Abstract

  1. Content: Setting up EDA to produce HTML files (from the current PrintFile).
  2. Type of document: Technical documentation
  3. Audience: System or group adminstrators; advanced users.

Producing HTML Output files

Introduction

EDA now offers the possibility to generate HTML files directly, i.e. the PrintFile facility now has a HTML option.

This facility - seen from the user's point of view - is fully document in the manual.

The purpose of this text is to explain how to set up EDA to produce HTML output the way you want it.

This text is meant for te EDA administrator, or advanced users prepared to learn about some internals. Please note that the facility is intended for a broad range of uses, i.e. some features might not appeal to you.

Terminology

When a PrintFile is active, each EDA command produces a output image. If you process a PrintFile further, for instance to produce a HTML file or REVIEW it, you are dealing with output images.

Producing HTML: Font issue

EDA is still using the standard PC line drawing set for its character graphics. As by default browsers (as they are Windows programs) do not use this character set, output is converted to a standard ANSI character set; however ANSI does not include line-drawing characters, i.e. they will be replaced by less nice looking characters.

As many browsers support locally installed fonts and line-drawing fonts are installed on most Windows machines, you might want to display output images with these fonts. In order to do this you need to inform EDA about the fonts. By default output images are enclosed in a pair of <pre></pre> tags.

This may be changed using the HFO= HFC= directives in the profile. Details are explained Below

The HTML output file

What EDA does

If nothing is set up specifically and default options are used the output HTML file has the following structure:

  1. A header containg a general title include mail and home-page information for the EDA package.
  2. A section called "Table of contents" with links to all output images found in the PrintFile. The data sets analyzed are clearly identified at that level.
  3. The output images with a title containing the command producing the particular image, the image itself and a button linked backed to the table of contents part.

Enhancements

The output may be enhanced, either with more complex HTML code you have created (including navigational aids) or with additional links.

There are several aspects to this.

Links to the local home page

If you insert the HLH= directive, e.g. 
HLH=<A HREF="$$LHTML\eda.htm">Local EDA Home page</A>
the link will appear immediately under the geneal title. By default there is a link to a local home page supplied with EDA, however you are free to change the reference to anything you like. Do not forget that the session profile can be built up for specific groups etc. and might vary from user to user if you set up profile processing that way.

Add your own code and links

If you insert one or more HLL= directives:

HLL=Insert-html-code
HLL=@file
You will insert the contents of the lines (or a file if you are using the @file) just in front of the table of contents section. Here you might include your own code and links to e.g. pedagocical aids, e-mail adresses and similar things.

Additional links added with ADDLINK

If you are using the ADDLINK option from the PRINT HTML command line, additional links might be added to each image, links that are either related to the current data set or the current command.

If EDA finds a HTML file with the same name as the currently loaded WA, a link to it will be inserted, e.g. if the current WA is DEMO, EDA is looking for a DEMO.HTM file in the directory where the DEMO WA is located.

Furthermore EDA is looking for one or more documents related to the current command. If the current command is the BOXPLOT command, EDA fill look for a BOXP.HTM file in the following places:

Tags related to HTML output generation

HAL= HTML: Add link

HAL=lname link

Col  1 - 3   HAL=
     5 -12   lname: Link name shown in the menu
    14 -80   link actual link to be inserted
This directive adds the specified link to links shown with each output image.

Note that the presence of this directive automatically activates the ADDLINK option. A single HAL= directive may be present.

This is for instance useful to add exercice text or similar didactical information, used in a context where the on-line information changes every day (in a teaching context you might have day-sensitive data; there are several options for profiles which let you do this automatically).

HFC=/HFO= HTML print images 

HFC=start-image-tab

HFO=end-image-tag
By default output images (each EDA command produces an output image) are delimited with <PRE> tags. This implies however that a number of graphic symbols will be replaced by standard Ascii symbols, i.e. less nice looking. This profile directives provide a means of indicating to EDA that your favourite browser is able to use fonts or styles, i.e. if tag is present EDA assumes that your browser supports a line-draw font, i.e. a font that lets EDA use the old ASCII character set for its character pictures.

If this tag is not found full "translation" is done, i.e. the graphical characters will be replaced by an ASCII 7 bit equivalent. The most common used fonts are MS Line Draw and Terminal.

If your browser supports styles you might insert the following line into the profile:

HFO=<PRE Style="Font-Size: 10pt; Font-Face:MS LineDraw,Terminal">
Note that Font-Face lets you list several fonts; list all fonts with the line-drawing set that are likely to be available with the user's computers.

There is no need to change the closing tag, i.e. no need to use a HFO= directive, as the default </PRE> tag will perfectly do its job.

If your browser does not support styles, but fonts you will insert something like: 

 <PRE><FONT face="MS LineDraw">
on the HFO= directive and 
</FONT></PRE>
on the HFC= directive.

Please note that the presence of the HFO= tag signals to EDA that your browser supports fonts and the corresponding font is actually installed. (There is a command option IGNORE-ALL to ignore this altogether if a problem should arise.

Note also that in order to use the HFC= directive, a HFO= directive must be present in the profile, otherwise HFC= will be ignored.

HLH= Local home page

HLH=link
Points to the local home page, i.e. usually to a file called eda.html put into the HTML directory in the EDA library. However you might elect to place it elsewhere or use your own page.

When defined this link will be inserted into HTML output files.

link must be a full link, e.g.
<A HREF="c:\eda\lib\html\home.htm">Local EDA page</A>

HLL= Insert HTML code at the beginning of output file 

HLL=Insert-html-code
HLL=@file
Include HTML code at the beginning of the HTML output file. You may include anything you want, preferably some navigation aids or links to useful information for the user.

Code you insert should be correct html-code, otherwise unexpected behaviour might result.

You may use as many HLL= tags as you need; the second form, i.e. the @file form includes the contents of the file and intended for instance to include a complex piece of HTML-Code.