Netscape 6 Composer Help

# Creating Web Pages with Netscape Composer

In this section: Creating a New Page Saving and Browsing Your New Page

## Creating a New Page

Netscape Composer is an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) editor that allows you to create and edit web pages. Composer is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, so you can display how your page will look to the reader as you're creating it. It is not necessary for you to know HTML, since most of the basic HTML functions are available as commands from the toolbars and menus. However, Composer also lets you edit the HTML source if you want.

To create a web page, use one of the methods described below. Once you've started a page, you can add and edit text just as you would in a word processor.

To create a new page:

- From the File menu, choose New, and then choose Blank Page to Edit. A Composer window containing a blank page opens.

To edit a page you're currently browsing in Navigator:

- In the Navigator window of the page you're viewing, open the File menu and choose Edit Page. You see a Composer window that contains the page you're viewing.

To start from an HTML file stored on your local drive:

1. Open the Tasks menu and choose Composer.
2. Open the File menu and choose Open File.
3. On your local drive, locate the file that you want to edit.
4. Click Open to display the specified file in a Composer window.

Tip: You can also open JavaScript files so that you can edit them in Composer.

To edit a Web page:

1. Open the File menu and choose Open Web Location.
2. In the Open Web Location dialog box, type the URL of the page (for example, www.netscape.com).
3. Select New Composer Window from the "Open in" pop-up menu.
4. Click Open to view the page in a Composer window.

   Note: Keep in mind that when you save this page, it is saved locally, on your hard drive.

Tip: In the Composer window you can quickly open the most recent file you've been working on by opening the File menu, choosing Recent Pages, and then selecting the file you want from the list.

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## Saving and Browsing Your New Page

You can save Composer documents in HTML and text-only format. Saving a document in HTML format preserves the document's formatting, such as text styles (for example, bold or italic), tables, links, and images. Saving a document in text-only format removes all the HTML tags but preserves the document's text.

To save a document as an HTML file:

- Open the File menu and choose Save. If you haven't already given your page a title, Composer prompts you to do so. Composer displays the page title in the browser window's title bar when you view the page in the browser. The document's page title also appears in your list of bookmarks if you bookmark the page.

  Composer then prompts you to enter a filename or specify the location where you want to save the file. Make sure you preserve the .html extension in the filename.

- Choose Save As if you want to give the page a different filename or location.

To save a document as a text-only file:

1. Open the File menu and choose Export to Text.
2. Enter the filename or specify the location where you want to save the file.

Tip: Choose Revert to Last Saved from the File menu to retrieve the most recently saved copy of the document in which you're working. Keep in mind that your current changes will be lost.

To view your page in a browser window in order to test your links:

- Open the File menu and choose Browse Page (or click Browse in the Composition toolbar). If you have not yet saved your document, Composer prompts you to enter a page title, filename, and location. The Composer window remains open behind the new Navigator window.

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# Formatting Your Web Pages

In this section: Formatting Paragraphs, Headings, and Lists Working with Lists Changing Text Color, Style, and Font Removing or Discontinuing Text Styles Finding and Replacing Text Inserting Horizontal Lines Inserting Special Characters Inserting HTML Elements and Attributes Checking the Spelling Choosing the Right Editing Mode

## Formatting Paragraphs, Headings, and Lists

To apply a format to a paragraph:

1. Place the insertion point (also known as the caret) where you want the format to begin and click, or select the text you want to format.
2. Choose a paragraph format using the drop-down menu in the Format toolbar:
   - Body Text: Applies the application default font and style for regular text, without affecting the spacing before or after the text.
   - Paragraph: Inserts a paragraph tag (use this to begin a new paragraph).
   - Address: This format can be used for a web page "signature" that indicates the author of the page and the person to contact for more information, e.g. :
     You might want to include the date and a copyright notice. This format usually appears at the bottom of the web page under a horizontal line. Navigator displays the address format in italics.
   - Preformatted: This is useful for elements such as code examples, column data, and mail messages that you want displayed in a fixed-width font. In normal text, most browsers remove extra spaces, tabs, and paragraph returns. However, text that uses the Preformatted style is displayed with the white space intact, preserving the layout of the original text.
   - Blockquote: Choose this format to indent quoted text on both the left and right.

