Would You NOW trust DPX9 For This?

[cmpan1]

In the past (Older Versions of Software) I had asked if Xara would be good for large sites.... maybe 50 to 100 pages. The usual answer was basically no... that it wasn't designed for that, or something along those lines.

Well.... I'm now using DPX9 and am absolutely blown away by it features and ease of use... I'm now thinking about transferring some 'in progress' sites created with 'the competitors' software with can easily handle a large amount of pages. I don't even want to wait for the soon-to-be upcoming update of their latest version and want to get started with Xara.

But I'm just a bit hesitant because one of the sites... the one below... (learnpopandjazzpiano) is going to be a LARGE site and I need to feel SURE that DPX9 can now handle it.

I have a 64bit Windows 8 machine with 8 gigs of mem... which I know is up to snuff.... but it's just the Xara question I need answered.... what do you experienced guys/gals think, suggest; any opinions?

Thanks as always

Cliff

[Acorn]

Cliff, assume your site has 1,000 pages. Could it be split into functional units? If so, you could arrange each unit to publish into the same folder or you could create a sub-site hierarchy with sub-folders.

You have to watch out for setting up the Navigation Bars across all sub-sites correctly with relative addressing.

A lot of sites bottle out as the source images are very high resolution. You ought to create a source read-only area for all your key images, import into Xara and optimise all such images. I would also give each a filename so reuse is efficient.

Generally, I would go for small images and lots of text and try to exploit HTML5 features for impact. Do try not to group everything as the group usually ends up as in image (totally editable but incurring a download overhead).

In all, I would try Xara, I wouldn't trust myself to manage 1,000 pages without some CMS support. I have used an extremely simple home-brew CMS using REBOL and a Xara-templated page so Xara bottling out never arose. I have also integrated SharePoint content into a Xara site but all required solid professional experience and a paying customer.

Upfront design is crucial as a minor change could have 1,000 pages of updates.

Acorn

[cmpan1]

Cliff, assume your site has 1,000 pages. Could it be split into functional units? If so, you could arrange each unit to publish into the same folder or you could create a sub-site hierarchy with sub-folders.

You have to watch out for setting up the Navigation Bars across all sub-sites correctly with relative addressing.

A lot of sites bottle out as the source images are very high resolution. You ought to create a source read-only area for all your key images, import into Xara and optimise all such images. I would also give each a filename so reuse is efficient.

Generally, I would go for small images and lots of text and try to exploit HTML5 features for impact. Do try not to group everything as the group usually ends up as in image (totally editable but incurring a download overhead).

In all, I would try Xara, I wouldn't trust myself to manage 1,000 pages without some CMS support. I have used an extremely simple home-brew CMS using REBOL and a Xara-templated page so Xara bottling out never arose. I have also integrated SharePoint content into a Xara site but all required solid professional experience and a paying customer.

Upfront design is crucial as a minor change could have 1,000 pages of updates.

Acorn

Acorn... thanks for the reply..... I don't think I'll ever get to 1,000 pages.... but maybe 150-200 at most.... and would always be using smaller size images and a bunch of small audio samples..... I like the idea of "splitting up into units and having each unit publish inot the same folder", if I could ever learn how to actually implement that.... :/ But I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.....

Here is where you lose me. LOL "I have used an extremely simple home-brew CMS using REBOL and a Xara-templated page so Xara bottling out never arose. I have also integrated SharePoint content into a Xara site but all required solid professional experience and a paying customer."

But that's ok... so Acorn.... what do you think about the 150-200 page limit? Would you feel comfortable with that?

Thanks

[Acorn]

Cliff, I have managed 50-80 pages with a good design that I could easily take to 200. I see no problem with Xara handling that.

Acorn

[gwpriester]

A lot depends on the content you have. If you are working with a lot of photos, these can consume memory.

I am currently working on a Kindle Fire book and I have 50 full screen (1280 x 800 pixels) images. With 25 of the images in place (my partner is doing the other 25), at 300dpi, I have not had any problems. Plus the images have now been optimized to 96dpi but I did not have any problems at 300dpi.

