Table of Contents

Welcome to CGI*StarPro!

Introduction

Features

Revision History

Support

Registration

Contact Details

System Requirements

Web Server Requirements

Creating your HTML form

Using a WebGenie HTML form template

Generating a CGI script for your HTML form

WebGenie hosting option

For a Unix webserver

For a Windows NT webserver

Installing the files on your web server

Uploading files with FTP

Other Software Products From WebGenie

Another great Internet Interactivity Solution brought to you by WebGenie Software!


Introduction

CGI*StarPro makes interactive web form creation easy!

With CGI*StarPro you can create forms to:

 sell your products and services online

 conduct surveys

 receive feedback

 hold competitions

 manage registrations and subscriptions

You do not need to be an expert in HTML, JavaScript, Perl or CGI!

CGI*StarPro makes it possible for every web developer to effortlessly create CGI scripts to process HTML forms. There is no need to learn complex programming languages or to hire a programmer to write your CGI scripts.

CGI*StarPro will create a Perl script that will process the input from a HTML form and forward that input to a specified email address(es). Even if you are an experienced Perl programmer, CGI*StarPro can save you hours of work by rapidly creating the basis of your CGI script and leaving you to add the extra functionality you require.

CGI*StarPro comes complete with a number of customizable JavaScript-enhanced templates for your convenience, and with a few clicks of the mouse your form is ready to go!

What if your Internet provider does not permit CGI scripts? No problems! For a small fee, have your forms hosted on the WebGenie server!

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Features

CGI*StarPro has an extensive range of great features to meet your every requirement:

 30 day fully-functional evaluation period

 Try CGI*StarPro for a whole month before purchasing!

 Customizable, JavaScript-enhanced form templates

 If you do not already have a form, choose from a number of templates provided for your convenience!

 Optionally host your forms on the WebGenie server

 Registered users of CGI*StarPro receive an optional 3 months free hosting on the WebGenie server!

 Brilliant for sites where CGI scripts are not permitted or CGI script configuration is difficult.

 Configure your script to do more than just send email!

 Set mandatory form fields. Your form will not be submitted until all the necessary fields are complete.

 Send a personalized acknowledgment mail message to the user.

 Store the form data in a tab- or comma- delimited cumulative file. Import the data directly into your favorite database program.

 Auto refresh feature redirects the user to a new page once the form has been successfully submitted.

 Choose the background color that will be used for the HTML pages generated by the CGI script.

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Revision History

Version	Release	Description

3.1	March 8, 1997	Latest release.

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Support

Customer Support

Customer support is free of charge, even if you are just evaluating your WebGenie product!

The best way to report problems is via the "Emailbox" link on the WebGenie home page at http://www.webgenie.com. You can also send email directly to support@webgenie.com.

When reporting problems, please include the following information:

 A concise description of the problem. Is it reproducible?  If so, how?

 If an error message was displayed, please include the full text.

 A description of the web server. Is it running on a Unix or NT machine?

 The version of the product you are using.

 A copy of your HTML form and CGI script.

What's New at WebGenie?

WebGenie products are always evolving and it is quite likely that the latest release has the enhancement or bug fix that you need. Please visit the WebGenie "What's New" page at http://www.webgenie.com/new.html and check that you have the latest version.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

For answers to common questions, please read the WebGenie "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)" page at http://www.webgenie.com/faq.html.

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Registration

Your unregistered WebGenie product is a fully-functional evaluation copy which will expire in 30 days after being installed on your computer. The number of days remaining in the evaluation period is displayed in the title bar of the main window when the product is launched.

Once the evaluation period is over your WebGenie product will no longer generate CGI scripts. CGI scripts generated over the evaluation period will display an expiry notice when accessed.

If your WebGenie product meets your requirements and you wish to continue using it, you must purchase a registration code from WebGenie. Pricing and other purchase information is available from the WebGenie order page at http://www.webgenie.com/Order/index.html.

When your order has been processed you will receive your registration code via email.

