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WHAT'S NEW IN THE WEBEXPLORER
What's New in the WebExplorer V1.03
-----------------------------------
Here are the contents of this file:
- Software requirements
- Product contents
- Product changes and fixes
- Other product features
- Frequently asked questions
Then there is the legal stuff:
- Product information
- Publication edition notice
- Distribution notice
- Right to use
- Software support
- Acknowledgement
IBM WebExplorer is a world-wide web browser for OS/2 Warp. This program
supplies a graphically rich, interactive interface to the fascinating
world of the Internet. Using WebExplorer you can jump from one
Internet location to another by simply selecting highlighted text or
images in the main window.
Software Requirements
---------------------
This version will only run on OS/2 Warp 3.0, not previous releases
of OS/2. Please reboot after installation.
Operating system:
This program should only be installed on OS/2 Warp. Do not attempt
to install on OS/2 V2.x. The install checks for OS/2 Warp as a
requirement. Do not try to circumvent this check since the
WebExplorer V1.03 will not run on OS/2 2.x and will cause severe problems
during installation with the OS/2 2.x version of the workplace shell.
Refer to the Distribution Notice in this document for instructions
on obtaining a version of WebExplorer that will run on OS/2 V2.x.
TCP/IP:
This program requires one of the following
- TCP/IP V3.0, which is a part of Warp Connect
- Internet Connection for OS/2, which is included in all versions
of Warp including Warp Connect
- TCP/IP V2.0
If you are using the Internet Connection, you MUST install either the
"TCP/IP Base Update" package available via the "Retrieve Software
Updates" icon or the fix for APAR PN71501 which is available via
anonymous ftp from ftp.ibm.net as pub/pn71501/pn71501.zip.
If you are using TCP/IP 2.0, you MUST upgrade to the latest Corrective
Service Diskette (CSD) for TCP/IP 2.0. The latest CSD is level UN64092
dated 8/30/94. If you are not certain of the CSD level installed for
TCP/IP, type "syslevel" at the OS/2 command prompt. CSD UN64092
is available via anonymous ftp from software.watson.ibm.com as
files tcp20c1.exe, tcp20c2.exe, tcp20c3.exe and tcp20c4.exe in the
pub/tcpip/os2 directory. After installing the CSD you MUST install
the fix for APAR PN71501 which is available via anonymous ftp from
ftp.ibm.net as pub/pn71501/pn71501.zip.
Product Contents
----------------
/bin/explore.exe
/bin/explore.ico
/bin/viewstrt.exe
/dll/WEBEXURL.DLL
/help/EXPLORE.HLP
/help/WEBEXURL.HLP
/help/WEBNG.HTM
/help/READ.ME
/help/README.HTM
Product Changes and Fixes
-------------------------
Changes from WebExplorer V1.02 to V1.03:
HTML Extensions
In addition to HTML V2.0, WebExplorer supports some tag extensions
to enhance the format and visual appeal of your HTML documents. The
tags allow you to:
- Center text in a document
- Specify attributes for horizontal rules
- Generate tables
- Define a background image for a document
- Define text, link, and background colors in a document
The following table lists the tag extensions supported and describes
their use:
Tag Attribute Description
---------- --------- --------------------------------
<CENTER> Centers text on a line. </CENTER> is
the closing tag.
<HR> SIZE= Specifies the vertical thickness of a
horizontal rule (in pixels)
WIDTH= Specifies the page width of a rule. Define an
exact number of pixels or a percentage of the
page width (for example, 25%, 50%, and so on).
ALIGN= Aligns a rule to the left, right, or center
<TABLE> Marks the start of a table. </TABLE> is the
closing tag.
BORDER= Generates a table border and divides columns
and rows with horizontal and vertical rules.
Specify the vertical thickness of the border
in pixels.
<CAPTION> Creates a table caption outside of the table.
</CAPTION> is the closing tag.
<TH> Defines a cell in the table heading
COLSPAN= Specifies the number of columns a cell spans
ROWSPAN= Specifies the number of rows a cell spans
ALIGN= Aligns the text in a cell (right, center, or
left)
NOWRAP Keeps all cell text on one line. Use <BR>
tags within the text to force line breaks
<TR> Marks the start of a table row (no closing
tag)
<TD> Marks the start of a table cell (table data).
