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WebACT
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Downloading files

The option is provided to download and save your session as a zip file, optionally including all the selected comparisons and the sequence files. This can then be loaded into a stand-alone version of ACT, or reloaded into WebACT at a later data. Two options are presented from the 'Download files' page:

  • 'Enter Filename' - permits the name of the saved file to be set
  • 'Include data for offline use' - Saves all the selected sequences and comparisons in the zip file, permitting the comparison to be viewed while not connected to the internet. If this option is not selected, the archive will just contain a README and .jnlp file, which will be a very small file and therefore quick to download

The saved files are compressed into a single zip archive containing the following files:

a) All sequence files and the comparison files (optional)


Sequence files are named according to their accession numbers and are in EMBL format. Please note that when selecting regions other than the entire genome, WebACT builds the EMBL records for download ‘on the fly’ based on the user’s selection and the downloaded file does not represent the full record. We have therefore included a warning as such in the EMBL file such as the following:

“WARNING - This record does not contain the full sequence for U00096.
It is a partial sequence containing only bases 3918156 to 4019286. This record was automatically generated by WebACT ”

Comparison files are named with accession numbers according to the sequences being compared e.g., sequence1_accession_vs_sequence2_accession

b) a README text file

This contains an overview of the sequences chosen and the comparisons generated.

c) a .jnlp file

It is possible to re-load the downloaded comparisons automatically into ACT using the WebACT_Comparison.jnlp file included in the download archive. Extract the contents of the archive into a separate directory, and double-click the included .jnlp file. This will launch ACT and load your sequences and comparisons automatically. Once this archive is downloaded, ACT can be launced in this manner even when your computer is not connected to the internet, assuming the ACT application has previously been installed via WebACT.

NOTE: All files included must be expanded into the same folder.
launching the .jnlp file from within a WinZip session will not work.


d) a session.webact file.

The session.webact file contains all the details of your sequence selection, and allows you to return to the reload section at http://www.webact.org (click reload tab on the menu) at any time, reload the session.webact file and view the same comparison again, without having to reselect the sequence regions etc. Instead, you will be taken straight to the results page.

Sharing Comparisons with Colleagues

The session.webact file is very small (~2kb for a five-way genome comparison) and can be emailed to a colleague who, using the upload facility at www.webact.org, will be able to view your sequence comparison, without the need to send any sequences or comparison files.