Using Sherlock with ALIAnet
If you are a Macintosh user, and are running OS8.5 or later, then you have no doubt a keen fan of Sherlock. I am.I've developed a number of Sherlock plug-ins that will allow you to search ALIAnet's webpages, or subsets of them. As time goes by, I will be adding more plug-ins for specific parts of our website, to complement the 'general' plug-in that spans the entire site. A full listing is found at the foot of this page.
From time to time updates will be posted, and your system will flag when a new plug-in is available and can be downloaded. Just all the download of the plug-in, drop it into your system folder, and away you go (though the icon thing requires extra work). Detailed explanations follow:
Instructions
- Download the latest bin-hexed (compressed) ALIAnet plug-in [see list below].
- Uncompress the file using Stuffit or similar [this may happen automatically if your browser is configured correctly].
- Take a copy of IconFixer [6,023 bytes] while you are at it. You'll need this to correct the icon-not-there problem that many plug-ins develop.
- Once the '[xxxx].src' is uncompressed and has its icon fixed*, move it to your Internet Search Sites folder in your System Folder (or simply drag it onto a closed system folder and let the operating system do the rest).
- All done. Start searching!
* If it needs it: IconFixer is used to repair plug-ins with generic icons - simply put it in the Internet Search Sites folder and drag and drop the plug-ins over the top of IconFixer and reload Sherlock.
OS8.6 users: Sherlock 2.1 (bundled with OS8.6, 9.0, ...) won't work with WebFree v1.1, a useful tag, animation and cookie blocker. Sherlock 2.0.2 or earlier still works fine, unless you wish to access your Novell LAN (in which case v2.1 is perfect for that task...).
ALIAnet plug-ins available
ALIAnet.src.hqx [3,909 bytes] - For searching across all of ALIAnet's web pagesALIA2000.src.hqx [5,996 bytes] - For searching in the ALIA2000 conference directories
Other useful bits and bobs
With all of those plug-ins, the cramped and 'in-need-of-revamp' Sherlock interface needs modification (OS8.6 and Sherlock 2.1 partially-solves this problem without having to resort to the following). With Sherlock 2.0, I used Sherlock WindowSize [37,651 bytes] by Larry Rosenstein. It is simple, and good. Still waiting for the new-improved interface that Apple is talking about...On the other hand, if you are a dab hand with ResEdit - roll your own resizing:
Open up a copy of Sherlock with ResEdit and open the 'wctb' resource, ID 1200 (the only one) and change the window type from the nonmodal nonresizeable window (the high-lighted icon in the icon bar across the top of the WIND editor) to a nonmodal resizeable window without a zoom box (the one at the far left) and save your changes, you'll be able to resize Sherlock's Find window to see all your search sites (or at least as many as will fit on one screen).
And Sigerson should rate a mention. It's a great sets manager for Sherlock. Instead of scrolling like mad and checking or unchecking search plug-ins for specific uses, why not let Sigerson, from James Sentman manage it all for you?
