Index
Browse98 Help Topics

Overview:   A general description of the entire program.

Screen Components:   The frames and controls which display the user interface.

Browser Frames:   Two separate Browser controls can Hyperlink to each other.

ComboBoxes and Radio Buttons:   Manages your Active Connections.

Grid Control:   Displays the Records in your Websites Database.

Groups:   Records may be organized into different categories.

Batch Navigations:   Pre-selected Records may be Navigated as a group.

Import IE Favorites:   Creating Records from Internet Explorer Bookmarks.

Misc. Functions:   Data Files, HTML Files, Printing, and Timeout Length.

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Although this program does not include technical support, you may send comments to the author at the following Email address: browse98@ftppro.com

Our Website is located at: http://www.ftppro.com/browse98.htm


Overview
Browse98 Overview

While reading this Overview, you may click onto any underlined Hyperlink to view a complete description of that particular Topic. The Index contains an alphabetical list of all the Topics contained within this Help File.

Before using Browse98, you must first establish a connection between your computer and the internet.

Browse98 displays Multiple Websites on one screen, while connecting to up to 200 Active URL addresses at once. You may Import your Internet Explorer Bookmarks into a Favorite Websites Database, and Pre-select sites that will be navigated as a group.

200 Active URL Connections: Rather than continually going Back and Forward, you can retain an Active Connection with many Websites at once. While a Search Engine is anchored on one Browser, clicking a hyperlink will cause the navigation to occur on a separate Browser.

Website Database: Each Website Record includes a Group, Title, URL, and Remarks. The Database is displayed on a Grid, where Website Records may be Added, Deleted, Edited, Copied, Moved, or Found.

Pre-selected Navigation: Any group of Website Records may be navigated as a batch, so you can perform other tasks on your computer while you are waiting.

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A Tutorial will be displayed the first time you run Browse98. You should print the Tutorial (by clicking the Print button directly above it on the screen), as a different site will be displayed on that Browser while you are following the Tutorial's examples.


Screen Components

The Browse98 program screen is comprised of the following components:

1. Title Bar: The uppermost row on the screen will display the following information:

Browse98 - {Filename}:  {Browser #1 Title};  {Browser #2 Title}

For example, if you had just Opened a file named MySites.bro, and Browser #1 contained Yahoo, and Browser #2 contained Infoseek, then the Title Bar would display:

Browse98 - MySites: Yahoo; Infoseek

2. Menu Bar: Located directly beneath the Title Bar, the first three Pulldown Menus (File, Edit, and Navigate) will display all of the program's features, and their Shortcut Keys.

3. Two Browser Frames: The two large Frames which consume the upper half of the screen contain the Browser Controls, and their respective Browser Buttons.

4. Grid Frame: The large Frame which consumes the lower portion of the screen contains the Grid Control, the two ComboBox Controls, and the four Radio Buttons.

5. Status Bar: Located at the very bottom of the screen, the Status Bar will display the following information (from left to right)

a.  Activity: Messages will be displayed whenever the program (or the Browsers) are performing a task.

b.  Number of Active Connections: The two numbers (separated by "/") indicate the number of Active Connections that are being used by each of the two Browsers.

c.  Time Consumed: The Minutes and Seconds (separated by ":") that were used by the Last Navigation.

d.  User Status: Displays either Evaluation Copy or Registered User.

e.  Serial Number: Displays 0 for an Evaluation Copy.

Resizing Frames and Grid Columns

When the cursor is moved directly over the border between any two Frames, the icon for the pointer will change to a double arrow. You may then hold down the left mouse button and drag the border in either direction.

To resize the Widths of the Grid Columns: Move the cursor directly over the border between any two Grid Columns (on the uppermost row of the Grid, which contains the Column Headings). You may then hold down the left mouse button and drag the Column border in either direction.

When the program is Exited, the currently selected Frame Sizes and Grid Column Widths are automatically stored for you. These elements will then be the same size the next time the program is run.

Moving the Cursor

The [Tab] and [Shift Tab] keys will move the focus to the Next and Previous controls within the Current Frame. Pressing [Ctrl Tab] will move the focus to the Next Frame.


Batch Navigations

(Creating Pre-selected Connections is explained in the Grid Topic.)

