Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!think!ames!ncar!gatech!udel!burdvax!jtids!aspvax!eraps2
From: eraps2@aspvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: How 'Bout HyperCard!
Message-ID: <8465@aspvax.UUCP>
Date: 20 May 88 15:10:13 GMT
Lines: 48


Just read the HyperCard (tm) request notice (I am way behind on the
news).

It seems to me (after playing with it for a while) that HyperCard (tm)
is nothing more than a WorkBench.  Each icon is basically a directory
or a file.  While certainly not an expert on it (I didn't really have
any use for it -- thus only mucked about a couple of hours),  I think
you could get something that operated pretty much the same by taking
WorkBench (I believe there was a PD WorkBench posted called HackBench)
and adding the capability to change the background picture for each
directory (ie. let the .info file contain the whole screen picture,
not just the directory layout info).  Also we need to treat the .info
files for directories slightly differently (instead of nesting
directories, selecting a directory icon would cause us to access the
top-level directory of that name.  Then REMOVE the capability to move
icons around, REMOVE the actual displaying of icons, REMOVE the menus
(and the menu bar), REMOVE the capability to have more than one
directory open at a time, REMOVE the ability to handle multiple
devices, REMOVE the highlighting of an icon when selected and you have
something that is indistinguishable from the original.  Now, how would
it work?  When you want to change the picture (set of icon commands),
the icon references a new directory, if we are in a sub-directory, we
go up to the top directory and then down into the new one (close the
current dircetory and open the new one).  If we want to run a program,
then the ICON is simply the program.

Am I missing something?  After my admittedly brief examination of
the program, it looks like nothing more than a really watered down
workbench with background pictures.  If you want something like that
on the Amiga, it looks very easy from the technical viewpoint, of course,
Apple (tm) would probably sue you.  Maybe you could get around that by
writing a program which overlays pictures on the current workbench and
then set a system variable for your current location (directory).  You
would need a second program to tell the Workbench which directory windows
to open/close.  Then, you could arrange the directory structure for
your 'stack' and add the pictures.  Now you are running the standard 
Amiga Workbench ... what's to sue?  Of course, the user has access to 
the extra features (icon move, copy, info, etc) but thats not 'much'
of a problem (maybe a program to patch WB to lose these features?).

Just my $1.03.


"You and I are scientists professor,    Rob Ginn 
 we buy our right to experiment at      ...burdvax!jtids!aspvax!eraps2
 the cost of total responsibility"      ...sun!liberty!drexel!aspvax!eraps2
                      -- The Doctor     eraps1@nadc.arpa