Changes since MacLayers v1.20:

Here is a fairly complete list of the major new features present in MacLayers v1.30:

• Settings files have been completely reorganized.

   MacLayers no longer stores user preferences (also referred to as settings)

  and session logfiles in the same file. A new MacLayers document

  type, 'USER', has been defined to hold user preferences. Logfiles

  are still stored as text files, but to avoid confusion with the

  old way of combining logfiles and settings, the MacLayers 'TEXT'

  type has been abandoned. Instead, by default, logfiles are stored

  as THINK C text files; the user can change the creator type for

  logfiles via a new option in the "Preferences" dialog. The new

  settings files also function as MacLayers startup documents.

  Settings should act "more normally". Settings must be explicitly

  saved via the save options under the file menu. If "dirty" (unsaved)

  settings are about to be lost when the user quits (or attempts

  to open a new settings file), the user is prompted to save the

  current settings.

  The settings document holds all user-configurable options. It

  also remembers the size and position of the initial window

  (the root level layer). Initial sizes and position of windows

  opened under layers mode are not stored in the settings document;

  instead, they can be specified using the new .layersrc functionality

  described elsewhere.

  The currently defined download site is saved with other options

  as part of the current settings document.

  Logfiles are still maintained while MacLayers is running, but

  are always deleted after the corresponding window is closed unless

  either (1) the user has indicated s/he wants to keep logfiles by

  checking "Save Logfiles by Default" in the Preferences dialog, or

  (2) the user explicitly saves a logfile. It is possible to save

  logfiles for layers mode windows across layers sessions.

• Keyboard remapping has been completely reorganized.

  It is possible, if one is not a heavy user of option as control,

  to not install the MacLayers Keyboard in the System file under

  System 7. However, it is recomended that System 7 users DO install

  the new KCHR resource in their System file by dragging it into

  their System folder (or using ResEdit). Unfortunately, Apple has

  made it practically impossible for an application to use a KCHR

  not installed in the System file under System 7.0.x.

  System 6.0.x users do NOT need to install the MacLayers Keyboard

  file. However, that should make sure that "Local KCHR Translation"

  is turned on in the Terminal dialog under the Control menu.

  The Terminal dialog has been reorganized to reflect these

  changes. A popup menu allows the user to select his or her

  preference for the control key, which forces different choices for the
   meta key; the table below summarizes, but a more complete
   description is in the MacLayers v1.30 Manual.

 Control-Key         Meta

-------------+-----------------

   control   |      option

   option    |  command-option

   command   |  command-option

  All users can optionally remap the backspace key (large delete

  key in upper right) to send DEL instead of BS, and to remap the

  backquote "`' key to send ESC.

  The ENTER key by default sends a linefeed (LF) character, but

  it can also be optionally remapped to send a carriage-return (CR)

  or Control-C (^C).

  Support for [page up], [page down], [home], and [end] on Extended    
    keyboards has also been added; these act as substitute scrolling keys.

• Support for a .layersrc file which can be used to automatically

  create and position windows when layers mode is initiated. This

  requires recompiling the layers program. See UNIX side documentation
   or the MacLayers Manual for the details on the .layersrc file format. One

  can now also specify the size and geometry of a new layers window via

  command-line arguments to the layers program. A menu option, "Send     
   .layersrc command", has been added to the MacLayers application to make   
   building a customized .layersrc file easier. The menu option "Reposition 
   layer" has been added to allow the user to force a lost or undraggable
   window to a known visible and draggable place.

• A longer dialstring is supported through the use of separate strings

  for the phone-number and dial-command. Also, a modem-initialization

  string sent only at startup can be defined. All of these strings

  can be set via the revised Phone dialog. One can embed a carriage

  return in these strings by including '^M' (type ^ followed by M)

  in the string; other control characters are entered similarly.

• MacLayers now supports two schemes for mapping double-clicks inside

  vi-mode windows to cursor-positioning commands. An option under the

  Terminal dialog allows the user to select between 'vi' style or

  'emacs' style (actually macmouse.el style) cursor-positioning. The

  user can also decide to have no cursor-positioning commands sent.

  Note: 'emacs' style cursor-positioning requires that the macmouse.el

  has been loaded under emacs first. See the MacLayers Manual for details.

• New Finder icons for the application and startup documents have been

  defined. It may be necessary to rebuild your desktop. For instructions, see
   the MacLayers Manual.

• MacLayers no longer reopens the printer port at startup when the

   modem port is being used, and vice-versa.

• MacLayers will now attempt to reopen the serial port if it discovers that

  the port has been closed (by another telecommunications program, for   
   example). When it does this, it displays the message:

  
"### Someone closed the serial port; reopening it ..."

  If reopening the port is unsuccesful, MacLayers will abort, as before.

• MacLayers no longer iconizes hidden windows when "Iconize While Not 
     Front" is selected and MacLayers is sent to the background; MacLayers 
     doesn't unhide hidden windows when MacLayers is returned from the  
     background any more either.

• Other minor changes:

• stop and caution cicns added

• can now cycle backward as well as forward; keyboard equivalents
    changed

• "Record Lines Off Top" now uses a check (it used to toggle menu text)

• minor Balloon Help support (Finder level)