Figure 1 - ISP provides access services and ftp hosting services
Part A - Beehive Ftp Overview (including SendFile.NET)
Part C- Beehive Ftp Forms User
Appendix A - Beehive html Forms
Appendix B - Preparing Ftp forms for web distribution
Appendix C - Beehive for Macintosh Release Notes
Part A - Beehive file transfer system overview
1 Overview of Desktop ftp clients and ftp manager
Beehive ftp forms is a drag and drop ftp client that permits html forms to be completed off-line and batch uploaded, along with attached files, to an ftp server somewhere on the net. The Beehive ftp forms application works as part of a system that also includes 1) any standards compliant ftp server and 2)the Beehive ftp manager. All Beehive connections are TCP/IP and may be made through PPP or a dedicated Internet IPconnection. Beehive's ftp manager application enables a wide variety of client-server configurations - allowing ftp servers to be local or remote to the final file transfer destination. The Beehive ftp manager automatically moves the received Beehive folders and forms to the destination folder location of the administrator's choice, prints the received form as a notification and generates e-mail recipts.
Beehive ftp forms is equally suitable for environments where a 3rd party Internet Service Provider (ISP) is providing Internet access services and hosting the ftp server or where a company is using it's own Intranet for ftp hosting. Beehive also uses a simple 1-2-3 receive operation :
Figure 1 - ISP provides access services and ftp hosting services
The diagram above shows remote Client Connections using the Beehive ftp forms desktop client or the Beehive SendFile.NET browser client. The diagram also shows a remote Printer Connection using the Beehive ftp Manager to poll an ISP hosted ftp server for files to download.
Figure 2 - Company provides ftp host services
The diagram also shows a configuration where the ftp server is local to the final destination (Printing Facility) and the Beehive ftp Manager is local to the server. This is also the configuration when the customer is running the Beehive File Transfer Appliance. When using the Beehive File Transfer appliance, the ftp manager runs directly on the server as a Linux application.
Setting up a Beehive Desktop system has four components:
1) the administrator must create the Beehive "send" directory on the ftp server and ensure that there is a userID and password that gives read/write access to this directory;
2) the administrator installs the Beehive ftp manager and creates the secure key for access to the ftp site using the read/write UserID and password. Beehive ftp forms uses a "secure key" system that hides the path and log-in information for the ftp site so that many users may send to the same directory without visibility into other people's transactions.
3) the administrator creates the customized client installers with custom form, splash screen, site key and serial number (see appendix B). The administrator will usually create one or more custom html forms for inclusion with the client, prior to distributing the client software. (see appendix A). The administrator may also change the client "splash" screen using ResEdit.
4) the Beehive ftp forms client application is installed at the user's location along with the secure key and any custom forms. Once the Beehive ftp forms client self extracting archive is decompressed, the user must run the Beehive ftp forms application and enter his user information before he may start to send jobs.
Once everything is configured, jobs may be sent using the Beehive ftp forms 1-2-3 procedures:
Jobs may also be retrieved using a 1-2-3 procedure:
Auto-Updating of Client Software
All Beehive clients - Macintosh, Windows and Browser, support an auto-updating protocol, that enables them to obtain the latest forms, splash screens, site keys and even application code when they first start-up. Before the client sends files, the application goes out and looks at the update server for changes and makes the new changes available to the user.
2 Overview of Sendfile.NET Browser Client
The Beehive file transfer system also includes the Sendfile.NET browser client. This client is setup for Beehive customers as part of the standard turnkey installation. SendFile.NET is a file transfer portal which works in conjunction with the Beehive file transfer system to provide both browser-based ftp services but also to manage all clients in the Beehive system. SendFile.NET is universal - anybody with an e-mail address and a browser can use it, without downloading software to their computer desktop! The Sendfile.NET client may send to a standard Beehive ftp manager location or to an end user's e-mail address. The diagram at the bottom of this page shows how SendFile can send to any user with an e-mail address. The diagram on page 4 shows how SendFile jobs alternatively may be serviced by a Beehive ftp manager.
www.SendFile.NET is the URL link to special set of Internet servers that enable reliable, secure, high speed file sending and receiving operations. Each Beehive/Sendfile account is given a unique 32 character account code which is added to the SendFile URL to ensure that the proper forms, site keys and logos are loaded into the client's browser along with the JAVA Applet, from our central server.
Each Beehive/SendFile sponsor account, i.e. the printer or prepress company that has purchased the subscription also receives a special URL that loads an administrative page. From this page the administrator may change forms, ftp keys and logos which will automatically propagated to all clients in their network - both Beehive desktop clients and SendFile browser clients.
