Hi Jim and Jason, Jim's correct that the likely source of the problem is that you're trying to save your file in rich text format, which is the default setup for TextEdit. If you try to use Command-S to save a rich text format file to a name with a .url file extension, the system won't let you do it. If there's a ruler in your TextEdit window, that's an indication that you're using rich text format. Also, if you navigate to the "Format" menu on the menu bar, by pressing either VO-M (that's Control-Option-M, which is the shortcut specific to VoiceOver), or by using Control-F2 (which is the general Mac OS X shortcut that works for everybody), and then quickly press "f o" to move to the "Format" menu, and arrow down, there may be a menu option for "Make Plain Text" with the keyboard shortcut of Command-Shift-T.
If you're already using plain text format, that entry will read "Make Rich Text", and will give the same keyboard shortcut of Command-Shift-T, which lets you toggle between the two modes. Jason, I don't bother to set up a web shortcut file for Google, since you can navigate to the Google search box in Safari with the shortcut Command-Option-F. Then type in your search term and press return. This works even if you have hidden your Safari toolbar. I guess that I don't bother to hide my Safari toolbar any more in Lion, since the shortcut to display my Downloads window, Command-Option-L, doesn't seem to work with VoiceOver in Lion unless my toolbar is shown. It's probably easier to use an AppleScript to generate the web shortcut file and put it on the Desktop. I'll have to see whether I can clean up the one I have and post it somewhere. One advantage of the web shortcut files is that you can mail them as attachments to people, and have them work. I keep a couple of these for accessing the Mail Archive web sites for mailing lists, such as the macvisionaries and mac-access lists. HTH. Cheers, Esther On Apr 9, 2012, at 11:09 AM, Jim Gatteys wrote: > Hi Jason > I've created several of those .url files over the years and they are great. > When in textedit did you switch from rich text to plain text? That's the > only thing I can think of. So it beeps when you press command-s? > Jim > > On Apr 9, 2012, at 2:28 PM, jason lefevers wrote: > >> hey ester, I tryed doing this and when I try to save it it nwill not let me >> save it. I am just trying to do one for google just to try it out I followed >> all your steps went to save it and typed google.url in to save s box and hit >> return and it just makes a noise at me and thats as far as I could get . any >> idea what I may be doing wrong? thanks. Jason >> On Apr 9, 2012, at 10:56 AM, Esther wrote: >> >>> Hi Ricardo and Stacey, >>> >>> I was just drafting a reply to Stacey when I read Ricardo's post. Two >>> comments: first, for Ricardo's method, you can press Command-Shift-D to >>> point directly to the Desktop, without having to navigate to the Home >>> folder. Secondly, what you're actually saving with this technique is a web >>> archive of all the contents of the web page in question, while you only >>> need a pointer to address URL. You can make a file that willl do this by >>> using TextEdit to create a plain text file: >>> >>> 1. From Finder, press Command-Shift-A to navigate to your Applications >>> folder >>> 2. Press "t" to navigate to TextEdit, and open it with Command-Down arrow >>> or Command-O >>> 3. If you're using the default TextEdit settings, press Command-Shift-T to >>> switch from rich text to plain text format. >>> 4. Type the following three lines, noting that for the third line you will >>> simply be pressing the return key: >>> [InternetShortcut] >>> URL=https://nlsbard.loc.gov/ >>> >>> 5. Save the file with Command-S, and if you want it saved to your Desktop >>> press Command-Shift-D. Type in a name in the text box like "bard.url" >>> (without the quotes), and press return. You'll be asked to confirm that >>> you want to use the ".url" extension instead of ".txt"'; just press return >>> to accept this. >>> 6. Close the file with Command-W >>> >>> Now you have a file on your Desktop that will open Safari to the bard web >>> site whenever you open it. If you want to create a similar file for >>> another web site, just change the URL address that you put into this file. >>> In fact, you can simply copy the file you created, open the copy with >>> TextEdit to change the URL address, and then save it to another file name >>> with a ".url" extension. >>> >>> On most web sites, using the .url format will be between ten to a few >>> hundred times smaller than a web archive file. This is AppleScriptable, >>> but I'd have to dig this up. For earlier versions of the OS (Tiger and >>> Leopard), I used a small utility called weblocmaker. >>> >>> HTH. Cheers, >>> >>> Esther >>> >>> On Apr 9, 2012, at 4:15 AM, Ricardo Walker wrote: >>> >>>> Hi, >>>> >>>> Drag and drop is really not necessary. First, go to the webpage you wish >>>> to put on your desktop. Now, press command S to bring up the save dialog. >>>> Press command shift H to bring the file browser to your Home folder. In >>>> here,navigate to the desktop folder. Now press enter. The site should >>>> now be on your desktop. >>>> >>>> hth >>>> >>>> Ricardo Walker >>>> rica...@appletothecore.info >>>> Twitter:@apple2thecore >>>> www.appletothecore.info >>>> >>>> On Apr 9, 2012, at 9:37 AM, Stacey Robinson <stacey...@bellsouth.net> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi, >>>>> I read in the VO manual for snow leopard that you can drag and drop >>>>> things with VoiceOver. I want to put a shortcut to the bard website on my >>>>> desktop but can't make this work. >>>>> I know it can be done, but can someone give me step by step instructions >>>>> to do it? >>>>> Thanks, >>>>> Stacey and GEB dog Chesley >>>>> >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en.
