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The America Online Scripting Conference provided one of the best ways to get hands-on experience with HyperCard. Each conference presented a specific HyperCard-related topic, examined in detail. In most cases, a HyperCard expert prepared a topic stack for members to download and study before the conference discussion. At the conference itself, the stack author presented the material and answered any questions members may have had. Members were encouraged to bring their own scripts to the conference for personalized help with scripting solutions.
Below are the stacks presented at the AOL Scripting Conferences from 1995 to 1997. Each stack contains not only a complete discussion of how a particular aspect of HyperCard works, but also scripting examples, working models, and in some cases toys and games, to demonstrate the ideas being presented.
While each topic stack represents its respective author's style, script examples, and content, each topic is consistently presented within the framework of a reference stack written by Jeff Crossley, who also moderated the discussions. His presentation vehicle itself is an excellent example of many HyperCard features and concepts, and serves as an educational tool in its own right.
Some of the older stacks contain outdated information about conference schedules. AOL closed the HyperCard Forum in 2000.
This stack contains narratives discussing the use of the Find command, example scripts, and a Visual Find demo that simulates each step in a find activity and generates a report of why or why not a find succeeded. Visual Find is intended to help users grasp the variations between the five "find" forms, and to test their own search examples in the Visual Find format.The information is organized within the shell of a standard Conference Reference Stack. The contents popup button menu provides instant access to every tip. This stack is for everyone who speaks HyperTalk ... novice to pro.
This is the topic reference stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, February 27, 1995.
Card Animations - HCSC 020695 (202160 bytes)
This conference topic addresses the use of visual effects in card transitions and related issues.This package contains the topic reference stack and two example stacks for the MHC Scripting Conference on February 6, 1995.
Sort Command - HCSC 021395 (131415 bytes)
This conference topic addresses the use of the HyperTalk "sort" command to order cards and data containers in HyperCard. Stacks include sorting multiple fields using any field as the sort key ... an operational data base example for card sorts which includes a reporting function, and a Data Viewer example that shows how to view a field whose data width exceeds the card width.This package contains the topic reference stack and two example stacks for the MHC Scripting Conference on February 13, 1995.
Text Chunks - HCSC 031395 (169790 bytes)
These stacks contain narratives discussing how HyperCard treats text as data.The second enclosed stack is a Color Text Utility that allows users to input sample text and have AddColor color the selection, the characters, the words, the items, and indicate where character returns appear. Good tool for learning about HyperCard text data and visually seeing what is included in words and items, etc.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Conference Reference Stack. This is the topic reference stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, March 13, 1995.
Color with B&W - HCSC 032095r1 (110128 bytes)
This file contains narratives discussing how to script for color and black & white simultaneously in single or multiple stack HyperCard environments. Scripts are explained and demonstrated with two additional stacks showing stack to stack transitions.Authored by HyperCard team consultant Paul Foraker of White Feather Software, this topic will enhance your understanding of AddColor scripting and related issues.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Conference Reference Stack. This is the topic reference stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference of Monday, March 20, 1995.
Play Sounds in HC - HCSC 032795 (152354 bytes)
This file contains narratives discussing how to use the "play" command to add sound to your stacks. Scripts are explained and demonstrated including a keyboard demo where pressed keys are converted to American music notation for use in play command syntax. Includes using "play" to play a recorded sound and using sounds as notes that HyperCard can play as music with a single resource as the note source. Includes explanations of various sound file formats, how to install sounds in your stacks, and a script library of example scripts.Authored by David Drucker, director of the Macintosh Group - Boston Computer Society and noted HyperCard author, this topic stack is a one stop way to start sounding off in your stacks.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Scriptinig Conferences Topic Reference Stack.
This is the topic stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, March 27, 1995. Dave Drucker will be our Guest Wizard to present this topic.
