Key:
- Bold - Buttons
- Italicized - Menu Commands
- Quotations ("") - Dialog boxes,
Options, Emphasis
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Edit the page
Once you have browsed in Contribute to the page you would like
to edit click the Edit Page button  . (If
this is a new page that you have created you should already be in
edit mode.) You will see a toolbar near the top of the Contribute
window. Using this toolbar you can accomplish just about all necessary
editing and formatting of your content. The next sections
will discuss how to use the toolbar to do the following:
Format Text
For consistency with current web standards, text is formatted using
style sheets. You can apply styles by first selecting the
text you want to format and then choosing the appropriate style
from the style drop-down menu located on the left side of the toolbar.
You can also choose Format > Style and select a style
from the menu.
Headings
The heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) located in the
style drop-down menu should be used to format text that represents
the heading of any section. "Heading 1" is to be
used only for the title at the top of the web page. In most
cases "Heading 3" works well for most headings within
the document, but a combination may be needed if there are various
sub-headings. For example, this page uses the following types
of headings:
Heading 1
Heading 3
Introductory text.....
Heading 5
Relevant sub-text....
Heading 5
Relevant sub-text....
Heading 3
Next main section text.
and so on....
Normal and Other Text Styles
Body copy should use the "Normal" style located in the
style drop-down menu. Site editors are not permitted to change
the font face or size of text. This helps present a consistent
and professional look while also utilizing current web coding practices.
Currently there is also a "small" style that can be helpful
when creating footnotes or other cases where you would like the
font size to be a bit smaller than the body copy. Other styles
may be added in the future as needed.
Bold and Italic
Bold and italics can be applied to copy by selecting the appropriate
text and clicking the Bold or Italic
buttons.
You can also choose Format > Bold or Format >
Italic
Tip: In general, bold and italic should be used
sparingly within body copy only. If the text is a heading
one of the "Heading" styles should be used. The
underline format tool should not be used for emphasis within web
pages. Underlining should be reserved for links and should
happen automatically whenever you create a link.
Text Color
To change the color of your text first select the text you want
to format and then click the Text Color button
in the toolbar.
You can also choose Format > Text Color.
A color choice dialog box will appear. Select the desired
color by clicking on it. To choose the default text color
click the default color button  .
Tip: Text color other than black should be used
sparingly where emphasis is needed.
Highlight Text
To add or change highlighted text select the text you want to format
and then click the Highlight Color button in the
toolbar.
You can also choose Format > Highlight Color.
Color selections are applied in the same manner as text color (see
Text Color).
Tip: Highlighted text should be used sparingly
for emphasis.
Aligning text
To change text alignment select the text you want to change, or
place the insertion point within the text and click one of the four
alignment buttons in the toolbar.
Note: Contribute applies alignment to the entire
paragraph, even if you select specific text in the paragraph.
You can also choose Format > Align > Left , Center ,
Right , or Justify.
Tip: In most cases the best choice for text alignment
is left. Avoid centering content when possible as it is more
difficult to read center aligned copy. If copy needs
to be set off for emphasis try using the indent tool instead (see
Indent and Outdent).
Indent and Outdent
To indent or outdent text select the text you want to change or
place the insertion point within the text and click either the indent
or outdent button on the toolbar. You can indent or outdent
text multiple times, further increasing or decreasing the space
at the beginning of the text.
 Outdent
 Indent
Note: Contribute applies the indent or outdent
to the entire paragraph, even if you select specific text in the
paragraph.
You can also choose Format > Indent or Format >
Outdent.
Tip: The indent tool is particularly useful when
formatting paraphrased copy or a recitation. The indent and
outdent tools can also be used in conjunction with bulleted or numbered
lists (see Bulleted or Numbered Lists)
to create nested lists.
Line Spacing - One Line Return
By default, paragraphs are separated by two line returns which
are created by pressing the Enter key. If you need to use
a one line return to format your text press Shift and then Enter.
You can also choose Insert > Line Break.
Lists
Bulleted or Numbered Lists
To create a bulleted or numbered list from scratch place the insertion
point in your draft where you want to add the list and click either
the Bulleted List or Numbered List
list button on the toolbar.
Bulleted List
Numbered List
You can also choose Format > List > Bulleted List
or Numbered List.
