NCSA Mosaic for MS Windows User Guide: Advanced Features

Collaborate

Collaborate offers you more than a simple talk or chat session between Mosaic clients--you can link your Mosaic session with other Mosaic users, send files, exchange data with other collaborators, and surf the Web.

Collaborate works on the client-server principle. Each Mosaic client contains a collaborative client and server. The collaborative client connects you to a collaborative server. The collaborative server initiates a collaborative session and relays all data among the clients.

Joining a Collaborative Session

  1. Enter the name or Internet Protocol (IP) number of the machine that is hosting the collaborative session.
  2. Enter the port number of the collaborative session. (The port number is provided by the host of the collaborative session.)
  3. Click Join a Session.

Hosting a Collaborative Session

  1. Enter the name or IP number of your machine.
  2. Select a port number (1-9999).
  3. Click Host a Session (but do not join) or Host a Session (and join) depending on your preference.
After you setup the collaborative environment, Mosaic opens the Collaborative Session Window that is your interface to the collaborative session.

Setting Up a Session

You can limit these collaborative features using the special command line options (see
"Command-line Parameters" on page 5-14).

Your IP Address
IP number of your system
Host Name
Enter the name of the machine that will host the collaborative session (e.g., collab.ncsa.uiuc.edu)
TCP/IP Port
Enter the port number where the server will send and receive messages. The port number is arbitrarily defined by the Mosaic user who initiates a collaborative session and must be between 1 and 9,999.
Join a Session
Initiates a collaborative client; select this option and enter the appropriate Host Name: and port number to join a session
Host a Session (but do not join)
Initiates a collaborative server without initiating a client. This option is useful if you want to loan your machine as a host of a collaborative session but do not want to participate in the session itself.
NOTE: You can join a session after you've selected this option. Select Join a Session, and enter your machine's name, the port number. Click Start to join the session.

Host a Session (and join)
Initiates a collaborative session and a client; select a port number between 1 and 9,999 and select Start to begin a collaborative session
Start
Begins and/or joins a collaborative session
Stop Host
Terminates a collaborative server
Cancel
Cancels the entries in the collaboration setup window and returns you to the main Mosaic window

Collaborative Session Window

The Collaborative Session Window contains three working areas: the message display area, the collaborator list, and the message edit area. The window also contains a toolbar that gives you easy access to some of the menu functions.

The collaborate window is sensitive to Window's drag and drop feature. You can drag and drop a file from the File Manager, Windows Explorer, or the desktop to the Collaborative Session.The file is then shown to the members of the current session.

message display area
Displays all messages written during a collaborative session. The name of the message sender appears in front of the displayed message.
 	mosaic-w> Hello world!
Collaborator List
List of the current members in the collaborative session. Doubleclick on a name to identify the chat alias, user name, email address, and IP number. The names in the collaborator list is defined by the Chat alias field in the Services preference. If a chat alias is not defined, Mosaic uses the user ID on the email address.
message edit area
Displays space for your message. The message edit area accepts paste commands (Ctrl+V) from the clipboard and supports word wrap. Submit your message to the collaborative session by clicking on the Send button or press RETURN/ENTER key on your keyboard.
Collaborative Window
Communications interface during a collaborative session. Text sent by you and your colleagues appears in this window in the format: username > message.
The entire Collaborative session window is sensitive to Window's drag and drop feature. You can send any local file to other members of the collaborative session by dragging and dropping it into the window.

Collaborative Session File Menu

Save Session
Saves the current session to a file. By default the file is named collab.txt and saved in the default download directory as defined in the Directories preference sheet. (Also available from the toolbar.)
Clear Message Box
Clears the contents of the Message display area. This function is also available from the tool bar.
Exit
Terminates the client and closes the collaborative session window.

Collaborative Session Options Menu

Send Links
Links multiple Mosaic sessions by sending the URL of the current page to the other members of the collaborative session. A check appears next to the menu item when this function is enabled. Can be toggled on and off by clicking the button in the toolbar.
Follow Links
Allows multiple Mosaic sessions to act as one session. All participants sees the same data in their Mosaic windows. An arrow appears next to a menu item when the function is active. Can be toggled on and off by clicking the button in the toolbar.
Audio Notification
Makes an audio notification when a new message has arrived in the message display area (when activated). The arrow before the menu item indicated that the feature is active. Can also be toggled on and off by clicking the button in the toolbar.
Refresh User List
Queries the collaborative server for a current list of members. Available from the toolbar.
Always on Top
When checked, the collaborative session window is always on top.
Save Settings on Exit
Saves all your user configurable settings when you exit a collaborative session.
Save Settings Now
Saves the current settings immediately.
Collaborative Session Toolbar
Contains all functions and icons that are also in the menus. Refer to the menus items for more information.