This document will be of interest to faculty or students developing hypertext documents using Guide. Guide is a hypertext document authoring program, which allows you to create a document which features text, graphics, sound, and video. A hypertext can allow the reader to "jump" from one place in a document to another place (possibly in another document), have "hot spots" which perform some action when the user moves over or clicks on them, and use a number of other hypertext functions. GUIDE 3.1 is accessible in the public computing classrooms (Roth, Crawford, Ascension) and at other microcomputers connected to the local area network.
This document serves as a checklist for gaining the skills needed to use Guide, and points you to sources of more detailed information.
Kermit is a terminal emulator and a file transfer program. You will need Kermit to transfer a document generated on the VAX to a microcomputer. Please refer to the document, "Kermit Instructions", for information on each of the following:
starting Kermit
connecting to the VAX
transferring files from the VAX
transferring files to the VAX
exiting Kermit
The document, "Kermit QUICK Instructions", will serve as a quick reference as you use Kermit.
Windows is an operating system which allows programs to communicate with the computer and with each other. Guide is a Windows program. That is, it runs in Windows.
If you have not used Windows before, or would like to refresh your memory, take the Windows Tutorial. There you will learn about:
using the mouse (click, double-click, click and drag)
program groups and icons
opening, closing, and moving windows
maximizing and minimizing windows
opening files
interacting with Windows dialogues
In addition to those skills demonstrated in the Windows Tutorial, you should be aware of the following:
how to use A T to switch between applications
A graphic, in computer lingo, is a non-text image (i.e., a picture) displayed on a computer screen.
The Scanner and Deskscan
One way of incorporating a graphic is to use a scanner. A scanner works much like a photocopier to capture a picture electronically. If you would like to incorporate an image (black & white or color) from a magazine, photograph, or other source, you will need to use the Deskscan program. Deskscan is a Windows application which works with the scanner to capture a graphic image. To scan an bitmapped (.BMP) image, you should be aware of the following:
how to start Deskscan
how to scan a preview image
how to crop the preview image
how to increase the magnification
how to change the contrast and brightness
how to scan the final image as a bitmapped (.BMP) file
how to save the graphic
copyright issues
issues of file size
how to exit Deskscan
Paintbrush
Paintbrush is the standard Windows graphic editor. It can be used to create graphics, or modify existing ones. To use Paintbrush, you should be able to:
Start Paintbrush
Open a graphic file
Select a painting tool and use it
Select a color
Undo your last action
Save a file
Exit Paintbrush
Paint Shop Pro
Paint Shop Pro (PSP) is a program which allows you to manipulate existing graphic images. This program is useful if you need to use only portions of an existing image, change the color contrast, or convert a graphic from one format to another. You will need to understand the following:
how to start PSP
how to load a file (of any format)
how to cut and paste portions of an image
how to save a file (in any format)
how to exit PSP
Other sources of Graphics
There are a number of other sources of graphics. These include graphics created by other programs, graphics saved by a "screen grabber", commercially available images, and images available for free from the Internet. For more information on these sources, please contact Information and Computing Services.
WordPerfect for Windows is a word processing program. You will need it to create documents to include in your hypertext, or to edit documents created elsewhere. While WPWin is a full-featured word processor and has many features and tools, the following is a minimal list of skills you will need to transfer material from WordPerfect to Guide:
Start WPWin
Open a WordPerfect file
Open a non-WordPerfect file
Cut or Copy text
Paste text
Save your work as a WordPerfect file
Save your work as a text (.TXT) file
Exit WPWin
Guide is a hypertext document authoring program, which allows you to create a document which features text, graphics, sound, and video. A hypertext can allow the reader to "jump" from one place in a document to another place (possibly in another document), have "hot spots" which perform some action when the user moves over or clicks on them, and use a number of other hypertext functions.
