By learning a few very simple formatting commands you can create very attractive pages in this web page creation environment. Using a simplified markup language you can accomplish almost all of the necessary formatting of your web pages.

To create Paragraphs

Basic

• Simply start typing in the edit box
• Don't indent paragraphs when you type them
• Words will wrap and fill automatically
• Use blank lines as separators between paragraphs

Intermediate

• %%% makes a line break (in headings and lists too)
• Four or more minus signs ( ---- ) make a horizontal rule like the following:

To create Paragraph or Page Headings

Basic

• The exclamation point ( ! )at the start of a line in the edit box makes a small heading like the one above. Two exclamation points ( !! ) and three exclamation points ( !!! )at the start of a line make medium and large headings respectively.

To add Emphasis

Basic

• Use two of the single-quote character ( '’ ) for emphasis (creates italics).
• The common mistake with this command is to use the double quote character instead of using two single quote characters.
• Use doubled underscores ( _ ) for strong emphasis (creates bold)
• Mix them at will i.e. two single quotes and two underscores: bold italics
• Place the single quotes and underscores before and after the phrase to be italicized.

Intermediate

• Emphasis can be used multiple times within a line, but cannot cross line boundaries:

''this sentence is prefaced by two single quotes but will not work because it is across multiple line boundaries in the edit box. You need to see it in the edit box to appreciate this ''

To make Lists

If you would like to create an indented, bulleted list like the following:

Basic

• Type one line for each item on the list
• Place an asterisk ( * ) in front of the line for first level of indent for bullet lists
  • Place two asterisks ( ** ) for second level,
    • Three asterisks ( *** )for third level, etc..
• The bullet and the indent are generated automatically at each level.

Intermediate

• Use the number ( # ) sign for numbered lists (you may mix the # and * at will)

To create Reference Links to pages on other sites

Reference Links to other pages are standard fare on a web page:

Basic

• You can create a reference link to a page elsewhere on the internet by entering the complete internet address (URL) in the edit box like this: http://www.blumenthals.com
• Be sure to enter the http:// at the beginning or the link will not function
• You can also link to URL's by preceding URLs with "ftp:" or "mailto:" to create links automatically as in: mailto:mike@blumenthals.com that will launch the users mail program and insert the appropriate address when clicked.

Intermediate

• Another way to create hyperlinks to pages on the internet is to enclose the URL brackets ( [ ] ) in the edit box like this: [http://www.yourdomainname.com/]. They will appear exactly as if they were entered without the brackets as in http://www.blumenthals.com/
• You can create meaningful name links by adding your description inside of the starting bracket . Place a bar ( | ) after the description and before the URL name:
  • [Page Description|http://www.descriptionurl.domain].
  • An example is: Blumenthal’s home page -or Mike's Newsletters.
• The above technique allows you to create reference links that can be meaningful to mere mortals, for example: Mike's shared links page instead of http://ezines.blumenthals.com/index.php?sharedlinks or Webmaster instead of mailto:mike@blumenthals.com

To add an Image to your page:

Basic

• To put images into the page, just provide the complete internet address (URL or hyperlink) within brackets ( [ ] ) in the edit box like this: [http://www.yourhost.yourdomain/images/picture.png]. Any complete address ending with .png, .gif, or .jpg if in square brackets places images in line, by themselves on the page like the following:

• If you don't use the brackets in the edit box it will appear as a hyperlink on your page:
  • http://www.sitemouse.com/users/mikeb/abbyaaronsmall.jpg
• The images need to be uploaded to the internet and have an address for the linking to succeed. This can be done with RapidWeb's EasyUpload function or with a FTP? (File Transfer Protocol) program.

To add New Pages to this site

Basic

• New pages on this site and hyperlinks to these pages are made by using RapidWords? (the question mark you see is an editing feature) in the edit box.
• A RapidWord is any word that is at least two words long, with no spaces and the second and subsequent words start with a capital.
• If you add a new RapidWord in the edit box it will be followed by a blue question mark on your web page the first time you save. Click on this ? and you will be taken to an empty edit box to add content to the new page you have created.

Intermediate

• Another way to create hyperlinks to pages within this site is to enclose a RapidWord in brackets ( [ ] ) in the edit box like the URLs above. They will appear exactly as if they were entered without the brackets.
• You can create different name links by adding your description inside of the starting bracket . Place a bar ( | ) after the description and before the RapidWeb word page name:[Page Description|RapidWeb] It would appear as: the sandbox.