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Introduction
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If you have a network of Macs and a file server, you can use this tool to give each of your users a "drop box". Users can drop off files and other documents for other users, as well as pick up files that have been dropped off for them. It's less than network email, but may be all you really need.
Here's how it works: each user that wants to be drop shipped runs a copy of the Drop Shipment settings document. Then, whenever a new file is placed in the user's drop folder, s/he will be notified, and the list of files displayed for that user will be updated.
Installation
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Open the Drop Shipment settings document. Click the "Config" button. In the resulting dialog, click the "Choose Drop Folder" button. You'll see a standard file dialog. Navigate to the folder you want to watch and click the "Put Here" button. Click the OK button in the Configure dialog.
Using Drop Shipment
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Open the Drop Shipment settings document, if it isn't already opened. Then, click the "Watch" button. You'll see a dialog that displays the contents of the drop folder that you chose during Installation. Now, you can put MicroPhone in the background, if you like.
Whenever something new is placed in your drop folder, you'll see an icon flash in the upper right-hand corner of your screen, even if you aren't currently in MicroPhone. All new files will be designated in the list by an appropriate icon. You can display, rename, copy, move, and delete any file in the list by clicking the appropriate button. Displaying is limited to TEXT files less than 30K in length.
If you display a TEXT file, you'll be given the opportunity to create a reply. You can send this reply to the person that sent you the TEXT file. Once you've composed the reply, click the "Done" button. You'll be asked where you want to place the file. Navigate to the recipient's drop folder and click OK.
Other Uses
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Examine the scripts behind Drop Shipment. I'm sure you can find other uses for it. You might want to constantly watch a particular folder, and upon finding a new file, process it in a variety of ways. For example, you can automatically send (using a send mail script) all new files to a user whose name matches the name of the file.
You could also create a synchronization utility that will automatically make a copy of any new file that appears in the drop folder. Feel free to explore all the possibilities. I'm sure that I've only touched the tip of the iceberg.
