Copyright: WebMarks
Citation: WebMarks


Table of Contents
WebMarks Online Help

Copyright 1996 BarnStormer Software

World Wide Web: http://members.aol.com/BarnStSoft/

Electronic Mail: osbornes@bellsouth.net

Updates to this software can be downloaded from the BarnStormer web site at:

http://members.aol.com/BarnStSoft/

Overview

WebMarks is a simple, yet powerful, database management system for storing your favorites sites on the World Wide Web. It works by allowing you to store BookMarks, organized by Folders, in a hierarchical Tree View. You can then simply “drill down” to the BookMark that you wish to navigate to and open it in your Default Web Browser. You can create an unlimited number of Folders and BookMarks.

WebMarks comes with a number of BookMarks already created. These are for some of the most important and popular sites on the World Wide Web. You can choose to keep these or delete them if you so desire.

WebMarks Advantage Over Your Browser’s BookMarks

How To:

•	Create A New Folder

•	Create A New BookMark

•	Use Drag And Drop To Create A New BookMark

•	Use Drag And Drop To Browse A BookMark

•	Use The Clipboard To Create A New BookMark

•	Move or Copy A Folder Or BookMark

•	Rename A Folder Or BookMark

•	Delete A Folder Or BookMark

•	Import BookMarks from Netscape or Internet Explorer

WebMarks Options

•	Tool Bars

•	Always On Top

•	Minimize When Browser Launched

•	Fonts

The Basics Of Windows

•	Drag And Drop

•	Tree View Basics

Miscellaneous Information

•	Planned For The Next Release

•	Copyright Notice

•	Release History

•	License Agreement And Disclaimer

•	Suggestions And Bug Reports


WebMarks Advantages Over Your Browsers BookMarks
WebMarks Advantages Over Your Browser’s BookMarks

WebMarks has many advantages over the built in BookMarks in Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Some of these are listed below:

One File Stores All Of Your BookMarks

All of your Folders and BookMarks are stored in a single file, WebMarks.DAT. This allows you to move or copy that file between many systems. For instance, you can keep a common set of BookMarks at work and at home by simply copying your WebMarks.DAT file from one system to another. Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 users can also add this file to their “Briefcase”.

WebMarks Works With Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer

Netscape Navigator stores its BookMarks in a single file, usually called Bookmark.HTM. Internet Explorer litters your Favorites folder in your Windows directory with a separate file for each BookMark. These systems are not compatible with each other, and makes creating backups of your BookMarks quite difficult. WebMarks stores your Folders and BookMarks in a single file, WebMarks.DAT, and works with your Default Browser, regardless of which Browser that may be.

Powerful BookMarks Management

While the BookMarks feature in both Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are functional, they are far from robust. It is very difficult to move BookMarks between Folders, and even harder to move Folders. WebMarks handles both of these scenarios with ease, allowing full Drag And Drop movement of Folders and BookMarks. Drag And Drop can also be used to drag Addresses from many others programs, such as Microsoft Word and Exchange.


How To Create A New Folder

Select a Folder you want to be the “parent” of the new Folder, that is, the New Folder will appear below this one in the tree. Click New Folder on the Tool Bar or from the File menu. Enter a Valid Name for the New Folder and click Ok to save it.


How To Create A New BookMark

Select the Folder you want to be the “parent” of the new BookMark, that is, the New BookMark will appear below this one in the tree. Click “New Mark” on the Tool Bar or New BookMark from the File menu. Enter a Valid Name for the New BookMark.

You must now enter the Address, or URL, for the Web Site you are creating this BookMark for. Since most sites on the Web begin with http://www. And end with .com/, this is already given to you. For example, to create a BookMark for Microsoft, just enter microsoft when you are entering the address. It will be placed automatically between the http://www. and .com/, to yield a full Address of http://www.microsoft.com/. Of course, you are free to overwrite this default Address if it is not appropriate for the BookMark you are creating. Click Ok to save the New BookMark.

Hint: Some Addresses on the Web are very long, which makes it impractical to enter the full Address manually. WebMarks addresses this issue by using the Windows Clipboard and OLE Drag and Drop.


How To Use The Clipboard To Create A New BookMark

From Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, right click the Link (Address) you want to create a New BookMark for, and then Copy it to the Clipboard. In WebMarks, select the Folder you want to place this New BookMark in and click New Mark from the Tool Bar or New BookMark from the File menu. You will be prompted for the Valid Name and Address as usual.

