10.0 Credits and History

10.1 Credits

Vincent Tan wrote the hierarchial interface for the FTP/HTTP/FILE engine - the part of the program which manages drawing, selecting, clicking in windows and dialogs. This being the builting blocks for the main listing window, bookmark window and file transfer window. The registration form dialog was also written by Vincent, as well as the binhex 4.0 engine.

Peter and Vincent both engineered the partial file support, wrote the documentation and designed the user interface.

Special thanks to Jeremy Foy of Studio Matrix for his Splash Screen design used in the later part of v1.x and v2.0.

Thanks to Stuart Cheshire <cheshire@CS.Stanford.EDU> for the Natural Order source code. It's a routine which causes the directory listings to appear in an order which is more intuitively correct. For example, file2.jpg appears before file10.jpg instead of the other way around. If you're interested, you can get it from <ftp://bolo.stanford.edu//Public/Stuart's tech notes/Natural Order>.

NetFinder works best when used with Internet Config. Thanks to all of the authors of this nifty system. Here are the IC sites in Australia and the USA.

NOTE: NetFinder no longer requires Internet Config if you have MacOS 8.5 or higher installed, because it is integrated into the operating system.

Special thanks to the folks who wrote and maintained OpenSSL which is used for the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) support in NetFinder.

Thanks to the creators of ICI and Canon Information Systems Research Australia, for their wonderful small, simple yet powerful and extensible scripting code.

The installer for this product was created using Installer VISE from
MindVision Software. For more information on Installer VISE, contact:

MindVision Software
5901 North 58th Street
Lincoln, NE 68507
Voice: (402) 323-6600
Fax: (402) 323-6611
Internet: mindvision@mindvision.com
http://www.mindvision.com

Last but not least, portions of this software are...

"Copyright (c) 1991, 1993, 1994
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
   
2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
   
3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software must display the following acknowledgement:
   This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors.
   
4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

Check out the license agreement for more legal information about the use of this software.

10.2 Version History

• fixed compatibility issues with OSX 10.3
• fixed copy from Transcript Window bug.
• ftping to port 990 with OpenSSLLib installed will establish an SSL connection (implicit ftps).
• plus a number of other GUI tweeks.

• added support for invert sorting column by clicking currently selected column again.
• added NFExecuteAppleScript() to ICI exported routines.
• -
• improved compatibility with OSX 10.2.
• -
• no longer crashes in OSX when canceling an establishment of a second connection to the same server that returns an error. eg "only one connection from that IP".
• Shared Menus/URL Manager support works again under OSX.
• fixed a crash bug when the script console is visible and you open the NF prefs window under OSX.
• -
• updated "Support - Dump TCP Status" for support under OSX.

• NetFinder is now distributed as a pre-OSX Installer and a OSX .dmg file due to the size of the OSX bits.
• NetFinder for OSX has a new set of "large" icons. Thanks to Steve Coblentz for his contributions to the application icon.
• added Menu Sharing support back into the OSX build of NF.
• added a few more back door mechanisms, "noIS" to disable Icon Services, "oldTriangles" to disable Appearance Mgr triangles.
• -
• improved menu layout/behavior and restored some missing menus from the OSX build.
• improved code to find applications like BBEdit under OSX.
• improved "Setup" button functionality in Firewall Pref Panel under OSX.
• improved SSL FTP compatibility (this is not the same as sftp, for all those who ask). [AUTH SSL now accepts 2xx and 3xx (orig) replies]
• improved error handling when server refuses the connection.
• improved the progress rate display. Its now more instantaneous rate.
• improved support for special characters in filenames.
• -
• fixed a non-functional copy text bug in rename mode under OSX.
• fixed a bug in the directory caching code that would cause crashes under OSX.
• fixed a bug in code to launch applications like BBEdit which would cause crashes under OSX.
• fixed a long standing bug that caused option key chars to not work, eg option-8 etc. These are needed by some language systems.
• fixed a bug in Navigation Manager calls when saving bookmarks/bookmark lists which showed up under OSX 10.1, OS 9 was OK.
• -
• updated more text in the German translation. Thanks Mark.
• updated the FAQ.

