Copyright: ® Howard Harawitz, 1993, 1994


Help Contents
Table of Contents

About HTML Assistant Pro

Introduction

Subscribe to the HTML Assistant Newsletter

Disclaimer

Copyright Notice

Getting Started

Software installation and registration

Setting your test browser

Organizing Your Internet Experience

Overview

Collecting URLs

Editing and Organizing URLs

Building Browser Pages

Using Local Files with HTML

HTML Assistant Pro Menus

Overview

The "File" Menu

The "Options" Menu

The "Filters" Menu

The "HTML" Menu

The "Command" Menu

The "URL" Menu

HTML Assistant Pro Tools

Tools Overview

Using Bracketing (Type 1) Tools

The 'Link' Tool

Using Insertion (Type 2) Tools

User Tools

Editing User Tools

User Tools files

Creating Tools that Insert an End-of-Line

The Auto Repeat Function

Autoinsert Paragraph Markings

Printing

Working With URLs

Edit/Build URL Files

Operation of the URL Editor

Combining Files

Direct Conversion Of Files to HTML Text

Cello Bookmark files (*.bmk files)

HTML Assistant URL Files (*.url files)

Mosaic Initialization files (Mosaic.ini)

The Automatic Page Creator

What is the Automatic Page Creator?

Starting the Automatic Page Creator

Using the Automatic Page Creator

Building HTML Displays by Appending New Pages

Viewing Your File

Using a WWW Browser for Testing

Using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) with a Browser


Introduction

HTML Assistant Pro ©1993,1994 by Howard Harawitz and Brooklyn North Software Works, All Rights Reserved

Important: Click here to see license agreement.

Note:

HTML Assistant Pro has Context Sensitive Help -- When using the program, press the F1 key for help with a selected control

HTML Assistant Pro is a simple text editor with extensions to assist in the creation of HTML hypertext documents.  HTML documents are used to access a variety of information sources with a World Wide Web browser.

The Automatic Page Creator included with HTML Assistant Pro permits very rapid creation of HTML text pages for use with WWW browser programs.   Minimal knowledge of HTML is required, and attractive screens with your own selected hypertext links can be created in a few seconds.

HTML Assistant Pro's  other features include:

Point and click creation of HTML Hypertext markings

Capability to test your work with a WWW browser at the click of a button -- without leaving the editor

Ability to load files that are longer than 32K.  Large (>than 32K) files may be loaded in segments.

A user defined toolbox

The ability to remove HTML markings and reformat text to create readable documents from HTML files.

File search features - you can search for and load files containing key words which you select.

A multiple document interface (more than one file may be opened at one time)

Automatic conversion of Cello Bookmark, Mosaic '.INI' and URL text files to hypertext documents

Autocopy of URLs from Cello Bookmark and Mosaic.ini files to text files

An option to make UNIX text files more readable by converting them to DOS text

An option to save DOS text files as UNIX text

Conversion of HTML Assistant URL files to Cello Bookmark files

Ability to print HTML text files


Subscribe to the HTML Assistant Newsletter

For continuing updates and news about HTML Assistant software, you can subscribe to an Email publication, the HTML Assistant Newsletter.  Published "semi-irregularly", and delivered (free!) directly to your (virtual) door, the Newsletter includes announcements, bug reports and news about HTML Assistant software.  It also is a source of information of general interest to users of the World Wide Web -- including text and HTML pages about learning HTML, interesting WWW sites, commentaries on the use of the Web, feedback and suggestions from users, etc.

To subscribe, send Email, with the word "subscribe" (quotes are not necessary) in the 'Subject:" field, to harawitz@fox.nstn.ns.ca.  You may also include comments or suggestions in the text field of your message.


Disclaimer

Brooklyn North Software Works disclaims any liability for special, direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or any other damages believed to have been caused by the use of HTML Assistant Pro or any files derived from its use.


Copyright Notice

HTML Assistant Pro and its associated documentation is Copyright (©) 1993,1994 by Howard Harawitz and Brooklyn North Software Works, All rights reserved.

Use of HTML Assistant Pro implies consent that this notice is a legal agreement between the purchaser of HTML Assistant Pro and Brooklyn North Software Works.

This software and its documentation is owned by Brooklyn North Software Works and is protected by Canadian and US copyright statutes and international treaty provisions.  Reproduction of this software or its documentation, other than as described below, without express consent of the owner is not permitted.

Purchase of an authorized copy of the HTML Assistant Pro diskette constitutes possession of a single license for use of one copy of the program by one person at a time.

This means that the licensee has the right to

1.  Install a copy of the software on each of those computers reserved for the licensee's own use, as long as no more than one person uses the software at the same time.

2.  Make copies of the software to be used for normal backup purposes

Networks: In a networking environment only one copy of the software may be running at one time for each license purchased.

Respect for the terms of this license will ensure that Brooklyn North Software Works can continue to provide new software products at reasonable prices.

Multiple licenses, bulk purchase options, and additional copies of the documentation are available.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Important: Click here to see disclaimer

For further information please contact Brooklyn North Software Works:

Email: harawitz@fox.nstn.ns.ca

Telephone/FAX: (902) 835 - 2600


Software installation and registration

Before installing HTML Assistant Pro, be sure to backup the original program diskette(s).

Because the installation procedure may change, installation instructions are supplied separately.  Follow the instructions to install the software.

This would also be a good time to fill out and send off the registration form.  You can register via Email by sending an Email message that includes all the information requested in the form.  Be sure to send the version, version date and serial number as shown on the diskette label.


Setting your test browser

You can begin using HTML Assistant Pro as soon as it is installed and running.

However, if, as you are editing a document,  you want to view or "test" your work with a World Wide Web browser, you need to let the software know where your test browser can be found.

You can tell HTML Assistant Pro which browser to use by selecting the option, "Set test program name...", from the "File" menu.  The dialog boxes will lead you through the process.   Using the appropriate list boxes, select the path and filename for your browser.  If you want the software to "remember" where the browser can be found, so that you don't have to repeat the process each time you start the program, select the "Yes" button when asked if you want to save it as a "permanent test program name".

