Beginning this month, the Programs & Marketing folder (including the electronic version of Apple Directions, Market & Distribution Guides, and more) will be appearing on the Tool Chest edition, to make more room for our ever-expanding technical documentation on the Reference Library edition. Also, we have some room this month for some new versions of System Software 7..5.3 (including Kanji) and the new System 7.5.5 Update.
In addition to updates to the Apple Game Sprockets, the "Game Controls for QuickDraw 3D" article from develop issue 27, and MoreFiles, here are this month's new and revised packages.
AE Suite • Mail 1.0: The Mail Suite provides the framework and some tools for creating an Apple Event suite for mail within applications. This package contains Mail Suite documentation, a sample dictionary (ATET resource), a demo script, a .h header file and a dummy application (MailFoo).
Apple Color OneScanner SDK: The Scanner Development Kit contains documentation for the scanner API, an addendum for the new 4.1 scanner driver, and C sample code that demonstrates how to use the API. A header file and link library have been Included with the sample code.
The sample code should not be considered as a model for the next great scanner application but rather a simple demonstration of how to communicate with a scanner. Special considerations should be taken when considering memory requirements for your imaging model. Images scanned at high resolutions can be extremely large so you may want to consider spooling the data off to disk as it comes in from the scanner. This method will reduce the overall footprint of your application and allow for high resolution scans without allocating huge quantities of memory.
Apple International Glossaries: The Apple International Glossaries contains translations for 1337 MacOS terms in 34 languages.
The "Apple International Glossaries" folder contains a Read Me file and 3 sub-folders:
1. Apple Int'l Glossaries (TXT); this folder contains text file format.
2. Apple Int'l Glossaries (SS); this folder contains Claris Works 4.0 spreadsheet file format.
3. Apple Int'l Glossaries (LG); this folder contains AppleGlot file format.
Features:
• As a developer, you save time and money in the localization process. Now you can translate all resources that contain standard MacOS terminology automatically.
• Your localized products will be more consistent with the translated MacOS.
• To look up a specific term easily, we have provided the Glossaries as ClarisWorks spreadsheet (SS) tables. You can find these in the folder "Apple Glossaries (SS)".
• To import the Glossaries into other spreadsheets or databases, we have also provided them as tab-delimited text files. You can find these in the folder "Apple Glossaries (TXT)".
• To automatically pre-translate your product, we have provided the AppleGlot Language Glossaries (LG) files. You can find these in the folder "Apple Glossaries (LG)".
Note: When you use these Glossaries for your localization efforts, you will also want to be sure to have your translations tested for accuracy, as mere word substitution will not, in some cases, satisfy grammatical requirements.
Chinese Dictation Kit 1.5f2: For years, Chinese text input has been a bottleneck for computer users. Hundreds of different keyboard input methods have been developed, but invariably they are either difficult to learn or slow to use. Dictation is the fastest and most natural way to input Chinese text for most users. However, until now, large vocabulary dictation software typically required expensive high-end workstations and hardware add-ons.
With Apple Chinese Dictation Kit (CDK), the world's first low cost high performance Chinese dictation software, the users no longer need to suffer through extensive training or the inefficiency of current keyboard input methods. The user can also concentrate more on what he/she is writing, rather than how to input it. We believe that Apple's Chinese Dictation Kit represents again Apple's determination to make the best ease-of-use personal computers for users. Chinese Dictation Kit heralds the start of a revolution for Chinese computing.
What Chinese Dictation Kit Can Do For You
Apple Chinese Dictation Kit is a high performance large vocabulary dictation software that can dramatically increase your productivity when inputting Chinese text, particularly if you're a poor typist. It's like having your own secretary to take dictation and do your typing!!
Features:
• Through a sophisticated training process, CDK is able to recognize your voice and even your own accent.
• In contrast to most other Chinese dictation software, CDK allows you to speak a phrase at a time, instead of a character at a time. This increases the throughput of the system which can achieve about 40-60 characters per minute.