Concatenating Text - HCSC 041095 (87676 bytes)
This file contains narratives discussing the use of HyperCard's text assembling techniques to retrieve and manipulate text data, create scripts from within scripts, and a primer on text concatenation (assembling parts into a whole). See the prior topic stack "HCSC 031395 Text Chunks" for information about how HyperCard sees and defines text data.Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences Coordinator Jeff Crossley of CTEK Services, this topic may enhance your understanding of how to assemble text parts from various sources.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. This is the topic reference stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, April 10, 1995.
Sound in Animation - HCSC 040395 (271760 bytes)
This file contains narratives discussing the use of SND (sound) resources in HyperCard stacks, accenting sounds used to enhance animation effects. See the prior topic stack "Sounds In HyperCard" for sound basics and examples as part one of this topic.Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences Coordinator Jeff Crossley of CTEK Services, this topic will enhance your understanding of sound implementation in HC.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Conference Reference Stack. Animations and resources are contained within this stack and include:
- selected music notations for a baker's dozen of old time favorites (notation by others).
- sound resources including thunder, reed, pipe, burning fuse, fused explosion, gunshot and others.
- animation of a click and light cigarette lighter that lights a fused bomb which can be thrown and explodes.
- animation of an old style telegraph key which spits out the text of messages entered via dialog as a text stream with sound and key movement
- "Cyber Encounters" a whimsical B&W and color animation on a single card with some inversion tricks
- a pistol that fires.
- Old West fort gates that open an close with latch, lock, and squeaky hinge sounds.
- numerous custom icons
This is the Topic Reference Stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, April 3, 1995.
Parameters - HCSC 041795 (83812 bytes)
This stack contains narratives and scripts explaining the use of parameters for passing data from one handler to another handler, function or external.Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences Coordinator Jeff Crossley of CTEK Services, this topic may enhance your understanding of how parameters carry data around in HyperTalk.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. This is the topic reference stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, April 17, 1995.
Functions - HCSC 042495 (118668 bytes)
This stack contains a library of approximately 30 custom functions contributed by the following MHC Scripting Conferences mentors, staff and guest wizards:
- AFA Jacque
- AFC James
- DDrucker
- FORAKER
- Gergory
- MacBrett
- Robert RHowe HMD
- HyperJEFF
The example functions include a diversity of solutions, including swapping date formats, controlling user input for data as complicated as Social Security number entry, record entry validation, text manipulation (case switches), and a host of other uses that you can plug into your own stacks. The diversity and excellance of the scripting in these custom functions show various approaches and styles in creating similar solutions.
The stack topic narratives define functions, both program and custom functions, demonstrate the syntax unique to both forms of functions and explain how to call and write custom functions.
This is one of those - "ya really should have" contributions to our library.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. This is the topic reference stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, April 24, 1995.
Dialogs - HCSC 050195 (136824 bytes)
This stack contains narratives and scripts explaining the use of HyperCard's "answer" and "ask" commands which present users with interactive dialogs.Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences Coordinator Jeff Crossley the bundle includes an auto scripting stack for both answer and ask dialog commands that allow the user to visually compose dialogs by entering the prompt text in a field sized to match the normal dialog window then view the text as a dialog and then automatically script the dialog creation script, test it, copy it and save it to a library within the stack.
The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. This is the topic reference stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference of Monday, May 1, 1995.
HyperCard Windows - HCSC 052995 (163049 bytes)
This stack contains narratives, demonstrations, scripts, tips, and resources to help scripters understand and manage HyperCard windows (cards, palettes, pictures, movies, etc.)Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences guest wizard Stu MacKenzie (HyperSTUff), noted external command developer and scripting authority, this stack tells it all about HyperCard's window environment.
Stu's narratives are extremely well written and provide both the novice and expert scripter with a clear understanding of how windows view your stack data, display pictures and movies - and how you can control your visual environment.
Stu's written style mirrors his online wit - a wry smile on every card. The narratives are replete with hypertext functionality to demonstrate each example with a click as you read about it. The information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. This is another outstanding effort by a guest scripting wizard that you'll want for your own scripting reference library.
