Shifty List 2.0 Copyright © 1997, Eric Shepherd Shifty List 2.0 is shareware. If you find it useful, please send $20.00 in United States currency to the address listed at the end of this documentation. This demo version of Shifty List 2.0 can be distributed freely, as long as no more than $5.00 is charged for disk duplication fees. The registered version of Shifty List 2.0 cannot legally be distributed without the express written permission of Eric Shepherd. What Is This Crazy Thing? Shifty List is a utility whose basic purpose is to allow you to select a group of trusted extensions and desk accessories to be loaded when you shift-boot your Apple IIGS; these groups of extensions and desk accessories are called Òscripts.Ó Normally, shift-booting starts up your system with no extensions or desk accessories of any kind; however, Shifty List, once installed, provides a way to change that. In addition, you can create multiple Shifty List scripts, each of which defines a group of extensions, desk accessories, and the like which you would like to load, and you can easily switch between them using various techniques, which will be described later in this documentation. The first release of Shifty List, version 1.0, appeared on issue #57 of Softdisk G-S back in 1995. Version 2.0 of Shifty List is the first to be released as shareware. Please note that owning Shifty List 1.0 does not qualify you as a registered Shifty List 2.0 owner; if you want to use Shifty List 2.0, youÕll need to pay the shareware fee. WhatÕs New In This Version? Shifty List 2.0's new features beyond those in Shifty List 1.0 include: ¥ The user interface has been totally rewritten. The Shifty List ScriptBuilder Finder extension now has a menu bar filled with useful options, and the editing window has been rearranged to be easier to use. ¥ You can now add Apple Preferred Format and Super-Hires graphic screen files to your scripts, so your Apple IIGS will play a slideshow of graphics while it boots up. ¥ You can also now add Sound Resource files to your scripts; the sounds will be played back as you boot. ¥ Battery RAM image files can be added to your scripts. By doing this, your Control Panel settings can be automatically adjusted by your scripts; every script can have its own Control Panel settings! ¥ You can add GS/OS and ProDOS 8 applications to scripts (one per script). If you add an application as well as the SetStart Control Panel, that application will be booted instead of your normal startup program when you boot using that script. ¥ You can now print out your scripts. ¥ New Select All and Select All by Type options allow you to instantly select groups of items while editing scripts. Painlessly select all your CDAs with one swift menu option. ¥ A new preference allows you to always shift-boot; holding down the shift key will boot normally (this reverses the meaning of the shift key during startup). ¥ Quickly bring up a list of your most-used scripts while youÕre booting and select the one youÕd like to be using. ¥ Assign scripts to keys on the keyboard so that pressing that key while shift-booting will use that script. ¥ All known bugs from Shifty List 1.0 have been fixed! This shareware version of Shifty List 2.0 is feature-reduced. Every time you start your IIGS with it installed, you will be reminded to pay your shareware fee. In particular, the unregistered version of Shifty Lists limits you to five scripts on the boot-time script menu, five items per script (you can create scripts with more items, but only the first five will actually be loaded on startup), and does not support printing. Additionally, every time you start up your IIGS, you will be reminded to pay your shareware fee by a screen that requires a keypress before booting will continue. When your $20.00 registration fee is received, you will be sent a copy of the full version of Shifty List 2.0, which includes more complete documentation and more sample scripts, as well as a collection of creative ways you can make Shifty List work even better for you. Installing Shifty List Shifty List includes an easy-to-use installer utility that will install Shifty List on a GS/OS disk. Shifty List itself, the Shifty List ScriptBuilder Finder extension, and the Shifty List help file are all installed. To do this, just launch the ÒSL.InstallÓ application. In a moment, you will see a simple display listing these components of Shifty List, followed by a button indicating whether they will be installed or removed; by default, these are all set to ÒInstall.Ó You can also specify not to install any of these items, if you wish Ñ just click the button labelled ÒInstallÓ and it will change to ÒRemove.