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:


Another product by D.L. Meyer Enterprises...

D.L. Meyer
RR3 Box 262
Champaign, IL 61821


Suggestions & Comments to meyer@larch.ag.uiuc.edu