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Newsbits

By Jessica Courtney

Claris Announces Claris Home Page 2.0
for Mac OS and Windows 95/NT

Claris Home Page 2.0 is the next version of web authoring software for Mac OS and Windows 95/NT users. New features include built-in site publishing, with auto-consolidation of files; support for popular multimedia plug-ins, including QuickTime and Shockwave; spell checking and support for multiple fonts; client-side image maps for linking to other pages and sites, and HTML editing enhancements such as syntax coloring (color-coding of HTML tags).

Claris Home Page 2.0 users will also be able to re-size and position Frames by pointing and dragging with their mouse, preview background GIF images from within Claris Home Page, drag and drop tab-delimited text from spreadsheet and database documents to automatically create tables within their web page, and specify row heights and column widths within tables.

The new version will also provide concurrence between WYSIWYG and HTML modes. This will allow users to go to the precise location in which they were working in the previous mode. <http://www.claris.com>

Apple Updates Mac OS to System 7.5.5, Explains Numbering Strategy for New System Releases

Apple recently released System 7.5.5 Update, a set of system software enhancements that significantly improves the overall reliability and performance of all Mac OS-compatible systems. It provides one update for all computer systems currently running System 7.5.3 and integrates all improvements found in the System 7.5.3 Revision 2 update released last June.

System 7.5.5 includes numerous performance, reliability and network improvements. It is also the final system software release for the Macintosh Plus, SE, Classic, Portable, SE FDHD, SE/30, LC, II, IIx, and IIcx, and the PowerBook 100. Future Mac OS releases will require 68030-, 68040-, or PowerPC processor-based systems that support 32-bit memory addressing.

Apple has also standardized how the version number will change for future system software releases. If major architectural changes are being delivered, the first digit of the version number will be incremented. If new features are added to a system software reference release without major architectural changes, the second digit will be incremented. When system software updates are delivered with only reliability and performance improvements, the third digit will be incremented. System 7.5.4 Update was not made available to the general public due to a problem with the software. <http://product.info.apple.com/pr/product.updates/1996/q4/960919.prd.up.sys7.5.5.html>

Do-It-Yourself Database(TM)

With DIY-DB, anyone can build working databases on the Web without a knowledge of database systems or CGI-scripting.

Online configuration is easy with DIY-DB. Just load and go onto any server running Java, then link to common database engines such as mSQL or ODBC-compliant databases. DIY-DB makes it easy to build a database on the Internet or Intranet from scratch. Everything is done - down to the consistent look and feel of presented pages. It’s easy to add your own logos and text to customize databases for individual sites.

DIY-DB let’s you present different views of the database, for example, private and public views. You can set password protection of each record or on an entire view. In each view you can allow or disallow operations such as deletion or addition of records and the ability to edit or re-edit existing records. Individual fields may be editable (read and write), visible (read-only) or invisible.

The use of the Internet for business sales is increasing exponentially. Up until now, small businesses have been hampered by lack of skills and resources to easily publish database information such as catalogues. What Netscape has done for the Web in page presentation, DIY-DB is doing for database publication on the Internet or Intranet.

<http://www.webventures.com.au/diy-db>

Microsoft Delivers ActiveX on the Macintosh

Beta Release of ActiveX SDK for Macintosh Enhances Cross-PlatformSupport for ActiveX.

Microsoft Corporation announced worldwide availability of the beta release of the MicrosoftÆ ActiveX Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Macintosh. The move is an important step toward making ActiveX interpretability technology available across all popular computing platforms. With the new SDK, Macintosh developers can create native ActiveX Controls and interactive content that will be immediately viewed by users of Microsoft Internet Explorer version 2.1 for the Macintosh.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced an agreement with Metrowerks Inc., under which Metrowerks is providing integrated support for ActiveX and COM as well as the integration of ActiveX with Java in its industry-leading CodeWarrior application development products for the Macintosh. The ActiveX SDK for the Mac gives developers the programming interfaces and utilities they need, while the CodeWarrior products offer easy-to-use graphical tools for creating applications.

<http://www.activex.org>