This is the Topic Reference Stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, May 29, 1995.
AS A BONUS ... Stu has created and bundled an external to determine the AddColor externals installed in stacks ... a help in managing HyperCard 2.3's duality in running on 68K and PowerPC environments.
HyperCard Text-to-Speech - HCSC 052295b (177986 bytes)
+ Staff Pick -- one of the most popular scripting conferences, featuring one of the most popular guest wizards. Also includes the 'JabberMac' stack.Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences guest wizard Mark Klink (MKlink), a great HyperCard and externals developer, this stack contains everything you need to know about speech on a Mac regardless of what version of HyperCard you are authoring in, including information about HyperCard 2.3 which has built-in speech capability.
The stack contains instructions on how to get a copy of the Speech Manager while logged on to AOL, and it can use XFCNs to access the Speech Manager. Even if you don't run the demos, you'll find useful information. Aside from a basic introduction to how the Speech Manager works, and how you can access it using either HC 2.3 or externals, this stack shows you ways to use Text-To-Speech in your stacks. It also tells you about embedded speech command syntax and phonetic text. These are methods (undocumented in the HC 2.3 package) that greatly increase your control over how the Speech Manager pronounces text. The stack includes numerous spoken examples and and even annimations with speech.
This is an outstanding effort and belongs in every scripter's personal reference library. This is the topic reference stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, May 22, 1995.
Hot HyperText - HCSC 012395 (83308 bytes)
This stack contains narratives and scripts demonstrating strategies for implementing HyperText (Text that causes an action to occur when the user clicks on it.)Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences Coordinator Jeff Crossley, the stack provides numerous examples and a script library to assist authors in creating HyperText environments in their own stacks.
The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. This was the topic reference stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, January 23, 1995.
PopUp Buttons - HCSC 051595 (134844 bytes)
This stack contains narratives and scripts explaining the use of HyperCard 2.2's popup buttons (menus) and third party externals that can provide popup funcitionality to HyperCard versions earlier than 2.2, and hierarchial popups (popout submenus) not available in HyperCard 2.2.Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences Mentor Robert Howe (RHowe HMD) who also authored "HCSC 022095 Improving HC Speed" - our all time highest download count topic, this is another great stack.
Here is a quote from Robert's Introduction Card:
This stack covers HyperCard 2.2's popup buttons. For those of you who are using an earlier version of HyperCard, stick around, as we'll discuss using externals to give you popup capabilities!
Specifically, we'll cover:
A) The Apple Human Interface Guidelines for Popup menus.
B) How to use HC's popup button - for HyperCard 2.2 users...and some limitations of HC's popup.
C) The Human Interface Guidelines for Hierarchical Popup menus.
D) The capabilities of some Hierarchical Popup Externals so that users of HC 2.1 (or earlier versions) can get simple popup functionality; and so that everyone can have hierarchical popup functionality.The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. Robert has provided many interactive examples and shared many scripts that exploit the use popups, as well as great narratives containing interface guidelines, tips on when, why, and how to use popups, and step by step instructions for creating popups with HC 2.2.
This is an outstanding effort and belongs in every scripter's personal reference library. This is the topic reference stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, May 15, 1995.
Messages 101 - HCSC 060595 (141660 bytes)
This stack contains narratives, demonstrations, scripts, tips, and resources to help scripters understand and manage HyperCard's message passing heirarchyAuthored by MHC Scripting Conferences Coordinator Jeff Crossley, this stack lays the groundwork for message control.
Stack includes five narratives including "pass" and "send" keyword use. The stack also includes two demonstrations:
- a visual, constantly updated activity card of mouse activities in cards and fields and a recording field, this demo allows users to experience each system event in order to consider scripting schemes for buttons and fields.- an interactive message hierarchy map, showing all levels of the hierarchy, a stacksInUse window and two sample stacks for testing effects of stacksInUse scripts when placed in the hierarchy. Users can click radio buttons to determine if message is passed or not passed from any level. Each level provides a button to click to introduce a mouseUp message at that level ... fields report what happened. This demo is intended to help the scripter grasp visually the goings-on as messages move up the hierarchial path.
