Composer Help

# Creating Web Pages with Composer

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

## Creating a New Page

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 Navigator browser:

- Open 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 create a new page in Composer:

- Click the New button in Composer's toolbar.

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

1. Open the Tasks menu and choose Composer. You see the Composer window.
2. Open the File menu and choose Open File. You see the Open HTML File dialog box.
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 Tasks menu and choose Navigator.
2. Go to a web page by typing the URL of the page (for example, www.netscape.com) in the Location Bar and pressing Enter (Return on Macintosh OS).
3. Open the File menu and choose Edit Page.

   Note: Keep in mind that when you save this page, the HTML part of the page is saved locally, on your hard drive. Other files, such as images and sound files, are not saved. If an image location is static (starts with "http://") and you are connected to the Internet, you will still see that image in the document in Composer and Navigator.

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 and specify the location where you want to save the file. Make sure you preserve the .html extension in the filename.

To change the filename or location of an existing HTML file:

- Choose Save As and select 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 and specify the location where you want to save the file.

Tip: You can 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.

Note: Images do not show in documents saved in the text-only format.

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 Validating the HTML Choosing the Right Editing Mode

## Formatting Paragraphs, Headings, and Lists

To apply a format to a paragraph, begin from the Composer window:

1. Click to place the insertion point (also known as the caret) where you want the format to begin, or select the text you want to format.
2. Choose a paragraph format using the drop-down list 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.
   - Heading 1 - Heading 6: Formats the paragraph as a heading. Heading 1 is a top-level heading, while Heading 6 is the lowest-level heading.
   - Paragraph: Inserts a paragraph tag (use this to begin a new paragraph). The paragraph includes top and bottom margins.
   - Address: Can be used for a web page "signature" that indicates the author of the page and the person to contact for more information, for example:
     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.
   - Preformat: 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. Click to place the insertion point anywhere within the text that you want to format.
2. Using the drop-down list 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. Click to place the insertion point within the line of 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 a block of text by selecting the text and clicking the Numbered List or Bulleted List buttons on the Format 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. Select a bullet or number style from the drop-down list. 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. Click to place the insertion point within the paragraph or line of text you want to align.
2. Open the Format menu and choose Align; then choose an alignment option.

Note: You can also use the Format toolbar to align text.

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## Working with Lists

To end a list and continue typing body text:

1. Click to place the insertion point at the end of the last list item and press Enter (Return on Macintosh OS).
2. Press Enter again. Each time you press Enter, Composer outdents one level.

To change one or more list items to body text:

1. Click to place the insertion point within the list item, or select the list items.
2. In a numbered list, click the numbered list button (or in a bulleted list, click the bulleted list button) in the Format toolbar. The list buttons act as a toggle.

To position indented text below a list item:

1. Click to place the insertion point within the list item.
2. Press Shift-Enter to create the hanging indent.
3. Type the text you want to indent.
4. Press Shift-Enter 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. Double-click the bulleted or numbered list button in the Format toolbar.

Tip: You can increase or decrease the indentation of list items, by clicking on the Indent or Outdent button on the Format 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 you can just type a color name (for example, "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 separate 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, and so on) 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. Click to place 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. You see the Find and Replace dialog box.
3. Type the text you want to locatein the "Find what" field. 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. Click to place 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. You see the Find and Replace dialog box.
3. 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. If you don't select this option, the search will find matching text in both upper and lower case.
   - 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, begin from the Composer window:

1. Click to 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 any of 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: Select this to add depth to the line by adding a bevel shading.
   - Alignment: Specify where you want to place the line (left, center, or right).
3. Click Use as Default to use these settings as the default the next time you insert a horizontal line.
4. To manually edit the properties of a horizontal line, click Advanced Edit. See the section, Advanced Property Editor, for details.

Tip: You can select "Show All Tags" from the View menu to show all the HTML elements in yellow boxes. You can double-click any yellow box to display the Advanced Property Editor dialog box.

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## Inserting Special Characters

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

1. Click to place the insertion point where you want the special character to appear.
2. Open the Insert menu and choose Characters and Symbols. You see the Insert Character dialog box.
3. Select a category of characters.
   - If you choose Accent Uppercase or Accent Lowercase, then open the Letter drop-down list and select the letter you wish to apply an accent to. (Note: not all letters have accented forms.) Select Common Symbols to insert special characters such as copyright symbols or fractions.
4. From the Character drop-down list, select the character you want to insert.
5. 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.

6. 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 associated 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 currently 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. The Advanced Property Editor 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 any of the three lists, 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 click in 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 apply 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

Unlike Netscape, Mozilla does not come with a spell checker. Since the spell checker that is bundled with Netscape is from another company, and is a closed source project, it cannot be included with Mozilla.

You can, however, add a spell checker to Mozilla easily, by installing an open-source spell checker at Mozdev.org. This project provides an "XPI" (cross platform installable) file. Several versions of the XPI are available, depending on which Mozilla version they work with. First determine which Mozilla version you are using (by going to Help| About Mozilla), and then click on the appropriate XPI link. You will be asked to confirm that you want to install a piece of software. Click OK to proceed. Once it has been successfully downloaded and installed, restart Mozilla. Open Composer, and you should see the Spell button added to the toolbar:

When you click on the "Spell" button, you should see the following box pop up:

Make sure you select your language before you begin. Then click Recheck Page.

