HTML is the language responsible for websites. Web browsers read the codes inside the HTML file and display the website based on them. Any mistake inside the HTML file will spell disaster when displaying the website.
Now, creating the HTML file requires learning the syntax and how the codes work. Fortunately, with new innovations in website creations, more and more people are able to create websites without even bothering about HTML. Web hosting providers and application allow even the novice user to create their own website using a graphical drag and drop interface thus, bypassing the manual creation of HTML codes. While people may not see the need to figure out HTML anymore, it still makes sense to know the basics, for instance, creating a new and blank space for your website via HTML. Here are some easy steps to do it.
* Open the HTML file. If you have an existing website, then you will have to access it through the webhost server. Now, this can be done in two ways depending on the webhost provider. Some webhosts may provide some kind of graphical user interface or graphical panel wherein you can log in and access your website files without having to deal without too much hassle. At the same time, you can edit the actual HTML file online through their built in HTML editor. On the other hand, some webhosts may require you to upload and download files onto and from your webhost server via ftp. This means that you will have to install and use an FTP client such as Cuteftp or Filezilla. Whatever is the case and find your way to access the HTML file. If you were able to access it by downloading it via an FTP client, then you will need, at the very least, Notepad to open and edit it.
* Add the code. Once the HTML file is open, inspect the code and determine where you want to create the blank space in your website. This could be anywhere between the codes already on the file. To add the code, create a small blank line on the file and type in “ ”. This is the HTML code that will tell the web browser displaying your website to leave a blank space between the other elements on the page.
* Save and upload. After entering the HTML code, save the file and proceed to uploading it back into your web server. If you used the online integrated HTML editor, then all you will really need to do is save the file since it will automatically update your website.
Once uploaded, open a web browser and type in the URL of your website or webpage. Take a look if the new space was created where you wanted it. Now, if the space that was created is in the wrong spot, then you might want to repeat the process of editing the HTML file and transferring the code to a location where you want it.
Alright, now you know a little more about HTML. This is just a simple code to create a non-formatted space on your website. The other codes you will see on the file are a bit more complex. Nevertheless, anyone can gradually learn in.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
How To Create Special Effects for Your Website--Even if You Can't Write Code
With so many webhosts providing free domains, webhosting, and an online and easy to use web creation software, more and more people have tried their hand in creating their very own websites. Yes, you don’t need to know the intricacies of HTML and CSS coding in order to create your very own website. It is that easy.
Now, while these online web creation applications allow you to create a website in a matter of minutes, some of them do not allow you to add certain effects. Yes, most of them will probably allow you to add certain elements like images, videos, and forms. However, if you are looking for add effects consisting of widgets and animation, you may need to look elsewhere. Don’t worry; you can still use your existing website and just add the effects you want by sourcing other websites that will provide you the code to do so.
To help get you started, here are the steps you can follow.
* Determine the effects you want to add. Before altering the code of your website, you will first need to determine what kind of effects you want on your website. For instance, do you want your websites to have an online clock, calculator, or interactive map? Perhaps you want your website to be animated? Or maybe, you want to have a small box allowing you to display all your posts from Twitter or Facebook? These are all possible effects that you can integrate into your website. In fact, there are even more. Make a list of them and take note where on the website you want to place the effect.
* Search for websites that will create the code for the effect. Technically, there are tons of effects available for you to use on your website. One such effect is the ability to post videos from YouTube onto your website. If you will notice, there is a code for every video that YouTube offers. This code needs to be embedded onto your website in order to display it there. That code is actually an HTML code and you will need to copy and paste it onto the HTML page of the website. Now, the websites you are looking for works the same way. They will have certain effects available such as widgets or flash. To find them all you need to do is to execute a search on Google or Yahoo. For instance, if you do a search using “web widgets” as your keywords, then you will probably stumble on www.bravenet.com/webtools/widgets.php which basically allows you to use their collection of widget boxes on your website. They will provide you a code that you will copy and paste on your website.
