On-Line Manual

Selecting A Browser

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you first run Alert Bookmarks, the program locates your system's Default Browser and sets it up for you. If your default browser is the only browser you will use, you can skip this section. If you are having problems with Alert Bookmarks communicating with your browser, see the Browser Communication Troubleshooting section.

To select a browser to use for visiting or retrieving bookmarks from, click 'Select Browser' from the Alert Bookmarks Main Menu. The following window will appear:

Browsers that Alert is currently set up to work with have a green circle to the left of their name. To select one of these browsers just click the radio button by its name, then click 'Okay'.

To set up Alert to work with a browser that doesn't yet have a green circle next to it, read the section below:

Adding More Browsers

Alert Bookmarks can communicate (send and retrieve bookmarks) with Web browsers using one of the following three methods (listed in the order of efficiency):

  • Dynamic Data Exchange: Alert Bookmarks works with Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 and up, Netscape Navigator/Communicator versions 4.0 and up, NeoPlanet version 3.0 and up, and Opera.

  • Keyboard Activated Copy & Paste: Alert works with the above browsers as well as MSN Explorer 6.

  • Mouse Activated Copy & Paste: Using this technique, Alert can support all known Web browsers including AOL, CompuServe, and Netscape 6.

When you install Alert Bookmarks, the program will detect your browsers and set them up for you if you installed each browser in its default installation folder.

However, if you have a browser that was not automatically set up by Alert or you have added a browser since installing the program, use the following steps to tell Alert how to communicate with that browser:

  • Click 'Select Browser' from the Main Menu and the Select Browser Window will appear as shown above.

  • Click on the name of the browser you want to set up, if the name isn't in the list, select the 'User Defined' browser option in the list.

  • Click the 'Setup..." button to the right of that browser name, and the Browser Setup Window will appear as shown below:

  • Setup Step 1: If the "Path:" text box is currently blank, click on the 'Browse...' button next to it. From the file menu that appears, locate your browser's .EXE program file. When the Path is entered, the window will change to...

  • Setup Step 2: Now enter the Name of your browser exactly as it appears in the browser window's Title Bar (the strip at the top of window). Enter only the name of the browser and any version number that might be shown with it. You have to look closely to get the name right. For example, AOL uses the Name "America Online" but with two spaces between the words instead of one.

    If your browser requires that you "sign on" before using the Web, click the "Don't launch with URL" check box. After entering the browser's Name, the Setup Window will change to...

  • Setup Step 3 [Advanced Only]: If the name of your browser is not displayed in its Title Bar, click the 'Find Class Name...' button and follow the instructions. So far this step is only necessary for setting up MSN Explorer 6.

    Otherwise just click the 'Skip' button for Step 4:

  • Setup Step 4: Select the communication Mode you want Alert Bookmarks to use in order to send and retrieve bookmarks to and from this browser.

  • If you choose Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE): Only certain browsers support DDE. Netscape, Internet Explorer, and Opera among them. To use this mode you'll need to enter the browser's DDE Name, which is usually the same name as its EXE file but without the EXE extension. Enter the DDE Name and click 'Okay' on the Setup and Select Browser Windows, then test the communication between Alert and your browser by clicking on a bookmark.

  • If you choose Keyboard Based Copy & Paste: You will need to know the keyboard key that, when pressed, will change the focus to the browser's 'Address' or 'Location' text box where you enter Web addresses by hand. In Netscape, NeoPlanet, and Internet Explorer this key is the F4 function key. In Opera it is the F8 function key. In the 'Location Keypress' text box, enter the name of the key that performs this function with your browser, then click 'Okay' on the Setup and Select Browser Windows, and test the communication between Alert and your browser by clicking on a bookmark.

  • If you choose Mouse Based Copy & Paste: Next to the text box labeled 'Location Coordinates', click the 'Set' button. A window will appear as shown below, and your browser will be launched and loaded behind that window:

    Wait until your browser has loaded completely before clicking the 'Next' button. If your browser requires that you sign on first, do that before clicking 'Next'. You can move the window if it's in the way. When the browser has completely loaded and is dispaying a Web page, click the 'Next' button. The Coordinates Tool will appear as shown below:

    Click on the tool and drag it to a position where the cross hairs on the left are centered over and as close to the middle of your browser's 'Address' or 'Location' text box as possible - as shown below using the AOL Browser as an example:

    When the tool is over the middle of the 'Location' Text Box, click the 'Location Is Correct' button on the Coordinates Tool.

    You'll be returned to the Setup Window and the coordinates will appear in the 'Location Coordinates' box. Now click 'Okay' on the Setup and Select Browser Windows, then test the communication between Alert and your browser by clicking on a bookmark.

    Every time you click on a bookmark in Alert Bookmarks, or add a bookmark from the browser to Alert, the Coordinates Tool will display first so that you can confirm the coordinates of the 'Location' text box.

    Alert will then send a simulated left mouse click to those coordinates and paste to, or copy from, the contents of the box.

Trouble-shooting Alert Bookmarks/Browser Communication:

Alert Bookmarks can communicate (sending and receiving bookmarks) with most browsers using one of three methods.

  1. Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) Mode: This is the most efficient method, but not all browsers support DDE. If your browser doesn't respond to Alert at all, or if it hangs when Alert tries to communicate with it, use...

  2. Keyboard Activated Copy & Paste Mode: If a browser doesn't support DDE, Alert can still communicate with it by retrieving and sending bookmarks to the browser's 'Address:' or 'Location:' text box (the box where you can type Web address into your browser by hand).

  3. Mouse Activated Copy & Paste Mode: If a browser doesn't support DDE and Keyboard Mode cannot be used, Alert can communicate with it by retrieving and sending bookmarks to the browser's 'Address:' or 'Location:' text box after simulating a left mouse click on that box.

If your browser does not respond or hangs when you try to use DDE (the default setting), try altering your settings to use Keyboard Activated Mode as follows:

  • Open the 'Select Browser' Window from the Alert Bookmarks Main Menu. Click the 'Modify' button next to your browser's name in the list.

  • In the section entitled Step 4, set the browser communication Mode to "Keyboard Based Copy & Paste".

  • In the drop down list box that appears in the box labeled 'Location Keypress', select or enter the keyboard command for accessing your browser's 'Address:' or "Location:" text box. This command is usually the F4 Function key, though in the Opera browser it is the F8 Function key.

  • Click "Okay" on the Setup Window, then the Select Browser Window, and test your new settings using your browser.

If your browser does not support direct keyboard access to its 'Location' text box, use Mouse Activated Mode as follows:

  • Open the 'Select Browser' Window from the Alert Bookmarks Main Menu. Click the 'Modify' button next to your browser's name in the list.

  • In the section entitled Step 4, set the browser communication Mode to "Mouse Based Copy & Paste".

  • In the box that appears entitled 'Location Coordinates', click the 'Set' button.

  • Click "Okay" on the Setup Window, then the Select Browser Window, and test your new settings using your browser.

Note: If you cannot get Alert Bookmarks to work with your browser, please EMAIL us at newsupport@viablesoftware.com so we can check Alert with your browser and make it work...

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