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Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!claris!UUCP!peirce
From: peirce@outpost.UUCP (Michael Peirce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Bringing Finder frontmost after Startup Items run
Message-ID: <0B01FFFB.hfj14n@outpost.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jun 91 22:36:47 GMT
Reply-To: peirce@outpost.UUCP (Michael Peirce)
Organization: Peirce Software
Lines: 94
X-Mailer: uAccess - Mac Release: 1.1.b3


In article <18154@venera.isi.edu>, jas@ISI.EDU (Jeff Sullivan) writes:
> In article <1991Jun4.155851.23146@mmm.serc.3m.com> pejacoby@mmm.serc.3m.com (Paul E. Jacoby) writes:
> 
> >In article <0B01FFFB.gwbpcl@outpost.UUCP> peirce@outpost.UUCP (Michael Peirce) writes:
> >>
> >>In article <1991May30.142809.10293@umiami.ir.miami.edu>, dweisman@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Ordinary Man) writes:
> >>> 	There's a real cheap way to get the finder to the front without any 
> >>> inits or other apps running. Just put an alias to your hard drive in the 
> >>
> >>Sounds like a better way than a special app.  So maybe I won't post
> >>my little hack (harumph, my first System 7 specific App is worthless :-)
> >>-- michael
> 
> Right.
> 
> >And Michael, why don't you release your hack anyway?  We can ALWAYS use
> >more neato utilities for 7.0!
> >-- 
> 
> Why in hell would you want to promote the spread of hacks into the
> system when you can already do what the hack does?  Just spreads
> possible incompatibilities.

Who's talking about spreading possible incompatibilies to the system?  
The process manager is fully documented in Inside Macintosh Volume VI.  
Everything you need to know to write this "hack" is there.  No trap patching
or other "bad things".

I was using the term HACK to mean a quick and elegant little program
that gets the job done.  This is the good connotation of this word,
not the bad.  Sort of like describing myself as a hacker.  I don't
mean I break into systems and steal national security secrets, but
rather I enjoy playing around with the system and exploring its secrets
- helping me do a better job for my clients and myself.

-- michael

P.S.  Here's the WHOLE program that does this, simply compile in into
an Application (or an MPW tool, that works too for easy testing).

It works as is, but it doesn't have any UI and this might confuse
people who run across it not knowing what it's for.  If someone wants
to run with this, please give some sort of UI.  Thanks.

PROGRAM FinderFirst;

USES
	Processes;

FUNCTION GetFinderSerial : ProcessSerialNumber;
VAR
	process	: ProcessSerialNumber;
	infoRec	: ProcessInfoRec;
BEGIN {GetFinderSerial}
	
	WITH process DO BEGIN
		highLongOfPSN := 0;
		lowLongOfPSN  := kNoProcess;
	END;
	
	WITH infoRec DO BEGIN
		processInfoLength := SIZEOF(ProcessInfoRec);
		processName := NIL;
		processAppSpec := NIL;
	END;
	
	WHILE (GetNextProcess(process) = noErr) DO BEGIN
		IF GetProcessInformation(process,infoRec) = noErr
			THEN BEGIN
				IF (infoRec.processType = LONGINT('FNDR')) AND
				   (infoRec.processSignature = 'MACS')
					THEN BEGIN
				   		GetFinderSerial := process;
						Exit(GetFinderSerial);
					END;
			END;
	END;
	
END; {GetFinderSerial}

BEGIN {MAIN}

	IF SetFrontProcess(GetFinderSerial) <> noErr
		THEN BEGIN
			SysBeep(5);
		END;

END. {MAIN}

--  Michael Peirce         --   outpost!peirce@claris.com
--  Peirce Software        --   Suite 301, 719 Hibiscus Place
--  Macintosh Programming  --   San Jose, California 95117
--           & Consulting  --   (408) 244-6554, AppleLink: PEIRCE