FAQ: Web, FTP: Answers List

Q: What level of the HTML standard does the Cyberdog web browser support? 1.0, 2.0, 3.0?

A: Cyberdog supports HTML 2.0 plus the following from the HTML 3.0 draft:

Image width and height
Backgrounds
Tables

Q: How do I open a local .html file as a web page, instead of as a text document?

A: Get the "OpenFileService", from Christopher Cotton. This gives you a menu item (in the Cyberdog menu) for opening local files.

A: Also, you can simply drag and drop files with the appropriate extensions (.html, .jpg, .gif) either to an open browser window to view them, or to a Notebook to create a CyberItem linked to the file -- which is double-clickable for opening in Cyberdog.

A: There's also a small script application that you can download for use as a "Helper Application" to make Cybie open files, and to properly deal with URL's that other programs try to send it for viewing. It's called DocOpener (previously CODH, Cyberdog Open Document Helper) and will be available from the Dog Bones page soon.

A: You can also type in the entire file path and name (file:///harddrivename/foldername/file.html). (Thanks again, Kevin Avoy).

Q: Why do some pages look so bad in Cyberdog?

A: Usually the answer is that the pages' authors did not write their HTML properly. But, there are a few problems that are actually Cyberdog's fault.

I will add descriptions of errors that are page authors' fault and of ones that are Cyberdog's fault at a later time.

Q: Does the web tool support JPEG images?

A: Yes.

Q: Then why can't I see JPEG's on some sites, that I can see fine with <insert other browser here>?

A: I'd be willing to bet you money (not much though, since I'm broke) that the file is actually a "Progressive JPEG". Cyberdog's graphics engine can't handle these files. (It will handle progressive GIF's, however they aren't displayed progressively, but rather all at once.)

This is also the reason that some jpegs (again, in Progressive JPEG format) from "binaries" newsgroups are determined to be "corrupt" (insert alt.binaries newsgroup joke here) by CD when you try to open them.

This is something slated for a fix in Cyberdog 3...whoops!

Q: How do I stop Cyberdog from loading images?

A: There is no setting for this in Cyberdog, sadly. Fortunately, there is a Control Panel called WebFree that works quite well for blocking images, as well as other tags that you can do without.

If the above link does not work, then they have probably released an updated version. It should be in

this Info-Mac directory if so.

Q: Does Cyberdog support the <EMBED> tag?

A: Yes, Cyberdog 1.1 (and above) supports the <EMBED> tag. With it, Cyberdog can view Plug-Ins, Java applets and other Cyberdog browsers inside the web viewer.

Q: Does Cyberdog support the Blink tag?

A: Yes, Cyberdog displays <BLINK> text in the outline style of text.

Q: Does it support any Netscape extensions? Are there any HTML extensions made specifically for Cyberdog?

A: We support the following Netscape additions:

Horizontal Rule: size, width, align, and no shade
List bullet: shapes, numbering styles, and start value.
Font size (base font too)
Centering
Background, text, and link colors.
Mnemonic entity names: ®, ©, ™,  , <, >

A: The Cyberdog web browser has no special extensions.

(However, its support of the EMBED tag is more capable than with most other browsers.)

Q: Can "Cybie" use all those wonderful Netscape Plug-Ins?

A: Yes. Well, most of them anyway. Cyberdog does require an add-on Editor to use Plug-Ins though. It's called the Internet Plug-In Viewer (IPIV for short), and you can find it on the Dog Bones page.

Q: Can Cyberdog run Java applets?

A: Yes.

Q: What other items do I need to run Java in Cyberdog?

A: To use Java in Cyberdog, you need the following:

Macintosh Runtime for Java (MRJ) -- Version 2.1.2 (or above) is recommended for PPC users.
The Apple Applet Viewer -- An OpenDoc Java viewer from the 1.5.1 distribution of MRJ.
... and a fast machine -- Since Java is always slow in any browser.

Q: How do I get Java to work?

A: Make sure you have Macintosh Runtime for Java and the Apple Applet Viewer installed on your machine.

A: If you do, and it still doesn't work, make sure that you have Java enabled in your Cyberdog preferences, under the "Web" preferences.