Since there are a number of different ways to incorporate information into Guide, before you begin authoring your Guidebook, you should:
start Guide
practice maneuvering through a demonstration hypertext
note the different types of buttons and cursors which appear as you move through the document
note the different "jumps" and connections used in the document and how information is presented by each
know how to create a new Guidebook
know how to open a Guidebook
know how to save a Guidebook
know how to exit Guide
You may wish to generate the contents of your document outside of Guide and import text or other information. For this reason you should be aware of:
how to paste text or graphics (cut or copied from another program)
how to directly import a text or graphic file
You will need to move about within each Guidebook as you create buttons, modify text, forge links, and proofread. To do this you will need to know:
how to move within a document using the arrow keys, mouse, and scroll bar
how to position the "insertion point" to add or remove text
how to trace your steps (backtrack)
how to check the spelling of your text (spelling)
how to search for a word or phrase (find)
Once you can maneuver within your Guidebook and have added some content to the blank document, you may want to create buttons which perform some special functions. You should acquaint yourself with the different types of buttons. To create any type of button you will need to know how to:
freeze and unfreeze the document
highlight text or graphics
show Guide symbols in a document
For expansion buttons, you should know how to:
make highlighted text into an expansion button
edit the contents of the expansion button
edit the contents of the expansion itself
For reference buttons, you should know how to:
make highlighted text into an expansion button
edit the content of a reference button
make a reference point
connect (link) the reference button to the reference point
For note buttons, you should know how to:
make highlighted text into a note button
open the definition window of your document
add text or graphics to the definition window
make the text or graphic you have added into a definition
link the note button to the appropriate definition
For command buttons, you should know how to:
make highlighted text into a command button
open the definition window of your document
add text or graphics to the definition window
copy existing LOGiiX scripts and modify them to suit your needs
make a LOGiiX script into a definition
link the command button to its definition
There are some more advanced topics with which you may wish to become familiar. These include:
controlling the appearance of your document window
protecting your document from tampering
changing the appearance of Guide itself
Less technical considerations exist when creating a hypertext document. The most important of these is to consider your audience. While the specific content of your document may be determined far in advance, you may wish to consider some of the following:
the amount of white space in your text (people tend to be wary of long passages of text on a computer screen, so you may want to break these up into smaller blocks or paragraphs separated by a blank line or two)
the burden of navigation on the reader (people tend to remember less of what they read if they move too far "away" from their starting point, so you might consider placing a "backtrack" button in your documents)
the use of graphics may enhance the reader's experience or distract them unnecessarily, so be sure that you do not have too many or too few pictures.
While issues of plagiarism must be considered in most academic work, you may find that hypertexts (especially multimedia ones which incorporate video, sound, and pictures) lead you to unfamiliar ground. There are legal and illegal uses of the material you find to use in your document.
Sometimes the distinction between copyright infringement and "fair use" is a confusing one. Since you may well be the first person who has tried to incorporate a specific source or type of source into an electronic document, please be aware of the following:
electronic information is far easier to copy than most other forms
specific laws exist governing the use of copyrighted material, but these laws may be poorly suited to your case
the safest route is to ask permission to use material from a specific source. While different copyright owners will react to your request differently, you may be pleasantly surprised
the Library maintains a collection of documents detailing copyright laws and issues
when in doubt, do not hesitate to ask for council on the matter
Along the same vein, you must be aware that the document you create can be copyrighted. Before beginning a project, consider the final product_who will be its owner, how it may be distributed (if at all), and how credit will be given to the original sources of information (if any are used).
If you are working on a hypertext as part of a class or group project, be sure you understand the status of your contributions_if they can be modified or removed later, what right (if any) you will retain to the final product, and your ability to use the material you contribute later without permission.
It is possible to incorporate full-color graphics, sound, and video into your GUIDEbooks. Calls to other programs can also be made. Most characteristics of your creation can be changed or controlled. In addition, user input can be easily utilized through the use of a scripting language called LOGiiX. For more information on these and other advances topics, please refer to the GUIDE user manual or contact the ICS Helpline at 5700.
GUIDE Quick Reference
GUIDE is an Microsoft-Windows based program used to create electronic documents, called GUIDEbooks, which can contain text, graphics, sound, and video, as well as "calls" to other programs. This method of presenting information can be very productive in academic fields and elsewhere. This document briefly explains the mechanical basics of generating hypertext documents in GUIDE. GUIDE 3.1 is accessible in the public computing classrooms (Roth, Crawford, Ascension) and at other microcomputers connected to the local area network.