To format text as a heading:

1. Place the insertion point anywhere in the text that you want to format.
2. Using the drop-down menu in the Format toolbar, choose the level of heading you want, from 1 (largest) to 6 (smallest). For example, choose "Heading 1" for your main heading, "Heading 2" for the next level, and so forth.

To apply a list item format:

1. Place the insertion point in anywhere the text that you want to format.
2. Open the Format menu and choose List.
3. Choose the list style:
   - Bulleted: Each Item has a bullet (dot) next to it (as in this list).
   - Numbered: Items are numbered.
   - Term and Definition: These two styles work together, creating a glossary-style appearance. Use the Term tag for the word being defined, and the Definition tag for the definition. The Term text appears flush left, and the Definition text appears indented.

Tip: You can quickly apply a list style to text by selecting the text and clicking the Numbered List or Bulleted List buttons on the toolbar.

To change the style of bullets or numbers:

1. Click to place the insertion point within the text of the list item you want to change, or select one or more items in the list if you want to apply a new style to the entire list.
2. Open the Format menu and choose List Properties.
3. Choose a bullet or number style from the pop-up menu. For numbered lists, you can specify a starting number. For bulleted lists, you can change the bullet style.

To align a paragraph or text in your page, for example, centering or aligning to the left or right:

1. Place the insertion point in the paragraph or line of text you want to align.
2. Open the Format menu and choose Align; then choose an alignment option. Alternatively, choose the alignment option from the Format toolbar.

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## Working with Lists

To end a list and continue typing body text:

1. Place the insertion point at the end of the last list item.
2. Press Return twice. Each time you press Return, Composer outdents one level.

To change one or more list items to body text:

1. Place the insertion point in the list item, or select the list items.
2. Click the numbered list or bulleted list button in the Composition toolbar. The list buttons act as a toggle.

To position indented text below a list item:

1. Position the insertion point in the list item.
2. Press Shift-Return to create the hanging indent.
3. Type the text you want to indent.
4. Press Shift-Return to create another indented paragraph, or press Return to create the next list item.

To merge two adjacent lists:

1. Select the two lists that you want to merge. Be sure to select all of the elements in both lists. Note that any text in between the two lists will also become part of the merged list.
2. Click the bulleted or numbered list button in the Composition toolbar.

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## Changing Text Color, Style, and Font

To change the style, color, or font of selected text:

1. Select the text you want to format.
2. Open the Format menu and choose one of the following:

- Font: Use this to choose a font. If you prefer to use fonts specified by the reader's browser, select Variable Width or Fixed Width.

  Note: Not all fonts installed on your computer appear. Instead of specifying a font that may not be available to all who view your web page, it's generally best to select one of the fonts provided in the menu since these fonts work on every computer. For example, the fonts Helvetica, Arial, Times, and Courier generally look the same when viewed on different computers. If you select a different font, it may not look the same when viewed using a different computer.

- Size: Use this to choose a relative font size or select an option to increase or decrease text size (relative to the surrounding text).
- Text Style: Use this to select a style, such as italic, bold, or underline, or to apply a structured style, for example, Code.
- Text Color: Use this to choose a color from the color picker. If you are familiar with HTML color codes, you can type a specific code or else just type a color name (e.g., "blue").

Tip: To quickly change the color of text to the color last used, select the text, then press Shift + Click on the color picker. This is useful when you want to use one color for seperate lines of text.

You can also change the background color of the page, or use an image as a background. See Setting Page Colors and Backgrounds.

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## Removing or Discontinuing Text Styles

To remove all text styles (bold, italic, etc.) from selected text:

1. Select the text.
2. Open the Format menu and choose Remove All Text Styles.
3. Continue typing.

To continue typing text with all text styles removed:

1. Place the insertion point where you want to discontinue the text styles.
2. Open the Format menu and choose Discontinue Text Styles.
3. Continue typing.

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## Finding and Replacing Text

To find text in the page you're currently working on:

1. Position the insertion point (also known as the caret) where you want to begin your search.
2. Open the Edit menu and choose Find.
3. Type the text you want to locate. To narrow the search, check one or more of the following options:
   - Match upper/lower case: Use this to specify whether the search is for case-sensitive text. For exact matches, leave this option unchecked.
   - Wrap around: Use this to search to the end of the page and then start again from the top or bottom, depending on whether you are searching forward or backwards.
   - Search backwards: Use this to search back from the insertion point to the beginning of the page.
4. Click Find Next to begin searching. When Composer locates the first occurrence of the text, click Find Next to search for the next occurrence.
5. Click Close when you are done.

