Operation Manual

68 Starting from Scratch
HTML 3.2 has the advantage of working on most browsers, but
constrains your page design options, especially with regard to object
placement. With HTML 3.2, WebPlus must construct Web pages using
complex tables. Each object must fit in a separate cell, and any objects
that overlap on the page must be converted to a single graphic, which
can greatly add to the file size of freeform layouts. If you’re working in
3.2 mode, WebPlus flags overlapping objects with a red line border. To
overcome the condition, simply drag the objects apart until the red line
disappears.
HTML 4.0 produces smaller, faster, higher-quality Web pages but can
only be viewed on Internet Explorer 3 and above, or Netscape
Navigator 4 and above. In laying out text, you can specify any point
size, use variable leading and letterspacing, and even justify
paragraphs! The result is a much closer WYSIWYG match between
what you see on-screen in WebPlus and what ends up in the Web
browser.
Because HTML 4.0 positions elements using absolute coordinates,
WebPlus can output your pages without using tables. Overlapping is no
longer as serious an issue in page design, and file sizes are reduced.
To sum up: Chances are good (and getting better all the time) that you
can safely adopt HTML 4.0 as your publishing standard. In the rapidly-
changing environment of the Internet, users who stick with obsolete
browsers are few and far between. For this reason, HTML 4.0 is the
default choice in WebPlus. If necessary, you can switch between
HTML 4.0 and 3.2. Note that changing the HTML version does not
affect the structure of your WebPlus publication, only the format used
to publish it as a Web site.
Design tips and rules of thumb
♦
You may want to consider setting your monitor to use 256 colors
(rather than thousands or millions). This is because the GIF image
format, the standard for Web graphics, supports a maximum of 256
colors, as do many of the monitors in current use. By working at
this setting you’ll be able to preview how your page will look in
most users’ Web browsers. For predictable results, choose colors
from the built-in WebPlus palette (on the Studio’s &RORUV panel)
rather than inventing your own.