If you don't set your test program name,  HTML Assistant Pro will ask you for it the first time that you attempt to test a file.


Organizing Your Internet Experience - Overview
Overview

Keeping an accurate record of  Internet journeys is not a trivial task.  In fact, one of the major criticisms of the Internet is that information is not well organized and it is difficult to retrace your steps if you want to repeat a search.  Many (if not most) Internet users have found themselves using computers to scan the Internet for information while keeping  a pencil and paper handy so that they could make notes about the places they had been.

Some Gopher and WWW browser packages permit saving place markers by using 'bookmarks'  or a  'hot list' to collect address information.  As useful as this is,  after several searches or browse sessions these collections quickly become a pot pourri of tags, markers and pointers to a varied assortment of Internet places that have no particular relationship to each other.

By making it easy to create your own browser pages, HTML Assistant Pro provides a way to organize and keep track of your Internet journeys.


Collecting URLs

World Wide Web browsers use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to find and access all forms of information on the Internet -- including text files, news groups, mail lists, gopher directories, HTML documents, program files, images, sounds, movies, etc.

To use HTML Assistant Pro as an aid to organizing your WWW experience, you first need to begin collecting the URLs that point to the WWW sites that interest you.

Two MS Windows browsers, Cello and Mosaic, both permit transferring the URLs which they use for Internet access to the Windows clipboard.  From the Clipboard they can easily be copied to any Windows text editor.

Cello's bookmark  dialog box asks if you want to copy a selected URL to the clipboard.

Mosaic has a URL text display which can be copied by selecting the text (using the mouse and 'dragging' across it) and typing Control-C -- the standard MS Windows key sequence for copying text to the clipboard.

Once the URL text is in the clipboard it can be 'Pasted' into a text file using a simple text editor like MS Notepad (supplied with Windows) or HTML Assistant Pro.  Be sure that there is an End-of-Line following the URL. An End-of-line is a carriage-return/linefeed pair which is added when you press the 'Enter' key after inserting text. That is all that is required to begin collecting URL links for use by HTML Assistant Pro.

Alternatively,  as you explore with a browser, you can save URLs by creating bookmarks (if you are using Cello) or adding to the 'hot list' (if you are using mosaic).  HTML Assistant Pro's URL file editor will permit you to convert Cello bookmark files and URLs collected in Mosaic's Hot List to HTML Assistant URL files.  HTML Assistant will permit you to create URL files that combine information collected with both browsers.

Files containing URLs should be saved with the suffix, ".URL".   While this isn't absolutely necessary, it does make it easier for you (and HTML Assistant Pro) to identify them.


Editing and Organizing URLs

Once you have collected  URLs that point the way to the places you have visited, the next step is to select and organize them into separate files that suit your particular needs.  For example you might want to create a file containing URLs that can help you learn about Internet resources, or interesting art exhibits, or information on animal breeding.

HTML Assistant Pro provides two ways to do this.  Use whichever works best for you.

The most familiar way for most people will be to open a new edit window (by selecting 'New' from the 'File' menu) for each subject and copy/paste selected URLs (and their optional comments) from your general URL collection  or other URL files to the new one.

The second method involves using the URL file edit popup window that can be viewed by selecting  'Edit/Build URL Files' from the 'URL' menu.  This permits you to combine commented URLs from different sources and to use scrolling lists for editing.


Building Browser Pages

The URLs you have collected are pointers to the places you  have visited on your Internet journeys.   The final step in organizing your personal Internet experience is to incorporate selected URLs into HTML documents to be used as WWW browser pages.  These pages will be the tour guides for yourself and others who want to retrace your steps.   With HTML Assistant Pro you can quickly create browser pages with titles, headings and descriptive text for the displayed URL links.

HTML Assistant Pro's Automatic Page Creator makes this part of the job very easy.  It guides you through the process of creating a title, headings and descriptive text for your page, and enables you to incorporate a list of URLs (from a file of your choice) which will become the links to the places you want to visit.  With the 'click' of a button  your new page is automatically created and displayed in an edit window ready for saving as an HTML document.  Your new page can then be tested with a WWW browser of your choice without leaving HTML Assistant Pro.

If you wish,  the Automatic Page Creator will append additional descriptive material and/or URL links to the newly created page.  In this way you can allow HTML Assistant Pro automatically to build pages with any number of different formats and degrees of complexity.  Of course, the resultant page can be edited using any of the other tools provided with HTML Assistant Pro.

Using your local files with HTML


Using Local Files with HTML

As you create your own HTML files with links to remote sites, you may also want to create other browser pages consisting of links to these local files.  By doing this with successive generations of locally created files you can create a hierarchical system of  'menu pages' for organizing and indexing your work.

For example, you may have built separate files (with remote links) concerning the following subjects:

Using HTML

WWW and related FAQs

Selected sites via CERN

You might want to create a menu file concerned with general WWW topics that includes the above files as selectable links.

Creating a Menu Page

You can build such a file one step at a time, by opening a new edit window and creating a local file link for each file using the 'Link' button.  When the link popup appears, select the "file://localhost/" prefix from the prefix listbox.

Next, enter the name of a file, or use the 'Browse' button to select a file name from a file select dialog box.

Clicking the 'OK' button (on the link popup) will cause HTML Assistant Pro to create (and insert into the edit window) the URL for a link to the file you selected. It will look something like:

file://localhost/C:\html\myfile.htm

You can continue in this manner to add additional URL links.  Using HTML Assistant Pro's list formatting capability, you can select and format the file links as one or more lists (numbered or unnumbered).

When the process of adding and formatting file links is finished you can complete your menu page by using HTML Assistant Pro's tools to add a title, headers and explanatory text to your display.

Another way to create a Menu Page

Another way to create a menu page for your local files is to create a URL file and use that file with the Automatic Page Creator to build your menu display page.

