HTML-OptimizerPlus is the ideal tool for managing one of more (max. 16) web sites, to make sure that all web pages and graphic files are optimized, without broken links or dangling tags.
The program offers 5 functions and supports drag & drop via its helper application HTML-Dropper. Further it offers various upload and download capabilities plus other useful options that make working with HTML-OptimizerPlus very easy. Especially the Duplimize option comes in handy - see the manual in the program.
1. HTML-OptimizerPlus saves 10 to 20% of space on your web pages by removing unnecessary characters and tags. Though this may seem a small improvement, load time savings is much higher as your client's browser parses the pages more efficient. This program does not remove quotation marks from attribute values - as some other optimizers do to get impressive savings - because this actually would slow down the browser's parsing speed!
Client-side and server-side JavaScript can be optimized too.
Graphic file recources can be removed at choice, saving 10 to 80 % of space. Resources are of no use on the web.
Your original pages remain untouched for later updating. Optimized web pages are saved as new text files, by default with the Creator Type "R*ch" of the Text Editor BBEdit and put in their own Optimizer Output folder, which is a folder with the same name as its associated Web folder, with the extension ".opt" added to it.
If you don't have BBEdit, download a free copy of BBEdit Lite from <http://www.barebones.com/free/bbedit_lite.html>.
When you're going to view in your browser the optimized files from within the program, the hyperlinks remain active if you have chosen to make an Alias Mirror of your web folder. The Alias Mirror represents your web folder to a depth of 8 levels and is created by making aliases of your web files at identical levels in the Optimizer Output folder.
Warning: Take care that you do not replace your original HTML pages with optimized ones because you may find it very difficult to edit them when returns have been removed.
2. Another function of HTML-OptimizerPlus is to check the tagged pair structure of your web pages. Any dangling tag will be reported. If you choose the extensive mode, IMG tags are checked for the presence of the Width, Height and Alt attributes.
The Width and Height attributes are needed by the browser to build up the page as fast as possible. At the Preferences you can choose to add missing Width and Height attributes with pixel values which are automatically detected.
The Alt attributes make your page more user-friendly. At the Preferences you can choose to add missing Alt attributes with either a custom text string or the name of the picture concerned. As text string you could type "FindMe" to enable you to easily find and replace the added Alt attributes in your Text Editor.
Note that changes are put in the original pages of your web folder, unless you choose at the Preferences the Include Checking Tags option, which means checking tags on-the-fly when optimizing.
3. The Mark function does the same as the Check function, but marks the error spots with the bullet character •, so that you can easily find them for fixing. Marked files are always saved at root level of the Optimizer Output folder, with • before their name.
4. The Check Links function checks the validity of the internal hyperlinks, until a depth of 8 levels, of your web folder. The following links are checked: href, img src, img dynsrc, embed src and <script>.src. Excluded from checking are links that point to the Internet and links that start with the character #.
5. The Convert function takes care that special characters between ASCII 128 and 255 are converted to the appropriate &.....; notation.
Note that changes are put in the original pages of your web folder, unless you choose at the Preferences the Include Converting Special Characters option, which means converting on-the-fly when optimizing.
All results are added to the various Logs which are saved as text files in the Logs folder.
After optimizing you can upload the file with a single click on the Upload button.
For more remote actions you can use the Remote Access menu. (The Remote Access menu and the Upload button are only available if you have MacOS 8.6 or later because the new system library URL Access is required)
Installing
Note: Any old copy of HTML-OptimizerPlus must be deleted prior to installation.
Copy the HTML-OptimizerPlus folder to any suitable location on the same volume or partition where your Web folders are located. Make sure that your web folder and/or the HTML-OptimizerPlus folder are not located on the desktop.
Double-click the HTML-OptimizerPlus application to start the Configuration sequence. The Configure menu allows you to override settings later on, should you change your mind.
When configuration is complete, it's a good idea to complete the Connection Settings as well. You will be prompted on this.
Special Note for Mac OS 9.x Users
Do not disable the Security Library in your Extensions folder, to prevent that HTML-OptimizerPlus' AppleScript-based dialogs may not function.
QuickStart for People Who Don't Read Manuals
When installing and configuration is done and you have completed the Connection Settings, you may start a test to get acquainted with the program. It's best to choose a single web page and start to check the tags, then continue with checking the links and at last do the optimizing (if there were no errors you could deliberately insert some, just to see how they are detected).
Once you have selected a file and you change the function, for example to switch from checking to optimizing, you don't need to select the file again via the usual Open Dialog, but you can simply click the Same Again button.
When you have finished the optimize job, you can view the code and/or the page itself. If you're satisfied, you may click the Upload button. Don't worry about the right directory, that's been taken care of automatically. Note that the Upload button is only enabled if the file resides in the current Optimizer Output Folder, to prevent uploading an unoptimized file to a wrong destination.
Next you could optimize your entire web folder. Check if the option 'Delete Resource Fork of Graphic Files' at the Preferences is turned on if you want to save even more bytes.
If you intend to upload your optimized web folder, you should choose 'Duplimize Web Folder' from the File menu. Then you end up with a duplicate of your web folder that contains all the optimized files. If you had also chosen at the Preferences to label optimized files, you can easily recognize them in the duplicate web folder.
Strong Advice
Do not use file names with space characters. HTML-OptimizerPlus will replace space with an underscore, so "wrong name.html" will become "wrong_name.html", because the program can't process multi-word file names.
Caveat
If your Internet Service Provider uses a proxy server, you may have trouble using the upload function of HTML-OptimizerPlus.
When Norton Anti Virus hits the alarm bell
Should Norton Anti Virus report that an application with the name Hypertemp 1 is made by HTML-OptimizerPlus, don't worry. It's a temporary file that exists for a second when you quit HTML-OptimizerPlus or it can sometimes happen during operation. The remedy: Click 'Remember' when the NAV dialog pops up.
Note for Dutch Users
At the Preferences you can choose to have the Manual and the Help balloons - not those of the main menu bar - in the Dutch language.
License
HTML-OptimizerPlus costs only US $ 15.00 for a Single User license.
A license for HTML-OptimizerPlus is also valid for its less equiped brother HTML-Optimizer.
Users of HTML-Optimizer (only from v4.0) can upgrade to HTML-OptimizerPlus. This costs US$ 5.00. Check 'Optimizer-Upgrade' if you register in this way.
You can pay online via Kagi at the secure page <https://order.kagi.com/?U5P> or by using the Register Utility.
Dutch users can remit EUR 15.00 to my post account 1404609 or bank account 5272.64.687 in the name of T. Brand in Nuenen; if you do, please also send e-mail to notify me.
Limited Use if Unregistered
An unregistered copy stops after 25 full actions what should be enough to evaluate the program. Working with folders is restricted to 5 files per folder until you enter the registration code.
Required
HTML-OptimizerPlus is a PPC application and requires Mac OS 8.6 or later.
Note that Mac OS 7.5.3 or later is no longer supported.
Legal Stuff
HTML-OptimizerPlus is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind and the Author expressly disclaims all other warranties, expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. Under no circumstances shall the Author be liable for any incidental, special, or consequential damages that result from the use or inabilility to use HTML-OptimizerPlus or related files. In no event shall the Author's liability exceed the license fee paid, if any.
