





                               GIFTAB

                Generator of HTML links to .GIF files

                      Version 98.07 (July 1998)







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                             User manual











                 For friends of FREEWARE prepared by


                        Ing. Branislav Stofko

                           Trebisovska 21

                     821 01 B R A T I S L A V A

                            S L O V A K I A


              Copyright 1997-98 by B. Stofko Bratislava
                         All Rights reserved


1.   How the Program Works
---------------------------

Graphics are a big part of web page design. They are easy to get (just
right-click on a picture in your  web browser and save the image), but
hard to organize.  With possibly hundreds of image  files on your hard
drive it  is hard to decide  which ones you want  to use. GIFTAB helps
you make that decision by  creating an HTML document (GIFTAB.HTM) that
contains an index of all .GIF, .JPG and .BMP images in a directory.

At  the top  of the  page is  a table  with thumbnail  previews of the
pictures. Each thumbnail is linked to  a full size display, with image
information (Short and Long (windows 95) filename, file date and time,
file  size, and  image height  and width  in pixels).  Because you are
viewing  the  images  with  your  web  browser,  animated  .GIF's  and
transparent backgrounds are displayed correctly.

2.  Using GIFTAB
-----------------

Put GIFTAB.EXE  in your image directory  and run it. An  HTML document
named GIFTAB.HTM will be created.  (Note: If GIFTAB.HTM already exists
it will be overwritten with no warning!)

Although  there is  no practical  limit to  the number  of images that
GIFTAB will  process, it is  recommended that you  do not exceed  more
than 20  big, 40 midlle or  60 small pictures. If  you have more files
than  this,  your  web  browser  may  grind  to  a  halt when you view
GIFTAB.HTM. For  optimal viewing results you  can organize your images
into subdirectories (see diagram below).

                   GALLERY (no pictures in this directory)
                                         
         Ŀ
                                                     
       ICONS                 FLAGS        SHIPS        CARS
                                                     
         Ŀ                               
                                                    
       ICON_SM    ICON_XL     cz.gif      qmary.gif   ford.gif
       back.gif   exit.gif    it.gif      uboot.gif   fiat.gif
                  smoke.gif   de.gif

When GIFTAB  is run in a  directory that contains no  pictures it will
search the  subdirectories for pictures. A  GIFTAB.HTM will be created
in each sub-directory. The GIFTAB.HTM  in the main directory will have
links to the subdirectories.

If you add some files in your  GALLERY tree, simply run GIFTAB and all
HTM files are refreshed.

3.  Creating web pages
-----------------------

When  GIFTAB  creates  a  page,  it  titles  it  with  the name of the
directory the  images are in.  This is fine  for home use,  but of you
want to  publish your images on  the net you will  need something that
looks a little more presentable.
 
                                                     GIFTAB 1 of 5

You can manually modify the pages if  you are only publishing a few of
them, but this is time consuming. If you plan on publishing many pages
or  updating  the  pages  regularly,  you  will  want  to use a GIFTAB
template file.

First create  a new (temporary)  directory. Store into  this directory
pictures in order needed for publishing. GIFTAB reports files in their
order in directory without sort.

The GIFTAB  template file is always  names GIFTAB0.HTM and must  be in
the image directory. The page  must contain a <GIFTAB></GIFTAB> tag in
the body section. In the  distribution set is file GIFTAB1.HTM. Rename
this  file to  GIFTAB0.HTM and  run GIFTAB.  When you  run GIFTAB, the
parameters in the GIFTAB tag from  GIFTAB0.HTM will be used instead of
the default values.

The parameters are:

BORDER=n
  Sets table border size.  The default is BORDER=4.
  (Set BORDER=0 to hide borders).
  Example: <GIFTAB BORDER=1>

NONAME
  Prevent the filename from being displayed.
  Example: <GIFTAB NONAME>

NOEXT
  Prevent the filename extension from being displayed.
  Example: <GIFTAB NOEXT>

NOFILESIZE
  Prevent the file size from being displayed
  Example <GIFTAB NOFILESIZE>

NODATE
  Prevent the file date from being displayed
  Example <GIFTAB NODATE>

NOTIME
  Prevent the file time from being displayed
  Example <GIFTAB NOTIME>

NOSIZE
  Prevent the picture size (width and height) from being displayed.
  Example <GIFTAB NOSIZE>

WIDTH=nn
  Set the cell  width for thumbnail pictures. Value nn  can be from 18
  to 180 pixels (default value is 60). The cell width also control the
  column count in the table (Column_count=720/WIDTH)
  Example <GIFTAB WIDTH=80>

HEIGHT=nn
  Set the cell height for thumbnail  pictures. Value nn can be from 18
  to 180 pixels  (default value is 60). If the  WIDTH tag is used, the
  value  for  HEIGHT  will  be  set  to  the  WIDTH value. If you want
  a different HIGHT than WIDTH, the  HEIGHT tag must be used after (to
  the right) of the WIDTH tag.
  Example <GIFTAB WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=100>
 
                                                     GIFTAB 2 of 5

NOHR
  Prevent the horizontal rule (<HR>) from being displayed
  Example <GIFTAB NOHR>

HR=filename.gif
  Uses  a  graphic  file  (in  the  current  directory) instead of the
  horizontal rule (<HR>).  The picture used in this  tag will not show
  up in the index created by GIFTAB.
  Example <GIFTAB HR=myline.gif>

DESC
  Prevent  both  the  filename   and  filename  extension  from  being
  displayed. Instead, the text from file DESCRIPT.ION is displayed.
  Example: <GIFTAB DESC>

LOWER
  Converts all  characters in filenames  used in GIFTAB.HTM  to lower-
  case. To  Windows 95 and  Windows NT, it  does not matter  what case
  a filename is.  FILENAME.EXT is the same as  filename.EXT. But under
  UNIX, file  names are case  sensitive. That means  if your web  page
  references the file "BACKGROUND.GIF" and  the filename on the server
  is "background.gif" you will get an error.