</TD> is the closing tag.
COLSPAN= Specifies the number of columns a cell spans
ROWSPAN= Specifies the number of rows a cell spans
ALIGN= Aligns the text in a cell (right, center, or
left)
NOWRAP Keeps all cell text on one line
<BODY> BGCOLOR= Specifies the background color of the
document, using a six-digit hexadecimal
string. The string represents a mixture of
red, green, and blue colors. (The first pair
of digits represents red, the second pair
green, and the third pair blue). A string
in the form "#000000" generates a black
background. You can view different color
mixtures using the Color Palette editor in
OS/2 Warp. This tag overrides the default
settings in WebExplorer.
BACKGROUND= Points to a .gif image to use for the
document background
TEXT= Specifies the color of the document text,
using a six-digit hexadecimal string. For
example, the string "#CACA03" generates yellow
text. This tag overrides the default settings
in WebExplorer.
LINK= Specifies the color of links in the document,
using a six-digit hexadecimal string. For
example, the string "#FF0000" displays red
document links. This tag overrides the
default settings in WebExplorer.
VLINK= Specifies the color of visited links in the
document, using a six-digit hexadecimal
string. This tag overrides the default
settings in WebExplorer.
Enhanced Newsgroup Functions
WebExplorer now provides a full-function Newsgroup Manager. This
feature allows you to list the USENET newsgroups provided by your news
server and to subscribe to your favorite groups. The Newsgroup Manager
monitors your subscriptions and reports the number of unread articles
since your last session or update. You can add or delete subscriptions
at any time.
Before using the Newsgroup Manager, you need to specify the news server
that Newsgroup Manager will use. Select the Servers option from
the Configure pull-down menu and enter the host name or IP address
of the default news server you want to use.
To start the Newsgroup Manager, either:
- Select Newsgroup Manager from the Navigate pull-down menu
- Enter the URL, newsrc:/
After selecting a newsgroup from the subscription list, you can load and
browse a portion of the articles available or see all articles at once.
The Next Thread and Previous Thread navigation options allow you to move
forward and backward through the list of posted articles. The Up Thread
and Down Thread options allow you to follow a specific conversation
thread. Recognized protocols within the text are displayed as links,
so you can go directly to them. You also can send a response to a
to a specific article in a newsgroup, as well as post your own articles.
To post to a newsgroup, you must specify your Email address on the
Configure Servers window.
To go directly to a newsgroup from the WebExplorer main window, enter
the news: protocol followed by the newsgroup URL.
NOTE: The Newsgroup Manager can share files with the IBM NewsReader/2
program, which allows each program to access your current newsgroup
subscription list.
Send Mail Option
A Send Mail option has been added to the Navigate pull-down menu. This
option displays the same window as the mailto: protocol.
Disabling a Proxy Server Configuration with Cached Documents
If you disable your proxy server configuration after caching one or more
documents obtained from the server, you will encounter a problem when you
try to access the cached documents. To remedy the problem, exit
WebExplorer after you disable the proxy server configuration, and then
restart the program.
Changes from WebExplorer V1.01 to V1.02:
Drag and Drop Support
You can use the drag and drop function to capture images and HTML
from an open document and place them on your desktop where you can
save, maintain, and reuse them.
- To capture an image: place the cursor over an image, press
and hold the right mouse button, drag the image to the desired
location, and release.
- To capture HTML: place the cursor anywhere in the document except
over an image, press and hold the Ctrl key and the right mouse button
simultaneously, drag the image to the desired location, and release.
You can also maintain frequently used documents on your desktop
by using the URL drag and drop feature. This allows you to drop the
URL for a document on a file folder or any other place on your OS/2 Warp
desktop to create a URL Workplace Shell Object.
- To drag a URL from WebExplorer: move the cursor onto the WebExplorer
window over any location except an image, press and hold the right
mouse button, move the cursor (and object) to the desired location
and release.
Once you have created a URL Workplace Shell object you can:
- Drop the URL object onto an unopened WebExplorer icon and WebExplorer
will open with the document at that URL.
- Drag and drop a URL onto an open WebExplorer window and it will open
the document at that URL.
