When editing an item on this website, an editing toolbar will be available that allows you to format text as simply as if you were using Microsoft Word. Just highlight text and click a formatting button to change its appearance. You can also insert pictures and attach documents.

NB: This editor works best with Internet Explorer. Some functions do not work properly with other browsers, such as Firefox (which is sad because Firefox is a great browser). 

Quick tips

More details

Formatting

You can make text bold, italicised, or underlined. To begin typing formatted text, place your cursor where you wish to begin and click the relevant formatting button/s. Once you have finished typing your formatted text, click the button/s again to turn off formatting. Alternatively, you can just highlight the text that you wish to format and click the relevant buttons. (This is exactly the same as in Microsoft Word).

Bold

Italics

Underline

Justification

You can align each paragraph of text to the left margin, centre it, align it to the right margin, or have it spaced to fill out to left and right margins. Note that a paragraph is ended by pressing the <Enter> key. A single line space (or even two single line spaces) will not be seen as separating paragraphs. To align a paragraph, place the cursor within the paragraph and click one of the following four buttons. (This is exactly the same as in Microsoft Word).

Justify left

Centred

Justify right

Justify full

Lists

You can create lists that are automatically bulleted or numbered. Note that you must separate each item on the list by pressing <Enter> (to insert a paragraph mark). If you wish start a new line without creating a new bullet or number, press Ctrl-Enter (i.e. press the <Ctrl> key and the <Enter> key at the same time). To create the list, place your cursor where you wish to begin the list and click the bullet button (or auto-number button). Once you have finished typing your list, click the button again to end the list. Alternatively, you can just highlight the text that you wish to make into a list and click the relevant list button. (This is exactly the same as in Microsoft Word).

Bulleted list

Automatically numbered list

Indenting

You can indent text or undent text (move text closer to the left margin) by either placing your cursor, clicking the relevant button and typing your text or by simply placing your cursor in the paragraph that you wish to shift and then clicking the relevant button. As with justification, paragraphs must be separated by pressing the <Enter> key (to insert a paragraph mark). A single line space (or even two single line spaces) will not be interpreted as a paragraph break.

Indent - move left margin of paragraph to the right

Undent - move left margin of paragraph to the left

Always check that a hyperlink works before including it.

To create a hyperlink, you must have typed some text first and then highlight the text and click this button: . (If you do not highlight any text then no link will be created). The following window will appear:

The fields are:

URL: Enter the website address. You must complete this field.

Title (tootltip): When a user points at this hyperlink the tooltip will appear. This field is optional.

Target: If you leave the target as 'None' then when a user clicks on this link the link will open in this window. If you want this link to open in a new window, then change the target to "New window'. Do not use the other options.

Attach a file/document

You can insert a link to a file/document that has previously been uploaded. If you have permission, you will also be able to upload more files yourself. To insert a link to a file, place the cursor where you wish the link to be inserted and click . Wait until the following window appears (this may be a bit slow):

There are a lot of file management operations that you can perform from this window, including:

To insert the link to the document into your text you must first click on the document to select it (it will be highlighted). Then click Okay. The window will close and a nice link to the document will be inserted into your text. It will look something like this:

If you are an editor, after saving your item, always view it and check that the links are working.

Insert an image

You can insert an existing image from any photo album. If you have permission you can also add images.

To begin, click the Insert Image icon: . Wait until a list of folders or images is displayed in a window on the screen.

Click on a folder to enter that photo album

Within a photo album you will be shown an original and a thumbnail of each image.

If you have permission you may also be able to edit (click on the pencil beneath the image), delete (click on the rubbish bin beneath the image) and upload images and create new albums. However, it is best that you do all of this from within the separate photo album module.

When you click on an image, the relevant fields/parameters in the Insert Image window will be set. Although you do not need to change them you can change the parameters if you wish to have more control. This is what they are:

When you are happy, click Okay. The window will close and the image will be inserted in your text.

Cut, copy and paste

Use cut, copy and paste exactly as you would in Microsoft Word. First highlight the relevant text and then click either copy or cut. Place the cursor in the new location and click paste. Buttons are:

copy

cut

paste

Special buttons

Show text/HTML: Click this button to toggle between WYSIWYG mode and plain text/HTML mode. If you have copied formatted text but wish to paste it as plain text, a quick way to do it is to go into text/HTML mode and paste the text in. The text will be pasted without any formatting. Alternatively, you could paste and copy from notepad to get rid of formatting.

Help: Instructions to help you use the editor.

 

Keyboard shortcuts

The editor provides the following key combinations:

About this editor

This editor is HTMLArea 3.0 RC1

What are the browser requirements?

HTMLArea requires Internet Explorer >= 5.5 (Windows only), or Mozilla >= 1.3-Beta on any platform. Any browser based on Gecko will also work, provided that Gecko version is at least the one included in Mozilla-1.3-Beta (for example, Galeon-1.2.8). However, it degrades gracefully to other browsers. They will get a regular textarea field instead of a WYSIWYG editor.

Where can I find out more info, download the latest version and talk to other HTMLArea users?

You can find out more about HTMLArea and download the latest version on the HTMLArea homepage and you can talk to other HTMLArea users and post any comments or suggestions you have in the HTMLArea forum.