The contents of this CD are provided to developers for their use in creating guide files for use with Apple Guide and System 7.0 or greater. Please read the Mac OS SDK License Agreement before using any of the items in this kit.
Create your own guides!
Apple Guide marks a leap from the passive assistance of typical help systems to on-line active assistance that lets users accomplish tasks as they learn how to do them. Rather than read through a manual or browse the built-in "help" of an application (which is typically little more than a manual on disk), users can call on Apple Guide technology and be walked through the solution to their problem simply by following a series of on-screen prompts. It's almost like having a local expert look over your shoulder and guide you through the task at hand.
Now, with the Guide Maker authoring tool provided on this CD, you can write your own guides to walk a user through the applications they already have on their Macintosh! Write your content in the word processor of your choice, then use Guide Maker to compile your content into an Apple Guide file. Then, simply drop the guide in the folder of the application you wish to provide help for, and
-- voila! - -you've just brought Apple Guide's amazing abilities to bear on your users' most frequently asked questions.
Also included on this CD is a full, online reference to the Apple Guide API, Guide Maker and the Guide Script command language, as well as some convenient guide authoring aides.
Take advantage of Apple Guide through Guide Maker — and make your users more productive!
Let us know how you are doing!
Please use APPLE.BUGS for bug reports which must be submitted using the Apple Bug Reporter Stack found on the developers CD's.
If you are a Developer Program Member and you have questions about Apple Guide development contact Apple Developer Support at (devsupport.apple.com).
If you aren't a Developer Program member you may join the Apple Guide Internet Mailing List which is monitored by Apple and many other Apple Guide Developers. Send an E-Mail message to
Apple Guide Mailing List
To subscribe to the lists, send mail to either:
<mailto:apple-guide-on@list.stairways.com>
To unsusbcribe:
<mailto:apple-guide-off@list.stairways.com>
or send mail to listserv@list.stairways.com and use the standard listserv commands ("subscribe apple-guide Your Full Name" or "unsubscribe apple-guide")
or visit our web site at <http://www.stairways.com/mailinglists/> and fill in your details.
Apple's Apple Guide WWW page
<http://www.macos.apple.com/Apple_Guide/>
If you would like a hard copy of the Apple Guide documentation please order the book/CD-ROM package, Apple Guide Complete: Designing and Developing
Onscreen Assistance, it is now available through your local bookstore!
Title: Apple Guide Complete
Author(s): Apple Computer, Inc.
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
ISBN#: 0-201-48334-3
Price: $39.95 USA
Description:
A book and CD-ROM package that provides everything you need to successfully
produce guide files, including Guide Maker, the software you use to build and
test guide files. The CD contains the Guide Maker (1.2.5) and Apple Guide (1.2.5).
Apple Guide 1.2.5 is part of System 7.5 Update 1.0.
For Apple Guide licensing related issues please contact:
Software Licensing
Apple Computer, Inc.
2420 Ridgepoint Drive, MS: 198-SWL
Austin, TX 78754
512 919-2645
AppleLink: SW.LICENSE
Authoring Kit contents
Apple Guide folder
• Apple Guide: the 2.1.1 version of the Apple Guide system extension (Apple Guide is part of System 7.5. or greater and will now work with System 7.0 and greater as well as OpenDoc)!
• Apple Guide Debug: an alternate 2.1.1 version of the Apple Guide system extension that allows you to debug guide files with the Guide Maker diagnose utility. This version is intended for use by authors using Guide Maker; it provides no additional benefit for end users.
• Apple Guide 2.1 .1 Dev Rel Notes: Apple Guide 2.1.1 Developer Release Notes. See this file and the Develop article below for what's new in Apple Guide 2.1.1.
• PowerMacs w/Sys 7.1.2: Apple Guide Support for PowerMacs with System 7.1.2.
• all pre-7.5 systems: Apple Guide Support for System 7.0 and greater. Not required for System 7.5 or greater.
• SharedLibs: Apple Guide shared library Support for CFM 68K & PPC.
• Apple GuidePlugIn 1.0.2: Apple Guide Support for OpenDoc.
• Using Apple Guide 2.1: Develop issue 27 article explaining the new features in Apple Guide 2.1.
• Apple Guide 2.1 Resources: New Apple Guide 2.1 resources types explained in the article above.
• Guide Maker 1.4b3: New version of the Apple Guide authoring tool. Be sure to upgrade to this version, which includes several bug fixes and usability enhancements and supports new Apple Guide 2.1.1 scrollable panels.
