• Thank you for showing an interest in Creator Changer 2.7!
• Creator Changer will allow you to change what documents belong to what applications, as well as what the document type is.
• Creator Changer 2.7 is functionaly the same as version 2.5; however, I have made various user interface changes and added support for balloon help. See the Version Notes section below for details!
• You must have System 7.0 or later and at least 80k (160k advised) of free RAM to run Creator Changer 2.7.
• To change a file(s) type(s):
First you must tell Creator Changer which file(s) you want to change. There are three different ways to do this.
Method 1:
Drag the file(s) you wish to change onto the Creator Changer icon.
Method 2:
Double Click on the Creator Changer icon. You will be presented with an open dialog. From here you can select a file to change.
Method 3:
If Creator Changer is already open, you can choose 'Open...' from the 'File' menu. You will be presented with a standard open dialog box. From here you can choose the file which you would like to change.
Once you have chosen which file(s) to edit you can give it (or them) a new type:
Either type in the new file type and creator and press the 'Ok' button.
OR
Choose the type from the popup menu in the lower left corner of the dialog and press the 'Ok' button.
OR
Press the 'Make Like...' button. You will be presented with an open box, which will allow you to choose a file to use as a template for the current file. This is useful if you don't know what to set the Creator or Type to, but know what kind of file you want to make. Press 'Ok' to change the current file.
• Using the Automatic Change Feature:
If the 'Automatic Change' feature is turned on, and the 'Option' key is held down when a file is dropped on Creator Changer 2.7, the file will be automatically changed. For example, if you drop a bunch a 'TEXT' files on Creator Changer 2.7, it will automatically change them to 'ttxt', 'TEXT' files. Automatic Change ONLY works when files are dropped on Creator Changer 2.5.
Choose the 'Set Automatic Change...' from the 'File' menu.
When the dialog comes up, make sure the "Enable Option-key Auto Change" check box is checked. Now, when any files with the file types which are shown in the pop-up menu are dropped on Creator Changer 2.7, and the 'Option ' key is held down, they will automatically be converted to the specified types.
• To Modify Creator Chnager's Preferences:
Choose 'Preferences...' from the 'File' menu.
When the dialog comes up, there will be a pop-up menu at the to. Use this menu to select the options hat you wish to edit. The "Prefered Types List" lets you edit the pop-up menu displayed in the Changer Dialog. The "Automatic Chnage List" lets you edit the automatic change items. The "General" lets you select various options for Creator Changer 2.7.
You can add a file type by filling in the three text boxes and pressing the 'Add' button.
To remove an item, choose it from the pop-menu and when its name appears in the menu, press the 'Delete' button.
You can also add a type by choosing 'Get File...'. You will be presented with an open box, which will allow you to choose a file of the same type that you wish to add to the menu. This is useful if you don't know that the Creator or Type is.
• Other things to know about Creator Changer 2.7:
'Creator Changer 2.7' is also totally controlable from the keyboard. In the dialog boxes, typing the key and the first letter of the button, is the same as pressing that button with the mouse. To activate the default buttons (those with the double, heavy black border) just press the return key.
• The author assumes no responsibility for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any errors/features contained in the manuals or in the program, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Use this application at your own risk.
• I am a student at the University of Connecticut. I am seeking a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science. My expected time of graduation is in the Spring of 1997.
• I wrote "Creator Changer 2.7" using Symatec's THINK C 7.0.5 for the 68k part and Symantec C++ 8.1 for the PowerMac part. I wrote "Creator Changer 2.7" on my PowerMac 7100/80, AV/CD, 32/700, running RAMDoubler (turning it into 64 M of RAM!!!) and SpeedDoubler (heh heh, that computer Rocks!!).
If you are "upgrading" from Creator Changer 1.0.3, then you WILL have to rebuild your desktop file to get the Finder drag-and-drop to work. If you are "upgrading" from Creator Changer 2.0, then you might want to delete the old 'Creator Changer Preferences' file. This is not a must because the Creator Changer 2.5 and 2.7 gives the NEW preference file a new name. Sorry for any inconvienences, but I really had to rework the way the old preference file worked.
I have included two versions of Creator Changer with this release. There is a 68k version and a PPC version. For you people who can't stand having 28k of useless binary in your apps, you can rid your self of the offending version.
• I have made the following changes since version 2.5:
+ Changed the way the user interacts with the preference file.
+ Added basic support for the "Edit" menu.
+ Changed the "Options" menu to "File"
+ Added support for balloon help in the Change Dialog.
+ Made all dialogs Modless, now you can go to other applications!
+ The "I" beam cursor now appears when over the text boxes.
+ Major re-write to alot of code.
• I have made the following changes since version 2.0:
+ Added the Automatic Change dialog.
+ Added the automatic Quit feature.
+ Added the current file's icon in the Change Dialog, rather than Creator Changer's
+ Changed the 'About Creator Changer...' dialog box.
These are internal changes which hopefully the user won't see:
+ Made the version FAT, for PowerMacs (not really needed, but I wanted to try it).
+ Revised the opening of the dialogs.
+ Revised the preference file resources.
• I have made the following changes since version 1.0.3:
+ Added the prefered types list pop-up menu in the change dialogs.
+ Added the Edit Types dialog.
+ Added support for the core AppleEvents (Drag and Drop included).
+ An immense amount of internal coding re-working.
+ Better memory management (if that is what you want to call it).
• These are my plans for future versions (maybe):
+ Alphabetization of the pop-up menus. Right now it only appends things to the
end. I would like (and I KNOW others) to see it put the items in some kind of
order.
+ AppleGuide support. I know this isn't really needed either, but it would be cool.
+ Anything else that YOU can think of (within reason of course, as I don't get paid
for this, and nor do I want to).
• This program is mailware. I only ask that you mail me and tell me what you think of it.
• If you upload it to other archives, please include all of the following folders and files:
+ Creator Changer 2.7
+ Read me
+ Code and Resource (folder)
Doing this will greatly improve the chances of me getting good feed back about the program. If anyone has plans to bundle Creator Changer with a software package (via CD's, books, etc.) I just require that you inform me and send me that pakage free of charge.
• Shawn Pearce, for giving me usefull programming related information over the net and for giving me the idea of the 'Make Like...' and 'Get File...' buttons.
• Celestin Company, makers of the Apprentice CD; for one: putting all previous versions of Creator Changer on the CD, and two: shipping me the CD. It helped me out quite a bit! Thanks Paul! By the way, I recommend the Apprentice CD to anyone who is interested / into programming the Mac.
• Symantec, for having the online 'Help Mail'. They actually responded by the next day.
• Micr$loth (Microsoft) for finally releasing Windoze 95. This will ensure that Macs stay the superior computer for a lot longer. Windows 95 = Macintosh 87!
