Then our [...]]]> Do you hate to spend your time searching the web for sites with information, tutorials, and such on Expression Web? Do you find the sites, then forget to bookmark them? Woulddn’t you rather spend your time working on your site than hunting for the tutorials and resources you need to get the job done?

Then our Free Expression Web Community Toolbar is just the tool you need! It’s updated frequently and the new links are added at the top of the various categories. Look for “NEW LINKS – LOOK HERE FIRST” with a date for the newest offerings. The Expression Web Community Toolbar is brought to you by Pat Geary and Tina Clarke of Migrating from FrontPage to Expression Web. Both Pat and Tina are Microsfot MVP’s for Expression Web.

The toolbar includes all of the  Expression Web versions 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as the Expression applications.

• Expression Design
• Expression Blend
• Expression Encoder

It also includes links for  Contests, Giveaways, and special offers for Expression Web 3.0 and 4.0. Want to know what Expression Web Communities, Webcasts and Live Events might be available? Those are included too.

The toolbar would not be complete without resources for Web Design in general and you can find that information too.

Let Tina and Pat let their “fingers do the walking for you” while you spend your time working on your site, and of course, reading all the good information posted on the toolbar. The toolbar is free so download and install you Free Expression Web Community Toolbar today.

Tools > Page Editor Options > General tab – Spelling:- Set Spelling language from the drop-down

and

Tools > Spelling Options > Custom Dictionaries > Set this to English (UK) as [...]]]> In Expression Web 4.0, if you need to change the options for spelling to cover UK spellings, you will need to make the change in two places:

Tools > Page Editor Options > General tab – Spelling:- Set Spelling language from the drop-down

and

Tools > Spelling Options > Custom Dictionaries > Set this to English (UK) as well from the drop-down.

Original style -

#leftColumn1 { padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px; background-color: #eaeff5; float: left; border-right: solid 1px #9bb6d2; width: [...]]]> Normally, I edit my external style sheet working directly within the style sheet and take advantage of Intellisense. Today I was using the Modify Styles Task Panel to make some changes and noticed that the edited styles was not quite as I expected.

Original style -

#leftColumn1 {
padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px;
background-color: #eaeff5;
float: left;
border-right: solid 1px #9bb6d2;
width: 150px;
}

After using the modify Styles Task Panel, I ended up with this:

#leftColumn1 {
padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px;
background-color: #eaeff5;
float: left;
border-right: solid 1px #9bb6d2;
width: 150px;
border-right-style: solid;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-bottom-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #9bb6d2;
border-bottom-color: #9bb6d2;


I now have double styles for the right border – one in shorthand one not – and a bottom border set of rules which is not in shorthand.

Since this is not what I wanted or expected, I went it search of an answer.  Chris Leeds led me to this What’s the deal with multiple background properties in a double nested list in the CSS Properties task pane?

Following his instructions, I can use the CSS Properties Task Panel (expanded) to accomplish the style rules written in shorthand OR edit the style sheet itself which for me is easier.

#leftColumn1 {
padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px;
background-color: #eaeff5;
float: left;
border-right: solid 1px #9bb6d2;
border-bottom: solid 1px #9bb6d2;
width: 150px;
}


Chris Leeds is the author of the series of books on Expression Web

• Expression Web Step by Step (Microsoft Press)
• Expression Web 2 Step by Step (Microsoft Press)

He is also the developer of ContentSeed, a content management system.

The above [...]]]>

Whether you author a blog, own a website, are a web designer or are a web developer website testing is a must. This testing goes beyond initial testing when the blog or website is launched, it needs to be an on going maintenance task. ~ Web Page Mistakes with Solutions ~

Static HTML Website Testing

The above holds true for those who design and maintain hobby sites as well. If you have a static website, your site does not have to be on the server for you to test it in various browsers as well as at various resolutions. If you are using Expression Web and working in Design View, make sure you use the Preview in Browser (F12) feature. Don’t just check you site in your default browser. I check in three, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera.  If you are using Expression Web 3.0, you have another option – SuperPreview.

Web Space Website Testing

Another way to test your site is to create a test area on your server space. It could be a subdomain you create or a folder/directory on your current site. Rather than password protecting the subdomain or directory, I use the robots.txt file to keep the search engines from indexing the site before I am ready for it to go live. Make sure you change this after the site is live.

Website Testing As the Website/Blog is Built

As you develop your site, there are things that should be tested as you work. They include:

1. HTML Code Validation
2. CSS Code Validation
3. Screen Resolution
4. Alt Attribute
5. Correct Color Contrast
6. Font Size
7. Uncommon Font(s)
8. Text Alignment
9. Heading Hierarchy
10. Browser Specific Design
11. Custom Error Pages
12. Website Navigation
13. Search Engine Friendly Design

Read the full article Website Testing and make this a regular part of the web design process.

If you are unable to complete the installation of Expression Web, Microsoft would like to assist. First, please review the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles for help with specific error messages.

“Error -2147024873 during Expression Studio 2 or Expression Web 2 install” http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;967727

“Expression Web 2 install/uninstall fails with [...]]]> Originally posted on the Microsoft Expression Forum. Posted with Permission.

If you are unable to complete the installation of Expression Web, Microsoft would like to assist. First, please review the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles for help with specific error messages.

“Error -2147024873 during Expression Studio 2 or Expression Web 2 install”
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;967727

“Expression Web 2 install/uninstall fails with error 30054”
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;971612

“Error: Installation of the “Microsoft Expression Web 2″ product has reported the following error: 1923”
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;959574

Also, this helpful blog from the Expression Web Support Team:
“Known causes for Expression Web 2 installation crashes”
http://blogs.msdn.com/xwebsupport/archive/2009/04/21/known-causes-for-expression-web-2-installation-crashes.aspx

If the information above does not resolve your problem, please contact Microsoft’s Expression Web Install Support via email (ewinstal@microsoft.com), and please include the following information:

First and Last Name
Phone Number
Email Address
Expression Web version
Windows version
Error Message and/or brief problem description

Microsoft will contact you via email within one business day from your submission.

Web site accessibility is normally defined as the practice of making web content as usable by people with disabilities as [...]]]> Fellow MVP Kathleen Anderson of Spider Web Woman Designs, has an article in this month’s Expression Web Newsletter on Designing Web Sites for Accessibility with Expression Web 2. She asks first “What is Web Site Accessibility?”

Web site accessibility is normally defined as the practice of making web content as usable by people with disabilities as it is to people without disabilities. People with disabilities may not be able to see your web page, hear your podcast, or navigate your web page with a mouse or even a keyboard.

And then “Why is Web Site Accessibility important?”

A Web site that can’t be navigated without a mouse, or is useless without the graphics or doesn’t have enough information in text format, will lock people out of your place of business. I read an e-mail message a couple of years ago written by a woman whose husband was blind. She spoke about how, in the early days of the Internet, it was a wonderful place for her husband. It was all text-based and universally accessible. Now, it’s a world of images, clicks, online forms, marquees, blinking text and music, all of which can be obstacles to accessibility.

Kathleen then takes you through the steps of creating an accessible site using Expression Web 2.0. You can read Designing Web Sites for Accessibility with Expression Web 2.