Users of external style sheets will wish to exclude style sheet code from their HTML files - Save HTML (menu bar) provides an option to do this. HTML files saved without CSS code will contain a link to the external style sheet (<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href=".......\style1.css">). The default style sheet name is style1. If you subsequently save the style sheet under a different name, remember to change the name in the link tag for each HTML file that uses it. The link will contain the local path to the stylesheet file, and this may also require editing prior to uploading the file to a web server.
Cascade DTP applies default class names "text1" through to "text50" for text boxes, and "image1" through to "image50" for image boxes. These are identified on the title bar of the Text Box Properties and Place Image dialogs when a box is selected. Text or image boxes can be re-named by clicking the Name button located just under the Help button near the top of the Text Box Properties and Place Image dialogs. Box names are limited to a maximum of 25 characters and must consist of letters and/or numbers only, without spaces. Names may be no more than 25 characters in length.
Once a style sheet has been edited, the changes can be viewed in the browser by clicking Preview (top of the Style Sheet Editor dialog). Note that whereas the Preview function available from the application menu bar simply displays a temporary HTML file containing embedded style sheet code automatically generated by Cascade DTP, the Style Sheet Editor Preview button generates two temporary files - a style sheet made from the current contents of the Style Sheet Editor window, and an HTML file (without CSS code) that is linked to this.
Advanced Options
Cascade DTP uses a layout model mainly based on absolute positioning of page elements (the exception is the use of Text Classes - see the main help page). Expert users of cascading style sheets may wish to circumvent this behaviour by removing, or modifying, the "position: absolute;", "top:..." and "left:..." code for certain classes. Additional properties and related values can then be added to create the desired page structure. Clicking More will reveal buttons to insert Float, Margin and Display property declarations. It will almost certainly be necessary to modify the HTML code as well, but this must be done outside Cascade DTP using a text or dedicated HTML editor.
Site Management
The process of authoring a complete website that makes use of an external stylesheet will first involve the design of a master page that contains all of the page elements (i.e. text and image boxes) required within the site, but without links to images or any text (except, perhaps, headings and/or navigational elements that will appear on all pages). The master page is then used to generate the site style sheet. Both the style sheet and the master page are then saved as .css and .cas4 files respectively. The master .cas4 file may then be used as the source for all of the sites pages. Making pages from it will typically involve deleting any elements not required, associating the text and images appropriate to the page, and then saving the page as both a .cas4 file and also an HTML file excluding CSS code. The .cas4 files must, of course, be saved with different names to the master file (it will also be a good idea to keep a backup copy of the master layout file, just in case you forget to re-name a site page before saving it).