http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/technol/internet/inettool.htm (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)

Posted Date: February 20, 1996

MS Internet Development Toolbox

By Michael Meulemans

ABSTRACT: This article provides an overview of the new Microsoft Internet Development Toolbox: a collection of Internet tool, technology, and strategy information located on the World Wide Web. It also describes how Toolbox pieces can be used to enhance a corporate Intranet and highlights Toolbox content located on the TechNet CD.

Introduction
The Toolbox Welcome Screen
Technologies and the Internet Source Developer's Kit (SDK)
Authoring Tools
Server Software
Browsing Software
Conclusion
Other TechNet Documents

Introduction

On December 7, 1995, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates outlined the company's long term Internet strategy: a strong commitment to support and enhance the rapidly evolving Internet by integrating the PC platform tightly with it. Of critical importance to MIS managers and network administrators was a pledge to focus key company products and strategies on business solutions for the Intranet (internal use of the World Wide Web). To achieve these goals, Microsoft now makes available the Internet Development Toolbox: an information warehouse of Internet technology and tool information located at http://www.microsoft.com/intdev. The toolbox contains downloadable Internet authoring tools, white papers, FAQ sheets, how-to articles, and an Internet SDK from which developers and Webmasters can obtain documentation, samples, and binaries. Software/Technology evaluators and MIS managers will find this article useful because it provides an overview of what the Toolbox contains and describes how its pieces can be used to develop and maintain corporate Intranets. Toolbox content made available on TechNet this month is cited throughout the article, and collected in the "Other TechNet Documents" section located at the end.

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The Toolbox Welcome Screen

The Internet Development Toolbox WWW site was made available in December. Updated daily, the site currently contains five sections: Technologies, Internet SDK, Authoring Tools, Server Software, and Browsing Software. Figure 1: Internet Development Toolbox Welcome Screen Beginning on the left in Figure 1, the Internet Studio and Internet Assistant hotspots jump to information located in the Authoring Tools section. The Internet Information Server hotspot jumps to the Server Software section. The Internet Explorer hotspot jumps to the Browsing Software section. In the lower right, the Sweeper, VB Script, and Building Internet Applications hotspots jump to information located in the Technologies section. At the top center, the Internet SDK jumps to the SDK download section.

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Technologies and the Internet Source Developer's Kit (SDK)

Technologies section contains white papers, specifications, how-to articles, and SDK excerpts on Internet technologies that Microsoft is pursuing. This area is for those who want to extend the capabilities of Internet Information Server, enable their applications for the Internet, customize WWW browsers, and create animated, interactive multimedia environments that can run on multiple platforms. The following is a small sampling of what is included in the Technologies area.

Visual Basic Script

Michael B. Risse, Microsoft product manager, provides an overview of Visual Basic Script in the white paper "Visual Basic Script: Visual Basic Comes to the Net," also located on TechNet this month. Visual Basic Script is a subset of Visual Basic that allows you to script, automate, and customize capabilities for WWW browsers. Visual Basic Script code is located within a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document and can be compiled and run as long as a browser has Visual Basic Script support (future versions of Internet Explorer and browsers from Oracle, Spyglass, and Netmanage will support it). Visual Basic Script allows WWW administrators and content providers to easily build interactive Web pages that respond to questions and queries, check user data, calculate expressions, link to other applications, and connect to OLE controls. Furthermore, because Visual Basic Script is a subset of Visual Basic, you can use it to develop Web pages without having to learn a new scripting language, saving time and money. Visual Basic Script will be available in the first half of 1996.

Active Virtual Reality Modeling Language

Microsoft's, "ActiveVRML White Paper," provides an overview of the Active Virtual Reality Modeling Language. A special-purpose programming language, ActiveVRML enables content providers to construct interactive, 3-D, multimedia environments on the WWW. The language allows Web pages to respond to user actions with synchronized sound, motion, and video or by linking to other worlds or Web pages. Support professionals and educators who distribute information on Intranets or the Internet can use ActiveVRML to present 3-D installation and troubleshooting instructions, product models, demonstrations, and educational applications. Because ActiveVRML is platform-independent, content providers can target a much wider audience. Because it is open and extensible, the capabilities of ActiveVRML can be extended by incorporating modules in applications from other languages like Visual Basic, C++, and Java.

