University at Albany Libraries

Navigating the World Wide Web with Netscape

For Navigator 3.x in Windows 3.x

Netscape Navigator is a graphical software program which allows users to access and browse the World Wide Web. This program--also called a browser-- is available for both Windows-based and Macintosh computers. Navigation is accomplished by pointing and clicking on screen highlighted words or images with a mouse. With all the proper software installed on your computer, Netscape can retrieve several kinds of images as well as video and sound.

You can install Netscape in your Windows-based or Macintosh machine. The program is available for downloading on the Netscape home page: http://home.netscape.com/. To use the program to access the Web, you need an ethernet connection or a dialup connection known as a SLPP or PPP. For more information, see How to Connect to the Internet.

URL: ADDRESSES ON THE INTERNET

Before you use Netscape Navigator, it is important to understand the concept of the URL. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. The URL specifies the address of an electronic document on the Internet. Every file on the Internet, no matter what its protocol, has a unique URL. Netscape uses the URL to retrieve the file from the source computer and the directory in which it resides. This file is then displayed on the user's computer monitor.

This is the format of the URL:

protocol://host/path/filename
For example:
http://cedr.lbl.gov/cdrom/doc/cdrom.html - a hypertext file
ftp://ftp.wwa.com/pub/Scarecrow/Misc/Flowers - a file at an ftp site
gopher://gopher.edu.gov:10000/11/publications/majorpub - a file at a gopher site

Anatomy of a URL

This is a URL at the CNN home page

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/comments.html
Structure of this URL:

  1. Protocol: http
  2. Host computer name: www
  3. Second-level domain name: cnn
  4. Top-level domain name: com
  5. Directory name: feedback
  6. File name: comments.html

HOW TO ACCESS RESOURCES ON THE INTERNET WITH NETSCAPE

1. IF YOU HAVE THE URL OF A FILE ON THE INTERNET

Type the URL to go directly to the file. Netscape gives you three ways of doing this.

A. Type the URL in the location bar just below the button bar at the top of the screen. To accomplish this, click on the location bar to highlight the current URL. Then type in the new URL and press the Enter key.

B. Click on the Open button at the top of the screen. A pop-up window will appear with a blank line. On that line, type the URL of the file you wish to retrieve. Press the Enter key.

C. Click on File ==> Open location at the top left of the screen. A pop-up window will appear with a blank line. On that line, type the URL of the file you wish to retrieve. Press the Enter key.

If you wish to reach the University Libraries home page, type this URL: http://www.albany.edu/library/

2. IF YOU ARE ON A WEB PAGE

Click on After you click, the file will be retrieved and will display on your screen.

Note: Sometimes the clickable words will be different colors than blue or purple. Document creators have the option of specifying colors.

3. IF YOU WANT TO USE PRE-INSTALLED LINKS

Netscape's resource links: The narrow buttons across the top of the screen (What's New, What's Cool, etc.) are programmed to take you to documents written by the creators of Netscape. These documents contain links to a variety of Internet resources. The button "Net Search" allows you to do searches for documents of interest on the Internet.

Bookmark links: The Bookmarks option on the top menu bar contains a list of resources placed there by previous users of Netscape at your terminal. This list can be a source of interesting Internet resources.

NAVIGATING WITH NETSCAPE

Netscape allows you to move back and forth among the Web pages that you visit during a session.

To go back to previous sites:

Click on the large Back left arrow on the button bar near the top left corner of your screen. Each time you click on this arrow, you will return to the next previous site that you visited.

Click on Go in the menu bar at the top of the screen. This presents a list of several previous sites you have visited. Click on any one of these choices to return to the desired site. This is the equivalent of clicking on the Back arrow several times.

To move forward:

When you have returned to previous sites with the Back arrow, you can go forward again by clicking on the large Forward right arrow next to the Back arrow.

Click on Go in the menu bar at the top of the screen. This presents a list of several sites you have visited. Click on any of the more recent choices to return to the desired site. This is the equivalent of clicking on the Forward arrow several times.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

SAVING INTERNET DOCUMENTS FOR LATER USE:
HOW TO DOWNLOAD, E-MAIL, AND PRINT

You can download to disk, e-mail, or print the document on the Netscape screen.

