Netscape Composer Tutorials 2

Formatting Page Properties You will notice that this page has a colored background. Not all web sites have just a white background. If you wish to have a colored background, or a picture as a background image, you must go to Format in the Menu at the top of the Composer window and select Page Colors and Properties. See example two pictures down. The dotted lines are the outline of an invisible table. I'll get to tables later in this page. Notice that the page color is white, with a light grid in the background. In the Page Properties window I selected 'Choose File' in the Background Image area and picked this tiny picture (bggrid.gif)

which is 'tiled' across the entire background. If you want just a colored background then select a color, not a image. Netscape 6.2.1 window HERE (pop-up image).

Making text or pictures into Links Just type to add words to your web page. If you wish to make the text into a link to another web page or site, just highlight the words you want to be the link by clicking, holding the mouse button down, and dragging across the word or words. Put your pointer over the highlighted area and right click (not left). In the short cut window that will pop up select 'Create Link Using Selected ...' See Netscape 6.2.1 link window HERE (pop-up image).

To insert a picture click the Image button

and the following window will pop up (see Netscape 6.2.1 insert image window HERE). Click Choose File and browse to the image file you want. Tip, you can right click pictures on the Internet and save them to you computer by selecting 'Save Picture As' (IE) or 'Save Image As' (Netscape).

To change your link colors, again go to Format/Page Colors and Properties, and click the color buttons next to the Link Text, Active Link Text, and Followed Link Text labels, in the Page Properties window and select your colors. Netscape 6.2.1 window HERE.

Remember, highlighting text and right clicking, selecting 'Create Link Using Selected ...' will bring up the same window as clicking the Link button will.

When you want to make a link you must type in either a relative or absolute link name ... see picture below:

Below is a brief example of making a picture a link (see also - Netscape 6.2.1 Insert Image window HERE):

File names and saving files

Relative links are links to .html pages on your web site. Absolute links go to web sites outside of yours.

Example: In the next section is a link to a web page on this site called tables.html In the links window that is all I need to type, tables.html (relative link; meaning file is relative to the other files - they are all on the same server). There is also an absolute link (absolute - a web site not on that server) at the bottom to a web site offering more detailed tutorials on Composer. I had to type in the entire address, including the http:// part of the address, since that page is not on this web server.

Some web servers are case sensitive, so it's a good rule of thumb to name the web pages you are designing and saving first to your computer with all lower case letters, no capitals. I would recommend avoiding spaces also. It use to be that some web servers would not recognize file names with more than 8 characters. That is not as prevelant today, but if at all possible try and keep your file names short and sweet.

You cannot see it, but I have a two column table holding the pictures and text side by side above. You use tables to align objects and anchor them into position (don't use the darn space bar, believe me). All computer monitors have different resolution, or display settings. What may look correct on your computer may look totally out of alignment on a friend's computer due to different screen resolutions and browser versions. The three most common screen resolutions are 800 x 600 (<< most common), 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480. This is the width and height of your viewing screen in pixels (little dots of color across your screen). If your computer's monitor is set to 800 x 600, that is the size of the web page you design in Composer. Someone who has an old video card (with not enough memory to view a screen size of 800 x 600) or a small 14" monitor, are going to have to scroll left to right to see your entire web page, and items will appear larger than they do on your computer.