Dreamweaver - DWMX templates and HTML editors

Author

DWMX templates and HTML editors

don Carlos

2005-09-06, 7:21 pm

I write web sites for churches and small organizations. I do not normally
maintain them once turned over. That's the purview of the organization. To keep
the site and CSS integrity I design them with DWMX templates and CSS. While I
provide tutorial documents on how to edit them, most do not own DW, nor can
they afford it. Few have much more than rudimentary web skills. They could
use Contribute, but that would still require an Administrator (I think) with
DW. I would like to recommend that they use Coffee Cup or some other low end
HTML editor with some WYSIWYG that will enable them to maintain their sites and
still 'keep it between the tags'. Am I correct in assuming that FrontPage
(ick) or Coffee Cup or any other non-Macromedia editor would allow the
client/owner to edit (even if inadvertent) within the non-editable areas? Can
you offer any suggestions about how the protection offered by the template's
editable areas can be retained after I hand over the site? Thanks,
Karl:)

Murray *TMM*

2005-09-06, 7:21 pm

> Am I correct in assuming that FrontPage
> (ick) or Coffee Cup or any other non-Macromedia editor would allow the
> client/owner to edit (even if inadvertent) within the non-editable areas?

Yes.

> Can
> you offer any suggestions about how the protection offered by the
> template's
> editable areas can be retained after I hand over the site?

Only by using Contribute.

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

"don Carlos" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dfklcu$euc$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I write web sites for churches and small organizations. I do not normally
> maintain them once turned over. That's the purview of the organization. To
> keep
> the site and CSS integrity I design them with DWMX templates and CSS.
> While I
> provide tutorial documents on how to edit them, most do not own DW, nor
> can
> they afford it. Few have much more than rudimentary web skills. They
> could
> use Contribute, but that would still require an Administrator (I think)
> with
> DW. I would like to recommend that they use Coffee Cup or some other low
> end
> HTML editor with some WYSIWYG that will enable them to maintain their
> sites and
> still 'keep it between the tags'. Am I correct in assuming that FrontPage
> (ick) or Coffee Cup or any other non-Macromedia editor would allow the
> client/owner to edit (even if inadvertent) within the non-editable areas?
> Can
> you offer any suggestions about how the protection offered by the
> template's
> editable areas can be retained after I hand over the site? Thanks,
> Karl:)
>

don Carlos

2005-09-06, 7:22 pm

I was afraid you were going to say that. I'll have to discuss those risks with
the client. The original site was a FrontPage site, but I'm going to try
r-e-a-l hard to get him to retire it for Contribute. If my quick perusal of the
book is correct, they can pretty much manage the entire site from there with
the exception of the template or CSS. Is that a correct assumption?
Howsumever, it appears they cannot get to any HTML from within Contribute?
N'cest pas?

Murray *TMM*

2005-09-06, 7:22 pm

> Is that a correct assumption?

Not really. They can control the CONTENT on the pages. That's about it.
And you are correct about Contribute not giving access to the Templates or
to the CSS (at least you, as the administrator, can deny them access).

> Howsumever, it appears they cannot get to any HTML from within Contribute?
> N'cest pas?

If you do not define an external HTML editor for them, then c'est vrai.

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

"don Carlos" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dfksh2$pug$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I was afraid you were going to say that. I'll have to discuss those risks
>with
> the client. The original site was a FrontPage site, but I'm going to try
> r-e-a-l hard to get him to retire it for Contribute. If my quick perusal
> of the
> book is correct, they can pretty much manage the entire site from there
> with
> the exception of the template or CSS. Is that a correct assumption?
> Howsumever, it appears they cannot get to any HTML from within Contribute?
> N'cest pas?
>

don Carlos

2005-09-07, 7:32 pm

Okay, I did some experimenting in Contribute. In order for the template to
work, the client must be able to add and remove <div> tags when adding content
as these define all the formatting of a particular section of the document.
The CSS is based upon the 2 column top nav CSS in DWMX. I can find no way for
Contribute to allow this.
Therefore, I'm left with the necessity to train the client in sufficient HTML
to use an HTML editor to add, edit or delete these tags. The alternative is
back to basic table-based construction with heavily defined styles.
Okay, Murray and the rest of the forum, which is the path of wisdom? The basic
page design is http://lynnhavenpresbyterian.org/index1.htm. You can see that I
want the client to be able to add or remove 'feature', 'storyright',
'storyleft', and in the sideBar, 'headline' <div>s as needed. Is this breadbox
too large for the average content editor?

Murray *TMM*

2005-09-07, 7:32 pm

Could you use Optional regions to orchestrate the display of those divs?

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

"don Carlos" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dfn01k$3ni$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Okay, I did some experimenting in Contribute. In order for the template
> to
> work, the client must be able to add and remove <div> tags when adding
> content
> as these define all the formatting of a particular section of the
> document.
> The CSS is based upon the 2 column top nav CSS in DWMX. I can find no way
> for
> Contribute to allow this.
> Therefore, I'm left with the necessity to train the client in sufficient
> HTML
> to use an HTML editor to add, edit or delete these tags. The alternative
> is
> back to basic table-based construction with heavily defined styles.
> Okay, Murray and the rest of the forum, which is the path of wisdom? The
> basic
> page design is http://lynnhavenpresbyterian.org/index1.htm. You can see
> that I
> want the client to be able to add or remove 'feature', 'storyright',
> 'storyleft', and in the sideBar, 'headline' <div>s as needed. Is this
> breadbox
> too large for the average content editor?
>

don Carlos

2005-09-07, 7:32 pm

I'll have to explore them. I'm knee deep in 'DW MX Templates' (with which I
presume you're overly familiar) anyway as a refresher on templates. I've
always used basic templates, but not library or code snippets. And, I've never
used optional regions, so I'll dig into that section and see if it makes sense.
As governor Ah-nold says "I'll be back". Thanks. Karl

Murray *TMM*

2005-09-07, 7:32 pm

I am familiar with that weighty tome, yes. 8)

Good luck!

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

"don Carlos" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dfn1l4$69k$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> I'll have to explore them. I'm knee deep in 'DW MX Templates' (with which
> I
> presume you're overly familiar) anyway as a refresher on templates. I've
> always used basic templates, but not library or code snippets. And, I've
> never
> used optional regions, so I'll dig into that section and see if it makes
> sense.
> As governor Ah-nold says "I'll be back". Thanks. Karl
>