Hello, good evening and welcome. This is a drag-n-drop (that’s System 7.0 only thanks folks!) application designed to append a version number to any file you care to choose. It will accept all file types, but will only have any effect on files that have a version string (like the one visible in the Get Info box). Applications are usually the only files with version strings, but not always.
Vestal Version is based on Paul M. Hoffman’s Dragonsmith 1.1 class definition, and as such contains all sorts of froody features. The most important of these is that VV will now recurse through a folder heirarchy and process every file within. Just drag your hard disk icon onto VV and watch it go through every filename, adding version numbers where possible.
At this point you may well say: “Hangon! I've already got version numbers on some of my files! Am I gonna end up with files called ‘FooWriter 1.3 1.3’ and so on?” The answer to this question is no, because VV is smart enough to recognise a version number at the end of a filename (as long as it is separated by a space - see below) and, if you so desire, will attempt to replace it with the version string contained within the file.
Improving over the previous VV, this version will now update the finder window instantaneously (heh!) once it has changed a filename. [There I was, scouring my collection of Inside Macintosh to find out how to do this, only to discover that Paul had included it in the Dragonsmith kit all along! Sheesh!]
VV is now user-configurable. You can tell it whether or not to replace existing version numbers, whether or not to quit automatically after processing a batch of files, and also whether or not to ignore aliases.
A word about aliases. If VV is not told to ignore them, aliases will be resolved so that the alias original will be searched for a version string. This version string will then be appended to the _alias_, rather than the original file. The original filename is left untouched. Cool, huh? This is useful for quickly updating the names of your Apple Menu Items folder, for instance.
There are some problems however. The first is that it seems the Finder will automatically resolve an alias for you if you drag-n-drop the alias itself, resulting in VV renaming the original file and not the alias. A workaround for this is to drag-n-drop the alias' parent folder.
The second problem with aliases is that the “ alias” suffix confuses VV. I could have programmed VV to ignore this suffix (and/or remove it), but I couldn't see an easy and reliable (ie Apple approved :) method of reading the suffix from the Finder. It all seems beyond the scope of the application, anyway. If anyone has any great ideas though, please let me know. Or, better still, code them yourself and _then_ let me know. (And then give me the credit.. :)
Which brings us to the next amazing bit of information about Vestal Version. If you don't like the way the version numbers are processed, feel free to rewrite the code to your taste! Fully commented source code is included, and all you typically have to do is modify one procedure (IsVersionStr) to change the behaviour of the program. I'd appreciate a copy of your changes though! To compile VV you will need a copy of THINK C 5.0.x and a copy of Dragonsmith 1.1 or greater.
I should note at this point that I think the otherwise completely brilliant Dragonsmith package does seem to be the cause of the mysterious crashes which sometimes occur when you start up VV. I've noticed the same thing on some other Dragonsmith applications, so I'm going to cop-out and blame it and not me. Because that's the kind of bastard that I am.
Vestal Version also uses Lloyd Lim's excellent Default CDEF 2.4. It's Qool with a capital Qoo!
While I'm thanking people, a big high five to David Wareing for late-night beta testing. Totally wikk-id, guy! Geoff Peters also helped, but wimped out and went to bed. :)
Any comments, suggestions, or offers of intimate companionship from nubile young females (hey, I gotta keep up the nerdy teenager image somehow :) can be forwarded to me on the internet: arankine@homer.apana.org.au. I sometimes hang around at FidoNet 3:800/828, but only when I'm bored :).
Enjoy!
IRRELEVANT BUT NONETHELESS FUNNY QUOTE:
“So the copper asks me to identify myself. I look in the rear-vision mirror and go: ‘That’s me!’” -- Lenny Henry
I guess you had to be there.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER WITH LOTS OF OBSCURE LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO:
This software is released as “Haven’t-a-thing-to-Ware”. If you use it, you must immediately run out and buy a T-shirt with the most wanky Apple slogan and wear it at your next major social gathering. I am serious.
