Let Expression Web Teach You

Split View:

You can learn a lot of what goes on behind the scenes by working in Split View. This presents the HTML coding at the top of the screen and the design view portion at the bottom. If you create invalid code, it will be underlined in red in the Code View. If you make an error like omitting a tag, Expression Web will highlight the mistake in yellow. Both color codes will offer you a hint when you mouse over the error to help you fix it.

Apply Styles Task Pane:

It pays to watch what is going on the the Apply Styles task pane. You see instantly if you have added any embedded styles that could be moved into your external CSS file.

The Status Bar:

The Status Bar sits in the lower right portion of the program window. This little bar offers you a wealth of information.

If you have set your Page Editor Options, and if you see a small yellow triangle with an exclamation point inside, this is your visual clue that you have some coding error.

You can mouse over the warning icon and get a pop-up that will give you more details. It is very important that you fix any coding errors. The good news is that Expression Web will tell you what is wrong.

Double-click on the warning icon. Expression Web will change to Split View and the error will be highlighted. Mouse over the highlighted code and a "hint" will appear that explains the problem. In this case, the closing forward-slash was omitted in one of the meta tags. Once you fix the issue, the error message will go away and you know your coding is now error free.

Also in the Status Bar, you can turn Visual Aids off or on. If you are new, I recommend you keep visual aids turned on. This puts "borders" around editable regions so they can be easily seen.

Reports:

Expression Web also has three options that can help you locate specific problems within your code:

• Accessibility Reports will find any problems related to the accessibility of your site.
• Compatibility Reports will sort through your code and will show any problems that do not match the standards you've selected in your Page Editor Options.
• CSS Reports can show any issues with any of the CSS coding in your site.

Quick Menu Links

Expression Web Basics:

Choose a Topic Downloading Your New Template Unzipping Your Template Files Opening Your New Web Template Tour - What's Inside FrontPage vs. Expression Web Tables vs. CSS Positioning

Expression Web Tutorials:

Choose a Topic Setting Up Expression Web Inside Expression Web Web Site Settings The Formatting Toolbar Editing Dynamic Web Templates Editing Include Pages Changing Page Title and File Names Adding and Deleting Pages Meta Tags Hyperlinks and Bookmarks Preview in Browser Before You Publish - A Checklist Publishing Your Web

Learning More:

Choose a Topic Let Expression Web Teach You Expression Web .Style1, .Style2, etc. Removing Unwanted Formatting How to Add or Modify Styles Keeping XHTML Error Free Information on Validation Ecommerce and Shopping Carts From Web-Bots to Better Navigation Search Engines Build a Better Web Site

Solving Problems:

Choose a Topic Receiving Form Results by Email Form Errors - Troubleshooting Cleaning Up Old Files and Folders Page Display and Image Issues SWF Object Detection Script Design View Quirks

ProStores Tutorials:

Choose a Topic Your ProStores Template Package Adding a New Store Version Installing New Template Files Store Logo File Uploading Your Design Images Activating Your New Store Version Editing the Header Image Editing/Tweaking Template Files Your ProStores Product Images Images and Security Warnings ProStores - Learning More

About CSS:

Choose a Topic Preface CSS Rules Background Rules Font Rules Text Controls The Box Model Margin, Border,  and Padding Lists About Hyperlinks Styling Forms with CSS About Divs The DocType Resources

Expression Web has some very good features that will help you learn a little more about html coding and CSS. Best of all, it can warn you when you have made a mistake.