About WebCALIS
WebCALIS is an experimental Java version of WinCALIS for PC, Mac, Linux, and UNIX platforms. It supports
about 60% of
the features of WinCALIS, but also includes some features which WinCALIS does not:
- full support for the HTTP protocol of the World Wide Web, without requiring any local client
other than the Sun Java Runtime (JRE) (WinCALIS 2.5 allows downloading and running
exercises from the Internet, but requires the WinCALIS local client to be installed);
- multiple hardware and software platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix, etc.);
- display of HTML Web pages as tutorial pages (WinCALIS v.2.5 now does this also).
See also the WebCALIS Manual (PDF) and
the WebCALIS CALIScript Language Quick Reference Guide (updated March 2002).
Fonts
For information on displaying exotic character fonts, see below.
Java Security
You may, if you wish, use WebCALIS to run exercises from any Web server
in the world, including your own, not just the one it was launched from. Similarly, you may
wish to access WebCALIS tutorials on a different website; use the clipboard with WebCALIS; save
records or screens to your local drive; print to your printer; etc. However, to do this, you need to tell your
computer that you grant the WebCALIS Java applet permission to do that. For information on how
to do this, see our Java Security page.
List of some of the sample exercises provided for trying out
one of the versions of WebCALIS below.
WebCALIS Versions
NOTE: When you click on one of the links below, you will start to launch a little Java
applet. No big deal, but if you launch the wrong one, you would do best to exit your browser
before trying another one (do this whenever you wish to launch a different version after
having already launched one), so read first, then click!
- Newest WebCALIS version 1.42 (updated August 12, 2002) using Java Plug-in on MS Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Mac with OS X. Works best with the current Sun Java Runtime (JRE) v.1.4. If you aren't certain if you have the plug-in or not, before
running this option, you may wish to read our Sun Java Plug-in Information
Page for installation and configuration details.
New features: Mouse clicks on hot text and hotspots on graphics; New JavaHelp on-line help system; Input Method Editor (IME) support for Chinese and other languages.
For the Chinese IME, download the jar file "zh_tonepy.jar" and put it in your local Java JRE /lib/ext folder. The Chinese IME as well as other "system" IME's, will then appear under the item "Select Input Method" under the WebCALIS control menu in the upper left corner of the WebCALIS window (coffee cup icon).
- The latest version of WebCALIS launched with Java Web Start and JNLP (Java Network Launching Protocol) (part of the Java Runtime v.1.4 and later). This has several advantages, such as automatic local caching of files for faster loading speed after the first download; ability to run Web applets aubsequently without an Internet connection; automatic updating to the newest version from the Web; and other features.
- WebCALIS version 1.40 (updated March 25, 2002) using Java Plug-in on MS Windows, Linux, and Solaris (Mac users must be running OS X for "Java 2" support). Works best with the current Sun Java Runtime (JRE) v.1.4. If you aren't certain if you have the plug-in or not, before
running this option, you may wish to read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details. On Windows, the Java-plug-in seems to be the best option right now, for use in both major browsers.
Changes to several WebCALIS windowing and display functions; new toolbar; new Tutorial menu; new menu options; etc.
- WebCALIS version 1.40 (updated March 25, 2002) Requires JRE 1.2/JDK 1.2 or newer
to be installed locally (and works best with the current v.1.4). Works in Netscape 6.x in MS Windows,
Linux, and Solaris, if Java option was installed. Will not work in Netscape 4.x or Internet
Explorer without Java plug-in. See above for new v.1.40 features.
- Special
Text-to-Speech enhancement of WebCALIS version 1.40 (updated March 25, 2002) using Java
Plug-in on MS Windows, Linux, and Solaris.
This version requires that you have the Sun
Java Runtime (JRE) v.1.4 installed. And you will also need to download the Windows
self-extracting executable archive FreeTTSLibs.exe (7599KB), or the
ZIP file with identical contents FreeTTSLibs.zip (7491KB) containing
the necessary Text-to-Speech libraries. Save it in a temporary location on your hard drive;
then extract the files into the "lib\ext" folder under your Java JRE. E.g, the following folder: "C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.0\lib\ext".
