(Please read this document using Times font and English version of SimpleText.)
1. What is AliasPalette?
“AliasPalette” is a utility program that helps you create alias files just by dragging and dropping.
I can easily make an alias using the “Make Alias” item of the Finder’s “File” menu. I feel, however, a couple of inconvenient points.
1) I can create an alias only at the same place of the original item.
2) Finder always adds “alias” suffix to the alias file name.
I don’t think it makes sense to create an alias at the original location. I drag it into the target folder in which the alias should reside. At that time, I think the “alias” suffix is unnecessary and edit its name to the original one. I felt it annoying and I wanted some shortcut such procedures. That was the reason “AliasPalette” was born.
There are many guys, however, who have thought same things and Apple Computer itself had prepared the solution in secret. Using this hidden function, you can make aliases just by dragging an icon while holding a control key. There are several extensions that reveal this secret. I’ve already gotten the solution exactly I want.
Should I stop writing the program already in working order? Then AliasPalette had to go its own way so that it can offer several advantages to the users:
1) You can register up to five folders in which your aliases can be located.
2) When you make an application alias across the volume by control + dragging, you cannot drag and drop documents on it properly but an alias made by AliasPalette will work fine.
On the other hand, control + dragging offers fewer procedures than AliasPalette. Choose either way you like.
2. How to use it?
2.1. Basic operation
Launch AliasPalette and drag a file you want to make its alias from a Finder’s window and drop it into the AliasPalette window’s white rectangle area. (I will call it “Icon Palette” hereafter.) Otherwise, launch AliasPalette by dropping a file you want to make its alias onto the AliasPalette icon under the Finder.
Then the dropped icon appears in the Icon Palette. Drag the icon again and drop it into a folder you want to locate the alias. Now the new alias comes out. That’s all.
2.2. Rename alias
When an icon is on the Icon Palette, you can also see its file name in another white rectangle below the Icon Palette. (I will call it “Text Palette” hereafter.)
You can rename the alias file as you like by editing this Text Palette. When you will make a new alias, the newly named alias will appear.
2.3. Trash alias
Drag an icon into the Icon Palette and drop it onto the Trash icon lower-right corner of the AliasPalette window. Then the icon will disappear.
2.4. Drop icon onto the pre-registered folders
AliasPalette prepares System Folder, Apple Menu Items and Startup Items of your Macintosh. These three folders are located in at the bottom of the AliasPalette window. If you drop an icon onto these folder icons, its alias will be created in the each folder of your Macintosh.
Tip: If you double-click an icon of the prepared folders, then the substance of the folder will be opened.
2.5. Registering Folders
AliasPalette reserves two unregistered folders when shipped. You can register your own folders into the places. Otherwise, drag an already registered folder, drop it onto the trash and make it dim. Then you will be able to replace with your own folder.
To register a folder, drag a folder that you want to register from Finder and drop it onto the dimmed folder.
Note: You cannot drag a registered folder onto Finder window.
2.6. Limitation
Unfortunately, AliasPalette can operate only one file at a time. Though you drag and drop a couple of icons onto the AliasPalette, it accepts the last-dropped one. Handling several icons requires far greater programming skills than the author has.
3. Are there any thing it does?
3.1. Settings on the Preferences Dialog
You can choose several options of AliasPalette on the preferences dialog. To open the preferences dialog, select the “Preferences...” item from Palette menu. Otherwise click the text upper-right corner of the AliasPalette window. Choose any of your setting as you like on the dialog.
3.1.1. Trash the icon after its alias was created.
AliasPalette keeps the icon whenever you make its alias unless you trash it in default.
You can change the condition to trash the icon after creating its alias unless holding the option key.
Set the radio button of “Icon staying option” from “Stay always unless trashed” to “Stay when option key is held.”
3.1.2. Add “alias” suffix to the alias file name
AliasPalette keeps the original file name when it makes alias file in default. This is the author’s aim of AliasPalette. (It adds “alias,” though, when you drop an icon in a folder that contains its original file name.) Some users, however, may want to distinguish aliases from originals by file name. Such users can choose this option.
Set the radio button of Alias name option from “Keep original name” to “Add alias suffix.” At this setting, the suffix text item will be enabled and you can edit the alias suffix as you like.
3.1.3. Sound Effects
You hear a “click” sound when you click the mouse in default. If you want to turn the sound off, set the “Sound on Click” check box of “Sound effects” to off.
