ProTYPE v1.1

© 1997 Utility Apfel Research Kitchen

http://www.mech.mb.uni-dortmund.de/mech/Dirk/ProTYPE.html


Dirk Fršhling
…rlinghauser Weg 8
D-44149 Dortmund
Germany

Internet:  df@mech.mb.uni-dortmund.de
Genie:     D.FROEHLING1


What It Is

ProTYPE converts files you drag & drop on it to make them better useable with
Apple II computers. It will type the files correctly and convert Binscii files.
It is scriptable (understands AppleEvents) and can be used as a helper
application for Internet programs. ProTYPE requires System 7 or later.

ProTYPE is "Support GS Ware"ware ;-)  If you use ProTYPE, pay the shareware fee
for an Apple IIGS shareware product you use or would like to use or buy a
commercially available IIGS product. Support those who support you!


How To Use It

When you lauch ProTYPE, you can choose files with the "Select File..." menu
command and the Standard File dialog, but it is more convenient to drop a file or
more onto ProTYPE (it will even accept and walk folders). There is only one
option to choose and ProTYPE handles the conversion automatically.

The following actions will be taken:

- If the file is a text or binary file (Mac type 'TEXT', 'BINA' or '????'),
ProTYPE will try to decode it from Binscii. There will be no error message if the
file isn't a Binscii file. The resulting file (if any) will be placed in the same
folder as the Binscii file and get the original type/creator combination and
creation/modification date.
When you select "Decode All Files (Slower)" from the "Preferences" dialog,
ProTYPE will try to convert files with DOS and UNIX style end-of-line formatting.
This is somewhat slower, even for Macintosh style files, but you don't have to
worry about your download settings. Most Mac ftp clients handle text file
conversions automatically, but they will leave a file alone and save it as binary
when they can't tell the type from the suffix. A lot of BinScii files for the
Apple II are stored with non-descriptive file names, especially when they consist
of more than one segment ("filename (1 of 6)", "filename (2 of 6)" etc.), so this
is an advantage.

- The resource fork of any text file will get stripped and the file will become a
ProDOS text file.

- If the file name ends with one of the common Apple II suffixes for archives and
encoded files (.BNY, .BSC, .BSQ, .BXY, .SDK, .SHK, .S16, .SEA, .SYS, .TXT, not
case sensitive), the file will get a type/creator combination that translates
into the correct file/aux type when you transfer it onto a ProDOS volume (via the
PCExchange extension or AppleShare).


Version History

Version 1.1

- conversion of BinScii files with DOS or UNIX style end-of-line formatting
- every text file becomes a ProDOS text file, not just the ones with a known
suffix
- Fat (68K and PPC code)


Credits

DropShell 2.0 drop-box framework by Leonard Rosenthol, Marshall Clow & Stephan
Somogyi

Sciibin 3.11 by Marcel J.E. Mol

Thanks to Randy Shackelford for beta testing and suggestions!