XWD - No Absolute Tag

**ssg_7** · 05 September 2013, 04:28 AM

I'm just curious to know why .xar files can't be converted to HTML without the absolute tag? Well, other than the obvious answer that it's absolute positioning and that's the way XWD was created. Any chance that this will change in the future?

Thanks,
Steve

**Big Frank** · 05 September 2013, 06:26 AM

That's WYSIWYG for you

**WillPete** · 05 September 2013, 06:46 AM

mmmm, i don't think that will change in the future. if everything was the same, that would be boring. so that's why html and xwd have differences that make them unique from each other.

**Big Frank** · 05 September 2013, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by ssg_7

I'm just curious to know why .xar files can't be converted to HTML without the absolute tag?

XAR files are exported to HTML, not converted. You can't convert a XAR file to HTML. And strictly speaking, Xara doesn't export to HTML, it exports a website, a WYSIWYG website. If what you see on the screen isn't responsive, then that's what you get, that's the basis of WYSIWYG.

Originally Posted by WillPete

mmmm, i don't think that will change in the future. if everything was the same, that would be boring. so that's why html and xwd have differences that make them unique from each other.

You cannot compare HTML and XAR files, they are like apples and hard boiled eggs. They bear a resemblance from a great distance, but that's where the similarity ends. Xara is a graphic design program, an absolute positioning drawing and layout app, with HTML export capabilities (but HTML alone couldn't do what Xara sites can do). This is its greatest strength but also its failing when it comes to responsive websites.

I'm sure responsive is something the Xara team are looking at in depth, seeing as it's such a hot potato, but it's also one hell of a challenge seeing as responsive is, by its very nature, not WYSIWYG.

**ssg_7** · 05 September 2013, 09:23 AM

Okay. But there is software that converts PSD to HTML so why not make something like this using Xara? I know Xara is vector and PSD is bitmap but I'm thinking maybe Xara could allow for the vector image to be exported to bitmap and then convert the bitmap to HTML. Doing this would allow for designs to be quickly updated by designers and would also open the door to create publish responsive sites as well. I think Xara would see the template market explode if they offered something like this. I am aware that Xara already allows for the export to bitmap. I am merely thinking of the process to allow designers to create designs in Xara and quickly publish as a website. If Xara offered this it would really be powerful and give them more visibility as a design tool and web design program. I personally have used Xara since 2003 and love it but I'm hoping some innovation is coming soon that will give the company more appeal in the design and web publishing space.

**pauland** · 05 September 2013, 01:51 PM

I am merely thinking of the process to allow designers to create designs in Xara and quickly publish as a website.

I kinda thought that's exactly what Xara web design was - design it, then publish it. How much easier can it be?

If Xara offered this it would really be powerful

They already do and it is.Xara already publishes to HTML.

**ssg_7** · 05 September 2013, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by pauland

I am merely thinking of the process to allow designers to create designs in Xara and quickly publish as a website.

I kinda thought that's exactly what Xara web design was - design it, then publish it. How much easier can it be?

If Xara offered this it would really be powerful

They already do and it is.Xara already publishes to HTML.

Xara does this but with the "absolute" tag. The point is to do the same without to allow for more flexible designs such as responsive which is where the market is today and the future with the emergence of mobile devices. That is the core issue here.

**pauland** · 05 September 2013, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by ssg_7

Xara does this but with the "absolute" tag. The point is to do the same without to allow for more flexible designs such as responsive which is where the market is today and the future with the emergence of mobile devices. That is the core issue here.

I should make the core issue a bit more prominent when summing up!

There's a lot more involved in responsive web design than getting away from absolute positioning. It won't provide a solution for responsive sites.

I think it might be better to ask Xara to support responsive design and template generation rather than try and second guess the best way they might do that.

**Big Frank** · 05 September 2013, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by ssg_7

I am merely thinking of the process to allow designers to create designs in Xara and quickly publish as a website.

It already does this, and does it very well if I may say so.

**ssg_7** · 05 September 2013, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by pauland

I should make the core issue a bit more prominent when summing up!

There's a lot more involved in responsive web design than getting away from absolute positioning. It won't provide a solution for responsive sites.

I think it might be better to ask Xara to support responsive design and template generation rather than try and second guess the best way they might do that.

I am aware that there is more to responsive design. However, I have yet to see any providers of wysiwyg web builder software offer responsive design. It's not just Xara but wysiwyg html generators in general.

Also, I am not second guessing but was merely asking a question because I don't know.