There are limitations to this program, just like other programs, but I will outline them here. First of all, if you want to use the 'View' function, you must have Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 4.0 or later installed somewhere on your computer. The viewer is internal to HTML Express, but it uses some of the functionality of MSIE to give you it's own functions. Also, you must use the properties dialogue box to give HTML Express a default directory for your graphics. Most of us will agree, that good organization is a must in creating a web site, and therefore, having a default directory where all your graphics go is necessary. This also means that you have the freedom to code with the finished product in mind, and unlike some other HTML Editors, not be tied down to making it necessary to have the files in the directory when you are coding.
You will notice that, when running the program, many of the items are not available from the pulldown menus or the button bar. This is because, naturally, if you don't have a file to format, save or print, you don't need them. And also, the program would generate an error if you tried. Also, naturally, as soon as you need your menu/button items, you will get them.
Most of what HTML Express is and does can be broken down into three general pull-down menus:
Text Formatting
Inserting Items
Web Page
I will probably skip Bold, Italics & Underline because, everyone who has a word processor on their computer, and anyone who has gotten this far, should know the functionality of these items. Suffice it to say that they are included in the Formatting Pull Down menu as well as the button bar on the main screen.
ALIGNMENT
The Left & Right alignments are in the form of :
<p align right> This is the paragraph </p>
The Center Alignment is the so-called 'Netscape Center':
<CENTER> This is the paragraph </CENTER>
HTML Express uses this version because it's the most consistent with what would be used on a printed page and a whole lot better looking on a web page. Most WYSIWIG editors on the market these days use the other way, but in reality, it looks a lot better the other way.(Editor's Opinion)
Clicking on the font size pull down menu series, with a text selection, you can change your selection into any one of the font sizes allowable in HTML.
Keep in mind that these provide their own Open Font tag and Close Font tag. Therefore, they are only to be used when only one font characteristic is to be used. If you want both the Font Size & Font Color changed on your selection, use the Font Format Assistant (next).
Font Format Assistant
This assistant is to be used when you want BOTH the color & the font size changed on the same section of selected text.
If this is a link to another web site (http://www, etc), you will need to type in the www address & then click on the HTTP radio button. The program will automatically supply the 'HTTP://', as well as all the other link tag parts for you.
If this link is to a Named Anchor within this document, you can either type in the name of the anchor, or choose the anchor from a pull down list of all the Named Anchors on the page, and then click on the Named Anchor radio button. This provides all the appropriate HTML tag syntax for you.
Also, if you are creating a link which will be used in a frame, then, the optional 'Target Name' text box can be used to supply the name of the target frame in which you want it to appear.
And last but not least, if you click in the 'None' radio button, the default link, not referencing a named anchor or an external URL will be used.
As with most of the other items, the Link command is available in the formatting pull-down menu as well as the HTML Express Toolbar.
As you will also see, you can designate your image as an Image Map & give it the URL of the Client side image map. Once you click on 'Select Picture', you can browse to anwhere your image is, select it and it will appear in the box in the lower portion of the dialogue box. The width & the height have been entered for you, so there will be no calculation necessary, unless you want to change the sizes. If you do not enter a number in the Border text box, then the default, Border=0 will be used.
Once all the data is exactly how you want it, just click the 'Apply button & the information will be transferred to your web page.
Forms are broken down into two 'Assistants' because Forms can get a little complex. The two Assistants are the Basic Form Assistant and the Form Content Assistant.
The Form Assistant basically gives you the shell of a form. It allows you to set the Action the form is to make (URL - Like a CGI script or Email), and set the transfer method (POST or GET).
Form Content Assistant
This assistant provides the following components and their options:
| Text Field | Name, Default Value, Length & Maximum Length |
| Password Field | |
| Hidden Text | |
| Upload a File | |
| Radio Button | Name, Default Value |
| Check Box | |
| Text Box | Name, Default Value, Number of Rows, Number of Columns |
| Pop-Up Menu | Name, Multiple Selection |
| Selection List | Name, Rows in Scroll Bar, Multiple Selection |
| Submit Form | Name, Button Title |
| Reset Form |
Default Option List Item - gives you the following:
<OPTION SELECTED>
This will be the default item selected in the selection list
There are technically two sections to the Frames Assistant. The first one deals with Frames in general. This is where you choose the border color and size and the orientation of your frames on the HTML page. The border color & size are self-explanatory. The orientation means that you are choosing whether your main frames focus is in rows or columns.
The second section deals with the aspects or properties of the frames themselves. As you will notice, at the bottom, there are 4 numbered buttons. Each of the features you are going to choice in this section need to be made for each frame you design. Once you make your choices, you click on the corresponding frame number to 'save' your choices for that frame into memory. Keep in mind that if you make new choices and click the same number, you overwrite your first batch of choices.