HTML Assistant Pro will insert a URL in the active edit window if you select the 'Create Local File Reference...' option from the 'Command' menu and select a file from the file select dialog that appears.  You can add the link display text (the 'clickable' text) as a comment after the URL has been displayed (insert a comma following the URL before you enter the comment).

You may also create a URL file by selecting the 'Edit/Build HTML Assistant URL Files...' option from the 'URL' menu.

Once the URL file has been created and saved, you can open the Automatic Page Creator and use it to create your HTML display file.


HTML Assistant Pro Menus - Overview
Overview

Note:  Not all menus or menu options are visible upon startup.  The menu bar, and the contents of most menus, changes when at least one document window is open.  To view all the menus, if they are not already visible, either open a file or a new document.

HTML Assistant Pro's menu's may seem formidable at first.  There are a number them, and each one presents many options.

While this bewildering array of choices can be confusing, once you become familiar with the menu structure, you will learn that they present many opportunities for you to simplify and speedup the creation of your HTML documents.

Many of the options, such as those in the "File" and "Edit" menus, will already be familiar to you because they are found in commonly used word processors and text editing software.

The fastest way to learn to use any of the menu options is to try them.  Just be sure that you have another, saved copy of the document that you are experimenting with.

While learning, you can use the "Hold" button on the text window to keep a "snapshot" copy of the current state of your document.  Clicking the "Recall" button will bring it back, just as it was immediately before you decided to "Hold" it.

Most of this section will be devoted to explaining how to use the menu features that are unique to the creation of HTML documents with HTML Assistant Pro.


The "File" Menu

Text Search

File Search

Inserting a File at the Cursor

Copy and Display Link URLs from a File

Set Test Program Name


Text Search

The "Text search..." option on the "File" menu permits you to search a single subdirectory (not the full subdirectory tree), for files containing a user selectable text string.

When this option is chosen, the "Text Search" dialog window will appear. Type the text to be searched for in the text box at the top of the dialog window.

Use the "File Pattern" combo box to let the search routines know what files to search.  This works the same way that any MS-DOS or Windows directory listing file pattern works.

That is, use "*.*" to search all files in the directory.  To search all  HTML files, use "*.htm".  To search all files starting with "K", enter "K*.*", etc.

Use the "Select drive" and "Select directory" listboxes to specify the subdirectory that contains the files to be searched

Click the "Search" button to begin the search.  You may interrupt the search at any time by clicking the "Stop" button.

Full path names of all the files containing the specified text will be inserted into the listbox on the right side of the dialog window.

If you want to edit or view one or more of the files that have been found, simply click on the file name in the listbox.  You may select more than one file by pressing the control key (usually marked "Ctrl") while clicking additional file names.  To select a continuous section of the list, click on the first file, then, while holding down a "Shift" key, select the last one in the section you are interested in.

Use the "Open file(s)" button to edit or view the selected files.

Use the "Exit" button to end the search without viewing files.

Note on viewing multiple files

You are not required to select all the files you want to view, before you view any one of them.  That is, if you want to look at several files without opening too many windows, you can select just one before you click the "Open file(s)" button.

The next time you use the "Text search..." option from the "File" menu, the "Text Search" dialog will open with the previous list already in place, and ready for you to select other files as you need them.

You can do this is many times as you like.

However, in order for the file list to be "remembered", you must select and open at least one file!


File Search

The "File search..." option on the "File" menu permits you to search a full subdirectory tree, for files (rather than text within files) with a specified file name pattern.

This option is useful, for example, if you want to locate all HTML files anywhere on your "C"  disk drive.

When the "File search..." option is selected, the "File Search" dialog window will appear.

Use the "File Pattern" combo box to let the search routines know what filename pattern to search for.  This works the same way that any MS-DOS or Windows directory listing file pattern works.

That is, use "*.*" to list all files in the directory.  To search for all  HTML files, use "*.htm", etc.

Use the "Select drive" and "Select directory" list boxes to specify the subdirectory that is to be the outermost  branch  of the tree which is to be searched.

The routines will search that entire subdirectory and all its branches for files of the type specified.

For example, to search your entire "C" drive for all HTML files starting with "K", you would enter "k*.htm" (file patterns for MS-DOS or Windows are not case sensitive) in the "File Pattern" combo box.  Next, using the drive selection listbox, select the "C: " drive. Finally, use the directory list box to select the root directory, i.e.,"C:\".

Click the "Search" button to begin the search.  You may interrupt the search at any time by clicking the "Stop" button.

Full path names of all the files having the selected file specification will be inserted into the listbox on the right side of the dialog window.

If you want to edit or view one or more of the files that have been found, simply click on the file name in the listbox.  You may select more than one file by pressing the control key (usually marked "Ctrl") while clicking additional file names.  To select a continuous section of the list, click on the first file, then, while holding down a "Shift" key, select the last one in the section you are interested in.

Use the "Open file(s)" button to edit or view the selected files.

Use the "Exit" button to end the search without viewing files.

Note on viewing multiple files

You are not required to select all the files you want to view, before you view any one of them.  That is, if you want to look at several files without opening too many windows, you can select just one before you click the "Open file(s)" button.

The next time you use the "File search..." option from the "File" menu, the "File Search" dialog will open with the previous list already in place, and ready for you to select other files as you need them.

You can do this is many times as you like.

However, in order for the file list to be "remembered", you must select and open at least one file!


Inserting a File at the Cursor

The "Insert file at cursor..." option in the "File" menu permits you to load and insert another file into your document at the cursor position.

This is most useful for inserting "boilerplate" text that appears in several documents. For example, you might want to insert information about how to contact you by Email, into a series of HTML pages.

When you select this option, a file select dialog box will appear. Simply select the file you want to insert and click the "OK" button to insert the file.


Copy and Display Link URLs from a File

Selecting this option from the "File" menu will permit you to select an HTML file, and have only its URL links, along with the "live", user selectable text displayed in a document window.

This is useful, for example, if you want to grab all the links for the NCSA "What's New" file, without any of the other text.  This shortens the file considerably.

