File Menu

New

This command closes the current HTML document, creates a new one and starts the New Document Wizard.

Open

This command closes the current HTML document and opens a new one.

Open in a New Window

This command opens an HTML document in a new window.

Save

This command saves the current HTML document.

Save As

This command saves the current HTML document under a new name.

Exit

This command exits DerekWare HTML Author.


Edit Menu

Undo

This command undoes the last operation.

Cut

This command removes the selected text and places it on the clipboard.

Copy

This command copies the selected text and places it on the clipboard.

Paste

This command inserts text from the clipboard into the current HTML document.

Find

This command invokes the Find dialog, enabling the user to search the current document for specific text.

Find Next

This command continues a previous text search.

Strip Tags

This command removes all tags from the selected text.

Select All

This command selects all the text in the current HTML document.


Options Menu

Word Wrap

This command toggles word wrap on and off.  With word wrap enabled, text will not scroll horizontally off the screen.  All text will wrap to the next line, regardless of the presence of a carriage return.

UNIX Formatting

This command toggles UNIX formatting on and off. Normally, in UNIX, carriage returns are a single character (actually, line feed:  decimal character 10).  In DOS, all carriage returns are followed by a line feed.  When a file is opened, DerekWare HTML Author automatically appends a line feed to all cariage returns.  With this option enabled, the carriage returns will be stripped when the file is saved.

Change Display Font

This command allows the user to specify which font they want to appear in the main edit window.  This font selection does not affect the HTML document.  See also Change Font under the Extended Styles Menu.

Edit Tag List

This command allows the user to modify the tag list.  The user can add, delete and edit tags, giving complete freedom as to what his or her tags look like.

Reset Tag List

This command resets all tags in the list to their defaults.

Configure Test Application

This command allows the user to configure which application is used to test the current document.  The user may specify a path to the test application as well as any command-line switches.

Test Page

This command opens the current document in the selected test application.


Styles Menu

Headings:  <H1>, <H2>, <H3>, <H4>, <H5>, <H6>

The headings styles apply a larger, bold font to text, and are usually used to denote the beginning of a section.  These are non-destructive tags.

Bold, Italic, Underline:  <B>, <I>, <U>

These styles work just like in any text editor or word processor.  These are non-destructive tags.

Emphasis:  <EM>

This style makes the selected text appear in italics in most browsers.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Strong:  <STRONG>

This style makes the selected text appear bold in most browsers.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Citation:  <CITE>

This style makes the selected text appear in italics in most browsers.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Typewriter (aka Teletype):  <TT>

This style renders the selected text in a fixed-width font.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Address:  <ADDRESS>

This style makes the selected text appear in italics in most browsers.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Blockquote:  <BLOCKQUOTE>

This style is used to denote a quotation.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Preformatted:  <PRE>

This style renders the selected text in a fixed-width font.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Comment:  <!>

This is used to add comments to a page.  Comments do not appear in the browser, they are used strictly for the page author’s convenience.  This is a non-destructive tag.


Extended Styles Menu

Change Font:  <FONT>

This changes the font of the selected text.  Use this option to change the text’s font, color or size.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Generate Color Code

This generates an HTML-compliant RGB color.  This color code may be used to change the color of the current font, backgrounds, etc.  This is a destructive tag.

No Break:  <NOBR>

This formats the selected text so that it will not wrap at a page’s horizontal boundary.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Centered:  <CENTER>

This centers the selected text.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Blinking:  <BLINK>

This makes the selected text blink.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Code:  <CODE>

This style is used to format text as  code example.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Keyboard:  <KBD>

This style is used to format text as something a user should type.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Listing:  <LISTING>

This style renders text in fixed-width type.  This is non-destructive tag.

Sample:  <SAMP>

This style is used to format text as sample text.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Variable:  <VAR>

This style is used to format text as a code variable.  Usually used in conjunction with the Code tag.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Strikeout:  <STRIKE>

This style renders text in strikethrough type.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Definition:  <DFN>

This style renders the text as a definition.  This is a non-destructive tag.


