Technical Help
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Working With Folders |
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If you feel very uncomfortable with the idea of working with different folders to place, for
example, your images and pages in, you will probably want to just keep everything in the same
place. Using folders can become a little tricky when you want to refer or link to a page
or image that you have created that is in a different folder than the page you are working on. But if you'd like to try them, here is a little help.
Folder names and webpage or image names should all be separated by a backslash.
To refer to a site that you have not created, use the whole URL such as
http://www.someoneElsesWebpage/folder/page.html. But if you want to link to a page that
is in the same
folder as the page you are working on, only refer to the very last part of the filename of
that page (the section following the last backslash, such as mypage.html.
If you are referring to a page or image that is in a folder that is in the folder you are
in you would enter folderYourImageIsIn/yourimage.jpg for example.
If the page or image you want to refer
to is in a folder that you have to go back to, you are going to need to use ../ which says to go back one folder. Use as many ../ as you need to go back and then type in where you need
to go from there.
Go to a pictoral explanation.
In the following, when I refer to only using the last part of your
filename, you will have to decide from the previous examples what to use.
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Making a link |
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When you want to create a link, click on the 'Link' button with a picture of a
chained link above it. In the 'Enter text to display for a new link:' box enter
the text that you want whoever is viewing you page to see. This does not have to
be the web address of the page you want to link to. It can be any words you'd like.
In the 'Link to a page location or local file:' box, enter the actual location or
web address of the page you want to show when the link is clicked. If you are linking
to something on the web that you did not create, include the entire address such as: http://www.webpage.com. If you are linking to a different page that you created only
enter the last part of the filename of that page such as: mywebpage.html. Click OK.
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Setting the Color of Your Links |
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Click on 'Format' and then 'Page Colors and Properties'. Click on the color box next
to the type of link you'd like to change. 'Link text' color is the color that will
show up when you create a link. 'Active Link Text' color is the color that the link
will change will you are holding it down. 'Followed Link Text' color is the color
that a link will appear if it has already been visited.
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Inserting a Picture |
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To insert an image click on the 'Image' button with a picture of three shapes above it.
Enter the last part of the filename of the image you want to insert (Remember that you must upload any
images that you want to show on your pages into your folder.) For example, you might
enter myimage.jpg into this location. You do not need the whole image location, only
the last part with the name of your image. Click on 'Leave image at the original location'.
If you want this image to cover the the
background of your page, click 'Use as background'. Click the way in which you want
text to flow around your image. If you'd like, you can enter the height and width of
your image, but this is not necessary. Enter the space that you would like around
your image and the size of the border if you would like this. If you want the viewer
to be able to link to another page by clicking on your image, click on the link tab
at the top of the 'Image Properties'. Make your link similar as to how we did in
the 'Making a link' section. To align your image left, center, or right click on the
paragraph tab and choose.
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Setting Your Background |
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Click on 'Format' and then 'Page Colors and Properties'. If you want your background
to be a plain color, click on the color box next to 'Background', and choose a color.
If you'd like an image to cover your background, type in or choose the file of the
image that you would like next to 'Use Image:' under 'Background Image'. Remember to
only keep the last part of the filename, the name of your image, such as myimage.gif.
Click on 'Leave image at the original location'.
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Setting the Title and Description of Your Page |
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Click on 'Format' and then 'Page Colors and Properties'. Click the 'General' tab. Enter
the title of your webpage in the 'Title' section. This will appear at the top of your page
in the title bar when you view your page. This can be whatever you want; it can have spaces
and does not need the .html extension. You can set the Author and Description here if you
would like.
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Creating a Target |
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When you create a target a picture of a target will be shown on your page when you are in
Composer; this will not appear when you are just browsing your page in Navigator. This
target just marks a place in your page. To make a target useful, you must create a link to
the target. To make your target, go to the place in your page where you would like the
target to be and click on the 'Target' button with the picture of a target. Enter name for
your target; this name can be anything. Then to link to your target go to the place in your
page where you would like the link that when clicked will take you to your target. Click
the 'Link' button and enter the text that you want shown for your viewer to click on in the
'Enter text to display for a new link:' box. Below, click on the target that you want to
link to, and click OK. You can also link to targets on different pages. Select the page
that your target is on, and then select the target. Remember that if your target is on a
page that you have created, you will only need the last part of the filename, such as
mywebpage.html. Once you have clicked on the target you want to link to, this will
show up as mywebpage.html#targetname.
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Creating a Table |
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A table is a set of rows and columns. To create a table click on the 'Table' button with
a picture of a grid table. Specify the number of rows and columns that you would like in
the table. Specify whether you would like the table to be aligned left, center, or right,
on the page. If you'd like to have a caption for the table click the 'Include Caption' box
and choose either 'Above table' or 'Below table'. Once you click OK, you will see a space
either above or below your table for you to type a caption. Type in the number of pixels
that you would like the border of your table to be. If you do not want a border, either
unclick the 'Border line width' box or type in that you would like the border to be zero
pixels. While creating your table you may want to work with a border and then change it to zero pixels when you have finished. If you are not familiar with pixels, the standard screen is normally 800 by 600
pixels. Some may be larger, but you should create your page assuming that the screen is
800 by 600 pixels. Try not to make the width of anything more than 600 pixels. You
may also enter the number of pixels you would like between cells (where your rows and
columns cross) and the space you would like within your cells (between what you enter into
the cell and the outline of the cell). Enter the table width, either as a percent of
the screen's window or as a certain number of pixels. You may choose a background color by
clicking the color box next to 'Use Color:'. You can also choose an image for the background
of your table. Make sure that the name you enter is not the entire filename, but only the
last part of the name such as myimage.jpg. Click on 'Leave image at the original location'
if you choose an image. Click OK.
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Working With Your Table |
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To place text or images in your table, place your cursor and click in the cell that you would
like, and then continue with what you would like to place in that cell. You can edit your
table by right clicking on the table and clicking on 'Table Properties'. You may make
changes to a whole row, column, table, or just a cell by clicking on the appropriate tab.
If you click on the cell tab you can edit your cell so that it spans across more than one
row or more than one column in the 'Cell spans' boxes. If your table has extra cells after
you do this, right click on the cell you do not want and go to delete.
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Drawing Horizontal Lines |
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An easy way to show a division or end on your page is to put in a horizontal line. To do this
go to the point in your page where you would like the line. Click the 'H. Line' button with
the picture of the line. A horizontal line should appear. If it does not have the height,
width, shading or alignment that you would like, double click on the line or right click and go to 'Horizontal Line Properties'. Here you can change those settings.
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Special Characters |
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If you need to enter a character that is not located on the keyboard, you might try inserting
a special character. Composer has about 100 characters to choose from. Go to 'Tools', then
'Character Tools', and then 'Insert Special Characters...'
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Viewing Your Page |
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Either press the 'Preview' button or go to 'File' and then 'Browse Page'. You will be forced
to save your page to the computer you are working on. You will probably just want to save
it onto your desktop until you are ready to upload it in the Project Hand In. Make sure not
to use any spaces in the name that you save your page as and include the .htm or .html
extension. Another window will open your page in Netscape Navigator mode. You will not be
able to make changes to your webpage here; you must be in Composer. In Navigator, you will
be able to read your page and use the links to jump to other pages or targets in your page.
To edit your webpage, close the Navigator window, click back to the Composer Window, or go
to 'Communicator' and then 'Composer'. If you have both windows open while you are in
Composer, your changes will not automatically show up in Navigator - you will have to save
and then go to Navigator and hit the 'Reload' button.
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