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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    16

    Default WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Ok- Now that I have had the pleasure of creating and now totally screwing up my first major project - I have this question - hopefully someone can tell me which way is best.

    Create any web page from any of the templates in WS4
    Save that as the index.html file.

    Now here is the question:

    1) If I am going to use that same template design for each of the website pages - should I copy that page from (I use DW8) inside my editor(duplicate page) - OR - should I re-open WS4 and then when I save it call it "page2 or about us" or whatever the page name is going to be.

    I want to be able to go back into WS4 - and if I add or change a menu item or link for one - then ALL of my page templates I created from that WS4 design in WS4 should change inside my DW8-

    I seem to be getting weird little problems - and I don't know which way is smartest.

    2) Maybe this will help answer #1 - If I then save that template - and then use a different page template in WS4- and I say yes to copy colors and such - then if I do change something (in a menu link for example) - in my index(original) template - will DW8 and WS understand this and change that menu link in both templates automatically and hence the pages created in DW from that template? Or do i need to re-open each of the WS4 templates i have created for the site and say YES to the copy question to make that link update each time I make a simple link change in -let's just say the menu structure.

    I know it is all java - I just don't know how far and deep the Java looks through the diff page designs - once it is opened and edited in DW8 (or any editor for that matter)

    I guess I just don't know whether to do once in WS4 - then let DW control the realm -(be the parent)- or if I need to let WS4 control - (and let DW be the child)

    Or a combo of both - and if there is a tutorial on this and I have not found it - please let me know too- since those seem to be sooo helpful.

    So I hope that you can follow me on this give a shout if you know.

    Thanks

    JM

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    16

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Well Since a lot have read the last post and no responses I guess I can just ask another question and add to this post in the hopes someone catches my drift.

    When you create a site in WS4- should you name that page index.html and use that as your "base"

    Then if you want a page called "contact" should you go back into WS4 and open the index.html page - copy everything - and then save that as "contact us"???


    I seem to be having major DW problems when i need to change a link in one of my menus - say i want to add a FAQ page - then I go back to the index page in WS4 and make that change - and then wham - All my formatting and pages start going crazy in DW8 and I start getting menus disapearing and script errors in WS4 -

    So maybe someone else that uses WS4 web page- for just there design/base layout - and uses DW8 for editing/adding pics etc.. can help me figure this out- I love this software - and it seems to be doing everything - i really think it is the way i am approaching it - can anyone even give me a little advice??

    Thanks for the input

    JM

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Red Boiling Springs TN USA
    Posts
    19,208

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Hello Jimmy,

    Welcome to Talkgraphics.

    I think an answer to your question my be in the thread http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=22235

    Webstyle isn't actually a web site design tool but you can use it's tool set to create elements for use on your website. If you edit a nav-bar or menu in Webstyle you would have to insert the new changes into Dreamweaver to replace any existing nav-bar/menu. Object linking and embedding is not supported in Webstyle.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    16

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Bill- did you just get my quick reply ? if you did could you post that too? I did the reply - but it did not seem to take?

    Thanks

    JM

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    16

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Here is an example and maybe you or someone could look at the code and see

    www.baytechauto.com/paul4

    inside my DW i do not see the vertical nav bar on left - but
    I can see the horizontal one

    On the web you can see the vert one - but not the horiz nav bar

    You can see the logo on the web as welll on the left - but in my DW design screen that is not showing - \

    I have saved this to 4 diff sites in DW - and each time I get so may screwy results

    Maybe some one can look at the source and see why the DW would see in its design screen the one nav - and then when uploaded it displays the other

    Thanks

    JM

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Red Boiling Springs TN USA
    Posts
    19,208

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Jimmy looking at the source for your page the navbar files (javascript and gif images) should be in a folder named index_files on your site. When I try to access one of the gif images from that folder on your site I get a 404 Page Not Found error.

    Do you have a folder named index_files? If not you should create one and put the files for your Webstyle4 navbar in that folder.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    16

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Hi and thanks for the post.

    I uploaded the entire site at www.baytechauto.com/paul4

    Now here is where i am having problems:

    Inside DW- on all of my pages - my vertical nav and my logo do not appear on the left as it should - and this only happenned AFTER I uploaded the site - I just do not know what i am doing when all I am doing is simply "putting" my site after i have saved it - and then once the "put" is complete - I go back to a page and the left nav items and logo dissapears-

    So - again I think it goes back to the beginning with how I am creating these pages.

    I assume you have used ws4 and DW8 -

    do you create the page in WS4 - save as index and then in DW8 - do you duplicate the page or save as the page, or do you go back into WS4- repopen that index and then save as the page in another name>??-

    I really believe that whatever way it is intended to occur I have been doing wrong and hence these issues - so do you have an opinion on this function.

    Once again - thank you for your insight- I really do appreciate it.

    JM

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Red Boiling Springs TN USA
    Posts
    19,208

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Jimmy I looked at your site again and it appears the menus are working on all pages. I click on a link then use the Home button to return to the main page then follow the other navbar buttons. All have the same horizontal and vertical menus and the logo.

    Webstyle4 is good to create a template for use within Dreamweaver.

    Once you have your template with menus, navbars, color scheme, etc created in Webstyle you import/insert it into your Dreamweaver project. Then you should use Dreamweaver to create the other pages in the project using your Webstyle4 created template.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    16

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Yep - You are right - it looks okay on the website i gave you -
    but... inside dreamweaver the left nav button is now not showing..hmmmm.

    let me just clarify what you just said at the end of your last post

    Use WS4 to create the "template"

    then save to HD- - This is the step that seems to be throwing curves at me

    Should I save inside WS4 to the file name "index"?

    and then when i want to create a page called "contact us" -
    should I
    1) duplicate the "index" file in DW
    2) open index file and do a "save as" in DW
    3) OR go back to WS4 - open the index file - then save as "contact us"


    If I dup the page or save as- then if I then want to go back into WS4 and
    add that page to the menu structure- do i open the index- copy all the attributes - change the menu(add the new button- change the link file) - and then save that file back over top of the index file?

    It seems like I am making the js look in the wrong places and when i am creating new pages - and i go back into ws4- then for some reason all the pages that were created from the ws4 template (in this case index) - are not automatically updating - and now sometimes the nav bars are disapearing

    I really do appreciate your help- and I keep trying and trying so many ways - All i want is one template page to control all of my menus in all my pages- that's why i bought the WS4- but this is getting so so complicated- +

    Thanks

    JM

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Red Boiling Springs TN USA
    Posts
    19,208

    Default Re: WS4 structure/ before design ??

    Jimmy you can save the Webstyle4 file as any name you want it to be. It does not need to be index. You then use the Webstyle4 file within Dreamweaver to create the files (pages) for your website, including your index page.

    It is best to plan out the entire site before creating your navbars/menus in Webstyle.

    If you add pages to the site so you need to make changes to the Webstyle navbars/menus and save the changes. You then need to copy the additional image files for the buttons and the javascript files to their Dreamweaver locations. You would need to upload (publish?) to your website so the new files replace the older versions.
    Last edited by Soquili; 15 December 2007 at 03:35 AM.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

 

 

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