Still confused...please help. (Full Version)

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bob42701 -> Still confused...please help. (12/25/2006 2:14:24)

I'm still confused about a few things with EWD.

1st, here's my site....keep in mind...I wanted to keep it clean (easy to read and fast loading for people still on dial-up).
TechtalkPlus

I made it with FP03 using server side includes. Thanks to you guys here, I went from shared border & frames to using server side includes. Thanks for your help with that. You guys are great.
After doing some reading, I decided I should get EWD. So I did...it installed and runs fine and opens my current site with no problems.
Here are my questions.

1. From what I've read, css is the way to go. Is css the new way of doing server side includes and DWT's ? It's the new more improved way of doing it?

2. Server side includes are not supported by EWD (without this add-in I seen on here). New SSI's any ways, right?

3. Can I convert my website which uses SSI's and DWT to using css instead or do I have to redo my site from scratch?

4. CSS....i made a new blank site to try it out....I made the ccs....made a blank htm page with a word on it and attached the css but...when I go to....file....preview in browser, all it shows is the white page with the text...it doesn't show the css info (i used a background color). The css code shows in the webpage in the code view. Is the preview function just not working or what? How do I know if I did the css right if I can't preview it?

If css is the improved/better way of doing SSI's and DWT , I think I'd like to give it a shot even tho I still consider myself a beginner in webpage building.

Sorry if any of the above questions are stupid ones...I'm still a greenhorn when it comes to webpages which is why I used FP....it seems like "webpage building for dummies". FP makes building webpages easy.

Thanks for your help.



coreybryant -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/25/2006 8:05:25)

DWTs are similar to server side includes. CSS is a way to help you layout your website, control the font (color), the size (of fonts) etc all from one simple file.

Server side includes are not supported by a WYSIWYG editor. Ther are processed on the server before being parsed. So you won't see them locally. Using a DWT you will see it though. DWT is not really a new of of doing SSIs, it is a WYSIWYG editors way. This way you can see he complete page on the WYSIWYG editor because using SSI, you cannot.

You would pretty much have to start from scratch because you attach a DWT to each page.

You don't see the CSS code. CSS is to control they layout - it stands for Cascading styles sheet



bob42701 -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/25/2006 9:35:56)

I have a DWT attached to each page now, so I would still have to start from scratch?

The DWT....you use it to control the colors in your page (like background and navigation buttons and header logo) and use the css to control layout stuff like fonts and fontstyles.....right?

You didn't answer a question....is css the new/better way of doing it vs the way i'm doing it now with SSI's?

Sorry if I'm being stupid....just trying to understand.

Thanks



coreybryant -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/25/2006 11:08:22)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

I have a DWT attached to each page now, so I would still have to start from scratch?
If you have it attached then no - but I was not certain why you were using SSI - since to one extent they are the same. SSI is handled on the server while the WYSIWYG editor handles the DWT

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

The DWT....you use it to control the colors in your page (like background and navigation buttons and header logo) and use the css to control layout stuff like fonts and fontstyles.....right?
No DWT and SSI are basically the same. DWT will usually hold website content. CSS is used to layout the website - provide colors etc

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

You didn't answer a question....is css the new/better way of doing it vs the way i'm doing it now with SSI's?
That's because it really is not a question. CSS is one thing, SSI is another. CSS will help you layout yur webpage - which might have SSI.



bob42701 -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/25/2006 11:55:32)

The below link is where I asked for help when I re-did my site. At the time I thought shared borders was the way to go. So I asked for feedback. That's where I got the idead to use a DWT and SSI's.
Read thru it.

Previous post asking for help

So what your saying is, I can skip the SSI's and put my navigation and top banner in my DWT? Would my page loading slow down doing it this way?

If so, is this a better way to go than using SSI's?

Another question.....
My understanding is....css involves less repitition of code than the way I'm doing it now....is this right?

If so, does this mean a css version of my page would load faster than my current one?



coreybryant -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/25/2006 12:13:31)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

So what your saying is, I can skip the SSI's and put my navigation and top banner in my DWT? Would my page loading slow down doing it this way?

If so, is this a better way to go than using SSI's?
It depends. DWTs seem to be pretty stable. I have used them a few times on sites but I normally rely on SSI because other people change code on our sites that do not have access to Expressions.

As far as loading - it would probably load the same


quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

Another question.....
My understanding is....css involves less repitition of code than the way I'm doing it now....is this right?
I am not certain how you are doing it now - but Frontpage usually uses the deprecated font tag. Let's day that you have a white background and black letters. You have to go through all of your pages and change it to say a light gray background. With CSS, that is controlled in one page

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

If so, does this mean a css version of my page would load faster than my current one?
Usually yes because the CSS ic cached but I have my IE to download the website every time so I don't rely on my cache as much as other users



bob42701 -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/25/2006 13:06:43)

Here's my site link....

