Kupu gives you the ability to author Web documents without knowing HTML, the Web markup language.  In addition to providing basic formatting, Kupu lets you integrate links and images into your document.

Below is a picture of the Kupu toolbar, followed by explanations and instructions for each of its features.

Working with Lists

Please note that unlike word processor outlines, Web markup does not support nested lists (lists within lists). That is, HTML causes nested lists to have the same style as the parent list.  If you change the bullet or ordering style of any list item, it changes the whole list.

This is not a loss for Web publishing.  Simplicity is best for screen reading, and nested lists or outlines are really more appropriate for print media.

Navigating and Uploading with Kupu Popups

When you click the Image or Internal Link button, a popup appears.  This popup has three panels, which you use from left to right:

1. Select the starting place from which to browse.  You have four choices:  the home folder of the site, the current folder where you are working, recent items created by you, or recent items in general.
2. Browse to locate your link destination or image. Browsing is pretty straightforward: Click a folder, and it opens.  To go back up and out of the folder, click the first item in the folder listing, 'parent folder'.  If you are uploading an image, in this panel you are choosing the folder in which to upload .
3. Finalize and save your selection.

Panel 1 is the same for both images and links, but panels 2 and 3 are a little different for each, so they are explained separately below.

Browsing to Locate Images Already on the Site

Unfortunately, Kupu doesn't know which folders you have permission to open, so it shows you all folders within the current one you are browsing.  If you try to open a folder where you don't have permission, it just won't open.

When you open a folder, you will see a listing of any images it contains.  Clicking one of these opens a preview in the right panel.  You can save this selection or continue browsing in panel 2.

Once you make your selection, enter any ALT-text in the text box provided (ALT-text is what screen readers for visually impaired users read out loud to describe the image).  Save, and the image is inserted in your document.

Note: You might browse to a copyrighted image that another member had permission to upload.  If you do not have that permission, then inserting the image in your own document could be a copyright infringement.

Uploading an Image

Your other option is to upload an image.  Again, Kupu doesn't know where you have permsission to do this, so you see the 'upload' option at the end of every folder listing.

The usual method is to upload your image in the same folder where your current document is located.  This makes it possible to submit the image and document together at publishing time (both must be published for the image to show up in a published document).

In panel 2 you choose the folder into which you will upload the image.  Since it is usually the current folder, you can go straight to the 'Upload' option at the end of the folder listing.

In panel 3 you select and upload the image.  A 'Browse' button opens a 'Choose file' popup that allows you to browse your computer for the image.

When you save your selection, the image is both uploaded to the selected location and inserted in your document.

Browsing to Locate a Link Destination

You are free to link to any content you find with the Kupu link popup.  Be careful about members-only content, however.  If your document will be public, a link to members-only content can lead your reader to a dead-end.

 As you navigate in panel 2, you can locate all types of content items for your link destination.  When you click your selection, its title will appear in panel 3.  Save and you're done.

If your link destination is a folder, here's what to do:  Navigate to the folder you want, then click on it.  Kupu will open the folder, since it doesn't know yet if you want to link to it or keep browsing.  Once you are inside, click the folder's name where it appears at the top of the listing (with the single dot before its name).  You'll know you selected the folder for your link destination because you'll see its title in panel 3.

Working with Tables

Kupu provides very basic table functionality.  Keeping it simple is the key to success here.  Table cells spanning multiple rows or columns cannot be created.

Clicking the Table button opens a table setup dialog.  Choose a table class, how many rows and columns (these can be added and deleted later), and whether the columns should have headings.

The 'Listing' table class appears like the table of Kupu features above in this document.  The 'Plain' class has no background color or borders.  Once a table is created, right-clicking a cell gives you editing options.

Tables can be pasted into Kupu from other applications, but the results are variable.

Creating a table in MS Word, then copying and pasting the table into Kupu allows for an easy alternative to directly creating the table in Kupu from scratch. Bold, italics, left/center/right justification features are retained with the copy/paste from MS Word. Once in Kupu, the table can be changed: adding or removing rows and columns are possible. Cell contents may be altered. However, note that the width of the table may change, leading to a table that may not fit across a single page when printed.

Working with HTML Source Code

If you are HTML-savvy, the source code may be helpful to you.  However, please use the provided paragraph styles for the main document elements.  These ensure that changes to site-wide styles will carry through documents without manual updating.

Be aware that Kupu strips out many HTML elements (center, span, tt, big, small, u, s, strike, basefont, font) and attributes (dir, lang, valign, halign, frame, rules).  This is to help clean up pasted code from external applications.

A common use of source code is to float images.  If needed, <div> elements must be hand-coded.  However, because document output is nested in layers of site layout elements, floating is buggy in many browsers.

Anchors other than HREF must be hand-coded.  To link to a NAME anchor conveniently, use an external link.