PageSpinner

PageSpinner Basics

PageSpinner is an easy-to-use web authoring package for Mac OS. The HTML Editor supports HTML 3.2, HTML 4 and XHTML 1.0 plus additional Netscape and Explorer extensions. It is suitable for both the beginner and the professional web author and gives you quick access to often used formatting. The included PageSpinner Guide helps you to get started working with HTML in PageSpinner and a built-in HTML Assistant helps you to compose your HTML pages.

The text-oriented editor also supports Include files that makes it possible to change the look or contents of a site by editing a single page.

PageSpinner is scriptable with AppleScript. Included are several scripts that automate 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. If you would like to print an introduction, you should take a look at the Getting started page to learn how to create a page with PageSpinner.

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.optima-system.com/pagespinner/

We hope you will enjoy PageSpinner!

Contents

Does It Have Any Features?

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

Cool editing options!

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

° Search and Replace text

° Convert Mac Text to HTML

° Drag and drop text editing in multiple windows

° Handles text files larger than 32K

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

° WorldScript II-compliant

° 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

° Quick keyboard access to integrated Notebook

° Lockable tags

Flexible and helpful!

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

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

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

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

° Clearly marks HTML 3.2, 4.0 and Netscape tags using icons

° Stationery aware

° Built-in HTML Checker

Cares about the environment!

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

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

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

° Easy launch of Netscape, iCab, Internet Explorer, Anarchie (Pro), Fetch, Eudora and other Internet applications that help 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 in 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. ≈).

Note that you may need to set file transfer applications such as Fetch to not automatically perform a conversion to ISO 8859-1, since the file already is stored in this format.

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

If you are using other editors or web servers 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/ Japanese 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, for example, with Japanese input will work if the file is saved as Mac Text.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Option-ReturnLine break
Command-ReturnParagraph break
Command-Dash [-]Horizontal Rule
Command-YPreview
Command-MRestyle text
Command-KCheck Page
Command-BBold
Command-IItalic
Command-LList item
Command-JDefinition title
Command-FFind...
Command-GFind again...
Command-,Goto Line...
Command-0Bring up the Assistant
Command-1 to 9Bring window to front
Command-BackspaceDelete text containing locked tag
Command-SpaceInsert Non breaking space
Command-<Insert < character
Command-Option-8Shift Text Block Left
Command-Option-9Shift Text Block Right
Command-Option-XCut Tag
Command-Option-CCopy Tag
Command-Option-VPaste Tag
Command-Option-BSelect (Balance) Tag
Command-Option-Shift-BBalance Brackets
Ctrl+Option+CommandPress these keys when selecting
a menu option to display a floating menu palette with the 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

How to customize the Editor Settings

You can customize PageSpinner's default Filing and Editor options from the menu items available in the File : Preferences menu:

The Default Filing Options... will be used when saving new files created in PageSpinner.

The Default Editor Options... will be used for all documents opened in PageSpinner.

To change the setting for a document already open in PageSpinner you can use the following menu items:

File : Set Filing Options...

Edit : Editor Options...

Note that changes made in the Editor Options will only apply until you close the page. The Default Editor Options will be used the next time you open the document.

Adding Keyboard Shortcuts

You can define additional keyboard shortcuts for frequently used commands that are available in a floating menu palette:

Press Ctrl+Option+Command when selecting a menu option to display a floating menu palette with the commands in the menu.

Then press the Control key when clicking on an item in the 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.

Press Control when you click on a button in the toolbar to access a pulldown-menu with additional options and commands related to the button's action.

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 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.

Distribution & Demo Info

You are permitted to use the application on a trial basis for up to 21 days. If you wish to continue using the product beyond that period, you must register by paying a fee of $29.95 in U.S. currency or remove it from your computer storage medium. Site licenses are also available.

Permission is granted for electronic 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.

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