NCSA Mosaic: A Tool for Presenting Hypertext/Multimedia Documents Over the Internet

The National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA) in Urbana-Champaigne has developed an exciting new application called NCSA Mosaic. Mosaic is a client program which communicates over the network with various information servers.

The most important features of NCSA Mosaic are:

1. Multi-protocol support. Mosaic merges all of the major network-based information retrieval protocols into a single graphical user interface:
   • ftp
   • Gopher
   • WWW (HTTP)
   • WAIS (stateless version of Z39.50)
   • telnet
   • Usenet news
   • Others

   By default, Mosaic starts itself as a World Wide Web (WWW) client. World Wide Web is a network-distributed multimedia/hypertext system invented by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in Geneva.

2. Multimedia support. The World Wide Web formatting system, html (Hypertext Markup Language) permits the easy intermixing of text, images, and audio and full-motion video clips. It is possible to cause a WWW information server to launch a locally developed application which appears to be tied into the other services offered by a WWW browser such as Mosaic, and to compose customized html documents on demand.

3. Cross-platform support. Initially developed for use with the MIT-developed X windowing system on UNIX computers, this application is now also available for PCs running Windows and for the Macintosh. (Note; there are numerous clients for different platforms for each of the communications protocols listed earlier; Mosaic is the first system to merge this into a single software tool).

4. Forms Support. Currently available only under the X windows version, this feature allows the publisher to create customized graphical forms. Potantial applications include remote registration for services, database search front-ends, and the creation of simple graphical user interfaces for arbitrary remote and local programs.

5. Image Mapping Support. Images can be segmented into subsections, such that clicking over a subsection takes the viewer to another document. For example, a publisher can offer a visitor's guide in the form of a map, and the viewer can obtained detailed information about specific locations on the map by clicking the mouse while the cursor is positioned over the appropriate location on the map.