PD ROM 1/PD ROM Volume I - Macintosh Software from BMUG (1988).iso/Electronic Messages/Delphi Digests/Delphi Vol. 3/Delphi 3.53

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Date: Mon, 14 Dec 87 09:35 EDT
From: Jeffrey Shulman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V3 #53
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
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Date: Mon 14 Dec 87 09:34:56-EDT
From: Jeff Shulman <SHULMAN@SDR>
Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V3 #53
To: Delphi-List: ;
Message-ID: <566490896.0.SHULMAN@SDR>
Mail-System-Version: <VAX-MM(218)+TOPSLIB(129)@SDR>

Delphi Mac Digest     Monday, December 14, 1987      Volume 3 : Issue 53

Today's Topics:
     RE: MIDI & 31K baud (3 messages)
     Re: how strong of a magnet? (2 messages)
     Re: 4Dimension
     Re: Backups (on video tape)
     Sony diskette problems? (2 messages)
     Big Screen & Multiplan
     VersaTerm/QuickKeys/MF bug (3 messages)
     "find" function for online help
     RE: Math typesetting
     Hyper gottyas
     HELP! WITH FILEMAKER (2 messages)
     VBL's (2 messages)
     FKEYs and re-entrancy
     ** NEWS **
     Filemaker Plus 2.0
     RE: INFO-MAC Digest V5 #143
     RE: Nerd Perfect Vaporware
     HyperText in HyperCard

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

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: MIDI & 31K baud (Re: Msg 24104)
Date: 9-DEC-09:47: Programming

My impression is that the MIDI rate is selected by using external
clocking from the gadget that interfaces the Mac to the MIDI bus.  You
have to go into the chip registers and fool with the configuration bits.

peter

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

From: GDUDEK
Subject: RE: MIDI & 31K baud (Re: Msg 24108)
Date: 9-DEC-23:03: Programming

  EGad!  That's what I was afraid of: having to go direct to the SCC or
something horrible like that.  By disassembling some MIDI software I
have, it looked like that's what was necessary.
  In that case, if anybody can suggest some sample code for diddling the
SCC, or even point out how, it would be appreciated.
  Thanks, Greg.

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

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: RE: MIDI & 31K baud (Re: Msg 24104)
Date: 10-DEC 01:51 Programming

Check MacTutor, vol. 3 no. 7, July 1987, for assembly source code to
send MIDI data (assuming a MIDI adaptor).

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: Re: how strong of a magnet? (Re: Msg 24035)
Date: 9-DEC-21:43: Network Digests

Re: how strong of a magnet?

My two cents worth: I thought that microfloppies were very sensitive to
magnetic fields until I tried to erase a Mac floppy with a huge magnet
that holds on a large CB antenna at 85 MPH on top of a car. It didn't
phase the Mac disk at all. I know the idea behind tape-head
demagnitizers is to vary a magnetic field a lot, so I even tried
wiggling the magnet back and forth. Didn't work. Does a real tape-head
demagnitizer not work? (I gues I'll have to try it!)

Ric Ford

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

From: DSACHS
Subject: RE: Re: how strong of a magnet? (Re: Msg 24115)
Date: 9-DEC-22:23: Network Digests

I would recommend a tape bulk eraser.  One of those will erase anything
short of Alinco.

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: Re: 4Dimension (Re: Msg 24036)
Date: 9-DEC-21:54: Network Digests

Re: 4Dimension

I've worked out my own way of using the manuals, and I've found the
tutorial perhaps worse than useless, but there's one key thing to using
the 4th Dimension documentation: get the computer-readable index to the
whole set of documents. It should be available on Compu$erve, Delphi,
and maybe here if JEFFS uploads it. It can be had in Word3 or text
formats and it's a big help.

Ric Ford

[ If I didn't already post it (who can remember these things! ;->) then
let me know if I should. - Jeff ]

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: Re: Backups (on video tape) (Re: Msg 24138)
Date: 10-DEC 21:49 Network Digests

Re: Backups

At the most recent Boston expo, Jasmine had an experimental backup tape
drive based on 8mm video cassettes. The person I talked to thought it
might be in the $4000 range if it were ever produced.

I think there's a vendor in the IBM PC market that uses VCR's for
backup. Sorry I don't remember the name.

