For predetermined (your choice) URL types Bobcat will automatically run helper programs. These helper programs may be called either automatically or manually. AUTOMATICALLY: This is called AUTO_EXTERN and the definition is made in the lynx.cfg file. The syntax for auto_extern is to put lines like AUTO_EXTERN:FTP in lynx.cfg. Every time bobcat sees a URL ftp://.. it will run "external" with the URL as a parameter. Otherwise it will run the internally defined function for that URL type, if it exists.. External breaks down the url information and feeds it to the correct batch file which you create in the external subdirectory. This method has been chosen to allow you maximum flexibility. And it has tested with many support applications. You must create a batch file in the external subdirectory for external do do anything. If you have not created the correct batch file in the external subdirectory you will just return to Bobcat. Since there is no Telnet built into Bobcat and FTP still has some problems it is suggested that these two be run as helper applications. Minuet will work for both. MANUALLY: Bobcat has also a ctrl-A special function key that allows manual switching to external programs and loading the active URL when switching. HOW: External feeds the URL to a program called EXTRACT.EXE in the /external subdirectory. EXTRACT.EXE in turn breaks the URL into its component parts, identifies the URL type and calls a different batch file for each type. Users of Bobcat then have option of selecting alternative programs to reach each type of URL by just creating batch files to call the helper programs.. To do this you must write a batch file which 1. Makes sure that the IP address is passed properly to the second program. 2. Changes to the proper directory where the second program is installed 3. Runs the second (spawned) program with the correct form of command line 4. Changes back to the Bobcat directory. All these batch files must be located in the \external subdirectory. Extract.exe passes the address with information on the command line to the batch file in the following way. %1 is the entire address stripped of its URL type. %2 is the host machine name %3 is the host port. If no port is assigned Extract will fill in a "well known port" for each url type. If it does not recognize the URL type it will fill in %3 as "NO_PORT". %4 .The remaining if any will be sent as %4. All Directories and pages after host and port are included in the %4. For FTP only after revision E-04 we have added a furthur breakdown of %4 to allow use with some additional programs , particularily wattcp ftp %1 all URL %2 host %3 port? %4 path stripped of leading and trailing / %5 file name Some sample batch files are provided. DOSLYNX gopher.bat @echo off cd ..\..\doslynx doslynx gopher://%1 cd ..\bobcat MINUET ftp.bat @echo off cd ..\..\minuet echo"~U~rl|ftp://%1 " > custom.txt keytap minuet //[F10]WU[ret] cd ..\bobcat Note: VE3LGS developed this batch method for BOBCAT use. It writes a command line in a file called custom.txt and then runs it within Minuet. It uses several unique tricks to feed information to Minuet. Note the (") right after the echo and the space after the %1 which causes the batch file to ignore the pipe (|). I do not know why this works or whether it is published anywhere. It sure is not in anything in my docs from SoftMicro or IBM Using custom.txt as a command line feed for Minuet is also undocumented and took quite a bit of time to discover. Also, the program keytap works where others don't. Put them all together and the result is amazing. Just don't bother using Minuet 19a. WATTCP ftp.bat from suggestions by Ralf Mueller rem FTP.BAT rem creates a script for use with wattcp ftp to semi automate rem change the login password for your server (4 places) rem @echo off cd ..\..\ftp if not "%5"=="" goto GETFILE if not "%4"=="" goto GODIR if not "%2"=="" goto OPENFTP echo actually nothing to do - press any key pause goto END rem %1 all URL rem %2 host rem %3 port? rem %4 path stripped of leading and trailing / rem %5 file name :GETFILE echo Do you want File %5 transfer in binary mode? echo Yes will be BINARY echo No will be ASCII getyn if errorlevel 1 goto BINARY goto ascii :BINARY echo open %2 > ftp.scr echo. >> ftp.scr echo user anonymous >> ftp.scr echo pass bobcat@foo.net >> ftp.scr echo binary >> ftp.scr echo cd /%4/ >> ftp.scr echo get %5 >> ftp.scr echo bye >> ftp.scr ftp.exe -f ftp.scr goto END :ASCII echo open %2 > ftp.scr echo. >> ftp.scr echo user anonymous >> ftp.scr echo pass bobcat@foo.net >> ftp.scr echo ascii >> ftp.scr echo cd /%4/ >> ftp.scr echo get %5 >> ftp.scr echo bye >> ftp.scr ftp.exe -f ftp.scr goto END :GODIR echo open %2 > ftp.scr echo. >> ftp.scr echo user anonymous >> ftp.scr echo pass bobcat@foo.net >> ftp.scr echo binary >> ftp.scr echo cd /%4/ >> ftp.scr echo ls >> ftp.scr ftp.exe -f ftp.scr goto END :openftp echo open %2 > ftp.scr echo. >> ftp.scr echo user anonymous >> ftp.scr echo pass bobcat@foo.net >> ftp.scr echo binary >> ftp.scr echo ls >> ftp.scr ftp.exe -f ftp.scr goto END :END cd ..\bobcat ARACHNE http.bat @echo off cd ..\..\chaos call arachne.bat http://%1 cd ..\bobcat Note: Yes, you can run Arachne as a helper application to Bobcat. Just follow the rules for external batch files above, and create a http.bat. Note: Arachne must be in Connection:Ready in Arachne.cfg. You can then browse in faster text mode with Bobcat until something looks interesting enough to require a graphics browser. Hit CTL-A and you will spawn Arachne at the exact same site. Quitting Arachne will bring you back to Bobcat at the same site as you left. Warning: Do not put AUTO_EXTERN:http in lynx.cfg or you will never run Bobcat. TN3270 telnet.bat or tn3270.bat @echo off cd ..\..\cutcp SET $CUTCP1=myip~%myip% tn3270 %2 %3 cd ..\bobcat Re: Minuet 16 and 17 There is no way I can make either ver 16 or 17 work as well as ver 18 (with Bobcat) because the built in parsing of an address does not seem to have been added until ver 18 . I can get it to connect to a server with any site with ver 17 but not do the neat directory switching that can be done with ver 18. To use ver 16 or 17 of Minuet as a helper to Bobcat the best I can do is this example for ftp.bat which should be located in \bobcat\external\ @REM FOR VERSION 16 AND 17 MINUET ONLY @echo off cd c:\dialnet\minuet echo"~U~rl|ftp|%2 " > custom.txt keytap minuet //[F10]WU[ret] cd c:\dialnet\bobcat exit ! The structure of line 4 is changed. For gopher and telnet, there needs to be similar changes to the gopher.bat and telnet.bat. Note: We have had strong complaints that the supplied external applications are not suitable for one persons particular computer. Bobcat is the program, the rest applications which have been tossed in as examples of how to set it up for outside applications. You are free to change anything you want , even the source code to make any improvement you like. We had to start somewhere. The DVPEG, PLANY, ARACHNE, and Minuet can be anywhere you want or leave them out. They are examples. And if you have good suggestions on other applications and what to add to this program to improve it for others let us know. The whole purpose is to: Have fun.Return to Start