With your registration code in hand, launch your WebGenie product and click on the 'Register' button. Enter your registration code in the text box provided and press the button marked 'Record Code'. Make sure that you enter the registration code carefully using only capital letters and hyphens, with no spaces between any characters. A good idea is to simply cut and paste the registration code for total accuracy.

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Contact Details

Web

WebGenie Homepage	http://www.webgenie.com

What's New	http://www.webgenie.com/new.html

Frequently Asked Questions	http://www.webgenie.com/faq.html

Product Registration	http://www.webgenie.com/Order/index.html

Email

Technical Support	support@webgenie.com

Sales Support	sales@webgenie.com

Phone

+61 8 8303 5020	Between the hours of 9am-5pm, GMT+9:30

Fax

+61 8 8303 4355

Snail Mail

WebGenie Software Pty. Ltd.

PO Box 149, Rundle Mall

Adelaide SA 5000

Australia

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System Requirements

CGI*StarPro is a Windows 95/NT application.

It requires a minimum 8M RAM and 1.5M free space on your hard drive.

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Web Server Requirements

Firstly, your web server must be configured to allow CGI scripts. Please refer to your web server documentation or your web master to confirm that CGI scripts are permitted on your web server. If you are not permitted to have CGI scripts on your web server, then you do have the option of having your forms hosted on the WebGenie server.

Secondly, your web server must have a some ancillary applications installed:

For NT web servers:

 Perl for Win32 (http://www.perl.com/perl)

 A commandline driven mail program, the two most popular and recommended packages are:

 blat (http://gepasi.dbs.aber.ac.uk/softw/blat.html)

 postmail (http://www.software.com/Products/Postmail)

For Unix web servers:

 Perl  (http://www.perl.com/perl)

 A mail program. Unix by default comes with either sendmail or mail.

If you have a UNIX web server, please ask your web administrator the full path to Perl and email program, as you will need this information when generating your CGI script. If you have a NT web server, please make sure that the web master has included the paths to Perl and the email program in the PATH environment variable so that the CGI script can know their location.

Please note that all the necessary ancillary applications are usually already installed and operating on most commercial web servers.

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Creating your HTML form

CGI*StarPro is a CGI script generator.

CGI*StarPro will generate a customized script to process the contents of the form, but you must supply the HTML form.

Create your HTML form using your favorite HTML editor (or use one of the templates provided for your convenience) . If you are unfamiliar with the process of creating a HTML form, there are a number of excellent resources available on the Internet. As a starting point try:

 NCSA - Fill-out Forms Overview

 http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/fill-out-forms/overview.htm

 University of Kansas - Introduction to CGI Scripts and HTML Forms

 http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/info/forms/forms-intro.html

The only requirement is that your HTML form must use the post method and the action must be set to the URL of the CGI script. It is not necessary to specify the ENCTYPE of the form, which will be set to URL-encoded by default. For example:

<FORM METHOD="POST" ACTION="http://www.your.site/cgi-bin/script.cgi">

...(form input fields here)...

</FORM>

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Creating your HTML form - Using a WebGenie HTML form template

Try one of the CGI*StarPro HTML form templates!

The HTML templates are very handy if you are not familiar with writing HTML forms, or if you just want to add interactivity to your web site with the minimum of time and fuss.

To access the templates, launch CGI*StarPro and click on the 'Forms Expert' button on the left-hand side of the main window.

Currently two of the most common types of form are provided for your convenience; and order form and a feedback form. More templates will be included in future releases of CGI*StarPro.

Simply select the template that best meets you requirements and specify the URL of the CGI script as it will reside on your web server. Once you have completed the details, save the HTML template to your hard-drive.

Open the HTML file in your favorite web browser and see what it looks like. You will have to edit the HTML file to suit your environment, but it should be fairly straightforward. However, do be careful as the HTML templates are JavaScript enhanced!

The next step? Generate your custom CGI script to process your new form!

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Generating a CGI script for your HTML form

Once you have prepared a HTML form, it is time to generate your customized CGI script.

Before we proceed, please make sure that your HTML form uses the POST method and that the ACTION is set to the URL of the CGI script as it would be found on your web server. i.e.:

<FORM METHOD="POST" ACTION="http://www.your.site/cgi-bin/script.cgi">

...(form input fields here)...

