WebWhacker is the newest addition to ForeFront's family of Internet products. It is a tool designed to reduce the user's dependency on an Internet connection. WebWhacker downloads ("whacks") single Web pages, groups of pages, or entire Web sites, including text (HTML) and images, and stores them on the local desktop. The downloaded pages and images are relinked locally for later browsing without an Internet connection - right from the local desktop!
"Whacked" information can be viewed and navigated locally with any World Wide Web browser and is a mirror image of the same information on the World Wide Web.
Getting Started
Using WebWhacker is easy. Simply create a new WebWhacker group or open an existing group, add a URL, set the number of levels to be whacked (optional), and start whacking! The progress dialog lets you monitor WebWhacker activity and after whacking is completed, use any World Wide Web browser to view the local pages off-line.
For additional information and help on using WebWhacker:
• WebWhacker Tips
You can review the included WebWhacker Tips file, for a summary of the major features.
• WebWhacker Help Guide
From WebWhacker, you may access the extensive WebWhacker Help Guide using the help key or the Help menu.
Requirements for the Macintosh
• System 7.1 or greater.
WebWhacker uses Macintosh Drag & Drop, included in System 7.5. Extensions for Drag & Drop must be added to System 7.1. The WebWhacker Installer will add the Drag & Drop extensions to your system if you are running System 7.1 or greater but less than 7.5.
• Direct active connection to the Internet with MacTCP.
• Any Web browser can be used to view local files from WebWhacker. A browser that supports the SpyGlass AppleEvent suite (includes Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Enhanced Mosaic version 2.0) will also enable retrieval of current page information when "grabbing" URLs to Whack. Since WebWhacker makes independent network connections to Web pages during download, a Web browser is not necessary for WebWhacker "whacking", but is used for viewing the resulting groups of local files.
FFGMenu extension for your Web browser's menu bar
After installing WebWhacker and restarting your computer, a new pulldown menu will appear on the right side of the menu bar when you are in your Web browser. This menu, denoted by a Web and Folder Icon, will allow you to access WebWhacker functions directly from your Web browser. These functions include Add URL to WebWhacker and QuickWhack. Refer to Quick Tips for a description of these functions.
Evaluation software
The evaluation copy of WebWhacker available for download from ForeFront's Web site can be used to "whack" 10 times. If it has not been used to whack 10 times, it also expires 30 days from installation. WebWhacker Groups more than 30 days old cannot be accessed with the evaluation software. The evaluation software also stamps all downloaded pages with a header and footer notifying the user that an evaluation copy of the product is being used. Permanent purchased copies of WebWhacker will not stamp downloaded pages with the evaluation header and footer.
FYI
Normal limitations of the World Wide Web apply to Whacking pages. WebWhacker, like your Web browser, will occasionally be unable to obtain a Web page from a site. This can be due to: the server is down, the server is busy, the URL is no longer valid, etc. WebWhacker reports download error information through the Properties dialog.
Current limitations
• Server-side image maps, or images that contain "hot spots" to link to several other pages, are not supported. (This restriction does not apply to in-line images which link to a specific Web page.) The image itself will be downloaded and viewable, but it will not link to other pages because these links are dynamically passed from a separate program on the server. However, many web pages with image maps also have standard links below the map for the same pages, which can be used for local navigation and downloading those levels. Note that WebWhacker will support client-side image maps, a new type of map that some sites are already using.
• Some servers return an HTML document and an OK status when an invalid URL is presented to the server. For instance, if a document references an image that does not exist, the server sends an HTML document with information instead of the image. WebWhacker cannot tell the difference and currently assumes that the image was downloaded properly. This could cause problems when displaying the document that references the image.
• Only HTTP protocol is supported (no ftp, gopher, nntp, news, mail, etc.)
• HTTP protocol POST method is not supported.
• User Authentication is not supported. Cannot whack sites that require a username and password.
Upgrading from previous versions
If you would like to use WebWhacker with existing "whacked" data, you may do so. Simply install WebWhacker into any folder and navigate to the location of an existing Group using the Open Group dialog. Note that the evaluation copy of WebWhacker expires 30 days from installation and will be unable to open Groups greater than 30 days old.
Known Problems
• Apple Guide 1.2.5, that comes with System 7.5.1, causes WebWhacker to crash. In order to use our help, you can upgrade to Apple Guide 1.2.8, available for download from ForeFront's site, or you can return to Apple Guide 1.2 by either: (1) reinstalling from 7.5 with Custom Install, Utility Software, Apple Guide, or (2) de-installing from 7.5.1 upgrade with Custom Remove, Extensions, Apple Guide. Also note that for Apple Guide to function, the Apple Guide Extension must be turned On.
• Some Web browsers navigate to their defined Home Page upon startup. Therefore, if a WebWhacker URL is used to launch the Web browser (i.e., it was not already running), the browser does not navigate to the selected URL, but to its defined Home Page. All subsequent navigations from WebWhacker will send the Web browser to the correct URL.
De-installing WebWhacker and FFGMenu
To remove WebWhacker from your system, simply drag (1) the WebWhacker folder containing the executable and (2) the file "WebWhacker Preferences" in your System: Preferences folder, to the trash. To remove FFGMenu from your system, drag (1) the file "FFGMenu" and (2) the folder "Browser Additions", both in your System: Extensions folder, to the trash.
Acknowledgments
Macintosh Drag & Drop Included.
Disclaimer of warranty
In using this software, you understand and agree that this software is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. The entire risk as to the results and performance of using this software lies entirely with you, the user. ForeFront Group does not make any warranties, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to this software.
In no event shall ForeFront Group be liable for any consequential, incidental, or special damages whatsoever (including without limitation damages for loss of critical data, loss of profits, interruption of business, and the like) arising out of the use or inability to use this software. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitations may not apply to you.
Although ForeFront Group would appreciate any feedback and bug reports, it shall not be responsible for correcting any problems which you discover or otherwise help you maintain and use this software. Furthermore, ForeFront Group may at any time replace, modify, alter, improve, enhance or change this software.
