The formatting and page layout features of Netscape Composer are similar to those in a word processor. You work with text in much the same way by placing the cursor, selecting characters or paragraphs, and applying formatting commands. In addition, there are tools unique to building web pages (e.g., links, targets, web graphics, background colors and a tool to publish documents on a web server.) If you are familiar with the basics of HTML and word processing, you can easily create web pages with Composer. For additional information, choose Help from the menu.

Different versions of Netscape may use slightly different terminology for commands and settings in the dialog boxes. These instructions are for Netscape Communicator 4.8 for Windows.

The two Composer toolbars contain buttons for frequently-used commands. Point the mouse to a button to see a description of its function.  You can also right-click on any web page element to get a pop-up menu of frequently used commands related to that element.

 

1. Style List (Heading styles and other paragraph formats) 2. Font (type face) 3. Size (of font) 4. Publish (see Uploading to the Web Server) 5. Preview (opens document in Navigator window) 6. Text color palette 7. Font style (bold, italic, underline) 8. Hypertext link (attach URL to text or image)	9. Insert Target (an internal link on a web page) 10. Insert Image (must be a "GIF" or a "JPG" file) 11. Bullet or Numbered List  12. Increase and Decrease Indent  13. Insert horizontal line 14. Align text or images on the page 15. Table (allows for more accurate placement of text and images on the page)
Right-click on any web page element to get a pop-up menu of frequently used commands related to the selected element. Choose Format > Page Colors and Properties from the menu to apply colors and backgrounds to web pages.

To open an existing file in Composer:
- Click on the Open button to display a standard Windows "Open" dialog box, then double-click on the file name.

You can also preview a file in Navigator if you want to see how it will look on the web before you publish it:
- Click on the Preview button.

Uploading to the Web Server

Your documents (text files and images) must be uploaded to your area on the web server. You can use specialized File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software, such as WS_FTP for Windows and Fetch for Macintosh, which include some useful file management features. Netscape supports FTP, but its file management capabilities are limited (you cannot create directories or delete files on the server). Composer also has a "Publish" feature, but it is not recommended for uploading files to Willamette's web server.

Windows users can map a network drive, then save documents to that location using the Save command in any Windows application. By mapping a drive, Windows users also have access to that location with Windows Explorer or the My Computer icon. See Windows Network Drive Mapping.

For your own account, you will first have to create a directory called public_html to contain your web documents:

1. Start a Telnet session and login to your Willamette Account.

2. Exit to the Unix prompt (if necessary).

3. Type “webpage” (no quotes), then press Enter.

If you need to create a subdirectory of your public_html directory:

1.  Type “cd public_html” (no quotes), then press Enter.

2. Type a directory name (no spaces), then press Enter.

For department accounts, any of the methods described below will automatically default to the assigned location on the web server.

If you are not connected on campus or via Willamette PPP, it is recommended that you use WS_FTP or Fetch to upload your documents. WITS has prepared documentation for WS_FTP and Fetch:

• WS_FTP: http://www.willamette.edu/wits/resources/docs/network/ftp/ws_ftp.htm
• Fetch: http://www.willamette.edu/wits/resources/docs/network/ftp/fetch.htm

FTP in Navigator

1. In the Navigator location bar, type ftp://username@domain
   For example, mmartian@gemini.willamette.edu (for a user account) or exobiology@ftp.willamette.edu (for a department account).
2. Press [Enter].
3. If you need to change to another directory (e.g., public_html in a personal account) click on a directory name to open it.
4. To upload, choose File > Upload File from the menu, then select the file to upload. If your page includes images, you will also have to upload your image files.
5. To download a file, right-click on the file name in the Current Directory window (the window displayed after step 2), then select Save Link As (you will then see a standard "Save" dialog box).