This version is an update of this personal information management utility with a fix for those AV Mac and PowerPC users. DeskMates now appears stable on these machines too! I hope it satisfies some of you, since its features have now more than surpassed my meagre needs.
Notes about upgrading:
1. If you are updating from a prior version of DeskMates, the prior preferences file will be deleted (but NOT your schedules or alarms… phew!!!).
2. Please rebuild your desktop if you have already used an earlier version than 1.2.5 (restart holding the Option-Command keys until the prompt) to see the new desktop icons.
3. If you are upgrading from 1.2.5 (ie an earlier version which contained the Address Book), your address file will be altered to the new format for the address record resources. I suggest that you make a distant copy of your earlier address file (DMAddresses) before you open this new version of DeskMates. This is just in case it doesn’t work properly (though it should!). Another safety measure would be exporting all your addresses to a text file (using tabs between each field, and the “»” character after each address, with the “Use all separator characters” option checked) before you delete your previous version. The easiest way to restore your addresses (if something happened to go wrong with updating) is then to use the import feature with the same format specified.
DeskMates is a shareware program containing:
1. An analog clock:
Showing hour, minute and second sweep hands, clicking on the face changes the clock picture, resizable, works in the background so can be left on your desktop, optional digital display, optional country times (for over 100 countries) and correction for summer time. If you are familiar with ResEdit then you can add your own clockfaces over and above the provided ones (if you have some really good ones, you can even send them to me). Note that the second hand will appear to run slowly and irregularly in two situations, when a PowerBook is doing nothing else and its CPU slows itself down, and when you are doing intensive calculations (DeskMates is always the last to get idle time!). This will work on any depth screen, though you will have to set the memory partition to >660K if you want to run a full color clock picture with 24-bit color.
2. A notebook:
A text editor limited to 32,000 characters, with full search, find and replace (including grep) functionality, and able to open any text file from within the application. It supports multiple windows (ie notebooks) and multiple text styles, word wrap and a useful change case/carriage returns facility.
3. A stopwatch:
A stopwatch able to run in the back or foreground, with 3 timers, which can be custom labelled separately, able to record split times, and able to be restarted by clicking on their displays or command key equivalents, and 15 alarms which can optionally display reminder text at prespecified times, and record to a maximum time of over 16 hours. All three timers can be started together or separately. The alarms will sound once or continuously until switched off.
4. A calculator:
Containing simple and more complex mathematical formulae including reciprocals, roots, squares, powers, logarithms to base 2, e, 10, percentages, factorials combinations and permutations, hyperbolic and trigonometric functions (using degrees or radians), and financial functions. Has pretty full error trapping (to the limits of my testing). A feature is the ability to continuously record the computations (in the NoteBook window, like a calculator tape). Amortization and programmer’s calculators are included.
5. A calendar:
Click on the month and year titles to set to any month or year. Click on the current date and time at the bottom to reset to the current date. Click on the first day of the week title to change the day to start the week. The Scheduler links in to this, with days where existing daily entries have been added showing up in bold type and color. The selected day’s day & week number in the year are shown.
6. A scheduler
This is integrated into the calendar, and allows storage of specific activities for any day on the calendar, and quick find ability. You can also store templates for any day of the week, and view multiple days’ schedules in a notebook window (or export them to a text file). If you select text in the scheduler, you can easily set an Alarm Clock reminder for the selected line by clicking on the small alarm clock icon at the bottom of the calendar. Multiple styles, fonts, sizes and colors are supported for the scheduler as a whole. You can save multiple schedule files (even across a network) and set any one as your default for startup (using the Preferences menu item). Some users have made this into a journal for their personal memoirs!
7. Alarm clock:
This is an alarm scheduler. It will also work in the background, and will put a small alarm clock in place of the Apple menu icon (System 6) or the Applications menu icon at top right (System 7) after sounding a beep. When you bring DeskMates back to the foreground, a dialog will tell you what alarm you have set. This supports multiple alarms (approx. 500 at present, though you may have to increase the memory partition to have this many!), each with premonitory timing and recurrent alarms settings (even several years later if desired). When the alarm sounds, you can elect to postpone it (over minutes to weeks). This version will not wake sleeping PowerBooks because of predictable unrecoverable crashes (all models except Duo's and 100's). This is a problem with Apple’s ROM routines not DeskMates' code. I’m also annoyed, since I wrote it to wake up my PowerBook 140 (and then discovered the bug)! You can also save multiple alarm files, even across a network, and have these set as the default at startup.
