HyTelnet (sometimes rendered ''Hytelnet'' or ''HYTELNET'') was an early attempt to create a universal or at least simpler interface for the various

Telnet Telnet is an application protocol used on the Internet or local area network to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communication facility using a virtual terminal connection. User data is interspersed in-band with Telnet contr ...

-based information resources available before the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web ...

. It was first developed in 1990 by Peter Scott, then at the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Using a

client Client(s) or The Client may refer to: * Client (business) * Client (computing), hardware or software that accesses a remote service on another computer * Customer or client, a recipient of goods or services in return for monetary or other valuabl ...

written by Earl Fogel, HyTelnet offered its users a primitive

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output dev ...

-based

GUI The GUI ( "UI" by itself is still usually pronounced . or ), graphical user interface, is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicator such as primary notation, inste ...

that allowed them to browse a directory of Telnet-based resources and then access them in a relatively standardized manner. On-line help was available, and there were frequent updates made available to its

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases s ...

which sites could download. HyTelnet's chief inadequacy was that it was not centralized, i.e., every HyTelnet installation used its own separate copy of the master directory. While beneficial early-on, as it ensured no dependence on a central

server Server may refer to: Computing *Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called clients Role * Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers and su ...

, HyTelnet's user experience could vary widely as local installations might not have the same version of the client or might have obsolete information. This became a greater liability as more institutions had reliable, "always-on" Internet access. Finally, when the World Wide Web gained pre-eminence, many of the services that HyTelnet pointed to were gradually retired, increasingly limiting its relevance. HyTelnet's final database update was in 1997.

Interface

This is a typical HyTelnet screen running much as a user would have experienced it, rendered in non-proportional font to simulate a

. This is from one of the last releases of the client, which was version 6.9. Welcome to HYTELNET version 6.9 Original version dated June 11, 1995 with updated database as of June 8, 1997 What is HYTELNET? Library catalogs Other resources Help files for catalogs Catalog interfaces Internet Glossary Telnet tips Telnet/TN3270 escape keys Key-stroke commands ............................................................. Up/Down arrows MOVE Left/Right arrows SELECT ? for HELP anytime m returns here i searches the index q quits ............................................................. HYTELNET 6.9 was written by Peter Scott (scott@lights.com) Northern Lights Internet Solutions, Saskatoon, Sask, Canada Items in angle brackets < > are selectable, and can be highlighted by using the cursor motion keys. There is a prominent online help option. The right arrow/cursor key selects the highlighted option, or ENTER/RETURN. The left key allows users to back up to an earlier level. The search option allows a simple search of a central INDEX file. This INDEX file is one-line-per-resource, and is a

flat file A flat-file database is a database stored in a file called a flat file. Records follow a uniform format, and there are no structures for indexing or recognizing relationships between records. The file is simple. A flat file can be a plain ...

that the Hytelnet client searches directly. After entering a term, the client returns a new menu with the list of selectable items, for example this query "library": On-Line Library Catalogs National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodawa) Hungarian National Library Faculty of Agriculture Library - Gembloux Royal Library Albert I (Belgium) National Central Library Taiwan Provincial Library at Taichung Danish National Library of Science and Medicine Royal Danish Library Denmark's Technical Library Danish Veterinary and Agricultural Library (AGROLINE) Vatican Library (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana) Washington University in St. Louis Medical Library Waterways Online Library Facilities New York State Library University of Texas at Austin Tarlton Law Library (TALLONS) Boston Library Consortium Union List of Serials University of California Northern Regional Library Facility University of Miami Medical Library OhioLink: Ohio Library and Information Network University of Virginia Health Sciences Library Abilene Library Consortium (Texas) University of Alabama, Birmingham, Lister Hill Health Sciences Library—press space for more -- The user may then select one of these options, or go back with the left arrow. Search results will vary based on the locally installed database. After drilling down to a specific resource, HyTelnet will display a connect page. The

hostname In computer networking, a hostname (archaically nodename) is a label that is assigned to a device connected to a computer network and that is used to identify the device in various forms of electronic communication, such as the World Wide Web. Hos ...

IP address An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label such as that is connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.. Updated by . An IP address serves two main functions: network interface ident ...

and contact address are for example purposes only, and may not necessarily connect to anything functional (although this is a real entry in HyTelnet's last released database). University of California (MELVYL) telnet melvyl.ucop.edu or 192.35.222.222 When asked for terminal type, enter VT100 or HELP for other options Press RETURN when prompted to To exit, type END Contact: preferred address: MELVYL System User Services melvyl@dla.ucop.edu At this point, the user could select the "telnet" portion and attempt to connect to the remote host over

. Instructions for using the resource are given. Additional instructions for general types of library and research systems were also given in HyTelnet, such as this one for INNOPAC, a common library electronic card cataloguing database: Using INNOPAC INNOPAC is very easy to use. Just press the letter or number next to the item that you want. There is no need to press the ENTER or RETURN key when choosing one of the menu options. For example: Title searches: To search for a particular title, select T on the main menu. Author searches: To search for a particular author, select A on the main menu. Subject searches: To search for a particular subject, select S on the main menu. Keyword searches: Either "k" or "w" (varies from system to system) as listed on the menu. Other search options: Different INNOPAC libraries have added additional search options, such as Medical Subject Headings, Call Number, SuDocs numbers, Reserve Lists, etc. Popular options available when looking at any one record include: S > Show items with the SAME SUBJECT Z > Show items nearby on the shelf The regular updates not only updated the list of resources, but also the help files in addition.

Modern implementations

The HyTelnet client is no longer maintained, but there are several web-based re-creations available.
HYTELNET on the World Wide Web
is the official implementation by default, as it is Peter Scott (the original author)'s own work at his Northern Lights Internet site. This is a simple reconstruction of the HyTelnet database, converted into flat

HTML The HyperText Markup Language or HTML is the standard markup language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser. It can be assisted by technologies such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and scripting languages such as JavaSc ...

files suitable for any

Web browser A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used o ...

. There is also a simple search facility.
The Floodgap Hytelnet-HTTP Museum Gateway
is a variation that attempts to mimic the

look and feel In software design, the look and feel of a graphical user interface comprises aspects of its design, including elements such as colors, shapes, layout, and typefaces (the "look"), as well as the behavior of dynamic elements such as buttons, boxe ...

of HyTelnet in a web browser, using non-proportional fonts and a similar navigational style (although now point-and-click because it is running in a browser). It enhances the experience slightly with

JavaScript JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language that is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. As of 2022, 98% of websites use JavaScript on the client side for webpage behavior, of ...

, although it offers versions for older browsers and an "ultra-classic" view to best simulate the old interface. It also has a simple search facility. Unlike the original HyTelnet, this implementation will attempt to verify remote hosts, and will also present possible Web-based alternatives to their databases.

Interface

Modern implementations

See also