Plug-In Design:Notes on using ResEdit

This FAQ assumes that ResEdit is the editor being used. If you are using another editor, some of the concerns in this FAQ may automatically be handled by the editor itself. However, by using ResEdit, you can check another editor's results. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

- The lowest resource ID you should EVER use is 128. Anything below this number is reserved by your Mac, and EV shouldn't recognize them, anyway.

- ResEdit is pretty easy to use, but it's also very powerful. You can really do damage to files using it, especially if you don't know what you're doing. So, it's suggested that you:

1. Backup your files before editing them with ResEdit.

2. Get a book on ResEdit or Resource Editing if you are unsure of how to use this program (ResEdit Complete by Addison-Wesley is pretty good).

- When using the templates, you will often see four boxes in a row with a "set" button next to them. These are used for a number of fields, explained in the EV Bible. When entering data into these fields, don't use the set button (this sets a rectangle, which you don't want to do). Because ResEdit is a pretty smart program, it knows what coordinates will make a proper box on your Mac's display. If the bottom-right coordinate (the last two fields) is either further left or higher than the top-left coordinate (the first two fields), ResEdit will give you an error message. This will happen OFTEN because you won't be entering box coordinates (usually used to define windows), you'll be entering random data. So, just click "yes" when you see this error and don't worry about it. Your data will still be there.