PD ROM 1/PD ROM Volume I - Macintosh Software from BMUG (1988).iso/Electronic Messages/Delphi Digests/Delphi Vol. 3/Delphi 3.46

Internet Message Format | 1988-04-08 | 23.1 KB | [TEXT/ttxt]

Date: Sat 10 Oct 87 12:27:10-EDT
From: Jeff Shulman <SHULMAN@SDR>
Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V3 #46

Delphi Mac Digest     Saturday, October 10, 1987     Volume 3 : Issue 46

Today's Topics:
     Administrivia - Where have all the digests gone?
     9-track SCSI tape drive
     RE: Mac II games
     re: Keyboard Remapping Utilities Needed
     re: Interesting System problem
     re: Multiple Desktops?
     re: DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS HELP
     re: Need Word 3.0x File Format Info
     re: TEFromScrap / Networks
     RE: MacBrain (2 messages)
     RE: Flight scheduling program
     RE: documentation on new TextEdit
     RE: RE: Brain Dominance
     ID=01
     SQL relational database
     Hypercard Radio Buttons (3 messages)
     LISA AND APPLETALK
     Brilliant Idea (9 messages)
     re: Comments on MultiFinder
     re: Re:  Print Spooler for Diverse Print
     re: Re: Modal dialogs and MultiFinder
     re: C problem
     re: Saving info with text files (repost)
     re: HFS Menus on pre-4.1 systems
     MS WORD 3.01
     Software Disks (2 messages)
     Trouble with Power Station

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jeff Shulman (Moderator)
Subject: Administrivia - Where have all the digests gone?
Date: 10-OCT 11:33

I have been merrily producing Usenet Mac and Delphi Mac digests, as usual, the
past few months.  However, it seems I have been mailing them to deaf ears.
After some checking I found out that my mailing list at CSNet (where all the
digests get mailed from) was fouled up.  I was told it has been corrected.

So, if you are missing digests, please first see if you can ftp them from
INFO-MAC (they have been brought up to date, so has the BITNET server at
Rice.)  If you ABSOLUTELY can't get them from these two sources and you
ABSOLUTELY can't live without them (:->) then send me a note with the ones
you are missing and I'll resend them to you.

Please don't dash me off a request before you have exhausted all other
possibilities.  I am swamped with enough things to do as it is.  Thanks.

                        Jeff

------------------------------

From: PEABO
Subject: 9-track SCSI tape drive
Date: 28-SEP 12:34 Hardware & Peripherals

Qualstar Corporation is shipping a 9-track 1/2" tape drive with a SCSI
interface and driver software for the Mac.  The literature claims it is
useful as a backup medium and for interchange of data with mainframes
and minicomputers.  Qualstar is at 9621 Irondale Ave, Chatsworth, CA
91311 and their phone number is [phone].

peter

------------------------------

From: NATURAL
Subject: RE: Mac II games
Date: 29-SEP 10:52 Network Digests

>TO: [e-mail]
>Subject: Mac II games

's kind of hard to give outright suggestions on a game that one hasn't
seen. I've been working on something of a knock your socks off, etc.
type game as well for the II w/ a programmer friend who's written
commercial games for the Mac (pre-II) and the Apple II series.  I'd be
glad to share ideas, etc. Also would be willing to beta-test, etc.

Joshua

Delphi:  NATURAL

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Keyboard Remapping Utilities Needed (Re: Msg 22646)
Date: 30-SEP 01:36 Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Darren Jay Hacker)
 > Subject: Keyboard Remapping Utilities Needed

Acta supports the Undo - Paste F keys.

QuicKeys, coming soon from CE Software, does a good job of remapping
stuff (it might even be out by the time you see this).

 David Dunham     "If it doesn't have Undo, it's not a Mac program."
 Maitreya Design

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Interesting System problem (Re: Msg 22646)
Date: 30-SEP 01:37 Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Marc Hannah)
 > Subject: Interesting System problem

There's a similar problem with a program from MDS called PackSym.  Its
signature is PACK, so desk accessories that want to use the List Manager
(PACK 0) have problems.  This was a _real pain_ to debug, since I've
never had MDS on my hard disk, but my beta tester did.  A UseResFile(0)
and an explicit load of PACK 0 solved this one.

 David Dunham     "If voting could change the system, it would be illegal.  If
 Maitreya Design   not voting could change the system, it would be be illegal."

