Netscape Composer Reference Guide

Creating a New Page 

From the File menu, choose New and then choose Blank Page. Or, click the Composer button on the Component bar. A Composer window opens containing a blank page. The original browse window remains open behind the Composer window.

Edit the Page (or Frame) You're Browsing 

Choose Edit Page or Edit Frame from the File menu. The current Navigator window becomes a Composer window containing the document you were viewing. You can also drag the Location icon and drop it on the Component bar.

Editing an Existing Page

Choose Open Page from the File menu in Composer. You see a dialog box where you can enter the filename or URL of the page you want to edit. Select the file you want, click Composer, then click Open. A Composer window opens containing the specified file.

Saving Your Page

Choose Save from the File menu or click the Save button on the Composition toolbar. You see a dialog box where you can enter a filename. Name your file something ending in *.htm or *.html, such as my.html, give the page a title, and then click OK.
 

Composing and Editing Your Page

Editing text in Composer works the same as in most word-processing applications. Using the two toolbars, drag and drop features, and the pop-up menus, most functions for making web pages can be accessed.
Composition Toolbar




Use these items to create, open, and save Web pages, publish (upload) files to a remote server; view your Web page in the browser; perform standard editing tasks; create links and targets; insert images, horizontal rules, and tables; check spelling.

Formatting Toolbar


Use these items to apply paragraph formatting; specify fonts, font sizes, and font styles; apply text color, and control text alignment.

Formatting Text

Select the text; then choose a paragraph style, alignment option, or both, from the Formatting toolbar. Or, select the text; then choose Paragraph or Style from the Format menu. A right-click on the selected text will allow you to choose Paragraph/List Properties or Character Properties from the pop-up menu. The formatting affects all text in the selection, or the text in which the insertion point is located.
 
Character Properties include: font face, color, and size; and styles; bold, italics, underline, superscript, subscript, strikethrough, blinking, and nonbreaking.

Paragraph Properties include: heading sizes, list types, and alignment.

To Remove Formatting: select text, and then click on the Remove All Text Styles button in Formatting toolbar.

Adding Color to Text

Select the text whose color you want to change and click the Font Color button on the Formatting toolbar. In the Color dialog, select a color or define your own custom color. You can specify default text color in the Colors and Background panel of the Page Colors and Properties dialog box.
 

Adding Background Color or Image

Under Format menu select Page Colors and Properties or right-click the mouse anywhere on the document and select Page Properties from pop-up menu. Choose Colors and Background tab. Click on Background color and select a color or define your own custom color. Select one of the existing color combinations by clicking on Color Schemes.

To select a graphic as the background, type in URL of image in the box labeled Use Image or choose a file by clicking the Choose File... button.

Adding Images

Place the insertion point where you want the image to appear in your document. Choose Image from the Insert menu or click the Image button on the Composition toolbar.

Type the name and path of the image file you want to insert in your document. If you're not sure of the file name or its location, click Choose File... to select an image file from the directory list.

To quickly insert an image, cut and paste it, or drag and drop it to the location you want on your page. You can edit image properties by right clicking on the image and choosing Image Properties from pop-up menu.

You can specify Image dimensions, image alignment, and space around the image. Click on Alt.Text/LowRes to type the text that you want to have appear in place of the specified image file. You should always specify alternative text for readers who use text-only Web browsers, or who have graphics turned off.

Tip: If the document you're editing contains an animated GIF file, click Esc to stop it from continually loading so that you can work in the document.

Making a Target

Place the cursor at the beginning of a line for which you want to create a target. Choose Target from the Insert menu or click the Target button on the Composition toolbar.

Type a name for the target in the edit box. This name will appear in the target list of the Link Properties dialog. Click OK. A special Target icon appears in your document, only visible in the Composer window, to mark the location.
 

Making a Link

Select the text or image you want to create a link for. Choose Link from the Insert menu or click the Link button on the Composition toolbar. Enter the file name or URL to link to or select a target in the Link Properties dialog box. Click OK

To create a link to a page displayed in the browser, drag the link icon that's to the left of

the location box from the Navigator window to a Composer window. You can also drag

a link from a bookmark, mail, or news window and drop it on a document in the Composer window.

To make an image a link, click on image. Click on the Link button on the Composition toolbar. Enter the file name or URL to link to. Click OK.
 

Adding Tables

Place the insertion point where you want the table to appear in your document. Choose Table from the Insert menu or click the Insert Table button on the Formatting toolbar. In the New Table Properties dialog, set the properties you want.

Click OK to accept the settings and close the dialog box. Click Apply to preview the settings you've specified and then click Close to accept them and exit the dialog box.

Once you've created a table, choose Table Properties from the Format menu or right click on table and choose Table Properties from pop-up menu. You can set various properties for rows and cells, or modify the properties you set for the table itself by selecting the appropriate tab.

Adding and Deleting Rows, Columns, and Cells

To add a row, column, or cell: click in the table where you want the addition to appear. From the Insert menu, choose Table and then choose Row, Column or Cell.

To delete a row, column, or cell: click in the row, column, or cell you want to delete. From the Edit menu, choose Delete Table and then choose Table, Row, Column, or Cell.

Adding Raw HTML 

Place cursor where you want tag to appear. Choose HTML Tag from the Insert menu. A dialog box appears that lets you type the HTML you want. Click Enter at the end of each line to ensure that your HTML is easily readable. You can only enter one tag at a time. Although the Composer does not display these objects, it does insert special HTML tag icons so you know where they are.

You can add additional HTML codes to tables and links by clicking on Extra HTML in the Link, Image or Table Properties dialog box.