To DOWNLOAD TO DISK

  1. Click on File ==> Save As (top left of screen)
  2. In the new pop-up window, convert "Save File as Type" to "Plain Text (*.txt)."
  3. Add the txt extension to the filename, e.g., myfile.txt
  4. In the same pop-up window, change "Drives" to "a:"
  5. Click on OK

To E-MAIL

  • Click on File ==> Mail Document (top left of screen)
  • "Mail to:" window: Enter the e-mail address, including everything after the @sign
  • Click on the Attach button (left side of window)
  • In the new pop-up window, click on the circle next to "Convert to Plain Text." Then click on OK.
  • Click on the Send button (top left corner of window)

    • To PRINT THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT

    1. Click on the Print button (top of screen)
    2. Click on OK

    To PRINT SELECTED PAGES

    1. Click on File ==> Print Preview (top left of screen)
    2. Click through the pages to determine which pages you want to print
    3. Click on the Print button
    4. Click on the circle next to "Pages"
    5. Type in the page range you want to print From: and To:
    6. OR, to print a single page, type in this page number after both From: and To:
    7. Click on OK.
    To PRINT SELECTED PORTIONS OF A WEB PAGE, see How to Copy and Paste from Netscape to Windows Write.

    THE RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON

    The right mouse button offers a number of useful features if you are using a PC. To view the possibilities, press down on the right mouse button and hold it. Options will display in a pop-up window.

    1. WHEN YOUR MOUSE PONTER IS ON THE SCREEN
    (but not on a link or on an image)

    2. WHEN YOUR MOUSE POINTER IS OVER A LINK

    3. WHEN THE MOUSE POINTER IS OVER AN IMAGE

    HOW TO NAVIGATE WEB PAGES USING FRAMES

    Web pages created with frames divide the computer screen into two or more active windows. For an example, see the frames demonstration on the University Libraries home page.

    Increasingly, Web browsers support the viewing of frames. Currently, Netscape Navigator 2.0 and later versions have this capability.

    It is not easy to navigate a site that uses frames. Netscape Navigator 3.0 has solved some of the problems and made the frames environment easier to navigate.

    How to Move Back to a Previous Frame

    When working in a frames environment, special navigation techniques must be used in order to move forward and back inside a particular frame. Let's say that you have clicked on a link and the file loads into one of the frames. How do you return to the previous item in that frame?

    For users of Netscape 3.x, click on the Back button.

    For users of all earlier versions of Netscape, follow the directions below.

    IBM-PC users:

    1. Press down on the right mouse button (not on a link or an image) and hold it. A pop-up window will appear with two choices.
    2. Slide down the mouse until you highlight the choice, Back.
    3. Let go of the mouse button. The previous file will appear in the frame.
    Macintosh users: the technique is the same as above, except that you will hold down the entire mouse button.

    How to Move Forward to a Frame

    If you have loaded several new files into a particular frame and have traveled backwards using the above procedure, you can then go forward again one by one through the files, as follows:

    For users of Netscape 3.x, click on the Forward button.

    For users of all earlier versions of Netscape, follow the directions below.

    1. Press down on the right mouse button (PC users) or the entire mouse button (Mac users) and hold it. A pop-up window will appear with two choices.
    2. Slide down the mouse until you highlight the choice, Forward.
    3. Let go of the mouse button. The next file will appear in the frame.

    How to Download, E-Mail, or Print a File Within a Frame

    To print, download or e-mail a file within a frame window, you must load this file into a separate full-screen window. Netscape allows you to start up a second copy of the browser to view this file on the full screen.

    To accomplish this, the link to the file must be up on your screen. If the file is already loaded into a frame, return to the file in which the link appeared.

    To view the desired file in a full window, here's what you do:

    1. Position your mouse pointer on top of the link pointing to this file
    2. Press down on the right mouse button (PC users) or the entire mouse button (Mac users) and hold it.
    3. A pop-up window will appear with several choices. Slide down the mouse until you highlight the choice, Open in New Window.
    4. Let go of the mouse button. A new copy of Netscape will launch with the file loaded into the entire screen.
    5. Print, download or e-mail the file
    To return to the frames environment:

     PC Users: Press down the Alt key and hold it. Then tap the Tab key. Let go of both keys and you will be returned to the original copy of Netscape. OR, simply close the newer copy of Nescape.

    Macintosh Users: Press down on the mouse button. Slide down the mouse and highlight Back.

    Laura Cohen | 3/97
    lcohen@cnsvax.albany.edu