OtherŠ 3.0 doc (MacWrite file) OtherŠ 3.0 Documentation OtherŠ 3.0 is both an improvement over and a regression from the 1.x versions (up to version 1.6b at this writing). They both have the same objective: to allow you to run desk accessories that haven't been installed in the System file, but instead reside in a file (created by Apple's Font/DA Mover or by Dreams of the Phoenix's DA Installer or DA Installer+), either on the disk you are using or on another disk. OtherŠ 1.x took an approach to this problem that made it clumsy to use; limited you to running a single "additional" desk accessory at a time; and did not allow you to use that desk accessory simultaneously with the program you were running. The 2.x series of OtherŠ (and of the FKEY DA Key, which does substantially the same thing but installs as an FKEY) represent a new approach, which I hope will be easier to use and more functional. OtherŠ 3.0 installs the vagrant DA in the Apple menu (it will stay there until you quit the program you are running, or remove it with OtherŠ), and you can operate it just like any other desk accessory in the menu. There is no finagling with "save screen" options, and none of the frustration of seeing your program's window on the screen and being unable to access it. Moreover, although OtherŠ 3.0 is not crash-proof, in my own testing it has proved far more resilient than the 1.x versions. I have not come close to testing it with every available DA. However, in my own experience it seems to have problems only with DA's (like SkipFinder) that expect to survive beyond a single application and a few DA's that don't follow Apple's guidelines for desk accessories. Note: I think the current version of OtherŠ (2.1) is pretty solid on new ROM machines, but have not tried it on machines with the old ROM or on a Mac XL. I would particularly appreciate hearing of reproducible bugs from users with the old ROMs or Mac XLs. Installing OtherŠ OtherŠ installs as a desk accessory in the System file. It can be installed using the Font/DA Mover from Apple, or DA Installer+ from Dreams of the Phoenix (on Quick & Dirty Utilities vol. 1). However, if you use DA Installer+, you should thereafter check the MENU resource in the System file and make certain it is set as unpurgeable. Running OtherŠ 3.0 Adding accessories to the menu Run OtherŠ just like any other desk accessory from the Apple menu. It will appear, insert a menu and show the SFGetFile box. (If you are running HFS, DAKey should set the SFGetFile box to open to the Blessed Folder, if one there be on the default disk.) From that box you can select any Font/DA Mover or DA Installer+ file to install -- but the file should contain only a single desk accessory. Select the file and click "Open", or just double-click the file name. You can keep the menu from appearing by holding down the Option key when you invoke OtherŠ. If all goes well, the desk accessory you chose will be opened and its name installed at the bottom of the Apple menu. The name will be preceded by the  sign to distinguish it from desk accessories installed in the normal manner‹see ConCode and Camera in the display below: You can then treat the newly-installed accessory just like any other, opening and closing it as you will. It will remain installed and available until you quit the application or remove it with OtherŠ 3.0 (see below for instructions how to remove the accessory). Automatic Renumbering If the desk accessory you chose has an ID that is already in use, OtherŠ 3.0 will tell you that the slot is in use and ask whether you would like it to be renumbered. Renumbering will take a while (usually about a minute with the old ROMs, less with the 128K ROMs), and (although I believe I have the renumbering routines working correctly now) renumbering could damage the desk accessory file on your disk, so you should not agree to renumber unless you have a backup of that file. Closing and Removing the Installed Desk Accessory A desk accessory installed by OtherŠ 3.0 can be closed (and reopened) in the usual fashion. In addition, if you like you can both close the accessory and remove it from the Apple menu by choosing the "Remove Accessory" item from the OtherŠ menu. This will bring up a dialog box that looks more or less like the following: From this dialog box, you can click "Cancel" to do nothing; "Remove All" to remove all desk accessories installed with DA Key; or you can click on the name of an individual desk accessory to remove it and free up the slot. (If you have the old ROMs, the accessory's name in the Apple menu will be replaced by the disabled word, "Gone".) Testing and Bug Reports I have used OtherŠ for some time on my system [512K Mac with new ROMs and a MacBottom hard disk drive]. In addition, I have attempted to test the old ROM routines by using those calls on my system. I have fixed all the bugs that I have found but there are certainly others I haven't found. Moreover, I haven't been able to test it at all on a Lisa running MacWorks. I'd appreciate receiving bug reports and suggestions for improvement. Bug reports are most useful to me if you can tell me (a) your setup (version of the Mac and System you are using), (b) what program you were running, (c) what desk accessory you attempted to install, and (d) if possible, what DA's were already installed (and what if any were running) when the error occurred. Application Notes 1. Each desk accessory installed by OtherŠ takes up some additional memory, and requires the system to open (and maintain) one additional resource file. This means that with several accessories installed by OtherŠ, some operations may slow down somewhat; and it generally means that the practical limit to the number of additional accessories you can install at once is below the theoretical limit. In practice, I've found that 4 or 5 is generally safe; more than that may cause problems, depending on how the accessory, and the program that is running, handle memory. I have, however, successfully installed ten additional accessories at one time. Let me know your experiences. 