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 program with the correct address form 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. 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 only. 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 (|). Using custom.txt as a command line feed for Minuet is 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. 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 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 ..\bobcatReturn to Start