HandyMan is a Control (Desktop) Strip Module that displays a list of icons. These icons or aliases can be whatever you like. (Trash, Folder, Server, Applications, compiled Apple Scripts...)
System Requirements
Handyman should run on any Macintosh model and requires at least system 7.0 and Control Strip or Desktop Strip (version 1.1.1 or higher).
Make sure the “Finder Scripting Extension” is installed to work with folders and the trash...
If Drag Manager 1.1 is installed you can drag and drop documents on the applications, folders and trash icons in the strip. (System 7.5 has the Drag Manager included).
Should you have any trouble running HandyMan on your machine, please write to me with the full specifications of your machine.
How to use HandyMan
To configure the strip, you must make a folder “HandyMan Aliases” in the folder where HandyMan is or in your preference folder. To group icons it's allowed to make folders (only one level deep!) in this folder. (for more information see included picture)
Desktop Strip users should put this module into its own strip (folder) and use it to switch between applications and drag and drop documents onto the Icons to open them. It's much handier than aliases on the desktop because strips are never covered by windows.
The structured list of icons if used in can be horizontally or vertically arranged if used with Desktop Strip or just horizontal if used in Apple's Control Strip.
It allows you to easy start or switch between the applications by clicking their icons or dropping documents on the Icons.
If the popup arrow is hidden you can use Command click on the module to make it show it's menu and change the settings. (Hiding the arrow can be useful if the strip is vertically aligned.)
HandyMan has an option to pop-up the recent opened documents from an application. However for this option to work you must have the 'Apple Menu Options' control panel installed and 'Remember Recent used files' must be on.
It is allowed to put aliases to documents, folders, applications, servers and the Trash into the configuration folder. There are a few simple modifier keys that can be used. Option click on the trash will empty it and Option drop on a folder copies the files, otherwise they will be moved.
Use Apple Scripts, onto which you can drag and drop just like the Finder, to write any custom command you like to add to the strip.
About the program
Current version 1.0
This program is freeware, this means that you can copy it freely as long as you don't ask any more money for it than a nominal fee for copying. If you want to distribute this program you should keep this document with it. This program cannot be used for commercial purposes without written permission from the 'author'.
HandyMan has proven to be stable in everyday use. The author is not responsible for any loss of data, damages to software or hardware that may result directly or indirectly from the use of this program. The author reserves the right to make changes to the software or documentation without notice.
None of the files of the HandyMan package may be modified. Crunching or achieving is allowed only if none of the HandyMan files get modified by it.
Special permission is hereby granted to include HandyMan in Public-Domain libraries.
Permission is also granted to Men & Mice to include HandyMan in their Desktop Strip package.
About the Author
bugs, questions, or suggestions to:
Fido (home)
2:292/603.76
e-mail (home)
Bert.Wynants@p76.f603.n292.z2.fidonet.org
e-mail (work)
bwynants@eps.agfa.be
snail-mail:
Bert Wynants
Hogeheide 6
2260 Westerlo
Belgium
Program History
Version 1.0d0
•initial release
Version 1.0d1
•many thanks to Sigurdur Asgeirsson for helping on drag and drop.
•added custom Finder icon recognition
Version 1.0d2
•Added possibility to add Folders, Trashes and Documents
•Faster parsing of icons
•Retrieving Icons From Desktop DataBase
•Added menu item to show or hide popup arrow
•Added folders parsing in preferences folder, these can be used to group your applications
Version 1.0d3
•Aliases folder can now reside in the module's folder in a folder called “HandyMan Aliases”
Version 1.0b4
•renamed to HandyMan.
•Control Strip support added (although Desktop Strip works much better)
•each invocation of HandyMan has separate preferences.
Version 1.0b5
•No more crashing if Drag manager is not installed. (reported by Peter Frings)
•No more showing of invisible files. (reported by Peter Frings)
•better icons for desk accessories. (reported by Peter Frings)
•uses system icons for default icons...
Version 1.0b6
•Fixed bug for MacApp Applications, they accept a drop now without a program error...
Version 1.0b7
•Using Finder label now for coloring...
•Added an optional info Bar...
•Added an About Menu Item...
Version 1.0b8
•Fixed bug that messed up icon positioning if some configuration folders where empty
•Fixed bug that caused crashes with a very narrow info bar (reported by Petur Petursson and thanks go to Angela for "borrowing" here Mac)
•Fixed problem with aliases to documents or applications on other disks.
•They are now updated as soon as the Finder has mounted those volumes, if you are annoyed by the fact is shows a generic icon for a while, then give those files a custom icon...(reported by Petur Petursson & Peter Frings)
•Added Option Click on trash to empty it (Asked by Chris Bastiaens)
Version 1.0b9
•No longer gets to front when asked to empty the Trash
•Fixed bug that sometimes messed up Info bar (introduced in the 1.0b8)
•Fixed bug that sometimes caused the bar to get empty after an update icon list
•If scriptable finder is not installed, only applications are added (Sugg. Koen Van de Poel)
•Fixed problem with aliases to documents or applications on other disks if you have a lot of Disks connected, The fix from b8 only worked for 1 external disk.
•Fixed problem that sometimes caused the Icon List to become empty (reported by Petur Petursson)
•Added Recent Files popup to application (optional)
•Dropping files on an open application was broken in the b8 revision, it's fixed again.
Version 1.0b10
•Fixed recent files popup :-)
Version 1.0
•Really Fixed problem with aliases to documents or applications on other disks if you have a lot of Disks connected. A note on this one: as long as there are generic icons for documents or applications HandyMan watches Disk Inserts and tries to get the icons from the inserted disks. If you have apps or docks that really have a generic icon you better paste a custom icon onto them to stop HandyMan scanning inserted disks (although it won't heart watching the Disks)
known problems:
•dragging an icon from Handyman on a dragable window of the current application fails (drag manager bug). I didn't removed the Enable Drag From option because dragging an icon from handyman works very well if you stay in the strip, and can be useful to drop it onto one of the handyman icons.
•no error reporting for apple events.
At this moment I don't know how to receive the result of an apple-event in the module. This means if you drop something onto a folder and the file was already in that folder the move or copy won't work. When you copy you will see that the file doesn't disappear from it's original place. When you copy a file you won't see the copy progress bar from the finder.
ToDo:
•Use module name for aliases folder name (multi module in one strip)
