Version 88, the first universal version

[Howard Metcalfe]

PAWriter version 88 is the first universal binary version of PAWriter, and its file name is now PAW2U.

---

The following changes were made in version 88 dated 6 November 2009:

• This is the first version of PAWriter that is a universal binary compilation, and its file name is changed to PAW2U. It reads and writes the same data files used by PAW2 and PAW2X. Much internal re-coding was necessarily accomplished in this move to the universal binary version. Universal binaries run on both PowerPC Macs and Intel Macs without Rosetta.
  
  
• This universal binary version should run well on G3s, G4s, G5s and Intel Macs under MacOS 10.3.x (Panther), 10.4.x (Tiger), 10.5.x (Leopard), 10.6.x (Snow Leopard without Rosetta) and future versions of the MacOS. (I’ve alpha tested it on Intel iMacs running Leopard and on a G4 eMac running Panther.) I believe this version of PAWriter runs significantly faster than previous versions on any of the above-named platforms.
  
  
• The About PAWriter Help and the PAWriter Reference Guide menu items were moved to a new Help menu.
  
  
• The Reference Guide is now part of the PAW2U file (it’s "bundled"). You can click on the Reference button in the main window or choose Help menu > PAWriter Reference Guide or press command-' in major windows to launch the Reference Guide in Safari. The Reference Guide now displays with two panes in the browser window: a table of contents in the left pane and the selected entry in the right pane. The contents of the guide has been reviewed and revised as necessary with all new images included.
  
  
• The creator for HTML files was changed to "udog" in order to launch Safari. Of course, you can change the default brower in Safari preferences or in an HTML file's Get Info window.
  
  
• Many subordinate windows such as alerts and various dialogs were made into "sheet" windows, which drop down within the containing window.
  
  
• You can now control-click (right-click with most mice) anywhere in notes and the Edit menu will popup, with all of its relevant menu items available for selection.
  
  
• Possible problems in notes and any linkage problems are now completely listed in new scrolling windows.
  
  
• Notes in family group sheets for parents are not duplicated in multiple marriages.
  
  
• "Faster open and save dialogs" and their preference item were removed.
  
  
• A few obscure errors that had gone undetected prior to this version were corrected.
  
  
• Since there have been numerous complaints about the previous default background color of turquoise, the default has been changed to the more neutral crayon color named Silver (a light gray). A suggested compatible highlight color option in the system preference Appearance panel is Graphite. But feel free to change the background color in PAWriter preferences and/or the highlight color in system preferences to whatever is pleasing to you.
  
  

---

Visit La Nopalera by clicking here:
www.lanopalera.net

[eptownie1988]

Howard can you say fast!!!!!!! Great job as usual. Keep up the great work.

[dixieinil]

I've tried downloading the new version several times, but the .dmg file won't mount properly. I get the following message "failed to mount due to error 95. (no mountable file systems). I've never had this problem with previous upgrades.
I am running OSX Jaguar version 10.2.8 on a 800 MHz Power PC G4 that is about 7 years old. I noticed you didn't mention Jaguar in the email announcing the upgrade so I'm wondering if that is the problem. I'm also wondering if this might even be some sort of problem with an upgrade to mounting software being necessary that I'm not aware of. And, yes, I know my computer is old and probably should be upgraded. But, you see, a lot of my heritage appears to be Scottish, and, at the risk of playing into the stereotypes of that heritage, I don't spend money on things that still work. And perhaps that heritage also explains why I love PAWriter so much! It's free and it does a great job!

[Howard Metcalfe]

Nov 7, 2009 11:45:03 GMT -5 dixieinil said:

I've tried downloading the new version several times, but the .dmg file won't mount properly. I get the following message "failed to mount due to error 95. (no mountable file systems). I've never had this problem with previous upgrades.
I am running OSX Jaguar version 10.2.8 on a 800 MHz Power PC G4 that is about 7 years old. I noticed you didn't mention Jaguar in the email announcing the upgrade so I'm wondering if that is the problem. I'm also wondering if this might even be some sort of problem with an upgrade to mounting software being necessary that I'm not aware of. And, yes, I know my computer is old and probably should be upgraded. But, you see, a lot of my heritage appears to be Scottish, and, at the risk of playing into the stereotypes of that heritage, I don't spend money on things that still work. And perhaps that heritage also explains why I love PAWriter so much! It's free and it does a great job!

I guess you're right, and Jaguar doesn't handle mounting the .dmg file. I know that Panther does mount it. I changed from generating the .dmg file in an older system to using the latest one, which must not like Jaguar.

Best,
Howard

[Howard Metcalfe]

Well, three people notified me that PAW2U quit when trying to load their files. I found the problem, fixed it and uploaded the fixed program. I had an error in the code for loading the LDS ordinance for sealing of spouses.