To find and replace text in the page you're currently working on:

1. Position the insertion point (also known as the caret) where you want to begin your search.
2. Open the Edit menu and choose Find and Replace.
3. In the Find and Replace dialog box, type the text you want to find and then type the replacement text.
4. To narrow the search, check one or more of the following options:
   - Match upper/lower case: Use this to specify whether the search is for case-sensitive text. For exact matches, leave this option unchecked.
   - Wrap around: Use this to search to the end of the page and then start again from the top.
   - Search backwards: Use this to search from the end to the beginning of the page.
5. Click Find Next to search for the next occurrence. Composer selects the next occurrence of the text.
6. Click Replace to replace the selected text with the replacement text. Click Replace All to replace every occurrence in the document with the replacement text.
7. Click Close when you are done.

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## Inserting Horizontal Lines

Horizontal lines are typically used to visually separate different sections of a document. To insert a horizontal line (also called a rule) in your page:

1. Place the insertion point where you want the line to appear.
2. Click the H. Line button on the toolbar, or open the Insert menu and choose Horizontal Line.

### Setting Horizontal Line Properties

You can customize a line's height, length, width, alignment, and shading.

1. Double-click the line to display the Horizontal Line Properties dialog box.
2. Edit these properties:
   - Width: Choose a measurement unit (pixels or percentage) and type a number for the width.
   - Height: Type a number for the line's height (in pixels).
   - 3-D Shading: Click this to add depth to the line by adding a bevel shading.
   - Alignment: Specify where you want to place the line.
3. Click Save Settings to use these settings as the default the next time you insert a horizontal line.

## Inserting Special Characters

To insert special characters such as accent marks, copyrights, or currency symbols:

1. Place the insertion point where you want the special character to appear.
2. Open the Insert menu and choose Characters and Symbols.
3. Choose a category of characters.
4. If you choose Accent Uppercase or Accent Lowercase, then open the Letter pop-up menu and choose the letter you wish to apply an accent to. (Note: not all letters have accented forms.) Choose Common Symbols for special characters such as copyright or fractions.
5. From the Character pop-up menu, choose the character you want to insert.
6. Click Insert.

   You can continue typing in your document (or in a mail compose window) while you keep this dialog box open, in case you want to use it again.

7. Click Close when you are done inserting special characters.

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## Inserting HTML Elements and Attributes

If you understand how to work with HTML source code, you can insert additional tags, style attributes, and JavaScript into your page. If you are not sure how to work with HTML source code, it's best not to change it. To work with HTML code use one of these methods:

- Place the insertion point where you want to insert the HTML code, then open the Insert menu and choose HTML. In the Insert HTML dialog box, enter HTML tags and text, and then click Insert.
- Select an element such as a table, named anchor, image, link, or horizontal line. Double-click the element to open the Properties dialog for that item. Click Advanced Edit to open the Advanced Property Editor. You can use the Advanced Property Editor to add HTML attributes and Javascript to objects.
- Open the View menu, and choose HTML Source, or click the HTML Source tab in the Edit Mode toolbar at the bottom of the Composer window. (If you don't see the Edit Mode toolbar, open the View menu and choose Toolbars; then make sure the Edit Mode Toolbar is checked.)

### Using the Advanced Property Editor

To add HTML attributes and JavaScript to objects such as tables, images, and horizontal lines, you can use the Advanced Property Editor.

Note: Unless you clearly understand how to add, delete, or modify HTML attributes and their associated values, it's best not to do so.

