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BBEdit 4.0.1 Update
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BBEdit 4.0.1 Release Notes
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BBEdit 4.0 Release Notes
====== === ======= =====
June 28, 1996
This document contains important information regarding the online
documention for BBEdit, as well as known conflicts with third-party
software. Please read it carefully before installing the Acrobat Reader
or making use of the electronic documents.
To quickly navigate to the different sections of this file, choose
one of the items from the "Mark" menu.
Obligatory Anti-Piracy Notice
---------- ----------- ------
BBEdit is protected by U.S. and international copyright law against
unauthorized redistribution and duplication. If you are using a non-
demo copy that you obtained by a means other than a legitimate site
license, product bundle, or direct purchase, then we encourage you to
write to the address below and order your own copy. The pricing is
reasonable, and options are available for discount and quantity
pricing.
Using Acrobat Reader
===== ======= ======
Acrobat Reader 2.1 requires the Adobe Type Manager (ATM) to run. If you
already have a full version of ATM prior to 3.8.3, running the Installer
will update it to version 3.8.3. If you do not have any version of ATM,
the Installer will provide a limited version of ATM 3.8.3 in the Adobe
Acrobat Fonts folder; this version will only load while the Acrobat
Reader is open. This replaces the "ATM LE" used in earlier versions of
the package.
BBEdit 4.0 User Manuals
====== === ==== =======
For your convenience, the BBEdit user manual is provided in three different
page layouts:
- "User Manual/USLtr.pdf" contains the manual in US Letter (8.5 x 11")
format, suitable for printing on most printers.
- "User Manual/Screen.pdf" contains a version of the manual which is
optimized for easy on-screen viewing.
- "User Manual/A4.pdf" contains the manual in A4 (210 x 297 mm) format,
suitable for printing on printers supporting the A4 paper size.
Information on the HTML Tools is provided in the "HTML Tools Documentation"
folder. This documentation is supplied in HTML format, so you can view it
within any Web browser, as well as directly from BBEdit. Please see the
"readme.html" file for an overview.
Manual Addenda
====== =======
Chapter 13: Extensions
------- --- ----------
The "827" character conversion utility (described on p.147 of the US Letter
manual version) has been renamed to "Convert to ASCII", but its use and
capabilities remain otherwise unchanged.
There is a new standard extension: "BinHex Fixer". This extension is
designed specifically for correcting BinHex files that arrive without
line breaks (usually as the result of an uploading glitch). To fix such
a BinHex file, open it in BBEdit, and choose "Fix BinHex File" from the
Extensions menu. Note that this extension is designed for correcting a
specific type of defect, namely, the omission of line breaks. If the
BinHex file is otherwise damaged or incorrectly generated, the BinHex
Fixer will not be able to correct it.
Chapter 14: AppleScript
------- --- -----------
BBEdit now includes full integration with Frontier 4.0, the advanced
scripting system from UserLand Software, and a copy of Frontier is
supplied on the BBEdit CD-ROM. Please see the *Web Site Scripting*
and *Improved Scripting Support* sections in the "What's New in BBEdit
4.0" document (in this folder) for further details.
Other Documentation and References
===== ============= === ==========
In addition to the manual files, there is a variety of additional supporting
information available:
- The "AppleScript Samples" folder contains several example scripts.
BBEdit Find Diffs is a stand-alone script application which lets
you drag and drop a pair of files to compare. There is also a folder
containing a selection of sample scripts which can be put in the
BBEdit Scripts folder, and additional examples which demonstrate how
to perform common actions from a script editor.
- The "Bare Bones Guide to HTML", a summary of HTML tag syntax, is
provided courtesy of Kevin Werbach <werbach@access.digex.net>.
- "BBEdit Extension SDK" contains the current BBEdit Extension
Developer's Kit, which is useful if you want to write extensions for
BBEdit. Please note that the extension interfaces have been updated
with this version; see the included documents for details.
- "Technical Support Bulletins" contains informational files describing
two commonly encountered problems, and the appropriate work-arounds or
solutions. The specific topics covered are problems with Internet
Config 1.0, and with the Claris XTND system.
Known Issues
===== ======
"Can't Undo" Alerts
------ ----- ------
A number of actions, most notably many extensions, are not undoable.
As a matter of course, BBEdit will pose an alert: "<action> is not
undoable. Do you still wish to proceed?" If these alerts annoy you,
you can turn them off. The appropriate option is in the Editor section
of the "Preferences" dialog. (The "Preferences..." command is found
under the Edit menu.)