(This is the Windows default. If you installed elsewhere, or installed on Linux/Unix,
please adjust the path accordingly to extract the files to your /lib/ext folder.)
- WebCALIS version 1.39 (updated November 2001) using Java Plug-in on MS Windows, Linux, and Solaris (Mac users must be running OS X (released March 2001) for "Java 2" support). Before
running this option, you may wish to read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details. On Windows, the Java-plug-in seems to be the best option right now, for use in both major browsers.
Major internal code revision; implemented or extended several CALIScript commands; made
command parser more robust; improved record-keeping; WebCALIS now runs as a fast-loading
"Jar" archive.
- Newest WebCALIS version 1.39 (updated November 2001) Requires JRE 1.2/JDK1.2 or newer
to be installed locally. Works in Netscape 6 in MS Windows, Linux, and Solaris, if Java option was installed. Will not work in Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 5 without Java plug-in.
See above for new v.1.39 features.
- WebCALIS version 1.38 (updated March 2001) using Java Plug-in on MS Windows, Linux, and Solaris (Mac users must wait for OS X in March 2001 for "Java 2" support). Before
running this option, you may wish to read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details. On Windows, the Java-plug-in seems to be the best option right now, for use in both major browsers.
Adds scoring and record-keeping with remote database via TCP-IP.
- WebCALIS version 1.38 (updated March 2001) Requires JRE 1.2/JDK1.2 or newer
to be installed locally. Works in Netscape 6 in MS Windows, if Java option was installed. Will not work in Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 5 without Java plug-in.
See above for new v.1.38 features.
- WebCALIS version 1.37 (updated January 2001) using Java Plug-in on MS Windows, Linux, and Solaris (Mac users must wait for OS X in early 2001). Before
running this option, you may wish to read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details. On Windows, the Java-plug-in seems to be the best option right now, for use in both major browsers.
Adds answer markup with SpellMarking(tm); also extensive keyboard processing, with both remapped characters for various languages (e.g., Russian, Greek);
and the ability to add accents with the "overstrike key" F2 (e.g., n + F2 + tilde ~ produces ñ).
- WebCALIS version 1.37 (updated January 2001) Requires JRE 1.2/JDK1.2 or newer
to be installed locally. Works in Netscape 6 in MS Windows, if Java option was installed. Will not work in Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 5 without Java plug-in.
See above for new v.1.37 features.
None of the versions in gray below are currently available...
- WebCALIS version 1.36 (April 2000) using Java Plug-in. Before
running this option, please read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details. This seems to be the best option right now, for use in both major browsers.
Adds limited processing of SpellMarking command.
- WebCALIS version 1.36 (April 2000) Requires JRE 1.2/JDK1.2
to be installed locally. Works in Netscape 6 in MS Windows. Will not work in Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 5 without Java plug-in.
See above for features.
- Recent WebCALIS version 1.35 (February 2000) using Java Plug-in. Before
running this option, please read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details. This seems to be the best option right now, for use in both major browsers.
Adds German-Leech keyboard, with remapped characters
- Recent WebCALIS version 1.35 (February 2000) Requires JRE 1.2/JDK1.2
to be installed locally. Works in Netscape 6. Will not work in Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 5 without Java plug-in.
See above for features.
- Older WebCALIS version 1.34 (June 1998), WITH "swingall.jar"
(1.9MB)
Includes support for CALIScript wildcards, JDK 1.1 internationalization with Unicode UCS-2, HTML tutorial windows,
and other enhancements.
Note that this may be slower than the choice directly below, since it downloads the 1.9MB swingall.jar file every
time you launch WebCALIS. First-timers or one-timers: choose this one.
