Text files are generally created equal, until you bring them "down" from the Internet. At that point your software may have inserted "hard returns" at the end of each line. The best method of cleaning up files like this before importing them is to download them using a different application (remember that Web browsers support all protocols) so no cleanup is necessary. Short of that, get a copy of Add/Strip® (click to download), a shareware product for the Macintosh that makes cleaning up these text files an automatic process. Windows users can use the text translators in Microsoft Word to remove these hard returns as the file is opened.
Sound:
Sound files are typically in a UNIX format (.au suffix). Web browsers can recognize these data files with "helper" applications; to use them with HyperStudio, simply create a button that "connects" to the sound file directly. Beginning with version 3.07, HyperStudio now recognizes the ".au" format automatically. The next most prominent file types are the DOS WAV format and the MOD music format. Yes, HyperStudio recognizes those file types as if they were a standard Macintosh sound file. Of course, all Macintosh sound formats are recognized automatically. Many sound files are compressed and need to be uncompressed before they can be used.
Graphics:
The most widely used graphic file type is GIF (Graphics Interchange Format, pronounced "jiff", like the peanut butter). Within the past year, the JPEG format, which offers more colors and greater compression has seen a tremendous growth in use. HyperStudio recognizes both of these file types directly.
Movies:
Movies generally come in a UNIX "flattened" format (.mov suffix). HyperStudio can play these movies directly using its QuickTime translator. Another favorite type is MPEG. These movies need to be converted to standard QuickTime before using. Keep in mind that many MPEG movies do not contain sound.
