Spectrum 2.1 Features

[jefbla@bconnex.net (Jeff Blakeney)]

geoff@seeker.the-hermes.net (Geoff Weiss) wrote:

[snip]

>>> APPLE MENU 
>>> 
>>> o Removed Spectrum's built-in help in favor of the !Help! NDA (which is
>>> included with Spectrum). If you don't want any help you can inactivate
>>> the Help.NDA desk accessory (located in the System:Desk.Accs folder).

Sounds interesting.  I have had a new help system for Spectrum on my
to-program list for a while because I hated not being able to keep the
help window open while editting scripts.  This sounds like it will
solve this problem.

>>> If you want help only while Spectrum is being used (even if you have
>>> Shift-booted the computer) you can move the Help.NDA into the same
>>> folder as the Spectrum application. If Spectrum loads the NDA, it is
>>> unloaded when Spectrum quits.

Even better, I hate having extras that are only good for one program
taking up my systems memory even in other programs.  This is why I
made the Heirarchic Init inactive on my system.  It is only good with
Spectrum on my system as I don't have the Manager or any other
programs that require it.  I have been meaning to patch Spectrum v2.0
so that it will stop giving me the dialog box telling me that the init
isn't loaded and asking if I want to locate it or load it.  It already
knows where to load it from, it is just making me press return for no
apparent reason ever time I launch Spectrum.

Perhaps they are trying to make this Help NDA a utility like the
Windows help program which would be useful to all programs written to
use it.  I was contemplating making my new help system for Spectrum
into this sort of utility as well but if they have already done it, so
much the better.

>>> Regardless of where the Help.NDA is located, the NDA always looks for
>>> its files in the Desk.Accs:Help.Files: folder.

Now here is where they lost it.  Why on earth would I want to put the
Spectrum help file in my boot disk's System folder?  Why not keep it
in the Spectrum folder where it belongs.  That way, if I ever have to
remove Spectrum (to re-install or upgrade), I can simply drag the
folder to the trash.  All it would take is passing the path and
filename of the help file you want displayed to the NDA and it can
load it from there.  It shouldn't matter one iota to the NDA where it
loads it from.

It seems that some people are trying to make GS/OS act like Windows
which stores all sorts of stuff in the Windows and Windows/System
directories even though they may only be used by one program on your
system.  (And nine times out of ten that program is no longer on your
system but its support files are still using up your hard drive
space.)

They started this silliness with Spectrum v2.0 when they put the
preferences file in the System/Preferences folder.  At least they put
in the option to move the preferences file to your Spectrum folder
which is exactly what I did immediately after it was created.

The System folder is for SYSTEM related stuff, not for programs to
store stuff in.

[snip remainder of article]

Please note that the preceding article is filled with my opinions
about the use of the System folder and are based on nothing more than
my interpretation of what the System folder is for.  I just had to get
this off my chest because it has been bugging me for quite some time.