</FORM>

CGI*StarPro has three options for generating a CGI script. The option you use is dependent on the web server that will host your CGI script. Launch CGI*StarPro. On the left-hand side of the main window there are four buttons. We are interested in the first three, namely 'Auto CGI', 'Unix CGI', and 'NT CGI'.

Auto CGI

Select the Auto CGI option if you want to use the WebGenie CGI hosting facility. This option is very simple to configure and will get your web site interactive in no time at all! If you do not have CGI access on your web server, or do not know how to configure your web server to run CGI scripts, then this is the choice for you! If you register your copy of CGI*StarPro you are entitled to 3 months free hosting, after which time you are required to pay a small, regular, maintenance fee.

Unix CGI

If you intend to host your CGI script on your own Unix web server, then select the Unix CGI option.

NT CGI

Select the NT CGI option if you want to host your CGI script on your own Windows NT web server.

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Generating a CGI script for your HTML form - WebGenie hosting option

The no-hassles solution to Internet interactivity!

WebGenie gives you the opportunity to have you HTML forms handled by the WebGenie server.

If your web master does not permit CGI scripts on your web server, or if configuring your web server for CGI is just too difficult and time consuming, then let WebGenie process your HTML forms! You site will be interactive in no time at all!

If you register your copy of CGI*StarPro, you are entitled to 3 months free hosting on the WebGenie server. After this time, you are only required to pay a small, regular, maintenance fee. Visit our order page at http://www.webgenie.com/Order for more hosting details.

What Next?

Launch CGI*StarPro and click on the 'Auto CGI' button found on the left-hand side of the main window.

You will be prompted for the filename of the HTML form that you wish to have hosted. Once you have specified your desired HTML form, click the 'Open' button to launch the 'Auto CGI' dialog box. You must complete each field in the dialog box:

The Options

Email address

Set this field to the email address of the person who is to receive the contents of the form. If a number of people are to receive the email, then separate each address with a comma.

Do you wish to be a recipient of the WebGenie newsletter? If so, tick the box alongside this field.

Email subject

Specify the subject line of the email in this text field.

Acknowledgment message

You can specify a brief acknowledgment message that will be displayed after a visitor has successfully submitted your HTML form. The message, which can have HTML tags, will be displayed for 5 seconds before the browser is automatically redirected to your homepage or to the page specified in the 'Page to go to after sending mail' field.

Form elements

Make sure that CGI*StarPro has picked up all the fields that appear in your form by checking the contents listed here. You can make any of these fields mandatory by placing an asterix in front of the form field name. A visitor to your site will not be allowed to submit your HTML form until these fields have been completed.

Forms in the page

A HTML file can have more than one form. Select the form you wish to configure for CGI hosting.

Mail only non-blank items

If this option is selected then any non-mandatory fields that were not completed when the form was submitted will not be displayed in the email.

Display mail contents to user

With this option selected the CGI script will display an acknowledgment message which will include the content of the mail. It allows the visitor to verify that the information they entered is correct.

Page to go to after sending mail

If you wish, you can specify that the CGI script redirect the visitor to a new page after submitting the form. If you have specified an acknowledgment message, then this will be displayed for approximately 5 seconds before going to the refresh page.

And that's it?

Yes! Click on the 'Save' button to complete the setup process. CGI*StarPro will modify your HTML file by adding a number of hidden fields. These fields instruct the CGI script on the WebGenie web server on how to process your HTML form.

If you are currently connected to the Internet, you can test your Internet interactivity now! Launch your web browser and open the modified HTML form. Complete the details of the form and submit it. The WebGenie server will process your form and mail the form contents to the email address you specified in the configuration.

You final step is to upload your HTML file to your web server. If you are unfamiliar with the process of uploading files using FTP, please have a look at section on uploading files with FTP.

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Generating a CGI script for your HTML form - Unix webserver

If you have not already done so, please take a quick look at our section on creating a HTML form and ensure that your HTML form has the method and the action set correctly. If you don't have a HTML form ready, you might like to consider using one of the templates provided by CGI*StarPro.

