Smile Read Me, october 99

Preliminary note

Smile and the scripting addition Satimage work only on PowerPC machines. No version of either software is available for 680x0 processors.

Overview

Smile is both an AppleScript editor for beginners and an integrated environment for advanced AppleScript users.

AppleScript beginners will immediately find Smile an easy, comfortable and intuitive editor to make their first scripts. Smile fills Apple's Script Editor's main gaps ('Search' / 'Replace', 32k limit, 'Find definition', drag-and-drop), is faster (Smile is PPC native), has built-in 'Script' and 'Windows' menus, a 'Handlers' menu in the script windows, and implements the most recent Apple technologies (Appearance, Navigation).

In addition, Smile features much more for the beginner. Smile includes what are called 'text windows' - but this name is not truly accurate. Text windows do provide for the editing of text, yet they offer much more to the scripter. Text windows offer a favorable environment for editing and debugging scripts. In text windows, scripts can be executed on a line-by-line basis, or in selected blocks. Being able to execute specific lines is a very powerful feature for fast and efficient debugging.

Eventually, every scripter needs functionalities that basic AppleScript does not provide (coercions, maths, handlers on lists ...). Added functionalities are included in Smile. The functions of the Satimage scripting addition are available from any script editor or applet. Smile uses them.

Advanced users will be able to take advantage of Smile's customizable interface, in particular its scriptable buttons and dialogs, and its custom classes.

Smile is scriptable, attachable (its objects have scripts), recordable and internally scripted. It can be used occasionally as a scriptable text editor.

Help and documentation

Smile supports Apple Help system. For help, pull down the 'Help' menu, and choose 'Smile help' (or, press the 'Help' key). The scripter will find in this help any information needed to benefit of the features of Smile intended for standard scripting.

For users interested in more details, and in the specific features of Smile (as an extension to AppleScript, as a scriptable text editor, as an interface builder), a full documentation is included. To open it, hold the option key () down, pull down the 'Help' menu, and choose 'Smile help' (or, press option-'Help' key).

Requirements

Smile is PPC-only software. It uses Navigation Services and Appearance. Thus, it requires MacOS 8.5 at least or 8.1 with Navigation Services installed. If your machine is running MacOS 8.1, install Navigation Services by copying two files, NavigationLib and Navigation, into your extensions folder. Usually you do not need to restart.

These files can be found on the Satimage softwares home page :
<http://wwwusers.imaginet.fr/~satimage>

Installation

Smile 1.6.7 does not come with an installer, so you have to proceed to its installation by yourself. Here are the instructions.

- At the first level of the package folder, there is a folder named "-> System Folder". Open it. It contains a folder named "Smile help" and two scripting additions, "Satimage" and "AppleScript Formatting".

- Drop the icons of the two scripting additions on the icon of your System folder.

- Move the "Smile help" folder to the "Help" folder of your System folder.

The Smile folder must be kept in order for Smile to work properly. The folders "Class Scripts", "User Scripts", "Documentation", and "More stuff" folders must remain in the Smile folder. You should not remove or rename any file of these folders unless you know what you are doing.

Known incompatibilities

* Action Files
Smile makes use of Navigation Services for its standard open / save dialogs. If you have PowerOn "Action Files" installed, you must absolutely add Smile to the list of incompatible applications in the Compatibility pane of the Action Files control panel, and select "Enable Navigation Services".

* Contextual Menu
Smile makes use of the contextual menu system (ctrl-click). Thus, you might need to disable for Smile any third party utility which would handle the ctrl-clicks in place of the application.

History

Satimage is a French company, named after the French acronym for "Company For Image Processing Applications". Satimage designs and markets PPC-based Control and Automation systems for the Industry, based on machine vision. All Satimage vision systems are powered by the same software engine, named SMI.

SMI is used by end-users, familiar with the industry standards but not with AppleScript programming, and by our developers who customize their vision systems.

