Re: distinguishing browser types

Brian Gaines (gaines@fsd.cpsc.ucalgary.ca)
Sat, 22 Apr 1995 13:28:58 +0500

> Which leads me to another question. Are there any browsers out there that
> actually set the Accept fields based on the helper applications? I know
> Netscape doesn't. It makes it rather difficult to determine what formats
> can be sent to a browser.
>

This is a frustrating problem for content negotiation. It would be very
useful if clients send servers the registered helper MIME types.

We have a server for concept maps that will send the identical map either
as a data structure for our helper tool or as a GIF clickable map.

The functionality is the same in both cases, except that the helper supports
editing and the clickable map does not.

The system was designed to be such that the Accept field determined what
was sent, but currently the effective use of this field does not seem to
be supported by clients.

b.

Brian Gaines Knowledge Science Institute, University of Calgary
gaines@cpsc.ucalgary.ca Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
http://ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/KSI
tel: 403-220-5901 fax: 403-284-4707