Breaks Menu

Horizontal Rule:  <HR>

This inserts a horizontal line, often used to denote a divider between sections.  This is a destructive tag.

Extended Horizontal Rule:  <HR>

This command starts the Extended Horizontal Rule Wizard, allowing the user to specify extended properties for the horizontal rule.  This is a destructive tag.

Line Break:  <BR>

This inserts a carriage return into the HTML document.  This is a destructive tag.

Paragraph:  <P>

This denotes the end of a paragraph and the start of a new one.  Note that in most browsers, multiple paragraph markers are ignored.  This is a destructive tag.

Word Break:  <WBR>

This tag inserts a soft line break in a block of no-break text.  This is a destructive tag.


Objects Menu

Image:  <IMG>

This starts the Image Wizard, allowing the user to insert a picture into the HTML document.  This is a destructive tag.

Dynamic Image:  <IMG>

This starts the Dynamic Image Wizard, allowing the user to insert a moving picture, such as an AVI, into the HTML document.  This is a destructive tag.

Link:  <A>

This starts the Link Wizard, allowing the user to create a link to another page, a file, etc.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Marquee:  <MARQUEE>

This starts the Marquee Wizard, allowing the user to insert scrolling text into the HTML document.  This is a non-destructive tag.

Characters:  &lt;, &gt;, &amp;, &quot;, &nbsp;, &reg;, &copy;

This inserts a special character into the document.  There are certain characters (greater-than sign, double-quote, etc.) that are reserved in the HTML language, and therefore must be represented by special tags.  These are all destructive tags.

Forms:  <FORM>, <INPUT>, <SELECT>, <TEXTAREA>

Forms are used to send data to the viewer, or retieve it from them.  The commands under the Forms submenu each start the appropriate Wizard, allowing the user to insert a form, form input or form select.  Form and Textarea are non-destructive tags, while Input and Select are destructive tags.

Lists:  <OL>, <UL>, <MENU>, <DIR>, <DL>, <LI>, <DT>, <DD>

This object formats the selected text for a certain type of list.  To make list creation easier, DerekWare HTML Author uses a certain formatting scheme for each type of list.

For ordered, unordered, directory and menu lists, the selected text is first surrounded with the appropriate list tag, and then searched for carriage-returns.  At each carriage-return, a list item tag is inserted.  Therefore, text that appears like this:

List item 1

List item 2

List item 3

would be formatted like this:

<OL>

<LI>List item 1

<LI>List item 2

<LI>List item 3

</OL>

For definition lists, the selected text is first surrounded with the appropriate list tag, and then searched for tabs and carriage-returns.  At each carriage-return, a definition term tag is inserted.  At each tab, a defintion-description tag is inserted.  Therefore, text that appears like this:

Defintion term 1	Definition description 1

Defintion term 2	Definition description 2

would be formatted like this:

<DL>

<DT>Defninition term 1<DD>Defintion description 1

<DT>Defninition term 2<DD>Defintion description 2

</DL>

Ordered List, Unordered List, Menu List, Directory List and Definition List are non-destructive tags, while List Item, Definition Term and Definition Description are destructive tags..

Tables:  <TABLE>, <CAPTION>, <TD>, <TH>, <TR>

Each tag under the Tables submenu formats the selected text for the specific table component.  These are all non-destructive tags.


Custom Menu

This menu lists all the tags created by the user.  When creating a new tag, if both a start and end tag are included, the tag is non-destructive.  If only a start tag is included, the tag is destructive.


Contacting the author

If you have any questions or comments on DerekWarek HTML Author, send e-mail to derek@shell.masterpiece.com, or visit the DerekWare homepage at http://shell.masterpiece.com/derek.


Destructive tags overwrite text.  Non-destructive tags surround text.