If you are not already viewing the Advanced Property Editor dialog box, follow these steps:

1. From the View menu (or the Edit mode toolbar), choose Show All Tags.
2. Double-click the object that you want to modify to open its Advanced Property Editor dialog box. The Advanced Property Editor dialog box has three tabs, each of which lists the current properties for the selected object:
   - HTML Attributes: Click this tab to view or enter additional HTML attributes.
   - Inline Style: Click this tab to view or enter additional CSS (cascading style sheet) properties through the <style> attribute.
   - JavaScript Events: Click this tab to view or enter JavaScript events.
3. To edit a property or attribute currently in the list, select the attribute you want to edit. You can then edit the attribute's name or value using the editable Attribute and Value fields at the bottom of the dialog box. To add new attribute, type it in the Attribute field at the bottom of the dialog box. The new attribute is automatically added when you go to the Value field. To remove an attribute, select it in the list, and click Remove Attribute.

   Note: Required attributes are highlighted in the Attribute list.

4. Click OK to commit your changes to the Advanced Property Editor dialog box.
5. Click OK again to exit the Properties dialog box.

Composer automatically places quotation marks around any attribute text.

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## Checking the Spelling

Composer always checks the spelling starting from the beginning of your document, regardless of where you place the insertion point (also known as the caret).

To check the spelling of your page:

1. Click the Spell button on the toolbar, or open the Edit menu and choose Check Spelling.
2. Use the Check Spelling dialog box to correct misspellings and to edit or add words to the current spelling User Dictionary. Click Close when you are done.
   - Check Word: Click to check the spelling of any word you type in the "Change to" field.
   - Ignore and Ignore All: Click to continue checking without changing the word, or all occurrences of the word.
   - Change and Change All: Click to replace the word, or all occurrences of the word.
   - Add Word: Click to add the word to the User Dictionary, so that Composer recognizes the word instead of highlighting it as a misspelled word.
   - Edit: Click to add, replace, and remove words from the User Dictionary.
   - Recheck: Click to reset the spelling checker and recheck words. Recheck is primarily useful if you switch languages and then want to re-check the document's spelling.
   - Language: Choose the language that you want the spelling checker to use.

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## Choosing the Right Editing Mode

Typically, you won't need to change the editing mode from the default (Normal). However, if you want to work with the document's HTML source code, you may want to change editing modes. Composer allows you to quickly switch between four editing modes or views. Each editing mode allows you to continue working on your document, but displays varying levels of HTML tags (and tag icons).

Before you choose an editing mode:

- Open the View menu, choose Toolbars, and then make sure there's a check mark next to Edit Mode Toolbar.

The Edit Mode toolbar has four tabs:

- Normal: This is the WYSIWYG editing mode, so you can display how the document will look as you are creating it. Choose this mode to show table borders and named anchor icons. All other HTML tag icons are hidden.
- Show All Tags: Choose this mode to show table borders and all HTML tag icons.
- HTML Source: Choose this mode to view and edit the document as unformatted HTML source code. When you save the document, the Normal mode reappears.
- Preview: Choose this mode to display and edit the document exactly as it would appear in a browser window, except that links and JavaScript functions will not be active.

Note: JavaScript functions, frames, links, and animated GIF files are not active in any of the editing modes. To display these items in their active state, click the Browse toolbar button to load the page into a browser window.

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# Adding Tables to Your Web Page

In this section: Inserting a Table Changing a Table's Properties Adding and Deleting Rows, Columns, and Cells Selecting Table Elements Moving, Copying, and Deleting Tables Converting Text into a Table

## Inserting a Table

Tables are useful for organizing text, pictures, and data into formatted rows and columns. To insert a table:

1. Place the insertion point where you want the table to appear.
2. Click the Table button on the toolbar, or choose Table from the Insert menu.
3. Type the number of rows and columns you want.
4. (Optional) Enter a size for the table width (either in pixels or as a percentage of the window).
5. Enter a number for the border thickness (in pixels); enter zero for no border.

   Note: Composer uses a red dotted line to indicate tables with a zero border; the dotted line disappears when the page is previewed or browsed.

6. To apply additional table attributes or JavaScript, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor.
7. Click OK to confirm your settings and view your new table.

To change additional properties for your new table, see Changing a Table's Properties.

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## Changing a Table's Properties

This section describes how to modify properties that apply to an entire table as well as the rows, columns, or individual cells within a table. If you are not already viewing the Table Properties dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Select the table, or click anywhere inside it.
2. Click the Table button on the toolbar, or open the Table menu and choose Table Properties. The Table Properties dialog box contains two tabs: Table and Cell.
3. Click the Table tab to edit these properties:
   - Size: Use this to specify the number of rows and columns. Enter the width of the table and then choose "% of window" or "pixels." If you specify width as a percentage, the table's width changes whenever the Composer window's or browser window's width changes.
   - Borders and Spacing: Use this to specify, in pixels, the border line width, the space between cells, and the cell padding (the space between the contents of the cell and its border).

