Overview
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Web OfficeView allows you to use your web browser to run an electronic in-out
board. The board displays standard or customized
remarks, such as "in", "in but unavailable", "on vacation until
X", and so on. Because the location of your co-workers is constantly apparent, your
office assistants can know your whereabouts and give informed responses to phone calls.
The program also includes a messaging system (can be disabled) and a screen that displays
employee information, such as the telephone, fax, and pager numbers. Until the program is
registered, only ten names can be entered.
The program is a small 32-bit Windows application that can run on practically any system
using Windows 95, 98, NT, XP or 2K. Although it can reside on the file server that holds the
database files, this is not a requirement. Any Windows workstation that can connect to the
Web OfficeView directory on the server is suitable. Thus, the program will work with
NetWare or Unix based file servers that hold the Web OfficeView database. Web browsers
from Macs, Unix and other platforms can participate.
If you share the database directory with OfficeView Pro, the two programs work
cooperatively displaying the same information and sharing messages. This setup allows you
to use a small Windows application at your own workstation or a web browser when you're
away.
Web OfficeView puts everything you need to maintain the database on one screen. If you run
the program from the Web OfficeView directory on the server, just click on the Database
tab to display the Database page, add the names and you are up and running. If Web
OfficeView is not running from the database directory, you need to select the Control and
Information page and set the path to the Web OfficeView database.
Click on the status field that you wish to change. A new web page will appear with the top line displaying the name of the person that will receive the new status remark. For example "Select a Remark for Jane Kelly", may appear. This page has a list of remarks ready to assign with one mouse click. Clicking on beside a remark assigns the new remark and returns you to the main screen.
You can customize the status text by typing your own phrase into the edit box beside the label "Customized remark:". After entering your phrase, click to post the text. The screen will close and the text will appear in the appropriate Status field.
Viewing an Employee Information Page
From any page displaying the names and status information, click on a name and the pertinent information will appear on a new page. Use to return to the previous page or view a new group by selecting a group from the list available near the bottom of the page.
Navigate to a page that displays the list of names. Click on beside the name of the person you want to contact to
bring up the message composer page. Type your message in the lower part of the window, and
click on .
Navigate to a page that displays your name in the list of names. Click on beside your name to bring up the message reader page.
Buttons allow you to delete the current message, or go to the first or last message. To
view a message of your choice, select the message number in the drop down box and click on
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Samples of Pages with Links Simulating Web Operations
The opening page of the Web OfficeView is similar to the sample provided below. The samples of pages have been altered to approximately mimic what happens when you interact with the actual server. You can click on any name to view a typical Employee Information page. Selecting a remark will display the page used to assign new remarks. To view the names belonging to a single group, click on the group name in the group column. This simulation differs from a live operation in that you may be able to see more than one page which would not happen in a live situation. Also, you can only pretend to change a remark because the sample cannot be updated.
Web OfficeView Login
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Please select your name and enter your password. | |
Note: This screen is optional. The sever can be set to go directly to the list of names.
Web OfficeView |
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Web OfficeView |
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Web OfficeView |
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Select a Remark for Jane Kelly |
To assign a remark, click on a Select button. |
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Please enter your message and click on Send. |
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Click on the buttons in lower left side to browse between messages. | |||||||||||||||
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Click on the buttons in lower left side to browse between messages. | |||||||||||||||
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Change the field next to "Jane Kelly" |
Please enter the new imformation and click on OK. |
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Options Settings |
To save any changes, click on the Save Changes button. |
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Click here to return to the main page. |
http://WOV_SERVER at 7:35:03 PM |
For Web OfficeView to work properly, your TCP/IP network components must be installed and working. You can test if this is working by running 'ping 127.0.0.1' from the DOS command-line. If ping indicates a reply was returned, your TCP/IP components are installed and working.
Unzip the download file WOV.zip into a new directory on your server and run it to install the program. Usually you install the program on a server. However, this is not a requirement. Any Windows workstation can host the program and files.
If you are already running another web server on port 80, you must configure Web OfficeView to run on some other port. The Control and Information page has an area labeled TCP/IP Port. Select port number 800 or 888.
Closing the Web OfficeView screen shrinks the program to an icon in the taskbar tray near the clock. Placing your mouse on the icon identifies Web OfficeView. Click on the icon to make the main screen appear. Right clicking on the icon reveals menu items. Use the Open menu item to display the program screen. Click on Terminate to stop the program. Before shutting down, the program will ask you to confirm that you want to stop.
The Control and Information page on the server program displays the URL address to use at other workstations. Try to connect to the program from another workstation using the given URL. If the machine hosting Web OfficeView has an Internet connection and your firewall allows it, you should be able to use the numeric URL (i.e. http://202.101.30.21) to connect from any workstation via the world wide web.
If you want Web OfficeView to work cooperatively with OfficeView Pro, you need to connect Web OfficeView to the OfficeView Pro database. This is done from the Web OfficeView Control and Information page. Click on the "Select New Path" button and browse to the OfficeView Pro directory on the server. To test the new path, click on the "Launch Local Browser" button and the web browser should display a login page or a list of OfficeView Pro names.
If you need to uninstall the program, select the 'Add/Remove Programs' option in the control panel.
Testing operations
Run Web OfficeView and start a browser, then try address 'http://127.0.0.1'. Or use the
browser launch button located on the Control and Information page to start the local web
browser. You should see the Web OfficeView login page or main page with a list of names.
To login, select your name from the drop down list, enter your password and click on the
OK button.
If Web OfficeView cannot run on its normal port (80), it will display an error
message. This can happen if another server is using port 80. You can use an alternative
HTTP port such as 800. To connect to port 800, use URL http://localhost:800/.
Allowing other workstations to connect
Each workstation needs to have TCP/IP network components installed and working. Use the
web browser address shown on the Web OfficeView Control and Information page. If the
TCP/IP network is working correctly (even before you start Web OfficeView) you can use the
'ping' command on client workstations to check that you can connect to the server. Type a
ping command such as, "ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx", Where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the IP
address displayed on the Control and Information page. If this works, then you can access
the Web OfficeView from a web browser using the URL http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/.