Beehive/SendFile.NET File Transfer - By the Numbers:
The SendFile client may be launched by either clicking on the appropriate URL from a web page (see the "How to Send us files page" setup, or it may be launched by people dropping files or folders onto the Beehive "Fileprep" desktop icon. Either way, the SendFile portal will load the ftp Java applet, support html and the custom forms, keys and logo into the customer's browser. The standard SendFile window has buttons for Send Files, Inbox, Outbox and User Information. The default form and destination will appear in the content window and any files and folders dropped onto FilePrep will appear in the attachments window.
Sample SendFile page :
This page is using an e-mail recipient addressing scheme. Alternatively, addressing may be fixed to a specific Beehive ftp manager site.
The user merely fills out the form and clicks on the "Send Now" button at the bottom of the form when they are completed filling out the form and attaching files. A file transfer status window will open and show them the progress of their transfer.
SendFile jobs are handled in the Beehive system just like the desktop client jobs. The html form and the attachments are loaded into a Beehive job folder and the sender's receive the same e-mail notifications.
3 Beehive/SendFile Turnkey Setup
When a customer orders a Beehive turnkey subscription, Beehive Engineers set up almost everything! All the printing or prepress site does is add the "How to Send us Files" page to your web site. Your customers go to this special web page and download or link the ftp client they wish to use to send you files.
The SendFile.NET browser-based JAVA applet does not require an application to downloaded. Your custom account is assigned it's own 32 character extension to the SendFile URL and that unique URL is embedded in 2 locations in the "How to Send us Files" web page. One of the links is for new users, who are prompted to enter their user information, the other link is for existing users who are ready to begin to send you files.
The Beehive engineers also create a custom Macintosh ftp forms client and add it here. We add your logo, custom form and encrypted site key. When a customer clicks on the Mac client link, the application is automatically downloaded, decompressed and installed by their browser. The .sea.bin extension of the installer file tells the browser how to handle and install the application.
We create a self installing Windows archive, .exe file, for your custom Windows ftp client and add the link here. The Windows ftp forms .exe installer automatically installs the application and places the Beehive ftp forms drag and drop icon on the customer's desktop.
The Beehive engineers also place your logo/splash image on this page to complete the customization. Because this page is just html, you are free to copy it and change it in any way you choose.
The following is a simple outline of what Beehive engineers do to setup your site:
1) they send you a simple customization questionnaire which requests the following three items:
2) After the customer clients are made, the SendFile account is setup and the "How to Send us Files" page is made, the engineers mail the customer 2 emails:
1 Macintosh System Requirements for ftp manager
The Beehive ftp manager, Mac Version, is designed to run in a polling, non-dedicated mode; many sites run it on the same machine as their AppleShare server.
Note: Since the Beehive ftp manager is not running continuously, it should have a minimal impact on your AppleShare server.
The host Macintosh should meet these minimum system requirements for the Beehive ftp manager:
2 Administrator's Installation Procedures
2.1 Setting up the ftp server and determining the connection parameters
The administrator must first tell the Beehive ftp manager about the connection parameters to the ftp server. These parameters include: the valid Internet name of the ftp server (or the machine TCP/IP address), the path to the destination directory on the server, the ftp UserID and the ftp password.
Probably the simplest setup for most sites is to allocate a subdirectory on your existing web site for your ftp path. This works at most sites because web servers almost always have an ftp server on them (be sure to confirm this with your ISP or network administrator). For instance, if your web files are located on a directory called "/pub/myco" then create a new directory called "/pub/myco/jobsin". The name of the directory is arbitrary but be sure to enter whatever name you choose correctly into the site setups described later (remember that ftp is case sensitive).
Important FTP Configuration Warning - Be sure to confirm with your ISP or TCP/IP network administrator that you have been allocated sufficient disk space in your ftp path to accommodate inbound files. You must plan to have enough space to handle 3-5 of your largest received jobs at the same time. For instance, if the largest jobs you receive are 15Mb then you should have 50Mb of ftp disk space. After the Beehive ftp manager has handled an incoming job, you have the option of having it delete the job folder from the ftp directory. This parameter is especially important in configurations where the ftp server is housed at an ISP and you are billed based on the amount of disk storage allocated to your account.
2.2 Beehive ftp manager installation
Downloading using the URLs
Use the URLs emailed to you to download the ftp manager self extracting archive.
The ftp manager URL is linked to an .sea.bin file which when downloaded will automatically call Stuffit expander to decode and decompress. If this doesn't happen automatically, double click on the "ftpmgr.sea.bin" archive directly onto Stuffit Expander and it should be decoded and decompressed. You should have a Beehive ftp manager folder with the following contents:
Figure 4 - The Beehive ftp manager folder contents
2.3 Configuring the Beehive ftp manager
2.3.1 FTP site connection and compression setup
Once the Beehive ftp manager software has been installed you must launch it and configure it. Configuration includes selecting a destination folder for the downloaded files, selecting the polling schedule, and turning printing on or off. It also includes configuring the connection setup between the ftp manager and the ftp server and optionally generating a secure key. First, open the ftp manager connection setup by selecting FTP-Manager/Connection Setup from the menu bar.