     Note: Composer uses a dotted outline to display tables with a zero border; the dotted line disappears when the page is viewed in a browser.

   - Table Alignment: Use this to align the table within the page. Choose an option from the pop-up menu.
   - Caption: Choose the caption placement from the pop-up menu.
   - Background Color: Use this to choose a color for the table background, or leave it as transparent.
4. To apply additional attributes or JavaScript events, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor.
5. Click Apply to preview your changes without closing the dialog box, or click OK to confirm them. (Note that background colors won't appear until you click OK.)

To view, change, or add properties for one or more cells:

1. Select the row, column, or cell, then open the Table menu and choose Table Properties.
2. Click the Cells tab to edit the following properties:
   - Selection: Choose Cell, Row, or Column from the pop-up menu. Click Previous or Next to move through rows, columns, or cells.
   - Size: Type a number for Height and Width, and then choose "% of table" or "pixels."
   - Content Alignment: Choose a horizontal and vertical alignment type for the text or data inside each cell.
   - Cell Style: Choose Header from the pop-up menu for column or row headers (which centers and bolds the text in the cell); otherwise choose Normal.
   - Text Wrap: Choose "Don't wrap" from the pop-up menu to keep text from wrapping to the next line unless you insert a paragraph break. Otherwise, choose Wrap.
   - Background Color: Choose a color for the cell background or leave it as transparent.

   Note: To apply additional attributes or JavaScript events, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor

3. Click Apply to preview your changes without closing the dialog box, or click OK to confirm them.

Tip: To quickly change the text color or background color of one or more selected cells or the entire table, select the cells or click anywhere in the table and then click the text color or background color icon in the Format toolbar.

Tip: To quickly change the color of cells to the color last used, select the cell, then press Shift + Click on the background color picker. This is useful when you want to use one color for individual cells.

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## Adding and Deleting Rows, Columns, and Cells

Composer allows you to quickly add or delete one or more cells in your table. In addition, you can set options that allow you to maintain the original rectangular structure or layout of the table while you perform editing tasks.

To add a cell or group of cells (rows and columns) to your table:

1. Click inside the table where you want to add a cell (or cells).
2. Open the Table menu and then choose Insert.
3. Choose one of the cell groupings. You can also insert a new table within a table cell.

To delete a cell, row, or column:

1. Click a row, column, or cell to place the insertion point. Or, select neighboring cells to delete more than one row at a time. To select neighboring cells, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows and Linux) or the Command key (Macintosh) while dragging over the cells you want to select.
2. Open the Table menu and choose Delete.
3. Choose the item you want to delete.

To join (or merge) a cell with the cell on its right:

- Click inside the cell, open the Table menu, and choose Join with Cell to the Right.

To join (or merge) adjacent cells:

- Select adjacent cells by holding down the Ctrl key (Windows and Linux) or the Command key (Macintosh), and then dragging over adjacent cells that you want to join.
- Open the Table menu, and choose Join Selected Cells.

To split a joined cell back into two or more cells:

- Click inside the cell, open the Table menu, and then choose Split Cell.

Refer to Selecting Table Elements for information on how to select non-adjacent cells, rows, and columns.

### Changing the Default Table Editing Behavior

By default, when you delete one or more cells, Composer preserves the table's structure by adding cells at the end of a row, wherever needed. This allows you to delete one or more cells but still maintain the table's original rectangular layout, or structure. Otherwise, deleting cells can result in a table with empty spaces, or whose outline appears irregular due to an uneven number of cells.

To change the default table editing behavior:

1. Open the Edit menu, choose Preferences and then choose Composer.
2. Set the preferences you want in the Table Editing section:
   - Make sure that "Maintain table layout when inserting or deleting cells" is checked to ensure that you don't get an irregularly-shaped table.
   - You can choose to allow the Delete key to remove an entire cell or just remove the cell's contents.
3. Click OK.