Type the first list item. Press the Enter key to type another
item, then repeat for each item. When you finish typing the
list you can turn it off by either pressing Enter twice or press
Enter and then click the appropriate list button on the toolbar.
To create a numbered or bulleted list from existing text select
multiple lines of text and click either the Bulleted List
or Numbered List button in the toolbar.
Tip: Use bulleted lists to organize information
that is related but in no particular sequence. You can use
numbered lists for information organized as a sequence or progression.
Definition Lists
A definition list is a series of items, each with an indented sub-item.
To create a definition list place the insertion point in your draft
where you want to create the list and choose Format > List
> Definition List.
Type the first list item. Press Enter to type the indented
definition. Press Enter to type the next list item, then repeat
as necessary. When you finish typing the list you can turn it off
by either pressing Enter twice or press Enter and then select Format
> List > Definition List.
To create a definition list from existing text select multiple
lines of text and select Format > List > Definition List.
Tables
Insert Table
To insert a table place the insertion point in your draft where
you want the table to appear. Click the Insert Table
button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Table > Insert > Table.
An "Insert Table" dialog box will appear. Choose
the number of rows and columns you would like the table to have.
These can also be added later as needed (See Adding
Rows and Adding Columns).
If you want the table columns to adjust and flow as you add content,
select "Default width." A specific width can also
be chosen. When using the specific width attribute it is preferable
to use percent as the measurement. "Specific width"
is useful when creating a table that spans across an entire page
(100 percent) or partial page (50, 75 percent). Border thickness
refers to the thickness of the border around the table and between
cells. For no border enter zero. Cell padding is the
amount of space between the edge of the table cell and the content
within the cell. Cell spacing is the amount of space between
each table cell. Click OK.
Table Headings
When you insert a table it is good practice to apply headings as
necessary. Headers are only required for data tables that
have rows and/or columns that describe the data. Headers should
not be used within tables used for layout purposes. By using
headings the table is more accessible to various screen readers
including those used by people with disabilities.
Headings can be designated at the initial creation of the table
or after. To create a heading select a column or row by clicking
and dragging over the appropriate cells. Once the cells are
selected (they should be outlined in black) right click and choose
"Table Cell Properties" or choose Table > Table
Cell Properties. Check the box for "Header row"
or "Header column.
Table Properties
To adjust properties of an existing table, right click the table
and choose Table Properties.
You can also click anywhere in the table and choose Table >
Table Properties.
A "Table Properties" dialog box will appear. You
can adjust table width, border thickness, cell padding and cell
spacing just as you would when creating a new table (see Insert
Table). Select the desired alignment option from the "Table
alignment" drop-down menu. A graphic indicates how the
table will align in relation to elements around the table.
Border color refers to the color of the border around the table
and between the cells (if a border greater than zero is specified).
Background color refers to the color of all cells in the table.
Note, if a background color other than default is specified in Cell
Properties it will supersede the table background color.
Click OK.
Cell Properties
To adjust properties of particular cells select the cells by clicking
and dragging over them. Right click within the selected cells
and choose Table Cell Properties.
You can also choose Table > Table Cell Properties.
A "Table Properties" dialog box will appear. Depending
on the selection, either a "Column" or "Row"
tab will be displayed in the dialog box. Select the desired
horizontal and vertical alignment options. A graphic indicates
how content will align within the cell. Background color refers
to the color within the cell. Cell background color will supersede
table background color if both have values other than the default
selected. If a column is selected then column width can be
adjusted. The "Fit to contents" option will size
the columns to accommodate the content added. If a specific
value is chosen for column width it is usually best to use the percent
measurement rather than pixels. This will allow text to flow
better for various displays. For "Row height" the
"Fit to contents" option should almost always be selected.
A specific value for row height should only be chosen if the contents
of the cell are images only. If wrap text is selected text will
wrap to a new line when it reaches the end of the cell. Otherwise,
the cell will expand to accommodate the text. In general,
selecting wrap text is the best option. For details on the
header attribute refer to the Table Headings
sections. Click OK.
Adding Rows
To insert a row into a table place the insertion point anywhere
in the row above where you want the new row. Click the Insert
Row Below button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Table > Insert > Insert Row Above
or Insert Row Below.
Adding Columns
To insert a column into a table place the insertion point anywhere
in the column to the left of where you want the new column.
Click the Insert Column to the Right button on
the toolbar.
