This article describes HyperCard IIGS.

Overview
HyperCard for the Apple IIGS personal computer lets users
create a custom environment for exploring and managing information. Because of
its flexibility, HyperCard IIGS can be used in an almost unlimited number of
ways, for example:                        

* to manage personal information,
* to create interactive multimedia presentations and tutorials, and * to build
interfaces to on-line information services.

Like HyperCard for the Macintosh, HyperCard IIGS is based on a universal tool for
storing information: the index card. But in HyperCard IIGS, index cards can
contain information not only in text form, but as photographs, graphics, video,
and sound as well.

HyperCard "buttons" (active areas on a card) give you the freedom to work with
information at your own pace and in the order you prefer. When you point to a
button and click with the mouse, the computer carries out a specific task. For
example, it will move to another card so you can explore a related subject,
define a term you don't understand, control a video from a laser videodisc
player, prompt you for further information, or run another computer program.

HyperCard IIGS can work for beginners right away. HyperCard IIGS comes with
ready-to-use stacks for storing personal information, creating stories, and more.
You can also use HyperCard IIGS to run commercially available stacks, including
stacks originally created for Macintosh computers that have been converted for
Apple IIGS use.

HyperCard IIGS also offers easy ways to create your own stacks. You can create
and edit buttons and fields, create artwork with the full-color Paint Tools, and
create advanced HyperCard programs using HyperTalk (HyperCard's powerful
English-like scripting language).

As an expansion of the HyperCard line of software for Macintosh computers,
HyperCard for the Apple IIGS is the ideal tool for all who want to work with
information more effectively, and those with special knowledge, talents, or
experience that they want to share with others.

User Levels ----------- HyperCard IIGS provides five distinct user levels:
Browsing, Typing, Painting, Authoring, and Scripting. Each user level includes
all the features of the level before it.

* Browsing Use stacks (but not alter stacks)

* Typing Enter and edit text in fields Create and delete cards

* Painting Draw transparent or opaque graphics Draw shapes Draw with different
brushes Magnify image 8 times for "fat bits" editing Rotate, Flip, or Stretch
images Select the last object drawn Choose ColorSet for Card, background, and
stack Import ColorSet for card and background Import and export graphics from and
to other files

* Authoring Create, delete, and change styles of fields and buttons Create links
to other cards and stacks

* Scripting (HyperTalk scripting language) Object-oriented message passing Any
button, field, card, background, or stack can have a script. Each script can have
any number of "handlers" for messages generated by the system or the user. Edit
any script Search or print a script Full-screen script editor with automatic
formatting Maximum script length: 30,000 characters

System Requirements 

To use HyperCard IIGS, you need the following:

* an Apple IIGS computer with a minimum of 1.5MB of RAM (2MB is recommended)

* an 800K floppy disk drive, plus either a hard disk or a network environment

* System software version 5.0.4 or later

To convert stacks that have been created using Macintosh HyperCard 1.2.2 or 1.2.5
for use with HyperCard IIGS, you need access to a Macintosh personal computer and
the HyperMover program.

Technical Specifications 

* Number of cards per stack:
limited only by available disk or file-server storage.

* Maximum stack size: up to 512MB, depending on available disk or file-server
storage

* Card Size: 640 horizontal pixels by 200 vertical lines (the size of an Apple
IIGS screen)

* Graphics: color bitmaps with opaque and transparent areas

* Number of text fields per card: limited only by available memory and disk space

* Maximum amount of text per field: 30,000 characters

* Number of buttons and links per card: limited only by available memory and disk
space

* Number of active variables: limited only by available memory

                       * Control structures
                       Repeat until condition
                       Repeat with loop counter
                       If/then/else conditionals
                       Exit loop or procedure
                       Pass message/send message

                       * Data types
                       Conversion to SANE numerics (9-place accuracy)
                       Conversion to date and time

                       * Variables
                       Contents of any field
                       Dynamically created local variables
                       Global variables