• CDK uses a very large flexible vocabulary, so users can speak many flexible phrase patterns. The total number of different phrases users can say for the default system exceeds 350,000.
• A phrase adding feature allows you to customize CDK's vocabulary. Add names of friends and family, specialized technical terms, etc.
• Adapts to your word patterns to improve the long-term performance.
• The Lexicon Optimizer utility scans your text files to find what words you use and adds them automatically to the system.
• Powerful Voice Macro feature allows you to input long addresses or aphorisms by speaking a single word.
• Voice commands for frequently used functions.
• Most misrecognized characters can be corrected easily and quickly with a click of the mouse.
• Dictation of numbers and punctuation.
• Support for multiple users on a single machine.
Note that this is the f2 release, and is not final yet!! Please go through the read me and release note files for the details.
Chinese Handwriting Kit 1.0 f1: The Apple Chinese Handwriting Kit offers you another simple and yet powerful way of entering Chinese characters into your Macintosh computer. With the bundled wireless stylus and graphics tablet, you can just write any Chinese characters or phrases—either in simplified or traditional form—and your handwriting is automatically segmented and converted into two-byte digital text that can be further formatted in your favourite word-processing or page layout program.
Requiring no training, the Apple Chinese Handwriting Kit is a true plug-and-play solution. It recognizes virtually all 3,000 simplified characters—or more than 7,000 traditional characters—found in common day-to-day usage, without the need to pre-train the system. The Apple Chinese Handwriting Kit is fast and intelligent—it accurately converts Chinese characters written in cursive forms or as print characters, with no delay in intepreting the written characters.
Features:
No training required—a true plug-and-play design.
FAT version of software—runs on both PowerPC-based as well as 68K-based Macs.
Works with virtually any application that allows text input.
Accurate recognition, even with cursive writing.
User expandable dictionary enables phrases to be represented by simple clicks.
Separate lexicon manager for maintaining dictionaries.
Accommodates different writing styles to suit wide user preferences.
On-screen keyboards to enable quick input of symbols and puntuation marks.
Recognizes the full set of Traditional Chinese as well as Simplified Chinese, including Roman letters and numerals.
Unique Stroke Player shows correct way of writing Chinese characters.
Note that this is the f2 release, and is not final yet!! Please read the release notes and read me files carefully.
Developer Notes Update: Descriptions of new hardware and software features, comparisons with existing CPUs, and expansion card design information. This month features two new notes
The Macintosh Performa 6400 computer is a new Macintosh model that incorporate a PowerPC™ 603e microprocessor running at 160, 180, and 200 MHz, a second-level cache expansion slot, two Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) card expansion slots, enhanced AV features (audio and video input and output), and a new PCI-based communications slot (comm slot II). The Macintosh Performa 6400 computer is housed in a new tower enclosure, featuring easy access, an expansion bay, and a built-in subwoofer.
The PowerBook 1400 computer is an all-in-one notebook computer based on the PowerBook 5300 computer but with improved capabilities and an all-new case design. The PowerBook 1400 computer has a PC card slot, an expansion bay, an internal expansion slot, an infrared link, and space for a rechargeable battery.
HotSauce (Project X): HotSauce is a technology demonstration based on MCF (Meta Content Format). MCF is a format for representing information about content.
The goal of MCF is to provide an adequate language for representing a wide range of information about content. The content targeted includes web pages, gopher and ftp files, desktop files, email and structured (i.e., relational and object oriented) databases, etc. The corresponding meta-content includes indices such as Yahoo!, gopher and ftp directory structures, email headers, data dictionaries, etc.
ProjectX (aka HotSauce) is just one of the applications that is enabled by the MCF. It should be possible for many different applications to use the meta-content represented in the MCF.
SimpleText Sample: This is some SimpleText source code. It shows how to write SimpleText, implements calling PPC library from 68k code, using AppleGuide, and other swell things.
