In Albuquerque, patrons (i.e., library card holders) can have one free hour of INTERNET access per week (Email is not allowed). After my hour on the NET, I had the opportunity to see how NETSCAPE (v2.2) compared with Omar Valenti’s QMOSAIC (v0.77) web browsing program for QDOS users.
While QMOSAIC is subordinate to the Pointer Environment, it does not take full advantage of it at the present time. QMOSAIC is further at a disadvantage for being based on XMOSAIC instead of contemporary (i.e., Windows) web browser like NETSCAPE.
Since I don’t telecommunicate, I will not be discussing the actual performance since performance is dependent on your MODEM and CPU speed. My local library branch has a Pentium-75MHz computer; and probably has a very fast MODEM too.
CHE COS ‘E’ UN’HTML?
First, kudos to Omar Valenti for his efforts at providing a QL program to filter the HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) which can link sites using FTP (File Transfer Protocol).
While the HTML standard is evolving, basic aspects remain the same. I don’t know what made NETSCAPE’s implementation superior to others which are no longer being updated (the fact that early versions of NETSCAPE were “free” might have been significant with NETSCAPE hoping that the INTRANET implementers would “buy” their server software). From what I gather (and, this could be wrong),MicroSoft (the last remaining player in the web browser arena)would eventually like to implement their own language script even though their EXPLORER program currently reads HTML. Long live NETSCAPE!
HTML IMPLEMENTATION
The HTML script information is included in angle-brackets. Besides structuring the page, it determines such things as, BOLD face <B>, BOLD off </B>, underline <UL>, underline off </UL>, line feeds <LI>and breaks <BR>, et cetera. Site addresses are HREFed.
I cannot tell you what all the bracketed codes mean, but for you to better appreciate what QMOSAIC (and, NETSCAPE, et al) does let’s look at a sample input/output.
<title> FTP Sites </title>
<h1><IMG SRC="/icons/cannoc.gif" align=bottom >
<h2>FTP: <h3>File Transfer Protocol and ARCHIE</h3>
<hr size=40>
Here are some <B>File Transfer Protocol </B>sites useful for downloading <BR> software or other information.
<LI><li></ul>To that end, <b>ARCHIE</b> is a tool for an open search of a file within the <BR> scope of the available public domain software via anonymous FTP.<br>
<LI><LI></UL>In other words, don't be discouraged if the sites provided are not <BR> enough: seaMAC software on the Net </A>
<LI> <A HREF =
http://www.compuserve.com/isd/ftp_faq.html"><b> FTP: Questions and Answers</A>
<LI> <A HREF =
"http://tesuque.cs.sandia.gov/mac_ftpsites.html"><b>MAC FTP sites </A>
<LI> <A HREF
="http://coyote.csusm.edu/cwis/winworld/winworld.html"
><b> Windows Shareware Arvhive </A>
<LI> <A HREF = "ftp://ftp.microsoft.com"><b>
MicroSoft Site </A>
<LI> <A HREF = "http://www.sanger.ac.uk/ftp-starting.html"><b>Anonymous FTP sites </A>
<LI> <A HREF = "http://www.ripco.com:7unSITE Software Information and Technology Exchange</A>
<LI><A HREF = "http://sunsite.unc.edu"><b> WWW - SunSITESoftware, Information and Technology Exchange</A>
<LI><A HREF = "http://ricotta.ucs.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/AA"><aname="<b></b> ARCHIE Search</A>
<LI><A HREF =
"http://alpha.acast.nova.edu/software/find.html"><b>Finding Software</A></ul><br>
<li><li><ul><li><h3><b>Per Cercare nella Rete (Search Engines)</b><br>
[<ahref="http://webcrawler.cs.washington.edu/WebCrawler/WebQuery.html"-><b> WebCrawler</a> | <The screen output to (my translation to English):
FTP: File Transfer Protocol and ARCHIE
Here are some File Transfer Protocol sites useful for downloading software or other information.