2. I have used OtherŠ to run two copies of Acta simultaneously, making it easier to move back and forth between outlines. I do this by installing one copy of Acta in the System file, and keeping another copy in a desk accessory file with a special name (like "Acta Renamed"). The copy must have a different name from the version of Acta installed in the System file)‹you will probably have to use ResEd or DA Installer+ to do this. (Note that just renaming the file isn't enough‹the accessory itself should be renamed.) You can then use the regular version normally, and use the copy, as a second one, through OtherŠ. If you do this, be careful not to open the same file in both Actas; you may get confused about which one you're using. (I have my System copy configured to automatically open the System file, and my other copy configured not to.) And if you do this from the Finder, you will note that some icons (trash can, floppy disks) turn into Acta icons because of a resource conflict. I think you can safely remove the extra ICN#'s from the renamed copy of Acta, but I'm not certain. Proceed with caution. You can probably use a similar trick to run multiple copies of other desk accessories. Let me know your experiences. Compatability Notes The following desk accessories, as far as I know, will not work properly if run from OtherŠ. They may do nothing; they may do nothing useful; or they may cause a system crash or other serious error. Crash Fix. Installs and appears to run properly, but a System crash will generally produce a second, unrecoverable crash after the "resume" button is pressed. SkipFinder (5.3, 6.0). Installs properly, but has no effect. Needs permanent installation in the System file to work. FadeToBlack will not work properly with DA Key. It is hardcoded on the assumption that it resides in the System file. The following desk accessories, as far as I know, will work if run from OtherŠ, but may cause occasional problems. I am not certain whether the problems relate to OtherŠ or to the desk accessory running under HFS. Cheap Paint. On one occasion failed to save changes, presenting an error message, "Can't save to the Scrapbook". The result was a damaged Cheap Paint desk accessory file, but no other damage. I think it is best to avoid using desk accessories that open other files (and thus may reset the default volume) while using Cheap Paint under OtherŠ. Sidekick (1.0). Sometimes has trouble finding the files it needs under HFS. I think this is a general HFS problems, and not specific to DA Key. A workaround is to keep the needed files ("DeskStuff" in particular) in the root directory on a floppy disk that can be inserted as needed. These DA's (partial list) have been run successfully with OtherŠ. Talking Moose. Still has to have MacInTalk and Moose Phrases in the System file. ConCode 1.3. Time Out. Acta (1.1). MiniWriter (1.1). Control Panel Key Caps Alarm Clock Cray Calculator Abacus ľ-Paint BackDown Q&D VT-52 MockPrinter MockWrite MockTerminal Calendar Book (Sidekick) Versions and Bug Fixes. Version 2.x is the first release version of this general form of the accessory. Version 3.0 is the first release version of the recoded (in C) accessory. Notes for Hackers and Developers 1. OtherŠ allows the technical user to "lock out" some driver slots to assure that OtherŠ will never attempt to install a desk accessory in that slot. The list of locked-out slots is contained in a resource of type 'mAsK' as an array of 48 bytes; $FF means the slot is locked out, $00 means the slot can be used (if OtherŠ doesn't find something else installed in it). As shipped, OtherŠ locks out slots 0-11, which are reserved by Apple. It doesn't lock out anything else. You can change the list of locked out slots with a resource editor such as ResEdit. 2. OtherŠ 3.0 will attempt to open files of type 'DFIL' or 'DAMN'. I gather that some development systems make it difficult to set the Type bits on a newly-created desk accessory. If you want, you can use FEDIT+ to search for 'DFIL' or 'DMOV' and replace the four characters of either one to whatever your development system sets as the Type bits. Alternatively, if you send me a blank disk, a mailer, and an extra $5 with your registration, I will provide you with a version of OtherŠ that will attempt to open all kinds of files. 4. I believe strongly that OtherŠ and similar accessories should not be necessary: the System, or at least the application, should support a similar feature. To this end I am willing to make my source code available to any developer who would like to add the feature to his or her application. Contact me if you are interested. Registration OtherŠ 3.0 isn't public domain software: it's shareware, and it's copyrighted. Feel free to try it out; but if you continue to use it after a week or so, you should send me $10.00 for registration. ($15 if you want a copy of the latest version on disk.) The program has taken me a long time to write and will take me more time to support. Please, if you use it, register it. If you registered any previous version of OtherŠ before September 30, 1986, you should consider version 3.0 a free upgrade. It will help me in knowing where to post upgrades if, when you register, you tell me what version you have and where you got it. Loftus E. Becker, Jr. 41 Whitney Street Hartford, CT 06105 Compuserve 70206,67 Delphi LOFTUSBECKER GENIE LBECKER MCIMail LBECKER Users' groups and others distributing disks may freely distribute OtherŠ under three conditions: (1) you distribute this documentation file along with the FKEY; (2) you aren't charging users significantly more than your costs of duplication and distribution for the disks you distribute; and (3) if you charge anything for the disks, you let me know (by postcard, electronic mail, or otherwise) that you are distributing OtherŠ, and which version you are distributing. OtherŠ may be posted on any bulletin board without my prior permission so long as the documentation file is posted along with the FKEY. I'd appreciate knowing where you post it, but that's a wish, not a requirement. Individuals may make as many copies of OtherŠ as they want for their own use, and as many copies as they want for other people as long as the documentation file is always included with the FKEY on copies they make for others. lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll .