This page will explain how to use Composer to make a really great -- but wonderfully simple -- web page.

Dr. Kemmerer created and maintains this page as a public service. Last updated: 3/20/99

 

Step 1: Download Netscape Communicator

• CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NETSCAPE COMMUNICATOR 4.51
• Install the program according to the directions.

Step 2: Setting up your page

• Under the File menu choose "new" and "blank page."
• Under the Format menu choose "Page Colors and Properties"
• Under the "General" Tab, type in the title you want to appear in the blue Netscape bar. for this page, I typed "How to make a Web Page Using Composer" which you can see next to the Netscape or Explorer symbol in the top bar.
• Type in your name as author.
• Under description, type what you want people to see when they do a search. For this page, I typed "Directions for creating a simple web page using Netscape Composer."
• Under keywords, type the words that best describe the topic or topics that you discuss.  For this page, I typed "web editor,  Netscape Composer, creating web pages."
• Under the "Colors and Background" Tab, you can choose the  browser's defaults or set a custom color for your background, text and links. Or, you can insert a background image that you found and saved on the web.

Step 3: Typing in your header.

• Once you have the format set up, you will need to type in your text.
• The first thing to do is to choose "Descriptive Title" from the pull down box in the composition box (the default is "normal"). You can choose a large type size 24 or 36 from the pull down box that shows type size (the default is "12") and if you want to change the color of your heading, select a color from the pull down box (the default is "black"). When you have selected the format, type the title.
• Next you should choose "Descriptive Text" from the pull down box. You can choose a smaller type size (12 is standard). Here you should tell a little about the purpose of the page.
• Next you should choose "address" from the pull down box. Here you can tell who created the site, when it was last updated, and, if you wish, you can make a link so that viewers of your page can email you from the page if they have questions or suggestions.
• To create the email link as I have done above, choose "link" from the tool bar. Type in the words you want the viewer to see under the "enter text to display for new link" box. I typed in "[email protected]." Then in the box that says "link to a page location or local file" type the command "mailto:" (without the quotation marks) followed without any spaces by your email address.  For example I typed: mailto:[email protected]. This will enable viewers to email you by clicking the link (if their browser is correctly configured).
• If you wish, you can insert a horizontal line by clicking "H.Line" on the tool bar.

Step 4: Looking for Ideas

• It is possible to go out on the web and find background images, pictures and buttons to help you build a good looking page.
• Caution:  Be sure that the images and backgrounds are free for the taking and it is a good idea to either use free clip art sites or ask permission before using any images. Free clip art sites often have stipulations about creating a link to their page or giving them credit.  Be sure that you follow their requests.
• To save an image from the web (check to be sure that you have permission to use this image -- there are copyright issues)
• Click the right mouse button.
• A box will pop up.
• Choose "Save Image As"
• A "Save" dialog box will pop up that will allow you to name the file and save it to a particular directory.

Step 5: Creating your page

Headings

• Headings are important for search engines.
• Choose a heading level according to logical classification of your information. Use the pull down box that you used for "address" and "descriptive title."
• To align a heading or other text click on the icon with lines and a down arrow.

Text

• Text can be aligned by using the icon with the lines and the down arrow.
• Text color can be changed by using the solid colored box with the down arrow next to it
• Text can be made bold, italic, underlined or these styles can be removed by selecting the letter A that demonstrates the effect you are looking for.
• It is possible to choose a font; however, you should be aware that the default is whatever the viewer has chosen in his or her browser. You cannot set the font unless your text is saved as a picture file in another program -- as text art for example.

Lists

• To enter a bulleted list like this one, click on the icon that has dots with lines next to it.
• To enter a numbered list, click on the icon that has numbers with lines next to it.
• To add more items, just push the enter key.
• If you make a mistake, or want text that is not included in a list click on the icon that has lines with an arrow pointing left.
• If you want subordinate items under a list item, click on the icon with the lines and a right pointing arrow.

 Images

• To include a picture, click on the image icon.
• Under the "image" tab in the dialog window, you are prompted to enter a file name or to choose a file from your computer. It is usually easier to choose the file than to guess at the location and filename.
• Only images  in the format indicated by the extensions .gif  or .jpg can be inserted into a web page.
• By clicking on the appropriate icon in the section marked "text alignment and wrapping around images," you can choose how to align your image (centered, right or left) and how text will act with regard to it wrapping or lining up with the top, the middle, or the bottom of the image.
• You can size images by changing settings in the "dimensions" part of the box (or by sizing them manually once the dialog box has closed).
• You can put a border or space around your image by changing settings in the "space around image" part of the box.
• You can also choose to provide alternate text for those who are not using graphical browsers (those that support pictures).

