Updating Menu in Webstyle 4

[shellyrosenberg]

HI, I am new to Xara Webstyle. I have created a website and a menu using this but I am having a very difficult time updating my menu. I get crashes and invalid error messages. I need help. I have tried contacting Xara support but since I am in the US and they are in the UK it is difficult to communicate. Is there anyone who can help me here in the US who I can talk with on the telephone to help me get my menu issue straightened out? and frustrated! Shelly Rosenberg

[jamesmc]

Someone might be able to help you here.

Just put what version you are running of Webstyle. How you are using it..(dreamweaver, frontpage or just plain html editor like notepad.)

What your operating system is (Windows XP, ME, 98.)
How much memory, what graphics card and perhaps the driver date if you know.

And the circumstance in which you got the crashes.

At least the folks reading the forum might be able to narrow it down.

[shellyrosenberg]

Hi, I am using Webstyle 4 and am using Front Page 2002. I am using XP. My website is www.shellyrosenberg.com. The dropdown menu was created using Webstyle. When I went to update it, I got an error. I think that some files may be lost. I do not want to lose the menu that I have. I just want to be able to update it. What are the steps I should take. When I try to update it I get an error "Webstyle has encountered an unknown error whilst trying to access \newindex_hnavbar.htm\. Please verify that the specified path is available."
I do not know what files should be in what folders. I have received instructions from xara for the normal steps to update a menu but I run into this error. I would be glad to telephone anyone in the US who could help me with this problem.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. Shelly Rosenberg

[jamesmc]

Well, not sure where you are at in your page development as I didn't get anything but a page 404 when i went to your web page.

So, I'll start at the beginning... I'm doing a Frontpage Tutorial Website, but havent' finished it yet. Here is some instructions, not proofread yet for starting a web page.

Open up FrontPage and Make an Empty Web.
You should see this in the folder view, no html files or anything from Xara Webstyle.
Why? Because we haven't asked Webstyle to do anything.

Ok, choose File, New/Page or Blank Page

Find a spot where you want your Heading or NavBar. It really doesn't matter because the objects can be cut and pasted anywhere on the page.

Okay, let's start with Webstyle by choosing the type of Webstyle Component we want.

But first, since this is the first page of your web, save it as index.html

Let's start with a heading since it's at the top of the page.

After you start Webstyle and find a heading you like, make a new project and make the name of the project the same as your New Web Folder in FrontPage.

Now, let's save the heading graphic, and instead of letting Webstyle calling it your_heading, let's call it index (indexheading.gif.)

Now save the project. When you save the heading it will be in our FP folder where our webpage is.

My folder for this FP project is under
c:\documents and settings\name\My Documents\My Webs\My Webstyle FP
The file from WebStyle will be in
c:\documents and settings\name\My Documents\My Webs\My Webstyle FP
because that is where we directed our New project to go.

Once the gif is in your page, you can align it, cut, copy, paste, etc. just like any other graphic.

But, you can't change the attributes, like color, background, size or the letters (text.)
So, let's do that, change the lettering, I like the color. Double click on the heading graphic, WebStyle opens up. In WebStyle, select the attribute you want to change (color, text, size, background.) Make your changes, press 'SAVE' and then Save/exit.


Now we are back in FrontPage, let's look at the heading.(indexheading) Looks Marvelous!

Hmm, looks a tad large. so I double click and choose size in webstyle. I'll make it 300x64. save/save&exit. That's better!

Anyway, the point of all of the above is to make sure when you start a project in FrontPage is that you establish a Web first. Make a page and callit what you wish. When you use your WebStyle plugin, all you are doing is modifying graphics, nothing more.

Now, the first time you call up Webstyle for a new Web Project, make double sure that you save your graphics in the exact same folder as your FrontPage Web is located. If you don't, it won't work.

WebStyle won't make the webpage for you or know where you want the graphics placed, you have to tell it where by clicking your mouse on the spot. If you are not sure right away where you want your graphic and change your mind later, you can cut and paste it to place it where you want.

The key objectives for this lesson were:

1. Make a Web or WebPage in FrontPage first.
2. Open up a page view and then use the WebStyle Plugin to select the graphic you wish to use. (example: Heading.)
3. After you select the graphic in WebStyle, make sure you make a New Project and change the name to same name as your WebSite (WebPages.) It's just easier to track that way.
4. Save the new project in exactly the same folder as your FrontPage New WebProject is being placed.
5. Remember that WebStyle just adds graphics. It doesn't know where you want to store your files or place the graphics. You have to do that.

Sorry, but that was a bit jumbled, I haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Hope that helps with your problem.

[shellyrosenberg]

Hi, Thanks for trying to help with my problem of updating my Webstyle dropdown menu in my FP website. I still have not solved this problem. The correct website name is www.shellyrosenberg.com. It was keyed in incorrectly last night. When I go into FP and go to my test page, I click on my menu (the horizontal dropdown one) and it takes me to Webstyle. In the preview area is a copy of my menu with the corrections that I want to include. When I click save on the button on the left, I get the Webstyle error message "Webstyle has encountered an unknown error whilst trying to access \newindex_hnavbar.htm\. Please verify that the specified path is available."
I would be happy to call you (if you are in the US) or call anyone in the US who could help me figure this out. I expect that some files are in a wrong place or missing. I just need to get this working asap. Thanks again so much for trying to help. Shelly Rosenberg

[jamesmc]

Well, the solution may be easier than you think. Do a search on your navbar graphics and see what folder it is in.

If it is not in the same folder as your FrontPage Web, then that is the problem.

[shellyrosenberg]

Hi, My website is in ...My documents\My Webs\shellyweb.
Within shellyweb there is a folder called newindex_files and this folder (newindex_files) contains what I believe are the navbar files......they are named newindex_hnavbar_......
Are you saying that I should just take those files out of the folder? Shelly

[jamesmc]

Not sure if taking them out of the folder would work.

You see, the way WebStyle works is that you MUST establish a new project before you add graphics to a web page. It gives you a choice where you want that project stored.


Now, because you are using FrontPage and have create a Web and Pages. It would behoove you to store the WebStyle project in exactly the same place where your FrontPage Web and Pages is stored at (your online webpage prior to uploading.)

I'm am not sure how the project file is stored or if it is stored differently than the graphics. But I suspect, if the WebStyle Project saves to a default location this is your problem.

You might be able to move the graphics to your FP Web folder, but you may have to start a new project and make sure it's saved to the same folder as your FP Web project.

[shellyrosenberg]

Hi again,
I am not sure what you mean by this statement.

It would behoove you to store the WebStyle project in exactly the same place where your FrontPage Web and Pages is stored at (your online webpage prior to uploading.)

I did try to create a new project previously and ran into the same or similar error. How can I insure that I do not mess up my existing menu that exists on my website while I am trying to get this to work. If I just make another copy of the whole website, will that do it? Or does Xara store some things in any other places?

Is there a phone number where I can reach you so that we might be able to expedite this? Shelly Rosenberg

[mclaser]

I'm having the same issue, I think, which is a contination of an earlier post I made. I've created a project, loaded a nice theme and modified the components. I can run FP and have a page linked to the new WS created page and it all looks fine in FP preview. I've manually moved as many components over as I can, but the navbar, in particular, is still linked to WS via the .js script (I guess). When I publish, all of the WS components are missing, as they are not in ../my webs/ Your suggestion makes sense but I don't believe it works. If I try to create a new project as you suggested by adding the entire filename g:\my documents\my webs\sg2 (in this case) WS pukes and says I've entered an invalid filename because there are unrecognized characters. Enclosing in quotes doesn't help. Again, I can't use the program if I can't get the product data connected to FP My Webs\folder.
WS seems like a useful program, IF one could decode and manipulate the filing system.
I would also make the request, is their someone I can call and get this worked out?
thanks.
Greg