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Add Ray's Monthly Column
To Your Site!
Advanced Techniques

These are "advanced" techniques you may want to be aware of. You do not have to implement any of the following, they are simply options.

Manage the Text Size and Color...
With Cascading Style Sheets
The Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) in step #1 is given to allow you to change some aspects of how the column appears on your webpage. The default setting is what we've given you above. You can leave it just as it is -- you don't have to change a thing. However if you wanted to change the color, size or font of the text (to make it match your website) you can easily do that through CCS. If you don't know how to do that, you may want to get a book on how to use CSS or look for an article about "cascading style sheets" on the internet.*

Manage the Column Length...
With IFRAMES
Since the length of the column will vary from month-to-month (one month it may be short, the next month it could be long) it may be hard to use on a page with other content. For example, if you have a space on your webpage where you want the column to appear that's just 700 pixels tall... the column may stretch out to 1200 tall one month, and be only 500 tall the next month. This kind of variation could throw off the design of your webpage.

The way to manage this is with the use of iframes. If you don't know how to do that, you may want to get a book on how to use iframes or look for an article about them on the internet.*

There are three basic steps for using iframes...

A. First, right-click on this link and choose "save target as." Make sure when you save it that the name of the file stays "add_livingwaters_column.htm". Save it into the same directory as the webpage you're going to put the column on.

B. Next, right-click on this link and choose "save target as." Then open this text document you just saved and copy this code into the webpage where you want the iframe to appear. (It's a good idea to use tables to help you keep the iframe exactly where you want it.)

C. Double check that "add_livingwaters_column.htm" is in the same directory as the webpage you've pasted the iframe code into.

At the bottom of this page you can see an example using the same iframe code you were given in step #B. This code has the iframe size set at 300 wide and 300 tall. You can adjust the iframe's size by changing those two numbers that appear at the top of the code. We advise that you don't go smaller than 250 in width... if you do, the pictures may cover part of the title.

Additionally, you may wonder what the text inside the iframes code is for. This is for people who may be viewing your site with very old browsers that can't view frames. It tells them why they can't see the column, what they need to download to fix their system, and gives them a direct link to add_livingwaters_column.htm.

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*NOTE: You could visit a place called "Webmonkey" for free web design tutorials -- Please be aware that "Webmonkey" is a non-Christian company -- if you'd still like to visit their site, you can click here.