Snap-To is a control panel that snaps the cursor to the default button whenever a dialog comes up on your screen. Fairly simple, but it’ll increase your speed when using a Macintosh, especially if you use dialogs often and/or have a large screen.
Snap-To can also do some other neat things, like snap the cursor back to its original location after you close a dialog box, or automatically disable itself in Open or Save dialogs. It can also “glide” the cursor to the default button instead of abruptly snapping it there.
• Shareware!
Snap-To is shareware, and a measly five bucks at that. If you use it, please consider registering, as it makes me happy when people give me money. You can either register with the enclosed Register application, or go to <http://order.kagi.com/?1UE> to register online with a credit card. (Quick 'n' easy!)
• Where’s Trev?
Early versions of Snap-To were released under the name Trevden Sherzell, which is, in fact, a pen name. I’ve decided that it causes more trouble than it’s worth, and so chose to give it up before it became too late.
If you’re concerned that I’m some evil person trying to take over Trev’s neat control panel, note the subtle similarity between Trevden Sherzell and Eden Sherry, my real name. In addition, the person at trevden@aol.com, the old address, will happily tell you that his real name is actually Eden. (Someone on AOL took eden@aol.com a long time ago.)
• System Requirements
Snap-To 2.1 will run on any Mac running System 7 or later. If, for some bizarre reason, you’re still running System 6, Snap-To 2.0 is compatible with System 6.0.4 and later. If you can’t find a copy of 2.0 and need it, send me mail.
• Installation
To install Snap-To, simply drop it onto your System Folder.
If you are upgrading from Snap-To 1.0, and are using System 7, you also must first remove the old file “Snap-To” from your Extensions folder within your System Folder. (If anyone’s actually upgrading from Snap-To 1.0, I’d be very surprised. Send me mail. :)
• Version History
2.1.2 (4/10/98) - Gave the control panel a cool new look, removed some obsolete options, and touched up the glide feature.
2.1.1 (8/11/97) - Fixed a problem that sometimes caused crashes or unusual operation with the glide feature enabled.
2.1 (8/5/97) – Reworked all the code with CodeWarrior, fixed a compatibility problem with Mac OS 8, made the glide faster and smoother, and squashed a couple of obscure little bugs. Also switched to using the Kagi registration service & added the online registration button.
2.0.1 (8/25/93) – Fixed a problem with Now Utilities. (Oops.)
2.0 (8/24/93) – Original Release of control panel version.
1.0 (5/17/93) – Original Release of extension version.
• Troubleshooting: General
Snap-To has been thoroughly tested with many Macintoshes and various versions of the System Software, and its performance has been proven. However, There are three known problems that you may experience while using Snap-To. (These aren’t here to scare you, but rather are included in an attempt to inform you about conditions that you may have questions about. In matter of fact, Snap-To works flawlessly with the vast majority of dialog boxes.)
1)
What happens: Snap-To seems not to work. When a dialog comes up on the screen, the cursor stays put.
Examples: Many parts of the America Online software, Microsoft Applications.
Why this happens: The program you are currently running deals with dialog boxes itself, instead of using Apple’s toolbox routines for dialogs. As far as the System (and Snap-To) knows, there is a window on the screen. That’s it. It doesn’t know that it’s a dialog with a default button, or anything. What happens is that Snap-To is informed that a window has been opened. Not being made aware that it’s a dialog, it assumes that it’s an ordinary window with buttons, and doesn’t move the pointer anywhere.
There is another instance in which this would occur, in a program that fools around with buttons a lot, such as StuffIt Expander 3.0. In this case, Snap-To is told that the button is somewhere under your desk. (Well, at least not on your screen.) In this case, Snap-To 1.0 tried to snap the cursor to this off-screen point, and finding itself unable to, snapped it to the closest edge of the screen. Snap-To version 2 is smart enough to realize that the button is outside of your dialog, and doesn’t snap the cursor anywhere.
2)
What happens: A dialog appears that has no default button. Snap-To snaps the cursor to a button anyway.
Example: Various windows in ZTerm.
Why this happens: The System does not draw the outline around the default button. This is up to the program that puts up the dialog. Since the System has no way of knowing whether an outline has been drawn around a button or not, it simply assumes that any button with an ID of 1 is the default button, unless the program tells it otherwise. The program is also responsible for telling the System whether or not the window is a dialog. In this case, Snap-To sees a “dialog” in which there is a button with an ID of 1, so it assumes, along with the System, that it is the default button.
3)
What happens: Snap-To snaps the cursor to a button that isn’t the default button.
Why this happens: The dialog that this occurs on is using a button whose ID is not 1 as the default button, and it isn’t telling the System about it. According to the rules in Inside Macintosh, applications are allowed to use buttons with IDs other than 1 as default buttons, but they must tell the System about it. As Snap-To will ask the System what the ID of the default button is, programs which do this but do not inform the System will exhibit this behaviour.
• Troubleshooting: Incompatibilities
There are two known incompatibilities caused by Snap-To.
1)
What happens: Snap-To doesn’t work in any dialogs at all.
Possible cause: Dialog box coloring is active in Greg’s Buttons 3.0.
Why this happens: One of the “features” of dialog box coloring is a different dialog box outline. Unfortunately, this outline is the “disabled” outline. Before doing any cursor moving, Snap-To makes sure that the dialog it is working with is enabled, to prevent snapping to dialogs in the background. If it is not active, no cursor movement takes place.
Workaround: Disable dialog box coloring in Greg’s Buttons, or downgrade to Snap-To 1.0. All other features of Greg’s Buttons do not interfere with either version of Snap-To.
2)
What happens: Snap-To crashes at startup, or something equally hideous.
Possible cause: You are running a System prior to version 7.
Why this happens: Snap-To relies on resources which are only available in System 7 and above.
Workaround: Upgrade to System 7 or above, or downgrade to Snap-To 2.0.
• Acknowledgements
Inspired by the Microsoft Mouse Driver 9.0.
Thanks to Shane Looker for releasing the source code for the “Annoyance Pack,” Judd Stiff for his invaluable help in beta testing during my formative years, and everybody else who helped me out along the way!
