In anticipation of KansasFest 2024, I’m happy finally to announce the official release of my AppleWorks InitPack 2024, which adds four (4) brand new inits to the AppleWorks InitPack, bringing the total number of Inits in the package to fourteen (14). The inits require AppleWorks 5.1 for the Apple II.
The first of these new inits, FinderFileLoader, allows you to select and open any combination of up to 36 AppleWorks Word Processor (AWP/$1B), AppleWorks Data Base (ADB/$19), AppleWorks Spreadsheet (ASP/$1A) or TEXT (TXT/$04) files at one time from the GS/OS Finder and then automatically launch the AppleWorks 5.1 application and add the selected files to the AppleWorks desktop for immediate use.
Check out a demo of FinderFileLoader in this one-minute video:
The second new init, CalendarMY, allows you to access a multi-year perpetual calendar from anywhere within AppleWorks via the Desktop Index menu.
(Trivia: Randy Brandt had conceived and planned to include an inbuilt perpetual calendar when AppleWorks 5.1 was released in 1995, but since the feature was not finished in time to be included, he disabled its shortcut and placed a teaser screen in the final release for folks to find on their own.)
The third of these new inits, FileAuxTyper, allows you to change both ProDOS file types and aux types in hex, as well as allowing you to select from twenty (20) common ProDOS file types from the File Activities menu.
It also displays both the current and pending file type and aux type of selected file(s) in both the 3-character file type (e.g. AWP) and its hexadecimal representation (e.g. $1A).
The fourth and last of new inits, MoreDTHelp, adds explanations for over two dozen new shortcuts added in AppleWorks 4 and 5. When the new keystroke combinations were added in AppleWorks 4 and 5, the Desktop Help menu from AppleWorks 3 was not updated to reflect them. This init corrects that deficiency, including showing the shortcuts to display the new Multi-Year Perpetual Calendar and also to receive a personal ‘Easter Egg’ message from Randy Brandt and Dan Verkade.
The package of all inits (and their source code) may be downloaded from my site as either a ShrinkIt archive (.SHK) or ProDOS disk image (.PO). They are copyrighted freeware and may be freely distributed and posted elsewhere without charge or other permission