FinderBar is an Extension that installs a tool bar in the Finder.
With FinderBar, several of the Finder's routinely used menu commands are made easier to access. Most of the buttons duplicate the functionality of certain File menu commands, but there are also buttons to open the most frequently used control panels which come with System 7 (at least control panels that I personally find myself using with more fequency than others) as well as the major folders within the System Folder and the System Folder itself.
Installation
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In order for FinderBar to work fully, you must place the FinderBar Exension in the Extensions Folder of your System Folder. Several of the buttons on the FinderBar also require that the FinderBarDaemon application be running (it is a background only program, so you will never 'see' it once it is launched). The FinderBarDaemon application only uses a 30 K partition of memory, so it shouldn't infringe on your memory resources too much. I find that the best thing to do is to put the FinderBarDaemon application in the Startup Items Folder in the System Folder, ensuring that the program is running immediately upon startup and forever thereafter.
Restart your Macintosh and enjoy the new ease with which you can perform the most common Finder operations!
Release Notes
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Version 1.01
• Fixed a bug where the open folder buttons would not work on some systems. Previously, I made too many assumptions concerning where the system folder could be found and what it should be called. Learning my lesson, I have changed FinderBar such that nothing is found based on such assumptions. In fact, even the control panels are located by type and creator, rather than by name. This, of course, makes FinderBar much more localizable. This also may have inadvertently fixed a problem with an extension called "Greg's Buttons" (at least on the machine I use, a PB145). Those of you who possess this INIT, please confirm or refute this claim.
• Fixed a problem that causes FinderBar to crash (and hence, the Mac) when the option and command keys are held down (as in when you rebuild the desktop after restarting). Now, when you rebuild the desktop, FinderBar will delay creating the tool bar until the option key is released. This should help to avoid this crash. A word of advice, though: if you are rebuilding your desktop, hold down the option key until the dialog which asks you if you're sure you want to rebuild the desktop appears and is completely drawn. Then release the option key. FinderBar will be created immediately.
• Added the most requested feature, mobility! Now FinderBar can be resized and dragged to any place on the desktop. The position will be "remembered" the next time you start your Mac, too!
• FinderBar will now return if you have quit the Finder and then restarted it. Previously you had to restart the Mac to get FinderBar back. Note that this only works if the Finder is forced to quit by an application (like some process managers which provide this capability). It does *NOT* work if you force the Finder to quit via debugger commands (such as ES/EA in Macsbug). In fact, if you "hard halt" the Finder this way, you will want to restart the Mac because FinderBar tries to draw itself anyway (on top of anything that get's in its way) even though it does not have its own window. Although this does not cause problems per se, it is not very attractive. I have not yet figured out how to prevent this madness. Moral: if the Finder drops into debug on error...restart, restart, restart!! Note that this applies to the Finder only. If an application other than the Finder drops into the debugger, you should have no problems (with FinderBar, that is).
Version 1.0
• Original Release
Special Notes
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You may notice that it takes a moment longer to open control panels or the system folders using FinderBar. The reason for this is that FinderBar must dispatch the request to the FinderBarDaemon application which then sends an Apple Event to the Finder (this is so because FinderBar cannot send the request directly as it is an extension). Things takes a little more time, but not too much more. I have made it so that a little smiley face cursor will appear when an action is to be performed. This let's you know that FinderBar is going to do what you asked. If the smiley face doesn't appear, then you didn't press the button (or your press didn't register, which shouldn't usually happen.)
The FinderBar will hide itself when you switch to an application other than the Finder. I do this for two reasons: First, there is no reason for it to be around when other apps are in front (you can't use it for anything outside of the Finder anyway) and second, if I don't do this, then when a window from a different application (which previously covered the FinderBar) is moved away, thus exposing it, the FinderBar unfortunately never gets told by the system that it needs to be updated and is displayed with nasty blank white patches. This is not aesthetically pleasing; I think the solution I've used is elegant and certainly valid. By the way, switching back to the Finder will cause FinderBar to show itself again.
Finder bar does not work with applications intended to replace the Finder (or shouldn't...I don't have one with which to test this assumption).
Finally, a good deal of testing has been done on a couple of different Macs, including a garden variety of Mac IIsi's as well as a PowerBook 145 and a IIci (with and without Radius Rocket). It has been tested with 32-bit addressing on and off, virtual memory on and off and on black and white and color screens of various and sundry pixel depths. Even so, I cannot guarantee a bug-free life so, if you encounter one of those nasties, PLEASE send me a note.
Portents
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I have a lot of plans for future versions of FinderBar. I would also like to hear your ideas on how it can be improved. (One of the biggies, I know, will be the ability to configure FinderBar--this *will* be addressed as soon as I have more time, hopefully by Spring of'93.)
Acknowledgments
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Special thanks go to Paul Wierzbowksi and Diane Dollahan for their suggestions on how FinderBar can make their lives easier and for their patience through several prototypes of FinderBar and the resultant crashes, conflicts, and other collisions that were endured. Special thanks also go to a host of people who sent me bug reports and suggestions. There are far too many to list, but I owe one to all of you! Thanks, folks!
NOTICE
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FINDERBAR AND FINDERBARDAEMON MAY BE POSTED ON OTHER ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD SERVICES SO LONG AS THIS DOCUMENT, UNALTERED, IS INCLUDED IN THE DISTRIBUTION. THEY MAY *NOT* BE DISTRIBUTED VIA ANY OTHER MEDIA (INCLUDING CD-ROM, FLOPPY, FLOPTICAL, OPTICAL, OR REMOVABLE DISKS OR TAPES) WITHOUT CONSENT BY THE AUTHOR, SCOTT A. JOHNSON, PARTICULARLY IF SUCH MEDIA IS SOLD FOR A PRICE. THEY MAY BE DISTRUBUTED ON FLOPPIES, ETC., IF DONE SO WITHIN USER GROUPS, PROVIDED THIS DOCUMENTATION, UNALTERED, IS INCLUDED.
SHAREWARE NOTICE
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If you find FinderBar useful please send a small fee of $10.00 (US Dollars, please) to the following address:
Scott A. Johnson
3916-12 Newport Avenue
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805
I may be moving sometime in early '93, so it might be better to contact me after April or May via e-mail before mailing your shareware fee. I can be reached in the following ways:
America Online: DevScott -- (preferred)
CompuServe: 71035,3273
Internet: devscott@aol.com
I hope FinderBar provides you with some utility. Enjoy!
Scott Johnson
Orig: December 5, 1992
Mod: December 16, 1992
********** DISCLAIMER **********
The author, Scott A. Johnson, makes no warranties, either express or implied, regarding the fitness of FinderBar v1.01 or FinderBarDaemon for any purpose. Use them at your own risk. The author claims no liability for data loss or other problems caused directly or indirectly by FinderBar v1.01 or FinderBarDaemon.
