Session Start: Sun Mar 19 09:13:45 2000

<Robin> What is wrong with "wmf" files? (BASIC Html!!)

<Marge> that format is not supported by browsers. Why I don't know.

<Marge> Stick to JPG and GIF.

<Marge> One of the biggest problems with doing web pages is that Netscape and MSIE don't support all the same things. Therefor it can be a real challenge to do pages that look good in both browsers

<Robin> What about tif files? Are JPG & GIF "it" for "universal" reading?

<Marge> I'm afraid so. tif is not supported universally either. Sorry

<Paula> I've got a question regarding naming convention...(you *knew* that was coming, right?) :-)

<Scribbler> I'm trying to make metallic buttons in a vector graphics program. I'm using the MS IE palette when creating the blends but I'm wondering if the result will still fall within the safe palette?

<Marge> one at a time please. Paula go ahead

<Paula> Oh..sorry. does only the first "page' or file have to be named as padisabella0400.html, or do all pages and files have to follow that format?

* Paula smiles innocently...

<Marge> Only the top page has to follow that rule. You can name your other pages anything you want.

<Paula> Ah ha! that's what I thought. Thank you.

<Marge> HOWEVER file names can't have blank spaces in them.

<LoggerGuy> Is there any easy way to layout a table? I always get tangle in where the row and where the data tags go to get it where I want it. If thats not part of the class, thts cool..

<Marge> you're welcome.

<Marge> We haven't come to that. But let me think a sec

<Marge> My best advice on that is to set it up in a GUI then cut and paste the code.

<Marge> Scribbler I think the answer to your question is NO. But I'll defer to Patric on this one.

<LoggerGuy> I noticed when I lay out a page that sometimes my browser will read the code properly even when I forget to end a tag. Do you know which tags DONT have to have an end slash thing?

<Scribbler> Question was: I'm trying to create metallic buttons for links using a vector graphics program. I'm using the IE palette for the initial colours but I'm wondering if the result will still fall within the safe palette.

<Marge> Good question. But one I don't know the answer to. I would guess most of them will work without the end slash.

<LoggerGuy> Probably not. It depends on how you convert the vector image to raster based (Jpg or gif)

<LoggerGuy> Most times, the program will choose the palette for you, but if your program supports it, you can force it to use a "safe palette", but you will likely have to build the palette yourself.

<Marge> I don't know how useful it will be, but if you go to www.simegen.com/smof/resources.html you will find a link to a webmaster's palette that has all the safe colors

<Scribbler> I'm converting to gif since it needs to be transparent. At present I'm either doing it in CorelDraw or Xara. I'm using the IE palette built into CorelDraw.

<LoggerGuy> Then you should be fine. When you convert to gif, you should have the option for Optimized or custom palettes. Choose custom, then choose IE..

<Robin> <<a href="default.html">Back</a> worked from Patric's template in Essence. Doesn't now in HTML. Why?

<Marge> probably because the file doesn't exist in the directory we have your assignments posted in. Patric?

<LoggerGuy> Right. In the template, the word "default" was intended to be replaced with the correct filename. Since "default.html" doesn't exist in the directory, it can't be loaded.

<Robin> Did the template have the "replacement" stuff, or were you doing something in the background on the site?

<LoggerGuy> I was referring to the original template for that writing class. Jeff, your poster, may well have been converting things.

<Robin> I was trying to use that (stole it out of your original template)

<LoggerGuy> Ah.. Then just change the filename to whatever it is you are making.

<Paula> Marge, if I want to center a list on a page, can I use the <center> command, or do I need a different one?

<Marge> Center works

<Marge> You can also set up a nested list each level indents a few more spaces

<Marge> Another cute trick would be to put your list into a table, a very narrow table and center it.

<Marge> or you can do this

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<Paula> Ok, that one confuses me, Marge. I'd have to have an explanation of the commands to understand what it does.

<Paula> yes, I have Arach

<Robin> Yes - I have arach. I'm with Paula, what was the INPUT command for?

<Marge> that tells the browser to look for input from the user

<Marge> onClick says look for a mouse click

* Paula laughs.

<Paula> I thought you meant "sewer" Marge! LOL

<Marge> sorry no. Input also draws the box to click on

<LoggerGuy> I get it.. That's what the form tags are for, so that the browser will expect a click, right?

<Scribbler> How would you use that? Where would "history.back();return true" direct the user?

<Marge> that tells the browser to return to the last page in it's history file.

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<LoggerGuy> Antialias is the trick a program uses to reduce jagged lines. Imagine a solid black diagonal line. Pixels ares square, so teh program feathers out the jags by adding grey in the "corners" . The result is a smoother looking line..

<Marge> Any more questions?

<Robin> What is the "undernet" and why do I care if simegen is not connected?

<Marge> The undernet is a network of IRC servers. had you gone to any other IRC server you would not have found us. Simegen's IRC server stands alone.

<Scribbler> Is there anyway of setting a single side column with one command. At present I'm moving a number of pages into a table format and I'm entering each cell individually.

<Scribbler> Is there a faster way of doing it?

<Marge> For complicated tables I recommend setting them up with a GUI then cutting and pasting the code into an arach file.

<Marge> Frames would be your best bet for a side column but we're not getting into that in the class. I'll put frames in the intermediate HTML class.

Session Close: Sun Mar 19 13:07:21 2000