Add the card numbers to the ΓÇ£Level of DifficultyΓÇ¥ buttons at this time:
ΓÇó Now is the time to complete the scripting for the ΓÇ£Level of Difficulty ΓÇ£ buttons.
See Figure 4.
ΓÇó When we wrote these button scripts (see Figure 5), we omitted the card id
numbers.
ΓÇó To get each game card id number, go to each game card and do the
following:
- select Options fron the Menu bar and drag down to Card Information.
- a window will appear which gives the card id number
- type this number into the script of the corresponding Level of Difficulty
button (See Figure 5)
- push enter to save the script
The Game Instructions:
ΓÇó There will always be players who desire instructions to play a game. We will
now address the problem of how to supply these instructions. Rather than
making a separate card to show these instructions, we are going to make a
popup field.
ΓÇó A popup field is a field which ΓÇ£pops upΓÇ¥ and covers the whole card or part of
the card on which it appears.
Making the ΓÇÿInstructionsΓÇÖ button:
This button will cause a popup field containing the instructions to become visible. We will give the directions to make this field a little later.
ΓÇó To make the button, select the Button tool from the Tool palette. Hold down
the Command Key (∩ú┐) as you click and drag a button to the size needed.
The selected button can be resized, if needed, by clicking on a corner of the
active button then dragging it to the required size. Place the button at the
location shown in Figure 8.
Note: To select a button, choose the Button tool from the Tool palette, click
on the button. The edges of the button will appear to have
ΓÇÿmarching antsΓÇÖ around them.
ΓÇó Script the ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ card button as shown in Figure 15:
Figure 15: ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ card button script.
 
Hint: In order to keep a long script line visible within a short script window, we sometimes break the script and continue it on the following line. You will notice the symbol ( ¬ ) in the above script. This symbol means that the script line has been broken and will be continued on the line below. The command for this symbol is Option Returnonly when in the script window.
Now comes some really tricky parts. Buckle up!
The ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ£ and ΓÇ£Back to GameΓÇ¥ button are layered, one button exactly on top the other button.
- When the game card is visible, the ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ button must be visible.
- When the ΓÇ£Back to GameΓÇ¥ button is visible, the game instructions must be
visible.
Follow the instructions carefully.
ΓÇó These are the commands for moving a button to the top layer (∩ú┐ Shift +)
and moving a button to a bottom layer (∩ú┐ Shift -). You may need them.
(The above commands sometimes have to be repeated several times before
they will work.)
Remember: A button or field must be active before it can be moved.
Making the ΓÇÿBack to GameΓÇÖ button:
This button hides the popup field so you can see the game card again.
ΓÇó After the player has read the instructions, it may be confusing as to how to
return to the game. The only button visible will be the ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ button.
ΓÇó The ΓÇ£Back to GameΓÇ¥ button is used to mask or hide the ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ button
and thus give a logical choice for the game player to return back to the
game. See Figure 8.
ΓÇó Make this button the same size and place it exactly over top of the
ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ button.
ΓÇó Type the script for this button exactly as shown in Figure 16 .
Figure 16: The ΓÇ£Back to GameΓÇ¥ button script.
 
Create a Popup field for the button ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥:
ΓÇó Select the Field tool, place a field over the top of the graphics on the Game
card. Name the field ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ and position it on your card. Be sure it is
large enough to cover any graphics that are on the card.
Note: The ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ button should be visible at the lower, center part of
the card between the two graphics as shown on the title page. See
Figure 8.
ΓÇó When the card button is pushed, a Hidden Card Field will pop up.
ΓÇó To make this popup field, select the Field tool from the Tool palette. Click at
the upper left hand side of the Game card, hold and drag diagonally down to
the lower right hand corner of the Game card. Make the field just large
enough to cover the graphics on the Game card.
ΓÇó Double-click on the active field to open the dialogue box.
Note: An active field has ΓÇ£marching antsΓÇ¥ around it, the same as an active button.
Set the field attributes to:
- transparent
- name the field ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥
ΓÇó Select the Browse tool. Click on the top, left-hand side of the field to set the
flashing text insert point. Type the instructions for the game.
Suggested instructions are shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17:
The ΓÇ£activeΓÇ¥ Instructions field showing the game instructions.
 
ΓÇó Select the Field tool, double-click on the field to open the dialogue
box again. Select Lock Text. This will accomplish the following:
- No other typing can be done on the field unless it is unlocked, and
- the Browse tool will appear when the cursor is over the field instead
of the text insert line.
Possible problem areas:
Two difficulties which may arise from time to time:
1) A player might decide to go to different level but forget to reset the game.
This could cause the ΓÇ£Add 1 to scoreΓÇ¥ buttons to remain hidden.
2) The ΓÇ£Back to GameΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£InstructionsΓÇ¥ buttons might switch positions.
To solve these problems, I have added the following card script to each
of the game cards. Remember, to get to these script windows, go to each
game card, hold down Option Command C, all at the same time. The
card script window will open. Copy the script shown in Fig. 18.
Figure 18: The game card ΓÇ£card scriptΓÇ¥.
 
