PD ROM 1/PD ROM Volume I - Macintosh Software from BMUG (1988).iso/Electronic Messages/Delphi Digests/Delphi Vol. 4/Delphi 4.04

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22-Feb-88 15:22:20-PST,24568;000000000001
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Date: Mon, 22 Feb 88 12:54 EDT
From: Jeffrey Shulman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V4 #4
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
X-VMS-To: in%"[e-mail]",in%"[e-mail]"

Date: Mon 22 Feb 88 12:54:25-EDT
From: Jeff Shulman <SHULMAN@SDR>
Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V4 #4
To: Delphi-List: ;
Message-ID: <572550865.0.SHULMAN@SDR>
Mail-System-Version: <VAX-MM(218)+TOPSLIB(129)@SDR>

Delphi Mac Digest     Sunday, February 21, 1988       Volume 4 : Issue 4

Today's Topics:
     re: Re: INITs
     Sound on 68020
     RE: INFO-MAC Digest V6 #12
     re: Miscellaneous Stuff
     68030/6882 on mac II (4 messages)
     MACINTAX ON XL (2 messages)
     Re: Perfect Multifinding:  The Surprise
     Where to get kiosks for Macintosh
     re: LW II NT Startup Page
     RE: Tape backup
     re: Alphabetizing Icons? (2 messages)
     Put Finder comments in resource fork (6 messages)
     Sampling Rates
     Placement of Disk Drives (3 messages)
     MacPaint 5.0
     color lut resoln ? (3 messages)
     re: DA copy via cmd-C
     re: Detecting Disk Ejections
     re: Multifinder startup oddity (2 messages)
     Full screen access

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

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Re: INITs
Date: 7-FEB-22:51: Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail]
 > Subject: Re: INITs

I'm not aware that INITs have to be loaded into the system heap, or do
anything else special.  Of course, _patches_ you want to be permanent
have to live in system heap, and if they're resources, you'd have to
detach them if they live in a separate INIT file. But some INITs may
just perform some action (like play a tune) at boot time.  These
shouldn't need special treatment.

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

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

From: SBERFIELD
Subject: Sound on 68020
Date: 8-FEB-23:34: Programming

I need to find some way to patch the sound drivers on my
Hypercharger-equipped SE. Sounds are garbled and extremely unpleasant. I
know there are patches around , anybody know anything about them? Also,
on a different topic, what is the availabi lability of "Quickerdraw"?

-Scott Berfield

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

From: DSACHS
Subject: RE: INFO-MAC Digest V6 #12 (Re: Msg 25124)
Date: 9-FEB-21:15: Network Digests

>Date: Sun, 31 Jan 88 01:31 EST
>From: <[e-mail]>
>Subject: Review of some games

Falcon will NOT run properly on the Mac II.

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

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Miscellaneous Stuff (Re: Msg 25121)
Date: 9-FEB-21:45: Network Digests

 >From: Matt Rhodes <[e-mail]>
 >Subject: Miscellaneous Stuff

Nothing's missing -- you're just not reading what it says.  The largest
free block is 133K; there may well be other, smaller free blocks.

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

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

From: JIMH
Subject: 68030/6882 on mac II
Date: 9-FEB-22:09: Programming

I installed a 68030/68882 combo on my mac II today, giving it a try on
the mac for a company in san diego.  The '882 signifigantly inhances
floating point speed, though i havent looked at it a lot yet.  250,000
sin calcs take 7 seconds as apposed to about 10 or so for '881, though i
havent redone the '881 numbers yet, i ran them for 25,000 got about 1
second so i suppose its fair to claim 10 for 10 times as many calcs ;-).
 I need to write a little program to enable data and instruction caches
so i dont rea lly now what the '30 does yet.  the difference is not
really all that apparent without the caches.  will report more after i
get a little time to play with it.  the '030 and the card to plug it in
to sells for about 1000-1100 dollars, a little steap for a yet. the
board appears to be simple the board motorola published schematics for
in the '030 manual, real simpleboard so its pretty over priced.  best
jim

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

From: HALL
Subject: RE: 68030/6882 on mac II (Re: Msg 25145)
Date: 10-FEB 00:11 Programming

Is this the one that plugs into the 020 socket?  How much is the 882
going for by itself?

Brian

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

From: JIMH
Subject: RE: 68030/6882 on mac II (Re: Msg 25153)
Date: 11-FEB 20:36 Programming

Brian, yes it plugs into the 20 socket.  the 030 runs about $600 i
think, i  dont know as they gave me these to play with, as they had
never tried it on the mac. best jim

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

From: HALL
Subject: RE: 68030/6882 on mac II (Re: Msg 25208)
Date: 11-FEB 22:00 Programming

I talked with them today;  the board goes for $495, the 68030 (16MHz)
for $630, and the 68882 (16MHz) for $415.   They also said that it was a
very preliminary board, and not to expect much from it...

Brian (They didn't know if it would run Unix without the 68851;  it
doesn't  plug into the 851 socket...)

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

From: FMBBS
Subject: MACINTAX ON XL
Date: 10-FEB 20:59 Bugs & Features

I am trying to run MACINTAX on the XL. My XL has the latest SUN HD and
all the related HFS stuff. I have 1 meg of memory. I can't believe that
MACINTAX will not run. It starts to load and then locks up. Anyone had
any sucess in getting it to run?? Bill T

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

From: JSTIFF
Subject: RE: MACINTAX ON XL (Re: Msg 25170)
Date: 11-FEB 23:12 Bugs & Features

Yes, you are correct, that the new version of MACINTAX will not run on
the MacXL.  It won't execute on the Sun-upgraded MacXL, and it won't
execute on a "standard" MacXL.  The programmer of MacInTax is working
with Sun's chief programmer to work out the in compatibilities.  We are
very pleased with both Sun's and MacInTax's responses when the problem
was brought to their attention.

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

From: BRECHER
Subject: Re: Perfect Multifinding:  The Surprise
Date: 13-FEB 16:43 Network Digests

>To: [e-mail] (Clive Steward)
>Subject: Re: Perfect Multifinding:  The Surprise Ending

> Suitcase seems to have a time bomb.  To see it, set your Mac's date
> to somewhere above 28 February, 1994, then reboot.  (To get back on
> the air, reboot again with the shift and option keys down, then
> reset the date, boot again.)

Sorry about that.  Beta versions had a built-in expiration date, and
some of that code was left dangling in the release.  Fixed in Suitcase
1.2.  Suitcase 1.2.1 is being mailed to registered users of earlier
versions.

By the way, only the shift key is necessary to disable Suitcase at
start-up time.

> The cross-interference between McSink under Suitcase and MacTerminal
> 2.2 is real; auto-opening (application, no document) under Multifinder
> will give a specious message about a damaged document (remember,
> you didn't give one), on a plain SE or Plus.  Just got another copy

This is a bug in MacTerminal; it is independent of Suitcase -- it would
occur if you had McSink installed in your System, without Suitcase.

MacTerminal documents have a CNFG 1 resource.  When it starts up,
MacTerminal does the following (rendered here in pseudocode):

     if CountResources('CNFG') < 1
        we have no document
     else
        CNFGHndl := GetResource('CNFG', 1);
        dereference CNFGHndl without checking whether it is nil,
        and clobber some low memory in addition to putting up the
        spurious alert

The problem is that McSink has an owned resource of type CNFG.

     Steve Brecher
     author/publisher of Suitcase

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

From: INET284
Subject: Where to get kiosks for Macintosh
Date: 15-FEB 11:59 Hardware & Peripherals

I would like information on where to obtain a Mac Kiosk. This is a
display case usually placed in Malls etc. for demonstration purposes,
often with a soft touch screen.

Any help you could give me would be appreciated

Thank you.


Judith White

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

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: LW II NT Startup Page (Re: Msg 25253)
Date: 17-FEB 02:12 Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (joseph faber)
 > Subject: LW II NT Startup Page
 I don't have a LW II, but to turn off my LW+'s startup page, I sent the
PostScript program you mention: serverdict begin 0 exitserver statusdict
begin false setdostartpage _all on one line_ using the PostScript print
option of my miniWRITER desk accessory (currently in version 1.41).  I
presume this software solution will still work.

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: RE: Tape backup (Re: Msg 25338)
Date: 17-FEB 10:31 Network Digests

Re: Tape Backups

I did a review of tape backup units for MacWEEK which appeared in the
1/26/88 issue. You can probably get a copy from the San Francisco office
at 415-882-7370.

I found no complete software compatibility with Apple's tape format
among other drives. Everyone's promising, no one's delivering. Tecmar is
promising, and their unit proved quite fast using their own format, but
the version of software I tested would not handle multiple tapes per
volume.

Personally, I think the Apple "standard" is lousy, and, since it hasn't
been taken up by other vendors, I'm hoping that another standard will
appear that is widely accepted and provides more flexibility for better
performance. Unfortunately, I don't know of any such effort. Right now,
the "standard" doesn't even allow you to purchase A/UX on tape - it
comes only on an 80MB drive as far as I know, with Apple's standard
profit margin. I also haven't seen any documentation of the Apple
standard from APDA or similar sources, though I believe other tape
vendors have gotten something from Apple.

Ric Ford MacWEEK Boston

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

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Alphabetizing Icons? (Re: Msg 25338)
Date: 18-FEB 01:34 Network Digests

 > From: Steve Dennett <[e-mail]>
 > Subject: Alphabetizing Icons?
 To alphabetize Finder icons, view by name, select all, then drag them
into the folder (or disk).  They'll be repositioned alphabetically.  (I
don't use the ugly small icons; to alphabetize this way, you'd probably
have to drag the files to the desktop or another folder first, then
select view by small icon for your temporarily empty folder, then drag
the files back to it.)

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

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

From: JEFFS
Subject: RE: re: Alphabetizing Icons? (Re: Msg 25355)
Date: 18-FEB 07:10 Network Digests

1. Select View by Name. 2. Select All 3. Move icons to desktop 4. Select
whatever view you want to end up with (by Icon or by Small Icon). 5.
Select Put Away.

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: Put Finder comments in resource fork
Date: 18-FEB 09:06 Bugs & Features

I keep thinking over and over "why doesn't Apple put Get Info comments
in the *file* instead of the Desktop!" It seems "intuitively obvious" to
me that Get Info comments should go into a resource in the file they
describe. Either that, or a file should have *three* forks: resource,
data, and info.

Do you agree? Is Apple going to do this in the future?

Ric Ford

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

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: Put Finder comments in resource fork (Re: Msg 25360)
Date: 18-FEB 12:18 Bugs & Features

Since Finder 5.something, the Application signature is used as a source
of the GetInfo comment (of course, this doesn't apply to document
files).

It may be that the reason the comment doesn't go into the resource fork
(or a third fork) is the overhead of having to create one or more blocks
to hold a 30 byte comment if the file didn't already have a resource
fork.

peter

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: RE: Put Finder comments in resource fork (Re: Msg 25363)
Date: 18-FEB 17:19 Bugs & Features

The application signature is only the *default* comment, and the user's
comment doesn't get stored there.

You're probably right about the overhead being the reason for not doing
it, but since Apple has given up floppy-based configurations with the
MultiFiner system (there doesn't seem to be any concern for people using
only floppies anymore - I always recommend using System 4.1 if you don't
have a hard disk), I think the overhead would be justified for
overcoming all the problems in the present comments design - the idea of
comments is certainly worth keeping, just as the idea of resource forks
is. And we know the Resource Manager can be a performance bottleneck,
but it's too good an idea to discard.

Ric

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

From: NWOLF
Subject: RE: Put Finder comments in resource fork (Re: Msg 25360)
Date: 19-FEB 02:04 Bugs & Features

OK, I'll bite! It'd be great if Get Info comments were anywhere but the
desktop.

The desktop is too volatile to store such valuable information.

If the get info comments were stored as a resource it would provide an '
opportunity to expand the scope and function of Get Info. Not only could
one put some really significant information about the program, notes,
addenda, beta docs, but the resource could be called upon by the program
whenever information stored there needed to be accessed. In addition,
this would open the door for new methods of tracking program usage which
could be used in demos, betas, minor copy protection routines, and the
like. Information stored in a Get Info resource could provide an easier
way to maintain file directories (i.e., by description) and a further
level of sorting on existing directories.

Storing this information in the desktop is both burdensome and
inconvenient, in addition to being cumbersome, inaccessible, and
volatile. The desktop needless ly complicates backups. Then too, there's
the storage of icon information in the desktop which creates innumerable
problems. Would it not be better to have a better finder arrangement
that obtained the icon from the program without needless duplication in
the desktop. Besides, the purging mechanism for clearing the desktop of
unneeded icons stinks. One can easily store more than 1/3 of the desktop
info in the program - and much of that already is! - if this redundancy
were addressed.

Neil

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

From: NWOLF
Subject: RE: Put Finder comments in resource fork (Re: Msg 25368)
Date: 19-FEB 02:06 Bugs & Features

The overhead doesn't become much of an issue if the duplication of
resources would be eliminated....

Neil

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

From: MACWEEKBOS
Subject: RE: Put Finder comments in resource fork (Re: Msg 25385)
Date: 19-FEB 16:27 Bugs & Features

Some other problems with the current file system:

There is apparently a version number connected with files, but it has no
usefulness that I know of, and I've heard it causes programmers problems
unless they basically "NO OP" it out. How about a real version-number
scheme like VAX/VMS has?!

And on the subject of file systems, it seems silly that you have to use
a "Drive" button when you get above a certain level in the hierarchy.
The pull-down Standard File menu should have a root level above the
drives the way DiskTop does. It seems much more intuitive.

Ric

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

From: OPPENHEIM
Subject: Sampling Rates
Date: 19-FEB 19:39 Programming Techniques

I'm intrigued by the Sound Manager chapter in IM V: How does one get the
sampling synthesizer to play samples at the 44.1K rate?

IM V does not explain the type of the sr field in Fig. 5, for a format 2
'snd ' resource. It just says: 'sampling rate (long word)'.

The MPW .include files provide a bit more information, indicating that
the rate is a [signed] fixed number, putting the upper limit at just
under 32.768K. Anything larger than $7FFF in the high-order word of this
field causes the synthesizer to play garbage.

Perhaps one allocates the channel first and passes the init parameter
initSRate44K with SndNewChannel. However, the include files, with a
preceeding comment, all seem to imply that the init parameters only
apply to the wave table synthesizer. If initSRate44K did set the top
rate to 44K, how would the fixed number sr be interpreted? Is there a
way to bypass the Sound Manager and access the sound chip directly?
(Still waiting for the hardware ref. manual...)

By the way, there is a 'snd ' resource in the Mac II ROM, from offset
$3EAC8 to $3FFFF, called 'Brass Horn' (ID #1). You can copy it to a
handle and write it disk with AddResource.

Alex

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

From: MACENGLISH
Subject: Placement of Disk Drives
Date: 19-FEB 21:04 Hardware & Peripherals

I had alway heard that external disk drives should be placed to the
right of the computer.  When I arrived at school today, all the
MacPluses had been been set up and connected to AppleTalk.  The disk
drives had been placed on top of the Macintoshes, in between both vents.
 When I questioned this, I was told that the dealer had said that the
new drives were completely shielded and protected from the heat.  Do you
agree with this?  Or would the disk drives be better off sitting on the
table to the right of the computers.

Debbie

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

From: JEFFS
Subject: RE: Placement of Disk Drives (Re: Msg 25391)
Date: 19-FEB 21:20 Hardware & Peripherals

It wasn't really the heat that was/is the problem but the magnetic
effects of the flyback transformer and the like.

                                               Jeff

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

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: Placement of Disk Drives (Re: Msg 25391)
Date: 20-FEB 01:31 Hardware & Peripherals

I used to put my disk drive on top of the Mac (this was a few years ago,
on my first Mac).  After a while, I began having problems reading disks.
 Although I was never able to prove that the heat had anything to do
with it, I stopped putting the drive on top.  Symptoms to look out for
are: a diskette that reads onely when it is first put in the machine, or
only after it's been in the machine for a long time warming up, or only
after the machine is first turned on, or only after the machine has
warmed up.

peter

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

From: MACENGLISH
Subject: MacPaint 5.0
Date: 19-FEB 21:05 User Supported Software

Did anyone notice that the new version of MacPaint took away a feature?

You can only use fonts up to 48 points, not 72.  I can't believe they
did this!

Debbie

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

From: ROWLAND
Subject: color lut resoln ?
Date: 20-FEB 16:12 Hardware & Peripherals

Does anyone know how many effective bits there are in the Apple color
card luts ? (ie- how many bits does the DAC take ?). I know that the
software takes 16 bits (0 to 65535) but I can't quite make a reasonable
number out of direct observation of small changes in one of the
color-setters. I'd also be interested in knowing the same thing for
other boards - for example the SuperMac boards. If I believe the
"pallette of 16 million" I assume this means 8 bit dacs ? I would like
10 bits - does anyone know of a board that will give that ? (I don't
need that many different bits to specify the color - just that sort of
resolution - for psychophysics vision experiment).

Mike Burns

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

From: PEABO
Subject: RE: color lut resoln ? (Re: Msg 25421)
Date: 20-FEB 19:43 Hardware & Peripherals

You also want to know whether the intensity is linear or not as a
function of the number that is put into the input of the DAC.

peter

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

From: ROWLAND
Subject: RE: color lut resoln ? (Re: Msg 25424)
Date: 20-FEB 21:45 Hardware & Peripherals

True - usually the DAC is really linear compared to the monitor. I'll
have to measure the monitor response eventually. The estimate of 10 bits
is based on another machine I use; there the 10 bits (linear) and the
monitor(very non-linear - something like the fourth power of input) is
almost always sufficient for the experiments. Come to think of it - it
would be rather clever to make the amp have the inverse response of the
monitor. However, since the visual system itself is hardly linear I
guess it's not usually worth the trouble.

Mike

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

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: DA copy via cmd-C (Re: Msg 25397)
Date: 20-FEB 22:41 Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Milt Sagen)
 > Subject: DA copy via cmd-C
 For some reasons, DAs don't get an accCopy call from a pretzel-C.
You've got to trap for it yourself.  This is unfortunate, but I believe
ZXCV are the standard keys, even with keyboards where they're not
contiguous.

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

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

From: DDUNHAM
Subject: re: Detecting Disk Ejections (Re: Msg 25397)
Date: 20-FEB 22:41 Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Tom Carstensen)
 > Subject: Detecting Disk Ejections
 Try the EjectNotify hook.

 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: Multifinder startup oddity (Re: Msg 25399)
Date: 20-FEB 22:42 Network Digests

 > From: [e-mail] (Ralph Martin)
 > Subject: Multifinder startup oddity
 MultiFinder makes DAs more useful then ever, since they're no longer
closed when you quit an application.  Since [Option]-opening DAs is
potentially dangerous, Apple did the right thing.

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

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

From: BRECHER
Subject: Re: Multifinder startup oddity
Date: 20-FEB 22:52 Network Digests

To: [e-mail] (Ralph Martin) Subject: Re: Multifinder startup
oddity

> This means that you can't start up a combination which includes (a) some
> DAs, and at the same time (b) some applications with desired documents.

You can do this with PowerStation 2.3.

> One final small point - why should finder HAVE to be launched under
> multifinder - I might want to run without it!  For example, I might
> just want to run MacWrite and MacPaint, just switching between these two

This also, as follows: set PowerStation as startup (this can be done
from within PowerStation); open MacWrite and MacPaint under MultiFinder
(PowerStation will do this automatically at startup, if you like); then
switch to PowerStation and quit it (by clicking its "Finder" button
[which is misnamed in this case] or hitting the Enter key).

PowerStation 2.3 is currently in disk duplication and will ship in the
last week of Feb.

    --Steve Brecher
      author/publisher of PowerStation

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

From: RAMARREN
Subject: Full screen access
Date: 20-FEB 17:33 Programming Techniques

I am trying to program a feature which will allow the user complete
access to all 512@342 screen pixels of a standard Mac, and likewise for
any arbitrary screen device (ala FullPaint, SuperPaint, HyperCard), be
compatible with MultiFinder et al, etc. I used to do this by taking over
the Window Manager Port (or direct screen drawing), but this is
obviously verboten now with MF about. Anyone have any hints on how this
can be accomplished in a friendly fashion? (my usual language is Pascal,
I can read most others; if anyone has a source fragment that implements
something close to this, I'd love to see it)

thanks, gdg


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

End of Delphi Mac Digest
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