Hypercard: what it enabled a user to do and how it worked, and what was the major limitation of it and its imitators at the time.
Hypercard allowed a user to store information in a “stack” similar to a Rolodex system. It also had the ability to process script with each object in the stack having an element that carried the script written in the HyperTalk scripting language.
The user of the application could navigate between the objects via navigation controls, a search facility or HyperTalk script objects.
Hypercard was limited in only being able to access files on the user’s local file system whereas the WWW provides access to files all over the world. It inspired the creation of JavaScript and one of the very first web browsers.
Other products that do, or did, offer similar functionality include HyperNext, HyperStudio, Supercard and Plus.