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(Some points for building a basic, but attractive web page.) |
Notice the tools on Netscape Composer. Many are very
similar
to word processing.
If you wish to download Netscape, just click on this Netscape Icon
....
(10-28-98)
1. With Netscape Communicator 4.0 or 4.5, open as a browser, choose “File” and then select “New” then select “Blank Page.” You are now ready to start a Netscape page using a blank composer that has the tools that are shown above.
2. To capture an icon or background from a web source, use Icons and more, http://ejw.i8.com/geog/icons.htm (11-05-05) for numerous sites, place the arrow on the item and, using the PC mouse, click on the right button. Select “Save Image As.” With a Mac, click-and-hold your mouse button in until you get the pop-up menu ... select "Save." A template appears on the screen where you should select your “3 1/2 Floppy Disk.” [If you are using your own PC or Mac, you might want to have created “Folders” to save on the C-Drive/Hard Drive or on a floppy.] Then select “Save.” You have started to place icons and backgrounds where you can begin importing them to your web page. (Beforehand, you may want to set up some empty folders on your floppy to file by type on your disk, such as, folders for Icons, Lines, Backgrounds, Buttons, Animated Icons, and Pictures)
3. Applying a background. Open "Format" and down at the bottom, select “Page Colors and Properties.” On the template that comes up, select "Browse File," or select a color from a pop up window. If you click on "Choose File," you get a template to select the background of your choice from your Floppy or Folder on your hard drive. You should have backgrounds in a folder labeled Background. Select a background and click on “OK,” and this template closes. Now click on “Apply” and the “Close,” and your background is on your page.
4. Importing an Image. To paste an image onto your page, first place the “Cursor” where you want the image on your web page. Then select the tool button for “Image.” On the template, click on “Browse for File.” This lets you select a folder on your floppy disk or C-Drive Folder where you have images stored. [Icons, Lines, Buttons, Animated Icons, or Pictures] Click the image you desire. Click on “OK” then click on “Apply” and then “Close.” To move it or relocate it on you page, you can use the “Edit” command then use “Cut” and “Paste.” If your want to put the same image on the page more than once, simply highlight it, then use “Copy” and “Paste.”
5. Linking an URL. First
highlight an URL that you want to link. Select “Edit” and
“Copy.” Now highlight the term, terms, or URL that you
wish
to link. Then click on the “Link” command
button.
A panel appears where an URL must be entered. Since you
highlighted
and copied the URL, use “Control” and “V” to paste the
URL
into the window. Otherwise type the URL into the dialog
box.
Remember to use “Control” “V” when you don't have a
control
bar with “Edit” and “Copy.” You can also copy an
URL
in the “Location” window of a Netscape Browser and then paste it
into your word document or into your web page. This action
reduces the risk of incorrectly typing a URL. Once you have
made a copy of the URL you can then link all the term, terms, icons or
URL you have on your page, if it is the same URL, one after another,
using
“Control” “V” to paste the URL into the “Link”
template.
e.i., footnotes: (1) or Icons: 
This is not difficult. To check your URL while you are in
the
composer, simply put the cursor in the URL anywhere and click on the
right
button on the mouse. You get a popup window on which you may
select
"Browse to: (and site domain shows appears)."
Clicking
on "Browse to: ..." and the page for that URL should come up in
a new browser if you entered the URL accurately.
6. Adding Your "E-mail Address." Your should type out your e-mail address and link it. You can highlight a term or even an icon, such as a mail box icon, and make it hot for using a Netscape or Explorer mailer. So highlight whatever you want for someone to send you an e-mail, then click on "Link" and in the dialogue box, type without spaces "mailto:your@emailaddress" Then in the browser, when you click on it, an Internet e-mail box will come up for people to connect to you.
7. Inserting a "Table." The button for "Table" is used to put a table on a page. You can set up a table as small as 1 row by 1 column and you can insert icons and backgrounds as you would on a page and link sites or your e-mail. An example is two columns and three rows, set at 70% of the page width, with border width at 6 pixels and centered. With the cursor in a cell use justification to right, left or center justify. If you want to make changes to the table, such as, adding more cells or make one cell span across two or more cells, put the cursor in a cell and "Right Click" on the PC Mouse. On the pop up list, select "Table Properties." Then just play with the command possibilities, such as, changing pixel settings for the border, including zero, or changing the width of the table or the cells in one column of the table.