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Multiple Desktops? (Re: Msg 22646)
Date: 30-SEP 01:37 Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Michael Peirce)
 > Subject: Multiple Desktops?

The Mac was designed as a _personal_ computer.  (Using someone else's
machine, which doesn't have the same DAs and FKEYs, is a real culture
shock!)  The position info is saved in the directory for each file, so
it'd be a pain to change, without a custom program.

 David Dunham     "The more laws there are, the more people are
 Maitreya Design   inclined to break them"

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS HELP (Re: Msg 22649)
Date: 1-OCT-03:05: Network Digests

 >From: [e-mail]
 >Subject: DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS HELP

I believe it's a common misconception that "the Mac is very difficult to
program on."  With the right development tools (such as LightspeedC and TMON),
it's quite easy to program on.  It's hard to _learn_ to program, because the
very toolbox routines that make it so easy to program, have to be learned.

One reason it's such a nice development environment is that it's multi-tasking.

I use miniWRITER all the time to look at my source code while I'm running a
program.  Never could do this on a VAX.

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Need Word 3.0x File Format Info (Re: Msg 22649)
Date: 1-OCT-03:06: Network Digests

 >Subject: Need Word 3.0x File Format Info
 >From: J. Peter Alfke <[e-mail]>

Ask Microsoft.  Unlike the format for 1.05, they're apparently very free with
the 3.0 format.  (Of course, when you get it, you won't necessarily be any more
informed than you are now :-)

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: TEFromScrap / Networks (Re: Msg 22649)
Date: 1-OCT-03:07: Network Digests

 >From: guenther blaschek <[e-mail]>
 >Subject: TEFromScrap / Networks
 >The true story is that TEFromScrap returns the number of characters copied...
 >I hope this bug (or is it a feature?) will vanish in future ROMs.

This feature isn't in the current ROMs; you noticed the [Not in ROM] notation,
right?  Your development system provides glue for the call.

------------------------------

From: MARJ
Subject: RE: MacBrain
Date: 1-OCT-18:01: Network Digests

Richard Weatherly (weather&mitre.org) asks if a program called "MacBrain"
exists.  It does.  MacBrain 1.10 is a neural network simulation environment for
Mac+, SE, and Mac II computers.  It is the best-selling neural network system
on the market today, having sold several hundred copies.  Information can be
found in the Sept. and Oct. 1987 BYTEs, as well as recent issues of Macintosh
Today, InfoWorld, and other magazines.

 MacBrain is a vailable from:

 Neuronics, Inc.
 Suite 2200
 One Kendall Square
 Cambridge, MA  02139         [phone]

 Matt Jensen
 President
 Neuronics, Inc.

------------------------------

From: JIMH
Subject: RE: MacBrain
Date: 1-OCT-19:38: Network Digests

Matt, i heard a rumor you were going to do a student version for a low price.
I am interested in neural nets though i havent had time to read much about
them.  I would love to be able to buy something to experiment with.  best jim

------------------------------

From: RABBIT
Subject: RE: Flight scheduling program
Date: 1-OCT-21:19: Network Digests

 To> Russell M Forster
    [e-mail]
 Subject> Flight scheduling program

    Here at the University of North Dakota we have a sceduling program that may
fit your needs.  The main difference is that flight launches are scheduled for
1 hour 15 minute blocks.  I am not sure what type of host we are running on,
but it is a very nice system (although a little slow) and handles approx 100
instructors and 620 students.
    At FlightSafety international they had a program which scheduled in 2 hour
blocks for 180 students and about 20 instructors.  I am not sure of the
capabilities or the exact host although it was an IBM (I'm not a big fan of big
machines with those letters).
    Since you represent a school UND might be willing to give you some
information.

                                   Scott Brause

"A Rabbit Without Wings Is A Rabbit That Can't Fly Backwards"

------------------------------

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: documentation on new TextEdit (Re: Msg 22682)
Date: 3-OCT-14:06: Network Digests

>Date: Mon, 14 Sep 87 15:26:47 MET
>From: Norbert Lindenberg <[e-mail]>
>Subject: documentation on new TextEdit

>Is there any documentation on TextEdit newer than the APDA Draft of
>Inside Mac V (Feb 87)? Anything said there about TEGetHeight and
>PutStylScrap seems to be plain wrong...

Tech Note 131 goes into details about bugs and documentation problems
with TextEdit.

peter                          "In any context, half of all references
PEABO @ DELPHI                  are local and half are global."