In addition, if you have installed Speech Manager, you can hear a short message on About dialog. Use the Speak on About check box of “Sound effects” to make it active. If you haven’t installed Speech Manager 1.4 or greater, this check box doesn’t work.
3.1.4. Drag Hilite Color
When you drag an icon into the AliasPalette, you see a color frame around the “Icon Palette.” You can change this color. Though it does not provide any of practical use, don’t you think it’s a fun to have your own color?
To determine your color, click the rectangle of “Drag hilite color.” Then a color-picker dialog appears. Choose a color as you like using this dialog.
3.2. Make the palette window small
Clicking the zoom box of the title bar or selecting the “Toggle Zoom” item of the Palette menu makes the Palette window small. In case you drag an icon on the small-sized Palette window, it automatically restores the original size. I recommend you to make it small when you don’t use AliasPalette.
3.3. About window
Choose “About AliasPalette...” of the Apple menu or click AliasPalette logo of the upper-left corner of the AliasPalette window. Then the about window will appear.
Clicking anywhere except the AliasPalette icon will make the about window disappear.
Tip:
If you installed the English Text-Speech version 1.4 or greater and select a MacinTalk2 or 3 voice, try to click the AliasPalette icon in the about window. A simple self-introduction text will be read out. It requires Speech Manager 1.4 or greater.
4. What is the difference from Control + Dragging?
First, here I describe how to reveal the hidden Finder function that enables making aliases by control + dragging. As far as I know, the following four extensions do this beautiful work.
• AliasDragger™
by Leonard Rosenthol
<info-mac/gui/alias-dragger-10.hqx>
• ControlDragEnabler
by Anthony DeRobertis
<info-mac/gui/control-drag-enabler.hqx>
• Finder Extensions Enabler
by Nevin “:-)” Liber
<info-mac/gui/finder-extension-enabler-11.hqx>
• Hidden Finder Features
by Richard Burgess
<info-mac/gui/hidden-finder-features-102.hqx>
You can find those extensions in the Info-Mac Archive. I strongly recommend the Hidden Finder Features because it is a control panel and you can turn several features on or off.
Installing either extension, we can create aliases just by dragging and dropping while holing a control key and most of our problems will be solved.
However, Finder still works insufficiently using the extensions above mentioned. When you make an alias across different volumes (or drive, in other word), Finder would not do a job it should do. For instance, when you make an alias from your MacWrite II application in the “HD Vol1” to “HD Vol2” by control + dragging and then drop a SimpleText document onto the alias icon, the alias does not accept the document.
AliasPalette avoids this problem by registering needed information into the desktop data base when it makes application aliases.
Still Finder has a negligence, though. When you rebuild the desktop, the registered information will be lost and, again, the alias will become to refuse dragging and dropping you expect. But it is OK. You will have a great solution.
• Alias Dragon
by James W. Walker
<info-mac/disk/alias-dragon-13.hqx>
When you drop an icon of a volume onto the Alias Dragon icon, it then checks whole the volume and fixes the desktop so that all the aliases will work properly.
AliasPalette can also fix this problem when you drag and drop the problematic alias into “Icon Palette” of AliasPalette. It then checks the desktop and tries to fix it.
Note 1:
AliasPalette does not fix floppy disk desktops. Alias Dragon neither.
Note 2:
When you drag and drop an alias onto the AliasPalette icon under the Finder operation, system passes the original instead of alias over AliasPalette so that AliasPalette cannot recognize which desktop the alias belongs. If you wish AliasPalette to fix the desktop, drop an alias into “Icon Platte” of AliasPalette after launching it.
When you find the alias does not work yet though AliasPalette properly fixed the desktop, try once close the folder in which the alias resides and reopens it. In case even though it does not work yet, the desktop should be damaged. In such case, try rebuilding the desktop and use Alias Dragon or AliasPalette again.
5. Known but unsolved problem
You cannot drop an icon from AliasPalette onto a folder alias in a Finder window. It is not my fault but Macintosh Drag and Drop does not allow me to do so. I have no idea to solve it, sorry.
6. On what Macintosh does it work?
Hardware:
AliasPalette is a FAT application. It runs in native code both on 68K Macs and Power Macs.
On 68K Macintoshes, AliasPalette requires Macintosh II or greater, more precisely, Macintoshes that have 68020 processor or greater.