OLE Document Objects

DocObjects technology, described in the "OLE Document Objects Specification" and provided by the OLE and Office Design teams, allows you to create multiple documents using their native applications and to store and view them as a single entity, from one interface. The Microsoft Office 95 Binder (see this month's TechNet News Feature article "MS Office 95 Binder") uses DocObjects technology: it connects and organizes documents, even those created in different applications, as if they were one document, so that users can work with and distribute them as a unit. Because it is versatile, DocObjects technology can support multiple types of containers like the Office 95 Binder. Internet browsers, for example, can use DocObjects technology to present documents from Office and Office-compatible applications. Without DocObjects technology, to view an Excel spreadsheet on the Web you have to launch Excel, manipulate data from within the application, and then navigate back to your native browser. With it, you need only one navigation tool to browse and view all document types, saving effort, time, and system resources. Perhaps most importantly, DocObjects technology lets you view work from a project-centric rather than a document-centric perspective. DocObjects technology is included in free upcoming releases of Office viewers, which allow corporate Intranet users to open Office-formatted documents without having the applications running or even installed on their system.

Internet Source Developers Kit

The downloadable software in the SDK provides you with an effective set of tools for Internet and Intranet development: Internet Explorer 2.0, Internet Assistant 2.0 beta, an HTML Wizard (discussed later in this article), Internet Information Server SDK, and the Sweeper SDK. Keep in mind that content included in the Internet SDK is not supported by Microsoft and that each software component of the SDK is licensed separately. After downloading each section, you must read and accept the terms of each software component license agreement before using it. Now that you have an idea of the various Internet technologies Microsoft is researching, here is an overview of some Internet authoring tools and information the Internet Development Toolbox provides.

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Authoring Tools

Microsoft currently offers two authoring tools for publishing information on the WWW: Internet Assistant 2.0 and Internet Studio (formerly code-named Blackbird). The Authoring Tools section contains information on these tools and a new HTML Wizard.

Internet Assistant 2.0

Ideal for those with little or no HTML experience, Internet Assistant (IA) 2.0 is an add-on to Microsoft Word that allows you to create and view WWW documents from within Word. You can download the IA 2.0 add-on beta from the Internet SDK section of the Internet Development Toolbox. A previous version of IA is available on the TechNet CD in the article June 1995 "PSS Tool of the Month, MS Internet Assistant" located in the MS Office and Desktop Applications; MS Office; MS Word; MS Internet Assistant bin. IA differs from other HTML authoring tools in that it automatically converts Word documents to HTML; all you do is select Save As from the File menu and choose HTML Document (*.htm) from the Save as type box. IA's most important features include a familiar authoring and editing environment, automatic file conversion, easy hyperlinking capabilities, and an integrated HTML editing and Web browsing environment. After downloading the IA 2.0 beta you should investigate the "Word-to-HTML Conversion Guide," located in the Authoring Tools section. A perfect supplement to IA 2.0, this provides three tables of HTML tags, descriptions of what they do, and the Word commands and styles that generate them. The first table highlights HTML tags that are automatically inserted into your document by Internet Assistant, the second describes tags that are automatically inserted when you load the HTML.DOT template and use Word commands, the third lists HTML tags that are inserted when you load the HTML.DOT template and use Word styles. See Figure 2 for an example of these tables.

Figure 2: Section of "Word-to-HTML Conversion Guide" Intranet administrators may find it useful to print this reference material and distribute it to co-workers who publish content. A new HTML Wizard, which enhances Windows 95's interface, is also available in the Authoring Tools section. The Wizard simplifies publishing by adding an Edit option to the Context menu (by a secondary-mouse click) that launches your favorite HTML browser and loads in that file. The Wizard also adds an HTML Document option to the list of file types under the Windows 95 Explorer File New option. It opens a basic HTML document which you can customize by adding HTML coding of your own.

Internet Studio

Internet Studio allows you to create, publish, and manage interactive pages on the WWW easily from within a drag-and-drop layout environment without programming or inserting HTML code. The Internet Studio page, located in the Authoring Tools section, provides an Internet Studio data sheet, FAQ, and white paper. The white paper, "Microsoft Internet Studio Visual Publishing System," also available on TechNet this month, provides information on Internet Studio features, benefits, and application design. It describes the Internet Studio publishing environment, highlights specific features that support dynamic site creation, and discusses how the application separates the design and publishing processes so you can concentrate on one at a time. It also shows how to integrate IA 2.0 and other third party content creation tools into the Internet Studio design environment. Internet Studio (Version 1.0 will be released early this year) will benefit WWW content providers who deliver interactive support or advertising, online publications, consumer-oriented applications, business-to-business services, and electronic commerce applications via Intranets or the Internet.