A: If it still doesn't work, try resizing the window a bit. Don't ask me why this shakes things loose occasionally, but it can (especially with the old MRJ version 1.5-final), and it's hard to argue with success.

Q: Can Cyberdog handle JavaScript?

A: No.

Q: Is there any way to work around this limitation?

A: Yes. You can setup a backup browser for use on those pages that use JavaScript (or are otherwise optimized for the "Big Two"). You can then use Rapid-I Bookmarks to load particular pages in your choice of alternative browser via a simple menu command.

Q: So, what exactly is the difference between Java and JavaScript?

A: Java is a "platform-independant" programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. That means it is intended to run equally well on a Windows/Intel computer, a Macintosh, a UNIX variant, and a Java capable key-card (as examples).

So, it's programs are distributed in source code format, so that they can be compiled at "runtime" (i.e. just at the time they are executed by the user).

A: JavaScript, however, is not a programming language. It is a scripting language (from Netscape), meant for use in making HTML pages do certain things in your browser without your interaction, or doing additional actions triggered by your interaction.

Common examples are the annoying (and now rarely found) browser status field displays of messages and (the stupid) use of JS to check if your browser can do JS. ("Okay, I'm running a script that asks if I can run a script?... Duh!")

Other less annoying, but equally useless, scripts change the appearance of items (such as images) when you move the mouse over them. -- Boring and it just slows you down.

A: Anyway, if you hadn't noticed, I have some (not tons, but a reasonable amount) of respect for Java... but absolutely none at all (!!) for JavaScript.

Q: How can I drag multiple links from web pages into a notebook or the Finder, as mentioned in the release notes?

A: Easily! While in Cyberdog, use the URL connection panel and connect to a website that you know has a lot of links on it, Yahoo! for example. Then, simply select ALL of the links you want to move into your Notebook. Then, drag that block of selected text to your Notebook and watch what happens. Voila! If you want all of those items, but just not in you current notebook. Drag that block of text to the Finder. Cyberdog will make a new notebook for you with all of those items in it!

Q: Can I connect to a secure server when my proxy service is enabled?

A: No. First go to your preference panel and turn off your proxy, and then reconnect to the secure server.

Q: How do I upload something to an FTP Server?

A: Simply drag the file into the FTP window or a folder icon after connecting to the server.

A: You can also use the Put File on Server menu item to upload to an active FTP browser.

Q: Can I rename things on an FTP server? How about delete? And can I move things as well?

A: You can do all of these things as long as you have the correct permissions on that server.

To rename a file simply select the item and use the Rename menu item.
To delete a file, select the item and use the delete key or the Delete menu item.
To move a file, drag it to the appropriate place and drop it.

Q: Every time I try to upload something to an FTP server, it BinHexes it even when I don't want it to, say for text files with HTML or pictures?

A: Cyberdog BinHexes any file that is not "flat", meaning any file that has a resource fork. To work around this, make sure that the files you are trying to upload do not contain a resource fork.

A work around I use when uploading pictures that have resource forks is to use the file:/// URL in the Cyberdog Connect-To dialog to open the picture into the Cyberdog picture viewer and then I Save a Copy as Generic File and Cyberdog will save it as the file type indicated in Internet Config for that extension -- without a resource.

Q: Does Cyberdog support Passive FTP?

A: Yes it does. Check in the FTP Preferences Panel.

Q: When I FTP why is my password displayed in the URL, and why does FTP show up in the web browser window?

A: These are both the side effects of using a Cern Proxy server in your firewall preferences. Proxy serves information in HTML format, thus we display it in the web browser. The reason your password is displayed in the URL field is because that's the real URL. We could put up a "fake" URL but we haven't yet decided whether or not that's the right thing to do.

A work around for Q1 would be to enter the site (and path) and user name in the Connect dialog, but NOT your password. You will be prompted for your password upon connection and it wont be displayed in the URL.

A work around for Q2 would be to use one of the other firewall options - SOCKS or Passive, if you can. I'd recommend turning on passive support under FTP preferences as it's the fastest and most transparent option.

Last updated: 2000.2.5; 18:21:09 by James A. Baker.
Direct your comments to <spider@cyberdog.org>.