FileWhacker! is a utility for easily changing file types and creator codes that also allows you to change a file's locked, visibilty, and stationery status as well as it's creation and modification dates. It also provides for batch-processing and allows you to convert text files to various formats for use on other computer platforms.
How much does it cost?
FileWhacker! is free to try out for 7 days. If you wish to continue using it after that time, you can purchase a license for $10 which will provide you with a registration code that will disable the annoying reminders (FileWhacker! will stop selecting the "About" tab when it is started up as well). Registered users are entitled to free upgrades to all future versions of FileWhacker! as well. See below for registration information.
How do I use it?
Before you begin to use FileWhacker!, you'll want to start it up and set your BatchDrop preferences (on the "Batch Prefs" tab) as this will determine how FileWhacker! will react when you drop a file onto its icon in the Finder. If BatchDrop is off, FileWhacker! will assume that you want to operate on a single file and will open the window and await your settings. With BatchDrop on, it will assume that you want to auto-convert one or more files at once without any further interaction. Whichever way you set up BatchDrop, you can toggle the setting temporarily by holding down the Option key while dropping files onto FileWhacker's icon.
To work with a single file at a time, just start up FileWhacker! and drag the file into the window or click on the "Selectﾉ" button to choose a file to work with. If BatchDrop is off, you can also drag the file onto FileWhacker's icon in the finder (hold down the Option key while dropping if BatchDrop is on). You can now set the file's type and creator code (on the "Whack!" tab) either by typing them in manually or by selecting your choices from the popup menus. If you often change files to a particular type or creator that is not found in the popup menus, you can add this info by selecting "Modify This Menuﾉ" from the bottom of either one. Likewise, you can remove those items which you use seldomly or never. Once you have made your choices, just click on the "Apply" button for your changes to take effect.
From the "Info" tab you can set a file/folder's creation or modification dates to the current date and time. The dates will be changed as soon as you click on the "Now" button. This panel also allows you to remove custom icons or install invisible icons with a single click.
The "TextFix" tab allows you to change the format of a text file so that it can be viewed on a platform different from the one that it was created on. You can also choose to remove style information from a file (making it a plain text file) and/or to remove high ASCII characters which may not display properly on non-Macintosh systems. If your text file contains pictures, sounds, or other resources, these will be stripped automatically (though the "styl" resource will be left in place unless you choose to remove it).
The "Batch Prefs" tab allows you to set your preferences for BatchDropping as mentioned above. When processing a batch of files, FileWhacker! will check each file in the batch against it's BatchDrop list and make the appropriate changes to the file. Whenever a condition is met that results in a change to a file, FileWhacker! will either stop looking for additional conditions/changes or move on to the next item in the list, depending on how you have configured that particular change.
You can change the order of items in the BatchDrop list by clicking on the item once to highlight it, and then moving it up or down in the list using the keyboard's arrow keys. To edit an item, double-click on it, make your changes, and click on the "Save" button. To delete, simply select the item that you want to remove and hit the "Delete" key on the keyboard or, just drag the item to the trash.
The BatchDrop list also allows you to drag text in (it will be added to the bottom of the list) or out (into another application or to the desktop as a text clipping).
Registration
A single-user license for FileWhacker! costs US $10.00. This license entiles one individual to use FileWhacker! on one computer. You can purchase a license by either of the following methods:
Cash, Check, Money Order (US Funds):
If you would like to pay by cash, check, or money order (in US funds), make your check or money order payable to Timothy M. Brown, and send it to:
Timothy M. Brown
137 North Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13206-2830
Be sure to include your name, address, email address, the name of the program(s) that you are registering, and the number of copies of each.
Credit Card (WWW):
If you would like to pay by credit card on the web, you can purchase a license by visiting:
http://order.kagi.com/?GB
Online orders are processed by the Kagi processing service. There is an option for a secure transaction and this method of payment is fairly fast; turn around time for orders is usually less than 24 hours.
Thanks for trying out FileWhacker!
Tim Brown
griffin@kagi.com
http://www.kagi.com/griffin/
October 16, 1998
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FileWhacker!, its documentation, and artwork are copyright ｩ 1998 by Timothy M. Brown. All rights reserved.
This archive may be freely distributed as long as it is kept intact and unmodified, via any medium for which no fee is charged. FileWhacker! may not be sold, bundled with any other product, or distributed via any medium for which a fee is charged without prior permission of the author.
Users are prohibited from disclosing their registration codes.
Timothy M. Brown hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Timothy M. Brown will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if Timothy M. Brown has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Timothy M. Brown be liable for any damages, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software.