MacOS System Software:
AliasPalette requires System 7.5 or greater, more precisely, Scriptable Finder and Macintosh Drag and Drop.
To hear a self-introduction read-out, Speech Manager 1.4 or greater is needed.
Required Memory Size:
Default required size of AliasPalette is set to 256K bytes. If you use a Power Macintosh and turn virtual memory off, it may require more than 300K bytes. If you use a 68K Macintosh, however, 128K is large enough. Adjust memory size according to your environment using “Get Info” window of Finder.
7. How much does it cost?
AliasPalette is a freeware program. You can use it without any charge. You can also copy it and distribute it for personal use without permission of the author.
Note that the author reserves all copyrights of AliasPalette. Under the copyright laws, the author prohibits the following manners.
• To use AliasPalette for commercial purposes such as selling and lending without the author’s permission.
• To modify or revise AliasPalette without the author’s permission.
The author’s request:
• If you distribute AliasPalette through a commercial network, please inform the author either beforehand or afterwards.
• If you wish to include AliasPalette into a CD-ROM disc for selling, please contact the author beforehand. The author will be glad to agree with your request in most cases.
• Always attach this document when you distribute AliasPalette.
The author does not require any compensations when you use AliasPalette. However, any of returning thanks will be appreciated. E-mails, post cards or any tiny gifts will greatly encourage the author.
8. Where to send requests or bug reports?
Please send your messages to the following address via e-mail or traditional mail.
E-Mail Address:
Internet: rokkaku@inetc.roland.co.jp
NIFTY-Serve: PXL01437@niftyserve.or.jp
Posting Address:
Fumio Rokkaku
296-38, Aoi-cho
Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
JAPAN Postal Code 433
Also, visit my web site and get other freeware products.
<http://www.inetc.roland.co.jp/~rokkaku/>
9. Development Environments
Machine: Macintosh IIvx with DayStar Turbo 040
MacOS: System 7.5.5 and Japanese Language Kit 1.2
Compiler: Metrowerks CodeWarrior 11
10. Revision History
Version 1.2.9: February 13, 1997
Maintainance release that removed minor problems on file select dialog.
Version 1.2.8: November 2, 1996
Fixed a button conflict when Aaron or BeView is installed.
Version 1.2.7: July 8, 1996
Fixed a bug that does not accept a direct icon dropping onto a registered folder.
Version 1.2.6: May 26, 1996
Fixed a problem that cause errors when plain-white icon
and/or several types of file are dropped.
Version 1.2.5: May 12, 1996
Fixed a problem that an application made in a different volume would not accept
proper dragging and dropping
Changed a method of adding custom icon from asking Finder to doing AliasPalette itself.
According to this change, the process will not change to Finder when creating an alias.
Fixed a bug that causes a bus error on several kinds of Macintoshes.
Version 1.2.0: April 18, 1996
Added a feature that shows registered folder path name.
Increased the number of registering folders to five.
Fixed two serious problems that occur when AliasPalette is launched
by dragging and dropping from Finder:
1. When a folder is dropped, version 1.1 shows some AppleEvent error alert.
2. When a file is dropped, version 1.1 automatically creates its alias
in the System Folder.
Fixed a bug that refuses to register folder aliases.
Version 1.1.0: April 6, 1996
Added a feature that the user can register folders.
Extended preferences dialog parameters.
Fixed a bug that hasn’t checked required Speech Manager version on Power Macs.
Improved a problem that sometimes fails adding custom icon to a new alias.
Version 1.0.1: January 23, 1996
Fixed a bug that errors edit menu commands.
Version 1.0.0: January 21, 1996
The first release
11. Special Thanks
I would like to express my thanking to Koichi Takeda (PXL05705@niftyserve.or.jp). He gave me many technical helps and suggestions and he also helped as a beta tester.
Many thanks to Takenori Kabeya (GBH06222@niftyserve.or.jp) for his suggestions. He pointed out the dragging and dropping problem across different volumes and gave me useful information to solve it.
Also many thanks to Richard Burgess (rickb@intellinet.com.) He gave me a lot of suggestions, tips and even the source codes including Hidden Finder Features. Great guy!
Thanks also for members of NFTY-Serve Macintosh Programming Forum. I could not solve several problems I had met without their helps.
I wrote AliasPalette under the influence of a product called DragStrip™ from Natural Intelligence, Inc, which is a great launcher utility using Macintosh Drag and Drop.