Claris XTND Problems
------ ---- --------
BBEdit uses the Claris XTND translator system to allow the reading
and writing of various word-processor file formats. We have identified
several problems in the XTND system which can interfere with BBEdit's
operation, usually by causing a system crash, out-of-memory condition,
hang, or other aberrant behavior. As a result, XTND services are now
turned off by default; you can activate XTND by selecting it from
the Services section of the Preferences dialog.
The following situations can cause your system to crash while
launching BBEdit:
Excessive Memory Usage: In some situations, the XTND system makes
demands on the application that exceed the application's available
memory, and reacts badly when the application is unable to fill those
demands. We have observed excessive memory usage caused by the presence
of the Claris HTML translator, the MacLink Translator Bridge module,
and the WordPerfect 2.x translator files. Large numbers of XTND
translators can also be a contributing factor.
Damaged XTND translator or "XTND Translator List" file: In this
situation, one or more XTND translator modules, or the XTND file which
maintains a list of your available translators, have become corrupted,
possibly by a previous system crash. When starting up, the XTND system
will attempt to read these damaged files, and will usually crash or
behave in an unpredictable fashion thereafter.
Mutual recursion in your system folder: This occurs when the Control
Panels and Extensions folders each contain an alias to the other. In
this situation, the XTND software gets stuck in an endless loop as it
follows these aliases back and forth, essentially "chasing its tail"
forever.
To disable external services for BBEdit, hold down the Shift key as you
launch BBEdit. (To do this, click once on the BBEdit application icon,
then hold down the Shift key and choose "Open" from the Finder's File
menu, or hit Command-Shift-O.) Continue holding down the Shift key until
BBEdit's menu bar appears. This action will disable all of the BBEdit
external services, including XTND translation. If you are able to launch
BBEdit successfully using this trick, it is a near certainty that one of
the situations outlined above is in force.
Your next course of action depends on your needs:
If you do not need XTND translation, go to the Services section of the
Preferences dialog, and un-check the box labelled "XTND Translation".
This will prevent BBEdit from activating the XTND system the next time
it launches (and so on, until you re-activate this setting), thus
avoiding the XTND problems altogether.
If you do need XTND translation, you can work around the problems in
the XTND system by addressing them in the order that they're listed.
Begin by removing the WordPerfect 2.0 translator, if you do not need it,
followed by the MacLink Translator Bridge, and the HTML translator. If
you do need any of these components, try increasing the preferred
memory partition size to 1500K (or to 2048K or more if you have many
translators installed).
If this does not solve your problem, next remove the "XTND Translator
List" file, which can be found in your Preferences folder. The XTND
system will reconstruct the translator list as necessary.
If you have a damaged translator, you should remove all of your
installed Claris translators, and add them back to your Claris
Translators folder one by one, launching BBEdit each time, until
the problem recurs.
Finally, check to see if your Extensions and Control Panels folders
contain aliases to each other. If they do, remove one or both of
the aliases to break the alias loop.
Desktop File Problems
------- ---- --------
On occasion, you may find that the Finder does not display the correct
icon for BBEdit documents, or that you cannot drag documents onto the
BBEdit application (or an alias to the application) to open them.
This behavior is not indicative of a problem with BBEdit; rather, it is
an indication that the database that the Finder uses to associate
applications, icons, and documents (known as the "Desktop file") has
become confused or corrupted.
When this happens, it is usually desirable to force the Finder to rebuild
the Desktop. To do this, reboot your machine, and immediately hold down
the Shift key until the message "Extensions Off" appears. As soon as
this message appears, release the Shift key, and hold down the Command
and Option keys. For each volume that mounts at startup, the Finder
will ask whether you wish to rebuild the Desktop. Click "OK", and the
Finder will do so.
Corruption in the Desktop file can also render BBEdit unable to locate
external services. If you have an service installed (say, the THINK
Project Manager), but BBEdit does not make the service available to you,
rebuilding your desktop will usually help. (This assumes that you've
already checked to make sure that the application you are trying to use
is of an appropriate version.)
External Services and Startup Performance
-------- -------- --- ------- -----------
The first time BBEdit starts up, it attempts to locate the application
associated with each external service. If the application isn't found,
BBEdit will keep trying to find it on subsequent occasions, until it
either finds the application, or until you turn off the corresponding
check-box in the "External Services" section of the Preferences dialog.
Since an unsuccessful search for an application takes time, you should
turn off the check boxes corresponding to any application you do not have
available. Doing so will decrease the time it takes BBEdit to start up.
You can also improve BBEdit's startup performance by removing unused
BBEdit extensions from the "BBEdit Extensions" folder.