Links

• Links can be of two kinds: internal (to places in the same document) or external (to other html files that you have made or to other URL's web addresses).
• For internal links, you will need to set the places you want the link to jump to in the document by marking them as "targets" before you make the link.
• To mark text as a target, block the text and click on the "Target" icon.
• Composer will check the name of the target and allow you to change it.
• Next put the cursor where you want the link to appear. Link text can be created in two ways.
• You can highlight text already typed in, and click the "Link" icon. This highlighted text will appear in the dialog box that pops up, and Netscape Composer will prompt you for the location to link to. In this case, under the part of the box marked "Select named target in current page (optional)," you will choose the name of the target you set for that link.
• Or, click the "Link" icon, and Netscape Composer will prompt you under "link source" to "Enter text to display for a new link." The text you type into this box will be what people will see on the page.  Then,  under the part of the box marked "Select named target in current page (optional)," you will choose the name of the target you set for that link.
• For links to other html documents (web pages) that you have created, under "link to a page location or local file," click choose file and you will be able to browse for the name of your other web pages. You can create the text for the  link in one of two ways.
• You can highlight text already typed in, and click the "Link" icon. This highlighted text will appear in the dialog box that pops up and Netscape Composer will prompt you for the location to link to.  Or, click the "Link" icon, and  Netscape Composer will prompt you under "link source" to "Enter text to display for a new link." The text you type into this box will be what people will see on the page.
• For links to other web sites (URL's), under "link to a page location or local file," type in the http address of the web site you want to link to. You can create the text for the  link in one of two ways.
• You can highlight text already typed in, and click the "Link" icon. This highlighted text will appear in the dialog box that pops up and Netscape Composer will prompt you for the location to link to.  Or, click the "Link" icon, and  Netscape Composer will prompt you under "link source" to "Enter text to display for a new link." The text you type into this box will be what people will see on the page.
• Images can also be used as links and either highlighted and the same procedure followed as for highlighted text, or the image can be inserted and the link tab selected.  The procedure is similar to that for text links.

Tables

 

Table #1

	Department:
	Office Location:
	Phone Number:
	E-mail Address:
	Mailing Address:

 
• To create a table, click the "Table" icon. You can choose the number of rows and number of columns.
• You can also choose the alignment of the table's contents (right, left, or center)
• You can choose to include a caption for your table.
• You can choose to have a border line separate the cells in the table (in Table #1 above the border line width  is set to 1) or to make it invisible by setting the border line width to 0 (as in the Table #2 below).

 

Table #2

	Department:
	Office Location:
	Phone Number:
	E-mail Address:
	Mailing Address:

 
• The table width can be set to a percentage of the window or to a number of pixels
• You can use a background as in Table #2 or leave it the same as the background of the page as in Table #1.
• You can use a caption or not, both of the tables above use captions.

Step 6: Save your file

• Your main page must be saved as index.htm
• If you save your files with filenames that are fewer than 8 characters followed by the three letter extension .htm you will save yourself a lot of trouble.  Although Windows 95 and 98 support long file names, what really happens is that it saves your file as the first six letters followed by a tilde ~ and a number.  For example, the filename "my web page.html" saves as "mywebp~1.htm." Unfortunately, any links you make into which you insert the file name will show in windows as "my web page.html" rather than the real name (mywebp~1.htm) so your links won't work once the pages are on the web.

Step 7: Putting your creation on the web.  (If you join, Geocities you will get free email and an 11 meg site for free including EZ-Upload!)

For Ipswich WS_FTP -- Configure the FTP client for the web server

• Go to "Programs." Choose "Internet Access" and "FTP"
• If the program screen for the licensing information comes up, choose "accept."
• When the screen comes up, choose "new" and fill in the following information:
• Profile Name -- whatever you'd like to call it
• Host Name -- the name or number of the server you have access to (If you join, Geocities you will get free email and an 11 meg site for free!)
• Host Type -- choose automatic detect
• User ID 
• Password
• Account
• Remote Host -- you don't need to fill this field
• Local PC -- A: (or the drive and directory --the path-- that contains your files)
• Put checks in Save Password and Auto Save Config
• Click "OK"
• Put a dot in  "auto"
• Highlight the file on the right side of the screen (remote host) that says "index.html" and click the delete button.
• On the left side of the screen marked "local system" highlight all the files you want to move to the server.  Be sure you include your index.htm file and all the .gif and .jpg files. Then click the arrow pointing in the direction of the box labeled "remote system."  When the message at the bottom of the screen says transfer complete and you see the files on the right side, you will know that you have been successful

If you have a Geocities account, you can use EZ-Upload in the File Manager!

Checking your work

• Open Netscape and check your site. http://www.personal.psu.edu/yourid (be sure to put your user id in place of the word "yourid"
• When the page comes up, if it is not your new page, click on the "Reload" icon. If that doesn't help, you probably didn't follow the FTP directions exactly.
• Once you get your new site up, click on your links.  If they don't work, check your file names as described in Step 6.
• If you have tried these twice, ask for help from whoever supplies your site.