# Technical Q&As ## TB39 - Appearance Versions ### (Updated 24 September 98) Q What are the versions of Appearance, with which versions of the OS are they compatible, and how can they be detected? A The best way to answer these questions is with a table:
System | Extension | API | `Gestalt`
System 7.1 through Mac OS 7.6.1 | need to install 1.0.3 (1.0.2 may already be installed) | 1.0.1 | 1.0.1
Mac OS 8 | 1.0 (bundled) | 1.0 | none
Mac OS 8.1 | 1.0.1 (bundled) | 1.0.1 | 1.0.1
Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 8.1 | may install 1.0.3 (1.0.2 may already be installed) | 1.0.1 | 1.0.1
Mac OS 8.5 | none (built into System) | 1.1 | 1.1
This table relates four things to the version of the System installed on the target machine: which version of the extension must or may be installed; the version of the API provided by that extension; and, the version number produced by passing `gestaltAppearanceVersion` to `Gestalt`. Version 1.0 of the extension does not advertise its version via Gestalt Manager; if the `gestaltAppearanceVersion` selector is not present but the `gestaltAppearanceAttr` selector produces a value which indicates Appearance is present, you can assume version 1.0 of the API is available. The 1.0.2 extension uses Gestalt Manager to advertise version 1.0.1 of the API. The only differences between Appearance extensions 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 are that 1.0.2 contains: extra code for backward compatibility; and the ".Keyboard" font, which you can detect by calling `GetFNum`. The 1.0.3 extension uses Gestalt Manager to advertise version 1.0.1 of the API. The only difference between Appearance extensions 1.0.2 and 1.0.3 is that 1.0.3 no longer contains the ".Keyboard" font. In the SDK, the font is delivered as a separate suitcase which should be installed into the Fonts folder. The font can still be detected with `GetFNum`.
Do not attempt to install a version of the Appearance extension bundled with one version of Mac OS onto any other version of Mac OS. Apple has not tested such configurations, and does not recommend or support such configurations. As of this writing, the only version of the Appearance extension which can be licensed for redistribution is 1.0.3. See the license document in the root directory of the Mac OS SDK CD for details.
Note that the version of the Appearance Manager API does not always imply an equivalent version of other parts of the High Level Toolbox. For example, if Appearance Manager 1.1 is present, do not assume Window Manager 2.0 is present, and vice versa.
-- Written and updated by Pete Gontier Worldwide Developer Technical Support Technical Q&As Previous Question | Contents | Next Question To contact us, please use the Contact Us page.

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