Page Editor Options dialog box

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You can specify settings for many Microsoft Expression Web features by selecting options in the Page Options dialog box. The dialog box provides options on the following tabs.

General

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Automatically enclose form fields within a form

Automatically nest tags for form fields, such as option buttons and text boxes, in form (<form>) tag sets. To add form fields without nesting them in form tags automatically, clear this check box.

Assign unique IDs to new tables

Automatically define unique identifier numbers, by using the identifier (id) attribute, for tables. When you define a unique identifier for a table in a Web page, your site visitors can import data from the table to a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel.

Make ID unique on paste

Automatically define unique identifier numbers when you copy and paste Web page elements that have an identifier (id) attribute.

Use <strong> and <em> when using bold and italic toolbar buttons

Use the preferred <strong> and <em> HTML tags, rather than the deprecated <b> and <i> tags.

Automatically switch keyboard to match language of surrounding text

Automatically switch the active keyboard layout to match the language of the text where the cursor is.

Prompt for accessibility properties when inserting images

Automatically display the Accessibility Properties dialog box when you insert an image so you can set the alternative text for the image to make it accessible to screen readers.

Spelling

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Spelling Options

Configure options for correcting spelling in Expression Web.

For more information, see Set spelling options.

Default Page Language

Set the language used by the spelling checker.

For more information, see Set spelling options.

Cut and Paste Options

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Show Paste Options buttons

Display the Paste Options button when you paste text or elements into a page. When you click the button, a list appears with options for pasting the text or element.

Code View Options

The following options apply only to Code view.

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Word wrap

Wrap code to the document window, which allows you to see all of the code for a page without scrolling horizontally. To view code in lines that break only where you have manually inserted a line break, clear this check box.

Auto indent

Automatically indent the next line of code when you type a line of code, indent it, and then press ENTER.

Line numbers

Display a line number next to each line of code in the document window. Line numbers can help you locate and move between specific lines of code.

Selection margin

Display a vertical margin next to code in the document window. When you click the margin next to a line of code, you select that line of code. When you drag in the margin next to multiple lines of code, you select those lines of code.

Highlight invalid HTML

Display invalid HTML in a specific color scheme (the default is red text on a yellow background). You can specify this color scheme in the Color Coding tab of the Page Editor Options dialog box.

tip noteTip
To display a floating window that contains more information about a particular instance of invalid or incompatible code, in Code view, point at the code that appears highlighted or underlined.

Highlight incompatible HTML

Display a wavy underline beneath code that isn't compatible with HTML standards.

Security Options

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Allow unsigned ActiveX controls to be run and prompt for permission to run them

Allow Expression Web to run unsigned ActiveX controls with prompts.

NoteNote
Don't run an unknown or unsigned ActiveX control unless you absolutely trust the publisher that created the control.

Clear ActiveX Security Settings

Clear the list of unknown and unsigned ActiveX controls that you have set Expression Web to allow to run.

For information, see Security and ActiveX controls.

Auto Thumbnail

Sets the default properties for thumbnails. For more information, see Create a thumbnail picture.

Default Fonts

Select the fonts Expression Web uses for Code view text and for Design view text that that has no font specified. You can configure individual font schemes for each of the available languages (character sets).

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Language (character set)

Select the language (character set) for which you are defining default fonts.

Design View

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Default proportional font

Set the default font for unformatted proportional-spaced text, such as <h1>, <p>, and <li>.

Default fixed-width font

Set the default font for unformatted fixed-width text, such as <pre> and <code>.

Code View

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Font

Set the default font for Code view.

tip noteTip
For easier readability in Code view, it is recommended that you use a fixed-width font, such as Consolas or Courier.

Size

Set the default font size for Code view.

For more information, see Format code.

Code Formatting

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Base on current page

Set available code formatting options according to code formatting of a particular page.

Tag names are lowercase

Enter tags in lowercase instead of uppercase.

Attribute names are lowercase

Enter attribute names in lowercase instead of uppercase.

Attribute names are alphabetized

Enter HTML attributes in alphabetical order.

Allow line breaks within tags

Allow line breaks to appear within tags instead of keeping a tag on one line.

Tab size

Set the number of character spaces to indent when you press TAB in Code view and used by the Indent code formatting option.

Indent

Set the size and unit of the left margin for nested code.

Right margin

Set the size of the right margin for code.

Insert tabs as spaces

Format tabs as spaces.

For more information, see Format code.

Tags

To set options for formatting specific tags, select the tag you want to format, and then set the following options:

Line Breaks

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Before start

Set the number of line breaks between the start tag and any content that immediately precedes it. If this value is 1 or greater, the start tag will be displayed in a new line.

Before end

Set the number of line breaks between the tag contents and the end tag. If this value is 0, the end tag will be displayed inline with the content that it follows.

After start

Set the number of line breaks between the start tag and any content that immediately follows it. If this value is 0, the content will be displayed inline with the start tag.

After end

Set the number of line breaks between the end tag and anything that immediately follows it. If this value is 0, the tag will be displayed inline with the start tag.

Each of the following options may or may not be available, depending on the tag:

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Omit start tag

Automatically exclude the start tag. This option is unavailable for elements that require a start tag.

Omit end tag

Automatically exclude the end tag. This option is unavailable for elements that require an end tag.

