Learning HyperCard

Question

I've got HyperCard 2.4.1 for my Mac 7.5.5. Then I want to know where I can learn, for free and some books to buy too, but I'm now focusing on the free things.

I've got HyperCard because of the suggestion of S Ben.

Answer 1

Your copy of HyperCard came with some tutorial stacks. Here's some ancient documentation from Apple for HyperCard 2.3, that might help.

Answer 2

The only HyperCard books I ever actually learned anything from were Danny Goodman's. Apparently there is a two volume set you can get from here and here. Not free, I know, but well worth the $50 if only for nostalgia.

As far as free goes, nothing beat HyperCard Heaven for me. Alas, it's gone now, and HyperCard is quite dead.

The philosophy lives on in Runtime Revolution, PythonCard and, to a certain extent, AppleScript.

HyperCard had a very simple learning curve. Once you learn the basics, it takes years to figure out how to apply those things in clever and amazing ways.

The sad truth, though, is that HTML and JavaScript plus a smattering of PHP (or whatever server-side language you prefer) can do anything now that HyperCard could do then.

The archive.org HyperCard Heaven link seems to be confusing Markdown. If it doesn't show up, it is:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://members.aol.com/hcheaven

Answer 3

Here is another ancient manual for HyperCard

Getting Started

To get started using HyperCard, read this preface first. The next two sections describe the system, memory, and software requirements and how to install HyperCard. The last section in this preface, “Learning About HyperCard” on page 10, describes the set of instructions you’ll use next.

I also found this thing that looks interesting too

Teach Yourself HyperCard

The idea of these tutorials is to get you creating HyperCard stacks right from the start. You dont even need to type! Just use your mouse to select the HyperTalk script examples, copy the selection and paste it into HyperCard! Then you can see it work straight away.

Answer 4

There is also an online group (still) for HyperCard. Send an e-mail to [email protected] to join.