Where would it be appropriate to ask question about editing web pages with Netscape?

Hi all,

My web site pages have always been made using Netscape. Everything was fine until I began trying to edit pages with image files on a new Win XP Pro SP2 computer.

XP keeps creating folders for the image files and somehow is altering the paths to the image links on my actual web pages so that, after an edit, when I re-upload the page, the image won't show up.

I really don't know HTML, my web site ISP told me what they saw in the HTML that referred to the image and it just shouldn't be there. And since XP has created folders for each page that had image files, I don't dare try to edit them now because the same thing will happen - the images won't show up once I re-upload them.

Could anyone please offer advice? In Win 2K I never had this problem at all.

Thank you.

Gail

 

Gail,

First of all, which version of Netscape are you using? May we assume it is Netscape 7.x, and you are using Composer? If so, here are a couple of links for Composer Tutorials. Doing a Google Search, I found numerous tutorials similar to the two listed below:

http://www.umw.edu/training/inte/internet/composer/index.htm
http://mozillaquest.com/Mozilla-04/Mozilla-Composer_1-7b_Tutorial_Story01.html

Unfortunately, I have no experience with Composer, but perhaps someone else familiar with the component may be able to help you.

 

Hi Gail,

I don't know much about Netscape Composer and I am not exactly sure just what your saying but, I do know a little about HTML and if I can understand what your saying I can probably help you with the problem because if need be we could use NotePad and change the path with-in the source code to correct the problem of loading the images.

I don't really think XP is the cause of your problem. I would think it is caused by this "Image Files" program which I'm also not familiar with. So. can you tell us what is this Image File program.

If you will provide us the URL to your web site, I will take a look at the source code to see if that will give us a clue.

I'm also curious why your not continueing to use NetScape on the new computer with XP.

I hope you can see that I don't understand exactly what your saying.

I am assuming you are using this image file program to edit your web pages and then when you re-save the file it changes the path to the image location and then when you upload the new files to the web site it does not match the image locations on the web site.

Let me assure you this should be a very simple fix once I understand what the setup is.

I might also help to know what program your using to upload the HTML files to your web site.

If this is not the proper forum to discuss this in, I will be happy to help you directly if you will send me a private e-mail.

Cheers,

 

Thank you, Ramona, and Old Chief.

Old Chief, I *am* still using Netscape on the XP computer, and I'm not using any kind of image file program to edit the page. The XP computer is just automatically creating folders for the images on each page that contains an image, and then somehow the source code in the html of those pages is getting altered to point to the image folder name that XP is creating. I'm not sure how it can be possible for XP to actually change the source html of the page!

My ISP told me what I need to change in the html for the image to appear, but now I'm so afraid to try editing my home page because the same thing happened - XP created a folder for the image files on that page, which means I'll have to struggle with changing the html if I edit the page so that when I re-upload it, the images will still appear on it.

Thank you for reminding me about doing the editing in note pad - I had forgotten that.

And thank you also for offering to help via email, Old Chief. If I can't work it out myself, I'll email you, if that's still okay.

And thank you, Ramona, for the tutorial links.

Many many thanks,

Gail

 

Oh, Old Chief, I forgot to say I'm using the free version of WS_FTP to upload my pages and files to my web site.

Thanks so much.

Gail

 

Old Chief,

If you are going to help Gail, best to keep the information on the Forum, as it may help someone else.

Gail,

Here are some Forums which are dedicated to web design:

http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum21/
http://webdeveloper.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=2
http://www.codingforums.com/

To be able to help you more efficiently, as asked by Old Chief, we need to know the:

1. link to your web page
2. version of Netscape you are using
3. if you are using Netscape's Composer to create your web page
4. the path to these multiple folders that are being created

Thanks, Gail!

 

Hi Ramona,

The link is: (deleted by gail22)

Netscape Version 7.2

Yes, Netscape Composer, if that's what it's called to create and edit the pages with Netscape.

And the new paths to the image files that are somehow being created by Windows XP are called things like [Page Title_files/image name.jpg] instead of just [image name.jpg].

This is really kind of embarrassing to have to give my link and all. But on the audio.html page, the image was only ever called yellow.jpg and that was the link for it. And editing any of my pages was never a problem on Windows Me or Windows 2000.

Now, the link is something like Gail Sandra Klein Music_files/yellow.jpg because Windows XP automatically created a folder by that name for the image file (and folders for every other page containing an image), and somehow altered the link in the page itself and I have absolutely no idea how that could happen.

Anyway, thank you, Ramona. As soon as I get some time I'll try changing the link back to yellow.jpg in Notepad.

Many thanks,
Gail

 

Hi Gail,

So sorry I can't help you with Composer, and that's because I use NotePad for coding my online pages. You can always Google for an HTML code to use, and that's how I started out.

