"Swiping" Code and Images

The term "swiping" is a positive term on the Internet. It refers to the practice of saving code or an image that you find on a variety of Websites. Of course, it is only proper to do this on sites that have clearly stated that it is permissible or in instances where you have asked permission. Most Websites have a link to an e-mail address so it's really easy to ask permission if you are unsure. So "swiping" actually refers to the steps you perform to copy and save the code or image.

Often you can take the structure from one page, a graphic style from another, and through in some creativity of your own to come up with a winning design. Studying code after you see a page is a good way to learn the tricks. On Page 4, of this handout are detailed instructions for saving the code for an entire page. Although there are methods for saving only a portion of the code, it is often easier to just save the entire page and then copy and paste the portion you want.

How to Swipe Code

Note from Gini: Swipe anything you want from http://www.iteachyou.com//web/samples.htm

Note: In the following steps you will copy a portion of HTML from a particular Webpage to your clipboard, paste it into the HTML code for your own Webpage, save and test the change.

1. Open into Notepad the HTML code for the Webpage you have been creating.

2. Open your browser and go to a Webpage you want to "swipe" from.

3. Click VIEW - PAGE SOURCE (or VIEW - SOURCE).

AOL users: Right-click on blank portion of your screen and click VIEW SOURCE

4. Highlight the portion of the HTML code you want to "swipe."

5. Click EDIT-COPY (or press CTRL+C) to copy the highlighted portion to your clipboard.

6. Branch to the HTML code you opened in #1 above.

7. Position your cursor where you want to paste the "swiped" HTML code.

8. Click EDIT-PASTE to paste the code into your Webpage.

9. Save this modified document and test it with your browser.

Reminder

When swiping code as described above, remember that if you swipe bad HTML code, your webpage will then contain bad code. One trick is to use NetMechanic's free webpage analysis tool to see what they think of the HTML code on the webpage you are looking at. To do this...

Go to http://www.netmechanic.com/

Click Try It link under Identify Website Errors category.

Scroll down to HTML Toolbox Free Sample section.

Type the URL in Field #1; leave Field #2 set to 1 Page; remove ü in Field #3.

Type your e-mail address in Field #4; click Test Now button in Field #5.

Note: Shortly you will receive an e-mail that contains the code for this webpage with all errors identified line-by-line.

Free Webpage Options There are many options available for obtaining free Web space for your Webpage. Most of these are either supported by advertising or are sponsored in some way. Each has limitations and many are available for personal use only. Check the following site for comprehensive listings of many of the free Webpage options: http://www.freewebspace.net/

Static vs. Dynamic Webpages Webpages come in one of 2 primary flavors -- static or dynamic. A static Webpage is one that includes all hard-coded HTML code. My Webpage at http://www.iteachyou.com is an example of a static Webpage. A dynamic Webpage, is one that changes every time someone visits, depending on what choices they make after entering the page. Yahoo, a popular search site, at http://www.yahoo.com, is an example of a dynamic Webpage. Naturally portions of any dynamic Webpage are also static -- the portion that informs the user how to access the built-in database in Yahoo's case.