FaceSpan Snippets Page

FaceSpan, by Digital Technology International, is a popular addition to AppleScripting that provides an easy way to add a user interface, among other things. Here you can find FaceSpan projects and AppleScripts that will help you make your FaceSpan applications.

Table of Contents

• Snippets - A variety of example projects and pre-fab dialogs.
• ESG Framework - A starting point for FaceSpan 3 projects.
• Automation Station - An application that does a little bit of everything.
• MailMaster - Want to put a mailing list into a FileMaker Database? This could do it for you.
• Unofficial FaceSpan 3 FAQ - An older FAQ and FaceSpan mailing list archive.

FaceSpan Snippets

• Busy Cursor - If you've ever wanted to spin the watch, this is for you.
• Code Viewer - Lets you see or change the file type and creator codes of files dropped on the icons in its window.
• Command Line - Single-line AppleScript on the fly. Includes a five-line history.
• Color Picker - An RGB color picker in one FaceSpan dialog.
• Changes Example - Want some help with the Changes property? This is a quick example of how to use it.
• Dynamic Popups - Filling in a popup on the fly from entries in a record.
• File Drop - Shows how to take drops from the Finder, keep a list of all the files dropped, then do some action on the selected ones when requested.
• File List - A short example of how to get the names of files and folders from the Finder to a listbox.
• Highlighter - Some ways to try to draw attention to what your users should be doing next.
• Meta Icon Info - Information about the icons that appear on the left side of FaceSpan 3's ListWithMetas form.
• Outline File List - A version of File List that fakes a hierarchical list with the List with Metas form.
• Progress - A progress bar and status text contained in a window.
• Select All In Text - Want to implement the Select All command on text boxes? Look no further than this snippet. This snippet was written by Charles Booker.
• SI Script Objects - How to use script objects stored in Storage Items.
• Text Scroll Demo - For seeing how to get text to show in a scrollable textbox.
• Text Styler - An example of giving the user control over text styles.
• Timeout Demo - Shows how to have a window close after a set amount of time.

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ESG Framework

The ESG Framework is an attempt to build a template for FaceSpan designers. This template includes bringing the Where Is the Application? dialogs under your control, an easy initialization routine, localization aids, automatic preference save/restore system, and other features to make it easy to write safe, localizable applications.

I'd appreciate any feedback you have on using the Framework in your applications.

Framework Downloads

• Framework 1.0b3 - The latest version of the ESG Framework
• Framework 1.0b3 Readme - for online viewing.
• The Alias Method 1.0b3 - A sample Framework application that uses the Where Is... control feature of the Framework. (800K)

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Automation Station

The Automation Station is a FaceSpan application that combines some diverse functionality (requiring separate apps or scripts) into a unified application. It can log you on to a Proxy Server if you use Netscape (and close those pesky web pop-up ads); it can reopen a network Filemaker database and return it to its previous position onscreen, and it can play audio CDs. See the readme for more information.

Automation Station Downloads

The current version of the Automation Station is 1.3.1.

• Automation Station 1.3.1
• Automation Station 1.3.1 Source
• Readme for online reading.

Automation Station Useful Links

• Generally Helpful Software, for downloading the AudioCDgh scripting addition.

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MailMaster

MailMaster is a FaceSpan application that works with Eudora Light and FileMaker Pro to make a database of Emails from mailing lists.

MailMaster Features

• Handles multiple Mailing Lists and/or databases.
• Opens local databases or open network databases as a guest on a FileMaker Server.
• Auto-Mount feature mounts and unmounts network volumes for you. (This feature requires OSAX support.)
• Very small system requirements. The MailMaster Test machine is a IIci with System 7.5.5 and 8 MB of RAM (with RAM Doubler set to 16 MB).
• Designed to run unattended on a server, but you can also run it whenever you want.

MailMaster Requirements

• System 7.5.5 or higher recommended.
• AppleScript
• Appearance Manager
• Enough RAM to run all the apps at once (approximately 16 Effective MB)
• Eudora Pro or Light 3
• FileMaker Pro 4

MailMaster Downloads

The current version of the MailMaster is 1.0.4.

• MailMaster 1.0.4, complete with source!
• Readme for online reading.
• Plug-in Info - A look at the script plug-in specification for what would have been MailMaster 1.1

Useful Links for MailMaster

• Eudora, where you can get the free version of Eudora.
• FileMaker, where you can purchase FileMaker Pro or download a trial version.
• Scriptweb, for downloading the MountIP and MountVolume OSAXen.

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An Unofficial FaceSpan 3 FAQ

In theory, this document would help those who are new to FaceSpan. It is very much a work in progress, and sadly out of date.

• The FAQ itself - a file of Frequently Asked Questions (and answers for them). Old HTML.
• FaceSpan-Digest Archive - a FileMaker database of posts to the FaceSpan Mailing List, 8/6/98 - 5/2/01.

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