So if you have any LDS ordinances on file, you should download PAW2U again from:
www.lanopalera.net/Genealogy/PAWriterU.dmg

Sorry about that,
Howard

[dixieinil]

So, is there a fix for the .dmg file not handling the new program or it is just "too bad, so sad"?

[Howard Metcalfe]

Nov 8, 2009 19:33:03 GMT -5 dixieinil said:

So, is there a fix for the .dmg file not handling the new program or it is just "too bad, so sad"?

I will try to resurrect the old system that generated a .dmg file acceptable to Jaguar. No promises, but I'll try. If successful, I'll let you know.

Howard

[Howard Metcalfe]

Nov 8, 2009 19:33:03 GMT -5 dixieinil said:

So, is there a fix for the .dmg file not handling the new program or it is just "too bad, so sad"?

The problem appears to be that Jaguar does not handle the current disk image format that is handled by 10.3 Panther, 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard. So everyone currently downloading the universal version of PAWriter does have Tiger or later and has had no problem.

As noted in all documentation for the universal version 88 of PAWriter, at least Tiger is required.

However, I was able to resurrect (on my old eMac) an old version of the program that creates a disk image and use it to create a disk image in the old format containing the universal version 88 of PAWriter. You can download it at:

www.lanopalera.net/Genealogy/beta/PAWriterU.dmg (no longer available)

That said, even if you can download and open this old disk image format, there's no guarantee that a universal version of PAWriter will run under 10.2 Jaguar. Further, I doubt that my eMac will continue to work in the future, so future universal versions may not be available in the old disk image format.

That is the reason that the non-universal version 86 of PAWriter remains available. Actually, there is a version 87 that was not released since I was under pressure to update to a universal version so that PAWriter could run under Snow Leopard without Rosetta and under future MacOSs (say 10.7) and beyond that very well may not support Rosetta and thus not run PowerPC programs.

You can download the OS X version 87 PAWriter at:

www.lanopalera.net/Genealogy/beta/PAWriterX.dmg

You can download the OS 9 version 87 PAWriter at:

www.lanopalera.net/Genealogy/beta/PAWriter9.dmg

You mentioned that you have never had a problem with previous updates, so I assume that means you had no problem with version 86 and hence you should have no problem with version 87. Or maybe you still have version 86 in your system and don't need to use version 87, which would have been a minor update anyway.

I hope this helps you.

Best regards,
Howard

[dixieinil]

Thank you so much for addressing my concern, especially since I know you are not making a monetary profit from your endeavors with the PAW software.
I was still not able to download and open the PAW2U, but did download and open OSX 10 version 87. As you correctly deduced, I was running version 86 and have had little or no problems with it. Therefore, I will continue to use the older versions
I am also running on an eMac so I know I am running on borrowed time (and making frequent back-ups). My experience as an Apple user goes back to the pre-MacIntosh days of the Apple IIE and Appleworks 1.? and I hope to remain in the Apple sector of computer world, yet I find that, in the rush to this brave new "Ilife", Apple seems to have forgotten, the simpler things that it's early programs didso well, and so much better than Microsoft. I'd buy a new Apple computer tomorrow if I could open my Appleworks databases and other files as I have always been able to do in previous incarnations. And yes, that conversion from the Apple IIE was a problem, since I had to find a working Apple GS that had both a 5.25 floppy drive and a 3.5 floppy drive, but after I solved that hardware problem, the software conversion was a snap.
Again, thank you for your efforts. They are greatly appreciated.

[Howard Metcalfe]

Nov 9, 2009 18:32:52 GMT -5 dixieinil said:

Thank you so much for addressing my concern, especially since I know you are not making a monetary profit from your endeavors with the PAW software.
I was still not able to download and open the PAW2U, but did download and open OSX 10 version 87. As you correctly deduced, I was running version 86 and have had little or no problems with it. Therefore, I will continue to use the older versions
I am also running on an eMac so I know I am running on borrowed time (and making frequent back-ups). My experience as an Apple user goes back to the pre-MacIntosh days of the Apple IIE and Appleworks 1.? and I hope to remain in the Apple sector of computer world, yet I find that, in the rush to this brave new "Ilife", Apple seems to have forgotten, the simpler things that it's early programs didso well, and so much better than Microsoft. I'd buy a new Apple computer tomorrow if I could open my Appleworks databases and other files as I have always been able to do in previous incarnations. And yes, that conversion from the Apple IIE was a problem, since I had to find a working Apple GS that had both a 5.25 floppy drive and a 3.5 floppy drive, but after I solved that hardware problem, the software conversion was a snap.
Again, thank you for your efforts. They are greatly appreciated.

You might think about upgrading to 10.3 Panther on the eMac. Then you will still have AppleWorks, etc. Here are some great buys:
itemlistings.ebay.com/sdcsrp?fl=190298844282&product=apple+mac+os+x+10.3+-%28%29&sconstraints=PriceMin.Value%3D8.24%26PriceMax.Value%3D545.99&var=ngvi

Best,
Howard