* Insert the code. As soon as you find an effect you want, copy the code and paste it inside the HTML file of your website. Now, make sure to insert it where you would like it displayed. Technically, this would have to be somewhere in between the 2 tags corresponding to the body of the page. Paste it there, save, and try it out.
If the effect comes out as expected, then you successfully added an effect to your website. If not, then open the HTML editor and try to move the code around there again. Trial and error will help at this point for as long as you don’t erase any existing code from the HTML file.
Now, while these online web creation applications allow you to create a website in a matter of minutes, some of them do not allow you to add certain effects. Yes, most of them will probably allow you to add certain elements like images, videos, and forms. However, if you are looking for add effects consisting of widgets and animation, you may need to look elsewhere. Don’t worry; you can still use your existing website and just add the effects you want by sourcing other websites that will provide you the code to do so.
To help get you started, here are the steps you can follow.
* Determine the effects you want to add. Before altering the code of your website, you will first need to determine what kind of effects you want on your website. For instance, do you want your websites to have an online clock, calculator, or interactive map? Perhaps you want your website to be animated? Or maybe, you want to have a small box allowing you to display all your posts from Twitter or Facebook? These are all possible effects that you can integrate into your website. In fact, there are even more. Make a list of them and take note where on the website you want to place the effect.
* Search for websites that will create the code for the effect. Technically, there are tons of effects available for you to use on your website. One such effect is the ability to post videos from YouTube onto your website. If you will notice, there is a code for every video that YouTube offers. This code needs to be embedded onto your website in order to display it there. That code is actually an HTML code and you will need to copy and paste it onto the HTML page of the website. Now, the websites you are looking for works the same way. They will have certain effects available such as widgets or flash. To find them all you need to do is to execute a search on Google or Yahoo. For instance, if you do a search using “web widgets” as your keywords, then you will probably stumble on www.bravenet.com/webtools/widgets.php which basically allows you to use their collection of widget boxes on your website. They will provide you a code that you will copy and paste on your website.
* Insert the code. As soon as you find an effect you want, copy the code and paste it inside the HTML file of your website. Now, make sure to insert it where you would like it displayed. Technically, this would have to be somewhere in between the 2 tags corresponding to the body of the page. Paste it there, save, and try it out.
If the effect comes out as expected, then you successfully added an effect to your website. If not, then open the HTML editor and try to move the code around there again. Trial and error will help at this point for as long as you don’t erase any existing code from the HTML file.
How To Use the Draw Command in Visual Basic
Visual Basic is a third generation programming language that allows a programmer to create an application. It is very easy to learn and quite simple to use. One important component of programming done in VB is the graphics because it makes the interface more attractive to the user. Before any of the improvements, designing graphics and drawing in BASIC was considered to be so time consuming and difficult because each line had to be programmed. With the improved version, creating graphics has been made much easier. Instead of having to type the code for making a dot or a box, you just need to click on the Draw command and choose whether you want to create a line, box, or just draw in freeform.
* Click on line control to create a straight line. Drawing using Visual Basic is almost the same as drawing using any other drawing software. Once you click on the Draw command, the drawing toolbar will launch. Select line control and draw a line on the form that you have already created using your mouse. Once you are done making the line, you can change the color in BorderColor. You can also alter the width of the line by clicking on the BorderWidth tab. If you want to change the style, do so in the BorderStyle property.
* Click on the shape control to add a shape on your form. The steps for making any shape are similar to those of making a line. Simply click on shape control and use your mouse to create a shape to add to the form. Rectangle is the default shape and its shape property is set to 0. If you want to make a square, set the shape property to 1. For an oval, set it to 2. Use 3 to make a circle and 4 to make a rounded rectangle. You can also alter the background color of the shape in the BackColor property tab. If you want to change the color of the shape’s border, alter the values in the BorderColor tag. The width can be adjusted in the BorderWidth property tab.
* If you want to add pictures to the form, go to the properties Window and click on picture property. Adding lines and shapes to your form can make it look interesting. However, to make the interface more attractive to the user, it is better to include pictures or images. Luckily, Visual Basic has graphic tools that you can use for this purpose: picture box and image box. To add an image or picture, just click on the Picture Property found at the window and wait for the dialog box to pop up. Select your desired picture file from any of the folders in your computer and the program will incorporate the picture into your form for you.
