Putting MicroWorlds Projects on the Web

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For Beginners...

The World Wide Web provides a universal vehicle for publishing student work. LCSI, the makers of MicroWorlds, have added functionality to MicroWorlds 2.X allowing users to share their Logo projects via the web. While the process of web publishing a MicroWorlds project is pretty simple, Mac and Windows 95 users need to be aware of dramatically different results. Hopefully, LCSI will provide Macintosh users with the same power available to their Windows 95-using colleagues.

What Does MicroWorlds Offer the WWW?
Kids should always have the opportunity to publish their work and the web offers an enormous potential audience for their creativity. MicroWorlds allows users to create truly interactive web pages without the need to learn Java or program complicated CGIs. The Windows 95 plug-in allows MicroWorlds users to put their video games, science simulations, animated reports and mathematical explorations online. Neither web authoring packages nor HyperStudio can experiment with a number theory problem while changing variables, collecting data and creating graphs from any web browser (see http://moon.pepperdine.edu/~gstager/3n.html).

What Can You Do on a Mac?
1. SAVEHTML
MicroWorlds for the Macintosh users can use the SAVEHTML command to save an open project for publication on the web. If you do not have the SAVEHTML command in your version, you may download it free-of-charge from http://www.lcsi.ca/.

SAVEHTML saves your MicroWorlds project as a series of JPEG files and an HTML file containing the page layout information and any text. While animations, melodies and multimedia elements will not work on the web, any turtles or buttons designed to turn pages will. This means that Mac users will be able to use MicroWorlds to create projects such as colorful reports and stories. Use a web authoring tool, like Claris Home Page, to open the HTML file created by MicroWorlds and add links to your pages.

2. Apple Internet Address Detectors
Mac users (running OS 8 on PowerMacs) have at least one advantage over Windows users due to the new free Apple Internet Address Detectors. This system extension allows web URL links to be embedded in MicroWorlds projects (and any other application). After you install the Address Detectors just select text containing a URL or email address and Control-Click on the text. A menu will pop-up asking you if you would like to go to a link in the browser of your choice, bookmark the link, join a newsgroup or send email to the address selected. Now your MicroWorlds projects can active Hypertext links to the World Wide Web! Download the Apple Internet Address Detectors at http://applescript.apple.com/data_detectors/detectors.01.html.

What Can Win 95 Users Do?
1. SAVEHTML
SAVEHTML is built-in to the Windows 95 version of MicroWorlds. Users can do the same things in Windows 95 as with the Mac.

2. The Super Cool Amazingly Powerful MicroWorlds Web Plug-in
Go to http://www.lcsi.ca/ to download the web MicroWorlds plug-in and follow the instructions for putting an interactive MicroWorlds project in a web page.

To create a terrific web-ready project follow the following guidelines:

Use NEWPROJECTSIZE to set your projectsize to 400X400 pixels or smaller. You want the project to fit within your browser window.
Do not expect video, CD, or long recorded audio clips to play on the web.
Melodies, MIDI sounds and short recorded audio clips will work.
There is no command center for typing commands so use buttons and turtles to execute procedures and QUESTION to request information from the user. Sliders work too.

Follow the simple instructions found at http://www.lcsi.ca/webplayer/tips.html for setting up your MicroWorlds-energized web page.

Be sure to let us know about your new MicroWorlds-based web pages and we’ll share them with readers in future issues!

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