But, for 20MB drives, I feel strongly that floppy backup is the best way
to go. All you need is a decent application to run things. I use
DiskFit, though HFS Backup is good, too, and FastBack and OmniBackup are
both promising.

Ric Ford

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: Sony diskette problems?
Date: 10-DEC 23:03 Bugs & Features

I just bought 100 Sony diskettes from ComputerWare, boxed in 10-floppy
boxes with labels. Using DiskFit, I'm seeing about a 5% failure rate in
formatting or subsequent read/write errors. This isn't what I expect
from Sony diskettes, and I believe in spending a few extra cents for the
best home I can find for my data. Anyone else seeing this problem?

Ric Ford

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

From: BMUG
Subject: RE: Sony diskette problems? (Re: Msg 24149)
Date: 11-DEC 07:06 Bugs & Features

RIC -

Are these single-sided floppies you're formatting as double?  We've been
finding that FUJI's don't do very well at that, and perhaps SONY is now
"cracking down" by putting just single-sideds into its boxes.  There's a
shortage on, y'know!

-- Raines / BMUG

P.S. Have you checked your drive lately?

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

From: SYNTHONY
Subject: Big Screen & Multiplan
Date: 11-DEC 00:39 Business Mac

I am trying out a Nutmeg FPD and most programs seem to run fine, except
Multiplan & Chart by Microsoft.  They will appear to launch okay, but after a
few seconds will return to the finder.  The Multiplan I own is version 1.02 (I
know a bit old).  Is there anything I can do with this version or do I need an
upgrade?

Bill

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

From: JEFFPARKE
Subject: VersaTerm/QuickKeys/MF bug
Date: 11-DEC 02:38 Bugs & Features

I have been seeing total system hangups (screen freezes) running MultiFinder on
me SE with 2.5 Megs.  These seem to happen mostly when in VersaTerm 3.0 and
after using Quick Keys for a while.  Like other reports here, the
predictability of this is marginal - a particular sequence of keys will do it
one time within 20 seconds of a reboot, the next time everything will work
fine.  I'm running with MacsBug 5.5 installed and get vectored to it only about
half the time.  Disconcerting!

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: RE: VersaTerm/QuickKeys/MF bug (Re: Msg 24153)
Date: 11-DEC 09:09 Bugs & Features

Jeff,

Are you using any DAs? I'm starting to wonder if applications and MultiFinder
expect you to run without Macsbug and any INITs...

Ric

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

From: JEFFPARKE
Subject: RE: VersaTerm/QuickKeys/MF bug (Re: Msg 24161)
Date: 12-DEC 00:51 Bugs & Features

I use several DA's, though I haven't correlated their use with these strange
bugs I've seen.  I also have CPS Save Deletes installed at bootup; maybe that
is implicated as well.  I will try to pay more attention to what is going on
and see if a reproducible sequence can be found, but, hey, I'm using this thing
to do other work, and these things are hard to track. An interesting aside,
DA-wise.  HFS Find works fine on my SE at work with the new system (&
MultiFinder) but gives the old bombola ID=2 every time on my Mac+ with System
4.2/Finder 6.0 (no MF).

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: "find" function for online help
Date: 11-DEC 09:42 Business Mac

I've been using online help for some complicated Macintosh applications
like Microsoft Word and I think there's one essential thing missing: the
ability to look for any word in the online help text, a "Find" command.

Word, for example, has no listing for "tabs." Yes, I can find a few
subjects that relate to tabs, but it may take quite a bit of searching to
determine that there's no online help, or no function at all for what
I'm trying to do.

It seems a simple idea to implement, and one that could be a powerful
help to users. I think we can take a lesson from HyperCard here.

