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+ Start Here   
+ Background   
+ Common Midas Concepts   
+ Getting Started - Part 1   
+ Getting Started - Part 2   
- Working with Files   
   - File Basics   
   + The AUX List   
   + Basic File Commands   
   + Lab 1   
   - File Names   
      - Name and AUX   
      - Name and Path   
      - Package Syntax (nxm.)   
      - URLs   
      - Advanced   
   + File Types   
   + Lab 2   
   + Listing Files   
   + Lab 3   
   + Plotting Files   
   + Lab 4   
+ Option Trees   
+ Macros - Part 1 (Basics)   
+ Macros - Part 2 (Graphics)   
+ NetBeans - Part 1 (Setup)   
+ NetBeans - Part 2 (GUIs)   
+ NetBeans - Part 3 (Profiler)   
+ Eclipse - Part 1 (Setup)   
+ Eclipse - Part 2 (GUIs)   
+ Primitives   
+ WebStart   
+ Maps & Imagery   
+ X-Midas Interoperability   
+ RMIF & Remoting   
+ Installing NeXtMidas   
+ Support & Maintenance   
+ File Handlers   
  • Accessing Files Using a URL:
    • Files may be accessed by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) 
      original: nM> plot http://nextmidas.com/nm/nxm/sys/dat/apenny.prm (currently unavailable)
alternative: nM> plot /opt/midas/nxmlatest/nm/nxm/sys/dat/apenny.prm
(where /opt/midas/nxmlatest is a softlink to your local nxm installation)
      
<Plots the apenny.prm file off of a web server>
    • URLs are a WWW standard and as such are a very portable way to access files.
    • Requires that a web server is running on the remote system.
    • Warning: It is usually not a good idea to include a URL directory on your read AUX list.
      • If a URL directory is on the read AUX NeXtMidas will try to search it whenever looking for files.
      • Searching for files via a URL is usually problematic since it requires special configuration on the web server.
      • Searching for files via a URL can be slow compared to searching local directories.
    • Note: A few slides back it was pointed out that Blue files can be specified without an extension. This is where it causes major problems.
      • Requires multiple transactions with the web server to handle the fact that the file extension could be either .prm or .tmp.
      • It is very common for resources on servers to point to Perl scripts that may or may not have a file name extension.
Don't Make This Mistake:
Do not expect to find files in AUXes defined as URLs. The corresponding web server needs special configuration in order for this to work right.

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