Re: LYNX-DEV aieeee! DOS filename/paths

[Foteos Macrides]

Wayne Buttles <address@hidden> wrote:
>On Thu, 27 Mar 1997, Foteos Macrides wrote:
>
>> Wayne Buttles <address@hidden> wrote:
>> >One question for you VAX people, can you start lynx with real VMS file
>> >paths?
>> 
>>      VMS path specs can be used for a command line startfile, and
>> for 'g'oto entries, which are converted to valid URL syntax before
>> being used.  Under all other circumstances, valid URL syntax must be
>> used in the first place..  This is explained in the section on file
>> URLs via the "Supported URLs" link of the online 'h'elp.
>
>Thanks Fote.  I didn't see the forrest through the trees again.  For some
>reason I always get stuck staring at the source for hours thinking it is
>going to make sense and I totally forget about checking the help.
>
>I think I will write *seek help* on my monitor.  Not only will it keep me
>from making this same mistake over and over, it should be a great
>conversation piece too ;-)

        Note (as also explained in the 'h'elp 8-) that this feature
is intended to be didactic.  If VMSers are unsure how to structure
file://localhost/... URLs for VMS files, they are advised to use
any VMS path spec (explicit or logical) which would access the file
via DCL, for the startfile or as a 'g'oto, and then use showinfo ('=')
to look at the valid URL Lynx created on the user's behalf.  It might
be a bit of work, but that seems like it would be a good feature for
the WIN/DOS ports as well.

        This feature techically is present for Unix as well, though
less important (more just a convenience) on that platform (basically
just prepends "file://localhost" and expands tilde and/or relative
specs) in conjunction with (esoteric to some 8-) security restrictions.
                                Fote

=========================================================================
 Foteos Macrides            Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research
 address@hidden         222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
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