Viewing Maple Worksheets with Web Browsers

In this document I explain how to set up MapleV4 as a helper in Netscape and what to do if you use another browser, but cannot get it to use Maple as a helper. (It is necessary for Maple to accept the filename of a worksheet as an argument passed to the executable. Not all versions support this, e.g., the UNIX version of MapleV Release 3.)

For any of this to work you must have access to Maple. At the MLRC the executable for MapleV Release 4 is located on the server as

P:\winappl\mapleV4\bin.win\wmaple.exe

If you are not on the Math Department pc network you will have to locate the Maple executable on your server or machine and substitute that location for the one for the MLRC in the instructions below. I will assume that you are using Netscape for Windows 95. If you are using another browser, you will need to find the similar features for that browser. Failing that you can just capture the worksheet as a file and then load it into Maple. More on this later.

Configuring Netscape

Start Netscape
From the menu buttons select OPTIONS, then GENERAL PREFERENCES, then HELPERS
Choose CREATE NEW TYPE
In netscape enter application as the MIME type and x-maple as the subtype. Click on OK. You should see a line in the helper window something like this:
```
application/x-maple     Ask User
```
Make sure that this line is highlighted in the window for the remaining steps.
In the extensions area enter mws, ms (Worksheets with extension mws have been created by MapleV Release 4; those with extension ms have been created with MapleV Release 3.)
Select LAUNCH APPLICATION
In the line for the application enter the location of the Maple executable. In the MLRC this is
```
P:\winappl\mapleV4\bin.win\wmaple.exe
```
Netscape should now launch Maple whenever a file of MIME type application/x-maple is encountered.

On UNIX systems there is a default for the file extension .ms. In order to automatically run Maple with MapleV Release 3 style worksheets it is necessary to change the application that is used for the MIME type application/x-troff-ms. (This assumes you never use x-troff-ms files.)

Find the line in the helper screen which appears something like this
```
application/x-troff-ms    Ask User
```
If none exists use CREATE NEW TYPE as above to make one.
With the line application/x-troff-ms highlighted repeat steps 6,7 and 8 above.

Manual Method For Viewing Maple Worksheets

If you are unable to get your browser to launch Maple, replace the instructions in steps 7 and 8 by selecting SAVE TO DISK. Each time you encounter a file of subtype x-maple or x-troff-ms, Netscape will prompt you for a directory and file name under which to save the file. Then you can start Maple and open the worksheet from the FILE menu in Maple.