Figure 5 - Selecting the Connection Setup from the FTP-Manager menu
This will open the FTP Site Info window:
Figure 6 - Creating a new ftp site setup
Enter the appropriate ftp parameters and determine if you want the connection to be active or passive mode. This window is where you may optionally turn compression on.
Most errors can be detected by the test and an appropriate message should be returned if the connection failed.
When you have entered your ftp connection parameters, you may test them by clicking the "Test" button. The ftp manager will start a session and displays the file transfer window:
Figure 7 - File Transfer Window during FTP Connection test
If the connection is OK then the Connection test will return a listing of the directory on the ftp server:
Figure 8 - Successful FTP Connection test
Figure 9 - FTP Connection test failure
After the FTP connection has been successfully tested, press the "Make FTP Key" and select a name and folder destination for the key file.
NOTE: Once you have configured a successful ftp site configuration, you may want to encrypt it and save it as a secure key especially if you are going to have a large number of people sending into the same site and path. By saving the site information as a secure key, you will allow your users to all share the same "send" directory in a completely private way (nobody knows where the jobs are physically going, nor do they know the userID and password).
First you will be prompted with the Should this key be secure" dialog, which will allow you to encrypt the key:
Be sure to name the file something logical so your users will know where they are sending their job. After the key has been saved, be sure to distribute it with your Beehive ftp forms client by inserting it into the "ftpforms.sea" file (see Appendix B).
Figure 10 - Saving a secure FTP Key File
In some Internet configurations, most notably, those with an Internet Firewall installed, you may have to name an Internet proxy for the connection. On both Mac and windows the proxy can be entered as a name (proxy.thebeehive.com) or in dotted decimal format (128.10.200.18).
Beehive, like most other Macintosh Internet programs open up the Proxy page of "Internet Config" when the "Proxy Settings" is selected.
Figure - 11 Opening the Proxy Setting window of Internet Config from the FTP-Manager Menu
Figure - 12 Firewall and Proxy settings in Internet Config
The "Internet Config" program was designed to make your life easier by reducing the number of times which you need to enter your Internet preferences into the various preferences dialogs of all your Internet applications.
The only relevant fields in that window for Beehive ftp manager are the "Use FTP Proxy" checkbox, determining whether a proxy is to be used, and the edit field right next to it for the name/IP address of the proxy.
The ftp proxy username/password/account are not used by beehive, because this information is already given in the site list in beehive. Those fields don't really make sense because this information is different for every site anyway.
Note: any domains entered in the "No Proxy For" text box are also honored by Beehive ftp programs. If a connection is made to one of those domains, the ftp proxy is not used, even if the "use ftp proxy" checkbox is checked. (Sometimes people may not want to use the proxy for certain domains, i.e. local domains.)
"proxy.thebeehive.com:100" or "proxy.thebeehive.com 100"
Be sure to consult with your network administrator to determine if a proxy is being used. ISP based configurations rarely use a proxy.
2.3.4 E-mail Preferences for Receipts
Beehive ftp manager also uses "Internet Config" to edit preferences related to e-mail. You can edit these preferences by selecting "SMTP Settings" from the FTP-Manager menu.
Figure 13 - Opening the SMTP Setting window of Internet Config from the FTP-Manager Menu
These E-mail parameters are required by the Beehive ftp manager in order to send receipts by e-mail.
NOTE ON CUSTOM RECEIPTS: As of version 2.4.2, the Beehive ftp manager may use a custom message of your choosing for the text body of the receipt sent to clients. If you desire a custom receipt, create a text file called "receipt.txt" containing the receipt message that you want customers to receive. Put this text file into the Beehive ftp manager folder. If this file exists, Beehive will substitute it for the standard Beehive receipt message. All receipts, standard and custom contain a time and date stamp based on the completion of the Beehive ftp manager's processing of the job in question.
The default port that beehive uses for the FTP proxy is 80. This is the port that is most commonly used for proxies. In case the proxy is on a port other than port 80, the user can add a colon or a space after the server name/IP address and then enter the port number; for example, if the proxy is on port 100, the user can type:
Figure 14 - Configuring the SMTP Setting window of Internet Config.
These standard e-mail preferences include:
2.3.5 Beehive ftp manager "polling and processing" configurations
Now select FTP-Manager/Configure from the menu bar to finish configuring the Beehive ftp manager:
Figure 15 - Selecting the Configure window
This will open the configuration window:
Figure 16 - FTP Manager Configuration window
NOTE : The ftp manager has the ability to route files differently based upon the name of the destination ftp site. For example, you may Add a site name called "JohnsJobs". Then select the newly created JohnsJobs item from the destination list and then browse to select it's destination folder. You would transfer files to this folder location when the "To:" field is set to "JohnsJobs" in the Beehive ftp forms client. When multiple folder destinations are set up, the administrator must ensure that the site key name created in the ftp site window matches the Destination Address Name created in the FTP Manager Configuration. If there is no match for the contents of the To: field on an inbound ftp form - it is sent to the default address.