Ó If an item isnÕt installed, and you select the ÒRemoveÓ option, the item wonÕt be installed. You can install any version of Shifty List on top of an older version, without first removing the old version. Do not attempt to install or remove Shifty List without using the Shifty List Installer program. Shifty List works its magic through several intricate additions to the GS/OS operating system and cannot easily be installed or removed manually. Eric Shepherd, the author, assumes no responsibility for any ill effects from failing to follow these instructions, or for any other problems that might arise through the use of this software. Getting Started Once youÕve installed Shifty List, you have access to the Shifty List ScriptBuilder Finder extension, which is the tool that allows you to configure Shifty List. Select ÒShifty List ScriptBuilderÓ from your FinderÕs Extras menu. If you donÕt see it, try restarting your Apple IIGS. If itÕs still not listed, you may not have properly installed Shifty List. Try installing it again. If you still are having no luck, see the end of this documentation for information on getting in touch with the author for assistance. The ScriptBuilder window consists of three key parts. At the top of the window you see the default script. This is the script that will be used when you boot your Apple IIGS with the shift key down (or with the ÒReverse Shift Key MeaningÓ active). In the middle is a big empty list. This is where all the items in your script will appear, with names and icons representing what they are. WeÕll take a closer look at this in a few moments. At the bottom of the window is an edit box that allows you to type a meaningful description of your script; this description will be displayed on the script menu you can pull up when you boot your computer. Creating A Script To create a new script for use with Shifty List, select the ÒNew Script...Ó option from the File menu. This will ensure that you start with a totally empty script. There are two ways to add items to your Shifty List script. You can select a batch of icons in the Finder and select ÒAdd ItemsÓ in the File menu. This will add all the items that are currently selected to your script. Any items that Shifty List cannot load will not be added to the script. If you choose the ÒAdd ItemsÓ option without any acceptable items selected, Shifty List will present a dialog box asking you to pick the files youÕd like added to your script. Be sure to enter a description of your script in the box at the bottom of the screen; this message will be used to describe your script on the menu screen at startup time. You can invoke that menu screen by turning on Caps Lock before starting up or restarting your Apple IIgs. Once youÕve added the items that interest you to your script, choose ÒSave Script As...Ó to save your new script to disk. The save file box that appears will default to a folder named ÒSL.ScriptsÓ in the Preferences folder in your System folder. This is the best place to put your scripts Ñ only scripts saved in this folder will appear on the boot-time script menu. However, you can save scripts anywhere you like Ñ but if theyÕre not in the ÒSL.ScriptsÓ folder, they wonÕt appear on the boot-time script menu, and only scripts stored in the ÒSL.ScriptsÓ folder can be automatically selected by a single keypress at boot time. HereÕs a brief list of all the types of files you can add to your scripts, along with a summary of how Shifty List handles them. All of these items function under Shifty List exactly as you would expect, unless otherwise stated. Temporary Initialization Files (TIFs) These are small extensions that perform an action, then automatically remove themselves from memory. Permanent Initialization Files (PIFs) These are small extensions that remain in memory, and can have a lasting effect on your system. Classic Desk Accessories (CDAs) CDAs are items that are added to the menu that appears when you press Control-Apple-Esc on your keyboard. New Desk Accessories (NDAs) NDAs are small programs that appear in the Apple menu, and can be called up while using other programs. Finder Extensions (FExts) Finder extensions alter the behavior of the Finder, either by replacing or patching existing features, or by installing special options in the Extras menu. Normally, Finder extensions are only in memory when youÕre using the Finder; however, when you Shifty-boot, Finder extensions stay in memory all the time. Control Panels (CDevs) Control Panel Devices are components which appear in the graphical Control Panel, which is found in the Apple menu. These typically allow you to configure software or hardware devices. Shifty List allows you to use Control Panels that alter your systemÕs behavior directly. See the section Compatible Control Panels for a list of known-compatible Control Panels and more information on how this works. BRAM Images This is not a type of item normally loaded by your Apple IIGS during startup. BRAM Images are files containing a copy of your battery RAM settinjgs (such as your display color and slot settings). Shifty List allows these to be included in scripts. When these are loaded, your BRAM settings are all adjusted to match those in the BRAM Image file. This allows your scripts to control your Control Panel settings. Shifty List provides a feature to create these files. Apple Preferred Format Graphics (APFs) You can include Apple Preferred Format and Super-Hires Graphics (SHRs) Super-Hires Graphics files in your scripts. When these are loaded, they will immediately be displayed on the screen. This allows your computer to display customized startup screens and even entire slideshows of art during startup. Sound Resource Files (rSounds) Shifty List also allows you to place as many rSound files in your scripts as you like. These are played in order, asynchronously (in other words, without waiting for them to finish before proceeding to load the next script). Special Shifty List features are available to help control the playback of sounds. Applications You can include one GS/OS or ProDOS 8 application