Using the “Conversion” desk accessory:

• Press the Enter or Return key to calculate. Conversion then selects the entire edit field so you can immediately type your next value without having to first select or delete text.

• “Copy Result” in the Options menu puts the calculated value onto the clipboard so you can paste it into another DA or application.

• “Copy Calc List” in the Options menu puts all of the current session’s calculations (both input and output values) into the clipboard.

• Command-[Up Arrow] copies the result to the edit box, and sets the input units popup menu to the same setting as the output units.

• Points/Picas are true typesetting values. PS Points/Picas are the 72/6 per inch variety used in most DTP software.

• In most cases, fractions can be entered in place of decimals. For example, “2 1/2” and “2.5” are equivalent. Don’t enter hyphens in mixed fractions and whole numbers.

• You can enter numbers as equations. For example, the following all equal “12”:
  4*3
  2x6
  36÷3
  24/2
  8+4
  13-1
  26-(7*2)
Conversion performs all calculation from left-to-right, but parentheses can be used to alter calculation order. Parentheses may also be nested as needed. Please note that    “*” or “x” may be used interchangeably for multiplication. Either “/” or “÷” (the division symbol is an Option-Slash) may be used for division, although it's important to be aware that Conversion treats numbers separated by slashes as fractions, and that whole numbers and fractions must be separated by a space (not a hyphen). In general, don’t use slashes in equations unless you're defining a fraction. To be safe, enter your equation with the same input and output units to test the equation’s result before converting it.

!!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!!
When using MultiFinder, hold down the Option key while selecting Conversion from the Apple menu to force the current application to host the DA. MultiFinder's DA Handler doesn’t like Conversion's equation parser and a simple subtraction problem can cause it to lock up your mouse!

• When using the Lengths unit type, you can specify some common input units without selecting them from the input unit popup menu. If you type “1p6” (for 1 pica 6 points, or 18 points) and press Enter or Return, the input units will default to points, and Conversion will calculate the equivalent output units. Similarly, you can type “1P6” for PostScript points/picas. You can also use ' and " for feet and inches to default to inches, or use “m,” “mm” or “cm” for meters, millimeters or centimeters, respectively.

Measurements such as “1p6” or “1'6"” must be entered exactly as shown, with no spaces or hyphens. Any time you specify alternate units of measure in an equation, Conversion uses PostScript points as a common denominator. Conversion then sets the input units popup menu to PostScript points. This doesn’t mean you’re limited to working in PostScript points—you could, for example, enter a formula such as “1/2"+(2*(1p6+3mm))” and convert it to printer’s picas.

• To display the amount of memory you have available, delete all text in the input box and press enter. If you usually work with basic length conversions and frequently run into memory problems, try using MiniConversion instead.

• If Conversion beeps at you when you press Return or Enter, then you have less than 2k RAM available and adding additional data to the session’s calc list could be dangerous. To continue working won’t hurt anything, it just means that Conversion is not recording your figures anymore. If it beeps when you try to call this About box, then you have less than the 12k needed for the splendid graphics and scrollable help text you're reading now. To display the amount of memory you have available, delete all text in the input box and press enter. If you usually work with basic length conversions and frequently run into memory problems, try using MiniConversion instead.

• Conversion isn’t infallible! Please save your work before calling this (or any other) DA, and question any bogus-looking results. I don’t require payment for this DA , but I can’t guarantee flawless performance either.

Special thanks to Michael J. Conrad for for his “DA Skeleton” and to Jon P. Wind for his many Pascal programming examples. If you find Conversion useful, please let me know. If you're thrilled with it, I really would appreciate a contribution to offset my development costs ($1 to $5 is great!). Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.