Be aware though, that some of the links extracted may be "relative" and are not usable from a file that is accessed from any other disk drive than the one that is on the server from which the HTML file was retrieved.  These should either be edited so that they are proper links, that is, have complete URLs including a server address and full file path, or deleted.

The URLs and associated text are listed in "HTML Assistant" URL  format.  The list, as is, or edited, can be saved as an HTML Assistant URL file, using the ".url" suffix.

You can then use HTML Assistant Pro's Automatic Page Creator to very quickly create an HTML document that can be easily perused for links that are of interest, and then, archived, using a minimum of disk space.


Set Test Program Name

If, as you are editing a document,  you want to view or "test" your work with a World Wide Web browser without leaving HTML Assistant Pro, you need to let the software know where your test browser can be found.

You can tell HTML Assistant Pro which browser to use by selecting the option, "Set test program name...", from the "File" menu.  The dialog boxes will lead you through the process.   Using the appropriate list boxes, select the path and filename for your browser.  If you want the software to "remember" where the browser can be found, so that you don't have to repeat the process each time you start the program, select the "Yes" button when asked if you want to save it as a "permanent test program name".


The "Options" Menu

Items in the "Options" menu are generally concerned with the behavior of general program features that affect the users interaction with the software.

Options settings are "remembered" by the program between sessions, so you needn't reset them each time you run HTML Assistant Pro.

Related Topics:

Use DDE with Cello

Autosave File Before Test

Configure Paragraph Button

Set File Split Segment Size

Autoconvert UNIX Files to DOS

Use Lower Case HTML

Default Font

Show ISO Characters List

Edit User Tools

Hide Lower Tool Bar


Use DDE with Cello

If you are using Cello as your  test browser, HTML Assistant Pro gives you the option of using DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) to send Cello the name of the HTML file you want to test.  If Cello is not loaded, HTML Assistant Pro loads it.  Once Cello is loaded and you do not close it, it will not have to be reopened whenever you want to test a file.  Each time you select the item in the File menu for testing using DDE, or the "Test" button on a document window, the name of the file you are testing is sent to Cello and it becomes the active, topmost application.

When using DDE, Cello does not always refresh itself if your file has changed.  That is, changes in your HTML text will not always be immediately seen when you invoke Cello.  If that happens click the 'Reload Document' option in Cello's file menu to ensure that you are viewing the latest saved version of your HTML file.

Clicking on the small 'Return to HTML Assistant Pro' box in the lower right  corner of Cello's window will return you to HTML Assistant Pro without closing Cello.


Autosave File Before Test

 Selecting the "Autosave Before Testing" feature in the "Options" menu, will cause any changes in your file to be saved automatically before it is tested.  In order for you to give the file a name, new files must be saved manually before they can be tested the first time.


Configure Paragraph Button

Selecting the "Configure Paragraph Button" option from the "Options" menu will display a sub menu with several choices involving the placement of "newlines" in the text whenever the button that inserts a new paragraph tag is clicked.

The best way to find out what these do is to experiment.

This option affects only the way your text is displayed in the editor. It has no effect on its appearance when displayed by a browser.


Set File Split Segment Size

Selecting this option from the "Options" menu permits you to set the size of the file segments that go into each text window when an "oversize" (i.e., larger than 32K) file is loaded and "split."


Autoconvert UNIX Files to DOS

Text files created by UNIX systems, as many WWW HTML files have been, are not normally displayed in an easily readable form by most Windows or DOS  based programs.

Selecting "Autoconvert UNIX files to DOS" in the "Options" menu will cause a file in UNIX format to be automatically converted to MS-DOS format text as it is loaded into a document window.  A message box will popup to let you know when this happens.  The original file is not affected, unless, of course, you resave the file with the same name.  In that case, it will be saved in MS-DOS format.

Text that is already displayed in document windows may be converted to and from UNIX  format, by using options in the "Filters" menu.


Use Lower Case HTML

If this option is checked (i.e., selected) then all text in HTML markings will be displayed as lower case.  Otherwise, they will be displayed as upper case.

HTML is not case sensitive, so choose lower case display if it suits you.


Default Font

This option permits selection of the font and font characteristics (i.e., bold, size, etc.) which will be used as the default for all new text windows.

The font for text in an individual window that is already displayed, can be changed by using the "Font (current window only)" option in the "Edit" menu.


Show ISO Characters List

Selecting and deselecting this option will toggle the display of a small window that permits selection of certain of characters not available on most North American keyboards.  These include things like accented letters, umlauts, etc.

When a character is selected from the list displayed in the window, its HTML equivalent is inserted into the text at the cursor.


Edit User Tools

Selecting this option will open the "Edit User Tools" dialog.  This permits changes to the "User Tools" list displayed on the main window tool bar.

The small button, with an "E" on it, immediately above the "User Tools" display will also open the "Edit User Tools" dialog.


Hide Lower Tool Bar

Selecting and deselecting this option toggles the display of the main window's lower tool, or "button", bar.

The small button, with a "T"  on it, at the right hand end of the main tool bar has the same function.


The "Filters" Menu

The filters menu is generally used for operations that transform the contents of the currently selected document window in some way.

These are all "Undoable". That is, click the "Undo" button after trying one of these options, and the text will be restored to its original state.

The best way to find out exactly what they do is to try them.

Related Topics:

Convert UNIX Text To DOS

Convert DOS Text To UNIX

Convert ISO ASCII Codes to HTML

Strip Selected Text HTML

Strip All HTML

Reformat Selected Paragraphs

Reformat All Paragraphs

Strip Extra Newlines

Extract and Display Link URLs


Convert UNIX Text To DOS

UNIX and DOS text files handle end-of-line characters differently.  That is why, when a UNIX format file is loaded into HTML Assistant Pro (or Notepad, for that matter) it looks like one long paragraph, interspersed with strange rectangular bars. In this form, UNIX files are very difficult to read or to edit.

Using this option on the "Filters" menu will transform that unreadable UNIX text to DOS text so that you can work with it.

You can use the "Convert DOS text to UNIX" option if you want to resave your edited work in UNIX format.


