a2d/RELEASE-NOTES.md

Apple II DeskTop

Project page: https://github.com/inexorabletash/a2d/

Numbers like (#123) refer to items in the issue tracker. https://github.com/inexorabletash/a2d/issues

1.2 - alpha

Enhancements

• Current time shown on right side of menu bar, if system has a clock. (#7)
• Up to 13 volumes are shown on the desktop (was 10). (#20)
• Up to 12 Desk Accessories are shown in the menu (was 8). (#90)
• Drag "unlimited" number of icons (was 20). (#18)
• Dragging files to same volume moves; use Open-Apple to force copy. (#8)
• Menus allow click-to-drop, click-to-select interaction. (#104)
• Add Special > Check Drive command to refresh a single drive. (#97)
• Show Text File DA: Keyboard support. Escape quits, arrows scroll. (#4)
• Reorganized/renamed several menu items. (#13)
• New icons for graphics, AppleWorks, relocatable, command, and IIgs-specific file types. (#105)
• Desktop icon shown for AppleTalk file shares. (#88)
• Improvements to several existing icon bitmaps. (#74)
• DAs with high bit in aux-type set are skipped. (#102)
• Icons for volumes positioned more predictably and sensibly. (#94)
• GS/OS filenames (supported by ProDOS 2.5) are shown with correct case. (#64)

Additional Desk Accessories

• This Apple
  • Gives details about the computer, expanded memory, and what's in each slot. (#29)
• Eyes
  • Eyes that follow the mouse. (#53)
• Screen Dump
  • Dumps a screenshot to an ImageWriter II attached to a Super Serial Card in Slot 1. (#46)
• Key Caps
  • Shows an on-screen keyboard map and indicates which key is pressed.
• Run Basic Here
  • Launch BASIC.SYSTEM with PREFIX set to the current window's pathname. (#42)

Note that several of the new Desk Accessories will not work with older versions of Apple II DeskTop/MouseDesk, due to dependence on new APIs.

The former "Show Text File" DA is now part of automatic preview functionality (see below).

Automatic Preview

Text and Graphics files with the correct file types can be previewed without leaving DeskTop; select the file icon then select File > Open, or double-click the file icon. Text files must be type TXT ($04). Graphics files must be type FOT ($08).

To preview files of other types, you can copy the preview handlers named SHOW.TEXT.FILE and SHOW.IMAGE.FILE from the PREVIEW folder to the DESK.ACC folder, and restart DeskTop. To use them, select the file, then select the appropriate command from the Apple menu.

Notable Fixes

• Dates 00-39 are treated as 2000-2039; dates 100-127 are treated as 2000-2027. (#15)
• File > Quit returns to ProDOS 8 selector, and /RAM is reattached. (#3)
• SELECTOR.LIST created if missing. (#92)
• Prevent crash after renaming volume. (#99)
• Prevent crash with more than two volumes on a SmartPort interface. (#45)
• Startup menu will include Slot 2. (#106)
• Correct odd behavior for file type $08. (#103)
• New Folder/Rename file dialog no longer truncated after IP. (#118)
• Correct rendering issues with desktop volume icons. (#117)
• Prevent occasional rectangle drawn on desktop after window close. (#120)
• Desk Accessories:
  • Date: Read-only on systems with a clock. On systems without a clock, date is saved for next session. (#30, #39)
  • Calculator: don't mis-paint when moved offscreen and other fixes. (#33, #34)
  • Sort Directory: don't need to click before sorting. (#17)
• Hardware/Emulator Specific:
  • IIc Plus: don't spin slot 5 drives constantly. (Use Special > Check Drive) (#25)
  • Macintosh LC IIe Option Card: don't crash on startup. (#93)
  • IIgs: color DHR is re-enabled on exit. (#43)
  • KEGS-based IIgs emulators no longer crash on startup. (#85)

Known Issues

• Selector app is unmodified.
• Special > Disk Copy app is unmodified, and may suffer bugs fixed in DeskTop (e.g. SmartPort behavior)
• Locked files are moved without prompting.

1.1

Final release by Apple Computer. November 26, 1986.

See Jay Edwards' MouseDesk/DeskTop History for more version information.