Reference Link is an INIT that makes THINK Reference 2.0 easier to use if you have System 7. With Reference Link installed, you can do a control-option-double-click on a word in a text editor or word processor, whereupon the word will be looked up in THINK Reference 2.0. Alternately, you can first select a word or phrase, and then type control-option-r, and the selected text will be looked up in THINK Reference. If THINK Reference is not already running, it will be launched. Then you can type control-option-b to go back to the editor.
In the previous paragraph, you should take the word “editor” in its broadest sense: Any application in which one can select some text and copy it to the clipboard, be it THINK C or CompuServe Navigator.
How it Works
Reference Link uses a JGNEFilter patch to monitor events, and uses a background-only application to send AppleEvents. The background-only application uses a 10K partition, and the patch code uses about 3K of System heap. The background application will be started soon after Finder starts, but if it ever quits (as by an installer that needs to quit all applications) the patch code is capable of relaunching the background application.
Customizing Reference Link
As it is distributed, Reference Link watches for control-option-double-click or control-option-r to look something up, and control-option-b to send you back to the editor. These can be changed with the aid of ResEdit. Open Reference Link (which you won’t be able to do if the background-only application is running) and open the 'Keys' resource. The first item therein is a modifier mask for double-clicks. The text beside the box gives numbers for the various modifier keys, which you add together to represent combinations. For example control is 4096 and option is 2048, so control-option is 4096+2048 = 6144. Next comes the modifiers for the keystroke, then the key codes for the keystrokes. Note that a key code is not the same as a character code. To find a key code, look up “extended keyboard” in THINK Reference 2.0.
If you want to deactivate Reference Link in certain applications, you can insert their application signatures (AKA creator codes) in the 'Excl' resource.
About the Icon
The icon was designed by Tom Poston of ImMedia Design. Thanks to Burt Johnson for paying for that service.
By the way, if you used the previous version, 1.0b1, you will need to rebuild your desktop if you want to see the new icon. To make this work correctly, you should make sure that the background application is not running at the time of the rebuild.
Distribution
Reference Link is copyrighted freeware. Of course if you *want* to send me some money for it, you can.
Reference Link may not be sold or offered for sale, or included with another software product offered for sale, except with the express written permission of the author. The author’s failure to give permission promptly should not be taken as consent. Companies that distribute public domain/freeware/shareware software for profit are expressly prohibited from distributing Reference Link. This restriction does not apply to bulletin boards, commercial on-line services such as America Online, CompuServe and GEnie, and nonprofit Macintosh user groups which hold regularly scheduled public meetings.