2.3.6 Executing AppleScripts from Beehive ftp manager
Some sites may have a post-processing requirement that cannot be handled by the standard set of operations in Beehive ftp manager. In many cases, these external tasks can be accomplished with a simple AppleScript. Scripts can be written to write forms transactions to a database or to convert file formats or to perform housekeeping tasks. Any AppleScript that is selected to be executed by Beehive ftp forms, will be executed at the end of each ftp manager "polling and processing" cycle - after all other operations are executed and before the ftp manager returns to the "Idle" state.
To select an AppleScript for execution by Beehive, select "Execute Script" from the FTP-Manager menu item.
Figure 17 - Selecting "Execute Script"" configuration from the menu bar
This will open the "Execute Script" window:
Figure 18 - Executing an AppleScript at the end of a session
Click the enabling checkbox and then use the "Browse" button to select the AppleScript file that you want to execute. When the file is selected, it will be displayed in the Window. Click OK to save your changes.
2.3.7 File Mapping Using Internet Config
The File Mappings window lets you view and edit the table that is used to set the Macintosh file type and creator of incoming files based on their extension.
If the Macintosh version of FTP manager downloads a file that has been sent with a Windows client, it does not know which file type and creator code to give to that file. This is what file mappings are used for. In that case, the FTP manager will look at the file's extension, and map the corresponding Macintosh file type/creator code to it so the file will receive the correct icon. On the Mac, the way these file mappings are made is determined by the File mappings window of Internet Config, which pops open when File Mappings is selected in Beehive.
Figure 19 - Opening the File Mappings window of Internet Config from the FTP-Manager Menu
In this window there is a list of extensions and their corresponding Macintosh file types and creator codes.
Figure 20 - The Internet Config File Mappings Window File Mapping Using Internet Config
If you don't understand this window, don't worry, the Internet Config developers have set up appropriate defaults.
For complete description of "Open FTP Site" button see section 2.4.
2.4 Starting Beehive ftp manager
Once you have configured the ftp manager, you may start it by selecting "Transfer Files" from the FTP-Manager menu.
Figure 21 - Starting the ftp manager
You will see the Ftp Manager Status Window appear. Between polling periods, the ftp manager console is idle.
Figure 22 - Beehive ftp manager console (idle).
When the time for the next session arrives, the ftp manager will change it's status to busy and begin to download the files.
Figure 23 -The ftp manager downloading a file
The file transfer gauge will show the percentage of the file transferred as well as the file name in the activity log.
The information in the activity log is also written to file if you selected logging in the configuration window. When the transfer is over, the ftp manager status will return to idle.
2.5 Beehive ftp manager listing and Queue Management
Starting with the version 2.6 release of Beehive ftp manager are the new ftp queue management features. This is especially important in environments that are using an ISP to house the ftp server.
When the ftp manager is running, it displays it's Status Window. Also in Version 2.6, administrators can open a listing of the jobs in the ftp queue by simply clicking on the "Open FTP Site" button.
This will open the ftp site listing, showing all of the jobs ready to be processed by the ftp manager.
Figure 24 - FTP Site Content Window - this is identical to the ftp site test button.
The administrator may further explore the contents of each job by double clicking on any of the folders to see their contents. To navigate back up the directory structure the user may double-click on the "parent" folder.
Figure 25 -Navigating FTP Site Contents by double-clicking.
Also, starting in version 2.6, the admin may also drag files and folders directly out of the listing.
The ftp site content window allows the administrator 2 main processing functions:
To delete a file or folder, just highlight it (or multiples by shift-clicking) and then press the "Delete" button.
Figure 26 -Delete Dialog Box.
To move a job up to the top of the queue and begin to immediately process it, select it and then press the "Process Jobs Now" button.
3 Ftp Manager Help and Troubleshooting
The following hints are provided to help you solve any problems that you might experience in the setup and operation of your Beehive ftp manager.
Standard Setup Test: To test the connection, just single click on the test button (in the ftp site setup window) after you have configured your ftp connection setup. If the ftp connection is successful, you will see a dialog box that says connection OK. If an error occurs, then you must fix the connection parameters, i.e. ensure that the ftp name or TCP/IP address of the server is right, the correct ftp path is listed, and the login user ID and password values are correct. Then try the "test" button again.
Error Description: When you click on the "Test" button in the FTP site setup window and you get a connection error message.