I have Windows XP, and I have never had a file name changed when uploading an image file to my web page. Surely it's something else that's doing the name change.

I didn't mean to embarrass you by asking to post the link to your page, and feel free to delete the link by editing your post. Or I'll be glad to do it for you...

This is what you can do, without using Composer:

First, open the web page, click on: File | Save Page As

You may want to create a new folder for this purpose. I would name the file: OLDaudio.html. By doing so, you won't confuse this file with the new HTML file you will upload.

Now:
Access your web page, then click on: View | Page Source
Press CTRL+A
Right click, and select: Copy

Open NotePad
Right click, and select: Paste
Click: File | Save Page As
Name the file audio.html
Then save to a folder on your HD.

Next:
Click: File | Save As
Use the same file name, but this time with a TXT extension
audio.txt

You can now edit your page in the audio.txt file
Once edited, save the TXT file: audio.txt

Next:
Click: File | Save As
Save the file with an HTML extension: audio.html

Now upload the audio.html file to your web site
It will replace the page with the incorrect image names.

Now, any time you edit your web page, open your audio.txt file, make your edit, then save with both TXT, and HTML extensions. Then upload the HTML file, and it will replace the existing page, with the newly edited page.

HTH,

 

Hi Ramona,

Thank you very much for the step by step instructions! I very much appreciate your help.

Many thanks,
Gail

 

Gail,

My pleasure!

 

Gail, Ramona is correct, there is just no way XP can be the guilty party in this escapade.

Has to be something in composer and like I said I have never used composer as I have always did the coding by hand and used a simple text editor but, this has got my curoursity going.

So, I did some experminting with composer and I am now making a wild guess that just maybe I found your problem.


In composer, under EDIT - Preferences - Composer -- you will get the screen I have set up at:.. http://www.smyth1.net/test.jpg

On this screen you will find a box to check which determines how composer saves the images and other items that you insert into the web page being built.

If the box is checked then when composer saves the web page, it re-saves all the images into the same folder as is the web page and creates a simple source code of <img src= "imagename.jpg ">

If the box is UNchecked then it DOES NOT re-save the images at all but, rather creates the source code to retrieve the image from within the same folder from which it was retrieved to be inserted.

In other words if you inserted an image from a folder with the path of C:\MY Documents\My Pictures, then the web page source code would be created to read <img src= "file:///C:/My Documents/My Pictures/imagename.jpg ">

Incidently composer puts in a lot of unecessary garbage into the path such as \\%@%#// but, I left that out to keep it simple.

Of course the above won't work because the real web site does not have a C:\drive or a path such as the code generated but, it did what it was told to do. AND QUITE FRANKLY it did it the way you should be doing it because you should have the web site on your computer set up to be identical to the set up on the URL Web Site.

If you have a minor web site and only one then forget what I am about to say. But, if you want to learn and are planing on having a complex or several web sites then I strongly urge you to leave the box unchecked and build yourself an organized system on your own computer to be identical to the set up on the web site.

The first place to start would be to create a folder called IMAGES right off the folder where you keep the "INDEX.HTML" file and take Windows Explorer and copy all your images to be used on the web site into this folder.

With the box unchecked, the source code would then be generated to look like this:..
<img src= "images/imagename.jpg ">

Now when you upload your files you would have to create an IMAGE folder on the web site and upload all the image files into the image folder and all the other files into the regular place.

Like I said, this is not necessary for simple web sites but, when building complex sites with a lot of pages and images or having several sites then some organization is very time saving and eliminates confusion after not updating the site after a period of time.

You are telling us that XP is creating folders and that has me a little concerned because if you are in fact getting brand new folders created then this may not be the fix. However, if you are retreiving images and inserting them not knowing exactly the folder or the path from where they came then this could very well be the fix.

Like I said, I am guessing but, this may be your problem and if so it is the fix.

If you don't know about the path command, please don't be embrassed to say so because once up on a time I didn't know what a folder was.

AND if that is the case I will be happy to explain the path command to you. AND if you want me to offer suggestion about setting up an organized web site I will explain how I do mine.

When your 72 years old, lazy and been doing web sites a long time just for fun you figure out little tricks to make things simple and easy and I'm happy to pass it on.

If this does not fix your problem then we will need to explain just exactly how you insert the images and from where they come and then the very details because if you once did it with the other computer there is no reason you can not achieve the same results using the new computer.

I'm betting however that this is the problem and you will find the box UNchecked and if you put a check in the box Composer will be back to operating the way your use to it working.

So, let us know how you make out and good luck.

 

Hi Old Chief,

Thanks so much for all this. I haven't tried to work on that page yet - I've been too confused/afraid. But I will eventually try to sort it out.

