by Smiley•Info Software — http://members.tripod.com/~smileyinfo/
What is it?
A small application (written in AppleScript) that:
1) in Netscape Navigator 4 (standalone), enables mailto: links for your favorite email client.
2) in Netscape Communicator 4’s Navigator component, switches email links to your fave email client from Messenger (the default).
However, it:
3) will not work on Explorer. (it doesn't have the bug.)
4) will not work with PCs, Explorer or Navigator. (they can't use AppleScript).
5) also won't work if you have a late 4.0x or 4.x Navigator that is set to use Internet Config (Identity pane in Preferences). (Navigator in that case uses Internet Config, not its own internal preferences.)
How do I use it?
Drag your mail client onto Activator, and it will register the protocol with Navigator after receiving your OK thru two confirmation dialogs. (You may get a dialog asking where the application “Netscape Navigator™” is... answer it appropriately.) You’ll then get another dialog that allows you to back out at the last minute. If you change your mind afterward, there’s always mailto Deactivator (included). Using that is the same as using Activator, except it does the exact opposite.
Alternatively, you can double-click Activator. If you have Internet Config and ICScriptor (http://www.lazerware.com/) installed, it will automatically detect the email client you wish to use and set it up. (You can override this feature with the drag-and-drop method.) If you don't have Internet Config and/or ICScriptor, it will ask what mail client you intend to use - again, answer it appropriately.
How often do I need to do this?
Only once, unless you:
1) delete your Netscape prefs (or user profile)
2) change mail clients
Can I use aliases instead of the mail app itself?
Yes. Starting with 1.1, you can use aliases and the Activator will know what you’re talking about.
What mail clients can I use?
All of them, unless the mail client doesn’t support Apple events, in which case it sucks anyway. ;) (Even if it doesn’t support AppleScript, most/all modern mail clients support Apple events.)
In fact, you can really give Activator ANY application, and it will happily carry out its work. DON’T DO THIS. Navigator will attempt to tell the app to open a new message to the mailto link you click on, and last we checked, Microsoft Word did not do email. ;)
Anyplace I can test it?
You can test it from our own homepage, http://members.tripod.com/~smileyinfo/. There are email links to us on both the Contact Us (/~smileyinfo/contact.html) and mailto Activator (/~smileyinfo/mailto.html) pages. Feel free to write us. If you give us permission, we’ll put your email into a collection of raves about Activator. Please specify whether you’d like to be John/Jane J. Anonymous, Your Name, or Y.N., and whether you’d like your email printed and/or linked.
How popular is it?
Starting the day it hit the news services, Activator racked up 280 hits on our website in 3 days. (Not much when you think about it, but... :) Not only this, but Tripod, our webserver, went down shortly afterward. We THINK it may have something to do with the ever-increasing number of hits we were getting, because it went down in midday during a steady climb in hits.
