<A HREF="#NEW_FROM_11">What Has Changed From version 1.1</A><BR>
<A HREF="#FAQ">Frequently Asked Questions (and their Answers)</A><BR>
<A HREF="#HOW_TO_PAY">How to Pay the Shareware Fee</A><BR>
<A HREF="#WHY_TO_PAY">Why to Pay the Shareware Fee?</A><BR>
<A HREF="#MISCELLANEOUS">Miscellaneous</A><P>
<P>
<HR>
<A NAME="GENERAL_INFO">
<H1>General Informations</H1><P>
"Netscape History" is an utility for users of the Macintosh version of Netscape that lets them browse off-line (not connected to the Internet) the Web pages visited with Netscape.<P>
So it will be particularly useful to users of Netscape with a SLIP o PPP dial-up connection but can be used by those having other kinds of internet connections (I saw dedicated connections MUCH slower than dial-up connections!).<P>
It works with Netscape (MAC version) 1.0, 1.1, 1.12, 2.0 (but <A HREF="#BEST_USE_N2">read here</A>).
It requires System 7.0 or later and 300 KByte of RAM.
Currently is available only a 68K version (not PowerMac native). However it works fine with all PowerMacs.
<P>
"Netscape History" vers. 2.0 is distributed as shareware. You can try it for a reasonable period and then, if you decide that you want to continue to use it, you have to pay a shareware fee of $8.<BR>
For information on how to pay the shareware fee <A HREF="#HOW_TO_PAY">read here</A><P>
<HR>
<A NAME="USE">
<H1>Use of "Netscape History"</H1><P>
I think that a program should have as few commands as possible: users should USE the program, not spend time filling check boxes, selecting options and so on.<BR>
I've made "Netscape History" following this line: it has no user interface at all!<P>
You use it this way:<BR>
When you want to browse again through all those beautiful pages you have seen with Netscape, you just double-click on "Netscape History" (I keep it on the desktop side by side with Netscape). You don't have to turn on the modem or open InterSLIP or MacPPP or whatever you use.<BR>
You will see a dialog telling you to wait some moments, and at the end Netscape itself will be automatically started, showing a document (<EM>Last Visited Pages</EM>) that contains a list of these pages, ordered by time (most recent first).<P>
In this document, for each page there is a line like this:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<A HREF=__dummy__>Great Things on Internet</A> Gio, 28 dic 1995 22:37 (3Kb) <A HREF=__dummy__>Real Link</A>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Where "Great Things on Internet" will be the title of the page.<BR>
Selecting this link, the copy on your disk will be loaded (with the corresponding images, if you loaded them before)<BR>
If you select "Real Link" you will go to the real page in Internet (in this case you need to connect).
<P>Furthermore, creation date and time are shown, together with page size in Kb (excluding images).
<P>You can select any link while looking at the pages, keeping in mind this:<BR>
if the link refers to one of the page on the disk, this will be immediatly loaded, otherwise Netscape will try to load it from the net, trying to connect, if you are not already connected.
<HR>
<P>The very first time you run "Netscape History", it will ask you two things:
<OL>
<LI VALUE=1>Where and with which name (default: 'History f') you want to put the folder that will contain the local copies of the pages and the document <EM>Last Visited Pages</EM>.<P>
<LI>Where is Netscape and if you want to start it automatically after creating the list (default=yes).
</OL>
If you specify to NOT start Netscape automatically, "Netscape History" will just update the files on disk and create the document <EM>Last Visited Pages</EM> ; the latter is a normal Netscape file and you can open it from Finder or from Netscape itself.
<P>This two settings will be stored in "Netscape History" preference file and will be used when you will launch it again.<BR>
If you later will change them you simply have to launch the program while keeping pressed the space bar.
<P><STRONG>How many are these 'last' pages?</STRONG><BR>
In the current version (but <A HREF="#FUTURE">read here</A>) of the program, the 'History f' folder mirrors exactly what is in the 'Cache f' folder of Netscape.<BR>
If you select the command <EM>Options/Network Preferences</EM> , In the <EM>Cache Size</EM> box you can see the dimension (in Mb) of the 'Cache f';
This is the maximum total size of pages+images that will be available.<BR>
When the 'Cache f' is full and you read new pages with Netscape, the oldest are deleted.<BR>
Moreover if you clear the 'Cache f' (using Netscape 'Clear Disk Cache Now' command or from Finder), the next time you will use "Netscape History", it will clear also the 'History f'.<BR>
In this case, if you want to save the pages you can make a copy of the 'History f'.<P>
<STRONG>Notes on Program Inner Workings</STRONG><BR>
"Netscape History" uses Netscape 'cache' mechanism: Netscape stores the most recently visited pages in a folder named 'Cache f' (by default is in 'System Folder:Preferences:Netscape f:').<BR>
So you immediatly think: "all I need to do is open the file corresponding to the page I want to look at!".<BR>
The problem is that the pages have name like 'cache541@%!9-8' and so is not easy to find which is the one you want.<BR>
Moreover you wont'be able to see the images in the page, even if you loaded them together with it.<P>
So "Netscape History" copies the pages from 'Cache f' to 'History f', modifying the image links in the copies so that they can be correctly shown and at last it creates the file <EM>Last Visited Pages</EM>.