To that end, ARCHIE is a tool for an open search of a file within the scope of the available public domain software via anonymous FTP.
In other words, don’t be discourage if the sites provided are not enough: (launch a) search for the filename (or, a sub-string of the name) which interests your through ARCHIE, and pre-supposing the software title exists as named by the specific string, here is a list of FTP ndoes, addresses and directories … [to get you started]
_[1] FTP : Questions and Answers _[2]_MAC software on the Net _[3]_Windows Shareware Arvhive _[4]_Microsoft site _[5]_Anonymous FTP sites _[6]_WWW = SunSITE Software, Information and Technology Exchange _[7]_Archie Search _[8]_Finding Software Cercare nella Rete (Search Engines) _[9]_Webcrawler |
The example is a truncated version of the “ftp1_htm” file which came with the v0.77 which I translated from Italian to English. As you can see, Omar has made a significant effort in the versions that he has already produced.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM
Okay, so the first trick was to actually LOAD the program.
Before trying to run the program, I first read the “history_txt”(which was in Italian) and ascertain that there was a short teething period, but that the version I had (0.77) was “pretty good” (or, was that “good enough”?).
Most of the other files were “_htm” suffixed, and generally in Italian.
After numerous failed attempts to LOAD the program, it occurred tome in a lucid moment that program might run under the all-too-popular-in-Europe POINTER ENVIRONMENT. Eureka!
So, to run the QMOSAIC program you will need to activate the POINTER ENVIRONMENT files (NOT INCLUDED), and minimally have a BOOT program that looks like this:
100 TK2_EXT
110 lrespr flp1_ptrgen: lrespr flp1_wman: lrespr
flp1_hotrext
120 EXEC flp1_qmosaic_flpThe qmosaic_flp program is simply the QMOSAIC program wherein I converted the default “win1” to “flp1” for my own convenience. Of course, there was no “qmosaic_flp” file in the QMOSAIC_zip that I received.
When you run the program, you will find that it is anticipated that the “_htm” files will be found in a default sub_DIRectory named “qmosaic.” You can change this.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM
To effectively run the program, you must be running your QL in monitor mode.
The first thing you will see when you run the program is a “welcome” screen. The screen has a top bar with four “black box” options — two of the options are for sizing and moving the POINTER ENVIRONMENT window, and the other two are for the actual program (“File” and “ESC”).
The “ESC” option is redundant; and, you can ESCape from within the “File” option.
The “File” option has the following branches:
Open _html
Change directory
Print page
Links..
About
Exit to SMSQ
After you open the “File” option, you can either use the pointer or simply press the key which corresponds to the underlined character.
OPEN HTML
This, at first, seems like a pretty silly option since it defaults to the name of the “_htm” file that is (probably) already open. I found that this option allowed me to verify which “_htm” file I was editing. It can also be used to access a file that is not readily available via the “Change directory” option.
CHANGE DIRectory
As stated above, the program default is for a sub_DIRectory named “qmosaic.” When you first select this option, you will be presented with a small box announcing the “_htm path” and a user re-definable “win1_qmosaic_” default. Either press the ENTER key to accept, or change (of course, if “win1_” is not your default DIRectory, you may want to use the converted qmosaic_flp version).
Depending on the number of files in the sub_DIRectory, it appears that you will be presented with a maximum of 18 filenames (3columns by 6 rows). If you have more than 18 filenames, the 19thand beyond cannot (apparently) be accessed. If the filename does not have an “_htm” suffix, it will not be recognized.
You select the name of the file you want to open by moving your pointer until the name is framed, and then press ENTER.
The file will be opened, and you will likely see multi-colored, variably sized text. The original files seemed to make heavy use of green text (the background is white), as Peter Hale once remarked to me, this is very difficult to read on a color monitor.
These have been changed in the English language files.
PRINT PAGE
This option did not work for me and was excluded from version0.80a. Hopefully it will be “fixed” and implemented subsequent versions.