Convert DOS Text To UNIX

Using this option on the "Filters" menu will transform your readable DOS text, to UNIX text so that it can be saved and easily ported to UNIX systems.


Convert ISO ASCII Codes to HTML

Some keyboards permit characters that are not available as part of the North American ASCII character set to be typed and entered into files.  Accented characters, umlauts, and many others, fall into this category.

This filter will convert these characters to HTML.


Strip Selected Text HTML

This will remove HTML code from a portion of the text in the selected document window.

Select the text that you want to use, and select the "Strip selected text HTML" option from the "Filters" menu.


Strip All HTML

Selecting this option will cause all the HTML code to be removed from the text in the current document window.


Reformat Selected Paragraphs

Using this option causes all newline characters in selected paragraphs to be removed, except those found in empty lines.  Use the mouse to select paragraphs.

This can make some documents, from which the HTML code has been removed, easier to use with a word processor for further reformatting.


Reformat All Paragraphs

Using this option causes all newline characters in every paragraph in the current document window to be removed, except those found in empty lines.

This can make some documents, from which the HTML code has been removed, easier to use with a word processor for further reformatting.


Strip Extra Newlines

Use of this option will remove extra  blank lines,  often left after HTML code has been removed from text.  This affects all the text in the current document window.


Extract and Display Link URLs

This option extracts, and displays, only the URLs and the live, clickable text found in the current document window.

This is useful, for example, if you want to work with all the links in a file, without being bothered by any of the other text.

Be aware though, that some of the links extracted may be "relative" and are not usable from a file that is accessed from any other disk drive than the one that is on the server from which the HTML file was retrieved.  These should either be edited so that they are proper links, that is, have complete URLs including a server address and full file path, or deleted.

The URLs and associated "clickable" text are listed in "HTML Assistant" URL  format.  The list, as is, or edited, can be saved as an HTML Assistant URL file, using the ".url" suffix.

You can then use HTML Assistant Pro's Automatic Page Creator to very quickly create an HTML document that can be easily perused for links that are of interest.


The "HTML" Menu

Selecting an option from the upper part of this menu, will cause the HTML code, as displayed, to be inserted at the cursor.   These items are duplicated on HTML Assistant Pro's main window tool bars.  They can be handy when the lower tool bar is not visible.

The four characters, "<", ">", "&" and """, on the lower part of the menu require special HTML code in order to be displayed properly.  Clicking on one of these special characters will cause its HTML code to be inserted at the cursor.


The "Command" Menu

Repeat Last Command

Autoinsert Paragraph Marking

Autoinsert Line Breaks

Create Formatted Link

Insert Horizontal Line

Display Standard Document Template

Mark Selected Text as BODY

Mark Selected Text as HEAD

Mark Selected Text as HTML


Repeat Last Command

This option causes the HTML code inserted as a result of the previous command to be redisplayed at the current cursor position.

This duplicates the function of the "Repeat" button on the document window tool bar.


Autoinsert Paragraph Marking

This will insert new paragraph tags ("<P>") wherever a newline is found in the selected text.  Tags will not be inserted on empty lines.


Autoinsert Line Breaks

This will insert line break tags ("<BR>") wherever a newline is found in the selected text.  Tags will not be inserted on empty lines.


Create Formatted Link

This option converts a single line containing a URL, followed by its "Clickable" text, to a formatted  "<A HREF...", link.  The line to be converted must first be selected with the mouse.

For example, the line:

www.nsac.ns.ca/,Agricultural College Site

would be converted to:

<A HREF="www.nsac.ns.ca/">Agricultural College Site</A>

Note the comma (",") separating the URL from the clickable text in the original line.  This is required, unless there is no clickable text.


Insert Horizontal Line

Inserts a "Horizontal Rule" tag ("<HR>") at the cursor.


Display Standard Document Template

Displays the HTML tag pairs that are required for delineating the structure of an HTML document.

The following code is displayed at the cursor position:

<HTML>

<HEAD>

<TITLE> </TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY>

</BODY>

</HTML>


Mark Selected Text as BODY

Encloses selected text with the "body" tag pair, "<BODY></BODY>"


Mark Selected Text as HEAD

Encloses selected text with the "head" tag pair, "<HEAD></HEAD>"


Mark Selected Text as HTML

Encloses selected text with the "HTML" tag pair, "<HTML></HTML>"


The "URL" Menu

Items on this menu relate to editing, extracting and generally working with URLs.

Related Topics:

Create Local File Reference

Autoconvert File to HTML

Edit/Build HTML Assistant URL Files

Automatically Create a Browser Page


Create Local File Reference

Selecting this option brings up a file select dialog. Selecting a file, causes a local file URL to be inserted at the cursor.

For example, selecting the file, "d:\images\picture.gif" will cause the following text to be inserted at the cursor:

file://localhost/d:/images/picture.gif


Autoconvert File to HTML

Selecting this option will bring up a sub menu with options for selecting file types from which URLs and their associated "clickable" text will be automatically converted to HTML text.  The HTML text will be displayed in a document window.

You may convert URLs from Cello Bookmark files, NCSA Mosaic's "Mosaic.ini" file, or HTML Assistant format ".url" files.


Edit/Build HTML Assistant URL Files

Selecting this item from the 'URL' menu brings up a dialog window that permits you to edit and combine commented URLs  from different sources.


Automatically Create a Browser Page

Selecting this option brings up HTML Assistant Pro's "Automatic Page Creator" window.


Tools Overview

HTML Assistant's tools can be accessed by means of  two tool bars at the top of the program's main window.  There is also menu item labeled "HTML" which permits the insertion of HTML tags.  The top tool bar is always visible. The lower one, called the button bar, can be hidden, by clicking the small button marked "T" in the lower right hand corner of the upper tool bar.  The button is a toggle. Clicking again will restore the lower tool bar.

The tools are basically of two types:

Tools that normally involve the selection of text, and which mark the selected text by bracketing it (Type 1 tools.)

Tools that insert HTML elements at the cursor (Type 2 tools.)

