Editing source (HTML) code in Xara project

**rikkoshea** · 27 January 2010, 01:56 PM

Hi,
I've seen it raised several times before, but I can't seem to find the specific posts now that would help me?
Anyway, I am using Xtreme5 at present, and I can see the source code in the published webpages. (and I know it's been said many times that Xara is not a HTML editor), but can someone please suggest a simple way of changing the HTML in a Xara produced webpage, and then how to publish such a page, assuming that's all possible? The problem is that one of my pages has a form (in a placeholder) that needs a couple of tweaks to make it work better, and have been advised by the form guru (at Jotform) to amend the HTML, particularly to change the width to 100% (or to a specific size in pixels). I can't change the actual form code in the placeholder (which is Java script anyway), so any suggestions gratefully accepted. Hope all that makes sense?

Cheers,
Rikko
27 Jan 10

**Soquili** · 27 January 2010, 02:19 PM

Hi Rikko,

You need to edit the placeholder for the form. The html code you put into the "Replace with HTML" section of the placeholder needs to be edit.

Select the placeholder, open Web properties, and the Placeholder tab.

**V12CatMan** · 27 January 2010, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by rikkoshea

Hi,
The problem is that one of my pages has a form (in a placeholder) that needs a couple of tweaks to make it work better, and have been advised by the form guru (at Jotform) to amend the HTML, particularly to change the width to 100% (or to a specific size in pixels). I can't change the actual form code in the placeholder (which is Java script anyway), so any suggestions gratefully accepted. Hope all that makes sense?

Cheers,
Rikko
27 Jan 10

Rikko - can you elaborate on the specific tweaks you need to make? Also can you post a sample of the placeholder code you already have in place?

As Bill commented you should be able to make the html changes required using placeholder methodology, although you may need help to do so. You can certainly edit pages output by Xara with any standalone editor, but that opens up ongoing maintenance issues and other pitfalls.

**gwpriester** · 27 January 2010, 03:31 PM

Editing the source code in an Xtreme or Web Designer file is pointless. Because the next time you revise the page, new code will be generated that does not contain your previous modifications.

Perhaps this will change in the next release, but for now it is an exercise in futility, unless as Bill suggests, you can apply the changes to a placeholder object.

**rikkoshea** · 27 January 2010, 07:09 PM

Hi Bill & all,
Sorry for the delay but was called away for a family drama.
Thanks for the ideas. For now here is the advice that I received from Jotform forum, in response to a problem with the form that causes it to run partly off the bottom of the page when required/incorrect fields are entered.....

"It is because you have the form in a DIV with pre-defined width.
Code:
<div class="xr_ap" style="left: 5px; top: 5px; width: 687px; height: 720px;">
Try removing that height tag and any other heights. You should probably use 100% instead of a specific height"

....I can't see this code in the placeholder code so I guess it is in the HTML code that is produced with Xara when publishing the website? Is that the way it works? I've attached a notepad txt file of my placeholder form script (complete) as requested, if that is useful?
Cheers,
Rikko
28 Jan 10

**Soquili** · 27 January 2010, 07:20 PM

Rikko the size of the placeholder is most likely the dimensions specified. Simply make the placeholder the size you need the form to be on your web page.