CONTROLLED BY THE WEB

This paper provides a brief description of a software tool developed w ithin the TLTP Interact Project which allows application programs, con currently executing within a Unix environment, to be controlled by scr ipts delivered to Mosaic from W3 servers. This tool was developed to a llow the coupling of interactive simulations of scientific and enginee ring phenomena with courseware provided by W3. This software is known as the Interact Communication Facility (ICF). The features of the ICF include: The ability to allow application programs to receive control messages and data from scripts embedded as links within HTML documents . The use of HTML fill-out forms to enter data intended for applicatio n programs. A simple interface to allow programs to control Mosaic, in cluding the automatic execution of Mosaic if it is not currently being used. A means of allowing secure execution of applications from scrip ts. This avoids the security problems associated with allowing Mosaic to interpret arbitrary shell scripts. This paper provides an overview of the ICF together with an example showing the use of Mosaic in conju nction with a simple graphical program.