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8. Pasting a Word Processing Document into a composer. Be sure you have run the spell and grammar checks on the document in word processing.. To paste a lesson plan or research paper into an editor/composer, highlight the document in word processing by opening “Edit” and clicking on “Select All.” Then open “Edit” again and select “Copy.” Now you are ready to “Paste” your document onto a "blank" Netscape Composer by clicking Paste on the tool bar. After this you can begin importing icons and backgrounds, as well as, link the URL’s [web addresses] in your document or lesson plan. Some word processing software lets you select “HTML” format and automatically puts your document into an Internet page, ready to publish.
9. Scanning materials. Scanning software varies. The objective is to get your image to be recognized as a gif or jpg file. The latter is preferable. Gif is more for line work and images with limited color, while jpg is best for images with extensive use of colors. With some scanning software, you may have to use a Graphic Converter. With others, such as, Photoshop depending on the version, they allow your image to be saved as a gif or jpg file. (At ACU the Team 55 Office has a Mac Scanner and scans you image/picture into a PICT format. You have to then use the “Graphic Converter” and the command "Convert More" to change it to jpg format. *** You can insert an IBM formatted disk into the MAC and drag the new jpg image onto the IBM formatted disk. It is OKAY to put such a PC disk into a MAC.)
10. Putting on a "counter." Find a counter from some source, such as, The Free Site, http://www.thefreesite.com/ (12-18-98), and "highlight" and "copy" the HTML code for it. Return to your composer and select the spot on your page you want a counter and put your cursor there. Now open "Insert" and choose "HTML Tag." In the dialogue box that appears, paste in the HTML for the counter using "Control" "V". You will have to make an insertion in the HTML for your file address so it resides in one of your files. When you publish, it will appear as a counter on your page. You can type a greeting before and/or after the counter tab.
11. Creating a "Thumbnail." Most images can be enlarged or reduced by grabbing a corner of the image and moving it out or in. Moving it in and smaller, you can make a thumbnail. Paste the same image on a "New," "Blank Page," and enlarge it if necessary. Then highlight the thumbnail and choose "Link" and put the URL address of the new page where you placed the full size image. * [Keep in mind, this does not in fact reduce the size of the image file, it only reduces the space (width and height dimensions) in which the file is displayed on the page. You are not indeed shrinking the file size. Browsers still read the larger file size causing a page to load no differently than having the image at its original dimensions.] * Points offered by Mike Ritter, University of Wisconson, Stevens Point.
<>12. Creating "Targets." Targets allow viewers to "jump" to different sections of a page, to return to the top of a page or table of contents and to "jump" to a location on another page and return. I have imbedded a target the top of this page. As an example, click on the linked line that follows: Return to the top of the Page.13. "Navigating Your Site." At the bottom of each page linked to your main page, you should have a link to return the viewer to your main page. You could link a phrase, such as, "Return to Main Page." Or you could find or create an icon with "Return" or "Main Page."
14. "Dating Your Page." Always enter the date that you created the page and also enter the date each time you update it. Take a look at the bottom of this page.
15. Adding "Meta Tags." Meta tags enable search engines to look at your site and make it come up in subject searches matching the Meta Tags you provided. To add them, open "Format" and select "Page Colors and Properties" and choose "General." Here enter the title you want for your page. Be sure your name is entered as you desire. Write a brief description of your page and then in the box for keywords, enter the words or phrases separated by commas. An excellent site that discusses Meta Tags is "How to Use Meta Tags" at http://searchenginewatch.internet.com/webmasters/meta.html (10-26-98).
16. "Publishing Your Page(s)." To publish your page, and if your local system or network cannot host your page or a server wants to charge you for hosting a page, choose from the servers available that host free web pages. One reason they may be free is because the server owner may place a banner or table on the page where they earn money by selling space on the banner or in the table. Free servers can be found at this site.
17. "Uploading Your Page(s)." You will need a program to move your page(s) from your C-Drive or floppy disk. This uploading is done using FTP.
18. "Checking Your Web Page." Doctor HTML is a web site that will not only check your page(s) for dead links, but several other things as well. Check it out at: http://www2.imagiware.com/RxHTML/htdocs/single.html (10-28-98) There is also a site called Net Mechanic at http://www.netmechanic.com/ that will check pages.
19. Bibliography of Information for Building
Pages.
Web Warmup Activities, http://www.Colorado.EDU/geography/virtdept/module/webwarmup/webtoc.html
Accessibility and ADA Issues in Web Design, http://www.Colorado.EDU/geography/virtdept/workshops/1998/notes/javascript/navbar.html
These are just basics for creating a page. You can advance to using frames or you can put sound or video on your page. The possibilities are exciting.
Return to the top of the page.