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Server Software

Microsoft Internet Information Server (formerly called Gibraltar) runs as a Windows NT service to provide an efficient, reliable, scaleable, and secure platform for internal and external Internet administrators. The Server Software section of the Internet Development Toolbox contains an array of information on the new Internet Server's features and benefits. White papers included in this section highlight how to install and use interactive programs on the server. Ken Bergmann's white paper, "A High-Level Look at Microsoft Internet Information Server," available on TechNet this month, is ideal for Technology/Software evaluators unfamiliar with the product. Bergmann discusses the server's integration with Windows NT, and its Internet security features and administration services. Bergmann's list of key features and benefits, located at the end of the article, is useful if you are assessing various Internet server options. Adapted from a section of the product documentation, the white paper "Creating Web Applications for the Microsoft Internet Information Server," explains how to create interactive programs that run on an Internet Server. Available on TechNet, the white paper highlights Internet Server Application Program Interface (ISAPI) and Common Gateway Interface (CGI), which are used to write programs that WWW users or off-site employees can activate by filling out an HTML form or clicking a link in an HTML page located on a WWW server. Content providers and Technology/Software evaluators can use these interactive programs to obtain user-supplied support information, process it, and return it to an HTML page or database. Also adapted from the product documentation, the white paper "WWW Service and Database Access Supported by Microsoft Internet Information Server" describes how you can use the Server's WWW service and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers to create WWW pages with information contained in a database; insert, update, and delete information in the database based on user input from a WWW page; and perform other SQL commands. This article should be helpful to content providers and support professionals who collect feedback or data using Intranets or the Internet.

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Browsing Software

The Toolbox section called Browsing Software contains Microsoft's Internet Explorer 2.0 WWW browser and information about it. This latest version, also available in TechNet, extends the functionality of version 1.0 and takes advantage of the Windows 95 environment. Besides highlighting the Internet Explorer Logo program and providing a link to an Internet Explorer HTML Reference guide, which describes HTML tags supported by Internet Explorer 2.0, the Browsing Software section offers two informative pieces (described below) on Internet Explorer use and optimization. Robert B. Hess, software design engineer for the Microsoft Developer Relations Group, provides examples that illustrate useful Internet Explorer features in his "Internet Explorer 2.0 Showcase Pages," located on the Browsing Software page. Hess describes in detail how to use and implement table cell colors, color palettes, RGB color codes, drop caps, and body background colors in WWW pages. The color palettes topic is especially practical for Intranet or Internet content providers who use colors on their sites (Figure 3). Figure 3: Internet Explorer Color Palette Moving your mouse over specific colors on Hess's Color Palette WWW page reveals their hexadecimal RGB color values at the link name on the status bar. You can use these values to add color to pages you develop. Besides the 16 True (that is, standard) System Colors presented in Figure 3, Hess offers a comprehensive color palette you can use for added color detail. In the article, "Charting the New Features of Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0," Martha White, acquisitions lead for the Microsoft Developer Network, describes Internet Explorer 2.0's new user enhancements, improved performance, and support for Internet standards. Her discussion is well suited for those evaluating various Internet Browsers or looking to understand how version 2.0 is improved.

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Conclusion

The Internet Development Toolbox is an evolving site: new information concerning Visual Basic Script, the Internet Information Server SDK, and an upcoming Microsoft Internet conference were all added during the writing of this article. This site's rapid evolution is another example of how interest in the Internet and corporate Intranets has captured public attention and is spurring Microsoft development efforts. This article has given you an idea of what Internet information and tools Microsoft provides to make it easier for you to take advantage of online information distribution and acquisition. TechNet will continue to provide you with the latest Microsoft Internet developments.

Document Contents

Article Title	Article Summary
Basic Guide to the Internet and Online Services	A simplified overview of the Internet and how it works, as well as a cursory overview of online services.
MS Internet Assistant Reviewers Guide	Describes the objectives of Internet Assistant for Word for Windows.
MS Internet Assistant 2.0 and Word Viewer	Discusses Internet Assistant 2.0 and Word Viewer functionality, and explains the advantages of implementation and ways to obtain the software.
Visual Basic Script: Visual Basic Comes to the Net	Describes how Visual Basic Script allows WWW administrators and content providers to easily build interactive Web pages that respond to questions and queries, check user data, calculate expressions, link to other applications,and connect to OLE controls.
Visual Basic Script: Working Description	Introduces Visual Basic Script and describes how to use it, its langu
MS Internet Studio Visual Publishing System	Information on Internet Studio features, benefits, and application design.
A High-Level Look at Microsoft Internet Information Server	Discusses Internet Information Server's integration with Windows NT, its Internet security features, and its Internet administration services.
Creating Web Applications for the Microsoft Internet Information Server	Information on how to create interactive programs that run on an Internet Server.