If you want to make any changes on the lines, shapes, and images that you have added, simple double-click on the object and adjust the properties on the tabs that you will see. You can also click on the Scribble icon in order to make the objects look like they have been drawn rather than pasted from image-editing software. Once you are done drawing, click on any other tool in order to exit the drawing module.
* Click on line control to create a straight line. Drawing using Visual Basic is almost the same as drawing using any other drawing software. Once you click on the Draw command, the drawing toolbar will launch. Select line control and draw a line on the form that you have already created using your mouse. Once you are done making the line, you can change the color in BorderColor. You can also alter the width of the line by clicking on the BorderWidth tab. If you want to change the style, do so in the BorderStyle property.
* Click on the shape control to add a shape on your form. The steps for making any shape are similar to those of making a line. Simply click on shape control and use your mouse to create a shape to add to the form. Rectangle is the default shape and its shape property is set to 0. If you want to make a square, set the shape property to 1. For an oval, set it to 2. Use 3 to make a circle and 4 to make a rounded rectangle. You can also alter the background color of the shape in the BackColor property tab. If you want to change the color of the shape’s border, alter the values in the BorderColor tag. The width can be adjusted in the BorderWidth property tab.
* If you want to add pictures to the form, go to the properties Window and click on picture property. Adding lines and shapes to your form can make it look interesting. However, to make the interface more attractive to the user, it is better to include pictures or images. Luckily, Visual Basic has graphic tools that you can use for this purpose: picture box and image box. To add an image or picture, just click on the Picture Property found at the window and wait for the dialog box to pop up. Select your desired picture file from any of the folders in your computer and the program will incorporate the picture into your form for you.
If you want to make any changes on the lines, shapes, and images that you have added, simple double-click on the object and adjust the properties on the tabs that you will see. You can also click on the Scribble icon in order to make the objects look like they have been drawn rather than pasted from image-editing software. Once you are done drawing, click on any other tool in order to exit the drawing module.
How To Use the Toolbar Control in Visual Basic
Visual Basic is a type of programming language that is often used for developing applications for Windows OS. This program was derived from its predecessor, BASIC and many programmers use this to create several applications because Visual Basic can make creating several components a whole lot easier.
Visual Basic has several features and functions. Most of these functions are made for the program to be user –friendly. And one of the features that many users find useful is the Toolbar Control in Visual Basic.
The Toolbar Control helps you create the toolbars that you need. You can personalize your toolbar according to how often you use a command, feature or function of Visual Basic. Here is a step by step guide that you could follow in using the Toolbar Control in Visual Basic.
* Select the “Properties” command. To select the “Properties” command, point your cursor on the “Properties” command the left-click on it. A new window will pop up on your screen.
* Locate the ImageList. In the new window that has popped up, you’ll find several tabs. Click on the “General” tab to look for the ImageList field then choose ImageList Control.
* Add your buttons. After choosing the ImageList Control, click on the “Buttons” tab then click on the “Insert Button” option to add the new buttons to your toolbar. The maximum number of buttons that you can add in the toolbar is 255 and you cannot exceed more than that. When you add buttons, make sure that you fill up all of the appropriate fields.
Visual Basic has several features and functions. Most of these functions are made for the program to be user –friendly. And one of the features that many users find useful is the Toolbar Control in Visual Basic.
The Toolbar Control helps you create the toolbars that you need. You can personalize your toolbar according to how often you use a command, feature or function of Visual Basic. Here is a step by step guide that you could follow in using the Toolbar Control in Visual Basic.
* Select the “Properties” command. To select the “Properties” command, point your cursor on the “Properties” command the left-click on it. A new window will pop up on your screen.
* Locate the ImageList. In the new window that has popped up, you’ll find several tabs. Click on the “General” tab to look for the ImageList field then choose ImageList Control.