Enter the Valid Name you wish to give this BookMark, but don’t enter the Address. Click the “Paste Address from Clipboard and Save”. This will save your New BookMark and the Address will be retrieved from the Clipboard.

Related Topic: Drag and Drop


How To Use Drag and Drop To Create A New BookMark

From Netscape Navigator Drag and Drop the Link (Address) to the Folder in WebMarks where you want the New BookMark to be placed. You will be prompted to enter a Valid Name, but the BookMark Address will already be entered for you. Click Ok to save the New BookMark.

Hint: Drag and Drop works for many other applications beside Netscape Navigator. For example, if you have a Web Address in Microsoft Word, you can drag it from Word into WebMarks, just like you can for Netscape Navigator.

 Netscape Navigator Note: You can also drag the current location from Netscape Navigator to WebMarks. Just to the left of the Address bar in Navigator (3.0 and greater), there is a small icon which looks like a link in a chain. You can Drag and Drop this link icon directly to WebMarks to create a New BookMark for the current Web Site you are browsing.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Note: At this time, Internet Explorer does not support Drag and Drop correctly. You can still copy Links to the Clipboard. When this issue is resolved with Microsoft, WebMarks will support Drag and Drop from Internet Explorer as well as Netscape Navigator.

Related Topic: Clipboard


How To Use Drag and Drop To Browse A BookMark

For the most part, WebMarks works with your Default Web Browser. There is one exception to this rule. You can Drag and Drop a BookMark from WebMarks onto either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Whichever one you drop it on will be the application that opens the BookMark. Since some sites look better with Netscape or Internet Explorer, this allows you to pick and choose which application to use to view a particular web site.


The WebMarks.DAT File

WebMarks stores all of your Folders and BookMarks in a single filed, called WebMarks.DAT. This file is located in the same directory (usually C:\WebMarks) as the WebMarks program. You can copy and move this file between different systems, to help you maintain a single set of BookMarks. This makes backing up your BookMarks almost trivial. Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 users can also add this file to their “Briefcase”.


Tool Bar Options

WebMarks supports 3 different size Tool Bars you can use, or none at all. You can select which option you prefer from the Tool Bar menu under the View menu. The options are Large with Text and Graphics, Medium with Graphics Only, Small with Graphics Only, or None.


Always On Top Option

The WebMarks window can remain on top of all other applications running on the system. You can toggle this option from the View menu.


Minimize When Browser Launched Option

The WebMarks window can be minimized (reduced to an Icon or TaskBar Button) when a BookMark is opened for browsing. You can toggle this option from the View menu.


Fonts Option

You can select any available font to use in the WebMarks main window by selecting Fonts from the View Menu.


Valid Names For Folders And BookMarks

When Naming a Folder or BookMark, you are limited to 30 characters (letters). All characters that you can type are allowed except these: . \ \ / : ! WebMarks will not allow you to accidentally enter any of these reserved symbols. Addresses can be any length and contain all characters.


Drag And Drop Basics

WebMarks makes extensive use of Drag and Drop. This is the process of selecting (clicking) something with the mouse and holding the left button down while you “drag” it to a new location. Once the mouse is positioned over the new location, release the button, and the new item will be “dropped” into place. For more information, see the manual that comes with Microsoft Windows.


Tree View Basics
“Tree View” Basics

WebMarks makes extensive use of a Windows “Tree View” This displays your BookMarks in a hierarchical tree, allowing you to “Drill Down” to the BookMarks of Interest.

You navigate the tree by double clicking a “Folder” to reveal its contents. Folders can contain BookMarks and other Folders. You can also open a Folder by clicking the + sign to the left of the Folder Name, or pressing the right arrow button on your keyboard when the Folder is highlighted. You can close a highlighted Folder by clicking the - sign to the left of the Folder Name, or pressing the left arrow button on your keyboard, or by double clicking it again.

You can open a BookMark for browsing by selecting it and then clicking Browse on the Tool Bar or from the View menu.

You can rename Folders and BookMarks by clicking the Folder, waiting a second, and then clicking it again. You can now type the new Valid Name directly into the tree. You can also press F2 (function key 2) when you have a tree item selected to edit the item. When you are done editing the item, press Enter to save your changes, or click another item in the list. If you don’t want to save your changes, press the ESC (escape) key.

For more information, see the manual that comes with Microsoft Windows.


