Dreamweaver - FrontPage 2002 conversion to DW MX2004

Author

FrontPage 2002 conversion to DW MX2004

Novice_Boy

2005-07-15, 10:06 am

Hi

I've been running a site as a hobby for a few years, www.htds.co.uk

I would like to move from using FrontPage 2002 to DW MX 2004 but I'm
experiencing a number of difficulties. These are:-

The actual conversion...
I have a DW extension that purports to convert a FP site into a DW site, but
the results so far have been very poor indeed.

Examples are:-
Lost shared right border, although it did convert the left border which held
my main site navigation buttons. But the left shared border appears to have
been embeded into every page in the site rather than as a more useful layer, or
library object.

Lost horizontal navigation buttons on sub pages within the web. They've gone
altogether.

Include Pages, these too have disappeared altogether.

Having run the conversion extension I'm having real problems with setting up
the navigation structure. I can't find any function in DW that builds the
navigation buttons like FP used to do. I can't believe that DW expects you to
hand crank every blooming link, does it?

I've read a few "conversion" guides on the Macromedia site but these, as you'd
expect, all show successful conversions, and don't tell you what to look out
for.

Lastly, DW doesn't appear to have any Themed pages. Not in any great number
at least. I'm looking to re-brand my site, making it a little more text based
in the menuing structure, rather than have a whole set of graphics that need to
be updated when I get bored with the look. I was hoping to do this using
existing sample/example CSS files.

I'm not looking to become a webmaster, as I said, I do this as a hobby. All I
wanted was to remove my reliance on FP extensions, especially as I'm hosted on
a Linux/Unix box and support for FP extensions is soon to expire.

I have just over 1100 files in the existing FP web. I really don't want to be
cutting and pasting to convert these.

Any help, pointers, etc. greatfully appreciated.

Regards
Hyde.

Murray *TMM*

2005-07-15, 7:17 pm

> I have a DW extension that purports to convert a FP site into a DW site,
> but
> the results so far have been very poor indeed.

I have never heard of anyone using this extension with any success.

> Lastly, DW doesn't appear to have any Themed pages.

This is true. But DW has Templates, which can do similar (although not
identical by any means) things, and much more than themes.

> I have just over 1100 files in the existing FP web. I really don't want
> to be
> cutting and pasting to convert these.

I'm afraid that's your only option. Why? Because the raw FP pages are
littered with the webbot directives.

Here's how I would do it -

1. I'd define a Dreamweaver site that points to a location on your hard
drive for the local site's root, and to the current FP site as the remote
site
2. I'd use Dreamweaver (if your host supports FTP connections) to download
the remote site to the root of the site you just defined on the hard drive.
This will
pick up all the pages *after* webbot action so that shared borders and all
are already present. This will also pick up all of the server script
(Note - in the event that you are not able to connect using FTP since some
FP hosts block that protocol, you will have to use a third party 'site
copier' like Black Widow, QuadSucker, or WebCopier, to connect and download
using http protocols. Doing it this way will *not* retrieve any of your
server-script code. You will have to recreate that in Dreamweaver).

3. I'd create a DW template for the pages that captures the "shared border"
effect.
4. I'd copy and paste content from the FP pages to the template child pages
and then save the new child pages with an easily identifiable nomenclature
that is distinct from what was used on the FP site.
5. When the basic site is completed, I'd upload to some staging area, and
by using the browser, I'd verify that the site (as it exists remotely) is
complete.
6. Then I'd create a new DW site in a new location on the hard drive,
connect to and download all the files from the staging site.

You now have a complete site (minus any of the FP extension server-side
code) that has no FP footprint.

HOWEVER, with 1100 page, templates must be used VERY carefully. To manage
'changeable' boilerplate, I'd use server-side includes within the template
which is really just providing the framework to hold the various includes.

--
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
==================

"Novice_Boy" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:db80tl$ks4$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Hi
>
> I've been running a site as a hobby for a few years, www.htds.co.uk
>
> I would like to move from using FrontPage 2002 to DW MX 2004 but I'm
> experiencing a number of difficulties. These are:-
>
> The actual conversion...
> I have a DW extension that purports to convert a FP site into a DW site,
> but
> the results so far have been very poor indeed.
>
> Examples are:-
> Lost shared right border, although it did convert the left border which
> held
> my main site navigation buttons. But the left shared border appears to
> have
> been embeded into every page in the site rather than as a more useful
> layer, or
> library object.
>
> Lost horizontal navigation buttons on sub pages within the web. They've
> gone
> altogether.
>
> Include Pages, these too have disappeared altogether.
>
> Having run the conversion extension I'm having real problems with setting
> up
> the navigation structure. I can't find any function in DW that builds the
> navigation buttons like FP used to do. I can't believe that DW expects
> you to
> hand crank every blooming link, does it?
>
> I've read a few "conversion" guides on the Macromedia site but these, as
> you'd
> expect, all show successful conversions, and don't tell you what to look
> out
> for.
>
> Lastly, DW doesn't appear to have any Themed pages. Not in any great
> number
> at least. I'm looking to re-brand my site, making it a little more text
> based
> in the menuing structure, rather than have a whole set of graphics that
> need to
> be updated when I get bored with the look. I was hoping to do this using
> existing sample/example CSS files.
>
> I'm not looking to become a webmaster, as I said, I do this as a hobby.
> All I
> wanted was to remove my reliance on FP extensions, especially as I'm
> hosted on
> a Linux/Unix box and support for FP extensions is soon to expire.
>
> I have just over 1100 files in the existing FP web. I really don't want
> to be
> cutting and pasting to convert these.
>
> Any help, pointers, etc. greatfully appreciated.
>
> Regards
> Hyde.
>