Instructions for downloading Descartes files


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There are two stages to downloading Descartes files:
1st stage: Download shared applet and files:  Descartes.zip
2nd stage: Download Teaching Units and Applications:  name_file.zip

1.- Downloading the applet and other shared files necessary to be able to read the pages:

The file which is essential in order to see the windows is Descartes.jar, for the Descartes 2 windows and Descartes3.jar for the Descartes 3 windows, which should be located in the Descartes_english folder. We recommend placing the Descartes_english folder directly into the directory or the root directory C:\, as when files are unzipped they will follow this structure. If the Descartes.jar file is located in a different folder it should always be two levels higher than the application pages, as illustrated in the figure below.

Furthermore, files containing the following should also be included in the Descartes_english folder:

  • Logos of pages which are still in the old format: logo_blanco.gif, logo_d.gif,...
  • Logos of pages which are in the new format: logo.gif, logo2.gif
  • Control arrows: boton_adelante.gif, boton_arriba.gif,...
  • Background images of the pages which are still in the old format: fondo_1.gif
  • The folder "Imagenes" which contains the files: descarga.gif, subir.gir y gif_superior.gif
  • The main index Índice.htm and the indices for the teaching units and applications (indice_UD.htm and indice_aplicaciones.htm), which give direct access to the pages we have downloaded onto our computer.

In order to locate all these files in the correct place just download the file Descartes.zip and unzip it in the root directory (C:\).

Click on the file Descartes.zip with the right-hand button of the mouse and choose the option: Extract in C:\, and OK. The Descartes_english folder will automatically be created in C:\ and all the shared files will appear inside it.

 

Downloading the applet and shared files

2.- Downloading the Teaching Units and Applications

Before downloading a teaching unit or application, we recommend first having downloaded and unzipped the file Descartes.zip, explained in the section above. This is so that the Descartes_english folder already exists and contains the files required to see the windows, background, logos and use the index to move around the site.

All files to be downloaded are indicated by the icon .Click on this icon in order to download the files you require.

The teaching units can be downloaded individually, by level (all those for a particular school year) or the whole lot at once. Likewise, the applications can also be downloaded individually, by subject matter or the whole lot at once.

In any of the above cases the compressed file name_file.zip should be unzipped in the root directory (C:\).

Once it has been downloaded double click on the file with the mouse and then use the Extract button in  C:\

In this way, the teaching units or application files will be placed into the corresponding directory, which will be created automatically if it does not already exist.

Afterwards, the file name_file.zip can be deleted, if you so wish.

 

   
 
Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Year 2003