• Netfinder is now available as a Carbon (OSX) build (inside "NetFinder for OSX" folder)
• menus have been rearranged for a more intuitive layout.
• added new section to documentation specifically documenting each menu item.
• added a "Tips and Tricks" file to Goodies folder.
• -
• added mouse wheel support under OSX.
• added more ICI exported routines to control the GUI.
• added a few scripts to easily toggle the "find" feature in the listing windows.
• added a few scripts to easily toggle the file transfer mode.
• added the New Download Queue menu item.
• added support for adding/creating shortcuts when in a FILE protocol context.
• added a "back door" to turn off loading of Internet Config file mappings loading. To enable create a file/folder named "noIC" in the NF application folder. This works around a strange conflict with IE on some machines.
• -
• improved FTP Server Parser Plugin support for "servers" (PLCs) that have just one directory, namely root.
  Call this feature: "Camelion mode for PLCs with FTP servers"
• improved support for Windows NT FTP servers.
• New Connection window is now resizable for people who deal with long pathnames in URL's (easier to read).
• ICILib now merged into the application, so it can no longer be trashed.
• Cancel button now setup (for ESC etc) for ICI dialogs.
• close all windows (command option W) no longer closes file transfer windows.
• -
• fixed a HTTP redirection bug.
• fixed a compatibility bug with some servers when getting the current directory.
• fixed a issue introduced in v2.2 that would cause NF to experience long (lockup) pauses.
• fixed a long standing issue with some servers that would result in NF having a very lengthy parber poll when aborting a transfer.
• fixed a bug in OpenSSLLib that would cause it and hence NF to not load on pre-OS 8.6 machines. OpenSSLLib now carbonized.

• rewrote portions of low level networking code.
• added Mirror by Modify Date.
• added New Empty File command to create zero K files on FTP sites... even easier BBEdit usage.
• added a Shortcut menu, along with CM to add shortcuts easily from a listing window.
• added ability to drag folders/disks onto NF app icon to open the dropped folder/disk in FILE protocol window. Useful because we can use filtering on finder items. Saved my butt a few times. May need to rebuild Desktop.
• added ability for users to define custom command key shortcuts for Scripts and Shortcuts items by simply renaming the items on disk.
• added NFSetModifiersForCommand() routine to script engine to allow scripts to be written to alter or add command key shortcuts to the various menus in NetFinder. Sample script attached.
• added a few network debugging commands to the script engine for tech support purposes.
• added ability to close the ICI Console window. Use Command-w.
• added PageSpinner to the list of Editors supported in the Editor integration.
• improved "logical name" handling for VMS servers. You can now use "logicalname:" or "/logicalname:" via Goto Directory.
• fixed a bug when suppressing .bin or .hqx extensions, the file transfer would always upload as Binary.
• fixed a owner/group bug in the listing window and Get Info window. Introduced in v2.1.x when optimizing GUI.
• fixed a Bookmark/password bug.
• fixed a bug in the MacBinary identification routine. (only PPC)
• fixed a few bugs in the MacBinary streamer causing it to not restore Finder flags properly.
• fixed a stupid bug in establishing a data connection code (in PORT mode) what would cause "cant establish data connection" to appear when operations performed too quickly.
• fixed a server parser plugin bug that would cause it not to ID the server properly.
• copying URL's from a listing (using Copy in Edit Menu) now adds trailing '/' to items that are folders.
• updated to latest compiler. Note: new versions of OpenSSLLib and ICILib are required.
• updated documentation to allow support for Apple's Help manager, which enables searching.