- Double-click on the WebExplorer URL Workplace Shell object to change
the Settings Notebook for the icon.
NOTE: Many applications, such as editors, do not allow copy-based drag
operations and you will not be able to directly drop HTML, images, or
URLs onto them. Instead, drag and drop them to the desktop first and
then drag them to the application.
Options for Loading Text and Images
Text and graphics can now display as soon as they are received from
the network. Using the Configure Loading option from the Configure
pull-down menu, you can:
- Specify whether you want to preview the document before images
are loaded (fast load) or wait until the entire document is loaded
to see it.
- Specify if you want to display images while loading (streaming
graphics) or wait until the images are complete before they display.
The fast load method displays the text and puts place holders for the
images which take longer to load. If the graphics were created with
height and width tags, WebExplorer will automatically display the
correct amount of space for them. Otherwise, it will reformat the
display to fit the graphics as they come in.
Streaming graphics is independent of the fast load method. It controls
how images are drawn once they begin to display. If you select streaming
graphics, you can also whether you want GIF interlaced images to be drawn
as precise or smeared.
NOTE: The TIFF graphical format is no longer supported.
Color Palette Management
The -p option allows you to enable color palette management. When you
start WebExplorer with this option, it uses its own 'best' set of
colors rather than the system default palette or the last palette loaded
by another application.
Mailto Support
There are two ways you can send mail to other users on the internet:
- By clicking on a mail address (userid@domain) when it appears as
a highlighted link in a document.
- By specifying the mailto protocol and a mail address
(mailto:user@domain) as a document URL. Select Open document
(URL) from the File pull-down menu or use the current URL area under
the Tool Bar.
Either of these will display a mailto window in which you
can type your correspondence.
NOTE: You must have your Email address specified. To do this, select
Servers from the Configure pull-down menu to get the Configure Servers
window.
Hierarchical Display of News Reader Articles
News reader articles are displayed as a hierarchical tree of
conversations. For example, one person posts an article, then someone
replies, then someone replies to them, and so on. This function is
available to WebExplorer only when the news server supports it.
News Posting Support
You can post a response to a news group by clicking on an entry in a
news group list and selecting "Post to newsgroup(s)". This will display
a newspost window in which you can type your correspondence.
NOTE: You must have your Email address and News Server specified.
Select Servers from the Configure pull-down menu to get the Configure
Servers window.
Disable/Enable Proxy and Socks Servers Configuration
If you need to disable your proxy or socks server configuration
to communicate to a specific server, you can use check boxes so that
you do not have to re-type the name of the proxy or socks server to
reenable it.
If you are currently using Proxy or Socks, you will need to check
the enable check box in the Configure/Servers menu item.
Other Product Features
----------------------
- HTML/2 and HTTP/1 Compliance
The WebExplorer supports all markup in the HTML/2.0 standard,
including forms, ISO-Latin-1 fonts, inline graphics,
glossaries, and more. Since some documents on the Internet are
not compliant with the proposed standard, the WebExplorer
attempts to clean up the document by introducing markup where
appropriate. While we claim to handle all correct markup, we
may not handle incorrect markup in the same way that other browsers
do. We also support HTTP/1.0 which includes GET and POST
access methods, image maps, and MIME headers. IBM is committed
to supporting these public standards as they evolve.
- Color WYSIWYG Printing
Advanced image processing techniques are used to accurately
display images and text on both color and monochrome printers.
The entire document is also reformatted on the fly to exactly
fit the margins of the printer, producing high-quality output
for archival or hardcopy distribution of Web documents.
- Total Configurability
The size, position, colors, fonts, quick list selections,
network servers, and home page are all remembered between uses
of the WebExplorer in the EXPLORE.INI file. By using the -i
flag when starting the WebExplorer, users can specify a
particular .INI file to use. This allows a network
administrator to make one copy of the executable file
accessible by users, while each user can maintain individual
.INI files on their local disk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
--------------------------------
Question: Every time I start WebExplorer I get following
message: "The nameserver gave us garbage. 'File: EXPLORE.EXE'
has been abandoned. WebExplorer still works after this message.
