> Another possible improvement (not sure if this is HIG approved, but  
> it would offer the user more feedback) would be to install a mouse  
> tracking area to change the cursor to a pointing hand (i.e.  
> SetThemeCursor( _kThemePointingHandCursor )) when over the URL.


I don't know who wrote the above and I haven't a clue what is  
recommended HIG, but looking at how other apps work...

1) When the cursor hovers over a link, the cursor changes to a  
pointing hand.

2) Clicking a link and moving the mouse off the link while the button  
is still down, the cursor changes to an arrow and remains an arrow  
(even when passing over other links) but changes back to a pointing  
hand when it passes again over the 'original' link.

3) When a link  is clicked, the text colour changes to red and  
changes back to blue (or whatever its original colour) when the  
cursor is moved off the link. Once a link as been 'visited', its text  
colour changes from blue to a third colour [on my machine, Safari  
sets visited links to: R = 0x5555, G = 0x1a1a, B = 0x8b8b].


Bernie

PS: For those interested, I've taken Robert's code, made one or two  
minor changes and stuffed it into an include file which, hopefully,  
can be plugged into any app. It's in the dropbox: <http:// 
www.internetyx.net/futurebasic/ClickableURL.zip> [Requires OS X 10.4].

PPS: Thanks for the demo, Robert.