QMOSAIC (Omar Valenti) is billed as a “non-graphical Internet Web Browser.” As one of the “_htm” suffixed (presumably HTML format … whatever that is!) files states, QMOSAIC found its inspiration from XMOSAIC. How true to the original, I cannot say; but, I anticipate added features as the version number moves into the integer phase.
STARTING THE PROGRAM
Okay, so the first trick is to actually LOAD the program.
The first thing I did, however, was to look at the “history_txt” (which was in Italian) and ascertain that there was a short teething period, but that the version I had (0.77) was “pretty good” (or, was that “good enough”?).
I scanned the other files, and the ones that were in Italian did not seem to be instructive. The ones that were in English appeared to be “sample” transmissions.
Later, I spent what seemed to be a couple of hours trying to LOAD the program, and failing at that, I sent Frank a note telling him that I could not LOAD it by any means known to me, concluding only that it was probably compiled with C68 and that the ASCII portion of the program was already translated to English; but, I’d erroneously concluded that the program file had been corrupted due to my initial inability to LOAD it.
In a lucid moment, it occurred to me that the program might run under the all-too-popular-in-Europe POINTER ENVIRONMENT. Eureka!
Of course, it was too logical to expect the non-graphical program to run on a non-POINTER ENVIRONMENT. Silly me.
So, to run the QMOSAIC program you will need to activate the POINTER ENVIRIONMENT files (NOT INCLUDED), and minimally have a BOOT program that looks like this:
100 TK2_EXT
110 lrespr flp1_ptrgen: lrespr flp1_wman: lrespr flp1_hotrext
120 EXEC flp1_qmosaic_flpOf course, there was no “qmosaic_flp” file in the QMOSAIC_zip that I received. The qmosaic_flp program is simply the QMOSAIC program with the default “win1” converted to “flp1” for my own convenience.
When you run the program, you will find that it is anticipated that the “_htm” files will be found in a default sub_DIRectory named “qmosaic.” You can change this.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM
The first thing you will see when you run the program is a “welcome” screen. The screen has a top bar with four “black box” options: two of the options are for sizing and moving the POINTER ENVIRONMENT window, and the other two are for the actual program (“File” and “ESC”).
The “ESC” option is redundant; and, you can ESCape from within the “File” option.
The “File” option has the following alternates:
Open _html
Change directory
Print page
Links..
About
Exit to SMSQ
After you open the “File” option, you can either use the pointer or simply press the underlined character.
OPEN HTML
This, at first, seems like a pretty silly option since it defaults to the name of the “_htm” file that is (probably) already open. I found that this option allowed me to verify which “_htm” file I was editing. It can also be used to access a file that is not readily available via the “Change directory” option.
CHANGE DIRECTORY
As stated above, the program default is for a sub_DIRectory named “qmosaic.” When you first select this option, you will be presented with a small box announcing the “_htm path” and a user re-definable “win1_qmosaic_” default. Either press the ENTER key to accept, or change (of course, if “win1_” is not your default DIRectory, you may want to use the converted qmosaic_flp version).
Depending on the number of files in the sub_DIRectory, it appears that you will be presented with a maximum of 18 filenames (3 columns by 6 rows). If you have more than 18 filenames, the 19th and beyond cannot (apparently) be accessed. If the filename does not have an “_htm” suffix, it will not be recognized.
You select the name of the file you want to open by moving your pointer until the name is framed, and then press ENTER.
The file will be opened, and you will likely see multi-colored, variably sized text. The original files seemed to make heavy use of green text (the background is white), and as Peter Hale once remarked to me, this is very difficult to read on a color monitor.
PRINT PAGE
This is a mystery option to me. I can only presume that it means that the “page” (i.e., the open/active file viewable on the screen) will be sent (!) to your FAX since it did nothing with my printer. But, that doesn’t make sense, does it?
Having said that, I want to point out that I found that invoking the various POINTER ENVIRONMENT codes necessitated re-invoking the SMSQ PAR_USE “SER” command, otherwise my printer would not receive any signals from any program. It’s a small point, but worth noting.
So, if one of you figures out how to make the PRINT PAGE option work, or what it is really for (?!?), then let the rest of us know.
LINKS
This is apparently the activating part of the hypertext feature of the program. It appears that the program defaults to presenting six other _htm files in the sub_DIRectory.
I’m guessing that it is also used for “jumping” to another part of the INTERNET.
If you open the “FTP1_htm” and then access the LINKS, you will be given the following options:
http://hoohoo.ncsa.u
http://mtmisl.mis.se
http://rever.nmsu.ed
http://www.compuserv
http://tesuque.cs.sa
http://coyote.csusm.
These are partial addresses (I’m surprised that some are “located” in New Mexico!), and the full address can be seen in the “FTP1_htm” file.
There wasn’t any apparent way to scroll the list to access the other 18 options provided “Onion Communications & Technologies” [NB: at this point I should point out that you will find that the ampersand has been changed {by me} to “and” because “&” is apparently a valid script symbol, but an invalid text symbol. Using an ampersand within a text will cause QMosaic (0.77) to freeze].
Although it appears that you cannot scroll through the LINKS, you can circumvent this limitation by segregating the additional addresses on different “_htm” pages.
ABOUT
This is simply a box which states the program name, version number, ‘Hypertext for Sinclair QL’, and copyright information. It also notes that the program is SMSQ compatible. Its only option is to exit by pressing the red bar (“ok”).
EXIT
This is, as you might suggest, the method by which you exit the program.
The option is to exit, or to resume (“No”).
DOES IT WORK?
Of course, I am not hooked up to the INTERNET at the current time, so I cannot report as to how well it works; or even, how it functions once you are hooked up. I perceive limiations, but …
Presumably, once you are ON_LINE (dialed into your provider),
1) you would simply run the program
2) access the “File” option
3) access a page similar to the “FTP1_htm” file
4) access the “LINKS” option
5) select a web-sites (?) available via your HTML script
6) browse
You cannot pre-maturely exit a file read.
EDITING?
At some point you need a standard text editor. The various codes for the script size and color used are obviously standardized, but I only know what some of them are by having edited the various Italian “_htm” files.
It is perhaps little help at the current time to simply state that you should look at the various examples and edit/amend them.
ABOUT THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
By the time you read this, the English translation of the “_htm” files should be available from UPDATE. I presume that original “_htm” files will also be retained on the disk for those who want to read the Italian for themselves.
In that regard, I will note that I have not translated all the text because my knowledge of Italian is really limited to using The Oxford Paperback Italian Dictionary [ISBN 0-19-282184-9 (pbk.)].
Some of the words (e.g., “possono”) were too obscure, and sometimes I wasn’t quite sure what the intent of the author was (as with the comments about QITALY and Jochen Merz).
Apologies for any omissions, and certainly for errors (!), to what the author(s) of the original “_htm” files intended.
HAPPY TRAILS,
AND COMPUTING, TO YOU …