------------------------------

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: RE: Brain Dominance (Re: Msg 22682)
Date: 3-OCT-14:10: Network Digests

>Date: Mon, 14 Sep 87 15:50 N
>From: <[e-mail]> (Thomas Fruin)
>Subject: RE: Brain Dominance

> > From: PEABO
> > Subject: RE: Brain Dominance

>There is one case where left-handers are better off than right-handers:
>the Backspace key.  When I'm mousing around with my right hand I like to use
>my left hand to tap the Backspace key to delete selections.  In this case
>it is the right-hander who has to reach across the keyboard ...

You mean you haven't heard of the right-hander's technique of lifting the
mouse up and using the lower left corner to bash the Backspace key?  ;->

peter                          "In any context, half of all references
PEABO @ DELPHI                  are local and half are global."

------------------------------

From: NATURAL
Subject: ID=01
Date: 4-OCT-14:13: Macintosh II

I've been getting a lot of ID=01 bombs on my II lately, particularly on MS Word
3.01 and Express 1.04... any ideas?

------------------------------

From: PEABO
Subject: SQL relational database
Date: 6-OCT-12:13: Macintosh II

Informix-SQL has been announced for availablility on the Macintosh II under A
/UX (when Apple releases that product later this year).  This SQL (structured
query language) product is compatible with other Unix-based implementations
from Informix, and Informix plans to port more of its database products to the
Mac II.  For more information, contact Informix Software, Inc., 4100 Bohannon
Drive, Menlo Park, CA  94025, telephopne [phone].

peter

------------------------------

From: CHUQ
Subject: Hypercard Radio Buttons
Date: 6-OCT-23:46: Programming

Anyone know how to query and/or set the state of a radio button in Hypercard?
Goodman and the help stack don't say, and I can't find a stack to browse to
find it out. I'm sure it is trivial, but I sure can't find out where they
mention it.

thanks!

chuq

------------------------------

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: Hypercard Radio Buttons (Re: Msg 22730)
Date: 6-OCT-23:51: Programming

Try this:

   set the hilite of button "Top 40" to true

peter

------------------------------

From: NWOLF
Subject: RE: Hypercard Radio Buttons (Re: Msg 22730)
Date: 7-OCT-01:52: Programming

not sure what you mean by query.... To find out the state of a button or field
you know exists (because it's listed in card, stack or bkgnd info) but can't
see type "set the visible of <<bkgnd or card>> <<button or field>> to true" (no
quotes) - if there's more than 1, you'll have to insert the numbers of the ones
you can't identify after "button" or "field" in the command line. Aside from
that, generally the structure is "set the <<quality>> of <<container>> to <
<desired result>>. The APDA docs have a lot more info on this stuff than either
the Apple docs or Goodman. However, Addison-Wesley is coming out with a book
this fall which should fill in the holes on HyperTalk. The APDA docs do that
and cost about $20 and come with a disk full of stuff. Hope that helps. Neil.

------------------------------

From: CHRISBROWN
Subject: LISA AND APPLETALK
Date: 7-OCT-20:48: SIG Business

I WOULD LIKE TO SET UP SOME LISAS FROM SUN REMARKETING UP ON AN APPLETALK
NETRORK AT THE SMALL KANSAS COLLEGE WHERE I WORK.  DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CAVEATS
ABOUT DOING THIS?  I PLAN TO USE A MAC PLUS AS A FILESERVER, AND 1MB LISAS AS
NETWORK NODES FOR STUDENT USE. --CHRISTOPHER BROWN

------------------------------

From: MACENGLISH
Subject: Brilliant Idea
Date: 7-OCT-21:18: Hardware & Peripherals

I have had a brilliant idea.  Now you can tell me why this isn't brilliant.  I
have decided I want a hard drive, but I don't want the hassle of backing things
up to floppies, and tapes may be too slow.  So I thought if I bought two hard
drives I could use one to back up the other.  Is this a good idea or not?
Granted it may be expensive, but wouldn't this be the easiest way to go.
Couldn't I consider getting two used drives if I could find any?

Does anyone want to suggest some really good drives I should consider (20 Meg).

I have read the magazines, but opinions from people who have used them might be
nice.

