Document
Any file uploaded from your local system is represented in
BSCW as a document. A document may contain text, spreadsheets,
graphics, print files, pictures, sound, video, etc., typically stored in
various proprietary file formats. Each document in BSCW is associated with an
according file type when it is uploaded.
This file type is represented by a specific icon in front of the document
name (or by the 
icon for a file type that does
not have an individual icon on your BSCW server). On the Internet, these
file types are identified by so-called MIME types. The info page of a document
shows this more technical looking MIME type.
BSCW provides specific functions for two kinds of documents.
Plain text and HTML documents:
Documents of file
type ‘Plain Text’ or ‘HTML Document’ (MIME types text/plain or
text/HTML) may be created and edited directly on the BSCW
server (actions
,
and 
;
see 8.1
Direct editing of documents).
Zip and Tar
archives:
BSCW
can create Zip and Tar archives from objects in a folder (including personal
objects like your home folder, clipboard and trash). Such archives are again
BSCW documents (of file type ‘Archive (Zip/Winzip)’ or ‘Archive (Tar)’). BSCW
can also extract the files from Zip or Tar archives that you have uploaded from
your local system; the files are put into your clipboard as BSCW documents and
folders (actions
and ;
see 13.1
Archiving and transferring objects).
Depending on the file type of a document and on the configuration of your Web browser, several things may happen when you click on the document name in a folder page:
o the Web browser may interpret the underlying file and display it;
o a program on your local computer may be started to display the file;
o a dialog box may come up that lets you store the document as a local file;
o the Web browser may offer a set of options for handling the document.