Installing Sound in the Game: Option
(Any HyperCard resource mover will work)
ΓÇó To open the resource mover, ResCopy.
- Go to the HyperCard Home card (∩ú┐H).
- While holding down the Command Key (∩ú┐), type the letter ΓÇ£MΓÇ¥.
- A small windoid will open towards the bottom of the computer screen.
- Type ΓÇ£ResCopyΓÇ¥ into this windoid then push ΓÇ£ReturnΓÇ¥.
- If the ResCopy resource is installed into your version of HyperCard, the
ΓÇ£ResCopyΓÇ¥ window will open. See Figure 19.
Figure 19: Typing ResCopy into the windoid.
 
ΓÇó Open a favorite sound folder on one side of the ResCopy window and the
ΓÇ£Differences GameΓÇ¥ on the other. See Figure 20.
Figure 20: ΓÇ£ResCopyΓÇ¥, the friendly resource mover.
 
ΓÇó Transfer sounds as desired to give the game character and to make it
more fun for all to play.
Note: It is extremely important to spell the name of the sounds correctly
(including spacing, capital letters and punctuation) when scripting. If
sounds have been transferred into the game and they will not
play, this is a likely culprit!
Installing color resources: Option
The Title Page script should be typed exactly as shown in Figure 21. Note that this is an ΓÇ£openCardΓÇ¥ script (a script that runs as the so-scripted card opens). This script ensures that Color Text will load every time the card is reopened.
ie. Returning back to the title page after playing one of the "Differences" games.
To get to the card script window, go to the Title Page (∩ú┐1). Push
∩ú┐ Option C, all at the same time. The card script window will open.
Figure 21: The Title Page card script for the installation of color resources.
 
Notes:
1) The numbers 180, 70 and 120, 70 in the above script refer to the
coordinates of the location where you want the colored text to appear.
Note: To get the coordinates, type xy into the message windoid and push the Return key. Move the mouse pointer over the card to select location for Color Text message. The coordinates will show in the message windoid.
See Fig. 22.
Figure 22: Type xy in the message windoid.
 
2) The numbers 28 and 34 refer to the text size.
Figure 23: Push Return and move the cursor about on the card until location for message is determined.
 
3) The numbers 3 and 4 refer to the color of the text .
Alternate colors for you to use are:
0 = Black 1 = White 2 = Red 3 = Green 4 = Blue
4) The text enclosed in quotations is the ΓÇ£stringΓÇ¥ (message) you wish to display.
The openStack script should be modified from that shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 24 to include the Color Text script. This modification causes Color Text to load on opening of the stack.
Figure 24: The modified stack script showing installation of color resources.
 
SHAREWARE NOTE: The fee should be paid if the resource is used.
The XMCD ΓÇ£Color TextΓÇ¥ was written by:
Jesse Boettcher
1340 N. 68th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53213
- This shareware resource has been included with the game as a
convenience.
- It can be installed into the Home stack of HyperCard, where it is easy to
access using ResCopy.
Protecting the Stack: Option (at teacher discretion only)
To lock the stack up and thereby help to prevent players from cheating, students may use the Protect Stack feature of HyperCard.
ΓÇó To do this, go to the menu bar, choose File and drag down to Protect Stack.
Select the boxes as shown in Figure 25.
Note: Protect Stack and Can't Abort are features which must be used very carefully.
Figure 25: The ΓÇ£Protect StackΓÇ¥ window.
 
ΓÇó CanΓÇÖt Modify Stack / CanΓÇÖt Delete Stack - These first two attributes
must be selected as a pair. They prevent the stack from being modified or
deleted (erased).
ΓÇó CanΓÇÖt Peek - This attribute prevents the player from looking at scripts,
finding locations of buttons and fields, etc.. It is suggested this property
be set when the stack is completed to prevent others from
locating buttons to click on and thus, scoring points.
ΓÇó Can't Abort - Controls whether the user may abort (stop) a script by typing
(∩ú┐.) This is a dangerous property to set if you are still constructing
the stack. You have no way of stopping an accidentally runaway script.
This setting remains in effect even if you close the stack.
ΓÇó Set Password - It is suggested you not allow the students to choose their
own password. If they forget their password, access to the stack will be
denied. Keep a record of their passwords and explain to them the problem
of forgetting passwords. Passwords are case insensitive (Using upper
or lower case letters doesn't matter).
ΓÇó Private Access: This property prompts the use of a password. See above
warning.
ΓÇó Browsing - Allows the player to play the game and look at the stack only.
Tools are not available. This is the level the completed game should
be left in. Scripting for this is shown in Figure 7.