* Add your buttons. After choosing the ImageList Control, click on the “Buttons” tab then click on the “Insert Button” option to add the new buttons to your toolbar. The maximum number of buttons that you can add in the toolbar is 255 and you cannot exceed more than that. When you add buttons, make sure that you fill up all of the appropriate fields.
How To Use Windows Genuine Advantage Tool
The Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Tool is a program that validates if your Windows version is genuine and licensed. It aims to stand against software piracy and protects Windows users. WGA is a compulsory program for update downloads. If you want to know how to use it, here are some tips.
* Find out if WGA works in your system. Some versions of Windows don’t work with WGA. These include Microsoft Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, and Windows Server 2003. You can use it, though, with Windows XP, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows Vista.
* Allow WGA to validate your operating system. If you try to download updates from Microsoft, WGA tool will first have to validate your OS. You will be asked to download ActiveX control to start the validation process. This should only take a few minutes. By going through your software, WGA can detect whether your version of Windows is authentic or counterfeit. If it is found authentic, you can continue downloading updates. If it is counterfeit, you will receive a notification and you won’t be able to get some of the important downloads. Some of Windows’ features will also be limited.
* Consider the recommendations if your software is pirated. Microsoft will provide you with options when your software is found to be a counterfeit version. Foremost, you can send a report to Microsoft, so it can make an investigation. Now, if you are qualified, you can receive a free Windows copy. Alternatively, you will be asked to buy genuine software within 30 days. If you fail to install a genuine version, you will be notified that your software is not authentic and that you might be a victim of software piracy every time you start your computer. Your computer will also turn black every hour until you settle the problem.
* Report whoever sold you a counterfeit Windows version. You can make a report if you innocently bought a pirated version of Windows. This is done through the How to Tell page of the Microsoft website. The report you send will remain confidential.
* Find out why your Windows was identified as counterfeit. In case Microsoft detects your software as counterfeit even if it is not, you can make some actions to do further verification. Microsoft will help you with this. It will provide explanations why your Windows was detected as pirated and offer troubleshooting recommendations. For example, Microsoft will detect your software as counterfeit if you happened to install Windows with the incorrect product key. You will then be asked to access Product Key Update Tool and correct the problem.
Software counterfeit is so rampant today that Microsoft made a radical move to prevent piracy through WGA. But ultimately, it is your responsibility as a user to find out if the software you are purchasing is authentic. You have to find the marks of genuine software such as the Certificate of Authenticity. If you are buying a computer preinstalled with Windows, you have to make sure it is authentic. Talk to the dealer about this.
* Find out if WGA works in your system. Some versions of Windows don’t work with WGA. These include Microsoft Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, and Windows Server 2003. You can use it, though, with Windows XP, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows Vista.
* Allow WGA to validate your operating system. If you try to download updates from Microsoft, WGA tool will first have to validate your OS. You will be asked to download ActiveX control to start the validation process. This should only take a few minutes. By going through your software, WGA can detect whether your version of Windows is authentic or counterfeit. If it is found authentic, you can continue downloading updates. If it is counterfeit, you will receive a notification and you won’t be able to get some of the important downloads. Some of Windows’ features will also be limited.
* Consider the recommendations if your software is pirated. Microsoft will provide you with options when your software is found to be a counterfeit version. Foremost, you can send a report to Microsoft, so it can make an investigation. Now, if you are qualified, you can receive a free Windows copy. Alternatively, you will be asked to buy genuine software within 30 days. If you fail to install a genuine version, you will be notified that your software is not authentic and that you might be a victim of software piracy every time you start your computer. Your computer will also turn black every hour until you settle the problem.
* Report whoever sold you a counterfeit Windows version. You can make a report if you innocently bought a pirated version of Windows. This is done through the How to Tell page of the Microsoft website. The report you send will remain confidential.
* Find out why your Windows was identified as counterfeit. In case Microsoft detects your software as counterfeit even if it is not, you can make some actions to do further verification. Microsoft will help you with this. It will provide explanations why your Windows was detected as pirated and offer troubleshooting recommendations. For example, Microsoft will detect your software as counterfeit if you happened to install Windows with the incorrect product key. You will then be asked to access Product Key Update Tool and correct the problem.
