FTP-ing a website - how Xara controls the upload & checks files

[Mac Hine]

If I use the 'Publish to another website (via FTP)' option, how does Xara control and update files against what's already on the server?

For example, I'm looking to add a comments section to one page. One of the comments free software options requires me to u/l a small .php file to the root. If I FTP it up manually, would Xara then see it as an error/unecessary file perhaps?

When Xara uploads (and updates for that matter), does it check all the files on the server and then compare them to the Xara website files on my PC, for example, and then do some housekeeping to delete what it might see any unecessary files? Could I lose the .php file?

[siran]

Xara will not touch that file unless you explicitly define it as a filename for a specific page.
When using the internal publish function Xara creates a file in which it remembers all files it has created and only deletes those files if they become obsolete.

[Acorn]

Xara applications also do the following.

Create a circle and a star.

EFFECT REPEAT STEPS

1. Preview your page.
2. Right-click and select View Source.
3. Look for lines starting <img class="xr_ap" src="index_htm_files/xx.png"
4. Note the png file xx numbers.
5. Close the source page.
6. Close the preview.

Note: any of the following changes will alter the htm file.

Move either shape

• Effect; no number change.

Change the colour

• Effect: png numbers changed to the next in sequence.

Overlap the shapes

• Effect: one png number changed to the next in sequence.

Squash the shape

• Effect: png numbers changed to the next in sequence.

Add a Live Copy

• Effect: png numbers of both Live Copies changed to the next in sequence.

Add a NavBar

• Effect: pairs (or triples) of png numbers added next in sequence.

Resize a NavBar

• Effect: pairs (or triples) of png numbers added next in sequence.

Undo back to original shapes

• Effect: png numbers changed to the next in sequence.

Redo and Undo repeatedly

• Effect: png numbers changed to the next in sequence.

So what you consider to be a small page change (or page changes for a NavBar) can have considerable upload effect as all the tweaks, undos and redos have a cumulative effect.

I have one site where the png count is now in the 100,000s.

I Name (filename=image) those images that I have set as Repeat on all pages.
I avoid NavBars and HiSlide popups.
Never fileName Live Copies.

Acorn

[pauland]

I have one site where the png count is now in the 100,000s.

That's pretty scary and sounds very inefficient. I guess Xara isn't able to optimise these in the way a traditional web development program would.

[Acorn]

I have one site where the png count is now in the 100,000s.

That's pretty scary and sounds very inefficient. I guess Xara isn't able to optimise these in the way a traditional web development program would.

I agree.
Here is a flavour of 1% the files:

index_htm_files/100416.png
index_htm_files/100420.png
index_htm_files/100421.png
index_htm_files/100422.png
index_htm_files/logo force crest.jpg
index_htm_files/logo davagov.jpg
index_htm_files/logo crimestoppers.jpg
index_htm_files/logo govuk.jpg
index_htm_files/logo moi.jpg
index_htm_files/logo homeoffice.jpg
index_htm_files/logo 101.jpg
index_htm_files/92114.png
index_htm_files/100433.png
index_htm_files/104579.jpg
index_htm_files/100435.png
index_htm_files/OlympicPolice.jpg
index_htm_files/104583.jpg
index_htm_files/104584.jpg
index_htm_files/104585.jpg
index_htm_files/104586.jpg
index_htm_files/roundBullet.jpg

When I remember, I fileName bullets and photos.

If you want to view your payload then enter this URL for your sites: http://<your_site>/index_htm_files/xr_files.txt
If you want to see when you last changed something on a page: http://<your_site>/sitemap.xml

Acorn

[Mac Hine]

Right, thanks for that info.

[Donald33]

No folder or log that could be cleared? And what deleting something in the registry to restart the count? Just a thought.