After you have Pre-selected Records for Navigation (which will place 1:P or 2:P in the On Column on the Grid), you may press [F10] to Navigate to All Pre-selected Connections.

The Creating New Active Connections screen will then be displayed. This screen will display the progress of the Navigations, including the Time Used and Timeout Remaining as each site is being opened.

Timeout Error

(Modifying the Timeout Length is explained in the Misc. Functions Topic.)

During the Navigation of each site, the program will terminate the Navigation when the Timeout Length has been reached. While Navigating to All Pre-selected Connections, the program will immediately begin the Navigation of the next Pre-selected site (when the Timeout Length of the previous site has been reached).

Please note that a site will remain as an Active Connection, even if a Timeout Error has occurred. If you wish to re-Navigate to that site, then you can either click the Refresh button, or Clear the Connection Status and try to create a new Active Connection.

Background Processing

Clicking the Hide button on the Creating New Active Connections screen will cause the Browse98 program to become Minimized.

While Browse98 is Minimized, you may perform other tasks on your computer. The Navigations will continue to occur in the background, even while other programs are running.

After you have minimized this program, you can return to the Creating New Active Connections screen at any time by holding down the [Alt] key while pressing [Tab], until the Browse98 icon is selected.

Cancel Batch Navigations

You may terminate a Batch Navigation session at any time by clicking the Stop button on the Creating New Active Connections screen. The Navigations will be immediately stopped, so if a site is currently being Navigated then it will not be completed.


Browsers
Browser Frames

The two large Frames which consume the upper half of the screen contain the Browser Controls, and their respective Browser Buttons. These Frames are referred to as Browser #1 (on the Left), and Browser #2 (on the Right).

Browser Buttons

1. Address: Clicking this button will cause the five rightmost Browser Buttons to be replaced on the screen by the Address Textbox (which is explained below).

2. Buttons: This Button is only displayed after the Address button has been clicked. Clicking the Buttons button will cause the Address Textbox to be replaced on the screen by the five rightmost Browser Buttons.

3. Add: A New Record is Added to the Grid, which will contain the Title and URL Address of the Browser Control which is displayed in the Current Frame. If the Browser Control does not contain a Website, then a blank Record is Added to the Grid. (See the Grid Topic.)

If the Grid already contained a Record for the site which is displayed in the Current Frame, then the program will display a message informing you that a Duplicate Record will be Added.

When you Add a Record from the Browser, a dialog will allow you to select an existing Group to Add the Record to, or you may enter a New Group Name. (See the Groups Topic.)

4. Back: Displays the previous site in the Browser Control's History List. If no previous site is found, then the Back button is disabled.

5. Forward: Displays the next site in the Browser Control's History List. If no next site is found, then the Forward button is disabled.

6. Stop: Terminates the Navigation of the current site.

7. Refresh: Re-Navigates to the current site.

8. Print: Prints the current site. (See the Misc. Functions Topic.)

Address Textbox

The Address Textbox is only displayed after the Address button has been clicked. While the Address Textbox is displayed, you will not see the five rightmost Browser Buttons (until you have clicked the Buttons button).

The Address Textbox will display the URL Address of the site which is displayed on the current Browser Control. You may also enter a new URL Address into the Address Textbox.

While the Address Textbox has the current focus, pressing [Enter] will cause the current Browser Control to Navigate to the URL Address contained therein. This Navigation will occur as a Temporary Website (which is explained below).

Browser Control

Each Browser Frame contains a Browser Control, which will display the Website that is currently assigned to that Browser Frame. If the Website assigned to a Browser Frame is Unused, then that Browser Control will not be visible.

The Browser Controls accept many of the same commands as Internet Explorer, including the following:

1. Find: While a Browser Control has the input focus, pressing Ctrl+F will cause IE's Find Dialog to be displayed. You may then entire a character string, which IE will attempt to find on the currently displayed Website.

2. Hyperlink: Clicking a Hyperlink on the current Website will cause the Browser Control to Navigate to the URL Address which had been assigned to that Hyperlink.

If the previous Navigation had been completed, then the Hyperlink To Radio Buttons (which are located at the top of the Grid Frame) will determine the Browser Frame that the Hyperlink will be Navigated to.

If the previous Navigation had not been completed, then the Hyperlink To Radio Buttons will not affect the Hyperlink Navigation. While a previous Navigation is still busy, all Hyperlink Navigations will take place on the same Browser Control.

