                         INTRADOS 1.2
              INTRANET HTML TEXT BROWER FOR DOS
                (c) 1997 Charles M. Cork, III
                                               Revised 1997/11/28
Contents
1.  Introduction
2.  Key Features
3.  Recommended System
4.  Recommended Setup Procedure on a Network
5.  Launching IntraDOS
6.  Navigating/Exploring by Links
7.  Selecting Options
8.  Included Files
9.  Known Limitations
10. Upgrading from IntraDOS 1.1
11. Registration
12. Redistribution Limitations

1. Introduction
---------------

IntraDOS is an HTML browser for DOS-based PCs, primarily for 
office intranets and other hypertext needs.  It is not a web 
browser, but it attempts to duplicate many features of 
popular web browsers for documents that are written in HTML and 
available on a PC's hard drive or network, while using under 
280K of RAM.  I developed it so that 386 PCs in my office could 
share the same intranet resources with the Windows Pentiums 
quickly and easily and so that I did not need to implement 
two sets of hypertext documents.


2. Key Features
---------------

DOS-file system support.
    Unlike other DOS-based HTML browsers, IntraDOS recognizes the
    DOS file structure (e.g., c:\htm\file.htm) as well as the 
    internet standard (e.g., file:///c:\htm\file.htm).  This will 
    be easier for intranet administrators to code.

Imitation of Leading Windows Browers.
    IntraDOS attempts to mimic the operations of leading Windows
    web browsers to the extent that a text-based program can 
    do so. Back, Ahead, and Home menu options function like the 
    buttons on popular browsers.  Standard Windows keystrokes 
    apply (Home, End, Ctrl+Home, Ctrl+End), and scrollbars can 
    be used as in Windows. Search for text with Ctrl+F, and 
    repeat the search with F3.

Keystroke support.
    IntraDOS allows the mouseless user (and the dwindling number
    of us who continue to think that the keyboard is faster) to 
    select links without a mouse by using the TAB key (or 
    Shift+TAB to go in the reverse direction).  Menu items 
    (e.g., the Back button) are activated by pressing Alt+ 
    an accelerator key (e.g., Alt+B to go back).

Color coding of HTML tags.
    Bold, italic, and H1 to H6 tags are color coded, as are 
    links. Users can now set their preferences as to how
    those colors will be displayed.

Tables support.
    Unlike any other DOS browser I've seen, IntraDOS supports 
    basic tables (but not tables within tables) in text mode. 
    (I've seen only one other DOS program that supports tables 
    in graphics mode, but it was too slow rendering the tables 
    on old PCs.)

Jumping to Name Anchors.
    Unlike other DOS browsers, IntraDOS fully supports jumping 
    to name anchors (e.g, c:\htm\index.htm#nameanchor), even if 
    the anchor is in a file other than the current one.

Stockpile of pre-parsed files.
    Because IntraDOS attempts to implement many formatting codes,
    parsing large HTML files can be slow on a 386 machine.  
    Therefore, IntraDOS gives the user an option to save the 
    parsed file in a stockpile (formerly called a registry) so 
    that the same file does not need to be parsed again (unless 
    it is updated, which IntraDOS checks automatically).  A 386 
    machine reading a long pre-parsed file from the stockpile 
    can display it about as quickly as a Windows browser on a 
    Pentium can parse it and display it.  (See statistics below.)

    By default, IntraDOS does not save files in the stockpile, 
    though the user can set the program to save the files 
    automatically or to force the user to make a decision about 
    saving each file. The user can also save files in the 
    stockpile at-will.

My philosophy: The DOS machines may be dinosaurs, but they should 
still not die prematurely.  Don't junk them just to give all your 
users access to an Intranet.


3. Recommended System
---------------------

IntraDOS has been extensively tested on my office's 386 machines
running MS-DOS 5.0 with VGA monitors.  Anything better is great.
I haven't tested the program on other monitors, on slower 
processors, or earlier versions of DOS.  If you experience 
problems with those systems, please feel free to let me know, 
though I cannot guarantee that I can help.

Here are some performance statistics for our office intranet. 
Your mileage may vary.  Times are in seconds.  Using IntraDOS, 
the first column is the time it took to parse and show the file
(2 386 PCs were used, thus the variation); the second is the time 
it took to read a pre-parsed file from the registry. Using MSIE, 
the first number is the time it took to link to the file; the 
second is the time it took using the back/forward buttons.

