AWSManager


AWSManager is the ACP Web Services editor. It will load the configuration of your ACP Web Services so you can make changes to menu item and submenu item titles and search URLs; copy, cut, delete and paste in services; create new services; and so forth.

All you need to do to make it work is drag it to the location of your choosing and launch it. See below for details.

AWSManager is one of three modules in the ACP Web Services; the other two, AWS.service and AWSBrowser, are included in this package.

Compatibility, Requirements

OS X version 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6; AWSManager takes very little disk space; there are no special memory requirements.

Installing AWSManager

The AWSManager.app bundle (found in the same folder as the file you're currently reading) needs only to be dragged into the folder of your choosing. It's ready to run.

AWSManager requires the presence of AWS.service.

Menu Items, Submenu Items, Query Strings

Items on the Cocoa Services menu may have one level of hierarchy. This is denoted with the slash character ('/'). Additional slashes after the first are treated literally. The menu item and submenu item are written as one field in AWSManager, just as they are in the Cocoa configuration files.

The query string is the part of the URL that is prefixed to your context search.

AWSManager lets you alter these fields and regenerate your Services menu without restarting your computer.

About the ACP Web Services

The basic run-through:

  1. Select text somewhere.

  2. Go to your Services menu and choose a service.

  3. The AWS.service module will launch your default browser and take you to the service you requested.

OS X services are based on interprocess data exchange. A 'clipboard' is used for this exchange. Almost all text OS X has the ability to work with OS X services.

As with all services involving text, the ACP Web Services assume some text is selected somewhere (and in focus). OS X determines what services are available and enables service menu items accordingly.

Try this as an experiment.

  1. Select some text in this window (yes your browser window) and then go to your browser's Services menu and see which items are enabled. With text selected you should find almost everything enabled.

  2. Now click in your browser's location bar (but don't select anything) and try again. Most items should now be disabled.

  3. Now triple-click in your location bar and try again.

See? Almost anywhere you can select text you can get a service.


Copyright © Rixstep. All rights reserved.