Ric Ford

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

From: HAGIHARA
Subject: RE: Math typesetting (Re: Msg 24106)
Date: 12-DEC 00:24 Public Domain

Something is missing in a program such as Expressionist.  While I agree with
MacUser and some of my friends saying that Expressionist is a fine product (
what can you deserve more with 5 mice rating!), something is not there.  Math
equations are very complex when it comes to highly technical subjects.  As I am
exposed to the way TeX works, I found Expressionist not quite as intuitive as
it should be.  First, it should be able to recognize certain characters as
variables (thus they are automatically italicized) and certain key words as
function names (thus not italicized).  This is a familiar territory for TeX
users as, e.g., $\sin$ will be treated as a function "sin" and so forth in
Plain TeX.  Second, equations under Display Mode look awful until I adjust them
manually.  This lowers the productivity significantly.  Ultimately it came to a
point where I had to abandon using Expressionist entirely.  Consistency is the
key to typeset good technical papers: if some equations are off-centered so
they look jagged, then aestheticity of the paper is lost.  (I noticed many
Russian papers have inconsistent equation displays.)  The only sol'n to cure
this problem is to implement Expressionist as a built-in feature of a word
processor such as FWP or WP so that equation displays will be performed
automatically or at least with little efforts.  While you could have made
Expressionist intelligent by implementing features to recognize function names,
to automatically italicize all the variables, and to adjust kerning among
variables and functions, the Display Mode is far more than what can be handled
by utilities such as Expressionist (MacEqn,...).  Are you willing to make a
word processor that Donald E. Knuth dreamed?  Currently, a lot of onerous
typing goes to user's hands which should not.

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

From: GOODHIND
Subject: Hyper gottyas
Date: 12-DEC 05:40 Business Mac

I've noticed a few of bugs in hypercard:

   - In the "FONT" select for fields, if the size in points is entered
     by typing instead of with a menu drag, the hypercard application
     will bomb if a "large" number is entered into the point size field.

   - When printing a largish (10-30 page) report with columns (laser
     writer & prep 4.0 (I think)), the report will drop a an entire page
     of text at times, no pattern... tried rebooting printer, no go.

   - When using print stack on a stack of 190 cards I've had the printer
     "go to lunch" sending back a message that has hypercard asking for
     a printer reboot. (And it was taking two to three minutes per page
     to format the beggars... yawn...)

     (are these related? is it my prep & driver files? any ideas?)


And a few not so bugs (hopes, dreams, asperations)

   - I know that hypertext applications are supposed to exist only on the
     screen, but my boss is from the dark ages (insists that it's only
     real data if it can be printed).

     * Print should have "RANGE" for card numbers in the report and
       stack print.

     * Print should allow a "SELECT" on the contents of a specified
       field.

     * Reports should be able to spool to disk.

     OK, yes I could do all of this with hypertalk scripts, but should
     I have to?  The idea of learning file primatives to do a simple
     print to disk is rather sad...

Oh well, flame off... I actually am having a blast with the thing, looking
forward to what comes next.

ljg

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

From: VASMUG
Subject: HELP! WITH FILEMAKER
Date: 12-DEC 08:34 Business Mac

Greetings and HELP!
  Are there any FileMaker wizzards out there?
  I've got one problem - I need to perform a calculation on two summary fields
and it won't let me do it.  Here's the problem:
 Summary filed: Total deposits gives me totals across a set of records
 Summary field: Total Withdrawls gives me total amount of checks I want a
claculation field that will give me the current balance!  The program will not
let me perform a calculation on a summary field.

Can you help?  Thanks in advance!

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

From: NWOLF
Subject: RE: HELP! WITH FILEMAKER (Re: Msg 24181)
Date: 12-DEC 18:25 Business Mac

I dunno, Fred, that one oughta be referred to tech support. I think you can do
it but not the way you want. But I'm not sure. How about a calculated field
that worked on the data directly - without using a summary field. Then just
putting the data wherever you needed. I'm not sure that'd work, but I think
it's the only way. Have you tried Filemaker + ? - It has enhanced capabilities
in this regard and might be able to handle your problem.

Neil.

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

From: JOSEF
Subject: VBL's
Date: 12-DEC 00:41 Programming Techniques

Hey paul, I didn't know you were workin' for apple--I guess that's why you
moved out here! Thanx for helpin out with my VBL problem.  I was stuck because
of a stupid oversight.  I thought a quick a dirty way to get my VBL in the
system heap would be to just put it in it's own code resource and then set the
system heap bit for that resource. Of course I found out the hard way (TMON)
that that doesn't work since it gets there thru the jump table entry which is
still in application space.

