PageSpinner

PageSpinner Basics

PageSpinner is an HTML Editor for Macintosh. It supports both HTML 2.0, most parts of HTML 3.2 plus many Netscape extensions and is useful for both the beginner and the more advanced web author.

The editor gives you quick access to often used formatting and also supports help with an interactive AppleGuide and an HTML Assistant to help you create your own web pages.

PageSpinner is scriptable with AppleScript. Included are several scripts that automates tasks and kits for publishing data from popular database applications. Support for extension plug-ins allows you to download new or updated menus and examples without upgrading the application.

This is additional documentation in HTML format. An interactive tutorial on how to work with PageSpinner can be found as an AppleGuide in the Help Menu. You need to use System 7.5 to access the guide. If you can't use AppleGuide or would like to print a introduction, you should take a look at the Getting started page to learn how to create a page with PageSpinner.

You should also read the text file "Read Me FIRST!" inside the PageSpinner folder to find out about how to register.

PageSpinner is by default set to create a local copy of the frontmost HTML file when you choose the Preview command to view the page in the selected browser. To get all links to work correctly in the browser and to use the browser's reload command you should enable autosaving of a file before a preview by checking the box "Autosave file before preview" in the menu File : Preferences : General....

If you have problems running PageSpinner, please read the file Known Incompatibilities in the Documentation folder. If this doesn't help go to the support page at PageSpinner's web site to see if there is additional information or an updated version available. On the support page you will also find a link to the latest version of the PageSpinner FAQ.

You can find the latest information about PageSpinner at
http://www.algonet.se/~optima/pagespinner.html

Contents

Other documentation

Does It Have Any Features?

Well, PageSpinner has cool editing options, is flexible and helpful, and cares about the environment.

Cool editing options!

Ä Uses size, style  and colors to highlight the different tags

Ä Search and Replace text

Ä Convert Mac Text to HTML

Ä Drag and drop text editing in multiple windows

Ä Handles text files larger than 32K

Ä Select text, background and link colors using Netscape-compatible Color Picker

Ä WorldScript II-compliant

Ä Supports the ISO 8859-1 character set, so you don't need to use ISO Latin-1 Tags when typing characters with ASCII codes over 127

Ä Quick keyboard access to integrated Notebook

Ä Lockable tags

Flexible and helpful!

Ä Gives you help in creating several different types of pages from scratch

Ä Includes many examples on how to make different kinds of HTML pages

Ä Uses a flexible non modal HTML Assistant Window instead of modal dialogs

Ä Extensive Balloon Help for all options in HTML Assistant to help you understand and handle the more complicated tags and options

Ä Clearly marks HTML 3.0, 3.2 and Netscape tags using icons

Ä Stationery aware

Cares about the environment!

Ä Send your page to Netscape or another HTML browser to preview it

Ä Pop up menu gives quick access to paste your Netscape bookmarks or custom Bookmark file

Ä Easy launch of GIF-, Text-, RTF-converters and other tools that help you compose and maintain your HTML pages

Ä Easy launch of Netscape, Mosaic, Internet Explorer, Anarchie, Fetch, Eudora and other Internet applications that helps you access the Web

International Characters

PageSpinner tries to keep editing international characters as simple as possible for the user.

So, PageSpinner doesn't use any ISO Latin-1 entities such as Å - instead it translates the Mac character set to the best available characters that is represented in the ISO 8859-1 character set. If you are working in a file created in PageSpinner, you just need to type the character from the keyboard. By default PageSpinner will use the ISO 8859-1 character set.

ISO Latin-1 entities
are a standardized way of describing international characters so that they can be represented in a 7 bit character set.

ISO 8859-1
is a standardized 8-bit character set that is used by HTTP Servers, X Windows and MS Windows. Includes most characters used in west world countries.
All files created by PageSpinner are by default converted to ISO 8895-1 (8 bit) ASCII when they are stored to disk. Files created by other text editors are usually saved in the Macintosh standard character set. Use Set Filing Options... in the File menu to select the Character set, Line Break handling and Creator for an imported file.

You can change the default characters set for new documents in the menu item File:Preferences:Default Filing Options....

Why should I store files with the ISO 8895-1 Character set?

