J requires a Macintosh with System 7 on a 68020 (or better) or a Power PC. Macintosh and Windows J for Macintosh is a port of J for Windows.
Create and install in a new folder, such as J4.
Help Files
The J documentation is in Microsoft help files and the Microsoft folder contains the application that displays them.
The Microsoft folder contains files that are distributed with various systems and may already be on your system. Check if you already have a copy of the file Microsoft Help and check file dates to see if the diskette version is more recent. To install the diskette version, drag the Microsoft folder to the Extensions folder in your System Folder.
Double-click the J Dictionary icon and experiment with the help system.
J Font
Drag JFontR to your System Folder and reply OK to put it in the Fonts folder. JFontR fonts have box drawing characters used by J.
Loading J
Double-click the J icon to start J and run the standard profile script.
Menu shortcuts
Menu shortcuts use the Command key where Windows uses the Ctrl key. The only difference is
Run/Window where Ctrl+W conflicted with Command+W for close.
Command+Y is Run/Window.
Command+W is close window (also for window driver windows).
Command+? opens J Dictionary help and displays the vocabulary.
F1 is the same as Command+? (Windows convention).
Ctrl+F1 opens J User help and displays the windows driver reference.
Ctrl+F6 cycles through session manager windows.
F2 through F9 are Tool menu shortcuts.
F10 enters a menu state similar to Windows. Press F10 and navigate the menu with arrows and letters. Select an item, press Esc, or click the mouse to exit this state.
Icons
J program is a boxed black J.
J scripts are a boxed black J with a bent corner.
Icon shortcuts
Double-click a script to run.
Ctrl+double-click a script to open.
Window Driver
Window Driver windows are resizable but do not display to resize icon in the lower right corner. Resizable windows in Windows have a thicker frame and do not have a resize icon.
glfloodfill and glchord commands are not supported.
Ownerdraw buttons and listboxes are not supported.
Windows DIB (Device Independent Bitmap) files display in an ISIPICTURE window. DIB files usually have a suffix of .dib or .bmp.
Mac PICT files display in an ISPICTURE window.
ODBC access is not supported.
Floating point
J for the Mac (not the PowerPC) does not support the floating point coprocessor.