                             IntraDOS        IntraDOS     MSIE
Files               Bytes    386             Pentium      Pentium
                             16MHz           75MHz        75MHz
-----------------  ------    -------------   ----------   ----------
Startup File
(Program startup    2,713    5-6     3       <2    <1      4-11  NA
time included)
-----------------  ------    -------------   ----------   ----------
File 1              5,995    4-6     1       1     <1      2    <1
File 2             12,645    7-10    1-2     1.5   <1      2+   <1
File 3             17,093    9-14    1-2     2     <1      2.5  <1
File 4             32,144    18-24   2-3     <3    <1      <3   <1
File 5             50,276    25-36   2-3     <4    <1      3    <1

These statistics show the improvement that pre-parsing files can 
make. 


4. Recommended setup procedure on a network
-------------------------------------------

1. Place the program file IntraDOS.EXE in a directory on your 
     network server (e.g., X:\INTRADOS) accessible to those with 
     DOS machines who will use it.  This directory will store:
     (a) The online help file (ID-Help.htm).
     (b) The registration information file (IDReg.cfg) when the
         program is registered.
     (c) Individual user setup files recording color and other
         selections (ID-abc.cfg).
   NOTE 1: Thus users need to have creation and deletion rights in 
     the directory.
   NOTE 2: The Help File can be changed by the menu under File, 
     Setup, Help File.

2. Prepare one or more appropriate start-up files (home pages) 
     for network users.  Since this program allows the network 
     administrator to call any file as a start-up file, he/she 
     can set the browser to start with different files that are 
     appropriate to different contexts in the office setting.

3. Put your (users') startup HTML file(s) in a public directory.
     This directory can be, but need not be, the same as the
     directory containing the program files.  This directory 
     will store certain files generated by IntraDOS:
     (a) Temporary files as users parse HTML files on the 
         intranet of the form $abc.1 (2,3,4, etc.). These are
         deleted by normal program termination.
     (b) A database file listing files in the permanent stockpile
         known as IDPF.lst.
     (c) Preparsed files that are stockpiled, in the form 
         IDPF.1 (2,3,4, etc.)
   NOTE 1: Because IntraDOS places temporary files in this 
     directory, users need to have read, write, create, and 
     delete rights in this directory. If the network 
     administrator wishes to give read-only access to certain 
     files, those should be placed in a separate directory where 
     users have limited rights.
   NOTE 2: The location of temporary files can be changed by 
     the menu under File, Setup, Location of Temporary Files.

4. If not already done, each user should have his/her 
     environmental variable USER set to three letters 
     (initials).  To avoid conflicts, the initials should be 
     unique.  Most users on a network have this variable 
     set at the time of logging in to the network.

5. The administrator should preview all the files on the intranet
     with IntraDOS on a fast machine and save at least the large 
     ones (if not all files) in the permanent stockpile, so that
     users on slow machines can view the files quickly.


5. Launching the program
------------------------

You can start IntraDOS by the command line or by a batch file. 
IntraDOS will open a startup HTML file as follows:

1. A startup file appearing as a command line argument.  For 
   example, the command line

     Intrados x:\public\html\begfile.htm

   will attempt to display begfile.htm in the x:\public\html
   directory.

2. If there is no file listed as a command line argument,
   IntraDOS will open a file that has been specified in the
   menu under File, Setup, Start-up File.

3. If 1 and 2 do not apply, IntraDOS will open the first file
   in the current directory that it finds with the name of 
   "Home.HTM," "Index.HTM," or "Index~1.HTM" (the last being 
   the DOS-name typically imposed on the file that Windows95 
   treats as "Index.HTML").

4. If 1, 2 and 3 do not apply, IntraDOS will open a dialog box
   for the user to select a file.

Here are some sample batch files for launching IntraDOS:

1. Where the network has set the user variable, the startup file
is called Home.HTM and is located in the same directory with
IntraDOS.EXE:
    x:
    cd\Intrados
    IntraDOS

2. Same, but the startup file is located elsewhere:
    x:
    cd\Intrados
    IntraDOS x:\public\html\startup.htm

3. Where the user needs to start in the HTML directory and
IntraDOS is in the user's PATH.
    x:
    cd\public\html
    IntraDOS startup.htm

4. Same, but IntraDOS is not in the user's path.
    x:
    cd\public\html
    x:\intrados\IntraDOS startup.htm

5. Same a #3, but the USER variable has not been set by the network
software:
    SET USER=ABC
    x:
    cd\public\html
    IntraDOS startup.htm
    SET USER=


6. Navigating/Exploring via Hypertext Links
-------------------------------------------

As with other browsers, a user can move through the information 
system by activating links.  In IntraDOS, the links appear in 
yellow.  A link does not change color after a user has activated 
a link.