[cmpan1]

Thanks 'Acorn' / 'Gary' - feeling more comfortable.. I'm goin' for it!

Cliff

[slavelle]

I don't want to discourage you, but in my experience, while Xara can absolutely HANDLE a site like this, it can be a bit laborious to make updates and especially make sitewide changes without more effort than it seems like it should take. I REALLY like the Xara products a LOT, but not for this. If a site is going to much past a handful of pages, I'm likely to put it into Joomla instead for ease of updates, etc.

I see that you are currently using Web Plus and WordPress for your Blog.

1. Why do you want to leave Web Plus (I don't know anything much about it except it's name/company)?
2. How technical are you? Are you at all adept at templating something in a system like WordPress or Joomla?

If you are not afraid of the learning curve of developing a template of your own in WP or Joomla, I would say that you would be far better to create your graphics in Xara and use those to build your template in a Content Management System that is designed to handle a ton of pages and a lot of (easy to maintain) updates. In the long-run, I think it would be well worth your consideration.

Hope this helps.

[cmpan1]

I don't want to discourage you, but in my experience, while Xara can absolutely HANDLE a site like this, it can be a bit laborious to make updates and especially make sitewide changes without more effort than it seems like it should take. I REALLY like the Xara products a LOT, but not for this. If a site is going to much past a handful of pages, I'm likely to put it into Joomla instead for ease of updates, etc.

I see that you are currently using Web Plus and WordPress for your Blog.

1. Why do you want to leave Web Plus (I don't know anything much about it except it's name/company)?
2. How technical are you? Are you at all adept at templating something in a system like WordPress or Joomla?

If you are not afraid of the learning curve of developing a template of your own in WP or Joomla, I would say that you would be far better to create your graphics in Xara and use those to build your template in a Content Management System that is designed to handle a ton of pages and a lot of (easy to maintain) updates. In the long-run, I think it would be well worth your consideration.

Hope this helps.

slavelle...

1. I don't really want to leave WebPlus... it IS a fantastic program... but at first glance DPX9 does certain things (so so many things) I like with great ease. Don't know what the new soon-to-be released ver of WP will be like... I'm just comparing.

2. Just enough to get by... but not for templating. I just like to find what works, learn it, and get on with business.... no time for new curves..

Anyway... yes, the trade-offs are very frustrating.... I'm already finding out about something you spoke of. "site-wide changes".... This is where it's already falling short of WP. I REALLY like using master pages... sooooo much easier and faster to make changes across a site.. and having multiple MP's is very useful..... I (so far) just can't seem to get comfortable with XARA's 'repeat on all pages' feature. I'm only testing on a dozen or so pages and am finding out how delicate it is.

Ah... if I could only merge and get the best of both worlds.... How many times has been said and thought about over the years?

Thanks for the reply....

Cliff

[Big Frank]

I REALLY like using master pages... sooooo much easier and faster to make changes across a site.. and having multiple MP's is very useful..... I (so far) just can't seem to get comfortable with XARA's 'repeat on all pages' feature. I'm only testing on a dozen or so pages and am finding out how delicate it is.

I agree wholeheartedly. Master Pages would be suitable for both WD and P&LD (essential actually). I really don't understand why they haven't included them yet.

[restless]

Cliff, assume your site has 1,000 pages. Could it be split into functional units? If so, you could arrange each unit to publish into the same folder...

Acorn

Hi Acorn,

You got my attention talking about splitting a web site into "functional units" that could publish in the same folder.

Having multiple folders (directories) isn't an option for me because we have links on a lot of sites that go to specific pages. If I put these pages into folders, that would change the url to the pages, and a lot of our links wouldn't work anymore.

Can you tell me more about how to publish a big web site (my biggest is about 500 pages, built with CuteSite Builder - formerly known as Trellix) a few pages at a time.

In my experience, any time I publish something new, it overwrites everything that is already there.

Thanks.

Ed