Software counterfeit is so rampant today that Microsoft made a radical move to prevent piracy through WGA. But ultimately, it is your responsibility as a user to find out if the software you are purchasing is authentic. You have to find the marks of genuine software such as the Certificate of Authenticity. If you are buying a computer preinstalled with Windows, you have to make sure it is authentic. Talk to the dealer about this.
How To Use the Copy Tag in XML
XML or Extensible Markup Language is a standard in recording documentation that makes items easily readable in the Internet and in other forms due to the simplicity of the design. An XML file will follow an outline form that organizes all information but sometimes, when reading an XML file, you do not need to access them all at the same time. There are also cases that only snippets of the file are needed, you will need to just copy and paste it to a different location. If you want to know how to do that, then just read the outlined steps below and you will see how easy it is to achieve.
* Starting with creating a new file. You can start the copying by creating a brand new file that will host the copied segment of the XML. You can do this in a text editor that has an option to save the text file as an XML file (with an .xml extension).
* Creating the new tag. A tag is a section of the code that is enclosed by the < and > symbols. Anything contained in this section is “tagged”. Tags are classified into three – a start tag which looks like this - < section > , an end tag which looks something like this - < / section > and an empty element tag < line – break / >. A copy tag will look like this - xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">, which is called an XSLT file. This means that you are copying the piece from a code and not necessarily the actual code.
* Parsing XML files. Most browsers deployed today are well equipped in reading XML files. Most of the time, configurations and other items that can be edited often are the ones stored in XML files.
* Other samples of XML tags. There are other tags in XML that you can find useful such as the copy tag, which creates a copy of another tag. You can also use the attribute tag, which adds an XML attribute to the parent element. The expr tag can be used to perform expressions while the param tag is for forming parameters in parent transforms. Parse is for parsing a series of XML lines which is often used in finding URL’s in a series of texts in a specified content. The set tag is for defining variable Xpath expressions while the sort tag is for sorting a list of nodes from your xpath expression.
There are many other commonly used tags in XML and more often than not, are used depending on what type of application is using the XML file. XML files are often used in API or application programming interfaces that guides a developer on what to use when one wants to link to a certain application. For example, if you want to have an application that connects to Facebook or any other social networking site, then you would need to get hold of the Facebook API (which is often available for free) so that you would know how to connect to Facebook properly.
* Starting with creating a new file. You can start the copying by creating a brand new file that will host the copied segment of the XML. You can do this in a text editor that has an option to save the text file as an XML file (with an .xml extension).
* Creating the new tag. A tag is a section of the code that is enclosed by the < and > symbols. Anything contained in this section is “tagged”. Tags are classified into three – a start tag which looks like this - < section > , an end tag which looks something like this - < / section > and an empty element tag < line – break / >. A copy tag will look like this - xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">, which is called an XSLT file. This means that you are copying the piece from a code and not necessarily the actual code.
* Parsing XML files. Most browsers deployed today are well equipped in reading XML files. Most of the time, configurations and other items that can be edited often are the ones stored in XML files.
* Other samples of XML tags. There are other tags in XML that you can find useful such as the copy tag, which creates a copy of another tag. You can also use the attribute tag, which adds an XML attribute to the parent element. The expr tag can be used to perform expressions while the param tag is for forming parameters in parent transforms. Parse is for parsing a series of XML lines which is often used in finding URL’s in a series of texts in a specified content. The set tag is for defining variable Xpath expressions while the sort tag is for sorting a list of nodes from your xpath expression.
There are many other commonly used tags in XML and more often than not, are used depending on what type of application is using the XML file. XML files are often used in API or application programming interfaces that guides a developer on what to use when one wants to link to a certain application. For example, if you want to have an application that connects to Facebook or any other social networking site, then you would need to get hold of the Facebook API (which is often available for free) so that you would know how to connect to Facebook properly.