I really appreciate your willingness to help me! Also, I wasn't able to see your private message - when the prompt came up asking if I wanted to see it, I clicked OK and then another box came up saying I couldn't see it, probably due to a pop-up blocker. Well, I'm only using Internet Explorer version 6, so I don't really know if there's a pop-up blocker. I don't have any 3rd party pop-up blocker installed.

In any case, I very much appreciate your help, and I think all I'll try to do is edit the page to point to the image, as you demonstrated, in Notepad, once I'm feeling a little braver.

So many thanks,
Gail

 

Gail, My private message didn't say anything except to make sure you were aware of my last posting about your web page problem.

We had not heard from you for a couple days after I posted what I believe to be the fix for your problem. So, I sent you a private message to make sure you read my last post.

I am pretty well convinced, that if you will look at the box I described in my post you will find it unchecked and if so I am postive that is the difference between Netscape Composer on your old computer and the one you are using now.

If the box is in fact unchecked then put a check in it and proceed as you have always done.

Also, let me encourage you not to be afraid, confused or embarrased. I been doing simple web pages for fun a long long time and I assure you there is absolutely nothing to it.

In my retirement years, I happen to enjoy my computer and I also happen to enjoy helping people.

I see it says, you are a beginner. well, so was I about 20 years ago when I got my first Tandy 1000 in April of 1987 and I too was afraid, confused, frustrated, and sometimes mad until I learned the thing didn't bite back and I couldn't break it.

The biggest mistake beginners make is to not learn the path command and how files are organized and stored on the hard drive so let me encourage you to take the time to learn about that and the use of the program "Windows Explorer" which is a file manager program.

The "Path Command" is simply understanding and knowing the path that leads to where your files are stored on the hard drive.

AND let me tell you now. "My Documents" IS NOT the location.

I don't believe anyone will ever truly enjoy their computer or achieve full use without understanding the path command and how to use Windows Explorer.

For example right now if you know how to use Windows Explorer you should make yourself a backup copy of the folder where your web site files are located and then you don't have to be afraid of messing up your current web page or pages, Because if you do mess things up you can go copy over the backup page into the folder where the messed up page is.

This may not be the proper place to discuss the path command, Windows Explorer and how to organize the files on a hard drive but, we will leave that for Ramona and others to decide.

My offer is to help you fix your web page problem and to start at whatever point in your learning curve is necessary.

AND, we can do that here or by using e-mail and my web site location at http://www.raysmyth.net

The choice is yours and what ever Ramona and those in charge of the bbs prefer.

Good Luck with your web pages, whatever your choice.

AND please let us know if the box in Netscape Composer is checked or unchecked because if I am wrong then I need to know that.

 

Hi, Old Chief,

Thank you, so much, once again. I haven't yet looked at that link so see the box you mentioned, and whether it is checked or unchecked. I think I'll try to do that right now and I'll post back.

The reason I didn't post back sooner was that after Ramona's last reply, I just assumed this topic had ended and no one would add anymore replies, so I'm very sorry about that - I didn't at all intend to be rude.

I'm going to check that link you posted, and try to see whether I have the box you mentioned checked or unchecked, and I'll post back.

Many thanks,
Gail

 

Hi, Old Chief,

The box was checked, but there was also a radio button on "reformat HTML source" so I removed it and put it on "save...[...]" (I forgot what it said.)

So, I think now all I have to do is edit the source for that image in Notepad.

I hope I didn't disable the links to my songs when I re-saved/ replaced the page after changing that radio button.

Thank you!

Gail

 

Hi, Old Chief,

I edited the source to point only to the original image file name, and now the image does show up.

I'm still having trouble with tables and cells - getting them symmetrical and trying to put them where I want them, but I think if I keep trying I'll eventually get the page to be more symmetrical, and better looking.

Again, many many thanks to you, and Ramona,
Gail

 

Gail, you may be teaching me something. I am not sure what your calling a "Radio Button"

Please tell me what you click on to get to this "reformat HTML source" and what is this "Radio" -- I find us old folks have different names for things. Ha!!

I see while I was writing this you just made another post and mentioned something about tables.

I'll close this and read your post. I just recently figured out some things using columns and maybe I can help you there.

More Later

 

Gail, let me see if I can help you with columns and tables. So, happens that I recently did a columns page and you can review it's source code at:... http://www.brevardtax.net/08-tc/00-tc.html

Now listen, when you review the page, please understand that I do a lot of cutting and pasting when I build a web page and I sometimes leave unecessary coding in place.

AND Yep!, cutting and pasting some times leaves out code that really belongs but, the page works and you never notice the bad code until perhaps another review.

