Cache Index V2.3

Cache Index is a program that makes it easy to view the files stored in Netscape's cache. This means that you can read pages at your leisure when you are off line. It also makes it easy to 'borrow' icons and graphics for use on your own page if you are developing one.
Cache Index will work with Win 3.1 or Win95.
How does it work?
How to install Cache Index
How to run Cache Index for Netscape V2
How to run Cache Index for Netscape V1
Text Files
Verify Documents
Directory Scan
Options
Contact the author and other software utilities

How does it work?

When Netscape is used to surf the Web, it stores all the pages it receives (text and graphics) in its cache directory. You can configure the maximum size of the cache that Netscape keeps and how long it leaves the files there before it purges them (see Netscape Options/Preferences/Cache). Cache Index scans the cache and produces a series of HTML files, with a master index page called A-INDEX.HTM.
The HTML pages contain links to each of the files in the cache. Cache Index breaks the cache into managable pages containing no more than 28 text page links or 13 graphics. (On my system Netscape V1.1 chokes on any page with more than 13 graphics.)
(Note: the default of 28 can be changed - see below)
Cache Index sorts the entries into the same order as they were originally viewed with the page's title as well as the Netscape filename, thus making it very easy to select a particular page.

How to install Cache Index

Put CINDEX.EXE into a suitable directory (say the Netscape directory)
Put CINDEX.HTM, CI.GIF and S2C.GIF into the Netscape Cache directory (C:\NETSCAPE\CACHE\)
Create a Program Manager/Win95 Desktop icon for Cache Index
Set the Working Directory/Starting Directory as the Netscape Cache directory. (probably C:\NETSCAPE\CACHE)

How to run Cache Index for Netscape V2

View the cache contents by using About:cache in Netscape's Location field or have a bookmark for About Cache - see below. Allow the Disk Cache Statistics to update
Save this file in the cache directory as ACACHE.HTM
Run CINDEX from the icon. (Netscape V2 can be left open)
Return to Netscape and open the file A-INDEX.HTM in the cache directory or make a bookmark for Cache Index - see below.

Suggestions for easier use with V2

Create a bookmark for about:cache
Create a bookmark that references the A-INDEX.HTM file called Cache Index.

How to run Cache Index for Netscape V1, V1.22

Make sure Netscape is NOT running
Run CINDEX from the icon.
Run Netscape and Open the file A-INDEX.HTM in the cache directory. That's it!

Note:

Text pages and graphics are listed separately, except when -s switch is used.
For an explanation of the Text Files see next section.
Version 2 of this program will work with Netscape V1.1, 1.22 or 2.0.
Netscape V2 changed the format of its FAT file (no doubt making it much more efficient for Netscape to access) but making it too difficult for Cache Index to pull apart. Hence the more roundabout procedure required for V2.

Text Files

For each text file there are two links generated:

The first is on the file name which is a link to the original URL - so you can see what the original URL was or return to the page if you are On Line. (Don't forget to force a refresh of the page.) Clicking on the file name can also be used to display the text and graphics as they should appear when you are off-line if 'verify documents' is disabled (see below).. Note that you can also use the right mouse pop menu to copy the URL for pasting into a program like Sites to See.
The second is on the page title and is linked to the cached page itself- for viewing the cached page. The page will appear without the graphics. This is the normal choice that would be used when browsing the cache.

Verify Documents

There is an option in Netscape's Cache config screen that tells it how often to verify that what it has in the cache is the latest version of the file. Normally this should be set to 'once per session', which means that once per on-line session Netscape will check the currency of any page (file) you visit. If you click on a link while you are off-line, Netscape will normally try to invoke your dialler and download the page even if it is in the cache, because of this verify setting. However if you temporarily set 'verify document - never', you can then browse the cache using the URL link (on the filename) and you will see the pages as they originally appeared, complete with graphics! You will also be able to link to other pages that are also in the cache.

Directory Scan

There is an option (+d) which can be used to make Cache Index scan a directory looking for Netscape cache files and create an index of them. This option is intended for when there is no FAT file available. eg if someone has saved a bunch of files out of a cache directory. There are several limitations to this mode: firstly because there is no FAT file, it is not possible to determine the original URL of each file. Also it is necessary for Cache Index to make a guess about the file type based on the file extension. At present it assumes .GIF and .JPG are graphics files and anything else is text. If it gets it wrong, it is not a major problem, it just means the file ends up in the wrong list. Another limitation is that only files whose name starts with "M0" are considered.

Options

There are a few command line options that can be used to tailor the program's operation to your requirements:

-g eliminates graphics from the index
-t eliminates text from the index (using both -g and -t together makes a very brief index!)
-s does not sort the index into text then graphics
-p does not put each graphic on a new line
+d scans a directory for M0... files, when no FAT file is available
-h removes the Page Titles (much quicker)
+u adds the original URL to the index for text files
+r renames all graphics files to their original name (.GIF etc)
lxx specifies the maximum number of text lines on a page (eg l28)

Where to contact the author:

To make comments or suggestions, or for further information, contact David Griffiths at:

EMail: dgriffo@ozemail.com.au
Post: P.O.Box 281, North Ryde. NSW. 2113. Australia.
Visit my Home Page for the latest version.
You may also be interested in another utility program I have written called Sites to See which makes it easy to grab URLs from wherever you see them for later visiting. Read more about it or download a copy.

If you would like to be on a mailing list to be advised of updates to the program, send an email to the address above with 'SUBSCRIBE UPDATES' as the subject.

Cache Index is distributed as Freeware. If you find it useful I would appreciate hearing from you. The program must be distributed in its original ZIP file without any modifications to any of the files. RETURN to INDEX