magic Eraser in MacPaint 2.0? Draw a few squiggles. Now "Take Snapshot" under the File menu. Add a few more squiggles to your drawing. Select the eraser tool and hold down the Command key. Your eraser will now only erase things added since the last snapshot was taken. Once you understand the Magic Eraser, you will want to take frequent snapshots.
Be very careful not to accidentally force a second disk into an already-filled drive on the Mac II. It is sometimes hard to see whether the drive is occupied or not. The cost of repair will run from $160 to $200! No, I haven't done it yet.
Is Word Perfect as clumsy, unMaclike, etc. as some Mac people are saying? Bill Davies of Sacramento (CA) MUG says the company which made it makes a real difference. Word Perfect supplies unlimited free technical support, has a toll free line, works hard to fix bugs, returns phone calls and letters, returns example disks you send in, and updates frequently by Federal Express. If they listen to Mac users, they might amount to something, huh?
You can line up folders and files in a neat grid in your window by holding down the Command key while dragging each one. Hey, it’s in the manual!
Are some of your LaserWriter fonts less than perfect? One sign of a poor quality LW font is that line lengths don't stay WYSIWYG when you print out. There will be unpredictable gaps between words.
FullWrite Professional works with a lot of groaning on a one meg Mac. If you insist, throw away everything that takes RAM space, like INITs, CDEVs, cache, etc.
Let’s repeat this hint. It needs saying a whole bunch: To speed up your Mac, rebuild the desktop occasionally. Hold down the Command and Option keys while booting up. When your Mac asks if you want to rebuild the desktop, say yes. Oh, yes. Back up frequently.
Chain four LaserWriters together — each with a different color of toner. Now go get Turk International's Color Laser Press to link them up. Presto, you have color printout. The color press is $1500.
Do not use the zero slot for an FKEY. Apple Quick Connect warns that there is a bug.
When your mouse suddenly stops responding to double clicks in the Finder, reboot. Everything will be OK. Some programs like to reset the event mask, interfering with double-clicking. The reboot clears the reset for you. (Thanks, MadMacNews, Madison (WI) MUG.
If you want to open a folder temporarily (it will close when you leave the desktop and will not be open when you return), hold down the Option key while opening the folder.
Would you like a larger window for programs on the Mac II screen? Try holding down the Command key while dragging the grow box (lower right corner of window). Some programs will respond to this trick.
Ever get a "Disk Full" message when you really didn't want one? If you have DiskTop installed, you can get in there and move documents around without leaving your unsaved document. You can delete unneeded documents, or move some to a blank disk, making room for the Save you were attempting.
Having INIT or CDEV problems? Don Brown of CE Software says before you call the software company, open your System Folder, do a view by Name, print it out, and cross off all LaserWriter fonts. Have this list in your hand when you call. It will help the tech rep support person assist you. (Thanks, MacWeek.)
One of the handiest INITs since Suitcase is OnCue. If I tell you first that it is another minifinder, don't run away. Stick around. OnCue cleanly switches you from one application to another. It even switches you to a specific file within the application of your choice. It is fast, closes applications cleanly, and can be reconfigured "on the fly" from within any application. Try it with the OnCueDemo, which is making the bulletin board rounds. It took me five minutes to pick up the phone and order it. Now I can't do without it.
You can "lose" a document or folder in a window if there is a perfect overlap. Go to View by Name to make sure you haven't covered one up. (Thanks, MacOPen, from Pensacola Macintosh Group.)
To place text between grid lines in MacDraw, try using boxes instead of lines. You can always replace the boxes with anything you like (or nothing at all) when all the text is entered accurately.
Are you unsure what will happen if you misuse the words "System Folder?" Try this: Get New Folder from the File menu. Name if Junk Folder. Place the System and Finder inside it. Now reboot. Everything works fine, so this means you can shorten or change the name of the System Folder any way you want without penalty.
If you have a "loaded" System Folder, why not make a Storage Folder within the System Folder. Drag seldom used LaserWriter font icons, drivers for printers not currently in use, etc., into this Folder. When they are needed, drag them out and reboot. This saves a lot of clutter in the System Folder.
Here's another disk management idea. Remember how you trashed a document only to discover 10 minutes later that you need it? Why not place a Holding Folder next to the Trash can. Place items to be trashed in the Holding Folder. Only dump the Holding Folder's contents at the end of a session — unless you need to recover disk space before that time.
One unhappy Mac user screwed up his analog board by placing an ultrasonic dehumidifier close to the Mac. Lots of white mineral powder destroyed the board in less than three days time. Take heed.
Getting the Word (3.0X, that is)
To import a Word 3.0X document cleanly cleanly into Pagemaker, try a Save As… first in Word and assign a new name. This disables the Fast Save option, which screws things up.
If you like to print out letters on letterhead stationery with Word 3.0X, here's a handy way to figure how far down the page to start the text. Go to the top of the page. Choose Insert Graphics from the Edit menu. Stretch the resulting blank box down the page, watching the lower left corner of the screen as you pull. When the measurement is correct, return one and start your text on the next line. (Thanks, ClubMac of Monterey Journal.)
There are a bunch of ready-made styles in Word 3.0X. Word doesn't let you see them until they are needed. To take a peek, hold down Shift while you select Define Styles…. (Thanks, MacValley Voice, Burbank (CA) MUG.)
Desktop Publishing Goodies
Do you ever need to rotate text in Pagemaker? If you are tired of leaving Pagemaker to do it in MacDraw or some other such program, why not try the Canvas DA, which will let you rotate text without leaving Pagemaker.
I have seen several instances of faulty leading in MUG newsletters using Pagemaker 2.0a to manually "wrap" text around a graphic. To avoid this mistake, first click on the uppermost of the two text blocks. Drag a guide line down until it exactly covers the bottom line of the text block. Now click on the lower text block and drag it until its top text block line exactly covers the guide line you pulled down. Click away from the text blocks and you will see that your text is properly spaced.
Pagemaker 3.0 wraps text around graphics automatically.
While I am at it, if the last line of your story in Pagemaker has too much leading above it, place your cursor after the last character and hit Return once. Notice the difference in leading.
Don't forget to "Save As…" any Pagemaker document to skinny it down to a decent size. The other day I took a 308k Pagemaker 3.0 document down to 49k!
How can that be, you ask? The culprit in this case consisted of pages of graphics which were placed in Pagemaker and then cropped to a tiny portion of the entire page. Pagemaker dutifully remembers all that cropped off art — just in case you decide you want it later.
When you "Save As…" all that unused graphic is discarded. Even if you don't have this situation, try a "Save As…" anyway. Bet you save some space!
Sometimes you want to shrink or stretch text in Pagemaker. I'm talking about making it unnaturally wide or tall — not just changing point size proportionally. There are two ways to do this without leaving Pagemaker.
One is to use the DA Draw or Scribbler. Either one will let you type in a headline, then Cut or Copy it, Paste it into Pagemaker and stretch away.
The other idea is simpler. You must use SmartScrap — not Scrapbook. Type your text in Pagemaker. Cut or Copy it and Paste into SmartScrap. Immediately use the selection rectangle and Cut or Copy the text, Pasting it back into Pagemaker.
Now you can stretch to your heart's content. Remember, you must use the selection rectangle in SmartScrap. This turns your selection into a PICT. If you Cut or Copy the entire SmartScrap page, you get your text block back in Pagemaker, and it won't have handles for stretching. Just a plain vanilla text block.