Debbie

------------------------------

From: NATURAL
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22750)
Date: 7-OCT-22:41: Hardware & Peripherals

DataFrames are pretty solid and then there's always PC Connection's house-
dressing brand, which from what I hear (I think it was on here...) is a rodime
which is very reliable.

------------------------------

From: FRIED
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22750)
Date: 7-OCT-22:53: Hardware & Peripherals

Debbie,

If you're going to have two hard disks, why not use them both for data, then
back them up to tape or floppies!

:-)

OK, here's what's wrong with your idea:  it's a waste of money.  If you can
accept that, go get the disks. It's a waste because the cost of maintaining a
byte of data on a hard disk is much higher than on a removable medium.  It's
the removability that reduces the cost.  What are you going to do about backing
up your floppies? <grin>

Bob

------------------------------

From: SOCCERKING
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22753)
Date: 7-OCT-23:13: Hardware & Peripherals

Hi Bebbie, please to meet you(short of). Trust me, once you fill your first HD
there is no way you are going to resist the tempation of using the second.
Simply take the time once a month to backup your HD, I used to it while
watching the Bears game. Now I back it up while I watch the Bears pack it up.
Brent.

------------------------------

From: HALL
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22750)
Date: 7-OCT-23:21: Hardware & Peripherals

DataFrame 30XP, Rodime 20...

Brian

------------------------------

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22750)
Date: 8-OCT-01:12: Hardware & Peripherals

It's a brilliant idea, and quite workable.  You lose the advantage of being
able to have several backups handy (unless your well-to-do great-aunt buys you
2 or 3 more hard disks for additional backup), but it is hassle-free, fast, and
convenient.

peter

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22750)
Date: 8-OCT-02:32: Hardware & Peripherals

Perfectly brilliant, if you're rich enough.  You might want to make the second
hard disk a cartridge disk (one with removable cartridges -- I know Jasmine
sells one, but don't know how good it is) so you could do grandfather backup.

Grandfather backup, in case you were wondering, is where you have two complete
backups.  That way, if one of your files gets damaged (either advertently or
inadvertently), and you don't discover this fact until you've backed up your
entire hard disk, you still have a previously backed up (if possibly out of
date) copy.

------------------------------

From: DSACHS
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22750)
Date: 8-OCT-19:55: Hardware & Peripherals

    The IOmega Bernoulli box was designed for situations like yours. It is
slightly slower than other hard disks, but its total capacity is essentially
infinite. You can have a system+program cartridge in one slot and a data
cartridge in the other. It has backup programs for both sector and smart file
programs. The sector backup program completely foils copy protection schemes
with hard disk install capability.  At present it works properly only a Mac
Plus but Se and II compatability should come soon.

------------------------------

From: JIMSB
Subject: RE: Brilliant Idea (Re: Msg 22750)
Date: 9-OCT-00:19: Hardware & Peripherals

With 2 hard disks you could do your backups in real time. DEC's disk shadowing
records every write to a disk to a second disk that mirrors the first. Since
both disk are identical, if one fails the other takes over with out
interruption. This program is for a Vax so you would need to find the
equivalent for a Mac.

 Sort of stereo for your data!

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Comments on MultiFinder (Re: Msg 22743)
Date: 8-OCT-02:29: Network Digests

 > From: Norbert Lindenberg <[e-mail]>
 > Subject: Comments on MultiFinder
 >Layer Management I don't understand what's the reasoning behind this feature.

The reasoning is that there are programs that break if they don't have it. The
part I don't understand is, why don't they have a way for a program to indicate
that it doesn't want layers?  It really is 100% contrary to the Mac interface.

 >Shutdown

You're using an American version of MultiFinder, I suspect.  Still, your point
is a good one -- there ought to be two strings MultiFinder looks for, "Quit"
and "Beenden," since so many Europeans have to use untranslated American
software.

 David Dunham     "A mind is like a parachute.  It only functions when open."
 Maitreya Design

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Re:  Print Spooler for Diverse Print (Re: Msg 22743)
Date: 8-OCT-02:30: Network Digests

 >From: <[e-mail]>
 >Subject: Re:  Print Spooler for Diverse Printers
 >I think that SuperLaserSpool will fit the bill

SLS won't fit all bills; last I heard, it doesn't work on the Mac II.

