Dreamweaver - Template Problems

Author

Template Problems

RonMA68

2004-08-05, 12:15 pm

Hi folks,

I'm having a problem using templates. I've been using them for quite a while
now and I really like them.

I work for a school and we have many departments obviously. Up until this time
I've been keeping the templates all on my PC but now I'm wanting to build a
site, put the entire package, including the template, into one folder and put
it on the server.. Sounds easy enough.. but when my customer downloads the
package onto their PC and opens the site in Dreamweaver, the template doesn't
work. In other words, they can't make a change on the template and have it
populate to their local site so that they can upload the changes to the server.
It's like the template just stops functioning. After they make a change to the
template, it doesn't ask if they want to update the child pages.

It doesn't make sense because the code seems correct (file paths, etc).

Does anyone have any ideas???

thanks,
Ron

Murray *TMM*

2004-08-05, 12:15 pm

> Does anyone have any ideas???

Here are five ways to make changes not propagate from Template to child -

1. Rename the Templates folder
2. Move the Templates folder to some other folder level in the site other
than root level
3. Move a template out of the Templates folder.
4. Make changes to an editable region of the template (which will not
propagate)
5. Corrupt the site cache so that the link between template and child page
is broken

The latter problem can be repaired by using SITE | Advanced > Recreate Site
Cache, and the three others can be fixed by just not doing them. Has your
client done any of those?

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"RonMA68" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:cetavr$es9$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm having a problem using templates. I've been using them for quite a
while
> now and I really like them.
>
> I work for a school and we have many departments obviously. Up until this
time
> I've been keeping the templates all on my PC but now I'm wanting to build
a
> site, put the entire package, including the template, into one folder and
put
> it on the server.. Sounds easy enough.. but when my customer downloads the
> package onto their PC and opens the site in Dreamweaver, the template
doesn't
> work. In other words, they can't make a change on the template and have it
> populate to their local site so that they can upload the changes to the
server.
> It's like the template just stops functioning. After they make a change
to the
> template, it doesn't ask if they want to update the child pages.
>
> It doesn't make sense because the code seems correct (file paths, etc).
>
> Does anyone have any ideas???
>
> thanks,
> Ron
>
>

Murray *TMM*

2004-08-05, 12:15 pm

So, tell me again what worked?

> It created another template folder

Huh? Now you have two folders named "Templates"?

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"RonMA68" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:cetdkh$ic7$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Thanks for the reply! I didn't do any of those things you mentioned (the
bad
> stuff) since I put the whole folder structure on the server.
>
> So I tried the last tidbit about recreating the site cache. That didn't
work
> either.
>
> So I tried to resave it again, as another template and PRESTO! That
worked!
> It created another template folder, so I'll have to delete the original
one..
> weird.. but it worked.
>
> Thanks.. your reply prompted the correct answer!
>
> Ron
>

RonMA68

2004-08-05, 12:15 pm

Thanks for the reply! I didn't do any of those things you mentioned (the bad
stuff) since I put the whole folder structure on the server.

So I tried the last tidbit about recreating the site cache. That didn't work
either.

So I tried to resave it again, as another template and PRESTO! That worked!
It created another template folder, so I'll have to delete the original one..
weird.. but it worked.

Thanks.. your reply prompted the correct answer!

Ron

RonMA68

2004-08-05, 12:15 pm

If this doesn't make sense, I'll try to explain it a different way.

Basically, my job is to create web sites for various departments across our
campus (or to redesign them). In the past, I've been keeping the template on my
computer and only giving them the child pages to work on. However, because
they want frequent changes to menu items, etc, (that are locked), I want to
start empowering them to use templates themselves. I've been doing some
training on campus and I feel confident that they can handle it.