(Additional aspects of the Browser Control are explained further in the Radio Buttons Topic.)

3. Dropdown Menu: Right-Clicking a Hyperlink will cause Internet Explorer's Dropdown Menu to be displayed. Commands on the Dropdown Menu pertain to Internet Explorer, and not to Browse98. For example, if you perform Add to Favorites from the Browser Control's Dropdown Menu, then the site will be Added to Internet Explorer's Favorites, and not to Browse98's Grid.

Temporary Website (vs. Stored Website)

Each Browser (#1 and #2) will always display one of the following two types of Websites:

1. Temporary Website: This is a Website that has not yet been stored onto the Grid. At all times, there will be one (and only one) Temporary Website assigned to each Browser Frame. In each Browser's Combobox, the Temporary Website's Title is preceded by an asterisk. When Browse98 is launched from Windows, the ComboBox for each Browser will initially contain an entry for * Unused.

The following actions will cause the Navigation to occur on the Browser Control which contains the Temporary Website:

a. Manual Navigation: When a URL Address is typed into the Address Textbox, and [Enter] is pressed.

b. Hyperlink Navigation to a Different Frame: If the Hyperlink To radio button is set the to same Frame as the Hyperlink is clicked from, then the same Browser Control will be used to display the Navigated site. If the Hyperlink To radio button is set to a different Frame than the Hyperlink is clicked from, then the Navigated site will be displayed as a Temporary Website.

c. Open HTML File: An HTML file Opened from your local computer or network (using the Ctrl+H command) will be displayed as a Temporary Website.

2. Stored Website: This is a Website which has been stored onto the Grid. The following actions will cause the Navigation to occur on a Browser Control which contains a Stored Website:

a. Navigating to a Record's URL: While the focus is on the Grid, pressing [Enter] will cause the Active Browser to Navigate to the Current Record's URL Address. A New Entry will then be added to that Browser's ComboBox, to indicate that a Stored Record is being displayed.

b. Navigating to Pre-selected Records: When [F10] is pressed, the program will create new ComboBox entries (as Stored Websites), for all Records which had been Pre-selected.

(These concepts are explained further in the Grid Topic.)

c. Clicking the Add button in the Browser Frame: This action will cause a New Record to be Added to the Grid, so the current Browser Control will then become a Stored Website.

The following examples will illustrate these concepts:

When you first launch Browse98, the ComboBox for Browser #1 contains one entry (* Unused), and the ComboBox for Browser #2 contains two entries (Browse98 Tutorial and * Unused).

Now imagine that you entered www.lycos.com into the Address Textbox for Browser #1, and pressed [Enter]. The ComboBox for Browser 1 would change from * Unused to * Lycos Home Page. The new site is not yet stored on the Grid, so the Navigation will occur as a Temporary Website.

Now imagine that you clicked the Add button in the Browser #1 Frame. This would cause a New Record to be Added to the Grid, entitled Lycos Home Page. The asterisk would be removed from the ComboBox entry, because this would now become a Stored Website. A New Temporary Website would be created for Browser #1, which is initially entitled * Unused. The Number of Active Connections (displayed on the Status Bar) would be 2/2, indicating that there are currently two Active Connections being used by each Browser.

What would happen if Hyperlink To was set to Browser #2, and you now clicked onto a Hyperlink on Browser #1? The Navigation would occur on Browser #2 as a Temporary Website, so the * Unused entry in Browser #2's ComboBox would change to indicate the name of the site that was displayed on Browser #2 (preceded by an asterisk).


ComboBoxes and Radio Buttons

The two ComboBox Controls, and the four Radio Buttons, are located just above the Grid (in the large Frame which consumes the lower portion of the screen).

1. ComboBoxes: The Grid Frame contains two Dropdown Listboxes (which are referred to as ComboBoxes); one for Browser 1, and one for Browser 2. Each ComboBox will contain a list of the Active Connections for each Browser.

In addition to clicking the little arrow on the right side of a ComboBox (to display the Dropdown List), you may also use the following keypresses while the focus is on a ComboBox:

a. Up or Down Arrow:  Displays the Previous or Next Entry in the List.

b. Alt+DownArrow:  Displays the Dropdown List (just as if you had clicked the little arrow on the right side).