<P>
<HR>
<A NAME="NEW_FROM_11">
<H1>What Has Changed From 1.1</H1>
This version works very differently from the previous one: pages are copied, and the copies are modified, in a new folder ('History f').<BR>
This has been necessary to make it work with Netscape 2.0x but has some inconveniences: I had to rewrite the core of the program (this is way it took so long); sometimes the time needed to scan the pages is greater; pages must be copied and occupy as much space as the Netscape 'Cache f'.<P>
Riassuming:
<UL>
<LI>It works also with Netscape 2.0x.<P>
<LI>Pages are copied in 'History f'.<P>
<LI>"Netscape History" now quits after launching Netscape instead of continuing together with it.<P>
<LI>(<EM>This one had been strongly requested by users </EM>) In the previous version, the file <EM>Last Visted Pages </EM> listed both the pages and the files of the images and backgrounds in the pages, cluttering the list. In this version only pages are listed.<P>
<LI>The previous version was not able to launch Netscape when there was less free memory than specified as 'assigned' to Netscape.<P>
<LI>You don't have to worry about Netscape option <EM>Check Documents</EM> as in the previous version.<P>
<LI>Preferences are stored in a file named 'Netscape History Prefs' inside 'System Folder:Preferences' and not inside the program file.<P>
<LI>Now errors are handled better and some error messages are clearer.
</UL>
<P>
<HR>
<A NAME="FAQ">
<H1>Frequently Asked Questions (and their Answers)</H1>
PROBLEM:<BR>
The file <EM>Last Visted Pages </EM> does not list any page!<BR>
SOLUTION:<BR>
"Netscape History" needs something in Netscape 'Cache f' to work. Check inside Netscape that the box 'Options/Network/Preferences/Cache_And_Network/Cache_size' shows a value greater then 0.
<P>
PROBLEM:<BR>
Some of the pages I've seen are not in the list!<BR>
SOLUTION:<BR>
Netscape version 1.xx does not stores all the visited pages in the 'cache' (those relative to FTP and also many HTTP pages).<BR>
Netscape 2.xx stores all the pages but if the program hangs or crashes the last pages probaly wil not be stored correctly.<BR>
This pages are unrecoverable by "Netscape History".<P>
QUESTION:<BR>
If I clear Netscape cache all the pages in the History folder will be cleared too when I will subsequently launch "Netscape History": can I save them elsewhere?<BR>
ANSWER:<BR>
Certainly: you can make a copy of the whole 'History f' folder and then if you open the document <EM>Last Visited Pages</EM> contained in the copy of the folder you will be able to look at the pages.
<P>
PROBLEM:<BR>
While looking at the pages Netscape (or the computer) hangs!<BR>
SOLUTION:<BR>
While browsing off-line, you can select any link to a page that is saved on the disk and it will be loaded. But if you select a link to a page not on the disk (also for example clicking on the 'Home Page' button), Netscape will try to load it from the net. If you use a dial-up connection, the system will try to call you provider using the modem, and depending on the type and the settings of the SLIP or PPP software, it could freeze until a long timeout expires, before realizing that the modem is off.
<P>
PROBLEM:<BR>
I think that "Netscape History" is really a disgusting program: I want back my shareware fee and I want to completely erase it from my computer!<BR>
SOLUTION:<BR>
Sorry, but the shareware fee is not reimbursable (shareware="try before you buy"). The second part instead is very easy to accomplish: erase: 1) the program file; 2) the file 'Netscape History Prefs' inside 'System Folder:Preferences' and 3) the 'History f' (you know where you put it).
<P>
<HR>
<A NAME="HOW_TO_PAY">
<H1>How to Pay the Shareware Fee</H1>
The fee is $8: currently you can pay in this two ways:<BR>
<OL>
<LI> Write on a sheet of paper name and version of the program, your name and e-amil address; put $8 cash (only banknotes!) inside the folded sheet and send everything to the address shown below.<P>
<LI> Send a international postal order for the same amount to the same address, specifing on the form the same data (or you can send me the data by e-mail).