Solution: this means that one of the ftp parameters for your ftp site is not properly configured. Check with your admin for the correct Internet name of the ftp server (or TCP/IP address), path, UserID and Password. Also remember that ftp is case sensitive.
The "unable to connect to ftp server" error usually means that either the TCP/IP connection to the Internet is faulty or the "server name" (usually the site domain name or the TCP/IP address of ftp server) is incorrect.
When the "Command: MKD XXXXXX.com" fails, it means that the userID and password does not provide write access, i.e. the Beehive ftp forms client cannot create the directory for the job on the destination ftp server. Beehive ftp forms will typically not work with anonymous ftp rights because this typically only provides read and retrieve privileges.
The "FTP log on error" is obvious, check that you have the ftp connection parameters entered correctly, especially the UserID and password.
Problem : A job has been sent to the ftp server but the ftp manager never processes it.
Solution : It is possible that the ftp site information for the ftp manager does not match the ftp site where the files are being sent.
Problem : A job has been sent to the ftp server but the ftp manager never send the e-mail receipt.
Solution : Ensure that the SMTP server is correctly configured under the ftp manager menu item. Also ensure that the "return receipts" checkbox is enabled in the ftp manager configuration window.
Problem : A job has been sent to the Beehive ftp manager but the ftp manager never prints the form.
Solution : First ensure that a copy of the Beehive Forms viewer resides on the same computer as the Beehive ftp manager and that a printer has been chosen on the ftp manager computer. If this has been done, then you should be able to manually print from the forms viewer after double-clicking on the form.
If the form prints from the viewer then ensure that the "Print Messages" checkbox is selected in the Configure window and that the computer is running MacOS system 7.5 or later and supports Apple Events.
Error Description: The Beehive ftp manager program displays a -192 error when you attempt to launch it.
Solution: This error is displayed when PPC code it launched on a 68K (030/040) machine. Install the 68K version of Beehive ftp manager.
NOTE: When testing the Beehive ftp manager, you do not have to wait for the polling schedule, you can force a session by selecting "Transfer Files" from the FTP-Manager menu.
If any other problem occurs, contact your system administrator or call Beehive Software Technical Support at 360-738-6863.
Part C - Beehive ftp forms user
1 Overview and System Requirements
Beehive ftp forms is a file transfer application that permits html forms, prepared offline, to be uploaded to any Internet (or Intranet) ftp server. The Beehive ftp forms application uses any PPP, or network TCP/IP connection to make its connection to the ftp server. The TCP/IP connection must be setup and tested prior to installing Beehive ftp forms. If you have any questions about this requirement consult your ISP or network administrator.
Beehive ftp forms is installed by decompressing the "ftpforms.sea.bin" installer. After the installer is decompressed the user must enter information about his name, company and address in the user information window. He is now ready to Drag and Drop folders onto the Beehive ftp forms icon.
Beehive ftp forms V3.0 System Requirements:
Old Mac Systems Information:
2 Beehive Client Installation and Setup
2.1 Downloading Beehive from the "How to send us Files" Page
After downloading the Beehive binary encoded, self-extracting archive your browser should create a folder with the following contents:
Figure 27 - Folder Contents after installing Beehive ftp forms
Note: Sometimes a browser may not be correctly configured to automatically use Stuffit to decode and decompress a file with the extension .sea.bin. If your download did not automatically decode and unstuff, just drop the ftpforms.sea.bin file onto Stuffit Expander.
The Beehive user must enter user Information into the User Information Window so your messages will automatically carry information about who you are. You must also license the software by entering a valid license serial number.
The User Setup window will pop open on startup if it is not filled out. It will also pop open if the user tries to prepare a new message without having filled in his user information first, and in this case the User Setup window is accompanied by a little warning message that says that the user has to fill in his information before he can send a message.
Technically, the program only checks for the name in the User Setup. If it is blank, the User Setup window will keep popping open until the user enters at least his name and serial number.
To access the User Setup Window to edit the user fields, Select "User Setup" from the "File menu".
Figure 28 - Opening the User Setup Window
You will be presented with the User Setup window; any information entered here will be entered into the "From" field on all forms you send and will be auto-filled into the user fields in the html forms if the administrators has configured the forms for "Auto-fill".
Figure 29 - The Beehive ftp forms User Setup window
The fields in the User Info window are obvious, just fill out the appropriate values for your Name, Company, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone, Fax and e-mail. It is important to include the company name because the ftp manager uses the Company name to name the folder that is created on the server when the job is received. It is also important to fill out the e-mail address correctly because the Beehive ftp manager will use this address for sending receipts (confirming successfully transmitted jobs).
Use a tab to move from field to field in the User Setup window.
Licensing the Software with a Serial Number
The bottom of the User Setup window has a field called "Serial#". This is where you must enter the license number provided with your diskette or verbally by your administrator. If Beehive ftp forms is run without a valid license number, it will not transfer the files to the ftp server when the connection is made.
