Search this book | Previous | Table of contents | Next

Flypaper

Version: 0.1.2
Author: Eric Iverson
Requirements: Netscape
Cost: free
Pros: very secure since scripts must already be on your mac. Very fast since scripts are/can be compiled. Creating flyp html codes is simple.
Cons: you must have the script already on your mac (could be a good thing).
Remote location: <URL:http://www.pass.wayne.edu/~eric/flypaper>
Tricks location: <URL:http://152.1.24.177/teaching/archives/latest_flypaper.sit.hqx>

Like WebRunner, FlyPaper is a protocol helper application. It is a solution to the problems introduced by WebRunner. It does this by first creating for itself a new protocol (flyp) to be used in URLs. Second, it requires that the script to be executed must reside on the end-user's computer. Thus, the script is not embedded in any HTML file, but it requires the end-user to retrieve script before hand.

Example #1 - Dear Santa

Here is an example FlyPaper application. It requires you to have AppleScript installed on our computer as well as the Scriptable Text Editor. All the program does is ask you for your name and what you want for Christmas, and then it writes a simple letter to Santa Clause, saves it, and opens it using Netscape.

Here's what you need to do:

Download the FlyPaper application (above)
Download Dear Santa making sure you save it in the same folder as FlyPaper
Run Dear Santa

Notice that the URL for running Dear Santa is simply:

flyp:dear-santa

This means your WWW browser will look for the FlyPaper application and run the associated script.

Example #2 - Ask MacAlcuin

A slightly more practical application exemplifying these techniques is Ask MacAlcuin. This program asks you for a subject you would like to use to search the Internet. It then creates an HTML file encoding URLs of various Internet search engines like an index of Usenet FAQs and Yahoo. This script, Ask MacAlcuin, requires the Scriptable Text Editor as well as the Encode URL OSAX (included with the Ask MacAlcuin). Here what to do:

Download FlyPaper (above)
Download Ask MacAlcuin
Save the file ask-macalcuin in the same folder as FlyPaper
Save the Encode URL OSAX in the Scripting Additions Folder of the Extensions Folder of your System Folder
Run Ask MacAlcuin

Search this book | Previous | Table of contents | Next

Eric last edited this page on September 26, 1995. Please feel free to send comments.