Expression Web Class @ LVS Online

When you insert an image you get the “alt” dialog box. Within that box you have a short and a long description

If you don’t have this dialog box,  you need to turn it on so it comes up whenever you add an image. It’s a good reminder to add the description. OK…so what exactly is it?

The Alternate Text part is your alt text in your image. It allows those folks who are visually handicapped and cruise the web with a screen reader to know what’s in that position. It’s usually a short description of the image.

The Long Description is another accessibility issue. If you have a complex image that requires more of a description than the Alt Tag provides, you can put that additional information in a text file and put the link to the text file in the Long Description.

 The screen reader will see the longdesc and read the information you’ve entered in the text file.

Before you think about doing it, check out this article I found on the Net Mechanic web site. While doable, it might not be worth it.

http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol3/css_no15.htm

If nothing else, it’s food for thought!

Registration for the May session is open. Information for new courses and available courses is provided here: http://lvsonline.com/blog/2009/04/new-courses-at-lvs-online-classes/

It’s quite important to add an alt tag to all of your images.  These are used as an aid to visually handicapped visitors so they know either what the image is or, if images are turned off in their browsers, so they know what occupies that space on the page.

Expression Web has an option that loads a dialog box for you to insert the alt tag as soon as you load an image. If you’ve turned this off by mistake or it’s not showing up for some reason, here’s the way you can fix that problem.

Go to Tools/Page Editor Options

Make sure you’re on the General tab. Select the last option before the spelling section.

Make sure that option, “Prompt for accessibility properties when inserting images” is selected. Then, the next time you add an image to your page, the dialog box will pop up.

When you create a web page in Microsoft Word, Excel, or other product, the page contains proprietary information that allows the page to be reopened in the program that created it. When you import it into Expression Web, you get a whole lot of unnecessary code that will most likely conflict with the style information you’ve created for your site.

If you don’t create your pages in Expression Web, then this will happen. The way to prevent that from happening is to save the file as a text file. The problem is you lose all your formatting and will, most likely, have to reformat the information when you add it to your web site.

Although this process can be tedious, it does insure that the page will only contain the code pertinent to your site and the page will be formatted to conform with the other pages. It’s a no harm-no foul kind of thing!

Take my Expression Web, Quicken Basics or CoffeeCup Software class and take 10% off

Coupon Code:  MARCH09DS

Coupon expires March 11, 2009

The March session classrooms open March 9, 2009.
The March session registration will end on March 11, 2009
The first lesson for the March session will post on March 14, 2009
http://www.lvsassociates.com/register/

Check out my other classes:

Quicken Basics

CoffeeCup Software

Expression Web Extras Toolbar

This collection of macros gives some very useful features, all accessible from a single toolbar:

• Sitemap Builder
• Robots.txt builder
• Property Count buttons (which give details of a pages title, description and keywords)
• Image Text Window (manage the properties of all the images on a page from a single dialog window)
• A ‘Close without Saving’ button
• A free-form ‘Notes’ feature
• A Timer, useful for task/job logging 
• A Task Pane Cleaner (or ‘Hider’) giving the ability to toggle task panes on and off, freeing up the design area

Cost: $16.95. Full details and a 15 day trial at http://www.expressionextras.com/ Expression Extras

Want to take this class for a 20% discount? You’re reading this correctly. If you’re a NEW student (new to LVS) and want to take the Expression Web class this session, just enter the code JAN09 when you register and you’ll get 20% off the price of the class.

So…what are you waiting for? Go register

Don’t forget to sign up for the new session and don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about working with Expression Web. It’s a wonderful program with lots of ins and outs. This is your opportunity to learn how to use this program to maximize you potential.

Learn more by clicking on this link

Tell all your friends. Take the class together so you can “group study” and learn even more. Check this blog for links to new information and add-ons for the program.

What are you waiting for? Sign up now