Please Note: When the Dropdown List is displayed, and the Mouse Pointer is on the Dropdown List, then the Up and Down Arrow keys will not function correctly.

Changing the entry on a ComboBox will cause the the selected Active Connection to be immediately displayed on the corresponding Browser Control. If the Unused entry is selected, then the Browser Control will no longer be visible.

(Additional aspects of the ComboBox are explained further in the Grid Control Topic.)

2. Active Browser radio buttons: The Active Browser setting will determine how many of Browse98's features are performed. The following PullDown Menu (and Shortcut Key) functions will use the Browser Control that is indicated by the setting of the Active Browser radio buttons:

File:	Open HTML File	Ctrl+H

File:	Save HTML File	Ctrl+T

File:	View HTML Source	Ctrl+W

File:	Page Setup	Ctrl+U

File:	Print Webpage	Ctrl+P

Edit:	Add Record	Ctrl+A

Edit:	Add Group	Ctrl+G

Navigate:	Move Back	Alt+Left Arrow

Navigate:	Move Forward	Alt+Right Arrow

Navigate:	Stop	[Esc]

Navigate:	Refresh	[F5]

Additionally, the following Grid Control functions (see the Grid Topic) will also use the Browser Control that is indicated by the setting of the Active Browser radio buttons:

Navigate To Record's URL (now)	[Enter]

Navigate To Record's URL (later)	Ctrl+Enter (when the focus is not in the Group Column)

Navigate To Group's URL's (now)	Shift+Enter

Navigate To Group's URL's (later)	Ctrl+Enter (when the focus is in the Group Column)

For example, if you wanted to Print the Website displayed on Browser #2, then you would first press Ctrl+2 (which is the same as clicking on the Active Browser 2 radio button), and then press Ctrl+P (to Print the Website).

3. Hyperlink To radio buttons: The Hyperlink To setting will determine the Destination Browser Control that is used when a Hyperlink is clicked on a Browser Control. For example, if your Search Engine is displayed on Browser #1, and you wish for all Hyperlink Navigation to occur on Browser #2, then you would first press Alt+2 (which is the same as clicking on the Hyperlink To 2 radio button).

Additional aspects of the Hyperlink To feature are explained in the Browser Frames Topic.


Groups

The leftmost portion of the Grid displays the Groups contained in the Websites Database. Each Group will either be displayed with a Green background (Expanded), or a Red background (Collapsed). When a Group is Expanded, all of it's Records will be displayed. When a Group is Collapsed, only the 1st Record of the Group will be displayed.

A Group may be toggled between Expanded and Collapsed, by either clicking on the Group Name, or by pressing the [SpaceBar] while the focus is on the Group Name. You may also Expand all Groups by pressing Ctrl++ (while holding down the Ctrl key, press the Plus key on the numeric keypad), or you may Collapse all Groups by pressing Ctrl+- (using the Minus key on the numeric keypad).

Functions Performed to All Records in a Group

The Current Group is the Group that is assigned to the Current Record (which is the Record that has a blue background). The following features may be performed to all of the Records which are contained within the Current Group:

(Additional aspects of these features are explained in the Grid Topic.)

1. Navigate To Group's URL's (now)	Shift+Enter

2. Navigate To Group's URL's (later)	Ctrl+Enter 	(when the focus is in the Group Column)

3. Clear Group's Connection Statuses	Ctrl+Del 	(when the focus is in the Group Column)

Adding a New Group

Pressing Ctrl+G will display a dialog into which you may Enter a Name for the New Group. Each Group Name must be unique, so if you enter a Group Name that already exists in the current database, an error message will be displayed.

The following functions may also (optionally) cause a New Group to be created:

1. Moving a Record (explained below).

2. Copying a Record (explained below).

3. Clicking the Add Button on the Browser Frame (see the Browser Frames Topic).

4. Importing Internet Explorer Bookmarks (see the Importing Topic).

Copying and Moving Records

1. Copy Record: Pressing Ctrl+Y will display a dialog where you may Select an Existing Group (or you may Enter a New Group Name), which will be used as the Destination of the Copy. The program will Add a new Record to the selected Destination Group, which contains the same Title, URL, and Remarks as the Record which you had Copied from.

