Notepad+ Text Editor Tutorial

http://www.passco.com/npunit1.htm Updated:
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Unit-2 Unit-3

Hello! I'm "Lefty".
I am the left "Button" twin. Click me or my twin.

Using Notepad+ and Making a Web Page
Part of the Basic3 Skills Online Courses

Authored by and executed by the Twins.

Who should take this tutorial? Could it be you?

If you need help getting started, then click here.
Else if you are ready, then click "Align" on the below left to get started.

Hello! I'm "Righty".
I am the right "Button" twin. Click me or my twin.

This tutorial is best viewed if your set the window to this width, or "maximize" the window.
To remove our "pop-up" narratives, place your mouse pointer in the "wheat" colored areas.
Have you widened the browser window enough to remove its horizontal scroll bar? If not, please do!

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Page 1 - Lesson Objective

   The main objective is to learn some basic computer skills. Our secondary objective is to introduce and use Notepad+. Our third objective is to let you create a simple web page.
    But first, to measure your current skill level, please click here.
    Next, you will need to secure Notepad+.EXE. Please click here to download and SAVE it in your "Program Files" folder. If you don't bother securing the Notepad+ Text Editor, then why take the course.

    After the download click "Start" on your task bar, then select and click "Run". Then type in "notepad+" and click "OK".

    The screen to the right is the screen presented initially. Let your mouse "wander" about the graphic to the right.

    Note page control link below. Click Next.
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View Background File: http://www.passco.com/images/nosample.gif



Instructions:
   It should be obvious that the author would like you to click the "boxed" graphics above and other "red" links and graphics. But, there is something more important. You are expected to read the Side Bar first. Computers seem to be a "click", "click", "click"... world, where you should be aware of what, and why to click something. Reading the Side Bar is most important.
   If you find the text to small to read, then you can magnify them.

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Page 2 - Make a file.

   What is the significance of downloading this Text Editor, Notepad+, and not make and edit a file?

   Let's do it. Left clicking the File choice on the menu bar. The right graphic illustrates the "drop down" box displayed. 1 2

   Since there is not a current or "active file", then only a limited number of choices are presented.

   To make a selection, you should move the mouse pointer over the elements within the drop down box.

   Although not illustrated here, as you move the pointer, one of the selections will become "high lighted" with white text on a dark navy blue background.

   Let's assume we have high lighted the "New" option in the drop down box, and click Next.

More "dropdown" graphics 3
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Appearance After Having Single Left Clicking the "File" Choice

View Background File: http://www.passco.com/images/nosample.gif

New	Ctrl+N
Open...	Ctrl+O
Reopen

Page Setup...		>

Exit

Opps! Have you lost the mouse pointer?
(This may be true for some browsers, but not others)

Since mouse pointer has to be someplace
maybe you can find out what has happened.

Here is a hint. Move the mouse to the side bar.

If you need an explanation, then move pointer here.

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Page 3 - Selections

   The "highlighted" item informs the computer where you have placed your interest (otherwise how would the computer know?)

   Within each drop down there are a number of selections that may be "active" and "inactive".

   "New" provides a new empty workspace, and "Open" seeks and opens existing files.

   "Reopen" is a valuable asset of Notepad+ as it makes the last 16 files processed accessible with just a click of the mouse.

   "Page Setup" makes the printer's parameters accessible, and "Exit" will process the closing of the active file.
   Here we have highlighted "New" as we need an empty workspace. When a selection is chosen, we then click enter, or left click our choice with the mouse pointer.
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Then select the "New" Choice and left click.

View Background File: http://www.passco.com/images/nosample.gif

New	Ctrl+N
Open...	Ctrl+O
Reopen

Page Setup...		>

Exit

Have we moved into a "push button world"?

Well, computers have evolved such that clicking buttons
seems to be essential. So, it appears to be important
to learn what button to push, and when to push it.

If you need an explanation, then move pointer here.

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Page 4 - The "Workspace".

   Here we see an initially opened work space. 1 2

   Note the additional two menu bar options: Edit and Window. Edit, because we can edit a file, and Window because multiple files can be active.

   Note there are some additional active tool bar buttons. Some are still inactive because the workspace has no contents.

   Without an active file, you still can't SAVE, PRINT, SEND, CUT, COPY, DELETE or UNDO any thing within the workspace.

   The active tool bar buttons are NEW, OPEN, PASTE, WRAP and the font selection options. Why? Think! It really won't hurt!

   Note the status bar indicates the "Unchanged/Changed" status of the file, the INS (insert) mode indicator, and the line and column position of the cursor.
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View Background File: http://www.passco.com/images/nwsample.gif

Please note the additional Menu and Tool Bar selections above.

Well, I can't see wasting space on these screens.

Let me explain, I have used the image in which you see this text as the "Background" in this space.

Thus, I can place this text here. In later pages, we will display "exercises" for you to do.

What is important in this tutorial is to look at the images. But, what is more important is to READ the left side bars. Nobody is there with you to talk you through this tutorial. Besides, reading and observing are more valuable learning tools.

I have designed "exercises" that can be done without removing this tutorial from the window environment.

You can do the exercises ... I did!

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Page 5 - Code and Text

   Ok! What file should be make. Be should have a reason to use our editor. Let's edit a simple file and make a web page! 1 2

   There are only two types of statements in an HTML file. They are text statements, and those statements that control the web page is called HTML, hyper text modeling language statements or "HTML tags". The later statements are not displayed on the web page.

   The textual material presented is "straight text". The statement seen here is just plain "straight" text. It will be displayed on the page.

   Having no HTML code, the web page presentation utilizes the browser's default parameters.

   Let's see what web site our current file would produce.

   Click the lower work space of the graphic on the right.
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View Background File: http://www.passco.com/images/samplefile.gif

Please note the additional Tool Bar selections above.

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