Answer: This happens when you install the WebExplorer package
from ftp.ibm.net on top of a version installed via Retrieve
Software Updates. The Retrieve Software Updates version can
assume that it is installing on top of the WARP IAK and thus
fills in the settings for the WebExplorer program objects as
follows:
Path and file name: linkup.exe
Parameters: explore.exe
Linkup is the program that checks for a current SLIP or PPP
connection before starting the program given as a parameter.
Since TCP/IP 2.0 customers don't have linkup.exe and the WebExplorer
package is meant to install on top of TCP/IP 2.0, its install fills out
the program icon as follows:
Path and file name: explore.exe
It does not clear out the parameters entry since the user may
have added some. But this causes the problem you see since if
you install in the order mentioned above you get:
Path and file name: explore.exe
Parameters: explore.exe
In this case you get the error you're seeing. Thus to avoid this
problem just update the settings to use linkup.exe or remove
explore.exe as a parameter.
The WWW Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document resides on
the World Wide Web and is updated frequently.
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/boutell/faq/www_faq.html)
Product Information
-------------------
IBM* WebExplorer for OS/2 Warp
Licensed Materials - Property of IBM
(C) Copyright IBM Corp. 1994, 1995. All Rights Reserved.
*IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines
Corporation.
This product includes computer software created and made available
by CERN. This acknowledgement shall be mentioned in full in any
product which includes the CERN computer software included herein
or parts thereof.
Publication Edition Notice
--------------------------
(C) Copyright IBM Corp. 1994, 1995. All rights reserved.
US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or
disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.
Distribution Notice
-------------------
WebExplorer is NOT to be redistributed. WebExplorer is copyright
material and shall only be distributed from IBM designated sites.
You should frequently check the distribution sites listed below
for updated versions of this software.
Listed below are the IBM designated distribution sites:
1) By anonymous FTP from ftp.ibm.net. Login as user "anonymous".
Change directory to pub/WebExplorer. See the README.1ST file which
will describe the latest version(s). Download the appropriate file.
Unzip this file in a temporary directory and run WEBINST.EXE to install.
You must reboot after installing.
This ftp site contains versions of WebExplorer that run on OS/2 2.x.
Version 1.01 (web101.zip) is the last production version and V950331
is the last beta version that will run on OS/2 2.x.
Beta versions have version labels according to the date the code was
built. Thus, version 950525 was built on May 25, 1995. New BETA
versions are announced by a post to the comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip
newsgroup.
2) By the "Retrieve Software Updates" icon in the Internet Connection
for OS/2 in the OS/2 WARP Bonus Pack. Click on this icon and then
select the WebExplorer package to download and automatically install.
At times a beta version may be available as well as the production
version. You must reboot after installing.
Right to Use
------------
You are granted the right to use the this version of the
WebExplorer software. You may not disassemble, decompose,
reverse engineer, or alter this file or any of the other files in
the package. This includes, but is not limited to modifying any
icons, menus, or displays associated with the software.
This version of the WebExplorer software is provided FOR
EVALUATION ONLY and cannot be sold. This restriction does not
apply to connect time charges, or flat rate connection/download
fees for electronic bulletin board services or Internet dial-in
services. This software can not be bundled with any commercial
package without express written permission from International
Business Machines Corporation.
Software Support
----------------
IBM accepts no responsibility for damages resulting from the use
of this software and makes no warranty or representation, either
express or implied, including but not limited to, any implied
warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
This software is provided "AS IS", and you, its user, assume all
risks when using it.
There is no phone support for Beta versions of WebExplorer. You are
encouraged to make use of the Internet Newsgroups for problem
determination, frequently asked questions, and bug reports. IBM makes
no guarantee to fix any software defects reported in these forums. We
ask you to read and post to the comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip news
group. Please include the Beta version number with your note. You
can get the version number by selecting Product Information from the
help menu.
Acknowledgement
---------------
The IBM WebExplorer for OS/2 Warp is based in part on the work of
the Independent JPEG Group.
The IBM Internet Connection for OS/2 incorporates compression code
by the Info-ZIP group. There are no extra charges or costs due to the
use of this code, and the original compression sources are freely
available from CompuServe in the OS2USER forum and by anonymous FTP
from the Internet site ftp.uu.net:/pub/archiving/zip.