Like popular Windows-based browsers, a user may follow hypertext 
links by clicking on them with a mouse or (more laboriously) by 
typing the target file name.

Unlike the Windows-based browsers, IntraDOS allows a user to 
follow a link without a mouse by means of the TAB key.  To 
select a link, press TAB until the desired link is highlighted 
(or Shift+TAB to cycle through the links in the reverse 
direction).  Then, the user presses ENTER to activate the link.  
If you scroll so that the active link is out of view, IntraDOS 
interprets a TAB as calling for the first link on the screen 
rather than the next link in order.


7. Selecting Options
--------------------

Screen Colors.
  Users may set default color preferences by clicking the menu
  under "File, Setup, Colors."  The currently selected colors are
  shown. The user can experiment with the color scheme by 
  clicking the menu item "Change," selecting a screen display
  item to change, and scrolling up and down the color list box
  until a suitable color scheme is selected for each item.

  The user can save the color changes by clicking the "Save"
  button and exiting, or disregard the changes by exiting without
  saving.

Stockpile of Pre-parsed Files.
  This option, which will be of importance mainly to the intranet
  administrator, allows the automatic saving of pre-parsed files
  to a "stockpile," a permanent cache, which improves performance
  on the intranet, particularly for slower PCs.

  By default, no files are automatically saved to the stockpile.
  The user may add files to the stockpile only by clicking the 
  "File, Stockpile Permanently" option (Ctrl+P).

  The user can change the default by clicking on "File, Setup" 
  and selecting whether to save all automatically, or to force 
  the user to decide on each file.  

  If you create more than one start-up home pages on different
  directories, stockpiled files will be left in the different
  directories. This will not be a problem if there is little
  overlap between the two sets of files, but if there is a 
  significant overlap, it would be better to keep all start-up
  home pages in the same directory.


8. Included Files
-----------------

IntraDOS.EXE  The program file
IntraDOS.ICO  An icon for Windows, just in case
Home.HTM      A sample start-up file
ID-Help.HTM   A help file for using IntraDOS
ReadMe.HTM    This file in HTML
README.TXT    This file in ASCII Text
HTMLTags.TXT  A file listing the HTML tags handled by IntraDOS


9. Known Limitations
--------------------

As with any other browser, with sufficient ingenuity (or 
sufficient sloppiness) one can write a page in HTML that will 
confound IntraDOS. In testing this on many, many files drawn 
from the internet, I've found huge numbers of badly written HTML 
files.  I have attempted to do a lot of error trapping in 
IntraDOS, but it is impossible to catch them all.  This browser 
should be able to represent any moderately well-formulated 
ordinary page of HTML, but I cannot guarantee that all pages 
can be parsed or that, if parsed, all original data appears
on them.  Again, this is true for any browser.

Here are some of the more important known limitations:

Not a Web Browser
  You cannot use IntraDOS to access the internet, and it does not 
  work with a modem.  The HTML files must be available on the 
  user's hard drive or network. Within IntraDOS's other 
  limitations, HTML files on the internet can be saved and used 
  in the office network.

Look/Feel
  IntraDOS does not support images (which are marked by ).
  Extended or "special" characters are displayed based on the
    ASCII character set rather than the Windows set. Thus the
    image marker (above) appears as the Greek letter phi in 
    IntraDOS, but as e-grave in Windows.
  Colors are limited to 16 and cannot be changed by coding the 
    HTML page. Thus links have one color (yellow) whether one 
    has used them or not. The user can select a preferred color 
    for the background, normal foreground, bold, italics, and 
    H1 to H6 tags.
  Only one font and font size are available.  Emphasis can be
    accomplished only by codes such as <B>, <I>, <H1>, etc.
    Codes such as <Font size=+1> affect only the color of the
    text.
  Frames are not supported.  Network administrators should have
    IntraDOS users link to the most informative frame page.

Size of Files
  IntraDOS will not handle a file that generates a screen length
    longer than 32,000 lines or wider than 32,000 characters.
    I have loaded pages with over 200 links and had no memory 
    problems, but there is some ultimate limit on the number of 
    links that a page can have.

