AUTOHTML

                              Version 1.3



Overview:

AUTOHTML creates a multi-page web site from text source files in the 
current directory. The first page is always called TOC.HTML and is a 
table of contents linking to the other pages. 

A page is created for each source file. If the defaults are selected, 
a separate table of contents file will be created for each page, with 
the name TOCxxxxx.HTM where xxxxx is the last five characters of the 
source file name.

The title for the first page is received from the command line as a 
parameter supplied to AUTOHTML.EXE. Enclose this text within speech 
marks, or only the first word will be picked up! Each entry in the 
first page (TOC.HTML) is derived from a single text line in a file 
with the same name as the source file, but with the extension .TIT 
(short for title). If a TIT file can not be located in the current 
directory, the source file name is used. This title is also used to 
head the source web page and any table of contents page for that 
source file. 

Links are automaticaly created whenever a word refers to another item 
heading in any of the source pages.

Source Files:

Source files follow the KNB format; Simply these are comprised of an 
item heading line prefixed by an asterisk, thus: 

*This is an item heading

followed by any number of lines of text which comprise that item's 
data.

To force a link to a multiple word heading, replace spaces with under 
bars (_) within the item data, for example:

This example will link with Greater_London.



Command Line:

        AUTOHTML "Title For First Page"


Automatic Links:

Automatic links will only ever be made to the first source file, in 
alphabetical order, containing a reference to the item. You can force 
other files to be linked first by so naming them as to be 
alphabetically earlier. Eg; a file 'AAA.TXT' will be scanned before a 
file called 'BAA.TXT'.

Table Of Contents:

The format of each table of contents is either a list, or a table. 
Defined by toc table=yes or toc table=no in autohtml.ini. If a tabular 
format table of contents is required, the number of columns, border 
and cell spacing information is read from the autohtml.ini file. 
Otherwise these parameters are ignored.


Limitations:

AUTOHTML will not create graphical systems. It is designed to carry 
out the donkey work of linking multiple machine-readable text files 
into a fully linked web site. If you want in-line graphics, forms, 
links to other URLs and so on then you will have to add these your 
self.


AUTOHTML.INI:

AUTOHTML acceses a configuration file (autohtml.ini) in the directory 
where autohtml.exe resides. This configuration file may be amended to 
change the format of the created web site.

[preferences]
separate table of contents=yes  (Table of contents separate to main 
                                 data)
main title font=1               (Font 1-6 for main title)
sub title font=2                (Font 1-6 for subsequent title lines)
toc font=3                      (Font to display table of contents 
                                 entries)
source=knb                      (Source file extension)
toc table=yes                   (Use table format for each table of 
                                 contents) 
columns=3                       (Number of table columns) 
width=100                       (Table width as a % of screen width) 
cellspacing=2                   (Table cell spacing) 
border=10                       (Table border) 

[item]
title font=2                    (Font 1-6 for item titles)
data font=4                     (Font 1-6 to display item data)
title italic=yes                (Item titles Italic yes or no)
title bold=yes                  (Item titles Bold yes or no)

[ignore]
; Any words in this section will not be linked
A
IN
OF
THE

Compatability:

AUTOHTML has been tested with NCSA Mosaic, Microsoft Internext 
Explorer and Netscape.


Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. I only have one source file, autohtml creates three HTML files. How do 
   I get around this?

A. Autohtml always creates a primary table of contents HTML filed 
   called TOC.HTM. This provides a link to all the source files. If 
   you only have one source file, then you can delete the TOC.HTM 
   file. If you have separate table of contents=yes set in the 
   autohtml.ini configuration file, then two HTML files will be 
   created for each source file. The name of one file will commence 
   TOC and this is the table of contents for the other data file. 
   Rename this table of contents file to TOC.HTM and your web site is 
   done.

Q. Autohtml doesn't create any HTML files. What's wrong?

A. Autohtml searches the current directory for files with an extension 
   matching the source= setting in the configuration file 
   autohtml.ini. Probably you have an incorrect extension set in the 
   configuration file. Remember, the extension in the source= line 
   does not include a period, eg:

                source=knb



Q. When I try to view the HTML files in Mosaic, Mosaic crashes. Help!

A. Mosaic is a rather fragile HTML viewer. Try splitting the source 
   files down into more smaller files. 




(c)1996 Servile Software

Servile Software
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Basingstoke
Hampshire
RG21 8XG

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