The tools accessible on the upper tool bar are, with one exception, Type 1 tools that involve the selection of text.   The exception is the button marked "<P>", which inserts an end-of-paragraph mark at the cursor.

To use the Type 1 tools, highlight the text you wish to select by 'dragging' the text cursor across it.  Then, with the mouse cursor over a tool bar button, press the left mouse button to view a popup menu.  Selecting a menu item (by 'clicking') will cause the appropriate HTML markings to bracket the selected text.

The tools listed on the "HTML" menu are all Type 2 tools which insert HTML markings at the cursor.  'Clicking' on  a menu item will cause the displayed HTML text to be inserted.

There is also a special group of  insertion (Type 2) tools called 'User Tools.'

See also:

The Auto Repeat Function


Using Bracketing (Type 1) Tools

To use the Type 1 tools, highlight the text you wish to select by 'dragging' the text cursor across it.  Selecting a tool bar button (by 'clicking') will cause the appropriate HTML markings to bracket the selected text.

The 'List' tool items work with several lines of text.  Select a few lines of text and try them.

A few Type 1 Tools are a bit more complicated.  They ask for additional text to be added by the user as part the HTML element that they apply. The 'URL Link' tool (associated with the  "Link" button) is one of these. So are the 'Anchor' and 'Image' tools.  Try them to see how they work.


The 'Link' Tool

When the "Link" button is selected, a window pops up asking for selection or entry of a 'URL'.  URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) are instructions for fetching data.  Each URL type has a prefix (as shown in the URL Prefix List box) indicating the kind of data that will be fetched.

As you enter and use URLs in your documents they are saved in memory and appear in the URL list box whenever the URL data entry window pops up.  You may save the contents of this list box to a file, and retrieve the contents of a saved file to the list box by accessing the 'URL File' menu on the URL pop up window.

See Edit/Build URL Files.


Using Insertion (Type 2) Tools

The tools listed on the "HTML" menu are all Type 2 tools which insert HTML markings at the cursor.  The upper tool bar button labeled, "<P>" is also a Type 2 tool.  'Clicking' on  a menu item, or the button, will cause the displayed HTML text to be inserted.

The tools on the lower tool bar are all Type 2 tools.

To keep up with changes in HTML and to permit you to configure the editor to suit your style of working, HTML Assistant Pro provides a special "User Tools" list for your own custom Type 2 tools.

.


User Tools

User Tools are Type 2 (insertion) tools, customized with text provided by the user.

This permits users to create new insertion tools as new HTML tags become available, or to set up text for any purpose, that can quickly be inserted at the cursor position.

An unlimited number (well...almost) of User Tools can be created.  They can be deleted or modified at any time and are automatically saved when exiting the program.

A few user tools are provided with the program package to illustrate what you can do.

The User Tools are displayed in a drop-down list box on the tool bar.  Clicking on an item in the list will cause its text to be inserted at the cursor.

See also:

Creating Tools that Insert an EOL (Carriage Return/Line feed)


Editing User Tools

The User Tools list can be changed by clicking on the 'Edit User Tools...' item in the "Options" menu, or by selecting the small button, labeled "E" (for "Edit"), adjacent to the User Tools list.

Either of these actions will cause an "Edit User Tools" dialog box to appear.

The buttons on the right side of the dialog box, along with the contents of the text box at the top, are used to modify the contents of the User Tools list.  Use the buttons, to delete, insert, append and replace list items (whenever the mouse cursor is passed over it, the function of each button is described on the main window's status bar ).

Click on the "Transfer to user tools list"  button to copy the edited list to the User Tools list on the main window tool bar .  Selecting the "Close" button will cause the edit dialog box to close without altering the User Tools list on the tool bar.  The contents of the edit window's list box will be preserved until you quit the program.

When you exit HTML Assistant, the User Tools in the tool bar list will automatically be saved for use in future editing sessions.


User Tools files

The "File" menu on the "Edit User Tools" dialog permits you to save your lists of User Tools as files, and to reload them for later use.  In this way, you can build sets of special purpose user tools as the need arises.  For example, you might have a set of tools for creating  forms, another for a specialized application that involves tables, etc.  An option in the "File" menu permits you to combine different User Tools files by appending to the list box.

User Tools files have the suffix, ".UT".  A file called "DEFAULT.UT" is automatically loaded to the User Tools list when HTML Assistant starts.  The User Tools list is saved to this file when the program ends.


Creating Tools that Insert an End-of-Line

To create a user defined tool that inserts a carriage-return/linefeed pair (End-Of-Line marker) enter "\n"  -- without the quotation marks --  in the list box item where you want the EOL to be created.

For example to create a tool that inserts an EOL followed by a paragraph mark followed by another EOL you would use the following text in the tool's list box text:

  \n<P>\n


The Auto Repeat Function

To repeat the action of the tool that was last used, simply press the right mouse button or press CTL-R.  This function is also available from the 'Command' menu and as a command button in each file display window.


Autoinsert Paragraph Markings

Found in the 'Command' menu this item will insert new paragraph marks ("<P>") at every End of Line (carriage return-line feed pair) in the selected text.  You must select text for this command to work.

To automatically insert paragraph marks in the whole file, select the 'Select  All' option from the 'Edit' menu, and then use the 'Autoinsert Paragraphs' command.


Printing

The contents of the current edit window may be sent to the default Windows printer by selecting the 'Print' option in the file menu.

This is a simple print routine that transfers the text (as a 'character string') to the printer.  If a line ending with a CR/LF pair is longer than the width of a page, the end of the line will not be visible when printed.

Files that have no CR/LF pairs (i.e., some UNIX files) may appear as a single (truncated) line of text.

For more elaborate print formatting you can use any word processor that will accept standard MS-DOS  or UNIX text files.


Edit/Build URL Files

Selecting this item from the 'URL' menu permits you to edit and combine commented URLs  (URL  is an abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator) from different sources.

For example, you may quickly combine selected URLs from  Cello Bookmark files with other URLs automatically extracted from Mosaic menus and 'Hotlists.'

