Finding the Windows/Mac OS directory

Did you ever want to find where Windows was installed? Or where the current active Mac OS was installed? Did you parse it out of RecordsLocation? Well if so, from Authorware 6.5 this may no longer work. But fear not! There is a simpler way. The FileIO Xtra has a simple function that does this for you. From the function description:-

getOSDirectory() -- returns the full path to the Mac System Folder or Windows Directory

So all you need to do is call getOSDirectory

OSpath:=getOSDirectory()

Need more tips like this? Then you should bookmark the Authorware-Amy.Com tips pages. Even better - if you subscribe to the Tip Of The Week newsletter you can keep up to date will ALL of Amy's tips as they are published.

New Look

I have been messing about with the look of this site over the last couple of days. I liked the old design but I received several complaints that the text was too small and not resizable, also that the site was too dark and gloomy. So now it is a little brighter and the text is quite a bit bigger.

So is it OK now? Or do you think some further tweaks are required? Let me know - there's a "contact" link at the top of the page.

The Meaning of Life

Last week I saw a complete box set of the Monty Python movies on DVD. I had to buy them. Really. I had no choice. So now I have to watch them :-).

Crazy stuff.

So British.

Authorware samples

I may have been quiet, but that does not mean I have not been busy. I have added some sample files to my Tomorrow's Key web site. As I type there is no index of these files, so for now you can only find them by going direct to them:-

EndOfFlashMovie.zip
This shows how you can get a Flash file to tell Authorware it is finished. Authorware listens for Flash using an Event response. Sample Flash and Authorware files are included. The same method can be used to send messages and/or data from Flash to Authorware.

progress bar.zip
This file has a dynamic progress bar, drawn entirely using Authorware code. It is designed to display progress through your Authorware course.

graphicProgress.zip
This sample is similar to the dynamic progress bar, but it uses a graphic rather than Authorware code for the progress bar.

Uninstalling the Authorware plugin

People often want to uninstall the Authorware plugin as part of a troubleshooting system, or to exchange for another version.

Netscape plugin

. Find the NS plugin folder for the version of the Netscape browser you are using.
. Locate the folder called NP32ASW and delete it.
. Also delete the dll file np32asw.dll that you will find in the plugin folder. <--- This is essential!!!!

Internet Explorer

First, this is how to uninstall the Netscape plugin which is no longer supported from Internet Exporer 5.5 SP1. Microsoft stopped supporting Netscape-style plugins because they are not specified in the HTML 4 standards.

. Locate the IE plugin folder - by default it is going to be

C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\PLUGINS

. Locate the folder called NP32ASW and delete it.
. Also delete the dll file np32asw.dll that you will find in the plugin folder.<--- This is essential!!!!

Now the ActiveX control:-

. Browse to

C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files

or

C:\WINNT\Downloaded Program Files

. Right click the file Macromedia Authorware Web Player Control and select Remove.
. If you want to be thorough, go to:-

C:\WINDOWS\system\Macromed
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed
C:\WINNT\system32\Macromed

(depends on your system)

... and delete the folder AUTHORWA - although it is not strictly necessary.

Now reinstall - only install the Netscape plugin to Netscape and the ActiveX plugin to IE.

Need to find the installers in a hurry? Look on your Authorware CD.

Rumours of my demise have been .. er ... just rumours

I am back and here to stay. Or something. You would not believe how busy I have been since February - between work, EuroTAAC and studying.

Obviously EuroTAAC is out of the way now. It really was a great week. The weather in Friedrichshafen was outstanding - blue skies and sunshine all week. If you want to know what you missed, head over to the EuroTAAC 2003 downloads page. We are still waiting for some of the presenters to post their files, but there is enough for you to get your teeth into for now.

There are also some photographs of the event and the location available if you want to see them:-

Day 1
Friedrichshafen
Lindau
Meersburg
Meet 'n' Greet
Precon training

Please note that they were posted in a hurry - I have still not turned them around the right way :-) I will soon ...

OK that was EuroTAAC. Now studying. The last of my assignments for the year was handed in on Monday. My the end of next week I should know if they were up to scratch. Things have been going pretty good so far so I am looking forward to decent grades. After all the time it has taken it is a relief to get this leg out of the way.

Now I just have to spend the whole summer on The Big Project ...