TechtalkPlus

My DWT setup....
A 4 cell table....
Top left cell is not used
Top right cell uses a SSI for my banner
lower left cell uses an SSI for navigation
lower right cell is for content

No one else works on my site....it's, i guess would be considered a hobby site.
So should I stop using the SSI's for the banner and navigation and just put them in the DWT since I'm the only one who works on my site?

If I decide to try css....my DWT is not suppose to use tables...correct?
I haven't been able to find much info on making a DWT for using css, let alone understanding setting up css. The css still seems quite confusing.




coreybryant -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/26/2006 7:09:21)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

No one else works on my site....it's, i guess would be considered a hobby site.
So should I stop using the SSI's for the banner and navigation and just put them in the DWT since I'm the only one who works on my site?
You can - it is up to you. DWT and SSI are comparable. Let me ask yuo this: On the SSIs - you don't see them locally do you? But on the DWT, you do, right? There is your advantage. Some people cannot get over this - not seeing it.
quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

If I decide to try css....my DWT is not suppose to use tables...correct?
I haven't been able to find much info on making a DWT for using css, let alone understanding setting up css. The css still seems quite confusing.
Your DWT can use table is you use CSS. Most people start small with CSS - ony using CSS to control font and background etc - not to use CSS to layout and I think you should do that.



womble -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/26/2006 10:04:05)

The W3Schools are a good place to start for CSS tutorials.



bob42701 -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/26/2006 19:22:56)

1. I do see my SSI's in design mode whether I'm looking at the DWT or working on a page.

"Your DWT can use table is you use CSS. Most people start small with CSS - ony using CSS to control font and background etc - not to use CSS to layout and I think you should do that. "

I think I will try this ^^^^^^.

Thanks for the info womble. I will look at that.



coreybryant -> RE: Still confused...please help. (12/27/2006 7:23:47)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

1. I do see my SSI's in design mode whether I'm looking at the DWT or working on a page.
Chances are you are using a DWT then and not SSI. How are you including your SSI? Unless of course your local computer is a server as well...



bob42701 -> RE: Still confused...please help. (1/1/2007 7:59:28)

Ok.....when I open my DWT in Frontpage 2003....

I have a 4 cell table..
top right cell contains site logo
lower left cell contains navigation menu.

Top right cell= logo...I highlight that cell then goto Insert....Web Component....i select....Included content....then select Page....then aother window "Include Page Properties" opens and I browse for the page I made with my logo on it and click ok.

That makes it an SSI....right?

I did the same for the lower left cell which contains my navigation menu.




coreybryant -> RE: Still confused...please help. (1/1/2007 8:48:06)

No because you said DWT in your first sentence. SSI relies on you to type in code to include these parts. Included Content will give you examples of some SSI ways.

Remember DWT and SSI are very similiar. DWT is the Frontpage / Expression way while SSI is the coder's way.



bob42701 -> RE: Still confused...please help. (1/1/2007 16:52:53)

ok...well now I'm lost but anyways.....

Here is what I have so far using EWD....

Test site

How's this so far....basically, I just want to re-do what I already have except using css.

After i finish getting the basic layout done...I save it as a DWT?

After someone telling me...I think I understand that...I'm suppose to use "<div>" to set my specific areas up like...one for my header and one for my menu and then I still need one for my main content area....right?

Only problem is...my menu div is too wide.....how do I make it 120 width and put the content div next to it?



coreybryant -> RE: Still confused...please help. (1/1/2007 17:07:20)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701
After i finish getting the basic layout done...I save it as a DWT?
You can. And this you can attach to all your pages.
quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

After someone telling me...I think I understand that...I'm suppose to use "<div>" to set my specific areas up like...one for my header and one for my menu and then I still need one for my main content area....right?
You can - you don't have to if you don't want to. You would probably be better off using tables to help you with the layout of the site. Don't try to learn everything in one week.
quote:

ORIGINAL: bob42701

Only problem is...my menu div is too wide.....how do I make it 120 width and put the content div next to it?
Divides are just like tables and cells - you can put one inside the other and you can float the divide to the left or right



jurgen -> RE: Still confused...please help. (1/9/2007 21:49:53)

Hello Bob, wanna learn CSS the simple and easy way? Check out this site..

http://www.bandofgonzos.com/forum/index.php?board=78.0

[:)]



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