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## Validating the HTML

Before you put your document on a web server so that others can see it, you should first check the document's HTML formatting to make sure it conforms to web standards. Documents containing validated HTML are less likely to cause problems when viewed by different browsers. Just visually checking your web pages in Navigator doesn't ensure that your document will appear correctly when viewed in other web browsers.

Composer provides a convenient way for you to check that your document conforms to W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) HTML standards. Composer uses the W3C HTML Validation Service, which checks your document's HTML syntax for correctness and provides information on how to correct errors.

Note: You must be connected to the Internet to use this feature.

To validate your document's HTML syntax:

1. Open the Edit menu, and choose Validate HTML. If you have unsaved changes, Composer asks you to save them before proceeding.
2. When the W3C HTML Validation Service page appears, click "Validate this document".

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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 Show/Hide, and then make sure there is a checkmark 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 button on the Composition toolbar 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. Click to place the insertion point where you want the table to appear.
2. Click the Table button on the Composition toolbar. The Insert Table dialog box appears.
3. Type the number of rows and columns you want.
   - (Optional) Enter a size for the table width, and select either pixel or percentage of the window.
4. 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 viewed in a browser.

5. To apply additional table attributes or JavaScript, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor.
6. 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.

Tip: To insert a table within a table, open the Insert menu and choose Table.

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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 currently 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 Cells.
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 drop-down list.
   - Caption: Choose the caption placement from the drop-down list.
   - 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.

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. The Table Properties dialog box appears.
2. Click the Cells tab to edit the following properties:
   - Selection: Choose Cell, Row, or Column from the drop-down list. 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: Select a vertical and horizontal alignment type for the text or data inside each cell.
   - Cell Style: Select Header from the drop-down list for column or row headers (which centers and bolds the text in the cell); otherwise choose Normal.
   - Text Wrap: Select "Don't wrap" from the drop-down list to keep text from wrapping to the next line unless you insert a paragraph break. Otherwise, choose Wrap.
   - Background Color: Select 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 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 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, row, or column 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 OS) while dragging over the cells you want to select. To select individual cells in a table, hold down the Ctrl key and click on 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 on the left, 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 OS), and then dragging over the 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. The contents of the cell will be in one 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, begin from the Composer window:

1. Open the Edit menu, choose Preferences, and then choose Composer.
2. Under Table Editing, set the following preferences:
   - Make sure that "Maintain table layout when inserting or deleting cells" is checked to ensure that you don't get an irregularly-shaped table.
   - Choose the way the Delete key will behave (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:

- Click in the table, open the Table menu, choose Select, and then choose 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 OS) 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 OS) and then click inside a cell. Keep pressing Ctrl (Windows or Linux) or Command (Macintosh OS) as you click to select additional cells.
  - To extend a selection to include adjacent cells: press Ctrl (Windows or Linux) or Command (Macintosh OS) 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-adjacent blocks of cells.
  - To select one or more adjacent columns or rows: press Ctrl-Shift (Windows or Linux) or Command-Shift (Macintosh OS) and drag up or down to select the first column or row. Drag left or right to select additional adjacent columns or rows.

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## Moving, Copying, and Deleting Tables

To move table:

1. Click inside the table.
2. Open the Table menu, 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 again, 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. Open the Edit menu, and choose Cut.
3. Click to place the insertion point in the new location.
4. Open the Edit menu, and 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. Open the Table menu and choose Create Table from Selection. You see the Convert to Table dialog box.
3. Choose the character Composer uses to separate the selection into columns, or specify a different character to use. If you choose Space as the separator for columns, choose whether or not you want Composer to ignore multiple space and treat them as one space.
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.

To insert an image:

1. Click to 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. You see the Image Properties dialog box.
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 currently 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.
   - URL is relative to page location: If checked, Composer converts the URL to be relative to the page's location. This is especially useful if you plan to copy your pages to a web server so that others can view them. Using relative URLs allows you to keep all your linked files in the same place relative to each other, regardless of their location on your hard disk or a web server. Unchecking this box causes Composer to convert the URL to a full (absolute) URL. You typically use absolute URLs when linking to images on other web servers (not stored locally on your hard disk). If you have unsaved changes, you must first save the page in order to enable this checkbox.
   - Alternate 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.
   - Don't use alternate text: Choose this option if the image does not require alternate text.
   - Dimensions: Select 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.
   - Image Map: Click Remove to remove any image map settings.
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 the View menu and choosing Page Info.

1. Open the Format menu and choose Page Title and Properties.
2. Edit any of the following 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.

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## 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, begin from the Composer window:

1. Open the Format menu and choose Page Colors and Background.
2. Edit any of the following 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.