Before Beginning
There are a number of skills of which you should be aware before using GUIDE. Many useful aspects of GUIDE cannot be covered in this document. Please refer to the ICS document "Skills for Using GUIDE" and the GUIDE User Manual for more information, or if you do not understand a term used below.
To Start GUIDE
To start GUIDE, you must be in Windows. Once in Windows, locate the program group which contains the GUIDE program (e.g., "Windows Applications"). If necessary, double-click on the program group icon. Once the program group window is restored, double-click on the GUIDE program item to start GUIDE.
To Use GUIDE Files
A New GUIDEbook
To create a new GUIDEbook, select File | New from the GUIDE menu bar. A window will appear, with a dialogue box in front of it. Unless you will be utilizing advanced options, you need only supply a caption to appear in the title bar of your new GUIDEbook. Type the word or phrase you wish to have appear and click <OK> or press R
To Open a Saved GUIDEbook
To open a GUIDEbook which has been saved, select File | Open... from the menu bar. The Open... dialogue box willappear. If the name of the file containing your GUIDEbook appears, double-click on it. If it does not, use the other options in the dialogue box to look for your file. For example, if the file you wish to load is located on a floppy disk in the A: drive, click in the Drives: area, and double-click on, or type, A: . Click <OK> or press R to open the file.
To Save your GUIDEbook
GUIDEbooks are saved as files on a computer disk. To save a GUIDEbook, select File | Save . The GUIDEbook will be saved in the file from which it was opened.
Save as...
If you have not saved the GUIDEbook since it was created, or if you select File | Save As... (to save the GUIDEbook under a different name, for example), the Save As... dialogue box will appear. When this happens, type a name of up to eight letters. If you will be saving your file to another disk or directory, or as another type of file, use the other options in the dialogue box to do so. For example, to save your file to a floppy disk, select Drives: and type in, or click on, the letter of the drive onto which you wish to save the file (for example, A: ). When everything seems in order, click <OK> or press R .
To Close GUIDE
To exit GUIDE, select File | Exit from the menu bar. If you have not saved an open GUIDEbook, you will be asked if you would like to do so. If you select <YES> , the file will be saved as above. If there are no opened, unsaved GUIDEbooks, GUIDE will close.
To Make Your Text a Hypertext
Once you have entered text into your GUIDEbook, you may want to utilize hypertext "jumps" in your document. To do this, you will need to create buttons and links. A button is an area on the screen which, when moved over by the mouse pointer or clicked on, performs some action. A link is a term which describes a type of connection between a GUIDE button and its target.
The GUIDEButtons
Briefly, these are the four types of buttons used in GUIDE.
Note buttons, indicated by the
pointer, display a box of
information while the mouse button is depressed.
Expansion buttons, indicated by the
pointer, when clicked on, expand to reveal more information, and then contract to conceal it when clicked on again.
Reference buttons, indicated by the
pointer, allow movement from one place to another.
Command buttons, indicated by the
pointer, are used to execute LOGiiX scripts.
To Create Buttons,Targets, and Links
To Create a note button
Follow these steps to create a note button.
Freeze the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Freeze and show the symbols (hidden codes) within the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Show symbols.
Select the segment (text and/or graphics) of your GUIDEbook that you want to make into a note button. To do this, move the mouse pointer to the beginning of the segment and hold down the mouse button. Drag the pointer to the end of the segment you wish to select, and then release the mouse button. Note that the selected area appears in inverse colors.
Now make the selected text into a note button. To do this, select Make | Note button.
Move to the GUIDEbook's definitions window by selecting Navigate | Definitions window.
Select the segment of text or graphics which will be the note. If you have not yet entered the text of the note, you can do that now.
Once you have a note button made and a note defined, you can link the two. You can link multiple note buttons to the same note as well. To forge the link, click in the GUIDEbook window to bring it to the foreground. Then click between the note button symbols, [* *], to move the insertion point between them. Select Make | Start a link from the menu bar. Click in the definitions window to bring it to the foreground, and then click inside of the note symbols, [* *], with the mouse pointer to move the insertion point between them. Finally select Make | Link from note button, and your link is made.
