HyperCard 2.x: If Reference Stack Can‘t Understand (4/95)


When you try to use the Reference Stack in HyperCard 2.x, nearly every mouse click may result in error messages containing "Can't understand..." . The problem is that the HyperCard Help Stack, which contains many handlers in its stack script required by the Reference stack, has not been placed "in use".

The cause of the problem is a subtle scripting oversight in the HyperCard Reference stack's Openstack handler. When the Reference stack first opens it looks to see if the HyperCard Help Stack is already "in use". It does this by looking for the existence of the string "HyperCard Help" in the stacksInUse.

Unfortunately, if the Audio Help stack is placed "in use" first, and it happens to reside in a folder labeled "HyperCard Help", its full path name, including the folder name "HyperCard Help", shows up in the stacksInUse. The Reference stack sees "HyperCard Help" in the stacksInUse, and assumes that the HyperCard Help stack is already "in use".

To avoid the problem:
* Change the name of the HyperCard Help folder (for example, "HC Help")
or
* Move the Audio Help Stack out of the HyperCard Help folder

This article is adapted from the Claris Tech Info database.

Article Change History:
21 Apr 1995 - Modified Title Abbreviation Field.

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Published Date: Feb 19, 2012