Managing MasterBorders

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Managing MasterBorders

NetObjects Fusion divides a page into the Layout area and the MasterBorder area. The MasterBorder contains objects that repeat on a set of pages. You can place anything in a MasterBorder that you can place in the Layout, including banners, pictures, and text. Using a MasterBorder is similar to using letterhead stationery. Instead of typing your company name, address, and telephone number every time you write a letter, you use letterhead stationery that includes those elements. Like preprinted stationery, a MasterBorder contains a set of formatted elements (such as navigation buttons, logos, banners, images, text, links, and copyright information) that repeat on every page.

Any object you put in a MasterBorder appears on every page that shares that MasterBorder; objects you put in the Layout area of a page only appear that page.

You can use any MasterBorder with your Layout, because the two are independent of each other. You can use multiple MasterBorders in your site design. When you add, delete, or adjust an object in a MasterBorder, NetObjects Fusion makes the change on every page that uses that MasterBorder. You can rename and edit MasterBorders you already created for fast and efficient site production. By placing navigation bars in a MasterBorder you can give pages with the same navigational needs the same navigational structure.

Working with MasterBorders

The MasterBorder is the set of margins top, bottom, left, and right on the page.

By default, the left, right, and bottom margins are separated from each other by an outline. The lack of an outline between the left margin and the top margin indicates objects can straddle that boundary.

All pages have a MasterBorder. If no MasterBorder is visible, either the MasterBorder display is turned off on the View menu, or the assigned MasterBorder has all margins set to zero, like the ZeroMargins MasterBorder included with NetObjects Fusion. You can change the size of any MasterBorder margin, even those set to zero. See Modifying the Current MasterBorder.

When you create a new site, NetObjects Fusion creates a default MasterBorder that contains three navigation aids a banner showing the page name at the top, a graphical navigation button bar on the left, and a text navigation bar on the bottom. As you add levels to the SiteStructure, you can set navigation bar options to provide site visitors with appropriate access to all pages. See Setting Navigation Bar Type.

Selecting a MasterBorder

In Page view, click an empty space inside the MasterBorder. If the page has the ZeroMargins MasterBorder, click in the gray area outside the page.

Modifying the Current MasterBorder

  1. In Page view, select the MasterBorder.

The MasterBorder Properties panel appears. The Name field shows the name of the MasterBorder assigned to the current page.

If the MasterBorder Properties panel does not appear, check the View menu to make sure the MasterBorder display and the Properties panel are turned on.

  1. To change the size of the margins, drag the handles on the ruler.

If an object is in the way, such as a banner occupying the top and left margin, you must move the object to resize the MasterBorder. If the MasterBorder is not visible, you cannot drag the handles.

For precise margin settings, in the Margins section of the MasterBorder Properties panel, type values into the fields or click the arrows.

  1. Arrange objects such as a banner or navigation buttons, delete unwanted objects, and insert additional text or objects.
  2. If conserving browser window space is important to you, when the objects are arranged to your satisfaction, from the Object menu, choose Size MasterBorder to Objects. This shrinks the MasterBorder to the minimum size required to display the objects it contains, but it may also affect your page design.

The MasterBorder Script Importing Order section helps you import new scripts, but also organizes the embedded scripts that can be client-side or server-side.

For more details about the Scripts Importing Order tab see Working with HTML Directly.

Creating a MasterBorder

  1. In Page view, select theMasterBorder.

The MasterBorder Properties panel appears. The Name field shows the name of the MasterBorder assigned to the current page.

  1. Click the Add/Edit button.

The Edit MasterBorder List dialog appears displaying a list of all the MasterBorders in the site. The current MasterBorder is selected.

  1. To add a MasterBorder, click Add.

The New MasterBorder dialog appears.

  1. Type a name for the new MasterBorder, select an existing MasterBorder to base it on, and click OK.

You cannot include spaces in the MasterBorder name. You cannot begin the MasterBorder name with a number.

NetObjects Fusion creates a new MasterBorder based on the selected MasterBorder and makes it the current MasterBorder for that page. To apply the new MasterBorder to other pages, see Applying a MasterBorder to Multiple Pages.

  1. Continue working on the MasterBorder by following the steps in Modifying the Current MasterBorder.

Changing MasterBorders

  1. In Page view, display the page where you want to apply a different MasterBorder.
  2. Click in the MasterBorder to display the MasterBorder Properties panel.
  3. Select the MasterBorder you want from the Name drop-down list.

The margins of the page now display the contents of the selected MasterBorder.

You can change the MasterBorder of a single page or a group of pages in Site view. See Applying a MasterBorder to Multiple Pages.

Applying a MasterBorder to Multiple Pages

You can apply a MasterBorder to several pages at one time in Site view.

  1. In Site view, select the pages to which you want to apply the new MasterBorder. See Working with a Group of Pages.

The selected pages are listed at the bottom of the Properties panel.

  1. Click the Selected Pages tab.
  2. Make sure MasterBorder is displayed in the Property field.
  3. Select the MasterBorder you want fromtheValuedrop-down list.
  4. Click Set on all to apply the MasterBorder to all selected pages.

To apply the MasterBorder to an individual page, select the page, then select the MasterBorder you want to apply. You cannot undo this action; to restore the original MasterBorder, you must reassign it.

Renaming a MasterBorder

  1. In Page view, click in the MasterBorder to display the MasterBorder Properties panel.
  2. Click Add/Edit.
  3. In the Edit MasterBorder List dialog, select the MasterBorder you want to rename and click Rename.

Note: You cannot rename the ZeroMargins MasterBorder.

  1. In the Rename MasterBorder dialog, type a new name and click OK.
  2. Click Close.

The new MasterBorder name now appears in the Edit MasterBorder List dialog and in the drop-down list in the MasterBorder Properties panel.

Deleting a MasterBorder

MasterBorders that are not in use retain their assets and are stored and tracked by NetObjects Fusion . When you import a template, MasterBorders included with the template are added to the list of MasterBorders for the site. To avoid duplication, it is important to delete MasterBorders that are listed but not used in the site.

  1. In Page view, click in theMasterBorder to display the MasterBorder Properties panel.
  2. Click Add/Edit.
  3. In the Edit MasterBorder List dialog, select the MasterBorder you want to delete and click Delete.
  4. Click Yes to confirm deletion.

If you delete a MasterBorder that is in use, the ZeroMargins MasterBorder is assigned to those pages.