Memory Usage
------ -----
BBEdit uses System temp memory to hold the files it opens, so you will
not need to increase the application's partition size to edit large
files. However, some operations, such as Copy and Paste on large blocks
of text, performing a multi-file search over many files and folders, or
using XTND translation to import and export files, requires that more
memory be made directly available to the application. If you often
perform tasks like these, we advise that you increase BBEdit's
recommended memory size allocation, as your needs dictate.
BBEdit and CodeWarrior
------ --- -----------
Integration of BBEdit with CodeWarrior requires you to have version 1.2
or later of CodeWarrior (distributed in "CW5" and subsequent releases).
CodeWarrior takes a somewhat more passive approach to external-editor
support, and for that reason, the following limitations apply:
- CodeWarrior does not provide a means to select the external editor.
Thus, if you double-click on a file in an open CodeWarrior project while
in CodeWarrior, your source file will open up in CodeWarrior's editor.
As an alternative, open your CodeWarrior projects in BBEdit. In the
project browser next to the "Open" button is a small icon; click in this
icon to open the project in CodeWarrior (and to launch CodeWarrior if it
is not already running). When you double-click on a file in a BBEdit
project browser, BBEdit will open the source file, and will enable items
on the Compiler menu if the source file belongs to the project that's
currently open in CodeWarrior.
- CodeWarrior does not arbitrate with the external editor for the
text. The practical result of this is that you will need to save files
before compiling them, if you wish your current changes to be compiled.
If CodeWarrior is the target environment, BBEdit will ask if you wish
to save an unsaved file before compiling it. Also, if you choose "Bring
Up To Date" or "Run", and you have unsaved source files connected to the
currently open project, BBEdit will ask if you wish to save them before
compiling.
The "ClickWarrior 2.0" extension supplied with BBEdit 4.0 can provide a
workaround for the external editor selection issue mentioned above. You
must use this version of ClickWarrior with BBEdit 4.0; older versions
of ClickWarrior will not work correctly. If you are not familiar with
ClickWarrior, read the "ClickWarrior READ ME" document for details.
THINK Project Manager
----- ------- -------
The THINK Project Manager, used in THINK C and Symantec C++ version 6.0
and 7.0 has a number of bugs and limitations which occasionally make
working with an external editor difficult. Should you have any specific
concerns regarding the TPM, please check to see that you are using the
latest version available. If you are, and the problem persists, then
please contact Symantec Technical Support.
The "Old MacTraps" File
--- ---- --------- ----
Versions 6.0 and later of THINK C and Symantec C++ contain a file called
"Old MacTraps". This file is located in the "Mac Libraries" folder. The
structure of this file is such that both the THINK Project Manager and
BBEdit will crash while attempting to open this project.
If you are performing a multi-file search of your Mac Libraries folder,
or of the folder containing the THINK Project Manager, BBEdit will
crash when it encounters the "Old MacTraps" file. To avoid this file,
remove it, or switch the "File Type" popup menu (in the Multi-File
Search options portion of the Find dialog) to "Text Files".
Printing with Substituted Fonts
-------- ---- ----------- -----
Because of idiosyncracies in various printer drivers, including both the
LaserWriter and StyleWriter drivers, there are some character spacing
anomalies when printing with a substituted monospaced font (i.e. Monaco).
To avoid these problems, print in a non-substituted, monospaced PostScript
font such as Courier. (With BBEdit, you can of course edit in one font,
and print in another.)
Fractional Spacing
---------- -------
BBEdit 4.0 supports a "Fractional Spacing" option when printing. We
recommend that you use this option if you are printing in a small
(less than 9-point) font size.
FaxSTF "FaxPrint" Printer Driver
------ ---------- ------- ------
Version 2.2.3 of the "FaxPrint" printer driver, supplied with the FaxSTF
fax software package, has a bug in it which can cause all applications,
not just BBEdit, to malfunction. STF Technologies has been notified of
the problem. In the meantime, to avoid potential problems, choose another
printer driver, such as the ImageWriter or LaserWriter driver, except
when you are planning to fax documents directly from within BBEdit.
Later versions of the FaxSTF software, used under System 7.5.3, reportedly
cause problems when opening files. Contact STF Technologies for the latest
information on the availability of a fix.
LaserWriter "Preferences Damaged" Warning
----------- --------------------- -------
On occasion, version 8.2.2 of the LaserWriter driver will issue a
warning message about missing or damaged preferences. We have contacted
Apple regarding this issue, and they believe it to be due to a bug in
the LaserWriter driver. We have also had reports that the recently
released LaserWriter 8.3 driver may exhibit this same problem. If you
get this message, simply choose "Page Setup" or "Print" from the File
menu, and you should be able to continue without any difficulty.