• improved speed of listings... finally. :)
• added option to specify what mode to download for Edit in BBEdit.
• added a popup to select the editor to use for Edit in BBEdit command. Requires new versions of certain editors that may not be released yet.
• fixed a strange bug in mirroring that would cause multi levels of folders to not get uploaded properly.
• fixed a bug in mirroring code that would cause "remaining" files to be deleted when an error is hit.
• fixed a memory leak when viewing certain media in the View as Graphic/Media window.
• fixed a bug in Transfer Jobs Window.
• fixed a memory corruption bug. This may have caused some machines to crash for no apparent reason.
• fixed a few bugs in the ICI script exported NF routines. Also added one to setup proxy details.
• fixed a bad memory leak when getting a listing via ICI script.
• fixed a bug that may have caused odd bahaviour and possible crashing on some machines.
• fixed a bug in GetURL AE that would cause NF to "hang" and do nothing when 2 AE come in too quickly.
• nav manager dialog now recognizes partially downloaded files (partial file with progress) as partial files.
• updated OpenSSLLib to v0.9.5a of the OpenSSL source. This update should make things even more secure.

• added support for viewing Movies and playing MP3's and more via View As Graphic/Media menu command.
• added a preference to try to only use one connection per server when listing directories.
• added preference to configure the BBEdit upload action. Always UL/Never UL or Ask User.
• added preference to define what an Open Action does (including double click). eg Edit in BBEdit.
• added back in the "Appearance Emulation Code".
• fixed a bug that would cause a crash when uploading.
• fixed an obscure bug in Keychain Manager that could cause NF to crash as soon as you launch NF for the first time.
• fixed a download folder bug that would result in a "transfer complete" message to appear for no good reason and stop the transfer.
• fixed a bug that would cause Edit in BBEdit to not work properly with BBEdit under certain circumstances.
• improved low memory handling in extreme conditions.
• vastly improved stability.

• added support for SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) FTP. All data transfers can now be encrypted. Requires OpenSSL module to be installed. PPC Support Only.
• added support for ICI script. Customizing NetFinder to perform specific tasks is now easier than ever. Requires Scripting Components module to be installed. PPC Support Only. Useful scripts include:
  • Sending FTP commands.
  • Changing FTP "ping" (NOOP) interval. You can even send your own custom "ping".
  • Extract URL's from any text file.
  • Search offline documentation for word.
• added support for filtering in the display using wildcards or regexp. Allowing you to see what you want at a touch of a key.
• added support for advanced upload mirroring. Makes maintaining a website even easier.
• added support for server parser plugins. Allowing NetFinder to support just about any FTP server with a non-standard listing. You can even write your own parsers.
• optimized numerous internals to improve speed and decrease memory footprint.
• improved Apple's Keychain Mgr support under OS9.
• improved compatibility with WebSTAR.
• fixed numerous bugs and GUI drawing glitches.
• removed "Appearance Emulation Code". Pre-MacOS 8.1 users now need to download
  < ftp://ftp.apple.com/developer/Development_Kits/Appearance_SDK_1.0.4.sit.hqx >

• Removed the "beta expired" check that was overlooked in the release of v2.0.3.

• added preference to upload pane to optionally not add .bin and .hqx extensions for MacBinary and BinHex uploads.
• added better support for VMS listings, now get filesize, modified date etc.
• added WebSTAR server support.
• added URL entry helper. eg "http://" sequence switches protocols, and trailing "/" moves focus to the path field. Just try typing in "http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pli/netfinder/sw_bins" into the hostname field in a New Connection window.
• improved auto-reconnection to the server when the connection dropped and the user tries to perform an action. ie "fixed" the 5000 errors.
• improved Edit in BBEdit support.
• fixed remote copy support. It was not working 100%. Note: your server must support it. Most do not, because of security reasons.
• fixed a conflict with dragging URL's from NF to a browser.
• plus various other fixes and improvements.

