Software Tips - Page 3

6/17/02 - Time to Tidy Your HTML Code - For additional information visit http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/REC-xhtml1-20000126/

The WC3 has certain standards that all web authors should follow. This can get confusing because various books tend to show different coding standards.There is discussion that XHTML will become the next standard. Here are a few things that you should be aware of:

All HTML document tags should be in lowercase
All HTML tags should have opening and closing tags - or if you choose to use one tag for , <hr>, <li> the start tag should start with (yes, the slash is in the right location)
Attributes should be enclosed in quotes - height="400"
Elements must nest - This is a test of the Emergency Broadcasting System
All HTML documents must start with <html> and must include a <DOCTYPE> tag

5/1/02 - Previewing your images in Windows Explorer

Right click the Start button > Click Explore. Click Tools > Folder Options. On the General Tab, click Enable web content in folders and click OK. Click View > Thumbnails. (I normally have my view set to Details and when I need to find an image I switch to Thumbnails.) I also recommend that you check the following settings on the View tab in the Folder Options (Tools > Folder Options): Display the full path in address bar, Display the full path in title bar, Show hidden files and folders and UNCHECK Hide file extensions for known file types.

Changing File Associations

Sometimes when you install a new program it changes the file associations (this happens a lot when you install Paint Shop Pro, GoLive, PhotoShop, etc.). Windows creates a link between files and the program that was used to create it. When you click a file in My Computer or Windows Explorer, the file associations control what program opens the document. For example, by default Internet Explorer is associated with HTML files (.htm or .html file extension), Word is associated with .doc files, Excel is associated with .xls files. When you double click a .htm or .html file Internet Explorer will open the file. If you want to change a file association open Windows Explorer, right click Start > click Explore. Select the file that you want to change the association on and hold down your shift key (the shift key is not necessary in Windows 2000) and right click the file. From the menu select Open With (In Windows 2000 you then click Choose Program). Find the program on the list that you want to use to open the file and select it, check Always use this program to open these files and click OK.

Create a short cut on the desktop to a favorite web site

Open the web page that you want to create a shortcut to in Internet Explorer, click the restore icon in the upper right hand corner of Internet Explorer so that your desktop is visible. In the address bar of Windows Explorer hold down your left mouse button on the IE icon and drag it to the Desktop. You can also drag the IE icon into your Start Menu or to the Quick Launch Bar to create shortcuts. (The Quick Launch Bar is usually on the Taskbar next to the Start button, if it does not display, right click the Taskbar > Toolbars > QuickLaunch) If you have several applications open, use the Show Desktop Icon on the Quick Launch Bar taskbar and all of the open applications will be minimized and the Desktop will display. If your Show Desktop icon is missing from the toolbar Microsoft has a fix here http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;190355. Click Start > Search > For Files or Folders and type *.scf in the Search for files or folders named box. Click Search Now. A file called Show Desktop should display in the Search Results area, drag the Show Desktop icon to the Quick Launch bar to restore it. If the Show Desktop icon is not found on your system read this article http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q190355 to create a new file.

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If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and you're interested in learning more about web design and development, graphics, or computers in general, consider taking classes at the Contra Costa ROP Technology Center. We offer affordable computer training in a variety of subjects. Visit our web site for more information.

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