Apple Product Datasheet
spacer image
spacer image

HyperCard Version 2.3

HyperCard Version 2.3 Screen Shot

Features

Includes AppleScript RunTime

Easy to use

  • Organize information into convenient "stacks" of electronic cards
  • Create applications quickly using ready-made buttons and text fields
  • Integrate QuickTime movies, graphics, sounds, and spoken text into a HyperCard stack--no scripting experience required

Color and multimedia support

  • Assign colors to HyperCard elements such as buttons, fields, and backgrounds
  • Use 24-bit color painting tools to create color images and to import and resize color PICT graphics
  • Have HyperCard text read aloud by your computer
  • Add QuickTime movies, sounds, and graphics to your stacks

Powerful development features

  • Take full advantage of Power Macintosh systems with an accelerated version of HyperCard
  • Use AppleScript from within HyperCard to launch, control, and exchange data with over 100 scriptable Macintosh applications
  • Create and customize your own menus and tool palettes
  • Extend HyperCard's functionality with commercially available add-on products, including third-party external command (XCMD) software

Support for global solutions

  • Use WorldScript system extensionsto create multilingual HyperCard solutions
  • Mix different character sets (including single-byte and double-byte characters) in a single field
  • Script in French, Japanese, or other languages using international dialects of AppleScript software

Stand-alone application capability

  • Create double-clickable applications for customers, colleagues, or students who do not have HyperCard software
  • Distribute HyperCard applications freely, without software royalty fees
Requires additional software; see system requirements

Description

HyperCard software is Apple's premier tool for creating custom software solutions for business, education, and multimedia. Commercial developers, consultants, in-house programmers, and end users can use HyperCard to acquire, manage, and display information any way they need to.

HyperCard organizes information into easy-to-use "stacks" of cards through which users can navigate and search for the information they need. Simply by clicking on a button, they can view related text, see a graphic, hear a sound, watch a QuickTime movie, or listen to text spoken out loud.

HyperCard is an ideal development tool for a wide range of applications, including multimedia presentations, front ends to host data, courseware, and computer-based training materials.

Beginners can start creating stacks right away; no scripting experience is required. The new Button Tasks feature lets you automatically integrate text, graphics, video, sound, spoken text, and links to other applications into your stacks without writing a single script. HyperCard also offers extensive on-line help, as well as ready-to-use stacks, templates, and elements.

At the same time, HyperCard provides a robust prototyping and development environment for professional developers. It comes with powerful scripting tools, a modeless script editor, hypertext support, debugging tools, external commands, and many other features to help you create powerful custom software. Use HyperTalk software--HyperCard's powerful, English-like scripting language--to add power and versatility to your stacks. HyperCard also comes with the AppleScript scripting language. You can write AppleScript scripts that attach to HyperCard buttons to launch, control, and exchange data with other off-the-shelf scriptable applications, either locally or over a network. HyperCard provides an easy mechanism for distributing your stacks. You can save any stack as a stand-alone, double-clickable Macintosh application that can be distributed without software royalty fees.

Technical Specifications

Complete support for scripting languages

  • Add power and versatility to HyperCard applications using HyperTalk--HyperCard's scripting language--or any scripting language compatible with the Open Scripting Architecture (OSA), such as AppleScript
  • Attach AppleScript scripts to HyperCard objects such as buttons to launch and control other applications, exchange data with them, and so on--even over a network
  • Link HyperCard stacks with any of more than 100 scriptable applications, such as Claris FileMaker Pro 2.0 and Microsoft Excel 4.0 (applications must be running under System 7)
  • Use localized versions of AppleScript system extensions to script in Japanese, French, or other languages (requires additional software)

Multimedia features

  • Add QuickTime movies to stacks using the QuickTime Tools stack
  • Include sound, animation, and graphics in your stacks
  • Have HyperCard text read aloud by your computer

Color drawing and painting tools

  • Choose from 256 colors to apply to buttons, fields, backgrounds, and cards
  • Import 24-bit color or grayscale PICT graphics
  • Resize, reposition, and edit graphics on the card
  • Create PICT images with 24-bit color painting tools

Automated Button Tasks

  • Automatically assign tasks to buttons without writing a single script
  • Go to another destination (first card, previous card, home, or others)
  • Play a QuickTime movie
  • Play a sound
  • Have text read aloud (using PlainTalk software)
  • Launch another application
  • Apply visual effects for transitions between cards
Hypercard Screen Shot The new Button Tasks feature lets you automatically integrate text, graphics, and sound into your stacks without writing a single script.

Powerful development features

  • Third-party external commands (XCMDs) let you control a wide variety of systems and equipment, including mainframe computers, networks, videodisc players, and CD-ROM drives.
  • Hypertext applications can be created by linking a word or group of words.
  • Modeless script editor lets you view several scripts and stacks at once and quickly copy and paste HyperTalk or AppleScript code between them.
  • Debugging menu lets you set checkpoints in, and step and trace through, a HyperTalk script while it's running, for fast and easy troubleshooting.
  • Background processing lets you continue working in other applications while complex scripts are running or while you compact or sort a stack.
  • Variable Watcher shows how variables are used and changed and lets you edit variables while debugging your script.
  • Message Watcher lets you view HyperTalk messages as they're sent, so you can see how your program's logic really works.
  • "Save as" options let you create stand-alone applications or ones that can run using HyperCard Player (widely available on Macintosh systems).

Flexible formatting and reporting

  • Design multiple report layouts for each stack--and copy and paste report formats between stacks
  • Control the content, appearance (including font, size, and style), and placement of text elements in report formats
  • Create card sizes ranging from 1 by 1 inch to 18 by 18 inches
  • Print individual fields, selected parts of a card, a single card, selected cards (containing a certain word, button, or background), or an entire stack

System requirements

  • An Apple Macintosh, Power Macintosh, or PowerBook computer; QuickTime Tools require a 68020 or later processor; text-to-speech function requires a 68040 or later processor
  • A hard disk drive
  • At least 2MB of RAM required for HyperCard 2.3; 4MB of RAM required for system software version 7.0 or later, QuickTime Tools, and AppleScript; at least 5MB of RAM is recommended when using Color Tools
  • Macintosh system software version 6.0.5 or later
  • QuickTime Tools requires the QuickTime system extension; text-to-speech function requires PlainTalk software (included)
  • Button Tasks requires; AppleScript system extension,
  • -- Version 7.0 or later required for Color Paint Tools
  • -- Version 7.1 or later required for AppleScript, HyperCard button tasks, and the standalone application builder
  • Multilingual HyperCard applications may require WorldScript software and/or international versions of AppleScript software

Ordering Information

HyperCard 2.3

  • Order No. M2365Z/B
  • HyperCard version 2.3 software for 680x0-based Macintosh systems
  • HyperCard version 2.3 software for Power Macintosh systems
  • HyperCard reference manuals and example stacks
  • AppleScript RunTime Edition software
  • AppleScript Reference and sample stacks

Product specifications are subject to change.Check with your authorized Apple reseller for the most current information about product specifications and configurations.
August 1994

Hypercard 2.2 March 21, 1994

(c) 1995 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, HyperCard, HyperTalk, Macintosh, PlainTalk, QuickTime, and WorldScript are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S.A. and other countries. AppleScript, Power Macintosh, and PowerTalk are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Mention of non-Apple products is for informational purposes and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of these products. All understandings, agreements, or warranties, if any, take place directly between the vendors and the prospective users. January 1995. Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Printed in U.S.A.

L00574B

spacer image