Background

This directory, known as the "webtech" directory, is one that contains original NPAC course materials. It is one of those that can be periodically written to a CDROM. The other directories are those containing talk slides, in the "users/gcf" directories, and some few examples that reside directly in the "reference" directories on carver.

In order to write a cross-platform CDROM, certain format rules must be followed for the directories to be written. An explanation of the CDROM formats and rules is found in Tips for creating CDROM's by David Bernholdt. At NPAC, the process of writing the CDROM takes place in two steps. Given a set of directories that contains the desired contents of the CDROM, a mapping script, developed by Deepak Ramanathan, is run on the directories, producing a directory of CDROM content in the required format, mapping the link tags to their new location, and marking links that go "outside" of the CDROM material itself. Then this directory is the one actually "burned" onto the CDROM.

Therefore, in the original directories, not all of the rules are required as the mapping script will fix those problems. For example, it is o.k. to have HTML files in upper or mixed case, and the mapping script will change them to all lower case, and also change any links going to those files.

On the other hand, it is not possible for the mapping script to fix file names that do not occur in link tags. So, for example, file names that appear in applet tags, such as .class files or .jar files, must be in all lower case.

So in the following, we present the rules that must be followed in this directory to enable the mapping script to produce CDROM-writable directories. If you find any problems or unclear situations, please tell Nancy McCracken.

• File names and other file issues
  
  • We decided to have all directory names be lower case, just to make all these issues easier.
  • File namse should not be more than 30 characters long. They should be unique within the first 8 characters.
  • In accordance with Sun's tradition for Java class names (which are synonymous with the .java file namse), ile names are allowed to be upper or mixed case. The mapping script can handle this except for the following:
    • Names in applet tags must be all lower case. This means that either the .java file is all lower case, or most commonly, the applet has been put into a .jar file, which is all lower case.
    • Any file that a Java program uses internally is required to have an all lower case name. This is true for data files and also for files and path names that may occur as URL's in the java program.
  • There are no special rules for line termination within the files.
  • For graphics, gif, jpeg and xbm are all o.k.
  • For print versions, use PDF and not PostScript.
  • For audio and video, use RealAudio/ReadVideo/RealPlayer.
• URL's and other browser inssues
  
  • Make index.html explicit in all URL's.
  • Do not use absolute URL's, use only complete or relative URL's.
  • Do not use // in path names (which some browsers accept) and do not use \. Use only one forward slash: /.

• Preparing Java examples:
  
  • We have also been putting all the java applications in .jar files as well as the applets.
    Note that for applets our common practice is to leave the .java file in mixed case, e.g. MyProgram.java. This will be put into a jar file myprogram.jar which appears in the applet tag of the .html file. The .html file will also have a link to the source code in the .java file. This will all appear correct in the original directory. However, since the mapping program will change mixed case to lower case, when the user copies a java program from the CDROM, the .java file will be named myprogram.java, even though the class in it is named MyProgram.java. So they must understand that they have to rename the file to compile it.
  • Use these Instructions on how to produce the .jar files .
  • Follow the examples as to the format of the .html files for applets and applications.