Tools Plus is a set of powerful “GUI Building/Event Managing” libraries for programmers using THINK C, Symantec C/C++, and THINK Pascal. Over 170 high-powered “set and forget” routines let you easily create your application’s user interface, then Tools Plus makes it work and takes care of managing events.
In spite of its power and robust features, Tools Plus is easy to learn and easy to use, making it ideal for novices, intermediate developers, and experts.
With Tools Plus, you gain the advantage of enhanced functionality, automation, and full integration of: windows, tool bar, floating palettes, cursors, buttons (all kinds), picture buttons, scroll bars, list boxes, menus (pull-down, hierarchical and pop-up), editing fields, Edit menu, the Clipboard, Dynamic Alerts, event handling, and much more. Virtually all routines can be executed with a single line of code.
Using Tools Plus simplifies your programming and accelerates development, so you’ll be able to create applications…
√ in less time
√ with considerably less source code
√ with far fewer bugs
√ and with more features
than if you use ordinary C/C++ or Pascal.
Tools Plus libraries can be compiled into applications intended for any model Macintosh (512KE or higher, including Power Macintosh) running System 5 and 6 (using Finder or MultiFinder), and System 7.
If you already know how to program in C, C++, or Pascal, you are well on your way to programming with Tools Plus. Tools Plus lets you build on what you already know instead of starting over again.
If you are just learning how to program, Tools Plus fits easily into C, C++, or Pascal, and makes Macintosh programming a quantum leap easier than learning all the intricacies of the Macintosh’s toolbox, then having to constantly use them.
Instead of using a multitude of Macintosh toolbox routines to create your user interface, you’ll use relatively few Tools Plus routines. A single Tools Plus routine often performs the work of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of lines of conventional code.
The difference between Tools Plus and other tools becomes very apparent when you want to make your application’s user interface work. With Tools Plus, this happens _automatically_, saving you programming and debugging time and hassles.
To finish things off, your application’s event handling logic is reduced to a simple premise: Tools Plus tells me what happened, and I do it. For example, Tools Plus may tell your application that the user selected the 15th item in the “Fonts” pop-up menu located in the “Format Text” window. You simply do whatever is appropriate for that user-oriented action.
All this time, Tools Plus is making your application’s user interface work, so you don’t have to bother with intercepting and processing low-level events, or managing your GUI. You also won’t have to deal with cryptic commands and data structures, complex processes, or convoluted work-arounds.
Important Things to Remember:
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Tools Plus IS:
√ Small, efficient, quick and flexible
√ Easy to learn and easy to use
√ A great way to get more done with a lot less work
Tools Plus is
- NOT a code generator, shell program, or class library
- NOT an assembly of custom resources
Your Existing Applications and Tools Plus
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The following is an excerpt from an e-mail sent to us by a new Tools Plus developer:
“I converted a fairly large C program to use ToolsPlus. It took
me a couple of days. I was able to eliminate hundreds of lines of
source code and greatly simplify my event processing and window
handling...
I'm a former Apple employee (Mac DTS) [Macintosh Developer
Technical Support] and I've seen lots of half-baked applications
frameworks and "class libraries." I applaud the consistency,
simplicity, and adherence to the Mac interface that ToolsPlus
gives to Mac programmers.”
Even your existing applications can take advantage of Tools Plus libraries. Your apps will have more features, they’ll be easier to maintain and easier to modify. You get more results with less effort.
Tools Plus’ Future
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tools Plus is constantly being enhanced to add more features and to make the current feature set even more robust. Our future is being built upon what we are doing today:
√ Continued support of Symantec compilers (we are committed to
THINK C, Symantec C/C++, and THINK Pascal).
√ We are expanding our repertoire by porting Tools Plus libraries
to Metrowerks’ CodeWarrior compilers (C/C++ and Pascal).
√ We are also working on our “screen builder” project which will
allow you to design your application’s user interface with a
MacDraw-like tool, then generate the appropriate C or Pascal
code that makes calls to Tools Plus libraries. Unlike other code-
generators, our “screen builder” promises to create a _small_
amount of _simple_ source code, due entirely to the power of
Tools Plus libraries.