2. Move Record: Pressing Ctrl+M is similar to Copying a Record, except the original Record is Deleted after the Move has been completed.

Rename and Delete Group

1. Rename Group: Pressing Ctrl+R will display a dialog into which you may Enter a New Name for the Current Group. A unique Name must be entered.

2. Delete Group: Pressing Ctrl+L will cause the Current Group, and all of it's Records, to be Deleted from the Websites database. If any of the Records have an Active Connection, then the Connections will be Cleared before the Records are Deleted.

The Grid must always contain at least One Record. Attempting to Delete the Last Group on the Grid will cause an error message to be displayed.


Import IE Favorites

The following process will Import the Bookmarks that you had created using Internet Explorer:

1. Press Ctrl+I to display a dialog which allows you to navigate to the folder that contains your IE Favorites. If Browse98 immediately displays your Favorites folder (in the Look In box), then you can just press [Enter] to go to the next step. Do not change the Filename displayed in the File Name box.

2. Within about 10 seconds, the Import Internet Explorer Favorites dialog will be displayed. All of the Favorites files will be initially Selected. If you wish to Import all of your IE Favorites, then you don't have to do anything else. Otherwise, Select just those files that you want to Import.

3. Click the [Import Selected Records] button (or just press [Enter]).

Within several seconds, the Grid will display new Groups for all of the Folders that had been Imported.

The program will not Import Duplicated Records (which have the same Group and URL as existing Records).


Misc Functions
Misc. Functions

Browse98 Data Files

Browse98 saves your Favorites Databases in files which have an extension of .bro. The file named Default.bro is automatically Opened whenever Browse98 is launched from Windows. If a Browse98 data file contains a Record with the Title Browse98 Tutorial, then that Record is automatically navigated to (on Browser #2), when the file is Opened. When you get tired of seeing the Tutorial, simply Delete the Browse98 Tutorial Record from the Default database.

The Tutorial.bro file contains a copy of the initial, unaltered Default.bro file.

The File Menu contains the following Favorites File Functions:

1. New Favorites File (Ctrl+N): All Active Connections are Cleared, and all Records are Deleted. You will be prompted to enter a New Browse98 Filename.

2. Open Favorites File (Ctrl+O): All Active Connections are Cleared, all Records are Deleted, and then Records are Loaded using the Filename that you select.

3. Save Favorites File (Ctrl+S): All Records are Saved, using the most recently entered Filename. Until you perform the New or Save As function, the Filename will always be Default.

4. Save Favorites File As (Ctrl+E): All Records are Saved, using the Filename that you select.

IMPORTANT: You should Backup your data files frequently.

HTML Files

1. Open HTML File (Ctrl+H): You may Open an HTML file from your local computer or network. The file will be displayed on the Active Browser.

2. Save HTML File (Ctrl+T): The site displayed on the Active Browser will be Saved, using the path and filename that you select.

3. View HTML Source (Ctrl+W): The Source Code for the site displayed on the Active Browser will be displayed on the screen. To assure that you will be viewing the most recent file, the Source Code is actually downloaded from the site's server.

Printing Files

Pressing Ctrl+P will Print the site displayed on the Active Browser. Ctrl+U will display the Page Setup screen for the Active Browser.

Timeout Length

(Usage of the Timeout Length is explained in the Timeout Error section of the Batch Navigations Topic.)

Pressing Ctrl+Q will display the Set Timeout Length screen, where you may select the amount of time which will cause a Navigation Timeout Error.

When the program is Exited, the currently selected Timeout Length is automatically stored for you. This value will then be the same, the next time the program is run.


Grid Control

The Grid Control is located in the large Frame which consumes the lower portion of the screen. The Grid will contain a separate Row for each Record that is contained in your Websites Database, unless a Group has been Collapsed (see the Groups Topic).

Additional aspects of the Grid are explained in the Groups Topic.

Columns

The Grid contains five Columns. The Leftmost area displays the Groups, and the rightmost four columns display the following information about each Website Record:

1. Title: This is a name that you will assign to each Website Record. It will initially be set to the actual Title that the Webpage uses, but you may then change it to anything else.

2. URL: This is the Address that will be used to Navigate to the Website. URL Addresses usually begin with one of the following prefixes:

http://	An Internet Address.

file://	A File on your local computer or network

ftp:.//	An FTP site.

