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This page has nothing to do with Baja California, but is for those visitors who might be having some difficulties in viewing the Baja California Information Pages. Several browser settings which affect the display of the pages are covered. If you are having problems not covered by these topics, send me some email.

Fred Metcalf ( ftm@math.ucr.edu )

Page Contents
Baja California Information Pages
Browser Hints



    Fixed-Width Fonts



These pages make heavy use of both the "proportional" fonts and the "fixed-width" fonts available on most browsers. The proportional fonts are the ones normally used to display page content. The fixed-width fonts are less frequently encountered, and so may tend to be incorrectly adjusted.

On these pages the "fixed-width" fonts are used in making buttons, and in the Contents table on the front page. Because of this usage, it is helpful to have the size set correctly. You want the size of the fixed-width font to be "in sync" with the size of the proportional font. Here are some examples of what your browser shows using these two types of fonts:

Proportionaliiiiiiiiii
mmmmmmmmmm
Fixed-width
iiiiiiiiii
mmmmmmmmmm

The horizontal size shows the meaning of fixed-width - the fattest character (m) is given the same space as the thinnest character (i). For proportional fonts, the fatter characters are assigned more space than the thinner characters.

If the vertical size of the fixed-width font is different than the proportional font, then you're possibly having trouble with the appearance of the buttons and selection menus on these pages. To correct this, change the font size setting for the fixed-width font using the Options or Preferences menu on your browser. The heights should be the same, or at least visually close.

Here's the "M & M" test for heights (the following M's alternate between proportional and fixed-width, as do the m's):

M & M Test
MMMMMMMMMMMM
mmmmmmmmmmmm
If these M's are not all the same height, then the font sizes for proportional and fixed-width are not the same or, possibly, different font families are used for proportional and fixed-width.

On my Navigator I use Lucida (B&H) for the proportional font, and Lucida Typewriter (B&H) for the fixed-width font. Since both are from the same font family, I can then use the same font size for both proportional and fixed-width.

To make font size or font family adjustments in

Netscape Navigator
Versions 2 - 3 use Options/General Preferences/Fonts
Version 4 - Edit/Preferences/Appearance/Fonts






    Font Sizes



The specification for the HTML language used in creating web pages allows seven sizes of font to be displayed. Not all browsers will actually display seven differing sizes. There is not much to be done about this but to be aware that what the page designer wants, and what you see, may be slightly different.

Here is a table showing how the seven sizes display on your browser in both regular and reverse video:

Font Size Test
Size 1Baja California Baja California
Size 2Baja California Baja California
Size 3Baja California Baja California
Size 4Baja California Baja California
Size 5Baja California Baja California
Size 6Baja California Baja California
Size 7Baja California Baja California

If you do not see seven different sizes here, it may be possible to increase (or decrease) the number by changing the font size. Again, some experimentation while the page is displayed might be instructional. The table is displayed in the proportional font.






    Contents Pages



A number of the pages on this site serve as "contents pages" referencing more detailed pages. The normal way to access the detailed pages is to simply click on the link. This brings up the detailed page and removes the contents page.

It is more convenient to keep the contents page in the main browser window, and bring up the detailed page in a separate window. When finished with the detailed page, use your windows mechanism for closing a window and remove this pop-up window. The contents page is right where you left it, and does not have to be reloaded.

This process is easiest in Unix/X-Windows environments with a three-button mouse - just click a link with the middle mouse button. In Microsoft Windows settings which allow only a two-button mouse, use the right mouse button to bring up a menu and select the "Open in a separate window" choice. On a Macintosh, with only one mouse button, there is a way to bring up a similar menu, but I'm not familiar the details.






    JavaScript



JavaScript is a language developed at Netscape for easily including "programs" inside web pages. It has no direct association with the Java language from Sun Microsystems, but offers some of the same functionality. Unfortunately, JavaScript has become a weapon used in the "browser wars," and implementations from vendors other than Netscape may not be complete. Internet Explorer is one example of an incomplete implementation.

On these pages a number of applications of JavaScript are present. If your browser does not implement JavaScript, or has it turned off, you'll not have access to these features. However, none of them are critical to the display of information about Baja California.

Some features will run under the simplest of JavaScript implementations, while others require the latest version of JavaScript. To run even the simplest of these programs, your browser must have JavaScript turned on.

JavaScript On Test
Click here to test for JavaScript

To turn JavaScript on:

Netscape Navigator
Versions 2 - 3 use Options/Network Preferences/Languages/Enable JavaScript
Version 4 - Edit/Preferences/Advanced/Enable JavaScript






    JavaScript Slide Show



The most advanced JavaScript application in these pages is the Slide Show. This is activated by clicking once in the masthead photo, or from the Photos Page. To my knowledge (1998) the only browser which will show this Slide Show is Netscape Navigator (Version 3 or better).

Slide Show Test
 Click here for the Slide Show 

Running the Slide Show requires that JavaScript be turned on and that the correct "helper application" be registered with Navigator. This allows the reading of ". JS" files (JavaScript files). To check

Netscape Navigator
Versions 2 - 3 use Options/General Preferences/Helpers
Version 4 - Edit/Preferences/Navigator/Applications

The correct "MIME type" setting which should be present is:

"JavaScript Program" with

"MIME type" = application/x-javascript

"Suffixes" = js,mocha

and

"Handled by" set to either NETSCAPE or Unknown: Prompt User

(The "NETSCAPE" choice would seem to be the preferred one, but some versions of Navigator allow only the "Unknown: Prompt User" setting.)

To change an existing entry use "Edit". Use "Add" if a new entry is required.

Thanks to Dick Van Bree for making me aware of the importance of having the correct helper application registered. As we discovered in dealing with a Slide Show loading problem he encountered, it's equally important to have the setting correct on the web server end! (An upgrade in servers had resulted in a lost configuration on our math.ucr.edu machine.)




Contents Page: http://math.ucr.edu/ftm/baja.html Copyright 1998-2011 Fred T. Metcalf