NOW Utilities
--- ---------
Older versions of Super Boomerang have a bug which affects BBEdit;
in particular, you cannot type upper-case letters in the "Save As..."
dialog. This bug is fixed in version 4.0 and later of the NOW Utilities
package; contact Now Software for an update.
Now Save may cause BBEdit's "File" menu to become scrambled. If this
happens, turn off Now Save when running BBEdit.
Please also note that you will not be able to modify the command key
equivalents for BBEdit's menu items using Now Menus.
We have received reports of problems caused by Now Utilities 6.0, and
are currently investigating. Please check our Web site at
<http://www.barebones.com/support.html> for up-to-date information.
Standard File Hacks
-------- ---- -----
There are some third-party extensions which modify the standard "Open"
and "Save" dialogs (known colloquially as "Standard File"). In a couple
of known cases, some of these extensions have a bug which causes
correctly written applications to crash. Specifically:
- "Click, there it is!", version 1.0.1. Version 1.0.4 or later have
fixed this problem. Registered owners should contact the author
for more information.
- Quickeys version 2.1 also appears to have a similar problem.
Please contact CE Software for an update.
If either of these extensions is installed, BBEdit will most likely
crash when trying to bring up a Standard File dialog. (BBEdit's "Open"
and "Save" dialogs should work correctly, but other dialogs, such as
the File Types section of the preferences dialog, will not.)
In addition, problems have been reported in which the Standard File
Package crashes, or BBEdit takes an "emergency exit", when Peter
Lewis' "CDIconKiller" extension is in use.
Finally, we have received reports that StuffIt Shortcut will sometimes
cause BBEdit to crash when you choose "Open..." from the File menu.
We are working with Aladdin to identify and resolve this issue.
The BalloonWriter INIT
--- ------------- ----
Version 1.0.1 of Apple's "BalloonWriter" extension interferes with
the correct display and operation of BBEdit's dynamic menus. To avoid
this conflict, disable or remove BalloonWriter from your system.
Famous Last Words
====== ==== =====
Documentation Errors?
------------- -------
If you find an error in the documentation, please let us know. One of
the reasons we have gone to CD-ROM with electronic documentation is so
that we can make revisions to the manual and incorporate the improvements
in subsequent pressings of the CD, along with improvements to the software.
Contact Information
------- -----------
Should you have questions about BBEdit, please write or send e-mail to
us at one of the addresses below:
Bare Bones Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 1048
Bedford, MA 01730-1048
phone: 617-676-0650
fax: 617-676-0651
email: support@barebones.com
Web: http://www.barebones.com/
For technical support, bug reports, and other issues of an immediate
nature, we strongly encourage you to use electronic mail.
From time to time, we will release patches to correct problems in the
software, and/or add minor functionality. These patches are free, and
may be freely redistributed. We do not send out notification to our
customers, but we post announcements to the net and major information
services as a matter of course. Current versions of these patches will
be made available on our Web page, as well as our ftp site:
ftp://ftp.barebones.com/
We will also provide technical support bulletins, as warranted by
circumstances, to address some commonly encountered problems. You can
also find a list of frequently asked questions about BBEdit on our
Web page with this URL:
http://www.barebones.com/support.html
If you do have a problem with the software, please let us know. All
too often, customers do not report problems for one reason or another.
Remember that if we do not hear about a problem, we can't fix it.
Additional Acknowledgements
---------- ----------------
The regular-expression library used for 'grep' searching is based on
the 'regexp' package, written by Henry Spencer of the University of
Toronto. Pete Keleher provided a Mac-compatible version, from which
BBEdit's code is derived.
John Norstad of Northwestern University contributed the code that
BBEdit uses to resolve Internet URLs.
Thanks!
-------
Thank you for purchasing BBEdit. If you have any suggestions for
improvements, or any problems to report, do not be shy. Our experience
shows that feedback from our customers has consistently led to better
products and happier users.
Thanks also to the many people who, in one way or another, directly
contributed to the production and success of BBEdit. They're all listed
in the about box; choose "About BBEdit..." from the Apple menu to see
their names.
Finally, thanks to all of our customers, who have invested in our
product and our company, and, by doing so, have given us the ability to
keep producing and improving our software.
Rich Siegel
Founder, President & CEO
Michael Fryar
Chief Operating Officer
Patrick Woolsey
Director of Technical Services
David W. Hill
Vice President of Engineering
Allan Rousselle
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Jon Hueras
Principal Software Architect
=end=