The URL Address will initially be set to the actual URL that the Webpage uses, but you may then change it to anything else.

3. Remarks: This column is solely used for your own comments. You may enter remarks about the Website, or parameters that might be used for the Website (such as stock symbols), or your Username and Password for that Website.

4. On: The Rightmost Column on the Grid will display the Record's current Connection Status. This column will contain one of the following values:

Off	The Record is not being used (there is no Connection Status)

1:A	The Record has an Active Connection on Browser #1

2:A	The Record has an Active Connection on Browser #2

1:P	The Record has been Pre-selected for Browser #1

2:P	The Record has been Pre-selected for Browser #2

Current Record and Editing a Cell

One Record on the Grid will always be designated as the Current Record. The rightmost Columns on the Current Record will contain a blue background. You may change the Current Record by moving the focus to a different Row on the Grid. The Current Group is the Group which is assigned to the Current Record.

The following keypresses may be used while editing the contents of a Cell (in addition to the Arrow Keys, [Home], [End], and [Delete]):

[F2]	Toggles the Cell between All Characters Selected, and No Characters Selected.

[Esc]	Un-does any modifications that you had made to the Cell.

Adding Records

Pressing Ctrl+A will Add a New Record to the Grid, in the Current Group. The New Record will initially contain the Title and URL Address of the Active Browser. If the Active Browser Control does not contain a Website, then a blank Record is Added to the Grid (with a Title of Unused).

If the Grid already contained a Record for the site which is displayed on the Active Browser, then the program will display a message informing you that a Duplicate Record will be Added.

Deleting Records

Pressing Ctrl+D will Delete the Current Record. If the Current Record has an Active Connection, then that Connection will be Cleared before the Record is Deleted.

Each Group must contain at least one Record. When the Last Record of a Group is Deleted, then the Group is also Deleted.

The Grid must always contain at least One Record. Attempting to Delete the Last Record on the Grid will cause an error message to be displayed.

Creating Active and Pre-selected Connections

There are two ways to create an Active Connection:

1. Immediate: Pressing [Enter] will cause an Active Connection to be created for the Current Record, using the Active Browser. The following actions will take place:

a. The Active Browser will Navigate to the Record's URL.

b. The Record's Title will appear in the ComboBox (for the Browser which is Active).

c. 1:A (if the Active Browser is 1)or 2:A (if the Active Browser is 2) will appear in the Record's On Column.

2. Pre-selected: Pressing Ctrl+Enter will cause a Pre-selected Connection to be created for the Current Record, using the Active Browser. 1:P (if the Active Browser is 1)or 2:P (if the Active Browser is 2) will appear in the Record's On Column.

The preceding feature will only affect the Current Record, if the focus is not in the Groups Column. If the focus is in the Groups Column, then all Records in the Current Group will be Pre-selected.

After you have Pre-selected all of the Records that you want to become Active Connections, then press [F10] to Navigate to All PreSelected Connections.

Additional aspects of this subject are explained in the Batch Navigations Topic.

Clearing Active and Pre-selected Connections

Each Browser may contain a maximum of 100 Active Connections (or a collective total of 200 Active Connections on both Browsers). This limitation may require that you occasionally Clear some of the Active Connections that you had previously made.

You might also change your mind after Pre-selecting a particular Record, and decide that you would rather have that Record turned Off.

Pressing Ctrl+Del will cause the Connection Status (Active or Pre-selected) for the Current Record to be Cleared.

The preceding feature will only affect the Current Record, if the focus is not in the Groups Column. If the focus is in the Groups Column, then all Records in the Current Group will be Cleared.

You may Clear All Connection Statuses, by pressing Alt+Del.

Finding Records

While the focus is on the Grid, pressing Ctrl+F will display the Find Dialog, which will prompt you to select characters that must be found in the Current Column. The program will perform a non-case-sensitive substring search. This means that searching for the letter "A" will retrieve the Next Record which contains the letter "A" (or "a") anywhere in the Column which has the focus.

Pressing [F3] will use the previously entered Search Criteria, to retrieve the Next Matching Record. If no Search Criteria had been previously entered, then [F3] will cause the Find Dialog to be displayed (just as if you had pressed Ctrl+F).