icon for a file type that does
not have an individual icon on your BSCW server). On the Internet, these file
types are identified by so-called MIME types. The info page of a document shows
this more technical looking MIME type.Any file uploaded from your local system is represented in
BSCW as a document. A document may contain text, spreadsheets,
graphics, print files, pictures, sound, video, etc., typically stored in various
proprietary file formats. Each document in BSCW is associated with an according
file type when it is uploaded. This file type is
represented by a specific icon in front of the document name (or by the icon for a file type that does
not have an individual icon on your BSCW server). On the Internet, these file
types are identified by so-called MIME types. The info page of a document shows
this more technical looking MIME type.
BSCW provides specific functions for two kinds of documents.
Plain text and HTML
documents:
Documents of
file type ‘Plain Text’ or ‘HTML Document’ (MIME types text/plain or
text/HTML) may be created and edited directly on the BSCW server
(actions
,
and 
;
see 8.1
Direct editing of
documents).
Zip and Tar archives:
BSCW can create Zip and Tar archives from objects in a folder
(including personal objects like your home folder, clipboard and trash). Such
archives are again BSCW documents (of file type ‘Archive (Zip/Winzip)’ or
‘Archive (Tar)’). BSCW can also extract the files from Zip or Tar archives that
you have uploaded from your local system; the files are put into your clipboard
as BSCW documents and folders (actions
and ;
see 13.1
Archiving and
transferring objects on page 240).
Depending on the file type of a document and on the configuration of your Web browser, several things may happen when you click on the document name in a folder page:
o the Web browser may interpret the underlying file and display it;
o a program on your local computer may be started to display the file;
o a dialog box may come up that lets you store the document as a local file;
o the Web browser may offer a set of options for handling the document.
For several types of documents, BSCW offers a preview (see 3.1.2.1 Opening documents and document preview).