HyperCard 2.3 Description (7/96) 
This article contains a description of HyperCard 2.3.
Overview
--------
HyperCard software is Apple's premier tool for creating custom software solutions for business, education, and multimedia. Commercial developers, consultants, in-house programmers, and end users can use HyperCard to acquire, manage, and display information any way they need to.
HyperCard organizes information into easy-to-use "stacks" of cards through which users can navigate and search for the information they need. Simply by clicking on a button, they can view related text, see a graphic, hear a sound, watch a QuickTime movie, or listen to text spoken out loud.
HyperCard is an ideal development tool for a wide range of applications, including multimedia presentations, front ends to host data, courseware, and computer-based training materials.
Beginners can start creating stacks right away; no scripting experience is required. The new Button Tasks feature lets you automatically integrate text, graphics, video, sound, spoken text, and links to other applications into your stacks without writing a single script. HyperCard also offers extensive on-line help, as well as ready-to-use stacks, templates, and elements.
At the same time, HyperCard provides a robust prototyping and development environment for professional developers. It comes with powerful scripting tools, a modeless script editor, hypertext support, debugging tools, external commands, and many other features to help you create powerful custom software. Use HyperTalk software-HyperCard's powerful, English-like scripting language-to add power and versatility to your stacks. HyperCard also comes with the AppleScript scripting language. You can write AppleScript scripts that attach to HyperCard buttons to launch, control, and exchange data with other off-the-shelf scriptable applications, either locally or over a network.
HyperCard provides an easy mechanism for distributing your stacks. You can save any stack as a stand-alone, double-clickable Macintosh application that can be distributed without software royalty fees.
Features
--------
Easy to use
* Organize information into convenient "stacks" of electronic cards
* Create applications quickly using ready-made buttons and text fields
* Integrate QuickTime movies, graphics, sounds, and spoken text into a
HyperCard stack-no scripting experience required
Color and multimedia support
* Assign colors to HyperCard elements such as buttons, fields, and backgrounds
* Use 24-bit color painting tools to create color images and to import and
resize color PICT graphics
* Have HyperCard text read aloud by your computer*
* Add QuickTime movies, sounds, and graphics to your stacks
Powerful development features
* Take full advantage of Power Macintosh systems with an accelerated version of
HyperCard
* Use AppleScript from within HyperCard to launch, control, and exchange data
with over 100 scriptable Macintosh applications
* Create and customize your own menus and tool palettes
* Extend HyperCard's functionality with commercially available add-on products,
including third-party external command (XCMD) software
Support for global solutions
* Use WorldScript system extensions* to create multilingual HyperCard solutions
* Mix different character sets (including single-byte and double-byte
characters) in a single field
* Script in French, Japanese, or other languages using international dialects
of AppleScript software*
Stand-alone application capability
* Create double-clickable applications for customers, colleagues, or students
who do not have HyperCard software
* Distribute HyperCard applications freely, without software royalty fees
* Requires additional software; see system requirements
Overview
--------
HyperCard software is Apple's premier tool for creating custom software solutions for business, education, and multimedia. Commercial developers, consultants, in-house programmers, and end users can use HyperCard to acquire, manage, and display information any way they need to.
HyperCard organizes information into easy-to-use "stacks" of cards through which users can navigate and search for the information they need. Simply by clicking on a button, they can view related text, see a graphic, hear a sound, watch a QuickTime movie, or listen to text spoken out loud.
HyperCard is an ideal development tool for a wide range of applications, including multimedia presentations, front ends to host data, courseware, and computer-based training materials.
Beginners can start creating stacks right away; no scripting experience is required. The new Button Tasks feature lets you automatically integrate text, graphics, video, sound, spoken text, and links to other applications into your stacks without writing a single script. HyperCard also offers extensive on-line help, as well as ready-to-use stacks, templates, and elements.
At the same time, HyperCard provides a robust prototyping and development environment for professional developers. It comes with powerful scripting tools, a modeless script editor, hypertext support, debugging tools, external commands, and many other features to help you create powerful custom software. Use HyperTalk software-HyperCard's powerful, English-like scripting language-to add power and versatility to your stacks. HyperCard also comes with the AppleScript scripting language. You can write AppleScript scripts that attach to HyperCard buttons to launch, control, and exchange data with other off-the-shelf scriptable applications, either locally or over a network.
HyperCard provides an easy mechanism for distributing your stacks. You can save any stack as a stand-alone, double-clickable Macintosh application that can be distributed without software royalty fees.
Features
--------
Easy to use
* Organize information into convenient "stacks" of electronic cards
* Create applications quickly using ready-made buttons and text fields
* Integrate QuickTime movies, graphics, sounds, and spoken text into a
HyperCard stack-no scripting experience required
Color and multimedia support
* Assign colors to HyperCard elements such as buttons, fields, and backgrounds
* Use 24-bit color painting tools to create color images and to import and
resize color PICT graphics
* Have HyperCard text read aloud by your computer*
* Add QuickTime movies, sounds, and graphics to your stacks
Powerful development features
* Take full advantage of Power Macintosh systems with an accelerated version of
HyperCard
* Use AppleScript from within HyperCard to launch, control, and exchange data
with over 100 scriptable Macintosh applications
* Create and customize your own menus and tool palettes
* Extend HyperCard's functionality with commercially available add-on products,
including third-party external command (XCMD) software
Support for global solutions
* Use WorldScript system extensions* to create multilingual HyperCard solutions
* Mix different character sets (including single-byte and double-byte
characters) in a single field
* Script in French, Japanese, or other languages using international dialects
of AppleScript software*
Stand-alone application capability
* Create double-clickable applications for customers, colleagues, or students
who do not have HyperCard software
* Distribute HyperCard applications freely, without software royalty fees
* Requires additional software; see system requirements
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