VDN WebViewer
How it works ?
Fully "voice-operable" via the chat/IM channel or using the build-in graphic buttons, the VDN WebViewer allows you to :
- display web pages on screen
- display current URL in address bar
- scroll, zoom and navigate inside pages
- enter full or short URLs
- save bookmarks
- browse in prev & next viewed pages (history)
- open any link to browse entire site contents
- fill simple forms (as search forms)
- display vids as QT-compatible format viewer or mp4 as Youtube viewer
- show pictures, animations, slideshows, Smil files...
- listen to music/tunes (i.e. mp3)
- send mails from within SL
- help to a better accessibility of websites with the suppression of "CSS sheets" (colors, images, sizes, decoration, ...) and with increasing or decreasing text sizes functions.
Pre-coded commands
A lot of 26 (for alphabetical reasons) pre-built codes allows you to interact and drive VDN WebViewer browser with "easy-to-remember" commands, from a to z ; [ND] in "status" column means that the funtion is not yet under developpment
| Code | Function | Example | Explanations | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a/ | Any website homepage | a/ | No attributes for this code. Just type-enter "a/" to display the homepage of the site you're consulting. Just like clicking a "Homepage" link. | |
| b/ | Bookmarked pages | b/ | No attributes for this code. Just type-enter "b/" to display your personal list of bookmarked websites. | |
| c/ | Create tabs | c/ | In project. Just like in modern web browsers this function will allow a "multi-pages" consultation. Explanations when implemented. | [ND] |
| d/ | Delete tabs | d/ | In project. See above. Explanations when implemented. | [ND] |
| e/ | Email us | e/your message | A special tool for contacting us at our email address from within SL. (...or a free letter for further other dev ?) | |
| f/ | Fonts (play with sizes...) | f/120 | This accessibility tool allows you to increase/decrease font sizes when page is displayed without CSS (see n/ below). Font sizes are fixed by default to 100% : so f/150 puts texts to 150% et f/80 to 80% of default value. Entering f/100 is unusefull except for re-displaying fonts in their original (default) sizes. | |
| g/ | Graphic version | g/ | No attributes for this code. Just type-enter "g/" to display the page in its original graphic version (see n/ below). | |
| h/ | Horiz. and vertical scroll | h/+ or h/- | Same function than the build-in buttons for scrolling one. More explanations when implemented. | [ND] |
| i/ | Images | i/mypicture | If your fav images are bookmarked just use "i/keyword" to display them on screen : photos, animated gifs, slideshows, Smil files.... Else enter their complete URL (http address). | |
| j/ | Javascript | j/... | In project. Don't exactly know what to do with, nor what is possible or not... To see later. (or another free letter) | [ND] |
| k/ | TeKnogeeK zone | k/... | In project. Probably here something about/around hi-tech CMS experimental solutions using mobiles and SL ? | [ND] |
| l/ | Links on the webpage | l/keyword | To "click" a link, just "say" one or more words included in the complete link. For example, the link Open this article : "l/open", "l/this" or "l/article" will produce exactly the same results. But if link #1 is Open this article and link #2 Read this article, "l/article" will open the link #1 and "l/read" the link #2. Understand why ? First word founded in first position always win. Little prob with accents (to be soon resolved) : because encoding, saying "l/actualités" ("news" in french) doesn't yet work. Please type "l/actualit". | |
| m/ | Mail function | m/name@dom.com/your message | Send messages on any email address from within SL. First, type mail address (tested : in case of failure the mail won't be sent) then / then your message. Warning : your avatar name will be sent with mail, you're not anonymous... | |
| n/ | No CSS, No design | n/ | No attributes for this code. Just type-enter "n/" to display the current page in its "flow" version : without pictures, without colors, without anims, without decoration. Only pure text for increased accessibility of contents. To be used with the f/ code (font size function). | |
| o/ | Owner functions and tools | o/tool (...a tribute to Peter lol) | Tools for owner of the viewer. Explanations when implemented. | [ND] |
| p/ | viewed Pages | p/prev2 | You can enter "prev" or "next" as attribute of the p/ code. Using "prev" or "next" without other spec means "one page" back or forward. For several pages in a one-shot command, use "p/prev4" to go 4 pages back, or "p/next2" to go 2 pages forward. Nice isn't it ? | |
| q/ | Quit app. | q/ | No attributes for this code. Just type-enter "q/" to quit the current content - if usefull... for example to hide it because uninvited visitors ? | |
| r/ | Request | r/my keywords | For example typing "r/my street, city..." will open your location in Google Maps (as shown on the vid#1) ; as shown too, typing "r/secondlife" in Google will open the results page concerning SL. | |
