Tutorial:Get Started Using Expression Web 2

Contents 1 Introduction 2 What you’ll need 3 Getting Started Steps 3.1 1. Set up an Empty Web Site 3.1.1 Let’s review a few things: 3.2 2. Set the Doctype

Introduction

Whether you are a FrontPage user of Yesterday or a Brand New Web Designer of Today, learning Expression Web could be a bit more challenging then you first thought. FrontPage users are typically overwhelmed with how different Expression Web is when compared to its predecessor. In fact, the two programs are very different from one another.

There is a reason for such a difference. With Expression Web, you can create Professional, Up-to-date, and Valid Web sites without all the excess code that FrontPage adds to a site. It’s also a lot cheaper than Dreamweaver, which has made Expression Web quite popular. However, many people are having difficulty getting started. So in this tutorial, I will walk you through the Getting Started Steps of Setting up your First Web Site.

What you’ll need

Any Version of Expression Web.
No Experience Required.

Getting Started Steps

Set Up a Web Site in Expression Web

Open Expression Web by clicking the Start Menu –> All Programs –> Choose Expression Web.

The Getting Started Steps include the following:

1. Set up an Empty Web Site
2. Set the Doctype
3. Create a blank Web Page (HTML)
4. Create an External Style Sheet (CSS)

• • Link the Style Sheet to the Web Page.

1. Set up an Empty Web Site

• Start by clicking “File”
• Click “New”

This will open a dialog box. Choose the Web Site Tab.

• Choose “General” in the left column of the dialog box.
• Then choose “Empty Web Site” from the middle column.
• Next, we must name the site by changing the last section of the “Location” of the Web Site.

• Notice in the image where it says, Specify the Location…. and then look for “my_site45″.

Delete “my_site45″ and then type in the name of the site that you prefer.

• • What we are really doing is creating a folder that will hold the contents of your web site. Therefore, by definition a web site is nothing more than a Folder.

• You can click OK after you name your Web Site.

Congratulations! You have completed step 1, Setting up an Empty Web Site.

Let’s review a few things:

A Web Site is a Folder. This Folder is saved on your computer’s hard drive as indicated by the c:/ …../my_site45. We only change the very last part of the Folder Location, which is the name of this particular folder. No one but you will see the name of this folder. It does not become part of the published Web Site.

Always start by setting up a web site (folder). You will find this keeps all of your pages, files, images, and other page assets organized in one location on your computer.

To access your web site (folder) at a later time:

• open Expression Web
• click File –> Open Site –> Choose your site from the dialog box that opens.
• Click OK to open it.

To Close a Web Site:

• Save All Pages first.
• Click File
• Click Close Site

Questions you may have are welcomed.
A Video Link Will Be Provided after Reviewing all 4 steps.

2. Set the Doctype

The Doctype tells the web browser which version of HTML is being used to create the web page. When we use a valid W3C Recommended Doctype, it will trigger a browser rendering mode called “Standards Mode”. This means your web pages will be rendered as you specified.

If you do not specify a Doctype, or you specify an invalid Doctype, this will trigger another browser rendering mode called Quirks Mode. In Quirks Mode your web page is not rendered quite as you specified. Instead, it is quirky. Not quite the way you wanted it to look.

As beginners, this may not make very much sense. So just know for now, that a valid Doctype is a must in order to create a web page that meets W3C Standards AND renders correctly in all the major web browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc)

Here’s how we Set the Doctype in Expression Web:

1. Click Tools –> Choose Page Editor Options
2. From the Dialog box that opens, Choose the Authoring Tab
3. Look for Document Type and Secondary Schema
4. Click on the Drop-Down Menu and choose XHTML 1.0 Transitional
5. Click OK

Note: a secondary schema is only necessary when a Doctype is not specified.

A Final Word on Setting The Doctype:
You must set the Doctype before creating any web pages. Otherwise, you will have to go back and copy a new doctype and paste it into each web page that does not contain the proper Doctype. Then you will have to go through and change some of the code to reflect the Doctype you just pasted. Just a lot of work for forgetting to set the Doctype.

The reason I am teaching people to use XHTML is because it creates cleaner code than HTML 4.01. Plus, it sounds like some things are up in the air when it comes to newer versions of HTML and XHTML. By using XHTML we will be prepared regardless of the new versions, whether it be HTML 5 or XHTML 2.
HTML 5 will provide us with a way to use XHTML. And so will XHTML 2!! Either way, you will be ok!

Next, we will create our first Web Page!

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