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Web Site Extractor - Download files onto your hard drive

General settings

         Before running the program it is advisable to adjust the general settings.
         To do this, launch the program and choose Default Options.

The first thing to do is decide which directory (new path) you will use to save project files and the path to the directory for saving files copied (downloaded) from the Internet.
 

 Download files - this option is used to download files onto your hard drive.  

Unless this option is highlighted the system will only download a list of scanned hyperlinks into a special file.
 

 Proxy Server  
Enter the proxy server properties (if you use a proxy server).

Then choose any other options you would like to use in downloading and searching for hyperlinks.
 

 Let's take a look at the various options available.

Follow new links / URL

Follow new links / URL - to follow hyperlinks automatically - this option allows you to automatically extract other websites linked to the one you are scanning.

                    Copy subdirectory structure from website - to copy the structure of a subdirectory from the website you wish to download. If this option is highlighted your hard drive will be able to create directories like the ones on the website you are downloading.

                    Extract local link - to search for local hyperlinks.
This option allows you to search for local links on the website you are scanning, i.e.     links that refer to other documents on the website.
Stay within initial domain list.  
A very convenient option that allows you to extract (not download) hyperlinks (websites) not included in the original list of addresses. Here you should decide whether you need to download other websites referred to from one you are downloading. Using this option you will only download the files you order. In this case the sites linked to the one you are investigating will also be downloaded.

For example, you only need to download a list of (URL) addresses

www.internet-soft.com
www.softwarea.com
…

and you don't need to download other domains linked to the original list of domains (e.g. internet-soft.com)
 

 Links level limit  
Links level limit - number of downloading levels - shows the number of steps involved in the hyperlinks.

An example will help to illustrate this option. Let's assume there is a hyperlink from one site to another. There is a link from the second link to the third, etc.

As you can see, a number of hyperlinks must be followed to get from one site to another. This option gives you the greatest possible number of hyperlink steps. Each step enables you to make some hyperlinks with a number of other websites. So if you have selected only one level, you will only be able to copy the websites (let's call them XI websites) to which there is a link on the website you are downloading (scanning), and not the sites with hyperlinks from XI websites.

The following chart shows how the links level limit works.


 

 Number of connections
                    In this item you enter the number of simultaneous connections. As a rule 3 - 10 connections are made. The optimal number of connections will depend on the number of lines you have and the connection speed of your provider. Save results automatically To save your results automatically every N of minutes. This option shows how frequently your interim search results are to be saved. Time out for one connection This option gives the maximum amount of time in seconds during which each document (one connection) is downloaded.

At the end of this time the program starts downloading the next document.
 

 Number of retries The number of attempts made to download each document.

This option shows the number of attempts to download the same file if the provider connection or website link is broken off. The program will make as many attempts to download as you specify.
 

 Swap URL count The number of temporary addresses added to the list of tasks (tree of downloadable addresses). Does not visit twice already scanned site This option allows you not to scan the addresses which have already been searched previously. Apply domainname.com = www.domainname.com In some sites the hyperlinks to other sites contain no original www symbols and when the same documents are downloaded they may be inscribed twice in different directories. This option is designed to deal with this anomaly in Internet sites. If you highlight this option INTERNET-SOFT.COM and WWW.INTERNET-SOFT.COM will be treated as synonymous addresses. The address is automatically prefixed as www in this type of search. Expand the nodes parents to make the node visible This convenience option is intended to graphically represent the tree of websites scanned. In this way the option shows the current branches of the site being downloaded and enables the program to graphically depict the locations where sites are downloaded. Identify browser as This option shows how the program will be identified when the website is downloaded by a remote server.

For example, when you download a page using Internet Explorer 5.0, the remote server performs this operations and writes the contents of the server as a protocol. The Extractor program does the same thing when you visit a website.

We would like to draw your attention to the following:

Since the worldwide web contains a huge number of pages great data processing power may be needed as well as a large amount of disk space on your computer to download links and websites. A few hours of work by the program may take up many gigabytes on your hard disk.
 
 

 File Type Filter: Limiting the types and sizes of files
  You can use this option to specify the types of files you want to download and limit their size.
This is important, for example, when you only want to download text documents without banners, pictures or archive files.
In this case, check the option beside html, htm, txt and shtml, etc. files.

You can use these menu options to limit the size of files to be downloaded. If you have selected "Load all file sizes", files of all sizes will be downloaded. Otherwise you will only get the sizes (specified in bytes) you have selected.


 

 URL / Domain Filter: Limitations by names of directories, domain names and files.  
You can make limitations by entering certain words in domains. Let's say you're downloading files only from www.offline-browser.com. You would only enter offline-browser as the filter word.

The filter can be used separately:
  • to adjust the word content in a domain name;
  • to expand the domain;
  • to adjust the contents of a certain word in a directory name;
  • to modify any given word in the file name.
    •
The filter can be used to include and exclude. If you have entered words into the exclude filter, this means that if the URL contains any of these words, the corresponding files will not be downloaded. If you opt for the include filter, this means that only the names containing the properties specified in the word filter will be downloaded. Domains: Limitations by domain type.  
This option enables you to make limitations by type and country of the domain. To do this click on the requested domain type.

This is all you have to do for the main program settings.

When you exit the menu window you save by default the data you have entered and you can proceed to download websites.

Now we can start a project. The default properties you have entered will automatically be called up when you start a new project. These properties can be altered and saved for a later time for each separate project.

The term "project" therefore refers to the total number of options that define which site and properties are to be downloaded.
  • Introduction
  • How the program works
  • Creating a New Project
  • Downloading a website
  • Online / Offline Preview
  • Additional requirements
  • Interface setting

    • Screenshots