Don't forget that if you register your copy of CGI*StarPro, you are entitled to 3 months free hosting on the WebGenie server, should you desire it. After this time, you are only required to pay a small, regular, maintenance fee. Visit our order page at http://www.webgenie.com/Order for more hosting details.

Please confirm with your web server documentation or web master that your web server is configured to run CGI scripts and that it meets the requirements necessary to run your CGI script.

What Next?

Launch CGI*StarPro and click on the 'Unix CGI' button found on the left-hand side of the main window.

You will be prompted for the filename of the HTML form for which the CGI script is to be generated. Once you have specified your desired HTML form, click the 'Open' button to launch the 'Own CGI' dialog box. Complete each field in the dialog box:

The Options

Email address

Set this field to the email address of the person who is to receive the contents of the form. If a number of people are to receive the email, then separate each address with a comma.

Email subject

Specify the subject line of the email in this text field.

Form IDs

Make sure that CGI*StarPro has picked up all the fields that appear in your form by checking the contents listed here. You can make any of these fields mandatory by placing an asterix in front of the form field name. A visitor to your site will not be allowed to submit your HTML form until these fields have been completed.

List of Forms in the HTML file

A HTML file can have more than one form. Select the form you wish to configure for CGI hosting.

A handy tip!

If you would like the visitor's email address and name set in the 'from' and 'reply-to' fields of the email send by your CGI script, add two text input boxes named 'User_name' and 'User_email' (case sensitive) to your HTML form.

Further Options

To the right-hand side of the dialog box is the 'Options' button. Click this to complete the remainder of the CGI script setup.

And What Now?

Once you have completed the details in the 'Option' dialog box, simply click on the 'Write CGI' button to generate and save your custom CGI script.

Your HTML file and CGI script are now ready to be transferred to your web server!

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Generating a CGI script for your HTML form - Windows NT webserver

If you have not already done so, please take a quick look at our section on creating a HTML form and ensure that your HTML form has the method and the action set correctly. If you don't have a HTML form ready, you might like to consider using one of the templates provided by CGI*StarPro.

Don't forget that if you register your copy of CGI*StarPro, you are entitled to 3 months free hosting on the WebGenie server, should you desire it. After this time, you are only required to pay a small, regular, maintenance fee. Visit our order page at http://www.webgenie.com/Order for more hosting details.

Please confirm with your web server documentation or web master that your web server is configured to run CGI scripts and that it meets the requirements necessary to run your CGI script.

What Next?

Launch CGI*StarPro and click on the 'NT CGI' button found on the left-hand side of the main window.

You will be prompted for the filename of the HTML form for which the CGI script is to be generated. Once you have specified your desired HTML form, click the 'Open' button to launch the 'Own CGI' dialog box. Complete each field in the dialog box:

The Options

Email address

Set this field to the email address of the person who is to receive the contents of the form. If a number of people are to receive the email, then separate each address with a comma.

Email subject

Specify the subject line of the email in this text field.

Form IDs

Make sure that CGI*StarPro has picked up all the fields that appear in your form by checking the contents listed here. You can make any of these fields mandatory by placing an asterix in front of the form field name. A visitor to your site will not be allowed to submit your HTML form until these fields have been completed.

List of Forms in the HTML file

A HTML file can have more than one form. Select the form you wish to configure for CGI hosting.

A handy tip!

If you would like the visitor's email address and name set in the 'from' and 'reply-to' fields of the email send by your CGI script, add two text input boxes named 'User_name' and 'User_email' (case sensitive) to your HTML form.

Further Options

To the right-hand side of the dialog box is the 'Options' button. Click this to complete the remainder of the CGI script setup.

And What Now?

Once you have completed the details in the 'Option' dialog box, simply click on the 'Write CGI' button to generate and save your custom CGI script.

Your HTML file and CGI script are now ready to be transferred to your web server!

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Generating a CGI script for your HTML form - Options

Complete the following details in the 'Options' dialog box to complete your CGI script configuration.

Display an acknowledgment

You can specify a brief acknowledgment message that will be displayed after a visitor has successfully submitted your HTML form. The message, which can have HTML tags, will be displayed for 5 seconds before the browser is automatically redirected to your homepage or to the page specified in the 'Page to go to after sending mail' field.

