2.5 Configuring your Web browser

Contents

Index

2.5 Configuring your Web browser

Before using the BSCW server, please check the configuration of your Web browser.

The browser should always contact the BSCW server before using pages from its cache.
In Netscape version 4.7 and up, select
“Edit” > “Preferences” > “Advanced” > “Cache” > “Every time”
In MS Internet Explorer version 5.5 and up, select
“Tools” > “Internet Options” > “General” > “Temporary Internet files” > “Settings” > “Every visit to the page”
Depending on your browser version, the procedure to set these options may be slightly different.
When using MS Internet Explorer you should disable the feature
“Tools” > “Internet Options” > “Advanced” > “Browsing” > “Show friendly HTTP error messages”.
Otherwise Internet Explorer may display meaningless error messages.
Make sure that the clock on your computer is set correctly. Otherwise synchronization between the BSCW server and pages in your local cache will not work correctly.
In order to use the JavaScript-enhanced user interface (see 4.2.1.1), your Web browser has to be configured so that JavaScript is activated and cookies are accepted.

The following BSCW extensions are implemented as Java applets:

JUploader applet and drag & drop uploader — upload helpers for convenient file upload (see 4.2.2 and 9.4),
JMonitor — the synchronous group awareness tool (see 12.1),
Briefcase — a tool that synchronizes BSCW objects with your local file system (see 9.6).

If you want to install and use one of these extensions, your Web browser must be configured to interpret JavaScript and to run Java applets which are installed locally. How these options are set in your browser, varies between platforms and browsers. Please consult your Web browser’s manual for more information.

As long as the documents that you download from your workspaces can be displayed by your Web browser (with the help of any plug-ins you may have installed), you do not need to change your browser’s configuration in order to use BSCW.

If, however, you want to exchange documents in proprietary formats (e.g. WordPerfect, Excel, Photoshop etc.) with other members of your workspaces, you should tailor the configuration of your browser as follows. All files that BSCW sends to your browser carry an explicit MIME type. Instruct your browser to link the MIME types relevant to you to a certain action, e.g. starting a program that opens and displays the file just transferred. How you proceed to this effect varies between platforms and browsers. Please consult your browser’s manual for more information.

If you do not configure your Web browser in the way indicated, the download of files that cannot be handled will produce a prompt asking you which program to use. More recent browser versions will usually allow you to establish a link between the MIME type of the present file and the program to be used ‘on the fly’. This link will then be applied to the next file with the same MIME type.

Contents

Index

	Help

Contents Index

2.5 Configuring your Web browser Before using the BSCW server, please check the configuration of your Web browser. The browser should always contact the BSCW server before using pages from its cache. In Netscape version 4.7 and up, select “Edit” > “Preferences” > “Advanced” > “Cache” > “Every time” In MS Internet Explorer version 5.5 and up, select “Tools” > “Internet Options” > “General” > “Temporary Internet files” > “Settings” > “Every visit to the page” Depending on your browser version, the procedure to set these options may be slightly different. When using MS Internet Explorer you should disable the feature “Tools” > “Internet Options” > “Advanced” > “Browsing” > “Show friendly HTTP error messages”. Otherwise Internet Explorer may display meaningless error messages. Make sure that the clock on your computer is set correctly. Otherwise synchronization between the BSCW server and pages in your local cache will not work correctly. In order to use the JavaScript-enhanced user interface (see 4.2.1.1), your Web browser has to be configured so that JavaScript is activated and cookies are accepted. The following BSCW extensions are implemented as Java applets: JUploader applet and drag & drop uploader — upload helpers for convenient file upload (see 4.2.2 and 9.4), JMonitor — the synchronous group awareness tool (see 12.1), Briefcase — a tool that synchronizes BSCW objects with your local file system (see 9.6). If you want to install and use one of these extensions, your Web browser must be configured to interpret JavaScript and to run Java applets which are installed locally. How these options are set in your browser, varies between platforms and browsers. Please consult your Web browser’s manual for more information. As long as the documents that you download from your workspaces can be displayed by your Web browser (with the help of any plug-ins you may have installed), you do not need to change your browser’s configuration in order to use BSCW. If, however, you want to exchange documents in proprietary formats (e.g. WordPerfect, Excel, Photoshop etc.) with other members of your workspaces, you should tailor the configuration of your browser as follows. All files that BSCW sends to your browser carry an explicit MIME type. Instruct your browser to link the MIME types relevant to you to a certain action, e.g. starting a program that opens and displays the file just transferred. How you proceed to this effect varies between platforms and browsers. Please consult your browser’s manual for more information. If you do not configure your Web browser in the way indicated, the download of files that cannot be handled will produce a prompt asking you which program to use. More recent browser versions will usually allow you to establish a link between the MIME type of the present file and the program to be used ‘on the fly’. This link will then be applied to the next file with the same MIME type.

Contents Index