How To Split & Join Tracks on GarageBand
GarageBand is an Apple software program used to create audio files such as songs, instrumental recordings, and podcasts. GarageBand is generally an easy-to-use application. If, for example, you want to split a track and join the split part to another track, GarageBand offers a very straightforward procedure. Specifically, here’s what you should do.
* Determine where you want to split the track. This should be done by listening to the track. Note at what point you need to make a split. Look at the time meter, so you can put the playhead at the right spot.
* Select the track you need to split. Click on the track you wish to work on. Notice that the track will turn into a darker shade, indicating that it has been selected. Now, put the playhead at the portion where you want to do the split.
* Do the actual split. You can do this by going to Edit menu, and then click on Split. Alternatively, you can use the CMD+T split command. Your track now will be divided into two at the spot you earlier indicated. If there is a need, you can also make multiple splits. You only need to select the tracks and do the same splitting process.
* Make sure your tracks can be merged. If you want to join tracks together, you need to ensure that are they close to each other and that they belong to the same audio type. Take note of this, especially if you need to merge several tracks.
* Select the tracks you wish to join together. Again, you can do this by clicking on the tracks. The tracks will appear darker in color once selected.
* Combine the tracks. On the Edit menu, choose Join. You can also use the CMD-J command. This should bring the selected tracks together.
* Listen to the joined track. Play back the merged track, so you can assess whether you have achieved your desired effect. It is best if you play it several times. Note the part where you’ve made a merge. Does the track run smoothly? Are there any distinguishable changes in the audio quality? Make adjustments if needed.
* Export your project. You can export your audio project to iTunes as soon as you are done merging the tracks. Do this by clicking Share, then select Send to iTunes. With iTunes, you can play back the audio file, download it your iPod, or burn it. The file will be saved in AIFF format, but you can change the file format if needed.
* Practice using GarageBand. It will be to your advantage if you master the splitting and joining features of GarageBand. Most of your projects will most likely use these features, and mastering them will save you a lot of time and energy.
If you haven’t tried using GarageBand before, it will be wise if you read your manual before splitting and joining tracks, or doing any other type of audio project. The manual can help you understand the software and give you step-by-step guide in using all the other features. In case you don’t have a manual, you can download a free copy from the Internet.
* Determine where you want to split the track. This should be done by listening to the track. Note at what point you need to make a split. Look at the time meter, so you can put the playhead at the right spot.
* Select the track you need to split. Click on the track you wish to work on. Notice that the track will turn into a darker shade, indicating that it has been selected. Now, put the playhead at the portion where you want to do the split.
* Do the actual split. You can do this by going to Edit menu, and then click on Split. Alternatively, you can use the CMD+T split command. Your track now will be divided into two at the spot you earlier indicated. If there is a need, you can also make multiple splits. You only need to select the tracks and do the same splitting process.
* Make sure your tracks can be merged. If you want to join tracks together, you need to ensure that are they close to each other and that they belong to the same audio type. Take note of this, especially if you need to merge several tracks.
* Select the tracks you wish to join together. Again, you can do this by clicking on the tracks. The tracks will appear darker in color once selected.
* Combine the tracks. On the Edit menu, choose Join. You can also use the CMD-J command. This should bring the selected tracks together.
* Listen to the joined track. Play back the merged track, so you can assess whether you have achieved your desired effect. It is best if you play it several times. Note the part where you’ve made a merge. Does the track run smoothly? Are there any distinguishable changes in the audio quality? Make adjustments if needed.
* Export your project. You can export your audio project to iTunes as soon as you are done merging the tracks. Do this by clicking Share, then select Send to iTunes. With iTunes, you can play back the audio file, download it your iPod, or burn it. The file will be saved in AIFF format, but you can change the file format if needed.
* Practice using GarageBand. It will be to your advantage if you master the splitting and joining features of GarageBand. Most of your projects will most likely use these features, and mastering them will save you a lot of time and energy.
If you haven’t tried using GarageBand before, it will be wise if you read your manual before splitting and joining tracks, or doing any other type of audio project. The manual can help you understand the software and give you step-by-step guide in using all the other features. In case you don’t have a manual, you can download a free copy from the Internet.
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