Because, if you are using characters with ASCII code > 127 you don't have to use the ISO Latin-1 entities such as Å you can use the standard Mac characters in your text (e.g. ≈).

If you are using preformatted text <PRE> you should set your file transfer application to add CR/LF after each line or optionally select to use Unix Line Feed in PageSpinner's Set Filing Options.... (This may not be necessary if you are using a MacOS based HTTP server).

Note that you may need to set the file transfer application to not automatically do conversion to ISO 8859-1. (Anarchie always seems to do this conversion before sending files, and there seems to be no way of setting this in the Preferences.)

When should I store files with ISO Latin-1 entities?

If you are using other editors that are only compatible with ISO Latin-1 entities you can set Default Filing Options... to convert special characters to ISO Latin-1 entities when you save the file.

When should I store files as Mac TEXT?

If you are using other ways of converting international characters or are using WorldScript input you should set Default Filing Options... to Mac TEXT. No conversion will then occur when you save the file.

This version of PageSpinner is WorldScript II-compliant. WorldScript input with e g Japanese input should work if the file is saved as Mac Text. Bidirectional scripts, like Arabic are not supported. More information about WorldScript can be found in the text file "About WorldScript".

Keyboard Shortcuts

Option-ReturnLine break
ReturnParagraph break / Line break
Command-Dash [-]Horizontal Rule
Command-LList item
Command-JDefinition title
Command-KDefinition item
Command-BBold
Command-YPreview
Command-MRestyle text
Command-IItalic
Command-FFind...
Command-GFind again...
Command-,Goto Line...
Command-TNotebook
Command-0Bring up the Assistant
Command-1 to 9Bring window to front
Command-BackspaceDelete text containing locked tag
Command-SpaceNon breaking space
Command-<<
Ctrl+Alt+CommandPress these keys when selection
a menu option to display a floating menu palette
with containing commands in the menu.

Cursor movement:
Command-Up ArrowGo to top of file
Command-Down ArrowGo to end of file
Command-Left ArrowGo to beginning of line
Command-Right ArrowGo to end of line
Option-Left ArrowGo to previous word
Option-Right ArrowGo to next word
Option-Shift-Left ArrowSelect previous word
Option-Shift-Right ArrowSelect next word

Adding Keyboard Shortcuts

You can define additional keyboard shortcuts for frequently used commands that are available in a floating menu palette. Press the control key when clicking on an item in a floating menu palette to add, view, edit or remove a keyboard shortcut.

Mouse Shortcuts

PageSpinner supports Drag and Drop text editing. Drag text inside a window, between windows and between applications.

Option Drag to make a copy of the selected text when editing text in a window.

Press Command when selecting an application in the Web Tools Menu to send the current document to be opened by the selected application. Press Option when selecting to view information about the application.

Modifying User Tags

Press Option when selecting a user tag in the menu Tags : User Tags or in the floating menu to edit a user tag. A dialog will be displayed where you can enter the start and ending text for the tag and specify the text that should be displayed in the menu.

You can enter several nested tags in the dialog as well as tabs and returns.

If you have one long tag (or several tags) you would like to enter, you could create the text in a page or in the Notebook and copy the start tag(s) to the clipboard. In the dialog you are then able to paste the contents of the clipboard into the tag field (and manually enter the closing tag/tags).

If you really need to use more than the 18 available User Tags you can find information about adding more user tags in a PageSpinner TechNote.

Modifying Colors in the Text Menu

Do you find the preset colors in the Text menu dull?

Press the Option key when selecting a color name in the menu to define a new color value. It is not possible to change the name or the color displayed in the menu though.

Shareware and Distribution Info

PageSpinner is Shareware. You are permitted to use the application on a trial basis for up to 30 days. If you wish to continue using the product beyond that period, you must register by paying a fee of $25.00 in U.S. currency or remove it from your computer storage medium. Site licenses are also available.

Permission is granted for non-commercial distribution of unmodified copies of this software, so long as all documentation is included. For permission about including this software on compilation disks or CD-ROMs, bundle options, please contact Optima System.

If you are a registered user and would like to mention PageSpinner you can use the Spun with PageSpinner icons on your page.

We hope you will enjoy using PageSpinner.
Please send questions, comments, bug reports and suggestions via Email to optima@kagi.com.

© 1995-1997 Optima System. All rights reserved world wide.