 David Dunham     "Efficiency is intelligent laziness."
 Maitreya Design

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Re: Modal dialogs and MultiFinder (Re: Msg 22744)
Date: 8-OCT-02:30: Network Digests

 > From: <[e-mail]> (Thomas Fruin)
 > Subject: Re: Modal dialogs and MultiFinder

Interestingly, ModalDialog works fine with the existing multitasking model:
desk accessories.  I can put up a modal dialog, and get that deactivate event
to hide my menus and deactivate my scroll bars.

The ModalDialog was probably designed for quickness under a main-task program,
so you wouldn't get all sorts of activates and updates in the middle of your
status dialogs.  This may still be a useful thing to have.  What we probably
need is a SemiModalDialog call...

 David Dunham     "If voting could change the system, it would be illegal.  If
 Maitreya Design   not voting could change the system, it would be be illegal."

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: C problem (Re: Msg 22745)
Date: 8-OCT-02:31: Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (J.S.Shapiro)
 > Subject: C problem

I think I covered this in my classic DA article in MacTutor.  Read it.  The
code would be something like

  move.l 0(A5),A0
  pea    $FFFFFF94(A0)
  dc.w   $a851          ;SetCursor(&arrow)

only, of course, with whatever offset screenBits.bounds has.

 David Dunham     "Whenever you see a sign 'No Exit,' it means
 Maitreya Design   there is an exit."

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Saving info with text files (repost) (Re: Msg 22746)
Date: 8-OCT-02:32: Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Tom Carstensen)
 > Subject: Saving info with text files (repost)

I'd recommend against deleting any resources someone puts in your files.  You
never know what those resources are for.  Perhaps they belong to a pretty-
printer?  There are only 2 font/tab methods I know of, and I don't know of any
situations which get ridiculous.

What's really too bad is that most programs (mine included, I'm afraid) don't
copy all the resources when they do a Save as (and many make a new copy of a
file on a Save and thus lose the resources -- this is why I didn't bother to
try to keep resources intact, because someone else was bound to trash them).

 David Dunham     "Efficiency is intelligent laziness."
 Maitreya Design

------------------------------

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: HFS Menus on pre-4.1 systems (Re: Msg 22746)
Date: 8-OCT-02:32: Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Tom Carstensen)
 > Subject: HFS Menus on pre-4.1 systems

I believe the MDEF from 4.1 depends heavily (like exclusively) on patches from
System 4.1.

 David Dunham     "The more laws there are, the more people are
 Maitreya Design   inclined to break them"

------------------------------

From: WISNERS
Subject: MS WORD 3.01
Date: 8-OCT-02:44: Macintosh Developers

I am curious to know if anyone else has had the problem I have encountered in
the last week with MS Word 3.01.  I have had the directory of 2 of my data
disks destroyed while attempting to save onto floppy from inside Word. In the
first case the affected sector was #2, and the error given by Fedit Plus was
"Bad data mark checksum".  The same error occured on the second disk, but in
sector 7.  Any ideas?

Steven Wisner (WISNERS)

------------------------------

From: DSACHS
Subject: Software Disks
Date: 8-OCT-21:41: Business Mac

    Has anyone ever bought a commercial product for the Macintosh, that arrived
with the origional disks write protected.  I cannot understand why software
companies do not take this elementary precaution against accidents.

------------------------------

From: JEFFS
Subject: RE: Software Disks (Re: Msg 22769)
Date: 9-OCT-07:32: Business Mac

Yes, about 1/3 of them are write protected.  I write protect the others
immediately.  Do I take it you had some sort of "accident"? ;->

                                               Jeff

------------------------------

From: DOCJOHNALEG
Subject: Trouble with Power Station
Date: 8-OCT-22:49: Creative Pursuits

I am having a bad time with Power Station.  If I have PS running as the Startup
Ap under finder 6.0banything and I take a disk with a good working System and
Finder on it (any version of system and finder on the second disk) and I copy
ANY file to the disk either from the HD or from an Apple Share server or from a
second floppy, the disk to which I have copied the file will no longer boot.  I
have examined boot blocks with FEDIT and everything looks OK.  I can sometimes
restore "bootability" by putting the disk in another mac and making the finder
set startup but this only works about 50% of the time.  If I run Disk First Aid
on such a disk I get "Unable to Verify" even though the disk functions fine in
any second mount situation.  It just wont boot any more.  This has happened to
about 30 disks now with systems from 3.2 on up.

Does anyone know a work around.  Is there a patch to Power Station.

Thanks John

------------------------------

End of Delphi Mac Digest
************************