| s/ | Save as bookmark | s/x+myfavpage | To save/bookmark a web content as favorite just type : - s/ - the code required later (i.e. "x" for a web page to bookmark...) - + (will be later automatically changed in slash by script) - the short keyword you need to link with that page's address. Usefull, no ? As soon the bookmark is saved, your personnal page 'My bookmarks" automatically appears on screen for confimation. |
|
| t/ | Tunes & music | t/mytune2 | If your fav tune is bookmarked just use "t/keyword" to listen to the music. Else enter complete URL you've copied from a website, i.e. "t/http://www.my-fav-music.com/the-singer/title-of-the-song.mp3". And it plays. | |
| u/ | User allowed | u/Your Name | Allows any listed user to use the viewer. Warning : case sensitive... so enter your names very carefully (and make sure the owner did too...). Entering your name open authorizations script. Once "logged" you'll can use the viewer as you want. | [ND] |
| v/ | Videos in QT-compatible formats | v/my-vid | Just works as t/tunes command. For mp4 from Youtube, use "y/" (see below). | |
| w/ | Webpage access by URL | w/www.my-website.com | Open any web page with its complete or short address (URL) : "w/www.mywebsite.com" works as well as the complete one "w/http://www.mywebsite.com". Even "w/mywebsite.com" or "w/mywebsite" may sometimes work... | |
| x/ | X (bookmarked webpages) | x/google | No X-stars here :-) but everything personal's : open any of your bookmarked web page with "s/" function. "x/vdn" open this website homepage. | |
| y/ | Youtube videos | y/my-Y-vid | For technical reasons Flash videos as displayed in Youtube cannot be displayed on SL. But since May'08 you can now access to mp4 resources of each Youtube vid (see Torley Linden tutorial on Youtube). Copy-paste the mp4 access link, bookmark it or not, and show your fav vids InWorld. Coooool :-) | |
| z/ | Zoom contents | z/+ or z/- | Same function than the build-in buttons for zooming. More explanations when implemented. | [ND] |
Technologies
Each "voice-like" shortcut command through IM/chat send an HTTPrequest to a PHP server. Depending the code (from a/ to z/) the PHP-regex scripts prepare the contents to return InWorld to LSL scripts through LidenLabs servers for final display, using a simple XML file. This solution presents a lot of hidden interests : for example the recent news (July'08) from China about censored access to internet for people during the Olympic Games may be inoperating : the detected request is on LindenLabs servers, not on URL of required web pages :-) Is'nt the real meanings of "accessibility", "interoperability" and "contents convergence" ?
To-do List
As work in "permanent progress" VDN WebViewer isn't for sale for the moment. Only here for the demo. Got a lot of stuff before deciding how to distribute it : free or not, for friends or NGO only ? Don't know. Free for our customers for sure.
Next developpments and stuff to be done, as listed above in functions table with [ND] status or not :
- adding sound (or differents sounds ?) on actions
- language versions (FR and EN for now)
- dev. owner/users pages : choose params, sending-objects tool (vids, sounds, pixs...), personal pages... [o/ u/]
- filling complex forms (like inscriptions) with r/ function
- increase tool's accessibility
- migration to open-source grids (Francogrid on Opensim first)
- multi-users gestion (owner only / guest-list / everybody) with o/owner-gestion
- Javascript operating tools (if possible, I don't know...) [j/]
- create and delete tabs for a "multi-pages" display [c/ d/]
- display the little site icon (favicon.ico) in address bar
- and so on... ;-)
Demo vids online on Youtube
Videos to show the VDN WebViewer functions in action :
1. "Browse web pages contents" using "old" (p/ r/ s/ u/ w/ z/) functions : VDN WebViewer Browser for SecondLife #1 [Youtube | 5'55"]
2. "Browse web multimedia contents" using "old" (t/ v/ x/ y/) functions VDN WebViewer Browser for SecondLife #2 [Youtube | 2'01"]
3. "Browse using tools" using buil-in buttons functions : zoom, scroll and interoperate with contents VDN WebViewer Browser for SecondLife #3 [Youtube | 3'03"]
4. "Delete the graphic layer" (displaying text only) and increase/decrease fonts sizes... for a better accessibility VDN WebViewer Browser for SecondLife #4 [Youtube | 1'06"]
They're talking about...
Some links about VDN WebViewer :
1. Avatar Watch! [in japanese]
2. Sec.Ondlife [in japanese-english]
3. e-Alsace [in french]
4. Live Journal [in english]
Others "similars" SL interactive browsers online
Some other projects found on Youtube recently :
- Collaborative Browsing in SL from Malcom Crowe, Sloodle project [posted July 08, 2008]
- Daden Navigator from Daden Limited [posted July 15, 2008]
3 projects (with our) in 3 weeks... guess we're now a lot working on such a project.
Seems to be a kind of "modern Graal", no ?
Unfortunately (or fortunately ?) VDN WebViewer is today the only one with full-browsing functions : zoom, scroll, "jump" history navigation pages, mix web and multimedia contents, ans so on... With the next developpment of announced new functionalities, we'll get for sure un internet d'avance ("an internet in advance"...) as said on the top of the page. But saying it is not enough : we've to prove it everyday.
