Feb 93 Tips, Tidbits
Volume Number: 9
Issue Number: 2
Column Tag: Tips & Tidbits
Tips & Tidbits 
By Neil Ticktin, Editor-in-Chief
This column is your opportunity to spread the word about little bits of
information that you find out about. These tidbits can be programming related or they
can be user tips that are particularly useful to programmers.
MacTech Magazine will pay $25 for every tip used, and $50 for the Tip of the
Month. Or you can take your award in orders or subscriptions.
To submit a tip, send in a letter to the magazine. E-mail is our preferred
method, but feel free to send something via the US Mail. If you do send snail mail,
enclose a printed copy and a disk copy of the letter so that it does not have to be
retyped.
Let us know what you think. Remember, this is your magazine. Try ‘em out ...
Tip of the MonthThere is a “lifesaver” in the MPW Commando dialog. If, when you dismiss the
dialog, you press the Option key, you will find that the command line appears in the
front window (normally Worksheet) and executes. That’s a whole lot easier as a way
to capture the command line for later use than selecting the command line in the
Commando dialog, Copy it, cancel the dialog, and Paste. (Or, you can dismiss the
Commando dialog using the Enter key, and this will copy the command line into the
foremost window and execute the command.)
You can also dismiss the Commando dialog with the Command key held down. This
pr events the execution of the command. If Option is also down, the command line is
copied into the foremost window. This ability isn’t needed so often.
Finally, as an alternate way to invoke Commando, use this command in some
window (Worksheet, as usual, comes to mind): Commando Rez Now you get the
regular Commando dialog for Rez. When you dismiss it, the command line is copied
into the window in which you typed the command, but not executed. No modifier keys
required.
-- John Baxter
A Better way to copy
When creating picture resources for your application it is often convenient to
use a drawing program such as Canvas. These resources are often much larger than
they have to be since Canvas stores non-Quickdraw information (Bezier curves,
rotated text, etc) as PicComments within the Picture.
To slim an application make sure you delete these picComments. The best way is
to hold the option-shift keys down when you originally copy the pictures from Canvas.
- Brooks Bell
Without a Programmer’s Switch
If you're writing code for a Mac that doesn't have a programmers switch, such as
the LC, you may have trouble resetting your machine.
Sometimes the System 7 Shift-Option-Command-Escape key combo doesn't work.
There is another way. To reset the Mac, press the Control-Command-'Power On' key.
- William Modesitt
Maui Software