You control column width in a table by simpling using a percentage factor for how much of the page width you want for that particluar column and you do it by adding "width=??percent" to the TD coding like this <td width=20%> using 20 percent would allow you 5 columns of the total table width setting. OR you could use varible setting for each cloumn but, each column width should add up to be 100 percent.

The first thing to set is the total table width and that is set in the table heading.

I have an example for you where I used a total table width of 90 percent and then have two columns set at 20 percent and two at 30 percent which adds up to be 100 percent of the 90 percent table width.

I took the web page I have at http://www.brevardtax.net/08-tc/00-tc.html and stripped it down to a bare minumin web page with a table in it and the following coding will provide you with a table/column practice page to experiment with. I have notes in the coding to help explain things.

I suggest you copy the following coding into note pad and then play with it by changing the percentages around to see what happens. Always save your expermental pages with a different file name and you will always have a good page to go back too.

You will see that on the 2001 year I have one column aligned LEFT and the other aligned RIGHT to show you how the alignment works and I have purposely did some sections different to show you how the coding can be used differently depending on where you use <TR> or <TD> to align what is in the column.

<html> <head><title> Gail's Column Page </title></head>

<body bgcolor= "#ffffff" link= "#ff0000" alink= "#00ff00" vlink= "#152dbc ">

<!-- Begin Table-1 -->
<!-- Note the table width is set at 90 percent of screen width -->
<center><table border=0 width=90% bgcolor= "#ffffff ">
<tr align=center>
<!-- align= in <tr> code aligns all succeeding <tds> -->
<td width=20%><b> &nbsp; <br> Tax Year </td>
<td width=20%><b> Number of <br> Tax Billings </td>
<td width=30%><b> Assessed Value <br> All Properties </td>
<td width=30%><b> &nbsp; <br> Tax Dollars Billed </td>
<!-- Each column width is set using desired portion of page -->
<!-- Note that 20+20+30+30=100% of the 90% being used for page width -->
</tr><tr align=center>
<p>
<td align=left> 2001 </td>
<td> 317,310 </td>
<td> 344,789,455.00 </td>
<td align=right> 417,648,163.00 </td>
<!-- adding align= in the <td> code will align, left-center-right -->
<!-- AND note that the align in <td> overrides the <tr> coding -->
</tr><tr>
<!-- you can leave align out of <tr> and use only the <td> align -->
<td align=center> 2002 </td>
<td align=center> 321,053 </td>
<td align=center> 419,367,554.00 </td>
<td align=center> 437,989,332.37 </td>
</tr><tr align=center>
<!-- AND you can leave align out of <td> and use only the <tr> -->
<td> 2003 </td>
<td> 328,504 </td>
<td> 325,098,464.00 </td>
<td> 536,751,255.15 </td>
</tr> </table></center>
<!-- End Table-1 -->

</body>
</html>

By The Way, I learned long time ago to do all the coding in lower case letters because it just saves you time and effort and grief as you go down the road.

I only vary from that when I make notes and a good programmer makes themselves good notes because it helps those reviewing the source code and you yourself later on when you forget what you were doing.

Of course now days people use web page makers like front page and composer but, this old guy prefers doing it all by hand because you can put together a much nicer and neater web page. The problem with the automatic jobs is they have to guess at a lot of what you want.

As a final suggesting when doing tables/columns I would set the border width to =1 in the table heading so you can see exactly what the columns are doing and then when you get the columns set as desired you can go back and take out the borders if desired. I will also suggest you experiment with the border width because you can use numbers from 1 up to about 8 or so and then the borders stop getting larger.

Good Luck and let us know if this helps or if you have more questions.

 

Hi, Old Chief,

Wow! You have really given me a whole lot to learn and digest about tables and coding. I can't get to it right away, but obviously I am both bookmarking and saving this page for reference for when I think I'm brave enough to work with code instead of just the Composer GUI.

Radio buttons refer to the little circles in dialogue boxes - they are options you can choose or unchoose just like options that have boxes you can select or unselect, only the option has a little circle to the left of it instead of a box.

I know you know what I mean - it could be that you simply never heard them referred to as radio buttons before.

As for the box selection I changed (if it wasn't the radio button part), in my version of Composer, like in your screenshot from before, there were two options - to leave the existing code intact, or to reformat the code. The box to reformat the code was checked, and since I thought perhaps that was why my page kept changing the code pointing to the image everytime I added a new link to the page and re-uploaded it onto my website, I unchecked it, and selected the other option to not reformat the code.

In any case, thank you so much for teaching me about the code - I'm going to need some time to try to study and digest what you've told me and shown me.

Many many thanks,
Gail

 

Old Chief,

Here are a couple of "Radio or Option Buttons "