Mail non-blank items only

If this option is selected then any non-mandatory fields that were not completed when the form was submitted will not be displayed in the email.

Display mail contents to user

With this option selected the CGI script will display an acknowledgment message which will include the contents of the mail. It allows the visitor to verify that the information they entered is correct.

Mail this thankyou note

Tick this checkbox if you would like a thankyou message mailed to the person who submitted your form.

For this option to work:

 Your HTML form must contain two text input boxes named 'User_name' and 'User_email' (Case sensitive).

 You will have to create a plain text file containing your thankyou message. Upload it to your web server in the same directory as your CGI script.

Enter the filename of your thankyou message in the textbox alongside the checkbox.

Your Organization/Name

The information you enter here will be used as the 'From' field when a thankyou note is sent. If this field is left blank, then your return email address will be used instead.

Collect form input in file

As well as mailing the contents of a form, CGI*StarPro can append the information to a cumulative file on your web server.

Simply tick the checkbox and specify the name of the file in the field provided. Select whether the file is to be tab- or comma- delimited. CGI*StarPro will automatically create the file in the same directory as the CGI script. For Unix web servers, the directory where the file will be created must have permissions set to world read/write/execute. This can be achieved by using the 'chmod' command. i.e.: chmod 777 directory_name

Page refresh to this URL

If you wish, you can specify that the CGI script redirect the visitor to a new page after submitting the form. If you have specified an acknowledgment message, then this will be displayed for approximately 5 seconds before going to the refresh page.

Unix Perl program

Set this to the absolute path of Perl on your Unix web server. If you do not know that absolute path to the Perl interpreter then consult your web master. Another option is to telnet to your web server and, once logged in, type 'whereis perl'.

Unix Mail program

Specify the absolute path to a mail program on your web server. The common mail programs on a Unix web server are 'sendmail' and 'Mail'. If you do not know that absolute path to the mail program then consult your web master. Another option is to telnet to your web server and, once logged in, type 'whereis sendmail' or 'whereis Mail'.

NT Mail program

You must specify a mail program. The supported NT mail programs are postmail and blat which are both commandline invoked programs. Windows-based mail programs are unsuitable for CGI scripts. If you are not what mail program is installed on your web server, please ask your web master for help.

NT Mail server

Set this field to the Internet address of your SMTP mail server. Usually this is the same as your webserver IP address.

Color for CGI generated pages

Click on the 'Page Color' button to specify the color you would like to use on any HTML pages generated by the CGI script.

Configuration complete!

Your CGI script is now fully configured. Click on the 'Save' button when you are ready to continue.

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Installing the files on your web server

You should now have a custom CGI script generated for your HTML form. All that remains is for the files to be uploaded to your web server, and your forms are ready to go!

The most common method of transferring files to your web server is with an FTP client. If you are unfamiliar with FTP, please have a look at our sample FTP session which describes step by step the method of uploading both your HTML file and CGI script to your web server.

Please note that it is often the case with web servers that CGI scripts must reside in a special directory (often called /cgi-bin). Some web servers also require that CGI scripts have a particular filename suffix like .cgi or .pl. If your CGI script is not working, please confirm with your web master that your CGI script is in the correct location and that it has a suitable filename suffix.

Don't forget to upload your thankyou message to the same directory as the CGI script if you have configured your script with this option.

If things don't work, don't panic! If you have any problems, help is at hand!

