The Mercutio MDEF is a Menu DEFinition resource that allow developers to easily
and elegantly extend the power of their application menus. These MDEFs allow
menus to have multiple-modifier key-equivalents (e.g. shift-command-C),
custom icons, item callbacks, and other goodies.
Features
========
Changes in version 1.3.3:
- Fixed several serious visual glitches under Kaleidoscope.
- Fixed documentation to reflect new codes for arrow keys. This change was
made in the 1.3 release but wasn't shown in the documentation.
Changes in version 1.3.2:
- Fixed sample code to correct react to key equivalents in hierarchical
menus.
- Added ksameAlternateAsLastTime and kdontDisposeIcon constants to
.h API file. Those flags functioned correctly but were misnamed.
- Fixed memory leak when scrolling icon suites.
- Fixed cosmetic glitches when using non-standard System fonts (e.g with
Kaleidoscope).
- Fixed bug in C sample code for dynamic items.
- Changed some of the color icons in the sample application.
Changes in version 1.3.1:
- Fixed Pascal API bug that gave crash under non GENERATECFM situations.
- Fixed crash bug that could occur under certain memory move situations.
- Fixed refresh bug when scrolling very long popup menus without
Balloon Help items but with Balloon Help turned on.
- Updated C sample code to support key equivalents in popup menus.
- Miscellaneous typo corrections in documentations.
- Smaller release package (e.g. removed binaries from sample projects)
Mercutio features include:
- Support for all 4 modifier keys (command, shift, option, control)
- Support for non-printing keys (function keys, page up/down,
arrow keys, etc)
- Graphic icons for non-printing keys: non-printing key equivalents
such as page up/ down, home/help, etc. can be drawn as text or
as icons that look like the keys on the extended keyboard.
- Dynamic items: items whose contents change depending on what
modifier keys are being held down (e.g. when the option key is
held down, Save becomes Save All).
- Application callback routine to let you decide on the fly what
the item contents should be.
- Support for icon suites, small and large icons, and SICNs in
hierarchical menu items.
- Support for window font/size: Mercutio now correctly draws popup menus
in the current font and size. This means you can use Mercutio for
Geneva 9-pt popup menus and the like.
- Support for WorldScript. Mercutio now supports menus in non-western
scripts (Japanese, Arabian, etc), and correctly draws under
right-to-left system text alignment.
- User-definable style mapping: developer determines which style
bits are used as feature flags
- System 7's Balloon Help and True Gray.
- Color menus.
- 99% compatible with standard MDEF.
The Mercutio MDEF works under System 6.0.4 or later, with or without
Color QuickDraw. Mercutio is fully compatible with System 7, and supports
all the features of the System MDEF. Integrating the MDEF into your program
shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.
The documentation for Mercutio follows the style of Apple's Inside Macintosh
manuals, and is in Adobe's Acrobat format.
Licensing
=========
Developers may use Mercutio free of charge as long as they give me
credit in the About box and documentation, and send me a copy of the
final program (including future upgrades for as long as they use
the MDEF.) See "Mercutio Software License.pdf" for details on terms of use.
Other licensing terms are available.
Web Site & Announcements
========================
Mercutio now has a web site:
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~felciano/da/mercutio/
To receive announcements about future versions Mercutio, please send e-mail to
"majordomo@lists.stanford.edu" with "subscribe mercutio-news" in the body (not
subject) of the message.
Mercutio is copyright (c) 1992-1996 by Ramon M. Felciano
Ramon Felciano
felciano@camis.stanford.edu
Digital Alchemy
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Ramon M. Felciano | voice: (415) 725-3398
Section on Medical Informatics | felciano@camis.stanford.edu
http://camis.stanford.edu/people/felciano/index.html
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