HyTelnet
Encyclopedia
History
HyTelnet was an early attempt to create a universal or at least simpler interface for the various TelnetTELNET
Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
-based information resources available before the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. It was first developed in 1990 by Peter Scott, then at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Using a client
Client (computing)
A client is an application or system that accesses a service made available by a server. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network....
written by Earl Fogel, HyTelnet offered its users a primitive terminal
Computer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
-based GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
that allowed them to browse a directory of Telnet-based resources and then access them in a relatively standardized manner. On-line help was available, and there were frequent updates made available to its database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
which sites could download.
HyTelnet's chief inadequacy was that it was not centralized, i.e., every HyTelnet installation used its own separate copy of the master directory. While beneficial early-on, as it ensured no dependence on a central server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
, HyTelnet's user experience
User experience
User experience is the way a person feels about using a product, system or service. User experience highlights the experiential, affective, meaningful and valuable aspects of human-computer interaction and product ownership, but it also includes a person’s perceptions of the practical aspects such...
could vary widely as local installations might not have the same version of the client or might have obsolete information. This became a greater liability as more institutions had reliable, "always-on" Internet access. Finally, when the World Wide Web gained pre-eminence, many of the services that HyTelnet pointed to were gradually retired, increasingly limiting its relevance. HyTelnet's final database update was in 1997.
Interface
This is a typical HyTelnet screen running much as a user would have experienced it, rendered in non-proportional fontTypeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
to simulate a terminal
Computer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
. This is from one of the last releases of the client, which was version 6.9.
Welcome to HYTELNET version 6.9
Original version dated June 11, 1995 with updated database as of June 8, 1997
What is HYTELNET?
Library catalogs
Other resources
Help files for catalogs
Catalog interfaces
Internet Glossary
Telnet tips
Telnet/TN3270 escape keys
Key-stroke commands
.............................................................
Up/Down arrows MOVE Left/Right arrows SELECT ? for HELP anytime
m returns here i searches the index q quits
.............................................................
HYTELNET 6.9 was written by Peter Scott (scott@lights.com)
Northern Lights Internet Solutions, Saskatoon, Sask, Canada
Items in angle brackets < > are selectable, and can be highlighted by using the cursor motion keys. Note the prominent online help option. The right arrow/cursor key selects the highlighted option, or ENTER/RETURN. The left key allows users to back up to an earlier level.
The search option allows a simple search of a central INDEX file. This INDEX file is one-line-per-resource, and is a flat file
Flat file database
A flat file database describes any of various means to encode a database model as a single file .- Overview :...
that the Hytelnet client searches directly. After entering a term, the client returns a new menu with the list of selectable items, for example this query "library":
The user may then select one of these options, or go back with the left arrow. (Note that search results will vary based on the locally installed database.)
After drilling down to a specific resource, HyTelnet will display a connect page. Please note that the hostname
Hostname
A hostname is a label that is assigned to a device connected to a computer network and that is used to identify the device in various forms of electronic communication such as the World Wide Web, e-mail or Usenet...
, IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
and contact address are for example purposes only, and may not necessarily connect to anything functional (although this is a real entry in HyTelnet's last released database).
University of California (MELVYL)
telnet melvyl.ucop.edu or 192.35.222.222
When asked for terminal type, enter VT100 or HELP for other options
Press RETURN when prompted to
To exit, type END
Contact:
preferred address: MELVYL System User Services melvyl@dla.ucop.edu
At this point, the user could select the "telnet" portion and attempt to connect to the remote host over Telnet
TELNET
Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
. Note how instructions for using the resource are given. Additional instructions for general types of library and research systems were also given in HyTelnet, such as this one for INNOPAC, a common library electronic card cataloguing database:
Using INNOPAC
INNOPAC is very easy to use. Just press the letter or number next to the
item that you want. There is no need to press the ENTER or RETURN key
when choosing one of the menu options. For example:
Title searches: To search for a particular title, select T on
the main menu.
Author searches: To search for a particular author, select A on
the main menu.
Subject searches: To search for a particular subject, select S
on the main menu.
Keyword searches: Either "k" or "w" (varies from system to system) as
listed on the menu.
Other search options: Different INNOPAC libraries have added additional
search options, such as Medical Subject Headings,
Call Number, SuDocs numbers, Reserve Lists, etc.
Popular options available when looking at any one record include:
S > Show items with the SAME SUBJECT
Z > Show items nearby on the shelf
The regular updates not only updated the list of resources, but also the help files in addition.
Modern implementations
The HyTelnet client is no longer maintained, but there are several web-based re-creations available.- HYTELNET on the World Wide Web is the official implementation by default, as it is Peter Scott (the original author)'s own work at his Northern Lights Internet site. This is a simple reconstruction of the HyTelnet database, converted into flat HTMLHTMLHyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
files suitable for any Web browserWeb browserA web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
. There is also a simple search facility. - The Floodgap Hytelnet-HTTP Museum Gateway is a variation that attempts to mimic the look and feelLook and feelIn software design, look and feel is a term used in respect of a graphical user interface and comprises aspects of its design, including elements such as colors, shapes, layout, and typefaces , as well as the behavior of dynamic elements such as buttons, boxes, and menus...
of HyTelnet in a web browser, using non-proportional fonts and a similar navigational style (although now point-and-click because it is running in a browser). It enhances the experience slightly with JavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
, although it offers versions for older browsers and an "ultra-classic" view to best simulate the old interface. It also has a simple search facility. Unlike the original HyTelnet, this implementation will attempt to verify remote hosts, and will also present possible Web-based alternatives to their databases.
See also
- TelnetTELNETTelnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
- Gopher protocol