To be sure that your link behaves the way you wish, select Display | Freeze to unfreeze the GUIDEbook. Now click and hold down the mouse button while your cursor appears as an asterisk over the note button. Your note should appear in a box while you are holding down the mouse button.
To Create an expansion button
Follow these steps to create an expansion button.
Freeze the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Freeze and show the symbols (hidden codes) within the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Show symbols.
Select the segment (text and/or graphics) of your GUIDEbook that you want to make into an expansion button. To do this, move the mouse pointer to the beginning of the segment and hold down themouse button. Drag the pointer to the end of the segment you wish to select, and then release the mouse button. Note that the selected area appears in inverse colors.
Now make the selected text into a expansion button. To do this, select Make | Expansion button.
Notice that the word(s) and/or graphics you made into a button appear inside of the expansion button symbol, [__]. Directly following this is the text expansion between the expansion button symbol, [_], and the expansion symbol. You will need to replace expansion with the text that will serve as your expansion. You can either cut and paste text, or type it in now. Graphics can be added as well.
To be sure that your button behaves the way you like, select Display | Freeze to unfreeze the GUIDEbook. When you click on the expansion button while the cursor appears as a crosshairs, the expansion will "fold out" of the button. When you click on the expansion while the cursor appears as a square, the expansion will "fold up" into the button.
To Create a reference button
Follow these steps to create a note button.
Freeze the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Freeze and show the symbols (hidden codes) within the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Show symbols.
Select the segment (text and/or graphics) of your GUIDEbook that you want to make into a reference button. To do this, move the mouse pointer to the beginning of the segment and hold down the mouse button. Drag the pointer to the end of the segment you wish to select, and then release the mouse button. Note that the selected area appears in inverse colors.
Now make the selected text into a reference button. To do this, select Make | Reference button.
Move to the GUIDEbook to which the reference button will refer. If another part of the same document will serve as the reference point, move on to the next step. If not, open the GUIDEbook in which the reference point will be. If you create a new GUIDEbook, you must save it before forging links to or from it.
Once in the document which will contain the reference point, select the text which will become the reference point. Make this into the reference point by selecting Make | Reference point from the menu.
Being sure that the symbols are shown, and that both GUIDEbooks are frozen, link the reference button and its reference point. Move the insertion point between the reference button symbols, and select Make | Start a link. Then move to the target (reference button) and select Make | Link from reference button.
To be sure that your link behaves the way you wish, select Display | Freeze to unfreeze the GUIDEbook. Now click the mouse button while your cursor appears as an arrow over the reference button. You will find yourself at the object of your reference button.
To Create a command button
Follow these steps to create a command button. A command is a LOGiiX script. For more information on the scripting language, LOGiiX, please refer to the GUIDE documentation.
Freeze the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Freeze and show the symbols (hidden codes) within the GUIDEbook by selecting Display | Show symbols.
Select the segment (text and/or graphics) of your GUIDEbook that you want to make into a command button. To do this, move the mouse pointer to the beginning of the segment and hold down the mouse button. Drag the pointer to the end of the segment you wish to select, and then release the mouse button. Note that the selected area appears in inverse colors.
Now make the selected text into a command button. To do this, select Make | Command button.
Move to the GUIDEbook's definitions window by selecting Navigate | Definitions window.
Select the segment of text or graphics which will be the LOGiiX script. If you have not yet entered the script, you can do that now. In most cases you will not have to enter the script, but can copy and paste it from somewhere else.
Once you have made the command button and a definition for it, you can link the two. You can link multiple command buttons to the same command as well. To forge the link, click in the GUIDEbook window to bring it to the foreground. Then click between the command button symbols, to move the insertion point between them. Select Make | Start a link from the menu bar. Click in the definitions window to bring it to the foreground, and then click inside of the command symbols with the mouse pointer to move the insertion point between them. Finally select Make | Link from command button, and your link is made.
To be sure that your link behaves the way you wish, select Display | Freeze to unfreeze the GUIDEbook. Now click the mouse button while your cursor appears as a dark arrow over the command button. The expected action should occur.