Gopher Client
(ver 2.0)
Freeware


Gopher Client is a standalone Gopher browser. Gopher Client works 
on Windows 98, ME, 2k, XP, and Vista.  It needs .NET 2.0 or newer.

The home page is "http://sites.google.com/site/matjaz85/gopherclient".

Version 2 enhancements include Gopher+ (multiple views, multiple languages 
and Gopherpup graphical (RTF) menus. I also improved the mechanism that 
connects to Gopher servers so that it should now try harder to get data 
from the server and not give up so quickly. 

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Supported Features:
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Gopher Client fully supports Gopher protocol (the original) as well as 
Gopher+ and some minor extension that got developed by some other gopher 
clients in the past. Most notably the extension of "Gopherpup" client that 
supported graphical menus - gopher menus with embedded rich text format page. 
It was an attempt to add hyperlinking and images to the gopher menus. That 
kind of menus is now very rare - in fact I couldn't find *any* server 
supporting it.

Other standard Gopher+ features are also implemented. Gopher+ makes it 
possible to publish a document on a server in multiple formats (e.g. 
MS Word + plain text + PDF) - this is called multiple views. User can directly 
select the view of his choice and set up the preferred views in the client. 
Same goes for the language. Document on the server can be in multiple languages 
(e.g. user manual of some sort could be available in English and German). In 
the Client, the user can set-up the order of preferred languages and the 
Client will use this list if possible.

Another notable feature are so called ASK forms. These are electronic forms 
that the user can fill out and send the results back to the server - not much 
different than forms in html.

I also added my own extension - md5 checksum verification - if the checksum 
is returned by the server. This extension should provide a simple and efficient 
way to verify the integrity of the downloaded files. Currently no server 
actually supports this extension but the server that I am currently working on.

It Also Supports:

                + saving menus to file
                + printing menus
                + download of any menu item
                + viewing text menu items
                + printing text menu items
                + saving text menu items
                + CSO searches (phonebook)
                + Gopher searches (e.g. Veronica)
                + automatically starts telnet session if you choose telnet item
                + you can set your home server (address, selector and port)
                + settings are stored in a xml file instead of Windows registry
                + easy installation and removal of the program
                + Gopher+ ask forms
                + Gopher+ multiview



The Future:
-----------

I still have some ideas that I would like to implement. For example menu items 
of different colors (each item type would have its own color), "Favicon" - 
similar to what web-browsers have, favourites, built-in search box (like the 
one in Firefox or Explorer), internal image viewer, Gopher+ support ...

Already implemented

As far as Gopher protocol goes, the Gopher Client support will not change 
dramatically any more. New development will be oriented to make the user 
interface better.