The PM-PROXY System
A Presentation Manager Proxy Executable
The Purpose:
The PM-PROXY System is designed to provide a PM-based surrogate executable
which will be successfully started by IBM's Web Explorer, accepting the filename parameter,
and then properly initiate an external viewing session with pre-configured parameters.
PM-PROXY is intended to provide a workaround to two WE/2 problems,
namely the ability to use non-PM external viewers and to provide a more flexible parameter
passing format.
If you're on the internet, you should check the up-to-date PM-Proxy Web pages...
The Disclaimer:
Yes, there is a disclaimer...
The Problems with WebExplorer:
The current beta versions of IBM's Web Explorer (WE/2) have two serious problems
starting external viewers.
How it works:
PM-PROXY stores its configuration information for a single specific external
viewer application in a private INI file, which is tied to the name of the executable.
This means that you will keep multiple copies of the PROXY.EXE executable under
different names, one copy for each external viewer you need the PM-PROXY System to initiate.
For instance, to run the external Windows viewer for Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files,
you could copy the PROXY.EXE file to PRX-PDF.EXE, preferably to your \TCPIP\BIN
directory. You must then configure PRX-PDF.EXE to execute CMD.EXE with the parameter
string:
"/c d:\path\ACROREAD.EXE %s"
Then, set your MAILCAP & EXTMAP files so that WE/2 starts PRX-PDF.EXE when the
MIME type 'application/pdf' is encountered. Later, when you retrieve a PDF file, WE/2 will
start PRX-PDF.EXE, which will then start "CMD.EXE /c d:\path\ACROREAD.EXE {downloaded file}".
Installation & Use:
- Get a copy of VwrProxy.zip, and decompress it into a temporary directory.
- Make a copy of the PROXY.EXE file with a distinct name for each external viewer you
need to start via PROXY. (I suggest naming the PROXY executables PRX-*.EXE, where "*"
is a unique designator similar to the MIME type. For instance, PRX-PDF.EXE for the MIME type
'application/pdf'. The settings for the viewer type will then be stored in the file "PRX-PDF.INI",
located in the same directory the executable resides in.)
- If you already have the EMX.DLL library on your LIBpath, then you may want to replace it
with the file included in the distribution archive. It is the newest version, v0.9a. Replacement is
not necessary, though. If you do not already have EMX.DLL on your LIBpath, then copy/move
the included EMX.DLL to a directory on the LIBpath.
- Configure the PROXY program to start the desired external viewer application.
Starting the renamed PROXY.EXE without any parameters on the command line will cause
it to open in setup mode. A dialog will open with the default settings in three entry fields.
Fill in the three entry fields with the relevant information.
(Remember: "%s" in the Parameters: field indicates where the input filename is to be placed.)
(Note: The "Working Directory" setting does not matter much for applications running under WIN-OS2,
as WIN-OS2 changes drive & directory to the WIN-OS2 directory regardless.)
- Edit the MAILCAP and EXTMAP files to add any new MIME types not covered in WE/2's
internal list, as well as to provide the command to start thePRX-????.EXE program. If
the type is in the internal list, then use the "Configure -> Viewers" dialog under
WE/2 to place the PRX-????.EXE name in the dialog's "Program" field.
- If you had to edit the MAILCAP and EXTMAP files, you will have to restart WE/2
for the changes to take effect.
- Test the setup, and see if it works...
Another product by D.L. Meyer Enterprises...
D.L. Meyer
RR3 Box 262
Champaign, IL 61821
Suggestions & Comments to meyer@larch.ag.uiuc.edu