Links

Links either via buttons or hyperlinks are the 'glue' that holds the web site together and enable you to navigate around the site. A hyperlink is a  web page address  'hidden' in a word or button, you got to this page by clicking on 'here' that contained the address of this page Links.htm, (look at the address in the address bar just above the top of this page).

To add a hyperlink highlight the word or image that you require the address to be hidden in, then go to Insert-Hyperlink. This opens a box that defaults to the assumption that the page you want to link to is on this site and shows all the pages on the site that are open, just click on the page you want to go to and it will put that page's address into the Address line. By using the choices on the left hand side of the box you can go to another place on this page or an e-mail address.

The page that you want to access can be a web page on another site, in this case the complete address needs to be entered in the Address line starting with http: etc. You can either enter it from memory or navigate to it using the Look in box, in the middle at the top of the box.

Remember though the page you put in the address line MUST be a web page, you cannot link to an image or document on your computer, you must put it on the site first. This is particularly important when working with images, click here for more information about working with images.

Using a 'button' to go to a page uses the same principle but is slightly more complicated. To ensure that the button stays in the same place relative to the text related to it I have started using tables. (Click here for more information about tables) Position the cursor where you require the button to be then go to Insert-Interactive button, this opens a box which enables you to choose the button and its size, the words on the button and the address that you want to go to.

To choose the style of button we use on the site scroll down the list of button to 'Embossed capsule 1', then delete Button text and put in the text you want to appear on the button which previews in the window at the top of the box. Then put the address in the Link box by clicking the browse button which opens the same box used when inserting a hyperlink and it is used in the same way with the same limitations. Then click on the 'Image' tab  at the top of the box, this opens a box to change the size of the button to match the text by removing the tick in the 'Maintain proportions' box and adjusting the length of the button as required, leave the height as 20. Then to make the background of the button transparent go almost to the bottom of the box and click on 'Make the button a Gif........... then click OK.