MPI Introduction

ModuloPi or MPI is an alternative Runtime Editor(RTE) for SuperCard. MPI is the creation of Stéphane Leys who designed a lot of SuperCard's own RTE. Stéphane is also responsible for the Property Inspector in the Utilities menu of the RTE. (SC 4.1.2)
MPI consists of a toolbar palette which contains the 'standard' menus as neat drop down menus and a series of 'modules' projects in there own right which are editing palettes for SuperCard.

The Toolbar replaces the functionality of the RTE menubar allowing your projects to use their own menus. A bit like having the RTE set to pal, except you can use keyboard shortcuts with MPI.

focus, updating, speed...
ModuloPi constantly updates the various modules to the selected object, or card. Select an object and all the open modules are updated. Choices that are not available for the object(s) selected are automatically disabled.

Stéphane says: 'It's a bit like a tool box which continually watches what you are doing and automatically open the hammers drawer if you are holding a nail and the screwdrivers drawer if you are holding a screw.'

The names on the modules buttons and labels use the standard SuperTalk reserved names, this is a big help when learning scripting, constantly being reminded of the key names, using MPI is a tutorial of properties names.

An even more useful aid is that shift-clicking lablels and buttons in the modules opens the SuperCard Language Guide at the appropriate entry.

As MPI uses SuperTalk, you would imagine this could slow things down a bit, but it has been scripted to avoid some of the most common speed traps, having the font menus only update on popping the menu, closed modules are ignored, and the update happen on idle. This makes it pretty fast, even on my now ageing G3 350, I imagine it would be amazing on a modern G5. The fact it updates on idle stops MPI interfering with the normal run of things, your project does not have a lag waiting for the palette to update.