  I am everytime uploading file  in full lowercase. With keyword LOWER
  isn't neccesary to  check the proper case of  filenames at moment of
  running GIFTAB.

NODET
  This parameter  is equal to  NOFILESIZE, NODATE, NOTIME  and NOSIZE.
  This  is  usefull  if  you  use  parameter  DESC.  In  this case you
  obviously don't  want to have  "technical parameters" of  image. But
  anyway if  you modify for example  the "machine date" of  picture to
  real date when was this photo  shot, you can use NOFILESIZE, NOTIME,
  NOSIZE . As result you have text description PLUS date !

All parameters  can be used  in mixed case  and together or  in random
order (except  for the HEIGHT tag  which must be used  AFTER the WIDTH
tag)

You can use eventually full English words, for example :

<GIFTAB Description NoDetails Lowercase>

If is  the <GIFTAB> tag  is missing, the  following default parameters
will be used: <GIFTAB BORDER=4 WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=60>

                            W A R N I N G

The  GIFTAB tag  must all  be on  the same  line, and  no line  in the
GIFTAB0.HTM template  file can be  longer than 255  characters. If you
use an  HTML editor, please open  the page manually and  make sure the
GIFTAB tag is not divided into two lines.

3. Creating descriptions for your pictures
-------------------------------------------

The best utility for adding descriptions to files is a program I wrote
called SK  (Stofko Komander). It is  based on the Norton  Comander and
can be  downloaded from my homepage.  SK is postcardware, and  at this
time is being translated into many languages.
 
                                                     GIFTAB 3 of 5

Instead of SK  you can write file DESCRIPT.ION  manually. But you must
respect a fixed format of line. This format is defined as :

   from   to     size  content

     1     8      8    filename in lowercase filled with blanks

     9     9      1    character "."

    10    12      3    filename extension

    13    13      1    blank

    14    63      50   description

Example # 1 :

suzan   .gif My daugther Suzan with some school friends
manuela .gif My girl Manuela

From version V.98.07 isn't this format strenght :

A. filename can be without inserted spaces

B. description can be longer than 50 characters

C. total length of description line can't be more than 255 characters

D. file name can be in lowercase, uppercase or mixedcase

E. you can use HTML in description

Example # 2 :

suzan.gif My daugther Suzan with some school friends
manuela.gif My girl Manuela
Longlife.jpg This is a <B>LONGLIFE</B>battery<BR>with new electrode

4.   Program installation
--------------------------

     GIFTAB  is  an  DOS  based  program  and  don't  need as proposed
installation. But I have prepared this  part, because this a FAQ . You
have following possibilities :

1. if you want  use GIFTAB only for one picture  gallery, store a copy
of  GIFTAB  into  highest  directory  of  this  gallery.  This  is the
directory without pictures.  You can make a shortcut  for this purpose
and eventually  leave GIFTAB.EXE in  other directory. In  distribution
package is for this reason a separate icon named GIFTAB.ICO

2. store GIFTAB.EXE  into directory included  in standart PATH  . Open
DOS windows and write PATH and press Enter. Store GIFTAB.EXE in one of
displayed  directories.  After  this,  you  can  start GIFTAB in every
directory and on all disc simply by writting GIFTAB in DOS windows.

3. for  users  living  in  Windows  world  is  better  to have install
procedure. Well, we can do this in next steps :
 
                                                     GIFTAB 4 of 5

A. Store  GIFTAB.EXE, INSTAL.EXE  and UNINSTAL.EXE  into one  separate
   directory.

B. Run  small  program  INSTAL.EXE  .  This  program write to registry
   database the location of GIFTAB.EXE .  If you want later run GIFTAB
   on some directory,  simply press in Explorer right  mouse button at
   this directory. On displayed menu is an new item Giftab. Voila ...

C. If you don't want to have this item in mouse menu run small program
   UNINSTAL.EXE

5. About FREEWARE
------------------

FREEWARE is  normally not registered. GIFTAB  however, is CARDWARE. If
you like the program and continue to use it, you can register for FREE
by  sending me  a colorful  postcard with  your address  and where you
found your  copy of GIFTAB.  I would  also  like to know  what type of
computer and operating systems you are using.

I am waiting for postcard from your city or country.

Branislav Stofko
Trebisovska 21
821 01 Bratislava
Slovak Republic

If you have any questions, please email me at

  <branostofko@rocketmail.com> or <stofi@geocities.com>

Questions  from registered  users are  answered first.  A E-mail isn't
a valid way to register.

6. Credits
-----------

     On further  development of this  program have with  usefull hints
participated :

Pavel Kodtek from Brno CZ - creating CDROM gallery

George alias Geo from New York City - creating Web gallery

Knut Kuelsen from Hamburg DE has corrected German manual

Clark Bennett from Canada has corrected English manual

This  whole  world  cooperation  of  peoples  was  possible  only with
phenomen Internet and with free exchange of ideas.

This program was made with the Xbase compatible Compiler, FORCE. FORCE
is like Clipper, but creates smaller executables. FORCE is product of:

Sophco, Inc.
P.O. Box 7430
Boulder, Colorado 80306-7430
(303) 444-1542
                                * * *
 
                                                     GIFTAB 5 of 5