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Inside Macintosh: Apple Guide Complete / Part 4 - Scripting Guide Files

Chapter 10 - Guide Script Command Reference / Guide Script Command Descriptions

/ Specifying Startup Information

<App Creator>

You can use the <App Creator> command to specify the application that is associated with this guide file.

<App Creator> creator

creator

A four-character value that specifies the creator of the guide file. This value should correspond to the signature of the application associated with this guide file.

DESCRIPTION

When the user launches an application, Apple Guide searches for any guide files in the same folder as the application file. Apple Guide determines which guide files (if any) to put in the application's Help menu according to the criteria summarized next.

If a single guide file exists in the same folder and does not contain an <App Creator> command, Apple Guide includes that guide file as an item in the Help menu. If multiple guide files, each of differing types, exist in the same folder, Apple Guide includes each guide file in the Help menu (except for any guide file whose creator parameter does not match the application's signature).

If multiple guide files of type OTHER exist in the same folder, Apple Guide includes each OTHER guide file in the Help menu (except for any OTHER guide file whose creator parameter does not match the application's signature).

For guide files of type ABOUT, SHORTCUTS, HELP, or TUTORIAL, Apple Guide includes at most one guide file of the same type, even if multiple guide files of the same type exist. If multiple guide files of one of these types exist, Apple Guide first determines which guide file's creator parameter (specified in the <App Creator> command) matches the application's signature (it also checks gestalt conditions). If more than one guide file of the same type exists in the same folder and meets these requirements, Apple Guide includes as an item in the Help menu the guide file whose filename appears first alphabetically.

Apple Guide also checks any conditions specified by <Gestalt> commands in the guide file before adding it to an application's Help menu. Apple Guide does not add a guide file to the Help menu if the conditions specified by the guide file's <Gestalt> commands are not met.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The <App Creator> command should appear once at most in your source files for a specific guide file. If you omit this command, Apple Guide includes your guide file as an item in the Help menu only if it is in the same folder as the launched application and only if it is the only guide file of a specific type (except for OTHER) in that folder.

EXAMPLES

#this guide file is associated with the SurfWriter app
<App Creator> 'WAVE'    #SurfWriter's signature is 'WAVE'