While perusing news groups, mailing lists, etc., you might cut and paste URLs into text files (with Notepad or HTML Assistant Pro)   and later combine these with  other files.

Of course, once the URLs  and comments from various sources are loaded into the editor's list boxes they may be edited and supplemented with new URLs that are manually typed in.  If they are saved  as HTML Assistant URL files (the default type) they can later be loaded into an edit window for more extensive editing and  reorganization.

You may also convert and save any combination of URLs from any of these sources into a Cello Bookmark file.

See also:

Operation of the URL Editor


Operation of the URL Editor

When the 'Edit/Build URL Files' option is chosen, a window with two list boxes and two text boxes, and some control buttons pops up.

When a file is loaded, any necessary conversions (for Cello bookmark) or extractions (for Mosaic.ini files) are performed, and the list boxes are filled with the URLs from  the file (the files themselves remain unchanged).  One list box contains a list of all the URLs found in the selected file.  The other list box, in corresponding positions in the list, contains comments or descriptions of the URLs in the first box.

You may create your own files  or add to the contents of existing files, by clicking the 'Add New URL' button and entering URLs and Comments into the corresponding text boxes.  When an entry is complete use the 'Accept New URL' control button to save the new data into the list boxes.

Clicking on a data item in either list box causes the URL and its associated comment (if any) to be copied to corresponding text boxes.  The contents of the text boxes may be edited and the changes can be saved.  Clicking the 'Accept Edited Text' button makes the changes part of the file.  Saving the file will make them permanent. You may add and delete URLs and comments by clicking the appropriate control buttons.

Combining Files


Combining Files

Files may be combined by selecting the "Append " option button (displayed between the two list boxes) when a file is to be opened and there is data already in the list boxes.  The new data will be appended to the existing data.

Files are saved as HTML Assistant URL Files unless the 'Save as Cello Bookmark File...' option in the 'File' menu is selected.


Direct Conversion Of Files to HTML Text

By selecting the 'Autoconvert File to HTML' option in the 'URL' menu, HTML Assistant Pro permits you to automatically convert certain files that contain URLs (along with  optional comments or descriptions) directly to HTML text in a new HTML Assistant Pro text editing window.  This is a quick and easy way to build HTML files for editing, testing or browsing.

When a file type is selected (from the popout sub menu) you will be presented with a file selector box from which you may select a file to convert (or you may cancel the operation).

As soon as a file of the appropriate type is selected, the conversion process begins. In a few seconds when conversion is complete  the URLs that were found in the file, now properly converted to HTML text separated by paragraph marks, are automatically inserted into a new text window for further editing or testing.

 You can elect to convert data in the following types of files to HTML :

Cello Bookmark Files (*.bmk files)

HTML Assistant URL Files (*.url files)

Mosaic Initialization Files (*.ini files)


Cello Bookmark files (*.bmk files)

Cello Bookmark files are used by the Cello browser for saving URLs so that browsed documents may be revisited.  They have their own format and their file names usually have the suffix ".bmk".


HTML Assistant URL Files (*.url files)

HTML Assistant URL files are text files containing URLs and, possibly, descriptions or comments.  Each record, or line, in the text file contains a URL optionally followed by a comma (,) and a description.

An uncommented line looks like this:

http://info.cern.ch/example.html

A commented line would look like:

http://info.cern.ch/example.html,Sample Page

Because HTML Assistant Pro can automatically convert these files into an HTML text document, they make an excellent way to store or 'capture' interesting looking URLs for later perusal.

If, for example, while browsing news groups, mailing lists or the World Wide Web itself,  the URL for an interesting looking home page is presented, you can simply 'Copy' the URL from the document and 'Paste' it into a text file using Notepad (or HTML Assistant Pro).  The URL should be saved WITHOUT quotation marks.

If you wish, you may enter a comma (,) after the URL (but before the "Enter" key is pressed), followed by a description or comment which will appear as the 'live' or 'clickable' item in the HTML file when viewed by a browser.  If you don't enter a comment, HTML Assistant Pro will add a copy of the URL (for display as the 'live' selectable item) to the HTML file at conversion time.

Just be sure you press the "Enter" key at the end of each line.  Make sure that the URL and its comment (separated by a comma) appear on one logical line. It may look like two or more lines if the editor window is narrow, but as long as the "Enter" key was pressed only at the end of the URL-Comment combination, the item is  a single record and will be processed properly.


Mosaic Initialization files (Mosaic.ini)

The Mosaic WWW browser uses an initialization file with the name, "Mosaic.ini" for storage of setup parameters.

Included in this file are lists of menu items that contain descriptions and URLs that can be executed by Mosaic when the descriptions on the menus are selected (or 'clicked').

Also included in the file is a 'Hot List' of user selected URLs gathered during browsing expeditions on the Web.  These do not have descriptors associated with them.

The URLs in Mosaic initialization files are what is  converted to HTML text by HTML Assistant Pro.  If the URLs come from menu items their associated menu captions are displayed as the selectable on screen text.  'Hot List' items are displayed with a copy of the stored URL as the on screen text.


What is the Automatic Page Creator?

The Automatic Page Creator supplied with HTML Assistant Pro permits very rapid creation of HTML text pages for use with WWW browser programs.   Minimal knowledge of HTML is required, and an attractive screen with your own selected hypertext links can be created in a matter of seconds.

For those who have access to HTML servers, this makes it quite easy to create pages for others to view.

For active  collectors of information on the World Wide Web, the Automatic Page Creator (as well as HTML Assistant Pro's other features) makes it possible (and easy)  to organize  links to information in ways that make sense to you.  You can select links from different pages and files and combine them into a single page with headings and descriptions of your choice.

You can create  HTML  pages on your local drive and access them from your own 'Home Page'  (which is simply another HTML page you created and keep on your hard drive).  By making effective use of the File Editor/Builder, you can organize links to WWW data by subject, date or just about any way you like, because it is so easy to create a page containing the information that you want on it.  This makes it easy to create presentation pages on any topic for which you have collected links.