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Installing the files on your web server - Uploading files with FTP

Once you have your HTML form and generated your CGI script, you will have to upload both to your web server using a file transfer program (FTP). Unix and Windows 95/NT both come with a FTP client called (somewhat appropriately!), ftp. Here is a sample session to upload your html file and cgi script:

Start an ftp session at the command prompt:

ftp

Open a connection to your web site. i.e.:

ftp> open your.site.com

Login to your web site. i.e.:

username: your_username

password: your_password

If you are not already there, change to the directory on your own computer where the HTML file and CGI script reside. i.e.:

ftp> lcd /webgenie/cgistarpro

Change to the directory on your web server where your HTML entry form will be placed. i.e.:

ftp> cd /htdocs

FTP has two methods of transferring data, ASCII and binary mode. To upload HTML files and CGI scripts, make sure you are transferring in ASCII mode (For non-text files, like images, use binary mode). i.e.:

ftp> ascii

The next step is to upload the HTML file. i.e.:

ftp> put form.html

Don't forget to upload any images that are needed for the HTML form. Remember that you must transfer images in binary mode! i.e.:

ftp> binary

ftp> put image.gif

Generally speaking, web servers have a special directory for CGI scripts. Scripts not placed in this directory may not work, so check with your web master for the correct location. Change to this directory on your web server. i.e.:

ftp> cd /cgi-bin

Now upload the CGI script (and, if you have one, an acknowledgment message). Don't forget to instruct ftp to transfer these files in ASCII mode. i.e.:

ftp> ascii

ftp> put script.cgi

ftp> put mesg.txt

For those with UNIX web servers, another step remains. File permissions must be set so that the CGI script can be executed by the web server.

ftp> site chmod 755 script.cgi

If you have configured the CGI script to keep a cumulative text file of form submissions, then you must also set permissions on the directory where the cumulative file is to be kept, so that the script has permissions to write to it.

ftp> site chmod 777 /cgi-bin

Please note that most ftp programs support the 'site' command. If your ftp program does not, then you must either ask your web master to do the job for you, or change permissions by telnet. A sample telnet session is demonstrated in our FAQ available at http://www.webgenie.com/faq.html if you should have to use this approach.

Your form and script are installed on your web server and ready to go! You can now quit the ftp program. i.e.:

ftp> bye

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Other Software Products From WebGenie
Other Products From WebGenie Software

WebGenie Software makes tools to enhance the interactivity of your web site. These Windows95/NT programs are powerful yet intuitive to use and require very little knowledge about CGIs and programming languages. Whether you are a professional web page designer or a do-it-yourself perfectionist, these tools will make the creation and maintenance of your pages an easy and enjoyable task.

Our Products

WebGenie Shopping*Cart - Create your own online store. Automatically generates catalogs and associated CGIs to create a fully interactive online shopping system on the web. Use your own server or WebGenie's secure server to host the CGIs.

CGI*StarPro - Create instant, interactive web forms at the touch of a button. Use your own server or WebGenie's server to host the CGIs.

Banner*Show - An easy way to create your own rotating banners. Uses Java to display banners and text with links.

Guestbook*Star - The ultimate instant guestbook creator. Use your own server or WebGenie's server to host the CGI and guestbook.

Site*Sleuth - Analyse your servers logfiles to provide invaluable website statistics. Find out where your visitors are coming from, which search engines and keywords they use, and many more.

Link*Launch (Freeware) - Create drop-down menu lists for your website. Adds a better look and organization to your web page layout.

Mail*Wiz - Sends personalised mail to a list of E_mail addresses. This program creates the necessary CGIs to take individual addresses and common mail message, formats them to look like it is sent as a personal message and sends to one address.at a time. You can even address the recipient by name and include any specific message to be included in the message to that particular person.

SiteSponsor - Tool to increase your web site traffic without investing too much in advertisement cost. This program creates HTMLs that invites other web site owners to display your banner on their sites in return for a commission (set by you) on sales generated by their referral. The CGIs created by the program lets you operate this sponsorship with ease.

For more information about the above programs, and to download the free evaluation copies, please click the icons displayed in the “Other Programs” dialog window.

Hints

•	You must have a live connection to the Internet.

•	There must be at least one Web browser installed on your PC.

•	The default paths for NetScape and MS Internet Explorer are included in the program. If your PC has a different directory structure and/or these browsers are installed in a non-standard directory, then a dialog window will ask you to locate them manually. This step is needed only during the first use, and the correct paths will be remembered for subsequent runs.

•	You can also use any other browser of your choice by first locating it manually.

•	Click the ‘Home’ icon for descriptions about the programs, download, order and support links.

•	Click any of the programs’ icons to go directly to the download page.

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