If you are operating Beehive under the site license of your prepress or printing vendor, the license number may already be entered. If the site license file - "serial.txt" was present in the Beehive ftp forms folder when the Beehive ftp forms application is first launched, the license number will be automatically loaded and it will appear in the user information window.
When you are done, you may save your changes by clicking "OK".
Clicking "Cancel" closes the window without saving your changes.
2.3 Setting up the connection to the ftp server
After Beehive ftp forms has been installed, you must tell ftp forms how to connect to the server. Select ftp site from the ftp item in the menubar.
Figure 30 - Opening the ftp site list window
This will open the FTP Site List window.
Figure 31 - The ftp site list
If the administrator has preconfigured the installer with one or more ftp sites, they should be listed in the window. If the sites are "secure" they will have a red "Stop hand" icon and will only display the Name (the Server, Path, UserID and Password info is encrypted). If the site is "open" then all of the site parameters will be displayed.
You may select a default send site by highlighting a name in the site window and then clicking on the "Default Send Site" button. The default site will be chosen as the destination for all forms unless the user changes the "To: field in the forms window when they are preparing a form.
Adding an ftp site
Your administrator will usually preconfigure Beehive ftp forms with a secure site key as the default send site but you may also want to add some other "non-secure" destinations for other ftp workflows that you may need.
Figure 32 - Adding an ftp site
To add a site to the list:
In some Internet configurations, most notably, those with an Internet Firewall installed, you may have to name an Internet proxy for the connection. On both Mac and windows the proxy can be entered as a name (proxy.thebeehive.com) or in dotted decimal format (128.10.200.18).
Figure 33 - Opening the Proxies page of Internet Config
Beehive, like most other Macintosh Internet programs open up the Proxy page of "Internet Config" when the "Proxy Settings" is selected.
Figure 34- FTP parameters in Firewalls and Proxies Window of Internet Config
The only relevant fields in that window are the "Use FTP Proxy" checkbox, determining whether a proxy is to be used, and the edit field right next to it for the name/IP address of the proxy.
The ftp proxy username/password/account are not used by beehive, because this information is already given in the site list in beehive. Those fields don't really make sense because this information is different for every site anyway.
Note: any domains entered in the "No Proxy For" text box are also honored by Beehive ftp programs. If a connection is made to one of those domains, the ftp proxy is not used, even if the "use ftp proxy" checkbox is checked. (Sometimes people may not want to use the proxy for certain domains, i.e. local domains.)
The default port that beehive uses for the FTP proxy is 80. This is the port that is most commonly used for proxies. In case the proxy is on a port other than port 80, the user can add a colon or a space after the server name/IP address and then enter the port number; for example, if the proxy is on port 100, the user can type:
"proxy.thebeehive.com:100" or "proxy.thebeehive.com 100"
Be sure to consult with your network administrator to determine if a proxy is being used. ISP based configurations rarely use a proxy.
3.1 Launching the program and selecting forms
Beehive ftp forms may be launched one of two ways: either by dragging files or folders onto the Beehive ftp forms icon or by double-clicking on the icon.
Dragging and Dropping with a Default form selected
In many environments, the Beehive ftp forms sender is using the same form over and over. In cases like this, it is efficient to select a default form for auto-selection whenever files or folders are dragged and dropped onto the Beehive ftp forms icon.
If Beehive ftp forms has a default form selected - when you drag files or folders onto the Beehive ftp forms icon, the program will open directly to the default form window with the default ftp site name in the "To:" field and the dragged and dropped folders listed as attachments. Just fill out the form and click "send" to complete the transfer.
Dragging and Dropping in multiple form environments
In some multiple forms environments, the Beehive ftp forms sender needs to make a choice of which form he needs to use after he has dragged files onto the Beehive ftp forms icon. Beehive ftp forms has an "Ask User" option that will prompt the user for which form to use after they have dragged a folder onto the icon.
Figure 35 - The "Ask User" Startup Form Window
To select a default form:
NOTE: Any html form template that is loaded into the forms template folder of the Beehive ftp forms folder will be available for selection in the popup list.
Alternatively - To enable the "Ask User" forms selection function:
Figure 36 - The Beehive FTP Forms Window (Image may vary due to customization)
After the user selects the form from the "Startup Form" window that pops open - Beehive ftp forms will open directly to the selected form window with the default ftp site name in the "To:" field and the dragged and dropped folders listed as attachments. Just fill out the form and click "send" to complete the transfer.
The Beehive FTP Forms window also has an "Auto Quit after send" checkbox that will automatically quit the application when it is done sending files.
