AppleIIWorks Envoy for Mac OS X - Requesting Beta Testers

[Hugh Hood <hughhood@earthlink.net>]

=========================================================================
AppleIIWorks Envoy for Mac OS X - Requesting Beta Testers
=========================================================================


If you're a Mac OS X user and would like to beta test a new application that
has relevance to Apple II users, I could use your help.

The application, 'AppleIIWorks Envoy', has been tested over several weeks
under Tiger (OS X 10.4.11) on both a 1GHz PPC G3 and on a dual proc 1GHz PPC
G4. During that time, it has performed well and without incident.

But, it has not been tested on any Intel Macs whatsoever, nor has it been
tested under Leopard (10.5), Snow Leopard (10.6), Lion (10.7) or Mountain
Lion (10.8).

Please read the program's description below. If the program appeals to your
interests and if you'd like to test out a beta version for me, please feel
free to download the zipped '.dmg' linked at the end of this posting.

This '.dmg' will contain not only the app 'AppleIIWorks Envoy' (Universal
Binary), but also a folder full of Apple II AppleWorks files, which are all
from a sampler edition of the Resource-Central disk magazine 'TimeOut
Central'.

It will also contain a related AppleScript droplet 'Show File Info' that
will display the Mac Creator and File Type Codes (both in text and in hex)
and Uniform Type Indentifiers (UTI) for any type of file dropped on it, even
those unrelated to AppleWorks or the Apple II.

I'd be most appreciative for testers, as I'm reluctant to release this
application for public consumption without determining whether it works well
on systems other than those that I use.

Thanks.




Hugh Hood




=========================================================================
A. AppleIIWorks Envoy - What is It?
=========================================================================

AppleIIWorks Envoy is an application for Mac OS X with a two-fold purpose.

First, it provides for Mac Finder recognition of Apple II AppleWorks Files,
presenting both a custom Mac Finder icon as well as a custom 'Kind'
description.

Second, the application implements a Spotlight metadata importer for
AppleWorks Word Processor files that not only indexes the text content of
these files, but also sets (2) ProDOS-related custom metadata attributes
that display in the 'More Info' portion of the 'Get Info' window.

A brief discussion of each of features follows.


----------------------------------------------
I. Mac Finder Recognition of AppleWorks Files
----------------------------------------------


With AppleIIWorks Envoy, AppleWorks (Apple II) Word Processor, Spreadsheet,
and Data Base files that have had their Mac OSTypes (File Type) set in the
Apple-prescribed 'proper' manner for Apple II-based ProDOS attributes ('p' +
1-byte ProDOS File Type + 2-byte ProDOS Aux Type') will show a custom Mac
Finder icon and display a custom Finder 'Kind' in the 'Get Info' window.

For example, the Mac Finder icons for AppleWorks files are as show in this
link:

<http://home.earthlink.net/~hughhood/appleiiworksenvoyfolder/appleiiworksenv
oyicons.jpg>


And, in the Mac Finder 'Get Info' window and in folder listings, AppleWorks
files show the Mac Finder 'Kind' as:

For AWP files: 
'Kind' = AppleWorks Word Processor File (Apple II)

For ASP files:
'Kind' = AppleWorks Spreadsheet File (Apple II)

For ADB files:
'Kind' = AppleWorks Data Base File (Apple II)



AppleIIWorks Envoy accomplishes this by registering _all_ 98,304 (32,768 x
3) possible AppleWorks FileType/Aux Type combinations (upper/lower case
filename stuff) with OS X Launch Services.

Note that while there are only (3) ProDOS File Types that pertain to
AppleWorks files (e.g. $1A (AWP) / $19 (ADB) / $1B (ASP) ) , there are
thousands of ProDOS Aux Types used to control the upper/lower case filename
display within AppleWorks. For completeness of coverage, AppleIIWorks Envoy
registers every possible combination of File Type / Aux Type with Launch
Services. 

The Apple-prescribed method mentioned above for setting the proper Mac
OSType (File Type) for the ProDOS attributes is detailed in the following:

- Apple Technical Note PT515
- Programmer's Reference for System 6.0 (page 325)
- AppleShare Programmer's Guide for the Apple II (page 141)
 

This method is presently implemented by several programs. For example:

1. GS/OS - Files written to HFS Volumes by the Apple IIGS Finder;

2. AppleShare - Files written to HFS/HFS+ Volumes on a Mac;

3. ShrinkFitX - Files written to HFS/HFS+ Volumes by Kelvin Sherlock's
un-shrinking utility on the Mac (be sure to set 'Finder Info' in
Preferences);

4. Nulib2 - Files written to HFS/HFS+ Volumes by Andy McFadden's
un-shrinking command line utility on the Mac;

5. Deja IIx - Files written to HFS/HFS+ Volumes by Mark Munz's AppleWorks
emulator application on the Mac;

6. ADFS - Files extracted from Apple II disk images and written to HFS/HFS+
Volumes by David M. Cotter's Apple DOS File System (ADFS) Utility on the
Mac;

7. Bernie ][ the Rescue - Files written to HFS/HFS+ Volumes by the 'Total
Integration' feature of this Mac OS 'Classic' Apple IIGS emulator;

8. and probably others ...


In addition, when the icon of one of these AppleWorks files is
double-clicked, Mark Munz's 'Deja IIx' AppleWorks emulator, (only if present
in your 'Applications' folder) will open and be the frontmost application,
although obviously, the AppleWorks file will still need to be manually added
to the Deja IIx emulated AppleWorks desktop.



--------------------------------
II. Spotlight Metadata Importer
--------------------------------

AppleIIWorks Envoy also has an integral Spotlight Metadata Importer for
AppleWorks Word Processor files. (Data Base and Spreadsheet file importers
are planned for a future version).

AppleIIWorks Envoy accomplishes this by automatically assigning a unique
Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) to AppleWorks Word Processor files that have
the 'proper' Mac OSType (File Type).

The UTI is what the AppleIIWorks Envoy Spotlight importer uses to determine
which files to import.

The importer handles the extraction of the AppleWorks word processor data
and converts it to a 'text' representation. The conversion part of this
process is based on Andy (CiderPress) McFadden's 'convertawp2txt' command
line utility, which Andy has graciously permitted me to use in this
application.

As an example, say we use Spotlight to find the phrase 'ultramacros
hackers'.

Here is what is returned, as shown in this link:

<http://home.earthlink.net/~hughhood/appleiiworksenvoyfolder/spotlightwindow
.jpg>

Even better, if you use a Spotlight utility such as 'SpotInside', you even
get the text content displayed, as shown in this link:

<http://home.earthlink.net/~hughhood/appleiiworksenvoyfolder/spotinsidewindo
w.jpg>


A final 'feature' added by this Spotlight importer is that it adds (2)
custom metadata attributes to AppleWorks Word Processor files. These
attributes are not only searchable by Spotlight, but they also are displayed
in the 'More Info' section of the Finder 'Get Info' section, as show in this
link:

<http://home.earthlink.net/~hughhood/appleiiworksenvoyfolder/wordprocessormo
reinfo.jpg>


Notice the following displayed custom metadata attributes in the 'More
Info':


 HFS Type Code (hex): $70 $1A $80 $5B

ProDOS File/Aux Type: $1A (AWP) $805B


This information is useful for any type of ProDOS-based file, particularly
if Apple II emulator technology evolves to support not only ProDOS disk
images, but emulated ProDOS folders within the normal Mac HFS/HFS+ file
systems. {BTW, a form of folder emulation is currently implemented in Mark
Munz's DejaIIx}.

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

=========================================================================
B. AppleIIWorks Envoy - How to Install?
=========================================================================

First, you need to drag the application 'AppleIIWorks Envoy' to your
'Applications' folder. This should notify Launch Services of the AppleWorks
file types, 'kind' descriptions, and custom icons.

Next, you need to launch (double click) the 'AppleIIWorks Envoy' application
in order to register the Spotlight importer part of the app. You should only
have to do this once.

Then restart your computer, and copy the sample AppleWorks files to your
hard drive. The Spotlight importer should begin indexing them, and you will
be able to search on their text content.


=========================================================================
C. AppleIIWorks Envoy - How to Un-Install?
=========================================================================

To remove 'AppleIIWorks Envoy, merely drag it to the Trash, re-start your
computer, and then empty the trash.

Launch Services will no longer recognize the AppleWorks file types, and the
Spotlight importer will be removed. That's all.

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

If you have any questions about any of this, please post them to this topic
in comp.sys.apple2. This will allow for idea exchange and improvements.

Also, please, please, please remember that this is beta software. Either be
fearless without recourse on others, or have a backup. Please!

I've had ZERO problems, but YMMV, as those smart guys say.

For those undaunted, here's the link:


<http://home.earthlink.net/~hughhood/appleiiworksenvoyfolder/betasoftware/ap
pleiiworksenvoy.zip>





Hugh Hood