in your script. If it appears in the script after the SetStart Control Panel, that application will be the startup program instead of the Finder when you boot using that script. Editing Scripts Once youÕve created a script, you can continue to edit it. You can add more items in exactly the same fashion as described previously. You can also delete items. To do this, highlight the item or items youÕd like to delete and choose ÒDelete ItemsÓ from the File menu. Tip: To highlight more than one item at a time, you can hold down the shift key while clicking or dragging the mouse to extend a range of selected items, or you can hold down the Apple key to individually add or subtract items from your selection. When you boot, the items in the script are loaded and executed in the order they appear in the script. If youÕd like to reorder the items in your script, just select the item or items you want to move, then press and hold down the option key and click on the item youÕd like the selected items to be moved to follow. All selected items will immediately be grouped together and placed at that location in the list. Tip: If you need to see the full pathname of items in your script, donÕt despair! Just click the zoom box in the top right corner of the Shifty List ScriptBuilder window, and the editor window will expand to reveal the full pathnames of all the items in your scripts. Shifty ListÕs Edit menu provides commands to instantly select all the items in your script of a given type. For instance, if you want to select all the CDAs in your script, just select ÒSelect All Classic Desk AccessoriesÓ. Also available are ÒSelect All,Ó which selects every item in the script, and ÒUnselect All,Ó which makes sure there are no items selected. Beginning users may find the ÒSort By TypeÓ option in the Special menu to be useful. This option will attempt to place the items in your script into a safe order. This is not a guarantee, however. Shifty List follows a fairly basic formula that will usually result in a safe ordering of the items in your script. To be precise, Shifty List puts all Temporary Initialization Files first, followed by Permanent Initialization Files, then Classic Desk Accessories, then New Desk Accessories, then Finder extensions, then BRAM Images, and finally sounds and graphics. This may or may not actually be a safe order, but for most extensions and desk accessories, this will usually suffice. When in doubt, visit the SheppyWare home page, which always has up-to-date information about Shifty List available. Other Features The Preferences option in the Special menu allows you to specify a few special features. You can select a script that will be used by default when you shift-boot. If you shift-boot without using the Caps Lock to bring up the menu screen, this script will be used automatically. Also, the ÒReverse Shift-Boot MeaningÓ checkbox allows you to swap the meaning of the shift key on startup. Normally, holding down the shift key on startup will boot without extensions or desk accessories (or, with Shifty List installed, will invoke Shifty List). However, if you turn on this option, you donÕt need to hold down the shift key to get this effect; in fact, holding down the shift key turns on your normal boot process. Tip: If you find yourself Shifty-booting more often than you boot normally, you might benefit from turning on the ÒReverse Shift-Boot MeaningÓ option. This will save you from having to hold down the shift key on startup. Also available in the Special menu is the ÒAdd Sound WaitÓ option. Choosing this option adds a special ÒWait Until No Sound Is PlayingÓ command to your script. This command causes Shifty List to wait until the most recently played sound file has finished playing before proceeding to the next item in your script. You can use this to ensure that all the sounds in your script are heard, or to ensure that sounds are heard at specific times in the script; normally, sounds are queued up and played when the previous sound is finished, and may not necessarily be played at the same time they are found in the script. For example, if your script contains the following items: Exerciser DA (CDA) Ahhh (rSound) Trumpets (rSound) GSBug (PIF) YouÕll see the following result: the Exerciser DA will be loaded, then the Ahhh sound will start playing. While the Ahhh sound plays, GSBug will be loaded and then the Trumpets sound will play. If, however, GSBug finishes loading before Trumpets starts playing, youÕll never even hear the Trumpets sound. If you change the script to look like this, youÕll get the expected results: Exerciser DA (CDA) Ahhh (rSound) Wait Until No Sound Is Playing Trumpets (rSound) Wait Until No Sound Is Playing GSBug (PIF) Now all your items will load and execute in the order expected. In technical terms, the sound items are played asynchronously, which means that they are all put in a row and played one after the other. The second sound has to wait until the first is done playing, but in the mean time, four or five other items may have already been loaded. And when all your items have been loaded, Shifty List stops processing sounds, even if there are sounds left to play. By adding enough ÒWait Until No Sound Is PlayingÓ commands to your script, you can ensure that all sounds play all the way through. Booting, Shift-Booting, and Shifty-Booting The term ÒShifty-bootingÓ is used to describe the act of booting through a Shifty List script. This is usually done by booting with the shift key down after installing Shifty List. However, if you have the ÒReverse Shift-Boot MeaningÓ option turned on, booting without the shift key down performs a Shifty-boot. You know youÕre Shifty-booting when a red ÒXÓ draws over the word ÒNoÓ in ÒNo Inits/DAsÓ on the Systemn 6 startup screen. Eventually youÕre going to want to really, honestly boot with no extensions or desk accessories. You do this by Control-Shifty-booting. In other words, Shifty-boot with the control key down. Normally, this is done by holding down both the control and shift keys when you start up or restart your Apple IIGS. If ÒReverse Shift-Boot MeaningÓ is on, though, you donÕt have to hold down the shift key. You know youÕre really booting with no extensions or desk accessories when the word ÒNoÓ in ÒNo Inits/DAsÓ on the System 6 startup screen is circled in green. Note that the control key must be held down until the green circle appears, otherwise you'll Shifty-boot. You can obtain a menu listing the Shifty List scripts in the System:Preferences:SL.Scripts folder by engaging the Caps Lock key before Shifty-booting. If the Caps Lock is down, up to 30 scripts from your SL.Scripts folder will be listed. Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the one you'd like to use and press RETURN. Scripts stored in the ÒSL.ScriptsÓ folder with the name ÒSL.Script.xÓ where ÔxÕ is a letter from A-Z are automatically selected if you Shifty-boot and press that letter right after the System 6 splash screen draws while Shifty-booting. For instance, if you have a script called ÒSL.Script.TÓ and press the ÒTÓ key just when the ÒWelcome to GS/OSÓ splash screen appears, that script will automatically be selected and used, whether itÕs the default or not. The letter key you press is case insensitive, so both ÒtÓ and ÒTÓ will work. Script Tips The most important thing is that you experiment. Shifty List is a very powerful tool, and people are always thinking of new and more creative ways to use it. Telecommunication: Create a script that loads only those extensions and desk accessories that you know donÕt slow down your modem connections, or otherwise interfere with performance, and include Greg TemplemanÕs II Not Disturb. This will let you use your favorite desk accessories and Control Panels without causing those pesky transmission errors and dropped characters. Messaging: Use a paint program to jot down a quick message to yourself or another user of your computer, then add the image to your script. This is more useful if you turn on the ÒReverse Shift-Boot MeaningÓ option and set the message script to be the default script. If you have a sound digitizer and a microphone, you could even record a sample of your voice, save it as an rSample, and include that in your script for a voice announcement! Programming: Create a script that loads your favorite debugging tools (such as Splat!, GSBug, Exerciser DA, ORCA/Debugger, etc, and include your development environment in the script (such as the ORCA.Sys16 or Merlin.Sys16 application). Then when you boot using that script, youÕll get all your debugging aids and be dropped directly into your development software. Take a look at the sample scripts included with Shifty List (the registered version includes more scripts).These will give you some additional ideas on how to set up your scripts, and some of the included scripts may be very useful without any modification. Compatible Control Panels The following Control Panels are known to provide their normal functionality when added to Shifty List scripts; this list is by no means conclusive Ñ these are simply Control Panels I have personally tried: Sound Pointless II Scroll KeyNotifier AutoMenus There are no Control Panels that are known to cause problems when added to Shifty List scripts. However, only Control Panels that perform an action during startup (such as those above) will actually have any effect when loaded via Shifty List. You canÕt actually open a Control Panel to change settings unless you include the Control Panel NDA in your script. However, if you include the Control Panel NDA, all Control Panels in your CDevs folder will automatically be loaded up, so donÕt put Control Panels and the Control Panel NDA in the same script, or you might have problems. Getting In Touch When youÕre ready to register Shifty List, send your check to the following address. Be sure to include your full name, email address (if you have one), and snail mail address, or your registration isnÕt complete! If you can, please print out and use the registration form in the file named ÒRegisterForm;Ó this will help you remember to include all the necessary information. Eric Shepherd 425 East Arrow Highway #232 Glendora, CA 91740-5684 If you need help or more information, first try looking on my home page on the World Wide Web at http://logicware.tstonramp.com/sheppy/index.html. If you donÕt find what you want there, you can also try: Genie A2 RoundTable, Category 13, Topic 18 Delphi A2 Forum, Topic ÒVendors & Tech Support,Ó thread ÒSheppyware SupportÓ (GO COM A2 FOR) Or you can email me at: sheppy@godzilla.tstonramp.com sheppy@genie.com sheppy@delphi.com sheppy@aol.com sheppy@logicware.com I really hope you find Shifty List 2.0 useful! Apple II Forever! April 22 1997