The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Reference Stack. This topic covers basic and intermediate HyperTalk issues. This was the Topic Reference Stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, June 5, 1995.
Externals - HCSC 061295 (233657 bytes)
NOTE: Two bundles are provided for this topic.
"HCSC 061295 Exploring Externals" <---- THIS FILE
"HCSC 061295 Exploring Externals(LITE)"The "LITE" version does NOT include in its bundle the "HanrekXCMDShell1.2" (available in these libraries) so that those who may have already downloaded Mark Hanrek's very useful contribution to externals development in C will not have to duplicate that download time. The "HanrekXCMDShell1.2" IS included in the bundle "HCSC 061295 Exploring Externals".
This stack contains narratives and definitions about creating externals. Externals are special snippets of compiled code that perform unique activities more quickly, or provide capabilities not otherwise available, by running outside HyperCard, SuperCard and other external-aware application programs.
Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences guest wizard James Beldock (AFC James), noted software engineer, scripting authority, and XCMD Developers SIG Leader, this topic bundle and conference are intended to lift the mist off writing your own externals. If you want to go EXTERNAL with your programming ... here is the place to start.
This is the topic discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, June 12, 1995.
Externals(LITE) - HCSC 061295 (130614 bytes)
NOTE: Two bundles are provided for this topic.
"HCSC 061295 Exploring Externals"
"HCSC 061295 Exploring Externals(LITE)" <---- THIS FILEThe "LITE" version does NOT include in its bundle the "HanrekXCMDShell1.2" (available in these libraries) so that those who may have already downloaded Mark Hanrek's very useful contribution to externals development in C will not have to duplicate that download time. "HanrekXCMDShell1.2" IS included in the bundle "HCSC 061295 Exploring Externals".
This stack contains narratives and definitions about creating externals. Externals are special snippets of compiled code that perform unique activities more quickly, or provide capabilities not otherwise available, by running outside HyperCard, SuperCard and other external-aware application programs.
Authored by MHC Scripting Conferences guest wizard James Beldock (AFC James), noted software engineer, scripting authority, and XCMD Developers SIG Leader, this topic bundle and conference are intended to lift the mist off writing your own externals. If you want to go EXTERNAL with your programming ... here is the place to start.
This is the topic discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, June 12, 1995.
Displaying PICTS - HCSC 010995 (118624 bytes)
Topic stack for scripting conference of January 9, 1995. Narratives, script library, examples and demos explaining the use of the PICTURE external (HyperCard command) included in HyperCard.
Date/Time Functions - HCSC 010295 (88900 bytes)
Topic stack for scripting conference of January 2, 1995. Examples, tips and instructive narratives about using the built-in HyperCard date and time functions, date/time formats, and convert command.
Button Animations - HCSC 013095 (125046 bytes)
This is the topic stack for the scripting conference of January 30, 1995. The stack contains narratives and examples as well as a scripting library to facilitate the use of buttons with icons to provide annimation within HyperCard.
AddColor Basics - HCSC 011695 (84032 bytes)
This stack is the topic stack for the Scripting Conference of January 16, 1995. Contains tips and tricks, narratives and demonstrations for using AddColor with HyperCard 2.2 Color Tools.Written by Kevin MacDonald who participated in the writing of the AddColor and Color Tools code while at AddMotion, it provides an in-depth view of dealing with color in HyperCard.
PictTool Utility - HCSC 010295 (5304 bytes)
This is the stack from the scripting conference of January 9, 1995. MacBrett provided this scripting example and automated scripting utility to assist users in working with the Picture command in HyperCard.
