NOTE: This document was created using the font Arial and should be viewed using SimpleText.
Purpose:
Ever wonder what that unfamilar extension in your System Folder did or what it was used for? Have you ever puzzled over why a particular extension didn't work correctly or wondered if you had an extension installed correctly? Well, this program was written to answer these questions and more!
In its basic form, Extension Informant is a hypertext-based help system and uses AppleScript to assist it in performing certain Finder-related tasks such as copying or moving files. In addition to its application-like behavior, it also possesses a drag-and-drop interface that permits you to drop an unfamilar extension on its icon to discover the extension's purpose (if it's in the database of course! ).
In addition to adding approximately 30 new extensions and descriptions, Internet web links (URLs) have been added for each of the extensions so that finding the latest update or locating the software will be much easier. Clicking on one of these will launch your internet web browser and load the desired site.
Requirements:
1. 4 MB of RAM and approximately 3.1 MB of disk space.
2. To take full advantage of Extension Informant's powerful trouble shooting capabilities, you will need to have AppleScript™ 1.1 or later installed. If you are currently using System 7.5 or later, you have AppleScript installed and simply need to make sure it is active and loaded at startup. The Finder Scripting Extension will also need to be loaded as well as the English Dialect file inside the Scripting Additions folder within the Extensions Folder.
3. If you have a PowerPC, the program is a Fat Binary and can thus take advantage of your machine's speed!
Cost & Distribution:
Extension Informant is a shareware package that is available from Joe Cicinelli, 3752 W. Alameda Road, Glendale, Arizona, 85310-3300, (602) 581-3865. I can also be reached by eMail at joec@amug.org. The cost of this software will be $10 U.S. currency. Members of the Arizona Macintosh Users Group (AMUG) are entitled to the software for FREE. Checks made be made payable to Joe Cicinelli. Registration of this software entitles you to all future upgrades or enhancements of this product. This software may be freely distributed electronically online or in disk or CD form as long as this ReadMe file is distributed in conjunction with the software Updates to the software can always be found at http://amug.org~joec.
URLs and links to the World Wide Web:
One of the newest features of Extension Informant is the introduction of the URL field for each card in the database. URL stands for Universal Resource Location and it's basically the unique address of each resource (e.g., Web Page, program, etc) on the World Wide Web (WWW). What Extension Informant can do with this information is to lauch your web browser and go to the URL with a single click on the URL field. That's right, and both Netscape Navigator™ and Microsoft's Internet Explorer™ are supported!
However, before you use either program to surf the net, you have to tell Extension Informant where your browser(s) are located. The first time you open Extension Informant, the program will prompt you to locate both the Navigator and Explorer browsers, so if you have only one of them installed, select the browser you do have in response to each prompt. That is, if you currently have only the Internet Explorer installed on your machine, choose it as the response when asked to locate both the Navigator and the Explorer. If you do not have any web borwser installed, select instead the Extension Informant application iteself in this dialog box.
Putting Extension Informant to Work for You:
Have you ever been sifting through the icons in your System Folder and wondered what an extension did or whether or not you really needed it for your system to function properly? Well, let Extension Informant be your friend and guide and look up the name of the extension in its database. If the extension is found (only Apple authored ones are currently listed), the program will explain what the extension is used for. In the description field, words that are underlined are hypertext links to other information panels in the database describing related extensions to the one you are viewing.
You can also drag-n-drop any extension onto the Extension Informant icon and the program will automatically perform a lookup for the extension by name.
Additionally, if you have AppleScript and the Finder Scripting Extension installed and there is a push button below the Author field on the card, you will have the ability to check whether or not the extension is needed for your machine or whether it is installed correctly. If AppleScript is not installed on your system, you will probably get notification of a weird error when you click on one of these button like, "Can't openFolder" or some such.
HyperText Links:
Extension Informant provides links to related extensions using Hypertext linked words likes the ones below. Clicking on one these words moves you to the card of an extension that is related to the one you are currently viewing. Extensions that are related in terms of their functionality are usually mentioned together.
The Extension Overview Dialog:
As an alternative to searching for an extension using the Find button, Extension Informant also provides an Overview Dialog that lists all of the extensions contained in the database by name.
Selecting the name of an extension and clicking on the Show button will display that extension's card.
A Word About Balloon Help:
Balloon Help can be very slow in this application so exercise a great deal of patience when attempting to use it. I would advise you to never have it on when attempting to display the Overview Dialog.
And It Talks!
That's right! If you have MacinTalk 2, MacinTalk 3, or MacinTalk Pro and the Voices folder installed in your System Folder, Clicking on the icon of each extension will speak the name of the extension. Cute huh?
Notes:
1. Holding down the Option key while clicking on either the Extensions or Control Panel folder icons at the bottom of Extension Informant's window will open the "Disabled" versions of these folders in the Finder.
2. The Drag-and-Drop method of searching for extensions may not work if the name of the extension contains a version number, such as Suitcase™ 2.1.4 for example. Deleting the version number from the name of the extension should solve the problem. Rebuilding the Finder's Desktop File may also be necessary to get the Drag-and-Drop interface to function properly.
3. If AppleScript or the Finder Scripting Extension is not installed correctly and an one of the folder icons or a push button is pressed, Extension Informant will send an AppleEvent to the Finder and the Finder may not understand what is being sent. When this occurs, the application may seem to freeze, or you may see the watch cursor, until the AppleEvent times out (usually around 30 seconds). A way to interrupt the process and regain control of your machine is to press command+period keys at the same time.
Dedicated To:
This program is dedicated to my wife Jane, our children Devin, Morgan, & Breanna, Mike Bromley (the clubhouse coordinator) and the rest of the Arizona Macintosh Users Group (AMUG) gang!
Version History:
1.0 First Public Release.
1.1 Now released without the merryXmas virus!!! (an unfortunate set of circumstances, I promise)
Added about a dozen new extensions, most of them non-Apple ones.
Fixed the ReadMe document about the status of Extension Informant.
1.2 Added an Export button to export the extension descriptions to a text file.
Ensured every extension has a description.
Added approximately 37 additional extensions.
Added a field for the company or product's URL and support for looking it up using