You can also choose Table > Insert > Insert Column to
the Left or Insert Column to the Right.
Delete Table
To delete an entire table first select the table by clicking anywhere
in the table and then right click and choose Select Table.
You can also choose Table > Select Table.
Once the table is selected simply press the Enter key.
Links
One of the powerful features of web pages is the ability to link
to other documents or websites. The following sections describe
how to create internal links (links to files within your website),
external links (links to other websites), email links and links
to section anchors within a web page. Note that if you creating
a link using text the item will automatically be underlined.
It is not necessary to use the underline formatting tool.
Internal Links (links to pages within
your website)
To create a link to a page that exists within your website select
the text (or image) that you would like to use as the link and click
the Link button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Insert > Link.
Select "Browse to Web Page"
from the drop-down menu.
An "Insert Link" dialog box will appear. Click
the Choose button.
A "Choose File on Website " dialog box will appear. Select the file you would like to link to and
click OK.
External Links (links to pages in
another website)
To create a link to a page that exists within an external website
select the text (or image) that you would like to use as the link
and click the Link button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Insert > Link.
Select "Browse to Web Page"
from the drop-down menu.
An "Insert Link" dialog box will appear. Enter
the full address of the web page you would like to link to (including
http://) in the "Web address (URL)" field or click the
Browse button.
A "Browse to Link" dialog box will appear. Choose
the page you would like to link to by navigating to the desired
page as you would in an ordinary web browser. Click OK.
Link to PDF or MS Office Documents
Documents that may need to be printed or that are
difficult to duplicate in a regular (HTML) web page may be posted
as Adobe Acrobat PDF or Microsoft Office files. Some examples
may be forms, newsletters, brochures and spreadsheets. All
staff and faculty computers at the college have Microsoft Office
installed. To create PDF files you must have Adobe Acrobat
(not the Reader version) on your computer. If you are a staff
or faculty member at the college contact the Help Desk at
Ext. 4500 for assistance creating PDF files.
Once your PDF or MS Office file is created you can create a link
to it by selecting the text (or image) that you would like to use
as the link and click the Link button on the toolbar.
NOTE: Before actually linking to a PDF or MS Office document be sure to review the "Tips" section.
You can also choose Insert > Link.
Select "File on My Computer"
from the drop-down menu.
An "Insert Link" dialog box will appear. Click
the Browse button.
A "Select File" dialog box will appear. Browse
for the PDF or MS Office document, select the file and click the Select button.
Tip: Be sure to add descriptive page titles to Adobe PDF and Microsoft Office files. In most cases this can be done by opening the file and choosing File > Document Properties*. This information is used by the college search engine to index documents and when search results are returned. Missing or inappropriate page titles make searching for information difficult and convey a less professional image.
*In Microsoft Office 2007 titles can be changed by clicking the "Office Button"  , choosing "Prepare" and then selecting "Properties."
Tip: Whenever you create a link to a document
other than a regular (HTML) web file, it is a good idea to state
this to your visitors. This will alert them that they will
need to have a special application to open the file (ie. Adobe Acrobat
Reader, Microsoft Office, etc.). This can be done by simply
abbreviating the file type in parentheses immediately following
the link. For example:
Sample
PDF (PDF)
Sample MS Word (MS
Word)
Sample
MS Excel (MS Excel)
Note that (PDF), (MS Excel) and (MS Word) are formatted with the
"small" style. See Normal
and Other Text Styles for details on how to apply styles to
text.
Email Links
An email link will activate the email application (if one is installed)
on your visitor's computer. A blank email message will appear
with the "To:" field completed with the email address
you specify. To create an email link select the text that
you would like to use as the link (generally an email address, see
tip below) and click the Link button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Insert > Link.
Select "Email Address" from
the drop-down menu.
An "Insert Link" dialog box will appear. Enter
the appropriate email address in the "Email Address"
field. Click OK.
Tip: It is preferable to display the actual email
address rather than using someone's name as the linking text. That
way a visitor can print out a web page or jot the email address
down for later use.
Section Anchors and Links
A section anchor is an invisible marker within a web page.
After you create a section anchor you can then create a link to
it. For example, this page consists of an index at the top
of the page that contains links to various section anchors.
To create a section anchor place the insertion point where you
want the marker to be. Select Insert > Section Anchor.
A "Section Anchor" dialog box will appear.