Indent contents

Automatically indent tags nested in the element.

CSS

To set options for formatting specific CSS, select the tag you want to format, and then set the following options:

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CSS

Set options for formatting particular components of CSS, select the component you want to format, and then under Formatting, set the options you want. For example, if you want a particular number of spaces to appear after the opening curly brace ({) that starts a style's declaration block, under CSS, select Opening Brace, and then specify the number of spaces you want in the Spaces after box.

Indent properties on new lines

Indent CSS attributes that are written by Expression Web.

Use shorthand properties when generating styles

Use shorthand CSS attributes instead of longhand. For example, with this option selected, Expression Web would define the values of the width, color and style of a border by setting only the border attribute in the style. With this option cleared, Expression Web would set an attribute and value for each border attribute.

Reset

Reset the options to their default values.

For more information, see Format code.

CSS

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Auto Style Application

Configure options for Auto Style Application Mode

Manual Style Application

Configure options for Manual Style Application Mode

Select which technology to use for the following properties

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Page properties on the <body> tag

Select the type of style that Expression Web creates in Auto mode when using the Formatting tab in the Page Properties dialog box to set the background picture, background color, or default text color of a web page.

Font and text

Select the type of style that Expression Web creates in Auto mode when using the Font or Symbol dialog box, or any button on the Formatting toolbar except for the Numbering, Bullets, Highlight and Borders buttons.

Background

Select the type of style that Expression Web creates in Auto mode when using the Patterns options in the Borders and Shading dialog box or the Highlight button in the Formatting toolbar.

Borders

Select the type of style that Expression Web creates in Auto mode when using the Borders and Shading dialog box except for the Padding options.

Padding and margins

Select the type of style that Expression Web creates in Auto mode when using the Paragraph dialog box, the Padding options in the Borders and Shading dialog box, the Advanced tab in the Page Properties dialog box, or adding margins or padding to items in Design view.

Sizing, positioning, and floating

Select the type of style that Expression Web creates in Auto mode when using the Position dialog box, Positioning toolbar, the Layers panel, or when you add or resize a picture and other items in Design view.

Bullets and numbering

Select the type of style that Expression Web creates in Auto mode when using the List Properties dialog box or the Numbering and Bullets buttons on the Common or Formatting toolbar.

Only reuse classes with the prefix "style"

Select to enable Expression Web to modify class selectors only when the name of the selector begins with ".style".

NoteNote
This option is only available in Auto mode.

Use width and height attributes for images instead of CSS

Set the dimensions of pictures that you add to a page by adding width and height attributes to the <img> tag. If deselected, Expression Web uses CSS to set the dimensions of pictures; the type of style that is applied to the picture depends on the setting of the Sizing, positioning, and floating option.

Reset Defaults

Reset the options to their default values.

For more information, see Set preferences for generated CSS.

Color Coding

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Code view settings

Configure options for Code view settings.

Design view settings

Configure options for Design view settings.

Display items

Select the item you want to format.

Item foreground, Item background, and Font style

Format the code for the item selected under Display items

Reset Defaults

Set the options to their default values.

For more information, see Format code.

Authoring

New Documents

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Default Document

Select the default document type

Default HTML File Extensions

Choose the file extensions for HTML files

Add a byte order mark (BOM) when creating or renaming UTF-8 documents with these file extensions

Choose which file types to automatically add byte order marks.

For more information, see Add or remove byte order marks.

Doctype and Secondary Schema

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Document Type Declaration

Choose a default document type declaration

Note   To prevent Expression Web from inserting a Document Type declaration, in the Document Type Declaration box, select None.

Secondary Schema

Choose a secondary schema

For more information, see Set document type information.

CSS Schema

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Schema version

Choose the CSS schema that Expression Web will use for IntelliSense

For more information, see Set IntelliSense options for CSS.

Picture

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File Type Settings

Open the Picture File Type dialog box

Default File Type Conversion and Paste Settings

Choose conversion settings for picture files that are in incompatible formats.

For more information, see Set options for pasting pictures.

Code Snippets

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Add

To create a new code snippet.

Modify

To change an existing code snippet.

Remove

To delete an existing code snippet.

For more information, see Using code snippets.

Ruler and Grid

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Ruler and grid units

Choose the unit of measure for the ruler and grid.

Display Grid

Set spacing and line options for the grid display

Snapping Grid

Set spacing options for the snapping grid (the grid to with items will "snap").

For more information, see Use rulers and a grid for guidance.

IntelliSense

These settings apply when working on documents in Code view.

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Auto Popup

Enable shortcut menus for the statement completion items and ScreenTips to look up script parameters.

Auto Insert

Enable Expression Web to automatically insert the named item as you edit code.

Code Hyperlinks

Enable you to go to the named item by holding down CTRL and clicking.

For more information, see Set IntelliSense options.

Font Families

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Select font family

  • To modify an existing font family, select the font family.

  • To create a new font family, select New Font Family.

  • To reposition a font family in the list of font families, select the font family that you want to move, and click Move Up or Move Down.

  • To delete a font family, select the font family that you want to delete, and click Remove.

Add font

To add a font or font style to the selected font family, select a font or font style, and then click Add. Repeat this step for each font that you want to add to the selected font family.

For more information, see Add or modify a font family.

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