Resizable Stacks - HCSC100995 (269966 bytes)
This stack contains narratives, demonstrations, scripts, tips, and resources to help scripters manage their stack visual environments via dynamic scripting of card, field, button sizes and text and icon presentations.Authored by MHC regular Mike Presky of Galileo Software, it presents an approach to electronic publishing concepts along with numerous examples.
Mike has provided a full suite of custom functions and handlers to cover everything from card resizing to managing the resizing of color PICTs and resources using AddColor. These scripting tools are compatible with one another and can be used together or singly to meet your own scripting needs.
The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Stack. Mike also provides a demonstration stack included in this bundle to demonstrate his very extensive set of resizing tools. This topic covers basic to advanced HyperTalk issues.
This is the Topic Reference Stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, October 9, 1995.
Color Tools - HCSC 092595 (275561 bytes)
This stack contains narratives, demonstrations, scripts, tips, and resources to help scripters get started with the painting tools in the Color Tools stack.Authored by MHC staffer Catherine Brothers Kunicki (CatBK), this topic provides insights, tool palette info, and demonstrations useful to all who would Add Color to their stacks.
Catherine has provided a special gem in the scripting library section of this stack: a utility button script that copies all color objects and resources from one stack to another ... a real boon for those who have spent hours creating a color environment they wish to duplicate in another stack. Card and background color objects are transferred to the destination stack, as well as PICT resources and ICONs. This is a major utility contribution to the HyperCard community. (Requires Power Tools & Color Tools stacks). NOTE: If you are primarily interested only in this special utility, it is being concurrently uploaded as a separate stack, "CopyAddColorCard1.0f", which includes a separate demo and further information.
The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Stack. This topic covers basic to advanced HyperTalk issues.
This is the Topic Reference Stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, September 25, 1995.
Improving HC Speed - HCSC 022095 (159583 bytes)
This stack contains a compilation of stack organization and scripting techniques to enhance the operating speed of HyperCard stacks.Authored and researched by MHC Scripting Conference mentor Robert Howe [RHowe HMD] from published sources and tips provided by others, it contains timed tests for each of the many speed enhancement tips provided, as well as complete descriptions of how and why these tips work, and instructive naratives for each of the major methods of enhancement.
The information is organized within the shell of a standard Conference Reference Stack. The Contents popup button menu provides instant access to every tip. This stack is for everyone who speaks HyperTalk ... novice to pro.
This is the Topic Reference Stack presented at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, February 20, 1995. (and revised 2/97 -- jlg)
Booleans - HCSC 042996L (160106 bytes)
This stack contains narratives, tips, and graphic depictions to help scripters understand boolean (true/false) logic, "if/then" branching, and repeat loop constructions.Authored by MHC Scripting Conference Mentor Brett Sher (macBRETT), this is the most concise presentation and ready reference of the very underpinnings of what scripting is all about that we've ever seen in one place.
Brett has done a great job in organizing and presenting these two very difficult topics for the beginning programmer to grasp.
Brett's presentation addresses specifically the syntax of HyperTalk in explaining boolean logic in branching scripts with "if/then/else" and repeat loops - however, the basic logic applies to programming in any language.
Brett has provided graphic flow charts with each card's information in order to help us visualize the concepts of the logic presented. The graphics also help one find a solution quickly while browsing the narrative cards.
The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Stack. This topic covers basic to advanced HyperTalk issues.
This is the topic reference stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, April 29, 1996.
Menus How To 1 - HCSC 052096 (186292 bytes)
This stack contains narratives, tips, and how-to information to help scripters understand how to create custom menus in their own stacks. This is Stack 1 in a series.Authored by scripting wizard and conference regular Dave Ritter (DJDave10), this stack gives one the basics to get started with menu creation. Dave's done a great job in presenting the first in this series and brings some thoughtful insight to how scripters might view simply the complex concept of menu usage.
The narrative information is organized within the shell of a standard Scripting Conference Topic Stack. This topic covers basic to advanced HyperTalk issues.
This is the Topic Reference Stack discussed at the MHC Scripting Conference on Monday, May 20, 1996.