Enter a name for the anchor. The name should not begin with
a number or contain any spaces. It should also be a friendly
name that you can identify later. You cannot have two anchors
with the same name on a web page. Click OK.
Contribute will insert an anchor marker that looks like a flag into
your draft. This icon will not appear in the live version
of the web page.
To create a link to the section anchor select the text (or image)
that you would like to use as the link and click the Link
button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Insert > Link.
Select "Drafts and Recent Pages"
from the drop-down menu.
An "Insert Link" dialog box will appear. Choose
the page that is listed as the "Current Page" under the
"Status" column.
At the bottom of the "Insert Link" dialog box choose
the appropriate section anchor. If the section anchor drop-down
menu is not available click the Advanced button.
Insert Images
To insert an image place the insertion point in your draft where
you want the image to appear. Click the Insert Image
button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Insert > Image.
Select "From My Computer" from
the drop-down menu. Browse to and select the image, then click
Select.
An "Image Description" dialog box should appear. Enter
text to describe the image for people with disabilities or for people
with their browsers set to display text only, then click OK.
If you want to reuse an image that already exists in your website,
use the "From Website" option. Browse to and select
the image, then click Open.
You can change the location of an image in relation to text by
double-clicking on the image. An "Image Properties"
dialog box should appear. Select the desired alignment option
from the "Alignment" drop-down menu. A graphic indicates
how the image will align in relation to elements around the image.
In the "Image Properties" dialog box you can also change
an image description and image size. Note that image size
should not be dramatically changed. If you are using a large
image and need to make it much smaller it is better to use an image
editing program such as Photoshop or Microsoft Photo Editor.
You can also adjust the amount of padding that you want around the
image. This refers to the amount of empty space above and
below the image (vertical padding) and to the right and left of
the image (horizontal padding).
Tip: Avoid using clip art, especially animated
graphics which can distract from your message. Photographs
are preferable and convey a personal touch. Print Services
offers an online searchable database of college photography.
To access it go to www.fsc.edu
> Offices & Services > Print Services > Photo Catalog
or http://web.fsc.edu/imagecatalog.
Insert Horizontal Rule
You can insert horizontal rules into your content to help organize
various sections. To insert a horizontal rule place the insertion
point where you want the rule to appear. Select Insert
> Horizontal Rule. You can modify the height, width
and shading of the horizontal rule by right clicking on it and selecting
Properties. A "Horizontal Rule Properties"
dialog box will appear.
In general a percentage value works best for the width of a rule
when using the college templates. If you choose less than
100 percent you can also center then line using the center alignment
tool (see Aligning Text). Using a
height of one pixel and unchecking the outline shading attribute
will produce a clean looking, professional line.
Page Properties
Change Web Page Title
To change the web page title (which was specified when the web
page was first created) click the Page Properties button.
A "Page Properties" dialog box will appear.
Enter a web page title in the "Title" field. Your
page title should consist of your department name, followed by a
hyphen, and then the content of the page (ie. Admissions - Undergraduate
Students). Your department's home/main page is an exception
which should be the full name of the college (not FSC), followed
by a hyphen, and then the department name (ie. Fitchburg State College
- Admissions).
Note that you cannot alter other settings within the "Page
Properties" dialog box. Background, margins and text
colors are all controlled by a global style sheet. This gives
the college website a uniform look and a more cohesive, professional
image.
Delete File
To delete any files in your website open the web page, image, PDF file, MS Office document, etc. and choose File > Action > Delete Page. Despite its name this command will delete any item from your website including images. To find and browse your website files use the Choose button at the top right of the Contribute window.
Tip: It is important to delete any unnecessary files in your website or they could be stumbled upon using the college search engine.
Spell Check
To check and correct spelling in your draft click the Check Spelling button on the toolbar.
You can also choose Format > Check Spelling.
The check spelling tool works in the same manner as most word processing
programs.
Glitches/Bugs
Display Errors
Occasionally a draft may display improperly. For example,
sometimes after copying and pasting large sections of content the
screen may appear white, there may be extra space above the main
heading that can't be removed, or it may not be possible to scroll
to the end of the page. In these cases choosing to save the
draft for later editing will fix the problem. This can be
done by clicking the Save for Later button.
To retrieve your draft go to File > Drafts and select
the appropriate draft. The display should be back to normal.
Proceed to Step Three - Publish your
changes
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