Double-clicking to Launch the program
If you double-click on the Beehive ftp forms icon, then the application will open and display the "Beehive FTP Forms" Window. To proceed into off-line form preparation, select a form from the popup button and then click on "Open Form" - the selected form window will open with the default ftp site selected as the destination in the "To:" field and with no files attached.
Selecting Forms from the Menu bar
You may also launch forms by selecting "New " from the "Forms" menu. If multiple forms are available they will be listed in a hierarchical list.
Figure 37 - Selecting Forms from the Message Menu
After the form has been selected, either from the menu, or by default during drag and drop, or by selection from the popup list of the welcome window.. the Beehive form window will open and display the selected form in a scrollable panel.
Figure 38 - A new form window in Beehive ftp forms. Any displayed form may be printed by clicking on the "Print" button.
Attaching Files to your Beehive ftp forms job may be accomplished two ways:
Figure 39 - Attach Files Dialog for Beehive ftp forms
To remove an unwanted file(s) from your attachment list, just highlight the file and then select the "Remove Files" button on the bottom of the form window.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Starting in version 3.0, Beehive ftp forms desktop user may also drag and drop files and folders directly into the attachment list.
Once you have filled out a new message form and attached the files, you may immediately send the job if you choose. Just click on the "Send now" button. The job will be moved into the "FTP Outbox" and then immediately sent to the ftp site destination chosen with the "To" button on the form.
Once the job starts sending, the file transfer window will be displayed.
Figure 40 - File transfer window
After the job is completed sending, the icon in the "FTP Outbox" window will change from an open envelope to a closed envelope.
Selecting Destination Addresses
Prior to sending, you may select destination addresses (other than the default) by selecting from the list in the "To:" field popup.
Figure 41 - Changing the ftp destination site
Version 3.0 offers an alternative e-mail addressing scheme if the administrator has included the "recipient-email" field in the form:
Enter E-mail Address of Recipient : <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="recipient-email" SIZE="41">
If this field is available and the user fills it out with a valid e-mail address for a recipient, then the job will be stored into the ftp server and the intended recipient will be notified with an e-mail, containing a URL in it, to link him into Sendfile.NET where he can pick up the file. See the SendFile diagram in the Overview section for more information on using this feature.
Figure 42 - Typical recipient-email field implementation
Holding a Form
You may prepare several jobs and hold them until you are done preparing them all, and then send them all together. After you have finished preparing each job, just click on the "Send later" button. A copy of the job will be held in the FTP outbox (it will have an open envelope icon until it is successfully sent).
3.4 Working with the FTP Outbox Window
The "FTP Outbox" window displays all jobs both unsent and sent. It allows you to accomplish 2 basic operations: 1) to select unsent jobs and send them and 2) to review previously sent jobs and copy them for reuse.
To open the FTP Outbox window select "FTP Outbox" from the FTP menu item:
Figure 43 - Opening the ftp outbox window
To select any message just click on the item in the list; it will display the form and the message header info.
Figure 44 - The ftp Outbox Window
Once you have selected and displayed a message, you may:
When you are done with the FTP Outbox window select Close.
3.5 Receiving and Sending Files with the FTP Site List
Beehive has the capacity to behave like a traditional ftp client; this is done using the Site List. The FTP Site List window displays all of the ftp sites for which you have access. This listing can be displayed by selecting the "FTP Site List" menu item from the FTP menu.
Figure 45 - Selecting the FTP Site List
This will open the FTP Site List Window:
Figure 46 - The FTP Site List Window
You may either add or edit listings; in either case, the FTP Connection Setup window is opened - where you enter all of the ftp parameters necessary for accessing a ftp server: server name (or TCP/IP address), directory path, UserID and Password. The name you enter into the "Site Name" field will appear in the Beehive ftp forms client in the drop down address list when you open a form.
Figure 47- Editing Site List Parameters
The FTP Connection Window has a "Test" button which logs into the FTP server and confirms that the access parameters are correct. Once you have confirmed that a Site Listing is valid, you may save it by pressing "OK". "Cancel" will quit the FTP Connection Window without saving.
From the site list, you can open any of the non-secure sites merely by double-clicking on their name in the site list. The client will immediately make a connection to the server and open a listing of the directory/path defined in the FTP Connection Setup Window.
Figure 48 - FTP Site Listing
You can navigate through the directories in the usual fashion, namely by double clicking on a directory, or by using the keyboard to highlight a directory and pressing the enter key. The operation of this window is consistent with other Internet programs.
The directory list has full drag and drop functionality. Select an item from the list, or shift-select multiple items, and then drag them anywhere in the finder to download them to that location. This works for files and folders. Dragging items to the trash will delete them. A confirmation message will be displayed. Also, files or folders can be dragged from the Finder into the FTP Site Content window, to upload those items in the current directory.
