WS4 structure/ before design ??

[jimmymax75]

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

[jimmymax75]

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

[Soquili]

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.

[jimmymax75]

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

[jimmymax75]

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

[Soquili]

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.