With Claris Home Page, you can use libraries to store Web page elements that you use frequently. For example, you can store logos, navigation buttons, boilerplate text, clip art, tables, form elements, and pieces of HTML code.

To display the elements of an entry in the bottom section of a library window, select the entry in the top section of the window.

Note When a library file is open and selected, the Library menu appears on the menu bar, and the New Library Entry button appears in the library window's toolbar.

Using a library

Claris Home Page comes with a library of clip art to get you started.

To open and use a library:

  1. Choose Open Library from the File menu.

    The Open dialog box appears.

  2. Select the path to the library you want to open and click Open.

    Windows: Library files have an .hlb extension.

  3. Position the library window on your screen so you can see the library's contents and your Web page.
  4. Select the entry that contains the elements you want to use and follow the appropriate step in the table.

    To copy

    Do this

    One element of an entry onto your Web page

    Drag the element from the bottom section of the library window to your Web page.

    Multiple elements of an entry onto your Web page

    Select the elements you want to copy from the bottom section of the library window while holding down the Shift key and drag them to your Web page.

    All of the elements of an entry onto your Web page

    Drag the icon of the entry in the top section of the library window onto your Web page.

Note Images chosen from the Clip Art Library should be moved or copied into your images folder. Be sure that Clip Art Library images are drawn from the images in your images folder rather than the images in the Clip Art Library. Otherwise, your images do not display in your Web page when it is uploaded to your Web server.

To add an entry from an open library to your Web page:

  1. Place the insertion point in your Web page where you want to add the entry.
  2. Choose From Library from the Insert menu.

    The name of the first entry in the library appears after the insertion point.

  3. Begin typing the name of the entry. After you type a few letters, the name of the new entry replaces the name of the first library entry.
  4. When you see the new entry, press Return.

    The entry's name is replaced by the entry's contents.

Editing a library

You can change the contents of a library in different ways. You can rename entries, make new entries, add elements to an entry, add entries from other Claris Home Page libraries, and delete entries in a library.

You can change the order of entries in the library by dragging their icons to new positions in the top section of the library window. You can also edit text elements in the bottom section of the library window by using the same tools and methods you use to edit text on your Web page.

Adding entries to a library

To make a new entry:

  1. Choose New Entry from the Library menu or click the New Entry button in the toolbar.

    An untitled entry appears in the top section of the library window.

  2. Type a name for the new entry.
  3. Add elements to the entry by selecting the entry in the top section of the library window and pasting the elements into the bottom section.

    Note You can also drag an element directly into the top section of the library window to make a new entry.

To add entries from other libraries:

  1. Open both libraries and arrange them side by side.
  2. Drag each entry from the original library to the top section in the new library window.

    Note To delete elements from the entry, select them in the bottom section of the library window and press Delete.

Renaming or deleting entries

To rename an entry:

  1. Double-click the entry name in the top section of the library window.
  2. Type a new name for the library entry.

To delete an entry:

  1. Click on the entry's icon in the top section of the library window.
  2. Choose Clear from the Edit menu or press Delete.

Creating a new library

Libraries can contain references to GIF files or anything that you can place in an HTML file.

To create a library:

  1. Choose New from the File menu and then choose Library.

    An untitled library window appears with a top and bottom section.

  2. Choose Save from the File menu.

    In the dialog box that appears, type a name for your library.

    Windows: Claris Home Page saves your library with the extension .hlb.