Re: CDA vs. NDA vs. CDEV

[fmlin@netcom.com (Fist of Fury)]

>CDA (Classic Desk Accessories):
>
>	1)  Location:  Desk.Accs folder inside of System folder

Minor addition: boot disk's system folder's desk.accs folder, or
	 	*/system/desk.accs

>	2)  Appearance:  In the text screen after pressing OA-CNTRL-ESC
>	3)  Samples:  Playing Soundsmith songs, text editors, slotted-
>		card adjustments, etc.
>	4)  Pros:  Available whenever OA-CTRL-ESC is accepted (though
>		some CDAs require GS/OS to be running to work)
>	5)  Cons:  Usually limited to text screen (usually by default,
>		not by limitation); interrupts what is running (which
>		can be a pro, too, I suppose); people generally consider
>		CDAs (as its title suggests) pedestrian, but I personally
>		think its okay...

CDA is one of the best features of the //gs IMO.  I just wish other platforms
have it...

>NDA (New Desk Accessories):
>
>	1)  Location:  Desk.Accs folder inside of System folder
	
		or */system/desk.accs

You can also have them loaded on-the-fly by utilities like IR (a Finder
Extension itself).

>CDEV (I forgot what it stands for):

Control Panel Device

>	1)  Location:  CDEV folder of Sysem folder

		*/system/cdevs

In system 6.x, you can double click them in the Finder and open them;
they don't have to be in */system/cdevs.  Not all of them will work
outside of */system/cdevs though.

>	2)  Apperance:  Under the Apple menu, select Control Panel.
>		(Alternatively, you can also just double-click on CDEVs
>		located in your CDEV folder).

I always though CDevs are graphics version of CDAs.

>	3)  Samples:  Pointless, HardPressed, Express.  As the title suggests
>		usually applies for broad/OS related inter-functions.

A program can actually provide the same functions as a CDA, CDev, or NDA.
But sometimes it is more convienient to assume one or all forms.

>	4)  Pros:  Very organized, very newish (full functionality only
>		came with System 6, introduced in System 5)

There are definetely some cool CDevs out there.  :-)

>	5)  Cons:  I can't think of any right about now.

You must be able to access the Control Panels NDA.

>General comments:  Programming CDAs and NDAs aren't all that different,
>	(NDAs may have to deal with sharing resource time, while CDAs
>	can hog the computer all they want).  CDEV can range from the
>	simple (like adjusting the TWGS speed) to the complex (HardPressed,
>	as I am sure Andy can tell you).  NDAs, CDAs, and CDEVs are a
>	braod array of GS/OS add-ons and can be fun (to use or program).
>	BTW, the fourth form of add-ons, which can be just as useful as
>	NDAs, CDAs, and CDEVs are inits.  Those goes into the System.Setup
>	folder (some System 6 inits can go into the Finder.Extras folder).
>	One limitation of add-ons are that they take up space and memory.
>	Another is that they can also be a tremendous source of headache 
>	when they interact with one another.  Its tempting to want to install a
>	whole batch of them at once, but resist.

You can use an awesome utility (in system init form) called DTUtils.  v3.3
is latest.  It can install CDAs and NDAs on-the-fly (but it builds them
in the Apple menu and CDA list already), and when you're done, you can
set it so that it is removed from memory.  DTUtils does much more than
this, of couse.  Availalbe on cco.caltech.edu, grind, and other sites.

> [..]


-- 
frank m. lin
fmlin@netcom.com