I. Introduction
This site was all made with HomeSite. I believe it was version 1.3 I started using, and eventually bought version 3.1. At the time it was by far the best HTML Editor. It still is, allthough now it seems, after Allaire has been bought by Macromedia, that the end of the program is in sight. It seems that it is now fully integrated with MM's DreamWeaver MX 2004. I wonder if they are planning a Version 6.
One of its great features is its customizability. All toolbars can be made exactly as you see fit. And on these toolbars your own Custom tag defenitions can be placed. Tag Definitions are small add-ons with which you can enter whatever you want in your HTML Document. This means that all HTML Tags can be adjusted to your own needs. There is an inbuilt language to do this in, VTML, not unlike HTML.
Over the years I have edited or created a few of these Custom Tags. Some of them are obsolete, like the Browser sniffer for IE 3.x, 4.x and NS 3.x, 4.x, or the resolution checker. They have become obsolete because proper HTML and CSS, and the support of the standards set by the W3C, can deal with the problems one once faced with designing pages for several browsers.
There are, however, a few of these definitions that I frequently use. One of them is an Anchor tag that displays a Statusbar text when you hover the mouse over the link. The textrollover effect changes the colour of the text you hover the cursor over. The Mailto tag is an attempt to keep spammers from finding your email address on your site.
To use these Custom Tags:
- download the Zip files and extract them to the Extensions/TagDefs/Custom folder of your HomeSite installation path.
- Start HomeSite, right-click on the toolbar and select Customize ...
- In the next screen click Add Custom Button, select Display a Custom Dialog and select the Custom Tag you want to place on the toolbar.
II. Tag definition - Anchorover
Whenever you move the cursor over a link, a text will appear in the statusbar. as soon as the cursur leaves the link, the statusbar will be empty
1. Select the text you want to link, or enter it in in the Link Text box.
2. Choose the destination for the link in the HREF field.
3. Target is only to be used when using frames or if you want to open a new window.
4. The Class field is to be used in conjunction with a pre-defined item within a stylesheet.
5. The ID field also needs a predefined item within a stylesheet.
6. Enter the text you want displayed on the statusbar and click apply.
Download (and look at the Statusbar right now)
^ topIII. Text Rollover
This one used to be with JavaScript and CSS included. But CSS alone can do the trick also. It changes the colour of the text when you hover the mouse over a link item.
In the first panel you decide what colours the text should be: Color 1 is for the text originally displayed, Color 2 is for the text that is displayed whenever you hover with the mouse over the original text. Enter the font-size and font-weight you would like to have
In the next panels you enter the url the link should take the user to in the HREF field. In the Linktext field you place the text that should be displayed.
In the Left and Top fields you enter a numerical value to position the texts you have entered in the Linktext field
When you are done filling in all the fields on all 5 RollOver panels, click the OK button. Even if you have only entered one panel, the HTML for all the panels will be placed in your document. Just delete the lines you don't need.
View an example - Download the Tag
^ topIV. Mailto
One of the ways spammers find email-addresses to which they sent unwanted email to folks like you and me is by robots and spiders that crawl the web looking for email adresses on web-sites. Once they found them they are put in a database from which they can send millions of emails.
One simple way to prevent you email address is found is to replace the AT sign with the special character 64. This custom tag does that. An additional way to do this is to place %20 in front of the "mailto" anchor. This custom tag does not yet do that.
In the Mailto field, enter the pop-name of the person you want the mail to go to (eg. jvbeers). In the Domain field (@) enter the domain (eg. xs4all.nl).
Enter a subject (eg. HomeSite) in the subject field and a Link text in the Link text field (eg. Mail Me). You can also select some text on the page you are working on and choose this button.
Click OK when you're done.