Along with providing internet browsing for the CLUBS project multipleMISCELLANEOUSalliances, I was asked by KNOTWORK (a collaboration between Mick Douglas and Katie Bowman) to set up a program that would allow them (and other artist and visitors to CLUBS) to add text to a continuos, scrolling list. Basically a text log. I decided to use an old Macintosh SE30 I’d picked up in the local hard rubbish (the machine is kind of log shaped).
I used HyperCard to write a simple program that allowed users to browse the text log and add their own text to the end of the log. A copy of the program I wrote is available here. You will need HyperCard player (or the full version of HyperCard) to run the stack.
The program was designed to force the computer to function solely as a text log. I put a copy of the program in the start-up items folder so that it started automatically when the Mac was turned on and I used a HyperCard external command to shutdown the computer when the program was quit. If you want to quit without shutting down, hold down the shift key while pressing apple-q. The program does not use the mouse so if you have the program auto-starting then you can run the Mac without a mouse.
Text is entered in the bottom part of the screen (black text on a white background). When the return key is pressed the text is added to the text log at the top part of the screen (white text on a black background) and the entry field is cleared. If the date has changed since the last entry then the new entry is dated, if 2 or more minutes has lapsed since the last entry then a blank line is inserted between the new entry and the previous one.
The enter key adds a return character to the entry field without adding the entered text to the log.
The left and right arrows can be used to navigate through the entry field text.
The up and down arrows will scroll the text log up and down (holding down the up or down arrows will scroll the text log in larger jumps).
apple-q quits the program and shuts down the computer. If you want to quit without shutting down use apple-shift-Q.
apple-o outputs the text log to a floppy disk. The disk must be inserted and named “LOG”. The text will be saved as “textOut.txt”, any file on the disk with the same name will be overwritten.
apple-i will input text from a floppy disk into the entry field where it can be edited and added to the text log. The disk must be inserted and named “LOG”. The text must be in text file format and named “textIn.txt”.
If you decide to use this program, I’d be interested to hear about it.
HyperCard is now over 15 years old but I still find it incredibly useful. If you want more information on HyperCard and the great stuff you can do with it then try one of these sites, Jim’s Links Page, Teach Yourself HyperCard, Jon’s HyperCard Stuff, Jeanne’s House ‘o HyperCard