Nobody else gives you both the power and simplicity of Tools Plus.
Evaluating Tools Plus
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This fully featured copy of Tools Plus is distributed at no cost as EVALUATION SOFTWARE. The purpose of this is to allow you to EVALUATE Tools Plus before buying it. There are, however, terms and conditions to using this copy of Tools Plus, even for the purpose of evaluation.
For full details, please read the “Evaluation License & Legal Info” document included with this kit.
Why an “Evaluation Kit” instead of a demo?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Tools Plus Evaluation Kit is a method of software distribution that gives you an opportunity to try Tools Plus before buying it. It has ALL the features of our commercially distributed software. Demos, on the other hand, offer limited functionality or they are “crippled” in some way. We believe the best way to evaluate Tools Plus is to try it for yourself in real-life situations. You can’t do that with a demo.
You should always buy software that suits your requirements and budget. This Evaluation Kit makes it easier to determine if Tools Plus suits your needs, because you can try it before you buy it. We give you the ultimate money-back guarantee: if you don’t use Tools Plus, you don’t pay for it!
During your evaluation, you may use Tools Plus to develop and create applications without charge or obligation for up to thirty (30) days, but you may NOT distribute applications written with Tools Plus. Please read the “Evaluation License & Legal Info” document for full details on conditions and terms.
Tools Plus is COMMERCIAL software. Copyright laws apply, and Water’s Edge Software (the copyright holder) retains all rights with a few exceptions as specifically stated.
MINIMUM Requirements to Develop Applications using Tools Plus
*Tools Plus takes advantage of System 7’s features, but doesn’t
depend on them. You can compile Tools Plus libraries into
applications intended to run on System 5, 6 and System 7.
Tools Plus User Manual
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The User Manual that is included in this Evaluation Kit is extensive, well organized, and easy to follow. It has, however, been edited to (a) reduce its size to facilitate electronic transfer, and (b) allow you to read the files regardless of your brand and version of word processor. As a result, the User Manual included with this kit does not include pictures, illustrations, programming tips, or an index. When you become a Registered Developer, you will receive a beautiful 250 page illustrated and indexed Tools Plus User Manual.
For the best viewing results, please open the Tools Plus User Manual documents by first launching your word processor, then use the File menu’s Open command to open the desired document. Display the document using a monospaced font (Monaco 9pt is recommended). As a last resort, if you do not have a word processor, you can double-click any of the documents and TeachText (a free application from Apple that comes with each set of System-7 disks) will display them.
Tools Plus User Manual’s Chapters
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The Tools Plus User Manual can be found as a set of documents in the “User Manual” folder. Each document represents a single chapter of the User Manual. If you view the folder by name, you will see the documents sorted by chapter number (because the documents’ names all start with the chapter number).
TeachText has a file limit of 32k (as do some low-end text processors), so chapters that exceed that limit have been split into several smaller files, each one suffixed with “1 of 2” and “2 of 2” etc. The following is a summary of the User Manual’s chapters:
“Evaluation License & Legal Info”
• Copyright and trademark information
• An explanation of Evaluation Software
• Software License and Warranty
• How to become a Tools Plus Registered Developer
“00-Contents”
• User Manual’s table of contents
“01-Introduction”
• What is Tools Plus
• An Overview of Tools Plus
• Who can benefit from Tools Plus
• What kind of applications can be written with Tools Plus
• What is Tools Plus not suitable for
• System Requirements (computer, system, memory, disk, etc.)
• Before You Start Programming
• If you are new to Macintosh programming
“02-Installing Tools Plus”
• Installation instructions describing how to install Tools Plus
in your THINK C/C++ project, or THINK Pascal project.
