Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!hoptoad!tim
From: tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Saving and Printing Two Cards
Message-ID: <10558@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: 3 Mar 90 23:27:37 GMT
Organization: Eclectic Software, San Francisco
Lines: 41

Here's a slightly strange question.  I have a stack which needs to have
save and print functionality added.  The images of two cards, or the
cards themselves, are what is to be saved or printed.

Obviously, it's no problem to save the image of one card, or to copy
two cards and paste them into a new stack.  But a user-friendly way
of printing two cards doesn't seem to exist.  I want them always to
be printed two to a page, one above the other, without the user having
to give any magic incantations in the middle of the process.

(1)  Save the two cards to a new stack.  Once in the stack, give the
command "doMenu Print Stack..."  Problem: requires user to set printing
mode in middle of process.  Another problem:  Probably quite slow to
create a new stack and copy two cards over.

(2)  Use Export Paint to save the card images to MacPaint files, then
use an XCMD to print the two files together (possibly merging them into
a single file first).  MacPaint files are easy to work with.  Problem:
this requires user to select two file names for a printing operation.
I would really rather not patch Standard File just to avoid a file
name fetch from the user!

(3)  Use an XCMD to save the two card images into a single MacPaint
file, then print using another XCMD if desired, or just save the file
for a save operation.  Problem:  This requires a no-no, using CopyBits
to extract the card images from the screen.  (The XCMD would take
arguments for the card ids, go to the first, CopyBits from the card
window's BitMap into the top half of the MacPaint image, go to the
second, copy the card image into the lower half of the MacPaint image.)
I am leaning strongly towards this idea, as it gives me control over
every phase of the operation and I can make the user interface do
exactly what I want; however, will this blow up on color systems or
strange monitors?
-- 
Tim Maroney, Mac Software Consultant, sun!hoptoad!tim, tim@toad.com

"The Diabolonian position is new to the London playgoer of today, but not to
 lovers of serious literature.  From Prometheus to the Wagnerian Siegfried,
 some enemy of the gods, unterrified champion of those oppressed by them, has
 always towered among the heroes of the loftiest poetry."
    - Shaw, "On Diabolonian Ethics"