My second approach wasn't so nifty either, but that was really LightSpeedC's
fault. What I did this time was to compile the VBL into a stand-alone code
resource. That would have worked, except that LSC inserts some preamble stuff
to make globals possible, and in doing so, wipe out A0, which upon entry
contains the pointer to the VBL task record. I forced this to work by using
FEDIT to patch around their code, but this is clearly a poor solution. I called
Think to complain about their code insertion practices, but meanwhile, will
probably have to go with something along the lines of what you described.

No doubt you'll be hearin' from me again.

Joe

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

From: PAULMERCER
Subject: RE: VBL's (Re: Msg 2233)
Date: 12-DEC 22:28 Programming Techniques

Err, are  you refering to a reply you got via MacDTS?

I always do my VBLs in assembler so its no problem to BlockMove them to the
system heap.

Good luck,

Paul :)

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

From: DEWI
Subject: FKEYs and re-entrancy
Date: 12-DEC 02:03 Programming Techniques

What's the "official" way of ensuring that a FKEY or other code resource isn't
re-entrant? The FKEY I'm playing with at the moment calls ModalDialog, which
calls GetNextEvent, which can activate the FKEY again. Unlike DAs, there's no
control bit to play with. I had thought that the ScrDmpEnb global would
suppress all FKEYs, but it seems to have no effect on a II under MultiFinder.

I ended up borrowing the ScrDmpEnb global as a semaphore. It works, but it's
not exactly elegant.

On a related topic, I'm a bit dubious about Think's recommended way of saving
and restoring register A4 when a code resource has global data. The
RememberA4/SetUpA4/RestoreA4 combination has an utility function called _A4_
which features the following asm line:
            save:  dc.l 0   ; keep saved A4 here.

Seems to me that saving data in code space is getting to be a more and more
dubious proposition every day as the Macintosh evolves. Comments anyone?

            Dewi

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

From: MACMAG
Subject: ** NEWS **
Date: 12-DEC 21:22 Business Mac

FreeHand
********

We've been playing around with this new baby and must say we like it a lot more
than Cricket Draw or even Adobe's Illustrator. FRee Hand is fast, works in
color on the Mac II, lets you define your own shades (by name) which get
inserted in the color menu. It also lets you edit in preview mode, exports in
EPSF, reads illustrator files. (in fact it is so much like illustrator that
when you press command-option- space, you get the same soom icon as in
illustrator). A definate winner.


Cricket Brush
*************

Another attempt by Cricket software to dominate the graphic market. This
program tries to be another Image Studio. It lets you create a drawing surface
of either 72, 75, 144, or 300 dpi. The drawing surface can be flat (bitmap) or
deep (grey scale).

The about box looks like illustrator's about box, except for a great mona lisa
scan. Unfortunately the program is too slow to be workable. I guess it's back
to the old drawing board for Cricket Software.


Apple Products
**************

Apple will announce at the next MacWorld expo, 3 new laser printers.

LaserWriter II SC (personal SCSI QuickDraw Laser) LaserWriter II NT (mid-range
model which replaces the Laser & Laser Plus) LaserWriter II NTX (high-end
model, expandable)

The NTX model can be expanded to 12 megabytes of storage and contains a SCSI
port where the user can attach a Hard disk unit for font storage.

The NT model should replace the old Laser & Laser Plusses. L & L+ will be
discontinued.

The SC model is a personal Laser that plugs in the SCSI port, contains a 68000
processor, 1 mebagyte of memory, works with QuickDraw instead of PostScript.

All models use the NEW Canon engines. They have a life expectancy 25% greater
than the older model, print darker blacks, can print up to 0.197 inches from
the border of the page, print up to 300,000 copies, and are generally better
all around.

Models will have a 200 page paper tray, an optional legal size paper tray, and
a new tray for envelope printing. The manual feed is ajustable (you can slide
your envelopes without having to worry).

The new machines are modular in design. They also have ADB ports for future
possible expansions. Modularity will allow the user to move up to the more
powerful model when the time becomes appropriate.

One last note: Don't expect the CD unit or the Scanner for January.


FullWrite
*********

My prediction: FullWrite will not be available until the SF expo.


