Java Glossary : Opera

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A small fast browser that can run Java via the Java Plug-in using standard <APPLET tags. The latest version is Opera 7.35. It comes with the Java 1.4.1 plug-in built in as its native Java. It will happily work with the lastest Java 1.4.2_04 plug-in as well. This is the browser I use most.

Opera is a fast light browser. Opera handles CSS style sheets better than the competition, though it still has bugs, e.g. in the .before:content tag. If your browser does CSS correctly you should see a strawberry to the left of this paragraph, and a raspberry to the left of the following one. One of the nicest features of Opera is the fast file download. It gets on with the download in the background even before you have finished typing the file name. It has a zoom so you can magnify or demagnify a page. I use it for everything except filling in forms on other people's websites.

However, Opera's JavaScript stinks. Filling in forms often fails. Its printing is not nearly as good as IE's. Gator does not work with it.

The biggest bug, which has gone unfixed for many versions, is you cannot run Applets locally, only from the web. Beta version 7.5 fixes it.

Configuring

To configure fonts, you must click File | Preferences | Toolbars | Fonts and Colours. Uncheck "use system standard" and select your fonts for both active and inactive default text. This is for the menus and buttons. It does not affect document presentation, however. Click File | Preferences, | Documents | User fonts and colours. Double click normal and select a font. Continue down selecting default fonts for every kind of HTML element under the sun. Have fun. You could spend days till you get it just the way you like. If things don't work, check that the presentation modes are still set to their defaults. See the Help menu for the proper settings.

You can configure custom skins with View | skin. I particularly like the minimalist skin, or the new Gant skin in 7.5.

Configure Tools | Preferences | programs and paths | source code viewier to your favourite text editor. Then you will have something decent to look at the HTML and to trigger an edit from within Opera.

Toolbars

Opera comes with many optional button panels called toolbars. You can configure which toolbars you want to appear and where using View | Toolbars.

Opera Toolbars
Toolbar	Purpose
Main	Most of your navigation
Status	he Status bar shows useful information when you point your mouse to different items, both in Web pages and in the user interface.
Personal	favourite bookmarks and searches.
Page	Lets you access your open Web pages as tabs. Essential to keep track of multiple Pages open at once.
Address	Where you can enter a URL or search. Displays current URL.
Navigation	Button assisted navigation for sites that support the LINK REV and LINK REL.
Progress	How fast and how complete the various downloads are to render the page.

Panels

Opera comes with many optional displays called panels. If you dig around in them and turn the one on you need you can find everything but your socks. You can configure which panels you want and where you want them to appear using View | Panels.

Opera Panels
Panel	Purpose
Start	Show panel where you can start working with Opera
Bookmarks	Organize bookmarks to your favorite Web sites
Mail	Read, write, and organize e-mail and news
Contacts	Organize your list of contacts
Chat	Join chat rooms on the Internet and talk to people
History	Keep track of all recently visited Web pages
Transfer	Monitor file transfers
Links	View all links in Web page
Windows	Organize all your open pages and application windows
Info	Display technical information about Web sites
Notes	Write to do lists and manage clipboard

Configuring MIME Types

To run Java Web Start, you need to set up an association between MIME type application/x-java-jnlp-file, file extension jnlp, and application C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_04\javaws\javaws.exe.

Opera has a less than complete list of built-in extensions and MIME types. It sometimes does bizarre things like try to render Java source code as if it were HTML or display the contents of a class file on the screen. The basic problem is the chaos on the Internet about MIME types. They are not standardised or consistently used. Some sites mark everything with MIME type text/plain. One tool you have is to try either File | Preferences | File types and tick either determine action by Mime type (for well behaved sites), or determine action by file extension if MIME is type is unreliable (for incompetent sites). Unfortunately, you must toggle it back and forth yourself manually. Opera does not remember which sites are incompetent.

You can add extensions, MIME types and associated applications with Preferences | File Types | new to make it smarter, and you can also experiment with the Preferences | File Types | Trust Server to always return correct file types. Make sure you back up your C:\program files\Opera\opera.ini file where all these MIME/extension configurations are stored both before and after your experiments.

Opera can also run any of the Netscape plug-ins without requiring a separate copy of the plug-in for Opera.

If the Window | Special | Plug-ins shows nothing, check that opera6.ini entry to define the plugins directory says: Plugin Path=C:\Program Files\Opera75\Program\Plugins.

Backup

Make sure you backup your bookmarks. They are stored in C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Opera\Opera75\profile\opera6.adr (or sometimes operadef6.adr) and your settings in C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Opera\Opera75\profile\opera6.ini, or if you installed with a common configuration for all users, in C:\Program Files\Opera75\profile\opera6.adr and your settings in C:\Program Files\Opera75\profile\opera6.ini,

Opera also creates dozens of registry entries. The only practical way to restore them if they are damaged is to reinstall Opera.

When you click BookMarks | Manage Bookmarks sometimes all your bookmarks not in folders will have disappeared. To make them reappear, click in the white space on the left below all the folders.

Use with Java

Opera now automatically works with the latest Java JRE that you installed. It bypasses the Java Plug-In. Generally it is best to get a copy of Opera without Java and install Java separately. It will work no matter which you install first. You can disable or enable Java with File | Quick Preferences. Make sure you have it enabled.

Security permissions are controlled by C:\Program Files\Opera75\classes\Opera.policy. You may find Opera's default permissions differ from the Sun standard, and so some signed Applets may not run without first modifying the file.

Opera's classes live in C:\Program Files\Opera75\classes\Opera.jar.

Forums

Opera offers forums or their website to ask questions and discuss Opera. Some of these forums may also be available via your newsreader.

If you want to test the beta Opera 7.5, you will find out how in the beta test forum. When you switch to the beta version, you will have to import your bookmarks from C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Opera\Opera75\profile\opera6.adr. You will also have to download a new skin that is 7.5 compatible.

Internet Explorer ¤ Java Plug-in ¤ Literary Moose on Opera CSS style sheets ¤ Netscape ¤ Testing Java in your browser

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