Notes supports the following types of URLs:

• HTTP -- Hypertext Transfer Protocol is a protocol used on the Web to transfer information between Web browsers and servers. An example of an HTTP URL is http://www.ibm.com/.
• HTTPS -- HTTPS is a security-enhanced version of Hypertext Transfer Protocol used on Internet servers that use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). An example of an HTTPS URL is https://www.chase.net.
• FTP -- File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a common protocol that allows downloading files on the Internet. Many Internet servers provide access to their files through FTP. As you browse the Web, you may encounter an FTP URL on a Web page. When you click that URL, the Web Navigator displays an FTP directory. Navigate through the directory and download files to the Web Navigator application by clicking the files you want. Once a file is in the application, you can save it or copy it anywhere. You can open a specific FTP page by entering its URL in the Open URL dialog box. An example of an FTP URL is ftp://ftp.cert.org/.
• Gopher -- Gopher is a popular interface to information on the Internet. As you see Gopher URLs on Web pages, you can click them to display the menu structure of a Gopher page. You can open a specific Gopher page by entering its URL in the Address box on the toolbar. An example of a Gopher URL is gopher://dewey.lib.ncsu.edu/11/library/reference/guides.
• Mailto -- A mailto URL opens an e-mail application (such as Notes mail) and enables the user to send e-mail to the person specified in the link; for example, mailto:user@lotus.com. When you click a mailto URL in Notes, a new memo opens with the recipient's address conveniently entered in the To: field.
• News -- Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) is used to read Usenet discussion groups. An example of a news URL is News:alt.test. This opens your Internet News (NNTP) account and the newsgroup alt.test. (If Notes displays more than one NNTP account when you select View > Advanced > Accounts in your Contacts, Notes opens the newsgroup associated with the account that appears first alphabetically.)
• Notes URL -- Notes URLs (for example, notes://servername/applicationName?OpenApplication) can be used to access any Notes application, view, agent, form, or document. You normally access Notes items by clicking an application link, view link, or document link that was created using the Edit > Copy As > linktype Link command, but Notes URLs can also be used to let you access these things. In addition, Notes URLs can be used outside of Notes. For example, if your company does not use Notes mail but uses Notes applications, you could include a Notes URL in an e-mail that, when clicked by the reader, would start the Notes client on the reader's system and open a Notes application. For more information about Notes URLs, see the topic "NotesURL property" in IBM Lotus Designer Help.

See Also

To turn URLs into hotspots
Opening Web pages

Glossary