Steve A-

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

From: CHUQ
Subject: Filemaker Plus 2.0
Date: 12-DEC 23:06 Business Mac

Anyone know what the difference between Filemaker plus 1.0 and 2.0 is? I've yet
to see anything on the new release other than the change in rev nubmers in the
'current' boxes in the magazines. (Needless, the owner of FMP never let me know
of the upgrade, either -- but I own't start that flame again...)

Any reason why I ought to track this down? Or is 1.0 good enough?

chuq

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

From: DSACHS
Subject: RE: INFO-MAC Digest V5 #143 (Re: Msg 24138)
Date: 13-DEC 22:48 Network Digests

>Re: <[e-mail]>
>Sub: Foreign Language Spelling Checkers

    I imagine that one problem with foreign language spelling checkers is that
most non-English languages are heavily inflected and therefore have more
distinct common "words".  Most English verbs have only 4 distinct forms (not
counting 2nd person singular which is rarely used. Nouns have 2 (not counting
Genitives).  Compare this with the number of forms a French or German verb has
- even if it is regular, and you can see that a Foreign language spelling
dictionary has to be much larger than an English one.

The alternative is to write a different program for each languag, that knows
every regular inflection of the language and can detect irregular words. What
would be the potential sales for such programs.  I believe that there are more
English speaking computer users, than there are for any other language.

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

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: Nerd Perfect Vaporware (Re: Msg 24226)
Date: 14-DEC 00:16 Network Digests

>Date: Wed, 9 Dec 87 08:21:38 PST
>From: Stephen E. Miner <[e-mail]>
>Subject: Nerd Perfect Vaporware

Is Nerd Perfect Vaporware copy protected?  I won't buy it if it is copy
protected!

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

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

From: BMUG
Subject: HyperText in HyperCard
Date: 14-DEC 02:21 Programming

HyperHackers -

I can't hold back any longer!  Here it is!  The long-awaited "Improved
HyperText Technique" I've been promising.  I think I've generalized it enough
to be useful all over.  Rather than upload a stack, I'll just post the script
itself for people to type or cut/paste in...

[in script of home stack, or your stack]:

 -- The BMUG HyperText trick by Raines Cohen, 12/11/87.
 -- please retain this credit in your script if you use this.

 on mouseUp
  if word 2 of the target is "field" and msg is not empty and word 1 of msg is
   not "find" and the commandKey is down then
    put "find"&"e&msg"e
    do "send lookUp to"&&the target
    type return
  end if
 end mouseUp

This is different from the original XREF trick, in that fields DO NOT have to
be locked for it to work, so you can use it on ANY field in ANY stack, unless
the mouseUp message is trapped.

I send the lookUp message in order to allow overriding and special-case
behavior, like:

[in script of bkgnd field "Body Text"]:

 on lookUp
  put " in bkgnd field"&"e&"Keywords""e after msg
 end lookUp

This will make lookups based on the Body Text look in "KeyWords"  Another
example would be to put "Go to card" into word 1 of msg or something like that
to allow cross-referencing.

How it works: When you command-mouseDown on any field, locked or unlocked,
HyperCard "picks up" the text and puts it into the msg box. My script just
puts 'Find ""' around the text, and sends the lookup message to allow a
particular field, or card, or background, or stack modify or override the
searching behavior.  I "type return" to get HC to execute the contents of the
msg box.  The user is left with any occurence of the phrase "selected" with
the "find" rectangle, and the command still in the message box to allow the
user to press return to repeat the search.

Credits: Please use this trick in your stacks, royalty-free!  If you would,
I'd appreciate it if you'd credit "The BMUG HyperText trick" in your script
and about box if your use of it is significant.  More importantly, let me know
about any interesting variations or improvements you discover!  You can reach
me c/o: BMUG, 1442A Walnut #62, Berkeley, CA 94709.  AppleLink: UG0001.
Delphi, GEnie, BIX, MCI Mail,Well: BMUG. CIS: 70007,2271.  FIDOnet(EchoMac):
161/444.  Voice: [415] 549-BMUG.

This trick was inspired by an offhand remark by Dan Winkler at a HyperCard
seminar.  I aspire to attain his goal of writing poetry in HyperTalk.

-- Raines Cohen / Leader, BMUG HyperCard Scripting SIG


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

End of Delphi Mac Digest
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