See also Setting General Composer Preferences.

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## Selecting Table Elements

You can use one of two ways to quickly select a table, cell, or group of cells:

- Open the Table menu, choose Select, and then select an item from the submenu. For example, to select a table, click anywhere inside the table, open the Table menu, and then choose Select Table.
- Or, you can use the mouse as a selection tool:
  - To select the content inside one or more cells, click inside the cell and drag to select the number of cells you want. You can apply a text format (for example, text style or color) to the selected content.
  - To select a group of adjacent cells: click in a cell, then press Ctrl (Windows or Linux) or Command (Macintosh) and drag to select the number of cells you want. Drag the mouse left or right to select a row; up or down to select a column.
  - To select non-adjacent cells: press Ctrl (Windows or Linux) or Command (Macintosh) and then click inside a cell. Keep pressing Ctrl (Windows or Linux) or Command (Macintosh) as you click to select additional cells.
  - To extend a selection to include adjacent cells: press Ctrl (Windows or Linux) or Command (Macintosh) and then click inside a cell. Then press Shift as you click additional cells to extend the selection. Repeat this procedure to select multiple, non-ajdacent blocks of cells.
  - To select one or more adjacent columns: press Ctrl-Shift (Windows or Linux) or Command-Shift (Macintosh) and drag up or down to select the first column. Drag left or right to select additional adjacent columns.
  - To select one or more adjacent rows: press (Windows or Linux) or Command-Shift (Macintosh) and drag right or left to select the first row. Drag up or down to select additional adjacent rows.

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## Moving, Copying, and Deleting Tables

- Click inside the table, open the Table menu, then choose Select, and then choose Table.
- To copy or move the table use the Edit menu's cut, copy, and paste options.
- To delete the table, open the Table menu, then choose Delete, and then choose Table.

## Moving the Contents of a Cell, Row, or Column

To move the contents of a cell, row, or column within a table:

1. Select the text that you want to move. For more information, see Selecting Table Elements.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.
3. Click to place the insertion point in the new location.
4. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.

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## Converting Text into a Table

To convert text into a table:

1. Select the text that you want to convert into a table. Keep in mind that Composer creates a new table row for each paragraph in the selection.
2. From the Table menu, choose Create Table from Selection.
3. Choose the character Composer uses to separate the selection into columns, or specify a different character to use.
4. Leave "Delete separator character" checked to have Composer remove the separator character when it converts the text into a table. If you don't want Composer to delete the separator character, uncheck this option.
5. Click OK.

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# Adding Pictures (Images) to Your Web Page

In this section: Inserting an Image into Your Page Editing Image Properties

## Inserting an Image into Your Page

You can insert GIF, JPEG, and PNG images into your web page. You can also use them to create links. When you insert an image, Composer saves a reference to the image in your page.

1. Place the insertion point where you want the image to appear.
2. Click the Image button on the toolbar, or open the Insert menu and choose Image.
3. Type the location and filename of the image file, or click Choose File to search for an image file on your hard drive or network.
4. Type alternate text that will appear in text-only browsers, and that will appear in other browsers when an image is loading or when image loading is disabled.
5. If needed, click More Properties so you can adjust the settings in the Image Properties dialog box.

Tip: To quickly insert an image: Drag and drop it onto your page.

Tip: While typing in a paragraph that contains one or more images, if you want to insert a line break after all images in the paragraph, choose Break Below Images from the Insert menu.

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## Editing Image Properties

Once you've inserted an image into your page, you can edit its properties and customize the layout in your page, such as the height, width, spacing, and text alignment. If you are not already viewing the Image Properties dialog box, follow these steps:

To edit the properties for a selected image:

1. Double-click the image, or select it and click the Image button on the toolbar to display the Image Properties dialog box. Click More Properties to expand the list of settings. To collapse the list of settings, click Fewer Properties.
   - Image URL: Type the filename and location of the image file. Click Choose File to search for an image file on your hard drive or network.
   - Alternative Text: Enter text that will display in place of the original image; for example, a caption or a brief description of the image. It's a good practice to specify alternate text for readers who use text-only web browsers or who have image loading turned off.
   - Dimensions: Click Custom Size, then specify the new height and width, in pixels. This setting doesn't affect the original image file, just the image inserted in your page. Click Actual Size to undo any changes you've made to the dimensions.
   - Constrain: If you change the image size, it's a good idea to check this in order to maintain the image's aspect ratio (so that it doesn't appear distorted). If you choose this option, then you only need to change the height or width, but not both.
   - Align Text to Image: If you've placed your image next to any text, select an alignment icon to indicate how you want text positioned relative to the image.
   - Spacing: Specify the amount of space surrounding the image; between the image and adjoining text. You can also put a solid black border around the image and specify its width in pixels. Specify zero for no border.
2. To apply additional attributes or JavaScript events, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor.
3. Click OK to confirm your changes.

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# Setting Page Properties

In this section: Setting Page Properties and Meta Tags Setting Page Colors and Backgrounds

## Setting Page Properties and Meta Tags

Use the Page Properties dialog box to enter properties such as the title, author and description of the document you're currently working on. This information is useful if you plan to use the page on a web site, since search engines use this type of information to index your page. You can view this information from the browser window by choosing Page Info from the View menu.

- Open the Format menu and choose Page Title and Properties.

You can edit these properties:

- Title: Type the text you want to appear as the window title when someone views the page through a browser. This is how most web search tools locate web pages, so choose a title that conveys what your page is about.
- Author: Type the name of the person who created the document. This information is helpful to readers who find your document by using a web search tool to search for your name.

  Tip: If you enter the Author name in Composer's preferences, then you won't have to enter it each time you create a new page.

- Description: Enter a brief description of the document's contents. You can also enter search keywords to help others find your page when it is posted on a network.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Setting Page Colors and Background

You can change the background color or specify a background image for the page you're currently working on. These choices affect the way text and links in your page appear to people viewing the page through a browser.

To set the colors and background for the current page:

- Open the Format menu and choose Page Colors and Background.

You can edit these properties:

- Reader's default colors: Select this if you want your page to use the color settings from the viewer or reader's browser for text and links.
- Use custom colors: Select this if you want to specify the colors of text and links. For each element, select a color from the drop-down list. Sample output for each type of link appears in the pane on the right.
- Background image: Select this if you want the background of your page to be an image. Type the name of the image file or click Choose File to locate the image file on your hard drive or network.

  Note: Background images are tiled and override background color selections.

- Note: To apply additional attributes or JavaScript events, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor.

  You can also set the default page background and colors for every new page you create in Composer.

  Tip: To quickly change the background color to the color last used, select the cell, then press Shift + Click on the background color picker.

  [ Return to beginning of section ]

  # Creating Links

  In this section: Creating Links Within the Same Page Creating Links to Other Pages Using Images as Links Removing or Discontinuing Links

  ## Creating Links Within the Same Page

  To create a link within the same page, for example a link that the reader can use to jump from one section to another, you must create an anchor (target location), and then create a link that points to the anchor. Anchors are also called named anchors.

  1. Place the insertion point at the beginning of a line where you want to create an anchor, or select some text.
  2. Click the Anchor button on the toolbar, or open the Insert menu and choose Named Anchor.
  3. Type a unique name for the anchor in the dialog box (up to 30 characters). If you include spaces, they will be converted to underscores (_).
     If you selected some text in step #1, this box already contains a name.
  4. Click OK.
     An anchor icon appears in your document to mark the anchor's location:

  To create the link that the reader can click to jump to the anchor:

  1. Select the text or image that you want to link to the anchor.
  2. Click the Link button or open the Insert menu and choose Link.
  3. To display a list of all named anchors and headings in the page, click More Properties.
  4. Use the Link Properties dialog box to choose the appropriate anchor name.
     - Select a named anchor: If you're creating a link to a named anchor (target), select from a list of the anchors currently available in the page.
     - Select a Heading: If you're creating a link to a level heading (for example, Heading 1 - Heading 6), select from a list of headings currently available in the page.
  5. Click OK.
  6. To test the link you just created, open the File menu and choose Browse Page, then click the link.
  Tip: If you did not first create named anchors, you can use the Link dialog box to create links to headings that already occur in the page.

  [ Return to beginning of section ]

  ## Creating Links to Other Pages

  You can create links from your page to local pages on your own computer or on your workplace's network, or to remote pages on the Internet.