• How to compile the demo application included with Tools Plus
“03-Designing Your Application”
• How to design your application to work with Tools Plus
• Overview of Macintosh events vs Tools Plus events
• The main event loop
• Differences in Finder, MultiFinder and System 7
“04-Initializing Tools Plus”
• How to initialize the Tools Plus libraries before using them
“05-Windows (1 of 3)”
“05-Windows (2 of 3)”
“05-Windows (3 of 3)”
• Explanation of windows’ features
• Creating and using windows in your application
• Creating and using a tool bar in your application
• Creating and using floating palettes in your application
“06-Buttons”
• Explanation of buttons’ features
• Creating and using buttons in your application (includes push-
buttons, radio buttons and check-boxes)
“07-Picture Buttons (1 of 3)”
“07-Picture Buttons (2 of 3)”
“07-Picture Buttons (3 of 3)”
• Explanation of picture buttons’ features
• Creating and using picture buttons in your application
“08-Scroll Bars”
• Explanation of scroll bars’ features
• Creating and using scroll bars in your application
“09-Editing Fields (1 of 2)”
“09-Editing Fields (2 of 2)”
• Explanation of editing fields’ features
• Creating and using editing fields in your application
“10-List Boxes”
• Explanation of list boxes’ features
• Creating and using list boxes in your application
“11-Pop-Up Menus (1 of 2)”
“11-Pop-Up Menus (2 of 2)”
• Explanation of pop-up menu’ features
• Creating and using pop-up menus in your application
“12-Menus (1 of 2)”
“12-Menus (2 of 2)”
• Explanation of menus’ features
• Creating and using pull-down menus in your application
• Creating and using hierarchical menus in your application
“13-Cursors”
• Explanation of cursor features
• Automatic cursor changes (cursor tables and zones)
• Cursor animation
• Creating and using cursors in your application
“14-System Polling (1 of 4)”
“14-System Polling (2 of 4)”
“14-System Polling (3 of 4)”
“14-System Polling (4 of 4)”
• Explanation of Tools Plus’s automatic processes
• Polling for events (the main event loop)
• Tools Plus events vs Macintosh Toolbox events
• Responding to Tools Plus events
“15-Color Drawing/Multi Screens”
• Programming for Macs that have several monitors
• Color-dependent drawing (drawing that changes depending on
the monitor’s settings, such as: [1] color, gray or B&W,
[2] number of colors or grays)
“16-User Notification”
• Explanation of User Notification features
• Setting and triggering User Notification in your application
“17-Dynamic Alerts”
• Explanation of Dynamic Alerts’ features
• Creating and using Dynamic Alerts in your application
“18-Miscellaneous Routines”
• Several Macro routines that perform commonly used tasks,
such as drawing icon families, drawing “zoom lines”, and
drawing the standard progress thermometer.
“19-Other Macintosh Features”
• Creating and using the Macintosh toolbox’s alerts and dialogs,
custom controls, and list manager.
“20-Memory”
• List of Tools Plus routines that consume memory, and details
as to how much memory.
“21-Font Heights”
• List of commonly used fonts and their heights
“22-Special Routines”
• Macintosh toolbox routines that should be used with caution or
not at all.
• Substitute Tools Plus routines are listed where the toolbox’s
routines should not be used.
“23-Completing Your Application”
• Finishing touches needed to complete an application written
with Tools Plus. Most of this is similar to ordinary Macintosh
applications (i.e. the SIZE resource, the application’s icon
family, the BNDL resource, etc.)
“24-Technical Support & Updates”
• How Water’s Edge Software technical support can help you
• Free software updates and upgrades
P L E A S E R E A D ....
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Please read the “Evaluation License & Legal Info” document. It grants you specific rights and defines the legal limits of use for this Evaluation Kit.
Also, please read the User Manual (“glancing” through it doesn’t count).
Feedback
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In the interest of providing you with the best possible tools, we invite you to tell us your thoughts about Tools Plus, even if you decide not to get it. We reply promptly (and personally) to all queries.
Tell us what you like, what you don’t like, and let us know what features you would like to see in future releases. Please send your comments to any of the following accounts:
Internet: WatersEdge@eWorld.com (preferred)
eWorld: WatersEdge
CompuServe: 73424,2507
73424.2507@CompuServe.com
NOTE: If you are using AppleLink or other e-mail system, you can likely send email to us through Internet. Please check your e-mail User Manual, or contact your e-mail Customer Service representative for information on sending email to Internet accounts. AppleLink users, for example, can reach us at:
