• So what took so long to get this version? You promised it ages ago…
Yes, I did promise the next version of A/S to a number of people. At the time, I honestly thought I was a matter of days from finishing the next version. I was wrong.
On the plus side, this is not the update I began some 16 months ago. It is much, much better. I’ve reworked most of the A/S code, including the stuff “under the hood” that nobody will ever see but is nonetheless critical.
There are many reasons why this version took longer than I had expected. The kind people who tested the many developmental versions of A/S made many good suggestions for changes. Again and again I chose to include the best of these, even though it meant postponing the next release while I added and then debugged the changes.
While working on this version of A/S, my “real” job saw eight separate reorganizations. We saw several managers come and go. My duties and responsibilities changed with each coming and going. Of course during this time we still needed to ship product and this often meant long hours. All in all, this was a difficult and frustrating time.
I worked on A/S when I could, programming nights and weekends when I could manage it. Since I’m the only person coding A/S, if I don’t work on it, nobody does. Since A/S is not my primary source of income, it has to take a back seat to the rest of my life. Sometimes this means sleeping instead of programming.
A major goal for 3.2 was reliability. I’ve lost track of all the beta versions I released for testing. I cannot begin to add up the time I spent on this version. I’ve tracked down and killed so some nasty, hard to find bugs that I see my debugger in my dreams.
I really didn’t want to spend so much time working on this version of A/S. You didn’t want to wait so long. Hopefully, waiting for future versions will be less trying for the both of us.
• Can I process Microsoft Word documents?
Only if the documents were saved as TEXT only. It is possible to force A/S to open and process any file, but the results will probably not be acceptable if the file is not a TEXT document.
Future versions of A/S could probably correctly manipulate formatted Word documents, but I’m not convinced adding this would be worth the effort.
• Can I use A/S to move TEXT documents to or from a PC or other type of computer?
A/S cannot physically move a document to or from the Macintosh. You’ll need some other software to do that. What A/S can do, however, is adjust the format of a document to better match the needs of the computer system on which it will ultimately be used. This includes, but is not limited to, adding or removing line feeds and remapping characters.
• What is the difference between replacement strings and line replacement strings?
Line replacement strings search within carriage return delimited lines while replacement strings are not constrained to individual lines. When matches are found during a line search, the entire line can be acted on, removing, replacing, or emptying it. Standard replacement strings will only act upon the matched string.
It’s easiest to use line replacement strings to specify searches for characters at the beginning or end of a line. You can even do “blind” replacing by using the any char wildcard (“^?”) to match any characters at the beginning or end of a line. A line replacement find string of “^?^?” and an empty change string will remove the first two characters from every line that is at least two characters in length.
• What are the best settings to use?
There is no easy answer to this question. Different users and different files have different needs. What I understand to be the most common settings are the default settings that come up when A/S is first opened; make paragraphs, no replacement strings, and so forth.
I would liken A/S to an adjustable wrench. As an adjustable wrench can be made to fit a wide range of bolts, A/S can be adjusted to process a wide variety of files. Both also have limits to their adjustability and may not precisely fit every need.
See the next question.
• A/S is not doing what I think it should do. What should I do?
Compare the structure of your original document to the structure that you desire. How would you change the document to convert it using a word processor? Would you remove carriage returns? Would you use search and replace to change certain characters?
Did the file originate on a foreign (non-Mac) computer? You may need to have A/S remap the characters before it processes them. Is the file going to a foreign (non-Mac) computer? You may need to remap the characters to fit the foreign computer’s character set.
Now consider your processing settings carefully. Are you using the best main process? Have you consulted the online help or printed documentation? Are some replacement strings active which should be disabled?
Keep in mind the order of processing. Search and replace operations (replacement and line replacement strings) are done before the main process. If your replacement strings rely on a structure that is created by the main process you may have to process the file in two passes; process and then process the resulting file.
If all else fails, send me a copy of the current settings file, the document you are trying to process, and the document which has been formatted in the manner you require. Use a word processor to create this document using the original document as a template. E-mail is the fastest way to get in touch with me. America Online and CompuServe users can attach the aforementioned files to your e-mail messages.
• How do I contact you to report bugs or ask questions? What is your phone number?
I prefer to keep my phone number to myself. Not because I don’t want to support A/S, but because I am very difficult to contact by phone. Anyone who has tried to contact me by phone would readily agree. If you must call, my number is “in the book.” You can leave a message on my machine, and I will get back to you, but it may take a while…
Your best method of contacting me is to use one of the electronic addresses listed in the “read me” file or online help. I try to check my e-mail messages at least once a day and files can be attached to messages on America Online and CompuServe. I cannot send or receive messages to or from Internet addresses yet.
• What are you planning for the next version?
I plan on releasing a PPC native version of A/S. I’m not sure how long this will take, nor am I convinced it will be much faster than the non-native version. Initial tests have not shown any speed improvements and some processes have actually been a little slower. Undoubtedly this will change with System 8, which includes a native File Manager.
Future versions will most likely require System 7.0 or later. Supporting earlier systems is more trouble than I think it’s worth. It really cuts into testing and debugging time and most users should be using System 7.0 or later.
If you have any special needs that should be addressed in the next release, let me know. The needs of registered users (people who’ve sent me money) are more likely to be addressed first.
• Why should I register my copy of Add/Strip? I already paid an online service by downloading my copy from them…
I distribute A/S as shareware. That means you get a fully functional copy of software to use on your computer with your data. I spent many, many hours working on A/S. If you have no use for it, please pass it along to a friend who might have a need.
I use several online services as vehicles to distribute copies of A/S. None of these services gives me a dime when any of my software is downloaded. The only way I see any money from A/S is when a user pays me.
You already have a copy of A/S. You know who I am. I don’t know who you are. You could continue to use A/S without paying me for it and I’d never know. But you would know.
Please don’t rip me off. If you use it, pay for it. When you do, I will send you a disk containing the latest version of A/S, approximately 50 pages of printed documentation, a code to use to personalize your copy and remove the splash screen registration reminder, and some other software goodies.
CompuServe or ZiffNet users can register online quickly and easily! From either, GO CIS:SWREG. The Registration ID for Add/Strip is #5730; the site license version is #5731. Since the registration fee is charged to your CompuServe account, this is a convenient way for foreign A/S users to register without the hassle of currency conversion.
