This document briefly outlines new features and enhancements that have been added to Switch-It. For more detailed instructions and information, please refer to the document entitled "Read Me".
Release Notes for Version 3.1 - June 29, 2000
Improvements
• Added more extra keys:
- Switch to the next application (standard and auto-hide) in launch order.
- Switch to the next application (standard and auto-hide) in alphabetical order.
- Switch to the next application (standard and auto-hide) in front to back order.
• Simplified the user interface: the Quit and Show/Hide features are now always enabled.
• Added a menu command in the control panel, to turn on and off the Mac OS 8.5 built-in Application Switcher (previously a stand-alone application called "Toggle Application Switcher").
• Included an "unpolished" Japanese version.
Release Notes for Version 3.0 - March 15, 2000
New Features
• Implemented a set of extra, customizable shortcut keys, used to perform directly (without displaying any dialog window on the screen) some often-used actions:
- Open Switch-It's Control Panel.
- Open the Finder's About window.
- Quit all applications, but the Finder.
- Quit all applications, but the frontmost one and the Finder.
- Hide all applications, but the Finder.
- Hide all applications, but the frontmost one and the Finder.
- Hide the frontmost application.
- Hide other applications (all but the frontmost one).
- Show all applications.
- Switch to the next "pending" application (standard and auto-hide).
- Switch to the next application (standard and auto-hide).
- Switch to the Finder (standard and auto-hide).
• Allowed certain applications to be excluded from any global actions involving quitting or hiding all running applications, using a user-defined exclusion list.
• Implemented more sophisticated "conceal-all" and "display-all" features, parallel to the "kill-all" feature.
Improvements
• Extended the "auto-hide switching" feature, which can now be chosen among two "strategies":
- hide the front application then switch to the selected application, or
- switch to the selected application, then hide all the other applications.
• Added the detection of "pending" applications (applications in the background which have put a diamond mark next to their name in the Application system menu, to attract the user's attention). Such applications are now visually identified in the switching window, and can also be automatically selected by default.
• Allowed direct selection by keypad numbers among the first ten applications.
Release Notes for Version 2.1 - October 21, 1999
Improvements
• The control panel is now theme-savvy when the Appearance Manager is available.
• Provided a stand-alone application to toggle on and off the key combination (Command-Tab by default) used by the Mac OS 8.5 built-in Application Switcher, as it interferes with Switch-It's own default.
New Features
• Added an extra shortcut key ('A') to temporarily toggle the auto-hide switching feature.
Bug Fixes
• Fixed the handling of shortcut keys when the keyboard layout is non-roman (Japanese Kana, Hebrew, etc.).
Release Notes for Version 2.0 - June 1, 1999
New Features
• Introduced two long-awaited features: "Auto-Hide" and "Hide-on-Request":
- Added a new pop-up menu in the control panel to set the auto-hide activator, in addition to the standard one.
- Added a new "Hide" shortcut key ('H'); marks the selected application to be hidden/shown, in a toggle way.
• Added a new "Select Front" shortcut key (return).
• Added a new "About Memory" shortcut key ('M'); opens the Finder's About window.
• Added shortcut keys to simulate the selection of the top items of the "Application" menu: "Hide Front" (F1), "Hide Others" (F2) and "Show All" (F3).
Improvements
• Added a visual feedback (display of a text string) for direct action shortcut keys: "Open Control Panel", "Reveal in Finder", "Open Info Window", "About Memory", and "Hide Front", "Hide Others", "Show All".
• In the switch window, hidden applications are now displayed with their name and icon dimmed.
• The current tabbed panel is now memorized between openings of the control panel.
Release Notes for Version 1.9.6 - April 3, 1999
Bug Fixes
• Used new Icon Services when available (Mac OS 8.5): fixes problem of Finder icon changing to generic.
Improvements
• Added choice of text spacing: condensed, regular or extended.
New Features
• Added a shortcut key ('I') to open the Finder information window of the application selected in the switch window.
Release Notes for Version 1.9.5 - February 13, 1999
Bug Fixes
• Fixed a nasty bug that would cause a system crash when displaying the icon of some applications launched in background from another application.
New Features
• Added a shortcut key ('R') to reveal in the Finder the application selected in the switch window.
Release Notes for Version 1.9 - November 14, 1998
New Features
• Added the possibility of using system colors (Appearance Manager, etc.) instead of custom colors in the switch dialog.
• Added a shortcut key ('O') to automatically open the control panel from the switch dialog.
Release Notes for Version 1.8 - September 29, 1998
New Features
Introduced two long-awaited features:
• Front to back ordering of applications, in addition to system (launch) ordering (default for previous versions) and alphabetical ordering.
• Icon list view mode.
Release Notes for Version 1.7 - September 3, 1998
Improvements
• Revamped the control panel's dialog, using tab panels.
• Used Internet Config to automatically send e-mail or open Web location from the control panel.
Bug Fixes
• Fixed a small memory leak, whenever a quit request was sent to a running application.
Release Notes for Version 1.6.3 - August 22, 1998
New Features
• Added a new "Select Finder" shortcut key ('F').
• Added a new "Kill All" shortcut key ('K').
Other Improvements
• Updated documentation.
Release Notes for Version 1.6.2 - July 28, 1998
Bug Fixes
• Fixed the problem of loss of hot keys in all applications.
Other Improvements
• After dismissing the switching dialog, no more blinking effect occurs in the frontmost application window.
Release Notes for Version 1.6.1 - July 14, 1998
New Features
• Added the possibility of allowing any unused key to act as a cancel key.
• Added the possibility of preventing the Finder to be quitted.
Bug Fixes
• Fixed a potential problem at start-up time.
Other Improvements
• More stable, robust code.
Release Notes for Version 1.6 - April 27, 1998
Bug Fixes
• Added a work-around to fix loss of hot keys in some applications.
• Fixed redraw when balloon help over switching window.
• Positioning of dialog window is adjusted whenever screen resolution changes.
Other Improvements
• Added balloon help in control panel.
• Added OK button in About dialog.
• Improved the auto-step mode.
Distribution
• New conditions: Switch-It may NOT be included on any CD-ROM or floppy collection without the author's prior knowledge and express written permission (more details in "Read Me").
Release Notes for Version 1.5 - September 16, 1997
Bug Fixes
• Fixed the problem of missing application icons in switch window, specially on removable media.
Other Improvements
• Application name is truncated with ellipsis, when it is too long to fit in the switch window.
• Key "1" (on a US keyboard) added to the list of possible cancel keys.
Release Notes for Version 1.4.3 - August 5, 1997
Bug Fixes
• In Switch-It Control Panel dialog, the Color Picker doesn't crash any more in Mac OS 8, while setting the text or background colors. These colors are also displayed more accurately in all possible screen color depths.
Other Improvements
• There is no more ungraceful white border in the switch window.
• Switch-It animated icon is displayed faster at start-up time.
• Some dialog items have been relabeled and resized in the Control Panel.
Release Notes for Version 1.4.2 - July 20, 1997
First Public Release
*Warning*
• The version number at the end of the control panel's file name has been dropped soon after version 1.4.2. Now, under the improved naming scheme, a new version simply overwrites the previous one. In case your last installed version is "Switch-It 1.4.2", don't forget to throw (or hide) it away before installing the new version.
Copyright 1996-2000 Michel MARIANI <mikaeru@worldnet.fr>