• Added Finder Progress icons, as a gimmick. You may need to rebuild your desktop. See New Features in v2.0.2
• Added command key free dragging/reordering of columns.
• Added a preference (in Display pane) to enable Smooth Redraws. ie the display will flicker less.
• Added TYPE A support for uploading of ASCII files, for servers that "must" require it. To enable, add a 'UL-A' resource with any ID to the NetFinder Application.
• Improved handling of what is stored in the keychain.
• Improved the way the download queue identifies HTTP transfers. So it no longer starts multiple transfers when HTTP transfers are in progress. Drag and drop from a browser should be more usable now.
• Improved the handling of batch tasks when encountering problems on the remote server.
• Changed the handling of downloading and uploading files beginning with period.
• Changed the default view file command key back to Command-L for compatibility with v1.x. View Intelligent is now Command-J.
• Fixed a crashing bug when handling bookmarks (when opening or saving) when system resources are exhausted.
• Fixed a bug that caused additional columns to not be remembered in the FTP listing view. Recommend that the Directory Cache in NetFinder Pref's folder be deleted.
• Fixed a bug that caused passwords to be scrambled and hence logins to fail (when using a saved default URL). Recommend that NF Prefs be trashed.
• Fixed a bug that caused bookmark window positions to not be saved unless the bookmark contents were changed.
• Fixed a divide by zero crash bug on 68k macs in the progress dialog code, when transferring a file.
• Fixed a conflict with shared menus (eg URL Manager Pro) causing commands to not be executed.
• Fixed a possible memory corruption, causing drag and drop to crash after viewing the 'download' prefs pane.
• Fixed an issue with NetPresenz J version.
• Various other GUI fixes and improvements.

• Added Download Queue Mechanism. See New Features in v2.0.1
• Added "Download HTTP with NetFinder" to Goodies folder. Plugin for Apple Data Detector allowing you to get a URL from another application and request NetFinder to download the URL.
• Improved support for Rumpus FTP and WebSTAR servers.
• Enhanced SOCKS support for non-guest access.
• Enhanced One Time Password (OTP) support.
• Enhanced usability of "Edit with BBEdit" feature.
• Improved list parsing and "connect to server" code for certain servers.
• Improved compatibility with Netscpae 4.6.1.
• Improved handling of receiving URL links from Netscape. eg into the New Connection dialog or Bookmark window.
• Improved responsiveness of NetFinder when it was not doing anything.
• Filenames beginning with period ('.') which were renamed to bullet when downloaded to a local disk (as recommended by Apple) can now be uploaded back to the server with a period. To enable this feature, open "NetFinder Preferences" using ResEdit and add a resource of type '_·to.' (bullet or Option-8 is the first character) and any ID.
• FTP through a HTTP proxy no longer limited to port 21.
• Worked around an incompatibility with Appearance Manager. This fixes the "Default Folder" and "GoLive CyberStudio" conflicts.
• Fixed numerous SOCKS proxy problems, including Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0.
• Fixed a bug that caused NF to crash when quitting on 68k macs running pre-OS8.
• Fixed various bugs in the registration mechanism. Saving and Printing issues.
• Fixed a conflict with URL Manager Pro that would cause all NF windows to be dimmed and no menu commands would work.
• Fixed a bug that caused the time remaining display to jump to an outrageous value after a period of time.
• Fixed a bug that caused NetFinder to not behave properly when a connection drops. Broken during the transition from v1.x to v2.0.

• Initial Release. Read the "what's new in v2.0".

10.3 Program History (by Peter)

Anyway, I was so excited with the network aspect of things I just didn't feel like getting into more interface designing. As time went on, Vincent and many of my other friends were almost making it a weekly thing to ask how things were going. But my reply was always the same, "getting there". Then one day I decided that this project needed to be finished, so I asked Vincent to help code the interface for me. That was around the 4th quarter of 1996. With the little time we had between our own daytime jobs/activities, we managed to get the product to a more useful state, as opposed to my terminal based test program.

During 1998, NetFinder took the big leap to v2.0 which gave it a total face lift to bring it in line with the current MacOS and also to extend its connectivity to the fast growing internet by supporting protocols like HTTP.

Here it is now, it works and I don't think I can do without it. Look out for future versions!