About the System 7.0 Environment
applications that run in system 7.0 or later. It also provides general
information about the features available to you when you design an application
to run in the system 7.0 or later environment.
application can use the Macintosh User Interface Toolbox and Macintosh
Operating System routines in system 7.0 or later to:
(Program-to-Program Communications Toolbox)
• access data from other sources, including remote databases, using the
• perform quick searches for specific files using the File Manager • provide on-line assistance for users with the Help Manager • use direct devices for graphics applications using
developing applications that can run in both system 6.0 and system 7.0.
System 7.0 extends the environment of the Macintosh computer by providing
even greater support for cooperation between applications. The user interface
continues to build on solid design principles and provides additional benefits;
for example, in system 7.0 users can more directly manipulate icons on the
desktop and users can customize the Apple menu. The Finder, the Macintosh
Operating System, and the User Interface Toolbox provide and maintain this
environment.
The Finder is the system application that lets users organize and manage
applications, documents, folders, and disks on the desktop. Users can choose
commands from the Finder menu bar or use the mouse to perform various
tasks. Because the Finder presents the standard interface that the user
becomes familiar with, you need to make sure that your application performs
in an expected manner in the Finder environment.
Macintosh users also expect certain standard behavior from Macintosh
applications; for example, all applications should provide File and Edit menus.
Macintosh applications that follow the user interface guidelines provide
consistency and let users determine what action to take to perform a particular
task.
In earlier Macintosh computers a user ran one application at a time. Today's
Macintosh model recognizes that a user often wants to run many applications at
once. System 7.0 provides this cooperative environment.
In systems 5.0 and 6.0, the MultiFinder option provided a cooperative
multitasking environment. In system 7.0, the features of MultiFinder are
integrated into the Macintosh Operating System.
The Macintosh Operating System lets the user have several applications open
at the same time and lets the user switch between them. The Operating System
also gives the user constant access to the Finder. This lets a user move among
open documents and applications without having to save or quit the previous
document or application. This environment also allows applications to run in
the background. For example, the Finder can copy files while the user is
working on another task in the foreground.
The cooperative environment of the Macintosh allows multiple applications to
share the CPU and other resources. You need to understand how this
environment can affect your application. An additional section, en titled,
detail.
An important aspect of system 7.0 is interapplication communication (IAC), a
new collection of features that help applications work together.
Copy and paste is a simple way in which Macintosh applications work together
by sharing data. In system 7.0, applications can provide automated copy and
paste features (that is, your application can automatically update the data that
the user pastes into a document when the original source of information
changes). Applications can extend this concept by using
high-level events to request that other applications perform a particular task
or return requested information. Applications and drivers that require close
integration with each other can also extend this concept by reading and writing
low-level message blocks.
Apple has defined a protocol for high-level events called the Apple Event
Interprocess Messaging Protocol. High-level events that adhere to this
protocol are called Apple events. You can help ensure effective communication
with other applications by using this protocol.
Macintosh applications in system 7.0 can respond to incoming
high-level events from other applications as well as events generated by the
user, and they can also send high-level events to other applications. Better
cooperation and communication between applications help users to get the most
out of any one application or to use the best features from many
applications-in effect, combining the features of many applications to achieve
the desired result.
By including the features provided by IAC in your application, you give the
users of your application even greater power, ease of use, and flexibility in
accomplishing their tasks.