Womcat Bookmarks Installation

Copyright (C) 2003 Philip Dorrell
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If you are upgrading from an earlier version, then follow the Upgrade Instructions below.

Installation Steps

• Download and install the JRE, version 1.4 or later, from http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/download.html. (If you already have JDK 1.4, then probably you have already installed the JRE.)
• Download the latest Womcat Bookmarks application from here. The application comes as a executable .jar file.
• Run the installer file (for example in Windows by double-clicking on it). Note that the JRE has to be installed before executable jar files can be executed.
• If necessary, change the desired installation directory. In the following examples it will be assumed that the installation directory is C:\womcat-bookmarks
• Press the "Install" button to start the installation. If the chosen installation directory does not already exist, you will be asked to confirm creation of that directory. If there are already files in the installation directory, you will be asked to confirm that you wish to proceed with a new installation which may overwrite existing files. (See note below.)
• cd to the directory C:\womcat-bookmarks\application (or navigate to it in Windows Explorer).
• Run the executable jar CreateWomcatBookmarksDatabase.jar (in Windows by double clicking on it).
• Click the "Create Womcat Bookmarks Database" button, and wait for it to finish, and then exit.

• Save your current data by doing the following:
  • Start the application.
  • Once it is running, from the window titled "Womcat Bookmarks: RUNNING", click the "Create Data Dump" button.
  • Confirm the save dialog. (The default file name and location should be OK, unless you wish not to overwrite an existing version of the file.)
  • Close the application window.
• As in the installation steps above, download the installer and run it.
• Run the executable jar CreateWomcatBookmarksDatabase.jar
• Click the "Create Womcat Bookmarks Database" button, and wait for it to finish.
• When that has finished, click the "Reload from Data Dump" button, and choose the file you previously saved the dump to.
• Exit the create database window.

The dump format is designed to robustly encode information so that Womcat Bookmarks can be upgraded from any version (2.2 or later) to any future version while preserving all user data that is still relevant.

Currently saved data includes:

• Configuration data
• Subscriptions
• Your own recommendations and referrals
• List of URL's marked as visited

Currently not saved are:

• Information from downloaded files
• Subjects specified in subscriptions (as this feature will be dropped in favour of creating separate RSS files for individual subjects).

Versions 2.2 & 2.2.1 contained a bug where "my_recommendation_of_URL_has_REVIEW" was written instead of "my_recommendation_of_URL_has_TITLE", effectively losing the title information (but not the reviews). You may have to hand-edit the dump file accordingly, or use the "Reload Database from RSS file" function to correct the recommendation titles (i.e. generate the RSS file with correct titles, perform upgrade (with wrong titles), then reload database from RSS file, to correctly reinstate the titles.

Or otherwise you will have to re-enter the titles manually.

This bug is fixed in 2.2.2.

OutOfMemory errors

You may get an out of memory error when saving a dump. The long term solution to this is for the program to be more memory efficient, but the short term solution is to add a memory option e.g. "-Xms256m" (for Windows) when running the application. This option has to be added to the command line. For example (in Windows):

• Create a shortcut for WomcatBookmarksServer.jar.
• Use right-click menu to edit Properties.
• In the "Target" field, insert "javaw -Xms256m -jar". If "javaw.exe" is not in your "path", then you will need to find its explicit location.
• Save the change.
• Execute the application from the short cut.

How to find the location of javaw.exe (in Windows)

• In Windows Explorer, select "Tools" then "Folder Options ...".
• Click the "File Types" tab.
• In the "Registered File Types" list find "JAR Executable Jar File"
• Click the "Advanced" button.
• Select the "open" action.
• Click "Edit".

You can actually insert the memory option here, but it will then apply to all Java applications, which may or may not be a good idea ...

Yet another way to alter global Java settings is via Control Panel:

• Open "Java Plug-in"
• Choose the "Advanced" tab.
• Insert the option into the "Java Runtime Parameters" field.
• Press "Apply" to save the option.