File Transfer Options
The "Use MacBinary", "Auto", "Text" and "Binary" controls specify the mode in which files will be transferred to and from the FTP site. Normally, the user will not have to deal with this. He can just maintain the default settings, and all the files sent to the FTP site will be MacBinary encoded so the resource forks won't be lost, and on download, all MacBinary files will be decoded so they will get their resources back on the local machine. The only time the user really has to deal with this is when the FTP site is also accessed by "non-Beehive" clients that do not handle MacBinary files. The controls have slightly different meanings for upload and download.
Upload
If the "Use MacBinary" button is checked, any file that is uploaded from the local machine to the FTP server will be MacBinary encoded. In that case, "Transfer mode for non-MacBinary files" does not apply, and the radio buttons in that group are ignored.
If the "Use MacBinary" button is NOT checked, the files being uploaded will not be encoded. The resource fork is stripped from these files, and resources
are lost. The application then checks the file mappings to determine the windows extension corresponding to the file's Macintosh file type and creator code. If the file name does not already have this extension, Beehive adds the extension to the file name on the FTP server. For example, if somebody tries to upload a Beehive Form Template named "Form", Beehive will rename the file to "Form.bft" on the FTP server so the file can also be accessed by windows clients. Then, Beehive checks the settings of the three radio buttons in the "Transfer mode for non-MacBinary files" group to determine whether to transfer the file as a text file or a binary file. Normally, "Auto" will be selected. In that case, Beehive again looks at the file mappings and determines the appropriate transfer type from there, so the user won't have to deal with it. In some cases the user may select "Text" or "Binary" to force the file to be sent in that mode.
Download
If the "Use MacBinary" button is checked, Beehive determines if the file on the FTP site is a MacBinary file, in which case, Beehive will decode the file as it downloads it, and all resources will be restored on the local machine, and again the three radio buttons will be ignored. This is the default behavior.
If the file on the FTP site is NOT a MacBinary file, or if the "Use MacBinary" button is NOT checked, the file will not be decoded as it is downloaded. In that case, Beehive will look at the File Mappings to obtain the Macintosh file type and creator code that corresponds to the windows extension of the file's name on the FTP site. For example, if the user tries to download a file named "Form.bft", and it is not a MacBinary file, beehive will associate this file with the Beehive Forms Viewer on the local machine, and it will receive the appropriate icon. Then, Beehive looks at the settings of the three radio buttons in the "Transfer mode for non-MacBinary files" group to determine whether to transfer the file as a text file or a binary file. If "Auto" is selected, Beehive looks at the file mappings and determines the appropriate transfer type from there, so the user won't have to deal with it. In some cases the user may again select "Text" or "Binary" to force the file to be downloaded in that mode.
3.6 Using the Beehive Client in Auto-Send Mode
Starting in version 2.7, Beehive offers an Auto-Send mode that allows users to continually poll a location for new files and then automatically send them to the default ftp destination. To enable this feature select the "Auto-Send Config" item from the "FTP" menu.
Figure 49 - Auto-Send Config menu item
The Auto-Send Config window will open:
Figure 50 - Auto-Send Config window
Click on the Enable Auto-Send on startup checkbox to turn this feature ON.
Click on the "periodically poll files from folder" checkbox and then "Browse" for the folder to monitor (poll).
Next select the polling period, e.g. every 60 minutes.
And finally, determine if you want to delete the files from the polling folder or if you want to save them by moving them to a separate "sent" folder which Beehive will create.
Starting in version 3.0, Beehive desktop clients may be automatically have their forms, ftp site keys, logo/splash screens and even the executable version upgraded from the corresponding central SendFile administration account. To enable this feature select the "Update Settings" item from the "FTP" menu.
Figure 51 - Update Settings menu item
The Update settings window will open:
Figure 52 - Update Settings window
Enter the IP address of the update host, if you are using the Beehive SendFile system, keep the default.
Using the radio button list select your update option:
Beehive ftp forms has an online help function which opens the manual in .pdf format from within the program. You need to have Acrobat or some other .pdf viewer to access this help.
When the .pdf help file opens, it will have an index of topics on the left side - just click on the appropriate topic and Acrobat will go to the page.
Beehive ftp forms was designed to eliminate a number of typical ftp file transfer problems experienced by users. If a problem occurs, it usually means that something is improperly configured in the ftp site setup. To test the connection, just launch Beehive ftp forms and open the FTP site window from the FTP menu. Select the site you want to test by highlighting it in the list. Now select "Edit site", this will open a window which contains a "Test" button that can check if the connection is properly setup. If the connection is OK a dialog box will return a "No error" message. If an error dialog occurs, then you must fix the site setup, then save and test again:
Before you can configure this setup you must get the following parameters from your firewall administrator:
Procedure for Configuration:
In Shorthand:
If any other problem occurs contact your system administrator or call Beehive Software Technical Support at 360-738-6863.