</OL>
ADDRESS:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><TT>
Claudio Potenza<BR>
via Gobetti 14<BR>
57121 Livorno ITALY<BR>
</TT></BLOCKQUOTE>
Many people think that sending money by mail is not very sure, but if you send one or two notes, if they are not visible through the enevelope, there really is not any problem.
<HR>
<A NAME="WHY_TO_PAY">
<H1>Why to Pay the Shareware Fee?</H1>
"Shareware" is a way of distributing software in which distribution costs are practically zero, the user can really try the product before buying and the cost of the product is generally very low.<BR><P>
If the shareware system wil continue to grow, users will be happy because they could have quality software at low price, software auhors will be happy too because they could simplify distribution.<BR>
If every user would pay his shareware fee, costs could be even lower!<P>
Moreover, I want to add new features to the program: obviously if I will get many registrations, I will be happier to make them quickly!<BR>If you register for version 2.0 you will be entitled to use all future version.<P>
Register users will have quicker assistance in case of problems (<STRONG>Claudio Potenza</STRONG> <A HREF="mailto:mc4924@mclink.it">mc4924@mclink.it</A>). However I will try
to answer to all bug report.
<A NAME=FUTURE>
<P><STRONG>New Feature in Next Version</STRONG>
<UL>
<LI>It will let users save old files that are no more in Netscape cache and continue to show them in the <EM>Last Visited Pages</EM> file in this way creating a long term history.
<P><LI>I will rename the copied pages with their real titles instead on naming them 'cache5674@&?'.
<P><LI>I can improve the speed of the scanning and copying process.
<P><LI>"Netscape History" can discover automatically where Netscape is, without bothering the user with the dialog box the first time you launch it.
<P><LI>Power mac native: however I don't think this will be in the next version...
<P><LI>A Windows version... Obviously I know that most Mac users won't agree that this is an improvement.
</UL>
<HR>
<A NAME="MISCELLANEOUS">
<H1>Miscellaneous</H1>
The program is set with a memory partition on 300 Kb. If you have a very big cache and depending on the contents of the pages, this may not be enough.<BR>
In this case "Netscape History" will show you an error message and you will have to increase it.
<P>Sometimes you will see listed in the file <EM>Last Visited Pages</EM> some images that were in a page: this happens when in the page some of the images change.<BR>
This is a minor inconvenience however: the reverse (non showing some pages) never happens.
<P><A NAME=BEST_USE_N2>
<EM>A Note on the version of Netscape you can use</EM>
<P>"Netscape History" 2.0 works with Netscape 1.0, 1.1, 1.12, 2.xx.<BR>
Netscape 2 however is better: this version stores all the pages in the cache (the previous versions left out many of them). Beside this Netscape 2 seems much more stable (at least on my Mac).
<HR>
<A NAME="ITALIAN_USERS">
<H1>Informazioni per gli utenti di lingua italiana</H1>
Esiste anche una versione in italiano del programma; se vi interessa, contattatemi:
<P>Per gli utenti italiani la registrazione shareware è di 12000 Lire:<BR>
<OL>
<LI> Scrivete su di un foglio: nome e versione del programma, il vostro nome, cognome, indirizzo e-mail e quant'altro la vostra fantasia vi suggerisca; poi prendete una banconota da 10000 e una da 2000 lire (meglio così che 12 banconote da 1000 o peggio 24 monete da 500!) infilatele dentro il foglio piegato in maniera che non si vedano controluce e spedite il tutto all'indirizzo sotto indicato.<P>
<LI> Inviate un vaglia per lo stesso importo allo stesso indirizzo indicando nella causale gli stessi dati.
</OL>
indirizzo:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><TT>
Claudio Potenza<BR>
via Gobetti 14<BR>
57121 Livorno<BR>
</TT></BLOCKQUOTE>
So che molte persone pensano che non sia molto sicuro spedire denaro mediante la posta ma in realtà per una banconota o due, se infilate dentro un foglio, non c'è nessun problema (il vaglia comunque dà più sicurezza).
<P>
<HR>
<B>And now the standard legalese:</B><P>
<TT>
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY:
<P>
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. The author 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.<P>
In no event shall the author 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.<P>
Although the author would appreciate any feedback and bug reports, the author shall not be responsible for correcting any problems which you discover or otherwise help you maintain and use this software. Furthermore, the author may at any time replace, modify, alter, improve, enhance or change this software.