The Default Browser

WebMarks works with your “Default Browser”. That is, the application that automatically gets started when you open a HTM or HTML file on your local system from the Windows Explorer or File Manager. Both Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer can be set up to be the Default Browser. If you only have one Browser on your system, it is already the Default Browser. There is one exception to this rule. See How to Use Drag and Drop to Browse a BookMark for more information.


How To Delete A Folder Or BookMark

To Delete a Folder or BookMark, select it in the tree and click Delete on the Tool Bar or from the File menu. You will be prompted to confirm your action. If you delete a Folder, all Folders and BookMarks below it in the tree will also be deleted. These cannot be “undeleted”, so be very careful when deleting items, especially Folders.


How To Import BookMarks From Netscape Or Internet Explorer

Currently, WebMarks does not have a method to directly import BookMarks created in other applications, or export its BookMarks to these other programs. This is Planned For The Next Release. However, if you are using Netscape Navigator, you can copy your BookMarks into WebMarks manually. To do this, Open Netscape and choose Goto Bookmarks from the Bookmarks menu. You can now Drag and Drop these (one at a time) into WebMarks. This cannot be done with Internet Explorer at this time.


How To Rename A Folder Or BookMark

To change the Name of a Folder or BookMark, select it in the tree and click Properties on the Tool Bar or from the File menu. You can now enter a new Valid Name for the item. For BookMarks, you can also enter (or paste) a new Address.


How To Move A Folder Or BookMark
How To Move or Copy A Folder Or BookMark

WebMarks uses Drag and Drop to move Folders and BookMarks. To move a Folder or BookMark to another Folder, just Drag and Drop it from the original Folder to the outlined Folder. If you would rather copy it to the new location (leaving the original intact), hold down the Ctrl key while you are dragging the Folder or BookMark. When you drop it at the new location, a copy will be made instead of a move.


Copyright Notice

WebMarks is Copyright 1996-97 BarnStormer Software

Portions Copyright by The VWCL Consortium (VWCL C++ Class Library)

Portions Copyright by Microsoft Corporation

Windows 95, Windows NT, Internet Explorer, Explorer, Visual C++, Word and File Manager are Copyright Microsoft Corporation.

Netscape Navigator is Copyright Netscape Communications Corporation


Planned For The Next Release

This is the first version of WebMarks, and we have big plans for its future. Here are some of the things we are planning for the next major release. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact us and let us know what you want.

•	Full Cut, Copy and Paste for BookMarks

•	Scrolling Tree when Moving or Copying Folders and BookMarks

•	Drag and Drop Support for Microsoft Internet Explorer

•	Import and Export of BookMarks to and from Netscape and Internet Explorer

•	Allow BookMarks to be opened by either Netscape or Internet Explorer (in addition to drag and drop, which is currently in this version)

•	Allow WebMarks to be run as a popup tree from the system tray (Win95 and WinNT 4.0 only)


Release History
WebMarks Release History

Date of Release	Version	Notes

11/04/96	1.00	Internal Beta 1

11/11/96	1.00	Release Candidate 1

12/10/96	1.00	Release Candidate 2

12/15/96	1.00	Release Candidate 3

02/03/97	1.00	Full Release 1.00


License Agreement
WebMarks License Agreement And Disclaimer

BarnStormer Software and the author of this software, Todd Osborne, shall not in any way we held liable for use of this application, or any damages that occur as a result its use. By using this application, you agree to this understanding, and take full responsibility for its use, including any damages incurred. If you do not agree to these terms, you must remove this application from any systems that you have installed it on.

WebMarks is PostCardWare. It is free, copyrighted, commercial software. You may copy and redistribute it freely. However, you may not claim ownership of the software, or charge money for the copies you create.

As PostCardWare, we only ask that if you like the software, or have suggestions for improvements, or find bugs, that you drop us a postcard to let us know how you and WebMarks are doing. This is not a marketing ploy, you do not even need to include a return address. This is just for fun, and so we can gauge how popular WebMarks is.

Updates to this software can be downloaded from the BarnStormer web site at:

http://members.aol.com/BarnStSoft/

Please visit our web site for our current postal mail address! Thanks.


Suggestions and Bug Reports

We would love to hear your comments on WebMarks. If you have ideas for making WebMarks better, or discover bugs (glitches) in the software, please see the License Agreement And Disclaimer for information on contacting us.