Having used NETSCAPE, it clearly is designed to echo the material on the screen as printer output.
LINKS
This is apparently the activating part of the hypertext feature of the program. It appears that the program defaults to presenting six other _htm files in the sub_DIRectory. It can be used for linking to other “_htm” files or for “jumping” (connecting) to an INTERNET address.
If you open the “FTP1_htm” and then access the LINKS, you will be given the following, truncated options:
http://hoohoo.ncsa.u http://mtmis1.mis.se http://rever.nmsu.ed http://www.compuserv http://tesuque.cs.sa http://coyote.csusm.
[Figure: photograph of Wyatt Earp, captioned “WYATT EARP: Was known to change history to suit himself and since he outlived all the others he said he could tell the true story.”]
These are partial addresses (I’m surprised that some are “located” in New Mexico!), and the full address can be seen when you view the “FTP1_htm” file through a text editor.
There wasn’t any apparent way to scroll the list to access the other 18 options provided “Onion Communications & Technologies”[NB: at this point I should point out that you will find that the ampersand has been changed {by me} to “and” because “&” is apparently a valid script symbol, but an invalid text symbol. Using an ampersand within a text will cause QMOSAIC (0.77) to freeze.
Although it appears that you cannot scroll through the LINKS, you can circumvent this limitation by segregating the additional addresses on different “_htm” pages.
You can also “jump” to the desired web-site by pressing numbers “1” to “9” (that is, the number keys). Onion Communications has listed more files than you can immediately access (i.e., you can’t press a double digit since the jump occurs automatically).Circumvent this by only including 9 sites per “_htm” page.
ABOUT
This is simply a box which states the program name, version number, ‘Hypertext for Sinclair QL’, and copyright information. It also notes that the program is SMSQ compatible. Its only option is to exit by pressing the red bar “OK”.
EXIT
This is, as you might suggest, the method by which you exit the program. The option is to exit, or to resume “No”.
DOES IT WORK?
Of course, I am not hooked up to the INTERNET at the current time, so I cannot report as to how well it works; or even, how it functions once you are hooked up. I perceive limitations, but … Presumably, once you are ON_LINE (dialed into your provider),
1) you would simply run the program
2) access the “File” option
3) access a page similar to the “FTP1_htm” file
4) access the “LINKS” option
5) select a web-sites (?) available via your HTML script
6) browse
You cannot prematurely exit a file read.
EDITING?
At some point you need a standard text editor. The various codes for the script size and color used are obviously standardized, but I only know what some of them are by having edited the various Italian “_htm” files.
It is perhaps little help at the current time to simply state that you should look at the various examples and edit/amend them. As I have noted, HTML is apparently an evolving standard; but, the information is undoubtedly available somewhere on the WEB.
FUTURE CHANGES?
While it is certainly easy to say, I suspect/expect that better implementation of the Pointer Environment will eventuate by the time the program reaches integer enumeration.
NETSCAPE only presented the viewer with a half-dozen HREFed sites per screen page. Although it is easier said than done, if Omar modifies the program to show only a fixed number of sites per screen, then it shouldn’t be too difficult to implement the POINTER ENVIRONMENT instead of the number-key-press method currently employed.
ABOUT THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
I will note that I have not translated all the text because my knowledge of Italian is really limited to using The Oxford Paperback Italian Dictionary [ISBN 0-19-282184-9 (pbk.)].
While some of the translation is verbatim, some is not. Some of the words (e.g., “possono”) were too obscure, and sometimes I wasn’t quite sure what the intent of the author was (as with the comments about QITALY and Jochen Merz <presumably grateful>), and so that text was not translated. Apologies for any omissions, and certainly for errors (!), to what the author(s) of the original “_htm” files intended.
My understanding is that QMOSAIC is in the public domain, and version 0.77 with “_htm” files translated from Italian to English are available from both NESQLUG and TSNUG’s PD library.
HAPPY TRAILS …
AND COMPUTING, TO YOU …