- Older WebCALIS version 1.34 (June 1998)
Works with most browsers. Includes support for CALIScript wildcards, JDK 1.1 internationalization with Unicode UCS-2, HTML tutorial windows,
and other enhancements.
This version of WebCALIS v.1.34 requires the JFC/Swingset library file "swingall.jar" (1.9MB) You can
get it here. Or, as an easy introduction to
WebCALIS, you can run WebCALIS v. 1.34 from the link above, which will download the "swingall.jar" for
you.
NOTE: Since this version requires support for the Java Development Kit 1.1 and Sun's Java Foundation Classes
("Swing"), it will only run as an applet with browsers which support these. Currently this includes:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or above
- Netscape Communicator 4.03 or above, with the JDK
1.1 patch installed. With Netscape and the Bitstream Cyberbit Unicode font (Windows platform) installed, you
can now display most of the world's character sets within WebCALIS windows. Note that only the "Preview"
version of Netscape 4.05 has the necessary Java support.
- Older WebCALIS version 1.34 using Java Plug-in. Before
running this option, please read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details.
None of the versions in gray below are currently available...
- Much older WebCALIS Version: 1.29 (May 1998)
Includes support for CALIScript wildcards, JDK 1.1 internationalization with Unicode UCS-2, including the full
Unicode character set within the student Answer Box
NOTE: Since this version uses the Java Development Kit 1.1, it will run as an applet
with browsers which support it. Currently this includes:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or above
- Netscape Communicator 4.03 or above, with the latest (11/26/97) JDK
1.1 patch installed. With Netscape and the Bitstream Cyberbit Unicode font (Windows platform) installed, you
can now display most of the world's character sets within WebCALIS windows. Note that only the "Preview"
version of Netscape 4.05 has the necessary Java support.
- Much older WebCALIS version: 1.28 (December 1997)
Includes support for CALIScript wildcards, JDK 1.1 internationalization with Unicode UCS-2 in WebCALIS windows,
buit not in Answer Box.
NOTE: Since this version requires support for the Java Development Kit 1.1, it will only run as an applet
with browsers which support JDK 1.1. Currently this includes:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or above
- Netscape Communicator 4.03 or above, with the latest (11/26/97) JDK
1.1 patch installed. With Netscape and Arial Unicode MS or Bitstream Cyberbit Unicode font (Windows platform)
installed, you can now display most of the world's character sets within WebCALIS windows.
- Java UniEdit applet (July 1998).
This version of Java UniEdit requires the JFC/Swingset library file "swingall.jar" (1.9MB).
- Java UniEdit applet (July 1998), WITH "swingall.jar"
(1.9MB)
You can use this Java Unicode editor to view existing WebCALIS exercises in all languages.
- Java UniEdit applet 1.00 using Java Plug-in. Before running
this option, please read our Sun Java Plug-in Information Page for installation
and configuration details.
(See our Java
UniEdit Page for more information.)
To display all non-Latin characters in Windows using your Unicode-compliant fonts, be sure to
get our customized font.properties
file. In Windows right-click and choose "Save Target As..." Make sure the file is saved with the
name "font.properties" -- put quotes around it to ensure that Internet Explorer does not append ".txt" to the name. Save
the file in the "lib" directory of the Java 2 Runtime Environment on your local machine (by default, this would
currently be something like "C:\Program Files\Javasoft\JRE\1.4\lib") or the "jre\lib" directory of the Java 2 SDK, replacing the "font.properties" file that is there (make a backup first). Note: this is an extension to the U.S./Western
Europe version of "font.properties." For information on how to modify versions for other locales, please consult
Sun's documentation about the font.properties file.
The font.properties file assumes that you have a Unicode-compliant font already installed in your operating system, which contains the glyphs to display the language you are interested in. The most comprehensive font currently published is
Microsoft's "Arial Unicode MS". This font is included with all versions of the Microsoft
Office 2000 Service Release 1 (SR-1) CD.
For more general Unicode font information, see also the Unicode Consortium fonts page.
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