Satimage includes a full AppleScript environment in SMI because none of the AppleScript available tools currently available are sufficiently user-friendly, powerful and efficient. Smile is this environment, the backbone of SMI. Smile is the acronym for "SMI, Limited Edition".

Distribution and property

Smile is distributed on a feedbackware basis. If you choose to use it please pay your share : report any bug, incompatibility, or suggestion.

You may distribute it freely yourself provided you distribute this file with it.

You may even sell it, alone or included in your own product. In any case please respect the following:
- do not change nor remove the splash screen, nor the About menu,
- and distribute this Read me file with it.

By distributing freely and permanently maintaining this product for free, Satimage is filling a gap in AppleScript utilization. With your continuing help, as with previous versions, Smile can greatly help promoting AppleScript. Thus Apple, thus a better world :)

Credits

Special thanks are addressed to Marco Piovanelli, the author of the WASTE text engine. Smile uses parts of the WASTE ® 1993-1996 text engine by Marco Piovanelli.

Smile also uses the AppleScript Formatting scripting addition, from Marco Piovanelli.
Marco Piovanelli is the author of Style, a wonderful scriptable text editor. Visit the home page of Style :
<http://www.merzwaren.com/style/>
The original distribution of the AppleScript Formatting scripting addition can be found at the following URL :
<http://www.merzwaren.com/snippets/index.html#asformat>

Special thanks are addressed to Bob Cyr, who wrote most of the Smile help files, and who brought suggestions and corrections wherever needed. You, user, experience daily a better interface thanks to him.

Smile benefits much from the feedback from users. Many thanks are due to the numerous users who have kindly reported bugs and incompatibilities, and have made fruitful suggestions.

Contacting Satimage

The staff at Satimage is dedicated to improving Smile for their use and to be shared by others. In reality, a tacit partnership is formed between the software design staff of Satimage and Smile users around the world. Satimage recognizes the tremendous benefit of receiving feedback from a great number of users, all using Smile in their individual way. With this in mind, Satimage welcomes responses from all Smile users.

If you are a Smile user :

* Please report bugs and incompatibilities, make requests and suggestions.

* Subscribe to the Smile discussion list to be informed about updates and announcements and to ask for help. See Smile User's List (SUL) below.

Satimage
1 AVENUE DES PRES
F-94260 FRESNES
FRANCE
<mailto:satimage@imaginet.fr>
Fax : +33 1 46 15 92 99

Smile Users List - SUL

If you encounter a problem or have questions about Smile, it is possible that other users can help you.

SUL is a discussion group (list) about Smile allowing users to exchange support.

You can subscribe, unsubscribe and post to SUL. Each time you subscribe, unsubscribe, or post you receive a report on the result of your request. SUL is managed by Satimage, the company which makes Smile. In addition to SUL, there are other e-mail discussion groups devoted to general AppleScripting subjects.

* To subscribe mailto <satimage@imaginet.fr> with "subscribe sul" (w/o quotes) as the subject.

* To unsubscribe mailto <satimage@imaginet.fr> with "unsubscribe sul" as the subject.

* To post, mailto <satimage@imaginet.fr> with [SUL] somewhere in the subject. Important : use no quotes, include brackets [SUL]

Updates and additions

For updates and to download additional tools, extensions, and any kind of stuff, check the official site of Smile homed by T&B (Australia) :
<http://www.tandb.com.au/smile>

Alternately, you can visit the Satimage softwares home page :
<http://wwwusers.imaginet.fr/~satimage>

Satimage has a web site <http://www.satimage.fr>. At the time of this writing the site did not include information on Smile.

Disclaimer

In no event will Satimage be liable for any consequences of the use of this software.

Trademarks and Copyrights

* Apple, the Apple logo, AppleScript, Balloon Help, HyperCard, Macintosh, Power Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

* PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines corp.

* UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company Ltd.

* Satimage is a registered trademark of Satimage SARL in Europe.

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Original file name: Read me - converted on Saturday, 30 October 1999, 21:19