Auto Page Sizing

[dlynnhicks]

I don't want to mention other software because I Love XARA!! But with Webdesigner, I widened the page size and when I viewed on another computer, I work on three different computers, the page did not auto convert to the display. This is coded in HTML at percent vs pixials or I don't understand that. This is to keep you from having to scroll from side to side. Very annoying. I hope this makes sense.

I want to know can this be done in WD and if so where. I did try to resize the page and it threw off the entire page. Nothing I could do would resized the text area's so they didn't run over.

Am I stuck with the page size I designed the original site with?

I do want to also say that after much work, because I am a little thick, I got my menu maker to work. It is much easier to make good looking menus to react the way you want them to. I found it in the support and practiced until I got it right. Thanks!!!!

[nickydude]

Am I stuck with the page size I designed the original site with?

Yes. XWD uses absolute positioning so what you see when designing your page is exactly what you get, this is so it works well in all browsers and you cannot dynamically widen your page (that I know of) but you can dynamical lengthen the page.

When I first started with XWD I was of the old html coding school where my pages dynamically resized to the size of the browser (using percentages) and XWD was a bit off-putting, but now I'm used to it.

[covoxer]

Using "Auto width" snippet from the Tweak set, you can create multiple variants of the page with different witdh. The best match will be used on page load.

[Ross Macintosh]

dlynn - underlying Xara-WD is the principle that it creates wysiwyg (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) results. This means that what you design it the program will appear the same in a browser. Most website development tools do not achieve the same fidelity - many tools don't even try. The benefit in an effective wysiwyg approach is it empowers the designer to choose exactly how a page will look.

Most websites we visit have not been designed using a wysiwyg approach. As you re-size the browser window the text shifts, relationships of graphics can change etc. Those realities can pose very real challenges to designers who want to control what site visitors are seeing. Xara-WD offers them a higher amount of control allowing design to rule.

By default, in creating a Xara-WD website you have a 'page' that will be centred in the browser window. Generally speaking, whatever content you put on that page will appear in the center of the browser window. If you just put a little text or a small pic on the page it can look a little odd in the browser window - but if you use your whole Xara-WD page it will typically look pretty good. You'll note that many of the templates feature a background rectangle that defines the boundaries of the design. It isn't the edges of the 'page' seen in the program but a rectangle that's been drawn on it. When viewed in different browsers the margins on the left and right will vary depending on how big the browser window is set. Note that when you set the background colour in Xara-WD it will be the colour of those margins + the background of the designed part of the page. In the rectangular background approach noted above that rectangle can be a different colour than the real background colour.

I hope this helps in increasing your understanding of what Xara-WD offers.

Regards, Ross

[dlynnhicks]

It does. I did a custom size of 1200 on the width so I could get everything on the page so it would look good and not so small. I just cannot get it to all shrink back down gracefully when I export it. Some of the text object are all out of wack.

I am trying to make is sight impaired friendly and not too busy.

Thanks for all your help.

[Ross Macintosh]

Debbie - Given your desire for accessibility I'd suggest using a Xara-WD page resolution of no more than the 955 x 700. Make the page as you want it to appear. So if you want to use larger font sizes just do so. You are the Commander-In-Chief. What you want you get!

If it seems you can't get on all you want then you'll need to add additional pages and link between them. Alternatively you can move your mouse cursor over the bottom edge of the Xara-WD page and you'll find the cursor changes allowing you to stretch the page as long as you want. That can give you more room for more content on the page. In a web browser the page would have vertical scrolling to suit. (Avoid widening the Xara-WD page as horizontal scrolling is less desirable.

Regards, Ross

[razzle0146]

Debbie,

Was reading your post and you mentioned that you was creating a sight impaired friendly page. I just want to give some advise on that. Most people, specially older people are still using the 800 x 600 resolution and from my experience designing web pages, you should design on that standard or like ross stated above 955 x 700. This will make your site viewable by all browsers.

Hope this helps a little.

Thanks

[dlynnhicks]

Yes it does. Thanks. I keep up our Lions Club site with some slighty older people who, well, mmmm, how do I say it. I know. Not computer savvy so I was trying to keep it simple and on one page. I will try the sizes you indicated.

I did get MM to work for me so I am able to condense using menus.

Thinking out loud again. Thanks.

In this file you will see, or at least I see, that I am not getting what I see is what I get when I view the site. The text looks different and extends out more than what I am seeing. I resized the page and selected all and resized it that way. You will see placeholders where my menus are. The text not sizing down or looking like I see it while I work has be perplexed.

[Ross Macintosh]

Hi Debbie - great to see your Lions Club site. I created the web site for my Rotary Club. (It doesn't use Xara-WD -- yet). Like your Lions Club, our Rotary Club has lots of older, not so computer savy, members. The feedback I received was that the general text sizes I used seemed right. The most important factor for this older audience seemed to be having clear navigation. In my opinion it is just as important for all sites but the older audience certainly seem to appreciate it more.

In your page it does seem that the text sizes are getting a bit small. You might have to consider a strategy that is less crowded, putting the information on multiple pages instead of trying to have so much on the home page. I think you'll find the older audience will respond favorably to a less visually busy page.

Good luck!

Regards, Ross

[richinri]

I would STRONGLY advise against using any dynamic page widths any longer. At one time yes, not now. 800x600 now looks ridiculous on newer wide width monitors. I believe the 900+ range width is the best to aim for now.
If you make it too wide, people have to scroll left to right sometimes - an internet NONO.
The days of dynamic widths is over...at least for now. Personally I don't think it is worth it to make multiple pages of different widths and check for sizes before loading - but if that is what you want - go for it. I just hope your sites aren't big.