   - URL is relative to page location: If checked, Composer converts the URL to be relative to the page's location. This is especially useful if you plan to copy your pages to a web server so that others can view them. Using relative URLs allows you to keep all your linked files in the same place relative to each other, regardless of their location on your hard disk or a web server. Deselecting this option causes Composer to convert the URL to a full (absolute) URL. You typically use absolute URLs when linking to images on other web servers (not stored locally on your hard disk). If you have unsaved changes, you must first save the page in order to enable this checkbox.

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.

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# 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. Click to 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. You see the Named Anchor Properties dialog box.
3. Type a unique name for the anchor in the Anchor Name field (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. You see the Link Properties dialog box.

- If you're creating a link to an HTML file on your computer, click Choose File to locate it.
- If you're creating a link to a named anchor (target), select it from the list of the anchors currently available in the page.
- If you're creating a link to a level heading (for example, Heading 1 - Heading 6), select it from the list of headings currently available in the page.

3. Click OK.

Note: 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.

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## 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 links and bookmarks from other windows. For example, you can select a link from a web page, bookmark, or Mail window and drag and drop it onto your page.

To create a link to another page:

1. Click to 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. You see the Link Properties dialog box.
3. 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 for 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.
   - URL is relative to page location: If checked, Composer converts the URL to be relative to the page's location. This is especially useful if you plan to copy your pages to a web server so that others can view them. Using relative URLs allows you to keep all your linked files in the same place relative to each other, regardless of their location on your hard disk or a web server. Deselecting this option causes Composer to convert the URL to a full (absolute) URL. You typically use absolute URLs when linking to pages on other web servers (not stored locally on your hard disk). If you have unsaved changes, you must first save the page in order to enable this checkbox.

   > Hint: To copy a link on a web page, you can also right-click (Control + Click on Macintosh OS) a link on a web page and choose Copy Link Location.

4. To apply additional attributes or JavaScript events, click Advanced Edit to display the Advanced Property Editor.
5. Click OK.
6. To test the link you just created, open the File menu, choose Browse Page, and then click the link.

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## Using Images as Links

You can make images, 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.

Note: To remove the blue border on images used as links, open the Link Properties dialog box and enter 0 in the Solid Border field.

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## 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 Links.

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

1. Click to place the insertion point where you want the link to end.
2. Open the Format menu and choose Discontinue Link.

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# Publishing Your Pages on the Web

If your pages exists only on your local hard disk, you can browse your pages, but no one else can. Composer lets you publish your pages to a remote computer called a web server. When you publish your pages to a web server, Composer copies (uploads) your pages to a computer that lets others browse your pages. To find a web server where you can publish your pages, ask your ISP or system administrator.

In this section: Publishing a Document Updating a Published Document Changing the File Name or Publishing Location Creating a New Publishing Site Changing the Default Publishing Site Deleting a Publishing Site Publishing Settings

## Publishing a Document

To publish a document on a web server:

1. Open the HTML document that you want to publish, or create a new Composer document.
2. Open the File menu and choose Publish. If you have previously defined a default publishing location for this document, Composer uploads the document to the specified location.

- If you have not defined a publishing location for this document, Composer displays the Settings tab in the Publish Page dialog box so you can enter this information. See Publish Page - Settings for more information.
- If you have never saved the document, Composer displays the Publish tab in the Publish Page dialog box, so you can enter the document's file name. See Publish Page - Publish for more information.

3. To view your page, enter the page's HTTP address in Navigator's Location Bar. Test the page's links and make sure there are no missing images.

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### Tips for Avoiding Broken Links or Missing Images

- Make sure your Composer file names end with the .HTML file extension. Make sure your image file names end with the .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG file extension. Don't use spaces or other special symbols in your file names. Keep your file names short and use only lowercase letters and numbers.
- If your images appear as broken links when you browse your pages on the web server, open the Image Properties dialog box for each image (by double-clicking each image in the page) and make sure you've removed the file:/// part of the URL. Once you're done correcting the links, publish your pages again.

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## Updating a Published Document

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## Changing the File Name or Publishing Location

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## Creating a New Publishing Site

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## Changing the Default Publishing Site

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## Deleting a Publishing Site

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## Publishing Settings

Also include link to global Publishing prefs.

In this section: Publish Page - Publish Publish Page - Settings Publish Settings

### Publish Page - Publish

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### Publish Page - Settings

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### Publish Settings

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# Composer Preferences

This section describes the settings in the Composer preferences panel. If you are not currently viewing the panel, follow these steps:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Double-click the Composer category to expand the list.

In this section: Composer Preferences - Composer Composer Preferences - New Page Settings Composer Preferences - Publishing

## Composer Preferences - Composer

Composer preferences allow you to specify settings 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.
2. Click the Composer category.

- Recent Pages Menu: Specify the maximum number of pages that are listed under Recent Pages in the File menu.
- When Saving Files:

- 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.

- Table Editing:

- Maintain table layout when inserting or deleting cells: Select 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 deselect 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: Select the action you want the Delete key to perform on selected cells in tables.

- Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Editing:
Use CSS styles instead of HTML elements and attributes: to be supplied.

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## Composer Preferences - New Page Settings

New page preferences allow you to specify settings 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.

- Author: Enter your name.
- Default Page Appearance: 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.

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## Composer Preferences - Publishing

text to come.

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27 February 2002