Related topics:

Starting the Automatic Page Creator

Using the Automatic Page Creator

Building HTML Displays by Appending New Pages


Starting the Automatic Page Creator

The easiest way to start HTML Assistant Pro's Automatic Page Creator is to 'click' on the button with the picture of the lightning bolt that is on the right hand end of the tool box.

The Automatic Page Creator may also be started from the 'URL' menu by selecting the 'Automatically Create a Browser Page...' item.

Using either option will cause the Automatic Page Creator's screen to appear.

If you start the Automatic Page Creator by accident, simply 'click' the 'Exit' button to close it.

Using the Automatic Page Creator

Related topic:

Using the Automatic Page Creator


Using the Automatic Page Creator

The Automatic Page Creator's screen includes a box with a few  instructions, some text boxes into which you may type information that you want to appear on your new browser page, and some button controls and check boxes.

For the most part the function of these controls is made clear by their adjacent descriptive labels.

The Page Creator uses the information that you enter to create a browser screen with a title, a heading, a subheading, some text (as much as you like), followed by a list of 'clickable' URL s (Uniform Resource Locators that serve as links to more information or other browser screens).

The list of URLs in the HTML page produced by Page Creator comes from a URL file -- either a previously created file, or one that can be created while you are using the Automatic Page Creator.  If you want to have URL links automatically inserted into your file you must provide an HTML Assistant URL file for that purpose.

See "Edit/Build URL Files"

'Clicking' the large button with the lightning bolt on it will cause the HTML text for your screen to be created in an empty text box, and the Page Creator screen will disappear.

It's a good idea to create your own HTML pages and test them with a browser until you understand (and see) what each textbox and button on the Page Creator screen does.  You will have to save the text as a file before you can test it.

If you don't want to keep it, close the window with the HTML text in it and try again -- saving the new text to the same file as you did before (usually something like 'TEST.HTM').

Building HTML Displays by Appending New Pages


Building HTML Displays by Appending New Pages

More complex HTML pages can be built by taking advantage of the Page Creator's "Append to previous page" feature.

The Page Creator keeps an internal copy of the last page it created.  When the 'Append...' check box is selected it creates a new page which consists of the stored last page plus the new one.  It copies the combined result into a new text window.

This means that if you edit the text box with the previous page in it, and then choose to append a new page, the edited contents of the text box will not appear when the new page is added to the old.  The original, unedited text will be used, and the new page will be appended to that.  This is necessary to ensure that the HTML markings on the original text remain syntactically correct so the new text can be properly inserted.

Because it ignores blank (empty) text boxes, Page Creator permits you to create your own page design by adding new material to the contents of the page it previously created.  (Text in the 'Title' text box is ignored when a page is appended -- the original title is always used.) This means, for example, that you could create a page with headers and a list of URLs, and by appending a page with only descriptive text, end your browser page with that text.  You can append pages as many times as you like, as long as you don't exceed the (for now) 32K byte text size limitation.

If you don't like the result of an append page operation you may bring up the Page Creator window and use the 'Undo last append' command button to remove it.

Remember that each Create, Append or Undo operation opens a new text window.  For that reason you should periodically delete the windows that are no longer useful.  This keeps the screen uncluttered and conserves Windows resources.  While this is sometimes inconvenient, it ensures that you have an opportunity to review and save your work at any stage.


Using a WWW Browser for Testing

HTML Assistant Pro permits you to display your HTML annotated file (without leaving HTML Assistant Pro) with any browser that will permit the use of the name of a file on a local disk as a startup file.

If you click on the 'Test' button in an edit window or select the 'Test' option from the 'File' menu, you will be led through a process which includes selecting your test program and  saving its name for future use.

The 'Test' function uses the last saved version of your file. If your file has changed since you saved it last, you will be given an opportunity to save it before testing.

Alternatively, you may select the 'Autosave Before Testing' feature in the 'Options' menu, and your file will be saved automatically.

The 'Test' button or menu option will be disabled if the active file is a new file and you have not yet saved it.  You must always save a new file at least once before you can test it.

To test the program, HTML Assistant Pro simply runs the program you designate as your test program, with the full path and file name of the active edit file in the command line.  Therefore, for the test to work, the browser you use must be able to use a local file specified on the command line as its startup file.

You also need to be concerned with  where your test program expects to find configuration files, initialization data, etc.  We have sometimes found it necessary to copy some or all of these files to HTML Assistant Pro's home directory or to the directory where the files to be tested reside.

We find that Cello and Mosaic (Version 2 or later) work well as test programs. HTML Assistant Pro can take advantage of Cello's Dynamic Data Exchange capability.   You can easily try other browsers as they become available.


Using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) with a Browser

Use of DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) with a test browser permits relatively smooth back and forth transitions from HTML Assistant Pro to the browser and vice versa.  It eliminates the need to close and restart the test browser each time you want to test a file.

If you are using Cello as your  test browser, HTML Assistant Pro gives you the option of using DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) to send Cello the name of the HTML file you want to test.  If Cello is not loaded, HTML Assistant Pro loads it.  Once Cello is loaded and you do not close it, it will not have to be reopened whenever you want to test a file.  Each time you select the item in the File menu for testing using DDE, the name of the file you are testing is sent to Cello and it becomes the active, topmost application.

When using DDE, Cello does not always refresh itself if your file has changed.  That is, changes in your HTML text will not always be immediately seen when you invoke Cello.  If that happens click the 'Reload Document' option in Cello's file menu to ensure that you are viewing the latest saved version of your HTML file.

Clicking on the small 'Return to HTML Assistant Pro' box in the lower right  corner of Cello's window will return you to HTML Assistant Pro without closing Cello.

The default test mode is DDE off.  To set the DDE option on, go to the 'Options'  menu and click on the DDE option.  You can tell it has been selected if it is checked.  That's all there is to it.   If you run into problems with DDE, go back to the Options menu and click it again to deselect it and return to the test mode without DDE.

If other browsers permit DDE, HTML Assistant Pro's DDE capability will be updated to work with them.