RE: Browser tries to download program

HTML pages are sent to the browser from the web server as a HTTP
response message. A HTTP response message includes 2 sections. The first
section is the message header and consists on zero or more headers,
probably the most commonly used of which is the "Content-type" header.
The header section is followed by 2 CRLFs, which are followed by the
message body. In your case the message body is an HTML document. However
if there is no "Content-type" header the browser doesn't know that the
message body is a HTML document, and since the extension is not .htm,
.html, or something else that indicates that the message body is a HTML
document, the browser doesn't know how to handle the message body and
asks you where to save it. 

Strictly speaking the "Content-type" section isn't part of the HTML,
though it is sent to the browser. It probably worked before because the
IBM HTTP server (not based on APACHE) checked for a "Content-type"
header and added one if it didn't exist. On the browser side you still
won't see the "Content-type" section, however you should see the
document as an HTML page in the browser, instead of a download.

Joe Lee

p.s. If you want to find out more about the HTTP messages take a look
at RFC 2616.

>>> mskvarenina@xxxxxxx 10/21/2004 19:32:50 >>>
Finally, any additional thoughts on my problem?  My previous HTML
didn't
have a content type section.  I don't know how that would effect the
web
server itself as opposed to the browser.  For example does the web
server itself read the HTML then do something different/special when
it
sees a content type directive?