MTviewer

Program description

MTview is a conduit and no-frill HTML / Text viewer on Palm OS. For HTML, only text portion can be displayed. I originally wrote this program for reading downloaded newspaper on Palm. But it is generic enough for any text reading. The key features are:

• No extra step involve. On single hotsync, all supported files in specified directory are searched, converted, download and archived on the fly.
• Easy navigate and delete, automatic scroll down. For short lived, small-medium size document like newspaper, all you usually do is reading head line 1-2 pages, and delete it for next document. This can be accomplished with just one pen stroke.
• Support category. Category structure and name mimic sub-directory in PC.

However, this program do not substitute online or offline web browser or other document reader. Since it:

• Neither process nor display picture.
• It cannot render complex formating. It use monostyle font to display text. It understand only simple formatting tag. All other tags are discarded. Hyperlink is displayed but program never navigate through link. Form is not supported.
• No online activities involved. Web page is never retreived online.

Requirement

The program require Palm device or compatible runing Palm OS 3.1 or above. Program size is 8K. Space requirement for database depend on source document file.

The conduit portion require Palm HotSync manager version 3 and run on Windows 9x platform. It might run on Windows NT or Windows 2000 but has't been tested.

Installation

• Unzip the downloaded file to temporary directory.
• Install mtview.prc into Palm as usual.
• Run setup.exe on PC and follow dialog to install conduit portion.

Configure

Note: it is very important that you understand configuration. Or files will not be downloaded. Or files may be destroyed unintentionally after downloaded.

After installation, you should configure MTview conduit immediately. Choose custom menu from HotSync manager, select MTview conduit and press Change button. Description for each section are below.

• HotSync Action: This setting control whether to enable or disable MTview conduit. It only support download to handheld device. For undetermined reason, the default action is neither enable nor disable. You must explicit set it and click "Set as default" checkbox.

• HTML/text download directory: This specifiy source directory of files to be downloaded. To prevent confuse, I recommend creating a new directory for downloading file only. All supported file in this directory will be downloaded to "Unfiled" category. If there is sub-directory below, name of sub-directory will be a new category and files inside will be downloaded to such category. MTview download only file type of html, htm and txt.

• Action after download: This specify method after file is successfully downloaded.

1. Send to Recycle Bin. Use this method only if you have another copy of file or you are sure that file is not needed on PC anymore. Note that downloaded one in handheld database cannot be synchronized back to PC anymore.
2. Clear file archive bit. Only certain attribute of file is changed but file is not erased. MTview conduit will never download this file again until archive bit is set back. Note that this archive bit might interfere with some backup program. Archive bit can be set or cleared manually from file Properties of Windows Explorer.
3. Do nothing: No action. File will be downloaded everytime even it was downloaded or will cause duplicated.

You should test and familar with each archive method before use MTview with the important file.

Using MTview

Once you have files in specified directory and perform hotsync, a new database should be created or existing database should be updated accordingly. Using MTview on Palm is quite self explanatory and similar to other Palm application. However certain feature may need explanation as below.

1. Normally, any tab in text display area cause scroll up or down. To select text for copy to clipboard, you must temporary disable this behavior by select menu "Enable selection". The behavior will be back to normal on any next document loading.
2. Font size changing is located in main menu, not in preferences dialog, as it is more frequent use than other setting. But font size setting is also saved just like other preferences.
3. Button label <P> is for finding next paragraph.
4. Category with no document inside will be deleted on next hotsync automatically. No need to delete empty category.

Administrivia

Price: This program is free for use or distribute on non-commercial basis.

Discliamer: This program, associated file or document, are provided as-is without warranty. It is user of this program who responsible for using this program.

Author e-mail: taweesak@softhome.net
Web: http://www.geocities.com/sapparod

Suggestion is welcome.

Revision History

August 9, 2000 - version 1.01.
Change to conduit:

• Support character in &#<nnn>; and &<charname>; form
• HTML file: show filename as document title if <TITLE> tag not found
• Text file: always show filename as document title
• Better formating on table related tag
• Change archive method: from delete file to send-to-recycle-bin

Change to program:

• More accurate autoscroll delay: 3, 5, 7 second