So instead of having one folder full of templates in my main site definition,
I'm now starting to make new site definitions for each site that I create now
and of course I use templates. When you create a template, DW automatically, as
you know, makes a new folder inside that site definition called "Templates/"

The problem that I was having is that I'd upload the finished product to our
server, all contained within one folder so that the site structure would remain
intact. However, on the other end, when I went to my customer's computer and
downloaded the site, the template would not function. I could make a change (on
their computer) on the template and "save" it and it wouldn't update the child
pages. I couldn't figure out why and that's what prompted this thread.

So, the fix was that I resaved the template using the function under File>Save
as Template (even though it already was a template) and the result was that it
created a new "Templates/" folder on their computer at a directory level that
was above their folder package (that I created for them). So then, there was
one templates folder in the new folder, and one template folder at a level
above that (they sometimes have multiple sites/folders defined on their
machines). So basically, I had to delete the original template folder that I
created for them and then use the suggestion of "recreating site cache" and
that's what ultimately fixed my problem.

Geez.. I hope that wasn't as consusing to read as it was to write! Sorry if it
was.

And thanks for the help today!
Ron

Murray *TMM*

2004-08-05, 7:15 pm

In other words, you were trying to use a template that was not in the
/Templates folder. Let's see - that's covered here, no?

2. Move the Templates folder to some other folder level in the site other
than root level

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"RonMA68" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:cetik7$p3p$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> If this doesn't make sense, I'll try to explain it a different way.
>
> Basically, my job is to create web sites for various departments across
our
> campus (or to redesign them). In the past, I've been keeping the template
on my
> computer and only giving them the child pages to work on. However,
because
> they want frequent changes to menu items, etc, (that are locked), I want
to
> start empowering them to use templates themselves. I've been doing some
> training on campus and I feel confident that they can handle it.
>
> So instead of having one folder full of templates in my main site
definition,
> I'm now starting to make new site definitions for each site that I create
now
> and of course I use templates. When you create a template, DW
automatically, as
> you know, makes a new folder inside that site definition called
"Templates/"
>
> The problem that I was having is that I'd upload the finished product to
our
> server, all contained within one folder so that the site structure would
remain
> intact. However, on the other end, when I went to my customer's computer
and
> downloaded the site, the template would not function. I could make a
change (on
> their computer) on the template and "save" it and it wouldn't update the
child
> pages. I couldn't figure out why and that's what prompted this thread.
>
> So, the fix was that I resaved the template using the function under
File>Save
> as Template (even though it already was a template) and the result was
that it
> created a new "Templates/" folder on their computer at a directory level
that
> was above their folder package (that I created for them). So then, there
was
> one templates folder in the new folder, and one template folder at a level
> above that (they sometimes have multiple sites/folders defined on their
> machines). So basically, I had to delete the original template folder that
I
> created for them and then use the suggestion of "recreating site cache"
and
> that's what ultimately fixed my problem.
>
> Geez.. I hope that wasn't as consusing to read as it was to write! Sorry
if it
> was.
>
> And thanks for the help today!
> Ron
>

RonMA68

2004-08-05, 7:15 pm

no.. I had a template in a templates folder, but it wouldn't work at all and
recreating the cache didn't work for that either. LIke I said, I have to
resave the template, as a template, even though it was already a template and
there was already a templates folder. It worked fine on my machine, but not on
my customer's machine.

I don't know how to explain any more clear than I already have.
I'll just close this now and say thank you for inadvertantly (sp?) pointing me
in the right direction.
best,
Ron

Murray *TMM*

2004-08-05, 7:15 pm

I had a template in a templates folder

Was it at the root level of the site? That's the requirement.

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"RonMA68" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:cets24$7ol$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> no.. I had a template in a templates folder, but it wouldn't work at all
and
> recreating the cache didn't work for that either. LIke I said, I have to
> resave the template, as a template, even though it was already a template
and
> there was already a templates folder. It worked fine on my machine, but
not on
> my customer's machine.
>
> I don't know how to explain any more clear than I already have.
> I'll just close this now and say thank you for inadvertantly (sp?)
pointing me
> in the right direction.
> best,
> Ron
>