Getting Started

This tutorial acquaints you with the basics of using HomeSite for HTML authoring. Completing the tutorial produces a Web page that looks like the one below. It combines text, color, layout, formatting, and links in an attractive, functional design. The techniques you learn here apply to the major elements of building Web content.

Working in HomeSite

Before beginning this tutorial, you should become familiar with the HomeSite workspace. The material presented here assumes a working knowledge of interface elements such as toolbars, the QuickBar, the Files tab, and the Editor. These components are described in Exploring the Workspace.

HomeSite's tag editors and drag-and-drop feature automatically add the correct syntax, such as quotes, brackets, and the equal sign, when inserting code. If you edit the code manually, be sure to maintain these elements in their proper places.

Opening the default template

When you first open HomeSite, it displays a new, untitled document. If you do not see this document, click the New button on the Main toolbar.

Setting the working directory

All the files you need to complete this sample page are in a single directory. If you accepted the defaults when installing HomeSite, the directory path is Program Files\Allaire\HomeSite 4.5\Help\Using HomeSite\Learning HTML and CSS\tutorial files. If you select this folder in the Files tab, all file operations can be done without having to change directories.

We're using a single directory to make the tutorial easier, but when you develop Web content on your own you will want to keep your document files and supporting files (images, media, scripts) in separate folders.

To create the tutorial page:

Open HomeSite and select the Untitled document in the editor.
Type Archaeology Tours between the <TITLE></TITLE> tags to replace Untitled.
Select File > Save to open the Save dialog box.
Type tour.htm in the File name box and save the file in the tutorial files folder.
This step ensures that HomeSite will correctly determine the file paths when you create links by dragging and dropping links to images and other files.

To preview the sample page online, open the tour_html.htm file.

Tip

Browsers ignore line breaks, tabs, and spaces in HTML documents. As you build the page, you can add line spacing and indenting to make your code and content more readable.

Using HomeSite
Chapter 4 Learning HTML and CSS