• An option to have the Auspice Init automatically write a record of each reminder issued. This record is written into a TEXT file. The TEXT file is selected via the "History" menu item in the Auspice application.
New features in version 2.4:
• An option to have the Auspice application access data files other than the primary data file located in the startup System folder. This was primarily designed to allow access across a network to see the calendars of others in a workgroup.
• Automatic handling of international dates in Day/Month/Year order if appropriate for the country.
New features in version 2.1:
• Added a "Calendar" window to display calendar for selected month/year and to show the number of warnings and events scheduled for each date.
"Auspice" is used to enter reminders which are date oriented (not time oriented). The "Auspice Init" described later will automatically check these reminders each time you start up the Macintosh -- assuming you start up with the disk which has the "Auspice Init" and "Auspice Data" files in the System Folder. If you don't consistently start up with the same disk or if you leave your Mac running all the time, "Auspice" won't be of much use to you. However, if you start your Mac up daily and want it to check dated reminders for you, this might be just the thing.
-- Installation Instructions --
Place the "Auspice Init" file in the System Folder of the disk which you use for startup. If you are using System 7, the "Auspice Init" file belongs inside the "Extensions" folder inside the System Folder; if you are using an earlier version of the System, the "Auspice Init" file must be in the System Folder and not within another folder inside the System Folder. Place the "Auspice" file in any place or folder you desire. The "Auspice Data" file is created when you run "Auspice." (NOTE: if you are upgrading from an earlier version of "Auspice", leave your old "Auspice Data" file in the System Folder.)
-- Help --
Choose "Auspice Help" from the Apple menu while running Auspice for instructions on using "Auspice."
-- Entering Reminders --
To enter reminders, use the "Auspice" program (not "Auspice Init"). The first time you use the program, there will be a notice that the "Auspice Data" file was not found. Click the "Create" button.
Choose "New Reminder" from the "Reminders" menu (or see the shortcut under "Calendar" below). A dialog box with a date at the top will be displayed. This is the date of the event for which you will be reminded. To change the date, click on the date and then use the arrows which appear. Below the event date is a place for a message. At the left below the message is a box to enter the number of days, weeks, or months in advance of the event date by which you are to be reminded. For example, for a birthday on Sept.16 you would enter Sept.16 as the event date, and you might enter 2 weeks for the Advance Warning in order to be reminded early enough to have time to shop for a gift. If you don't enter an Advance Warning, the warning date will be the same as the event date. Next to the Advance Warning is a box for the Recurring Interval. That is the frequency that the event reoccurs (if it does reoccur). For a birthday, enter 1 year. By entering 1 year, after you are reminded of the birthday, the Save dialog will automatically increase the event date by 1 year (you could do this manually even if you hadn't entered a recurring interval). Pop-up menus are used to set the Advance Warning and Recurring Intervals to days, weeks, months, or years. To use the pop-up menus simply hold the mouse down on the current setting of days, weeks, months, or years and then move the mouse to the desired choice while holding down the mouse button.
-- Changing or Deleting Reminders --
In the main window, click on the reminder which you want to change or delete and then choose "Change Reminder" or "Delete Reminder" from the "Reminders" menu. You can also use the shortcut of double-clicking on the reminder in the main display window.
-- Save -- "Save" is on the "File" menu in case you want to save without quitting. "Auspice" automatically saves when you Quit.
-- Calendar --
The calendar window shows the number of warnings set for a date as a small number to the left of that date and the number of "event dates" for a date are shown to the right of the date. Double click on any date to enter a reminder for that date (this is a shortcut to using "New Reminder" on the menu). If you hold the Option, Shift, or Command key and double click on a date on the calendar, the list of reminders in the listing window will scroll to the first reminder with that warning date. The month and year displayed on the calendar can be changed by using the popup menus (click on the month or year at the top of the calendar).
-- Auspice Init --
The "Auspice Init" runs each time you start the Mac. If no reminders are due, it simply displays the icon at the bottom of the screen. However, if it finds reminders with warning dates on or before the current date, it displays them and gives you the option of saving, deleting, or deferring. (If you choose "Defer", the reminder is unchanged and will appear again the next time you start the Mac.)
-- Init conflicts --
Note that the "Auspice Init" does not patch any traps; it will not slow down or otherwise affect your Mac after the startup process has ended. In the past year I have received two reports of the init conflicting with another init during the startup process. If you have a problem during startup immediately after installing this init, restart the Macintosh with no inits ( to do this with System 7, hold down the "shift" key during the startup process; for an earlier System version, startup from a floppy startup disk that does not have Auspice ). After restarting, change the name of "Auspice Init" to "ZAuspice Init" and restart from the original disk. This changes the order in which this init is run and should solve the conflict. If not, you might try renaming again to make the init run before other inits.
-- Multiple data files -- Normally Auspice is used with only one data file - "Auspice Data" - in the System folder. This is the one and only data file which the init can access at startup. However, via the File Menu, the application can open or create additional data files. This was designed for a network environment where it may be desired to access the calendars of other people in a work group. In this environment, the shared file may be made available on a "read only" basis -- in that case the Auspice application will allow you to read the calendar and reminders but not to change them. REMEMBER THAT THE INIT WILL ONLY ISSUE REMINDERS BASED ON THE "AUSPICE DATA" FILE IN THE STARTUP SYSTEM FOLDER!
-- Windows --
The position and size of the calendar and listing windows are saved when you quit so that if you have moved or resized either window, the new position and size will be used next time you run Auspice. Auspice also remembers whether each window was open or closed before you quit.
-- Auspice History -- If History if turned on via the "History" menu item, the init will write a record of each reminder issued. This record is written into a TEXT file which you create or select via the "History" menu item. The TEXT file can be located in any folder you desire but must be on the same drive as the startup system folder. If you use the "History" menu item to create the text file, first use the "Select Appl" button to select the application (e.g. Microsoft Word) which you want to use to read/print the history. This makes it possible for you to later double-click on the history text file and have the application of your choice open it. Note that if you are using multiple data files, you must have the primary data file (the one in your startup System folder) open in order to access the History menu item ( if you have some other file open, the History menu item will be dimmed and you won't be able to select it.)
-- Credits --
Developed by Wayne K. Meyers, 1283 Mary Lee Way, San Jose, CA 95118. (408)264-5847 or (very infrequently) CompuServe 70771,3574. Auspice was developed for my own use and as an exercise in Macintosh C programming (Symantec's THINK C is outstanding!). Auspice is free and you are welcome to distribute copies. If you find it useful or if you find an annoying creature or feature, let me know. Please send me a postcard to let me know someone out there is getting some benefit from this (if you are)!