Also, it's best to design your frames in order, 1 through 4 because it's usually easier to keep track, mentally, of what you are actually designing. The URL box allows you to either type in your html page for the frame, or browse your hard disk for it. The Subdirectory box is only necessary if the file you choose is not in the root directory where the main frames page is. It is totally optional. As any frame designer knows, you need a name for each frame to act as a target for links. The Name box is where you assign your fram a name. Next, you assign the percentage of the screen the current frame is to take. All that's left now is the Scroll and Frame Border boxes. In the Scroll box, you have three choices, Auto, Yes and No. In the Frame Border box, you only have two choice, Yes or No.
Once you have completed your choices for your first frame, click the '1' button to save your choices into memory. This will clear the text entry boxes and allow you to make new choice for your next frame. Repeat the above for each of the frames you are designing. Once you have selected all your frames choices, click. The 'Apply' button. This action will put all your information on your page. It will even put in a section (which you need to change) which, for people using a non-frames-enabled browser, will either tell them what you want, or give them an HTML page to view.
In the Insert Pull-Down Menu, you have many other Frames capabilities. They are as follows:
FrameSet With Rows - This allows you to add another frameset with rows
FrameSet With Columns - This allows you to add another frameset with columns (duh!)
No Resize - This gives you the no resize command for the particular frame it's in.
NoFrames Tag- This gives you the following:
<NOFRAMES>
<BODY>
This is where you put the message for those people who don 't have frames
</BODY>
</NOFRAMES>
BASIC HTML Tags
Line Break, Paragraph & Horizontal Rule are the first three of these insertable HTML Tags. Also, sometimes, things happen so that you need to open or close the HTML, HEAD, TITLE, or BODY of an HTML Document. This menu item adds the open and close tags individually for these items when needed.
The Table Assistant does things a little differently. Here you can create the Table with the amount of rows and cells you want and then insert the text or image inside the cells individually. One of the great features of the HTML Express's implementation of Tables is that with 'indenting', in a hierarchical fashion, it is made much more easily readable.
The Table Row tag is indented to the first tab stop inside the margin. Then, the Table Cell tag is indented to the second tab stop inside the Table Row tags.
Also, there is a Background Color item which can be selected. This can be put within the Table Open Tag, the Table Row Open tag, or the Table Cell Open Tag. But remember there's no way to automate this one. Wherever you cursor is, that's where it will be inserted. The best choice is to put your cursor just inside the closing bracket of the tag. This way, a space is inserted just before the BGColor command is inserted and it is put in a reasonable place.
There is also a list of common Table Cell attributes that are insertable. Again, there is no really good way of automating this either except to make it necessary to put your cursor just to the right of the 'TD' inside the Table Cell open tag. If you don't, you will be prompted to do so. The cell attributes are :
Cell Alignment (vertical & horizontal)
Cell Width & Height
Cell Spacing & Padding
ColSpan & RowSpan
NoWrap
JAVASCRIPT
For the JavaScript savvy, HTML Express includes some basic shells for some JavaScript commands. Naturally, the basic Javascript shell is included along with the following:
For Loop
Function - (generic tag "FunctionNameGoesHere" needs to be replace with designed function name)
If
If Else
While Loop
With Object
Along with these, the basic OnMouseOver and OnMouseOut events are included too. This is the exact text which will be inserted:
onMouseOver="WhatToDo(); window.status='StatusBarMessageHere'; return true" ("WhatToDo" is highlighted upon insertion) &
onMouseOut="WhatToDo(); window.status='StatusBarMessageHere'; return true" ("WhatToDo" is highlighted upon insertion)
With these mouse events, there are two items which are generic tags ("WhatToDo" & "StatusBarMessageHere") that naturally need to be replaced.
INSERT NAME
This 'command' can be put anywhere that it is desireable to apply a name. It is quite common in JavaScript to define objects, therefore it was put just under the JavaScript pull-down menu item. Naturally, there are other places/uses, like Frames. Nevertheless, the text :
Name="NameGoesHere"
is inserted using this pull-down menu item. The text 'NameGoesHere' is automatically highlighted for your immediate input.
SELECT COLORS
This window/Assistant lets you choose any of the basic colors of your HTML page - Background, Text, Link, Visited Link, Active Link. Just click on the item who's color you want to assign (right column) and move the scollbars, adjusting the RGB levels until you have the perfect match for that item. Once that item is selected, choose another item, and so on. Once you have applied all the colors you want, just click the 'Apply' button. This will locate your BODY Tag & insert your changes within the Tag.
BACKGROUND IMAGE
This selection window allows you to set a background image/graphic for your HTML page. Whichever graphic you choose will be tiled throughout the page. Here, the directory box will show your default subdirectory setting (set in Preferences), if you've set it. You can either leave it alone, if it's correct, or change it, if necessary. The Fixed Background check box is there for MSIE users who want the Background Image fixed when you scroll the text in the HTML page. This is also what the Fixed Background Pull Down Menu is for.