Lists
  Bullet-like characters in all lists are standardized by the 
    program, not established by the HTML author.
  Nesting of lists (<UL> and <OL>) is supported up to 9 levels
    and only so far as the left margin is less than 50% of the
    space available for text (i.e., fewer levels in a table).
    Attempts to make deeper levels of nesting will yield 
    unpredictable results.
  Due to formatting limitations, numeric ordered lists will
    start over at 1 after 99, and alphabetical ordered lists 
    greater than 26 (a-z or A-Z) will repeat. For the same reason, 
    Roman numerals are not supported in ordered lists.

Tables
  Nesting of tables, i.e., one table within another, is not 
    supported and will yield unpredictable results.
  Tables wider than the screen are not supported, and will yield
    unpredictable results.  Therefore, tables with many columns 
    are also problematic, since space must be allowed for the 
    cell walls and  text in each. For example, a table of eight 
    columns will leave about six letters per cell.
    One less than ideal solution is to use <PRE> and </PRE> tags 
    and place a preformatted table between them.
  Tables narrower than the screen are expanded to fill the screen.
    Thus, text set to appear on either side of a table, but not
    within it, will appear elsewhere.
  Tables with about 32,000 characters may cause unpredictable 
    results. Tables whose cells exceed 16,000 characters may 
    cause unpredicable results.
    Solution: Break up your tables/cells into smaller 
    tables/cells.
  In tables with different numbers of cells per row, cells are 
    filled with data from left to right.  Thus some unusual 
    configurations of tables are not supported.
  Special formatting of tables, such as combining cells and 
    cellpadding, is unsupported.  Borders are either off 
    (invisible) or on (single line around each cell).
  Because of line width limitations, column widths are calculated 
    without regard to command arguments such as <TD width=60%>.


10. Upgrading from IntraDOS 1.1
-------------------------------

Those upgrading from IntraDOS 1.1 will have much the same look 
  and feel, except that the existing registry of pre-parsed files 
  will not work because of the color changes.
  Therefore, delete the prior IntraDOS.lst file and all 
  IDPF.* files.
Customizability. Users can set their default colors and locations
  of key files.
Stockpile (formerly called Registry). The user is no longer
  forced to choose whether to stockpile automatically. Manual
  stockpiling at any time is allowed. This enhances usability.
More HTML tags allowed. IntraDOS now handles more HTML codes
  such as <FONT SIZE=+x>, BIG, SMALL, SUP, SUB, SAMP; 
  <HR Width=xx%> <P align=center>; <IMG Alt="Text">; 
  and others that the prior version did not handle.
Faster rendering of HTML pages. The rendering algorithm was
  extensively re-worked to cut wasteful cycles and render HTML
  codes faster.
More accurate rendering. In addition, the rendering algorithm
  was re-conceived so that it would handle all cases more accurately.
  Problems had been observed with unusual cases of various levels of 
  (nested) lists and links within tables.
Text file wrapping. IntraDOS now wraps text files automatically,
  thus handling the situation in which the text files were created 
  without carriage return-line feed combinations for each line.


11. Registration
----------------

This program is shareware.  If you wish to use it beyond a 30 day 
trial period, please register your version.  Registration is $35 
for a stand-alone computer, $15 for each additional computer on 
a local networks, with a maximum fee for an entire local area 
network of $80.  

Certain discounts also apply:

Ministries that are engaged in 
full-time relief of the poor...........free

Religious organizations and
organizations that engage in
substantial work on behalf
of the poor............................$5

Other charities........................$15   single computer
                                       $25   2-5 computers on a network
                                       $40   6+ computers

Register by sending a check or money order to:

   Charles M. Cork, III
   P. O. Box 6897
   Macon, Georgia 31208-6897

Please include your name, your business's name (if applicable), 
your mailing address, and your e-mail address.  By return e-mail 
or mail, you will get registration information.

Beyond the satisfaction of doing the right thing and making the
registration request at the end of the program disappear, 
registration will entitle you to notifications of upgrades 
(free to registered users, unless the upgrade is really colossal) 
and to such support as I may be able to give via e-mail to 
ccork000@counsel.com.


12. Redistribution Limitations
------------------------------

The unregistered version of IntraDOS may be freely distributed by
any means so long as no files are altered, added or deleted.

A registered user of IntraDOS at the $80 level may freely 
distribute the program without alteration, except that the 
Home.HTM file may be altered and other files may be added.  
This will allow a registered user to provide an off-line reader 
of the user's HTML materials.


                        IntraDOS

I hope that you find IntraDOS useful and worth the cost.
Charles Cork, ccork000@counsel.com
