Univ of MD College of Arts and Humanites: Digital Technology in the Arts and Humanities

University of MD College of Arts and Humanities

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Creating a Web Page Using Netscape Composer
http://www.arhu.umd.edu/technology/workshops/websitecreation/composernotes.html

View HTML
Launch Netscape (download current version if necessary, http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp)
View Menu/ Page Source Basic HTML
<head>
<title>
</title>
</head>
<body>

</body>
</html>
Glossary of HTML tags: http://www.umd.edu/HTMLClasses/glossary.html
Introduction to HTML from MITH: http://www.mith.umd.edu/teaching/tutorials/html/index.html

Creating Page with Composer's Blank Page
Copy and paste text created with your word processor into a blank Composer page.

Open Word Proccessing File. Use "BillBugHome Page.wrd" or a document of your own.
Edit Menu > Select All
Edit Menu > Copy

Return to Netscape Communicator
File Menu > New > Composer Page
Edit Menu > Paste Without Formatting
Note: You can use paste or paste .

Formatting the Page
Format Menu > Page Title and Properties
Enter information for Page Title, Author and Description.
Note: View > HTML Source, to see that information is entered in Meta tags in the Head tag.

Format Menu > Page Colors and Background...
Click on "use custom colors" radio button to create your own color scheme.

Format Menu- (or buttons along the top of the window)

These options are used for setting up the "look" of your web page.
Just like in a regular word processor you must select the text to be editing then the desired change from the menu.

Format "Bill Bug" to look more like a title.

Change font to helvetica. Format Menu > Font >

Change the size of Bill Bug, using Format Menu > Size > Large

Change the size of the sections headings (My Hobbies, Resume and Favorite Web Sites) using heading 3 under the body text drop down.

Can you see a difference? View Menu > HTML Source (or HTML Source button); What do you notice about the tags around the title?

Apply

Select Hobby list and use Numbered List button (or Format Menu > List > Numbered)

Select Resume list and use Bulleted List button (or Format Menu > List > Bulleted)

Use Indent Button on toolbar to indent lines of poem. Watch out for spaces that will hurt formatting.

Creating a Link
To a URL
Select the Washington Post Online URL; InsertMenu > Link; notice that the address appears in the link location field.
To another File
Insert new text at the bottom: "Hints for using composer."
Select the text; Insert Menu > Link; Click Choose File button, select composernotes.html from directory.
To prompt mail
Select email address, Insert Menu > Link, enter mailto:email@umd.edu (replacing email with the appropriate address.)

Preview Page and Check Links
Click browse button to load this page in Navigator. Save work as prompted. Close Navigator window when you want to return to Composer to continue editing.

Creating a Link- Using Anchors
1. Add anchors to page
Open Resume.htm
Select the Professional Experience heading; Select Insert Menu > Named anchor click OK. Repeat for Education Heading and Publications Heading.
2. Link within page
Select [professional experience] button at top of page; Insert Menu > Link select "#professional_experience" from dropdown menu.
Repeat with other categories.
3. Try Link to page's targets from other document- Bill Bug's Home page. Add # + the name of the anchor to the link . For example, resume.htm#Education (case matters).

Inserting an Image
Insert Menu > Image... / click Choose File Button
Select Billbug.gif; enter alternative text : "picture of Bill Bug"

Insert Menu/ Image/
Enter url in the Image File Name or Location box
http://www.inform.umd.edu/Pictures/umidentity/webglobesm.gif
enter alternative text : "smallum logo"

Preview Page
Click view in navigator button. Save work as prompted. Close Navigator window when you want to return to Composer to continue editing.

Working with Tables
Insert Menu > Table...
Enter desired number of rows and columns; leave the other values set to defaults for now. Enter data directly on web page.
To add rows or columns use
Table Menu > Insert> Row below, for example.
Fine tune your table with Table Menu > Table Properties...

Other Tools
Use the Spell Check button to check the spelling of the document.
Insert Menu > Table of Contents to create a table of contents based on formated text.

Publishing
The process you use for publishing your page will depend on where your will be storing your pages. You can FTP files using Fetch or WS_FTP to your WAM account or the College Web Server, Calliope, for example. For more information see:

Uploading to the CollegeWeb Server, Calliope
Windows users: http://www.arhu.umd.edu/technology/workshops/ftp/fsecurehelp.html
Macintsoh users: http://www.arhu.umd.edu/technology/workshops/ftp/fugu.html

Uploading to your Wam Account
OIT Help Desk: http://www.helpdesk.umd.edu/documents/1/1364/#wam_web_upload

Editing a Web Page
File Menu > Open Page in Navigator to view your work in progress.
File Menu > Edit Page to edit your work.

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Contact Information:

Catherine Hays Zabriskie, Associate Director, Academic Technology
301-405-2886, chays@deans.umd.edu
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-1610