FrontPage 2000 Tips - 1

Tip 1 Jumping the line

When you use code validator's they give you the line number to fix the code, before you had to cut and paste to notepad with wrap turned off and count down to the correct line number. Now in FrontPage 2k you can go to the line number on the html tab in page view.

Right-click anywhere in the HTML tab,
Then click Go To on the shortcut menu.
Type the number of the line you want to go to in the Enter Line Number box.
Click OK.

Tip 2 Set properties on the HTML tab in Page view

When you're editing a page on the HTML tab in Page view, you can use Microsoft FrontPage to help you set the properties of an HTML tag, instead of memorising the valid attributes and values and typing them yourself.

For example, if you want to add a border to an image, you can type border="1" in the <img> tag — but that assumes you know the valid attributes and values for image tags. Instead, you can use the Picture Properties dialog box to set the border, and FrontPage automatically writes the border settings, in the proper syntax and using valid values, back into the <img> tag. Unlike previous versions of FrontPage, you don't need to exit the HTML tab to use dialog boxes to set properties for a tag.

On the HTML tab in Page view, position the insertion point inside the tag name (not inside an attribute or a value) of the tag you want to set properties for, right-click to display the shortcut menu, and then click Tag Properties.
FrontPage displays the appropriate properties dialog box for that HTML tag. For example, if you click in a form field check box tag, FrontPage displays the Check Box Properties dialog box.
Set the properties you want. The dialog box lets you choose from among the valid attributes and values for that tag.

When you click OK to close the properties dialog box, FrontPage immediately rewrites the HTML for that tag.

Tip 3 Save changes in Navigation view

When you make changes to your web's navigation structure in Navigation view — for example, adding or deleting a page from the structure, or creating a new page — those changes are saved automatically when you switch to another view, such as Page view. However, you can save changes at any time to prevent losing work.

To save changes without switching views, right-click on the view background, and then click Apply Changes on the shortcut menu.

Tip 4 To copy or paste? ( This is a new feature in FP2k)

To Copy formatting from selected characters or a paragraph and apply it to the text you select.

1 Select the formatting you want to copy

2 Click 'Format painter' icon

the cursor turns into a paintbrush.

3 Brush it across the text you wish to change.

NOTE: To copy the selected formatting to several locations, double-click Format Painter. Click the button again when you're finished.

You can use the 'Copy Format' and 'Paste Format' icons.

To use Keyboard shortcuts:

1 select the text you want to copy.

2 Press Ctrl + Shift + C

3 Select the you want to change

4 Press Ctrl + Shift + V

Tip 5 What's on the menu?

Press

Tools
Customize

Look in the left hand pane under categories for the menu listing you want.

Click on it

In the right hand pane under Commands are the icons that can either go on the tool bar or in the menu bar.

If you want a description of one just click on it and press description down below.

To add a Command to the Toolbar or menu bar just left click and drag the command with the Toolbar you can just drop it into place.

With the menu bar you can hover over a menu heading, and the menu drops down, position the command where you want it on the menu list...a black line appears and you drop the command.

Now you can find all the commands you have been looking for.

Tip 6 That link out there!

If you want to link to an external site within the navigation bar this is what you do.

Go to Navigation view
Right Click on the view select 'New Top Page' or select the page you want to use.
Right click on the the 'New Top Page' and select 'External Hyperlink'
Input the url you wish to use, Click OK.

You can then move the page where you want it within the navigation view.

Tip 7 Float it!

On some of the menu items, e.g. Component and Form, there is a grey shaded area in the drop-down menu. You can click and drag this to make a floating toolbar.

Tip 8 Reveal it!

When you work on your page your creating HTML tags, FrontPage is designed so that you don't see them in normal view. However if you want to see what tags are being created in Normal View do the following.

View | Reveal Tags
They will appear in yellow

To hide them View | click reveal tags again.

or if you prefer the keyboard Ctrl + /

Tip 9 x is NOT the button

Shutting down FrontPage by clicking on the X button in the top right hand corner of FP can cause your extensions to become corrupt if you have just published. So always shut down FrontPage in the prescribed manner, namely.

Click the Done button after publishing.
Click File | Close web
Click exit

Better safe than sorry.

Tip 10 watermark it.

To Watermark your page do the following:

Right click on the background of your page
Click 'Page Properties' | Background tab
Tick the box marked 'Background Picture'
Click Browse to find a background
Tick the box marked ' Watermark'
Click Ok.

Note: Watermarked backgrounds are not supported in all browsers.
Watermarks won't work with pages that have a theme applied.

Tip 11 Follow that Hyperlink

You can 'Follow a hyperlink'?

When your editing a page you can follow a hyperlink which will open up the destination page or file. So when you have created a hyperlink you can test it straight away.

Though FrontPage follows the hyperlink differently, depending on the destination:

If the destination is a page, FrontPage opens the page for editing in Page view.
If the destination is a bookmark, FrontPage opens the page and scrolls down to the bookmark.
If the destination is a file, FrontPage opens the file in its associated editor. For example, FrontPage opens a text file in Notepad.
If the destination is not in the current web, FrontPage opens a copy of the destination page or file.

In Page view, Select and then right-click the hyperlink, and then click 'Follow Hyperlink' on the pop up box.

Tips

Press and hold CTRL, and then click the hyperlink to follow it.
If you followed a hyperlink to another page, click Back to return to the original page.

Most times themes are contained in a zip file when you download them. Here is what you need to do once you download the file:

1. Open the zip file

2. Unzip all the files (using a program such as Winzip, which can be found at http://www.winzip.com )

Tip 12 Most times themes are contained in a zip file when you download them. Here is what you need to do once you download the file:

1. Open the zip file

2. Unzip all the files (using a program such as Winzip, which can be found at http://www.winzip.com )

NOTE: unzip each theme to a separate folder and make sure that the name of the folder is the name of the .elm file

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Themes\*\

*(Insert name of folder for theme here)

3. Open Microsoft FrontPage

4. Apply the theme by going to the themes view and selecting it.

Apply the theme by going to the Format menu and selecting 'Theme'.

Tip 13 Open in a new window

A) For one link to be open in new window:

Select the link you want to open in a new window.

Click the hyperlink icon. Or press Control + K and the Create Hyperlink box will come up. Click the 'Change Target Frame' icon (like a pencil) next to where it says 'Target Frame'.

Another box will pop up and you should select new window and press ok and save the page.

B) To select the whole page:

After selecting new window tick the box at the bottom where it says 'set as page default' press ok and save the page.

The code that FrontPage inserts is:

Which goes between your head tags.

NOTE: It is not a good idea to use this on a pages with internal links. Open in a new window is normally kept for External links.

Tip 14 FrontPage Hang-ups

If FrontPage hangs it could be because the file has gone beyond 32,768 lines of code. There is a limit to the size of files that can open for editing, and if you go over this magic number FrontPage will 'hang' so try to keep your file size down. You can always open the file in notepad to delete some of the code if this happens.