Sites & Servers
All information on the Internet exists as a file, stored on a computer, someplace. Some sites have their own servers (computers which are continuously connected to the Internet), but like many companies, we use a "hosting company" to make our site continuously available, even when our computers are turned off.
We also make use of government servers to connect you directly to the source so you always get the most current information.
Printing a Web Page
The information on are site is either available as a web page or a file to download. If you want to print a web page, it's pretty simple:
In both Netscape Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), just click on the "print" button in the middle of the top of the screen. Couldn't be much easier…
Links
Some of the information is too big or contains drawings or photos that aren't best put on the web page, so instead we provided a link to another web page or to a file containing it. You can always spot links because they are in blue UNDERLINED text (not all blue text is underlined!). When you move the mouse pointer over a link, it changes from an arrow or an "I" to a little hand. If you click on the link then it will either begin to download a file, or take you to another web page
File Formats (Types)
Many of the files on the Environmental Health & Safety Online site are text-based ASCII files that are usually automatically displayed when accessed. ASCII files are also easily downloaded and deciphered using most word processors, text editors and Notepad (which comes free with Windows 95/98 ). Text-based files are normally converted from an original file that was created using another application. For example, MS Word (Office 97) is EHSO's standard for word processing and WordPerfect is EPA's.
When files created using WordPerfect or other applications are prepared for mounting on the web site, they can either be converted to ASCII text files or left in the original application format. ASCII, however, cannot capture graphics and images and tabular material often loses integrity when converted to ASCII. Also, files in other formats can only be viewed using the application that was used to create them.
The solution to these problems is portable document software (PDS). Portable document software takes the original file, including images, graphics, tables and rich text (text that is bolded, underlined, italicized, and displayed with multiple font sizes and appearances) and converts it from the original application to a specially coded file. The particular type of PDS we are experimenting with is Adobe (tm)* Acrobat (tm)*, and Acrobat's specially coded file format is called Portable Document Format (PDF). This PDF file contains all the information needed to display the original file just as originally created, complete with all nuances of the original document. The fidelity of the PDF file to the original file is remarkable. When you download Federal Register notices or government Fact Sheets from the EHSO site, they can be viewed and printed exactly as if you had photocopied them yourself from the original document. No one would have any way of knowing that you didn't have the original back in your office!
To view or print a PDF file, a reader program must be installed on your computer to display, print, and navigate through the Portable Document Format file. The Adobe* Acrobat* reader is available for downloading at no cost from Adobe's File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site at ftp.adobe.com, or from their Web site at www.adobe.com. If you want to download a free copy of this software now, just click here - it's free and legal.
One option for viewing PDF files that are on the Internet is to download them to your local LAN or PC and then view them using the Acrobat software. Alternatively, you may also want to set up your Internet Browser software to automatically start the Adobe* Acrobat* reader software so that you can read PDF files from the Internet without actually downloading them. To do this, you will have to have the Acrobat software installed and functioning properly on your local LAN or PC. Within Netscape Navigator which is currently the browser most users of the EHSO web site use), choose "Options", then "General Preferences", then "Helpers". Highlight "application/pdf" which you will find near the end of the File Types list. Type in the extension "pdf", click on the button labeled "launch the application", and use the browse function to find where the "ACROREAD.EXE" software is located on your LAN or PC. Highlight ACROREAD.EXE, click "OK", and then click "OK" again. You should now be able to read PDF files on-line when you encounter them on the Web.
One you've installed the Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, when you click on a link on the EHSO site to a .pdf file, your will see the file appear on your screen as if it were a web page. You can read it, scroll down it, or print it right then. You can save it as a file on your computer to view and print later, if you choose.
If you don't set up your browser to automatically load the Adobe Reader, then you'd get a message that you are about to download a file and you may choose to either view it or save it to disk. Then you'd have to open the Adobe Acrobat Reader, by click on it's icon or name in your Windows Start - Programs list.
Legal Stuff
EHSO does not provide support either in the procurement of the product or in its use. Please contact Adobe or your merchandiser directly. * Adobe, Acrobat, and Adobe Type Manager are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. (c) Copyright � 1994 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. *Netscape Communications, Netscape, Netscape Navigator and the Netscape Communications logo are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation. (c) Copyright � 1994-1996 Netscape communications Corporation. All rights reserved.
