Please
note
This file is out of date
to find the latest version please visit my home page
Preface
This guide started as notes I made while trying to learn Nvu 0.5. Like Topsy they grew so I decided to try to polish them.
Nvu 0.5 had no Help at all so, without something, I found it almost unusable. 0.6 introduced a help system which is continually improving but I still find myself referring to the Guide when I forget how something is done. If I find it useful I hope that others may also.
It comes with the usual caveats, I can’t be responsible for any problems that result from using it. I am pleased, and flattered, that the Nvu team have asked permission to use it and thank them for providing the hosting service needed.
If there is interest in it, I hope to keep the guide in track with Nvu as it develops.
The Guide is also available in pdf format for convenient printing.
User Guide - Contents
1.1 What is Nvu?
1.2 Who is Nvu for?
1.3 Scope
1.4 Methodology
2.1 Create a new page
2.2 Open an existing page
2.3 Editing a web page
2.4 Saving a page
2.5 Browsing a page
2.6 Help
3.2 Starting a page
3.2.1 Options for starting a page
3.3 Editing in Nvu
3.3.1 Tutorial - Brief introduction to HTML
3.3.2 Saving files
3.3.3 Printing pages
3.4.1 Text on a page
3.4.2 Formatting text
3.4.3 Positioning text
3.4.3.1 Fixed width text
3.4.4 Lists
3.4.5 More formatting
3.4.6 Importing text
3.4.7 Special characters
3.4.8 Checking spelling
3.4.9 Viewing text
3.5.1 Inserting images
3.5.2 Positioning and resizing images
3.6 Using tables
3.6.1 Inserting tables
3.6.2 Formatting tables
3.6.2.1 Table size
3.6.2.2 Colouring, adding deleting and merging cells, rows and columns
3.6.2.3 Setting cell border and spacing
3.6.2.4 Colouring cells
3.6.2.5 Cell sizes
3.6.2.6 Table properties
3.6.2.7 Background Images
3.6.3 Inserting text
3.6.4 Centring tables
3.6.5 Tutorial - Navigating tables
3.7 Links
3.7.1 Linking text
3.7.1.1 Linking to another file
3.7.1.2 Inserting an email address
3.7.1.3 Inserting named Anchors
3.7.1.4 Linking to named anchors
3.7.1.5 Bigger jumps
3.7.1.6 Link colours
3.7.2 Linking images
3.7.3 Editing links
3.8 Frames
3.9 Forms
3.10 Layers
3.10.1 What layers are
3.10.2 Creating layers
3.10.3 Characteristics of layers
3.10.4 Manipulating layers
3.10.5 Gluing
3.10.6 Doing it in style
3.10.7 Using classes
3.11 Borders
3.12 The Body
3.13 The Head area
3.14 Page views
3.15 Editing in HTML Source view
4.1.1 Power of styles
4.1.2 Classes
4.1.3 Using styles
4.1.3.1 In line styles
4.1.3.2 Internal styles
4.1.3.3 External styles – Linked stylesheets
4.1.3.4 Cascading style sheets
4.2 Creating styles
4.2.1 Internal styles
4.2.1.1 Text Tab
4.2.1.2 Background Tab
4.2.1.3 Border .
4.2.1.4 Box
4.2.2 Styling multiple elements
4.2.3 Named Classes
4.2.3.1 Applying Classes.
4.2.3.2 Removing classes
4.2.4 External styles
4.2.4.1 Create a new external style sheet
4.2.4.2 Change an internal style listing into an external stylesheet
4.2.4.3 Link to an existing stylesheet
4.3 Removing styles
4.4 Inheritance
4.6 Special cases
4.6.1 Link styles
4.6.2 Class selectors
5 Scripts
6 Inserts
7.2 Create a new template
7.3 Saving templates
7.4 Change a page to a template
7.5 Setting up templates
7.6 Using templates
7.7 Editing templates
8.1 Overview
8.2 Setting up sites
8.3 Site Manager functions
8.4 Remote sites
9.1 Toolbars
9.2 Toolbar buttons
9.3 Editing preferences
10.1 Validating a site
10.1.1 Browser validation
10.1.2 Formal validation
10.2 Publishing
10.2.1 Setting up a site
10.2.2 Uploading
A1 Glossary
A2 References
A3 Revision History
A4 Subject Index (The subject index is available only for the pdf version of the Guide)
These pages have been optimised
for running on Mozilla-type browsers and should run satisfactorily on
Netscape 6 and later, all Mozilla and Firefox and Opera browsers. If
you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer unfortunately the navigation
menu will probably have disappeared off the top of the screen. To help
you, there are some navigation buttons at the end of the file. You may
prefer to:
Change to one of the browsers mentioned (all are free)
Use the pdf version of the Guide which has the advantage of being printable and has a full subject index.
1 Introduction
1.1 What is Nvu? – What does it do?
Nvu is a complete Web Authoring System which integrates web page development and web file management.
It provides a web page editor which has a simple graphical (wysiwyg – what you see is what you get) interface. With Nvu, newcomers will quickly and easily be able to produce new web pages and existing pages may be easily updated
Alternative editing ‘views’ of the pages are provided right down to detailed code level.
The output code is compliant to a high extent with the latest issues of the appropriate web language specifications and pages may be checked for validity directly from Nvu using the official validator.
Nvu incorporates a Site Manager this gives rapid access to the files on both local machines and remote servers. It can cater for several sites and switch rapidly between them.
From within Nvu pages and associated files may be uploaded to a remote server.
Nvu supports the use of “Styles” (alias CSS) both embedded and using external style sheets. In has an editor which generates styles complying well with current recommendations.
1.2 Who is Nvu suited to?
Nvu appears suitable for anyone wishing to have a modern, free of charge, program for developing small web sites and who is prepared to live with some small inconveniences which will probably be eliminated in time.
1.3 Scope of the guide
The guide has been written from the point of view of the Windows Operating system so details may differ for other systems. It is intended as a reference document although in a few places it uses a tutorial approach.
Although web pages can appear on screen, in print or in audio the guide is confined to on-screen uses.
1.4 Methodology
The approach taken by the guide attempts to satisfy the needs both of the comparative novice who has little knowledge of web design tools, and those making the transition from other tools and who may have considerable knowledge of the field.
Although the Guide is not intended for the complete beginner, concepts are introduced progressively and gradually added to. I have however cheated a little. To avoid being too repetitive I have, in a number of places, referred to subjects yet to come. This applies, in particular to the use of styles in which Nvu is strong. I suggest that these references are disregarded at first reading and come back to later. This will not prevent understanding later parts.
Notes appearing throughout provide some supplementary information that may be skipped at will. Warnings on the contrary need to be noted, for the most part they provide ‘work-arounds’ which will become unnecessary as Nvu develops.
Those in a hurry wanting details of some particular feature and no more are recommended to the pdf version of the Guide which has a full subject index.
Nvu User Guide - Based on Nvu version 0.9 - Updated 01-Apr-2005
