KompoZer
KompoZer
Beginners
for Macintosh and Windows
Conventions
KompoZer is a cross-platform application. When keystrokes differ between Macintosh and Windows versions, the Macintosh
keystroke will be listed, followed by a slash < / >, and then the Windows keystroke. For example:
<return> / <Enter>
<shift + return> / <Shift + Enter>
All screen shots are from the Macintosh OS 10 version of KompoZer.
Notes: For information on posting your Web pages on the Macalester server, see the Posting Web Pages documents.
The Site Manager Feature is not supported.
KompoZer Window
At the top of the KompoZer window there are three rows of buttons. These toolbars allow you to perform formatting and de-
sign tasks. To see a short description, move the mouse pointer on the button. For some tasks, however, you will need to use
the menus to access the required commands. At the bottom of the KompoZer window there are four tabs. These tabs change
KompoZer's mode. Normal and Source are the most common modes.
Normal: this is the standard edit mode.
HTML Tags: the HTML tags are shown along with the formatted text, images, tables, etc.
Source: this mode shows you the HTML source code (sometimes it is useful to edit the source code directly).
Preview: not available.
Creating a Web Page
Text and images are the most basic features of a Web page, in addition to the links that you will add. Text can be added by
typing directly on the page, by copying or cutting text from another application, and by dragging the text from another applica-
tion.
To type text directly on the page:
• Type a few lines of text, pressing <return> / <Enter> after each line (for example, type a few lines of the song be-
low)
To look at the HTML source for the lines you just typed:
Normal mode
Source mode
• Click the Source tab or go to View> HTML Source
• Click the Normal tab to exit the HTML Source mode
Saving a Page
• Go to File> Save As
You will be asked to give your Web page a title. This title will appear on the titlebar of any Web browser viewing your
page.
• Type a name and click the OK button
You can now save your file. Note that Web page files should always end with .html or .htm (both stand for
Hypertext Markup Language). There should be no spaces in your filename and it should be all in lowercase.
Viewing the Web Page
• Click the Browse button on the toolbar
A window will appear requesting your permission to open a browser. You may check the box "Remember my choice..."
to skip this step in the future. After you click the Launch application button, a browser window will open. After you
have previewed your page, close this window to return to KompoZer.
Indenting, Alignment and Horizontal Line
Indenting: Indents a selected region of text
• Select a few lines of text
• Click on the Indent text (move right) button
2
The lines are moved approximately five spaces to the right. Click on the button again to indent an additional five
spaces. To un-indent the text, click the Outdent text (move left) button.
Paragraph Alignment: Aligns text to the left, center, or right; or justifies the text to both margins
• Select the text
• Click on an alignment button
Horizontal Line: Inserts a dividing line after text
• Choose Insert> Horizontal Line
Headings
KompoZer supports six levels of headings. Heading sizes are relative
because the actual display size depends on the browser used to view the
page. Use the largest size for the main heading on a page and use the other
sizes for subheadings.
• Press <return> / <Enter> twice at the beginning of the text (to
make room for your heading)
• Press the <up arrow> key twice (to place your cursor)
• Type My Back Pages (the title of the Bob Dylan song)
• Select the text
• Choose Heading 1 from the menu labeled Body Text
Lists
List formats include bullet, number, term, and definition. Lists can contain more than one level, such as an outline. This is
referred to as a nested list. There are two list formats avaliable on the toolbar: Numbered list and Bulleted list.
To create a bulleted list:
• Click in an empty region of your Web page
• Click on the Bulleted list button on the toolbar
• Type some text (as an example, you can use the text in the screenshot)
• Press <return> / <Enter> to insert a new bullet
• Press <tab> to indent one level
• Press <shift + tab> to move back one level
To turn the list feature off:
• Click on the Outdent text button after the bullet appears
Note: If your last bullet is at level 2, you will have to click the
Outdent button twice.
Other list types are created in the same manner as bulleted lists.
3
To access all list formats:
• Choose Format> List
Spell Checker
To check the spelling on your Web page:
• Click in the page or select a region of text
• Click Edit> Check Spelling
The Check Spelling window will appear.
Information Technology Services
Macalester College
January 2008
4
Saint Paul, Minnesota