  You can quickly create a link by dragging and dropping it from other windows. For example, you can select a link from a web page, bookmark, or mail and news window and drag and drop it onto your page.

  You can also use the Link Properties dialog box to create a link to another page:

  1. Place the insertion point where you want to create a link, or select the text or image that you want to link to the anchor.
  2. Click the Link button.
  3. To display a list of all named anchors and headings in the page, click More Properties.
  4. Use the Link Properties dialog box to define your link.
     - Link text: If you've already selected an image file or text before clicking the link icon, the selected text or file will be entered here. Otherwise, you must enter the text that you want to use as the link.
     - Link Location: Type the local path and filename or remote URL of the page you want to link to. If you're not sure of the path and filename or a local file, click Choose File to look for it on your hard disk or network. For remote URLs, you can copy the URL from the browser location field. Alternatively, you can select a named anchor or a heading in the current page that you want to link to.
  5. To apply additional attributes or JavaScript events, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor.
  6. Click OK.
  7. To test the link you just created, open the File menu and choose Browse Page, then click the link.

  [ Return to beginning of section ]

  ## Using Images as Links

  You can make images, pictures, and graphic files, such as JPEG, GIF, or PNG files, behave like links in your pages. When the reader clicks a linked image, the browser window displays the page that the image is linked to.

  1. Select an image on your page.
  2. Click the Link button on the toolbar, or open the Insert menu and choose Link.
  3. Use the Link Properties dialog box to link the image to a named anchor or heading within the page, or to a separate local or remote page.

  Tip: Drag and drop a linked image from the Navigator window into a Composer window to copy both the image and the link.

  [ Return to beginning of section ]

  ## Removing or Discontinuing Links

  To remove a link:

  1. Select the linked text (normally blue and underlined) or image.
  2. Open the Format menu and choose Remove Link.

  To discontinue a link, so that text you type after the link is not included as part of the link:

  1. Place the insertion point after a link.
  2. Open the Format menu and choose Discontinue Link.

  [ Return to beginning of section ]

  # Setting Composer Preferences

  In this section: Setting General Composer Preferences Setting Preferences for Colors and Background Images

  ## Setting General Composer Preferences

  This section describes how to set general Composer preferences for saving files and for table editing. These settings apply to every document you create.

  If you are not already viewing the Composer preferences, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences; then click the Composer category.

  You can set these defaults:

  - Maximum number of pages listed: Specify the number of pages that are listed under Recent Pages in the File menu.
  - Retain original source formatting: This option preserves line breaks and the page's original formatting for the HTML source code. Select this if you want to preserve white space (extra lines, tabs, etc.) that makes the HTML source code more readable. This preference does not affect how your pages appear in a browser window.
  - Reformat HTML source: This option reformats the HTML source code to make it more readable, by inserting line breaks and indentation. This preference does not affect how your pages appear in a browser window.
  - Maintain table layout when inserting or deleting cells: Check this if you want Composer to always preserve the table's layout (that is, keep it in a rectangular shape) by adding cells where needed. If you uncheck this option, when you delete one or more cells, Composer removes the cell border as well, which can result in a table with empty spaces, or an outline that appears irregular due to an uneven number of cells.
  - Delete key: Choose the action you want the Delete key to take on selected cells in tables.

  [ Return to beginning of section ]

  ## Setting Preferences for Colors and Background Images

  This section describes how to set preferences for colors and background images that apply to every document you create.

  If you are not already viewing the New Page Settings, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
  2. Open the Composer category and click New Page Settings.

  You can set these defaults:

  - Author name: Enter your name.
  - Default page colors: Select this if you always want your pages to use the color settings from the viewer (reader's) browser for text and link elements.
  - Use custom colors: Select this if you always want to specify the colors that are applied to text and link elements. Then for each element, select a color from the drop-down list.
  - Background image: Type the location and name of an image file, or click Choose File to locate the image file on your hard disk or network.

    Note: Background images are tiled and override background color.

  To change the author name for an individual page: Open the Format menu and choose Page Title and Properties.

  To change the page colors and background image for an individual page: Open the Format menu and choose Page Colors and Background.

  [ Return to beginning of section ]

  20 June, 2001

  Copyright 1994-2001 Netscape Communications Corporation.