8. Date Pad:
Current date, day and month is shown in a small window. This can be moved around (pretty exciting huh!)…
9. Address Book:
This is now fully functional. It will accept address details you type in, allow you to find them quickly, export to clipboard, notebook or a specified text file, allow sorting and infinite formats for export. You can also save an address book outside the system folder, and set any address book as the default at startup (even over a network). Addresses can be found by popup menus based on the alphabet.
10. On-line help system/customization:
A fully integrated on-line help system (and hence DeskMates does not need a manual). Note that the positions and sizes of these tools can be set by the Preferences menu item under the File menu. You can set which tool windows will open at startup.
11. Compatibility:
This and future versions will only support System 7 and higher, though some may find they work under systems above 6.0.5. I have made some changes and used some toolbox routines which are not found in earlier systems, and am currently working on drag & drop (system 7 only). If you have an earlier system, then I’m sorry but this and future versions of DeskMates are not for you! Having said that, DeskMates now works on AV Macs and PowerPCs (you lucky devils) and will run on any screen depth as long as Color Quickdraw is installed in your system folder, and there is enough RAM for the analog clock’s offscreen pixmap. It has been tested on the following models: PowerBooks 140, 170, 180, LCII, LC III, IIci, IIvx, Centris 650 and Quadra 660AV, 700, 840AV, PowerPC 601. The application is set to 760K, so you will be able to read the Help files on an 8-bit color Mac. You might want to alter the memory partition under two circumstances: (i) if you only use it on a monochrome Mac, you can probably reduce it to 500K of so, and try it. If there is insufficient memory, DeskMates should tell you; or (ii) if you use full color, then you should use >760K to see the clock picture. I have included a clickable “peek control” (courtesy FaceWare) on the top of the clipboard window, which can show you how much application free memory you have left (click it to see the different partition sizes). The first clue you might get would be a blank opening screen (with PICT... not found), or if you find free memory on the peek control shows less than 40K then you should definitely increase the memory partition (choose the File menu items “Get Info” whilst DeskMates is selected in the Finder and set the lowest application memory size partition).
12. The hidden salutation:
There is a hidden salutation (the Aussie way) within the program somewhere (in 2 places now!). Good luck finding them.
13. Installation:
Just copy the self-extracting archive to your hard disc, and double click to install, then double click the DeskMates application. Preferences files are created if they do not exist and reside either in the System folder in the Preferences folder. When you click the save preferences or save as default buttons in DeskMates, your chosen settings will be stored and activated next time you use the program. If you are running DeskMates on a color Macintosh then you should increase the RAM partition to at least 660K.
If you are updating DeskMates from an earlier version, the old file called “DeskMates.prefs” which will be in the system folder or preferences folder will be deleted automatically at startup of the new DeskMates. You will need to reset any preferences thereafter.
If you like this and use it for more than 15 days, then I ask you to be honest, and to send:
(i) suggestions about improving it (eg adding functionality or even adding new modules), eg I am adding multiple clocks (so you can know the time in more than one time zone), and an address book (simple but powerful).
(ii) the shareware fee (currently $20) to me at the address below. If you do, I will register you for free upgrades and be able to enact your suggestions quickly (even customize your copy). I am sending it out as shareware since I would get the same slice anyway (or less) if I published it, which believe me I’ve tried with similar programs.
Dr David Darby, Neurology Department, Beth Israel Hospital, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston MA 02215
until Jan 1995
Email address is currently: ddarby@bih.harvard.edu
Of course I give no warranty, or guarantees that this software will do what it is intended to do, and it may not be distributed commercially or packaged with any product placed for sale or profit without the explicit permission of the author. If you find any bugs or incompatibilities I will be most surprised and disappointed, but in any case please inform me. Full legal information is contained within the program help.
Please enjoy!
David Darby Oct 1994
Evolutionary Log
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DeskMates v1.0.1
#Calculator handling of the logarithms of zero were fixed (thanks to Ashley ß Bush).
#TickClock alarms are now able to sound continuously until cancelled by the user by clicking on the stopwatch text field.
#Support for 24bit color using gWorld routines replaced the older pixmap routines.
DeskMates v1.0.2
Upgrade Note (versions below v1.0.2):
Upgrading from older versions:
If you have used an older version of DeskMates, then you must throw away the “DeskMates.prefs” file which you will find in the System folder. It will either be found just within the System folder, or if you have a version more recent than v1.0, and are running under system 7 or higher, it will be in the Preferences folder within the System folder. This now has been altered, and should be thrown away completely. A new one will be created when you start up, but you will lose any stopwatch alarms you may have set and will need to reset these.
Secondly, please ensure your ‘ Alarm Clock ‘ settings file is in the correct place for DeskMates to find it. DeskMates will now look in the System folder if you are not using system 7 (ie system 6.05 and above), or in the Preferences folder within the System folder if you are using system 7 of higher. If you have set lots of alarm warnings, then move the file to the correct spot, or you will lose all your hard work setting customized alarms!
#Start up configuration customizable through the Preferences menu item: based an email user suggestion. Clock options dialog simplified with removal of redundant Show at startup option.
#Alaska was added to the American time options: user suggestion.
#Day Sheet Pad added. To allow easy reminders of the date.
#Preferences menu item added to allow customization of startup settings and setting of any window’s position.
#Calendar error fixed: when the current day of the month was one whose first day of the month equivalent in the first line of the calendar was unfilled (did you understand this?).
#Color QuickDraw required error alert. DeskMates formerly crashed Macintoshes running without Color QuickDraw installed. An alert has now been added and the clock window will not show without Color QuickDraw installed when DeskMates is started.
DeskMates v1.0.3
#Calendar initialization bug fixed (bug occurred when new position calendar saved with a date outlined).
#Calculator change sign key added. To accommodate the wishes of several users, the minus operation now performs exactly like the other operation keys. Hence serial subtractions can be done, even when the equals key has computed a prior result. Even the second of 2 numbers in an expression can be negated within that expression, eg “4 * 6 ± =“ will correctly return “-24”. This key can be activated by “Option-Shift-=” also.
#Calculator: traps for simple functions using 0 fixed (previously used logarithm function unprotected to scan for out of range errors).
#Tool Menu items altered to improve visibility and access.
#StopWatch menu item to stop all timers simultaneously, and then with another Command-zero to reset them all to zero.
#Calendar and stopwatch date and time displays will now show the seconds if the “Show seconds” option is checked in the Clock Options dialog.
#Alarm Clock: the actual date and time when an alarm will be activated are now shown on the initial Alarm Clock dialog, and are updated with changes in the prior warning settings. The notification dialog also shows the new date and time for the current postponement settings.
v1.0.4
#Calculator: Record check box added to calulator, allowing all actions to be recorded in the NoteBook window (feature requested by many registered users).
#Alarm Clock: user is presented with a dialog requesting confirmation that they really do want to delete an alarm.
#Alarm window: Extra button added to allow one step deletion of annoyingly repetitively alarms (eg when the system clock has been put forward accidently). Note that the user can quit DeskMates, then reset the clock, then resume and all alarms then should work correctly. Note that this alert window is not modal, and you can leave it in situ whilst doing anything else, including deleting any offensively recurring alarms in the Alarm Clock window.
v1.0.5
#Upgrading to this version from versions 1.0.4 and below:
My apologies, but the alarm clock scheduler no longer uses the same format (almost) for its alarms in the “ Alarm Clock “ file stored in the System folder under System 6.x (and in the Preferences folder under System 7). You can actually edit this file if you have lots of alarms so that it conforms to the new version. To do this you should make a copy of the old “ Alarm Clock “ file to work on. Then open it in any word processor (or even DeskMates itself). You will see a series of four numbers after the main message you have set, each separated by one space. In the new version, there are now 8 numbers. The first 2 numbers are to be left alone, but after these add a 1 and a space ie “1 “. Then add 3 1’s separated by one space each after the original 4th number, ie “ 1 1 1”. There should be a total of 8 numbers before the long negative numbers begin. You should then open DeskMates and check each alarm’s popups. You can open up the alarm file directly in the NoteBook if the message appears as the date only, and use the copy and paste commands to correct them, then reset each one (the older version will be replaced with a correct version). This was unfortunately necessary to add in the flexibility of reminders for a specified recurring weekday. I think the change is worth the effort.
#Extra options for daily reminders were added.
#The postpone dialog can now allow direct deletion of a complete alarm (including subsequent reminders).
#If the second hand is removed from the analog clock, then the cursor should not flash more than once each 5 seconds when over it (this is unavoidable at present).
v1.0.6
#The PowerBook 180 (and 180c - what a nice machine!) crashed with a bus error as soon as an alarm was set (due to accessing the SetWUTime toolbox call). Since the toolbox and Gestalt Manager will tell me the likely Mac model DeskMates is working on, but Apple recommend I not use this in my code (sic) to make important decisions, I have decided to eliminate the possibility of setting wake up reminders (partly since I cannot make use of them on my PowerBook 140 anyway). If you have a Duo or PB 100 and want this feature, then you can still use v1.0.5. There are no other major enhancements in 1.0.6 that would affect your enjoyment of DeskMates.
v1.0.7
#Color icons were added to the menus (because I liked them!).
#Support for multiple NoteBooks added (limited only by RAM).
v1.0.8
#Scheduler attached to calendar window. Schedule.prefs file is created in system folder/preferences folder with schedules in resource fork.
#Icon light and shadow directions aligned. Support for 3-D buttons commenced (test button on notebook window in B&W).
#Resource bugs fixed (when adding to resource file), deleting old templates and schedules.
v1.0.9
#Alarm clock pre-times error finally fixed. It would give unpredictable prefatory times when more than 15 - 20 hours were requested. It was due to Date2Secs not handling negative hours and days correctly.
#Alarm clock recurring intervals by specific day of month (eg first Wed) error corrected. If the day worked out to be "0" (in terms of dayOfWeek mod 7) then would default to a Sunday. Now correctly resets to next specified day.
#Scheduler parsing facility implemented. If a recognized time format is selected in a line in the scheduler window, it will be correctly parsed and the correct date and time selected when the small alarm clock icon at the bottom of the Calendar is clicked.
v1.1
#Schedule find option enabled (case sensitive searches through all or only future schedules).
#Menu item to delete out-of-date schedules added to calendar (to preserve disc space).
#Preferences: saving window positions now works first time (previously required using the OK button before could save screen positions).
#Clock: more faces added (esp for color screens), hands made into regions rather than lines, shadows added (color editable). Shadow of hands and adjustable offset added. This change requires older versions of the “DeskMates.prefs” file in the Preferences folder to be discarded before starting up.
v1.1.1
#Schedule file backup automatically created in Preferences folder each time Schedules are altered (instructions on how to use this updated in on-line help).
#Clock second and minute hand updating improved. This eliminates flashing when the cursor is over the clock (and improved second hand regularity).
v1.2
#Support for multiple styles, colors, fonts, sizes, super- and subscript, word wrap, case changing facility added for both NoteBook and Scheduler editors. Side effect currently loss of support for tabs and text files >32,000 chars.
#Crashes with closure of dialog boxes tracked and fixed (thanks Macsbug!).
#Schedule Find errors in order of searching fixed. Go away box added. Next case command key now Command-G (as in other word processors).
#Calendar bottom right page turning icon now works correctly, backing up one month if the lower right half is clicked, and forward one month if the top left is clicked.
#Schedule can be toggled on/off by the command-; combination.
#Clock will now update itself each second at worst (including when not the active window or DeskMates is in the background).
#Schedule days with appointments now show up as bolded type on the Calendar for that month.
#Option for all windows to hide except the clock when DeskMates enters background mode.
#Memory management improved: tools that are not visible do not take up any additional memory. Minimum application size is therefore much reduced (and should be about 400K if you have only 1-2 tools in use). Conditional initialization has been added.
#Flashing clock at startup fixed.
#Stopwatch sounds now again play properly (resource file was not being found due to switching to System folder resource files).
#Stopwatch displays true 100ths of a second (will not pause if analog clock is not visible now).
v1.2.2
#Minor bug fixes: command key equivalents of many buttons in the Alarm Clock Window and Clock Options window (and the command-5 in the Preferences window now work correctly)
#Stopwatch appearance altered, to allow support for labelling the timers.
#Quitting bug attempting to deallocate a color grafPort fixed (only occurred if clock had been disposed)
v1.2.3
#Calendar: current day and week of selected date now shown at the top of calendar. Date popup added at top alongside month and year popup controls. Current day’s date and time moved to bottom of calendar.
#Date pop up now only shows those dates which are possible with the current month.
#On-line help updated to explain these changes.
v1.2.4
#Calendar: day & week of year added below selected day at top. Actual date text moved to bottom of calendar with new shadow and border.
#Multi-day schedule menu option added. Any number of specified dates’ schedules can be exported to a notebook window, optionally with templates too, and even with excess carriage returns stripped out to make the schedule more compact.
#Change case menu item changed to change selection, since carriage returns to spaces item added to allow stripping of unnecessary line feed (ASCII 10) and carriage return (ASCII 13) characters (substituting spaces).
#Positions of all tool windows can now be set (now use global coordinates).
#Any tool can be set to remain visible when DeskMates is in the background now, using the popup menu in the Preferences window.
#On-line help updated to reflect these changes.
v1.2.5
#Calendar: the schedule file can now be saved as another name (for a backup or different person’s schedule). These can then be opened from within DeskMates (only when the Calendar is the active window) and made the default at startup (through the Preferences dialog). This also works over a network (but if the distant volume is not mounted, you are prompted to search for a valid schedule file).
#Calendar: multi-day schedules can now be exported as a text file (helpful if you anticipate more than 32K of text in the aggregated schedules, which is too much for the NoteBook to contain).
#Calendar: the font, size, style, color and window rect will now be saved correctly when the Set Positions button is clicked in the Preferences dialog.
#Calendar: command-key equivalents are now enabled for the arrow keys to move around the dates.
#Alarm Clock: now supports Save As, Open (already saved alarm clock files), using a previously saved Alarm Clock file (under any name) as the start up default. Similar operation to multiple Calendar files.
#Automatic back up the alarm clock file is created if desired.
#File types created (with Finder icons) for alarms, schedules, preferences and address files. Desktop will need to be rebuilt if previous version installed.
#Notebook: default FSSC can now be saved for all newly opened notebooks.
#General: windows now have a grey background on machines with a screen depth >= 4 bits/pixel. Specialty 3D-type icons for some checkboxes, static boxes and buttons also added.
#Calendar: linked variables for days converted from integers to Str3 to reduce drawing time (you now see the days with attached schedules appear though).
#Calendar: bug which caused loss of entered schedule upon closing window after entering new text now fixed.
#Alarm clock: obscure bug in prefatory reminder timing fixed (incorrect dates when months requested matched actual month).
#Address Book: finally added. All features working properly at release. Still working on import functionality (but there are so many formats!). Note, no extra memory is required to run this enhancement.
v1.2.6
#NOTE: if upgrading from v1.2.5, your addresses will automatically be updated to include more room for the email addresses (now up to 63 chars). It is recommended that you make a backup of your current Address file(s) before you use 1.2.6 to open them. Another method is to export a text file containing all your addresses (use tabs between each field except the last, which should have the » separator to delineate a new record), then delete the default address book in the system folder (Preferences folder under system 7) to create a new Address book, then use the new Import feature in 1.2.6 to re-import them into this clean address book. If you sort them before exporting them, your new address book will also be sorted!
#Clock: added minutes markers to clock for easier visibility.
#Clock: changed picture changing icon to a button.
#Address: now allows export when only 1 address exists; address field now larger to accommodate 4 lines without scrolling; cloning of addresses supported; empty sorted list click no longer shows an empty address; format popups widened to accommodate longer names; double space & double return delimiters added; custom check box searching enhanced to allow either, both or neither (check boxes added); check box exporting bug fixed so only includes when the check box is actually selected; default address format altered to be a mailing list type; copy address to clipboard button was created; appearance of dialog altered to be roomier.
#Address: importing (mach 1) instituted using the currently set export format.
#Address book is now considered in the automatic hiding when backgrounding
#Address: backups now created automatically if appropriate Preferences option checked
#On foreground switching, the previously topmost window is restored to this position.
#On-line help updated to reflect these improvements.
v1.2.7
#Address: altering of address resources caused multiple floating handles to cause unexpected memory problems, garbage in the notes field and crashes on non-PowerBook computers (ie color).
#Address: support for command-arrow keys to move to next/prior address.
v1.2.8
#Address: crashes still persisted in 1.2.7 (never released). Memory and resource handle management reviewed & reconstructed. Many dangling resource handles removed (see note in 1.2.9).
#Address: clear, new and save control operations fixed up. Double address created after New control bug fixed (observer address ptr updated).
#Version: changed to a longint for accuracy. Resources in address files checked & if part of an older version, are updated. This means user order formats must also be lost and then recreated (sorry). This will fix up multiple checked radio buttons in export/sort dialog bug.
#Calendar: Find problem fixed (first find shut the resource file prematurely).
#This version never released.
v1.2.9
#Address: crashes on all machines except my development one finally tracked to the previously saved default address resource in older address files! These should now be correctly removed if made by an older version of DeskMates.
#Version: resource in address files changed to an integer.
#Calendar: “schedule bit values were not being reset upon deletion of all schedules prior to the current one in the same year” bug now fixed.
#RAM: for color Macs the RAM should be at the factory default of 760K or else some unexpected behavior may result.
#Address: support for Shift-Command keys added.
#Address: deletion of a middle address resource bug fixed.
#Address: blue tag on scissors removed.
#Calendar: date background made white (same on Postpone dialog)
v1.3.0
#Calculator: cosh-1, and some hyperbolic and inverse circular function bugs have now been fixed (range problems).
#Amortization option added to Calculator (makes table in Notebook window)
#Preferences: option to not display opening splash screen added (!finally).
#Address: now will play the tones necessary for dialing numbers, and support for automatic adding of PAB exit and interstate prefixes, as well as deletion of current area code by using option, shift and/or control keys (these are set in the Preferences dialog).
v1.3.1
#Scheduler: “Ask to save” bug on quitting immediately after altering a scheduler & enabling of “Save” menu item when text is entered now fixed. Schedules still saved correctly.
#Alarm Alert!: more room for the year text created (to allow for 4 figure years, noted by Elmar Folba)
#Time/Date Stamps: available now for both the NoteBook and the Scheduler with formatting configurable in the Preferences dialog.
#Balloon Help added to all dialogs and some menus. Other help is still available via the on-line help system.
#Postpone Alarms: an extra postpone option to allow setting a specific time as well as the delay interval now offered. A many month bug (with a continuous alert loop!) fixed. Months > 30 setting now actually works also. Notify window disappears now after its work has been done (ie after a button press).
#Alarm Clock: inapproppriate buttons (from New, Delete & Set) are inactivated. The command-N equivalent for the New button was deleted, since it conflicted with the menu command for getting the notebook.
#Clock cursor added in many areas where slower machines make it inobvious that something is happening.
#3D buttons changed from cicn to built-in ViewIt button draw procedure.
#Scroll bar at bottom of left hand help window fixed (now atttaches to bottom).
#Scheduler to Alarms Bug: finally fixed an obscure bug (found by Bill E.) when a time without colon separator was selected and the alarm clock button clicked. This was due to a string range error (case i=0).
v1.3.2
#File specification records now used instead of working directories (gasp!). Appears to fix a problem addressing the Preferences folder on AV Macs
#Tested on PowerPC’s. May need to increase RAM partition by 50K or so in these environments.
v1.3.3
#Calendar to alarm clock automatic reminder setting bug fixed: now works correctly when a return (or more than one) is included in the scheduler selection to create an automatic alarm reminder. Returns are converted to spaces (Thanks to PH for this).
#Address book custom fields bug: the Degrees field caused a string range crash when more than 13 characters were entered. This has now been truncated to a total of 13 characters like the 2 custom check boxes.
#Excessive 3D text boxes added.
#Initialization of calculator angles was incorrect, now corrected to degrees.
#Alphabetical listing of addresses by first letter of last name implemented. Slider and all functions fixed to work with the new format. Upon opening an address file with an older version, format of the address resources is automatically updated. Clear button changed to New. New Clone button changed to Clone and command-shift key equivalents documented in on-line help.
