Nav Button Question

**gsthunder** · 03 May 2012, 09:53 PM

Just to update this...

Drwyd's solution works but it is not permanent. Once you actually export the site once it automatically changes over to link to: page# from that point on. It takes the page#.htm out of the address/url box.

Drwyd's fix works fine the whole time you are building the site and previewing it but as said once you actually export the site it changes it. Note, it works ok on that 1st export but from there on in it changes on it's own. I discovered this after the 1st export of the site.

Everything worked fine but the client had 2 small changes they wished made. So after making the changes I exported the site again and uploaded the new info. At that point I checked the site over and discovered the mouse-over highlights on the navbar were back for the page you were on again??? A check of the Xara file showed all the page#.htm in the address/url section had been swapped down to link to: page#.

Fixed it and exported again and the same thing happened.

It was easy to fix though. I just used the actual URL of each page to do it( www.pageinfo.com/page#.htm ). This keeps the mouse-over highlight from showing on the page you are on in the navbar.

**Drwyd** · 04 May 2012, 01:39 AM

Hi GS

Very odd. I've not seen this in any version of WD or DP. No matter how many time I export it does not revert to highlighting the current page.

**gsthunder** · 04 May 2012, 12:00 PM

Does it to me every time? WD7

**Drwyd** · 04 May 2012, 09:26 PM

Have you got an example file handy ? I'll see if I can find what's causing this. It may be a bug.

**gsthunder** · 05 May 2012, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by Drwyd

Have you got an example file handy ? I'll see if I can find what's causing this. It may be a bug.

I am attaching a zipped folder that includes the Xara file( I did a quick one just to show what I mean )plus 2 folders( see below ).

To create the navbar buttons I made some mouse-off/mouse-over buttons and pasted them on the mouse-off and mouse-over layers. With the mouse-off/mouse-over layers both showing I applied a softgroup to the buttons on both layers. I then closed the mouse-over layer and clicked the softgroup to apply the link. I used your tip about page#.htm with correct address automatically unchecked. So it is index.htm/page2.htm/page3.htm.

It works just fine when I 1st do it. I checked it more and it will stay that way as long as the Xara file is open. It will export properly as many times as I want and save as many times as I want. As it turns out, upon further review, it changes things when I close the Xara file.

The next time I open the Xara file it has changed the links from what I entered in the URL/address spot to the Link To: page# area below it. All except the index.htm one. That stays without changing?

In folder 1 it is the 1st time I exported the site. Works properly. Once I exported the site I saved the file, checked to see if the links stayed how I set them( they did ), and then closed the file. I then reopened the Xara file and looked and the links were changed for page 2 and 3 but the index link stayed the same. I exported the site to folder 2 and you can see how the navbar works different( i.e. showing the mouse-over layer on the page you are on for page 2 and 3 ).

Currently the Xara file is linking via the Link To: area on page 2 and 3 as there is no way for it to stay like it is on the index page. Everytime I close it it changes it on me.

Hope I explained this clearly?

In the end I solved it by just linking directly to the page using the full URL( www.sitename.com/page#.htm ). It would be much easier if your method would stick as it allows for previews and testing links whereas the way I did it does not because the links take you to pages not there or different than the new ones.

**steve.ledger** · 05 May 2012, 03:19 AM

Why not just disable the auto highlighting using the tweak provided by Covoxer since WD6? "NoAutoHighlight"

See thread ► http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...NavBar-buttons

**Drwyd** · 05 May 2012, 01:33 PM

I think I have found what is going on. If the pages are names "page2, page3" etc. then when the file is saved WD will pick this up and change the links to match.
(This may be why the noautohighlight tweak was introduced)

If you name them "pagetwo, pagethree" etc. then the "pagetwo.htm, pagethree.htm" links will stick.

Also I noticed that the buttons on your example are duplicated on each page rather than set to repeat on all pages. This can cause problems as when you change a link on one page it is not updated across all pages.

BTW non descriptive page names are not good for SEO.

**gsthunder** · 05 May 2012, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Drwyd

I think I have found what is going on. If the pages are names "page2, page3" etc. then when the file is saved WD will pick this up and change the links to match.
(This may be why the noautohighlight tweak was introduced)

If you name them "pagetwo, pagethree" etc. then the "pagetwo.htm, pagethree.htm" links will stick.

Also I noticed that the buttons on your example are duplicated on each page rather than set to repeat on all pages. This can cause problems as when you change a link on one page it is not updated across all pages.

BTW non descriptive page names are not good for SEO.

I only duplicated for the example file. I use repeat on all pages for real sites.

No page name/description needed, again, as it was just an example site I did for you. Shouldn't impact things changing on their own.

I will just continue to link directly to the URL. I am tired of having to remember to do all of these "tweaks" that Xara should have as options in the software just so a site behaves properly.

Thank you as always for your help. It is appreciated.

**steve.ledger** · 05 May 2012, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by gsthunder

I am tired of having to remember to do all of these "tweaks" that Xara should have as options in the software just so a site behaves properly.

The tweaks are provided for power users who want to change or override default (intended) functionality, just as you might add your own code snippets to add features that aren't part of the software.

**gsthunder** · 05 May 2012, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by sledger

The tweaks are provided for power users who want to change or override default (intended) functionality, just as you might add your own code snippets to add features that aren't part of the software.

I like WD overall but feel that Xara take a little too much liberty in deciding what we want; or should want. I would like to see a little more user ability to change things built in vs having to use tricks and tweaks to do something that should be a built in option/feature.

JMHO.