Authoring folder
• Guide Maker: the 1.2.7 version of the Apple Guide authoring tool. Be sure to upgrade to this version, which includes several bug fixes and usability enhancements.
• Guide Maker Read Me: check this file for late-breaking information and important tips for using Guide Maker most effectively.
• Documentation: complete documentation for Apple Guide is in the Apple Guide Complete document in PDF format. Also included are the example guide and source files for the guide file described in the above document.
• Fonts: bitmapped versions of the recommended Apple Guide fonts (Espy Serif, Espy Serif Bold, Espy Sans, and Espy Sans Bold). These fonts have been designed for on-screen display and are built into Apple Guide. Install these fonts in your system for use in authoring guide files.
• Example Guide Files: all the guide files shipped with System 7.5. Browse these guide files for ideas about how to use Apple Guide effectively. This folder also includes a folder containing symbol (.SYM) files for many of the example guide files to facilitate examining them with the Guide Maker diagnose utility.
• Example Source Files: the Guide Script source files (in Microsoft Word) used to create the example guide files. Study these source files for examples of how to use the Guide Script command language.
• Standard Includes: a set of files that can be used as a starting point for building your own guide files. These files contain the basic Guide Script commands and resources needed to create a guide file conforming to the Apple Guide human interface guidelines. Copy these files, then edit the Guide Script command templates to create a new guide file quickly.
• Unsupported Goodies: a collection of unsupported tools that may assist you when creating guide files. Note that some items, including those in this folder, are not supported by Apple. Unsupported tools are provided to developers strictly “as is,” with no support or promises of future expansion or bug fixes. Be sure to read the Read Me file for each application or utility on this CD to determine whether you want to use it for your project.
Engineering folder
• Developer Articles: previously published articles describing how to integrate Apple Guide with your application and write external modules that extend Apple Guide’s functionality.
• APISample: an example application that illustrates how to seamlessly integrate Apple Guide features into your interface. The application, its guide file, and all source files for the application and the guide file are provided.
• Context Check Modules: the source files for the context-checking external modules used in the example guide files included in this SDK. The files for each context check are contained in separate folders; some of the context checks also include guide files for testing them. Study these files to learn more about how to write external modules for context checking.
• Interfaces: the Apple Guide interface files in both old and ETO formats.
• AGFile Library: the AGFile header and library files.
• RenoDB Library: contains the read-write software library for guide files, a header, and documentation. The header and documentation are provided “as is” to give you an overview of how RenoDB works. Currently these materials are very rough and are known to contain errors that need updating. Although you will not be able to get RenoDB to work correctly based on this material, we wanted to provide as much information about RenoDB as is currently available. This is the first step toward making RenoDB available—guerrilla software for developers.
• OpenGuide: an AppleScript applet that starts up guide files outside the intended host application. Open this applet or drop a guide file on this applet to start it up. This applet replaces the application OpenDB.
• AGStart Scripting Addition: an AppleScript scripting addition that allows you to open guide files using AppleScript. You can then use Apple Guide’s Apple events to open guide files, quit Apple Guide, and so on. See Apple Guide’s Dictionary (aete resource) for the complete list of supported Apple Events. This file is included in System 7.5 or greater.
How to get started
To learn more about what Apple Guide can do
• Browse the guide files in System 7.5 or greater.
• Read the “Introduction to Apple Guide” chapter of the Apple Guide Complete documentation.
To begin authoring guide files
• Install System 7.0 or greater.
• Copy the materials in the Authoring folder to your system.
• Read the “Authoring Tips and Suggestions” chapter and Part 2 of the Apple Guide Complete documentation.
• Make a copy of the files in the Authoring:Standard Includes folder.
• Open the “Standard Setup” file in your favorite word processor, then start editing the template Guide Script commands and adding your own content.
• Use the Guide Maker build utility to compile your Guide Script files into a guide file.
To learn about integrating Apple Guide into your application
• Read the articles named “develop 18” and “MacHack” (in the Engineering:Developer Articles folder).
• Read the “Apple Guide API” chapter of the Apple Guide Complete documentation.
• Explore the APISample application and its source files (in the Engineering:APISample folder).
To learn about supporting context checks within your application
• Explore the APISample application and its source files (in the Engineering:APISample folder).
To learn about providing context checks through external modules
• Browse through the example context check modules (in the Engineering:Context Check modules folder).
