HOW THIS PROJECTS WEB SITE IS ARRANGED

This Projects web site can be viewed with any web browser, including text-based browsers. However, content will be formatted best in browsers that are relatively modern, capable at least of displaying "tables." This site will work best with Netscape Navigator 4.0 and later, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and later.

This Projects web site also contains optional "Try It Now" links to other web sites, most of which require a relatively modern web browser.

To create as linear and simple a web site as possible, I have avoided some practices which are common to most web sites.

1. I have minimized the number of navigatory hypertext links at the bottom of each web page.
   
   (Only links to the previous page have been included, while other links have been omitted, such as to the next page, to the main menu, to the home page, etc. By using your web browser's "BACK" button or function rather than the hypertext links, the navigation becomes even more linear and simpler.)
   
   
   
2. Novice web surfers may already know that active hypertext links are displayed in blue, underlined text. However, hypertext links in this site fall into two categories: standard "underlined and blue" hyperlinks, and new "underlined and black" hyperlinks which blend with the surrounding text.
   
   When this Projects site lists URLs (web addresses) for other web sites, such as various humanities web sites, the URLs will all be active hypertext links which, when clicked, will immediately take the user to that site.
   
   However, since only the URLs most pertinent to the current lesson will be blue, the user will not become inadvertently sidetracked by linking to URLs which are not directly pertinent to the lesson. (Of course, if a black-text URL seems interesting, the user will of course be able to click it, if desired.)

HOW TO AVOID GETTING STUCK

Some Chapters have "TRY IT NOW!" links, which will link you to interactive web sites demonstrating some of SGML/XML's power for humanities research.


Browser History

After you link to a "TRY IT NOW" site, your browser's "BACK" button will usually allow you to return to this Projects web site.
However, some interactive web sites must reset your browser's history. If that happens, you will need to return to this Projects web site by manually re-typing the URL. Just re-enter the URL for the Projects Home Page,
http://edcenter.sdsu.edu:7777/Projects/index0.htm
http://www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/repository/SGMLsite/


Multiple Windows

At some sites, multiple browser windows might be generated -- e.g., after an image is called up in response to your database query.
This sometimes causes confusion for novice computer users, since many browsers will place the image's window directly on top of the web page's window. This gives the false impression that the web browser is permanently "stuck" on the image and that its button bar no longer works.
In that case, you may move the image's window to the side, revealing both the image window and the usual web browser window.

When finished viewing the image (in most browsers), you may close its window by using the window's "CLOSE" function, usually found in its "FILE" menu list. This "closes" the image's window, and does not affect the usual web browser window.

NOTE: For most browsers, DO NOT use "exit" instead of "close" -- close will close the image's window, but "exit" will exit all browser windows (i.e., end your session).

FRAMES

Some of the "TRY IT NOW!" remote web sites, require web browsers capable of displaying "frames."

Frames are just multiple web pages displayed in the same browser window.

All modern browsers have frames capability, but other browsers may not be able to display frames.

(If a "TRY IT NOW!" site requires frames, this will be clearly stated.)

VIRTUAL REALITY

Some of the "TRY IT NOW!" remote web sites, allow users to generate "virtual reality" models. These are just files in a format known as VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language).

For users who do not have VRML software, this Projects site will always include static "screen shot" images of the VRML files under discussion. This should be sufficient for most users' purposes.

If you do not have a VRML viewer or plug-in in your web browser, you might be able to find one for your computer system, at the San Diego Supercomputer Center's "VRML Repository," located at
http://www.sdsc.edu/vrml/

The Repository contains software for the VRML 1.0 format, and for the modern VRML 2.0 format.
VRML 2.0 contains advanced features, and therefore requires a relatively modern computer system.

WEB-BASED FORMS

Some of the "TRY IT NOW" remote web sites, ask the user to fill out an HTML "form." For example, to submit a keyword search query of a humanities SGML archive.

HTML forms resemble ordinary paper-based forms -- text-entry fields, checkboxes, selection lists, etc.


* To be able to enter text in a text-entry field, the user usually must activate the desired field by clicking the mouse cursor in it.

* Usually, the user must submit the form by pressing a "Submit" button of some kind.

SLIPPERY WEB SITES

Every effort has been made to ensure that all hypertext links to remote sites are current. As of the date listed at the bottom of each web page, the links are all current and active.

However, some URLs (web addresses) changed during the creation of this Projects site, and it is possible that they or others may change in the future.

Consequently, if you find an expired hypertext link, please notify me by email. This will speed up the process of keeping all hypertext links current.

(Note: Sometimes a URL may be inactive only temporarily, due to web server problems or system problems.)

RELOADING WEB PAGES

Web browsers generally "cache" web pages (save them to local disk, for faster display during future visits to a web site).

Typically, web browsers will automatically re-cache web pages which have been modified or updated since the last visit.
This ensures that users always get the newest version of each web page.


However, if your web browser does not perform automatic updating, or if you disabled automatic updating, then pressing the browser's "RELOAD" button should display the newest version of the current web page. An alternative procedure is to use the browser's "CLEAR CACHE" function after starting the browser or before accessing a desired web site.


This "Projects" web site will, ideally, need as little modification as possible, hence page reloading should not be too important an issue.
However, as users send comments and suggestions, the site may be periodically modified.

I welcome all comments and suggestions!
I can be reached by email, at bajic@edcenter.sdsu.edu