Display feedback - people having problems viewing my site

[KLo]

I recently published my website, designed in Publisher 2003, to the web. I
have since found out that people running non-MSIE browsers (specifically
Firefox) cannot see the navigation bars, my logo, and some other graphics.
I understand that this is a known issue for Publisher. However, a friend
opened my website using Explorer and the pages were messed up. I was really
upset to see the screen shots she sent me. The lines that separate my text
were skewed - appearing across the text - and there is a graphic right in the
middle of my navigation bar.

I was ok with taking that chance that people not using Explorer may have
issues, but if Explorer is also coming back with issues, I'm concerned. What
could be causing this to happen? Is there a setting that I've missed that
will adjust the sizing according to who is viewing it? Any help will be
greatly appreciated!

 

[DavidF]

Publisher produces static webpages, so there is no automatic resizing. For
dynamic resizing, you will need to use a different program...sorry. If you
would care to post the URL of your website, we can take a look at it to see
if there are any obvious issues, that might explain the problem your friend
had. Were they perhaps using a MAC?

Yes, there are some problems with cross browser support, but some of those
issues have workarounds. For example, I have noticed that many times the
vertical navbars work fine in FireFox, but the horizontal navbars don't.
However if you get rid of the wizard built navbars, and build your own using
absolute links inserted into either text or images, that will usually work,
or you can code a textual navbar, and insert it via the insert html code
fragment tool, and it will work in FireFox. Here is a reference: "Code your
own textual navigation menu in Publisher":
http://msmvps.com/blogs/dbartosik/archive/2006/01/16/81255.aspx

DavidF

 

[KLo]

Thank you for your response! My website is www.ne-dyslexia.com. I now have
2 people who logged in via IE (have asked them what version - have not heard
back) who said the formatting was wacky. It seems to be the lines that I
added to pages that were not in the master. If I put those lines into the
master, could that fix it? Or if I grouped the vertical lines to the text
box? Also, one of the graphics that IS in the master is moving up and
appears to be right in the middle of the Nav Bar - would grouping it in the
master prevent it from shifting?

So far, no one has said that they were using a MAC - just Firefox and IE.

I understand what you mean about not using the Nav Bar wizard - that is a
good suggestion.

 

[DavidF]

I think your primary problem is the use of master pages, which work great in
a print document, but does not translate to HTML really well...or at least
gives inconsistent results.

I had no problem with your pages with IE6, but the navbars didn't load in
FireFox. That tells me you probably have the navbar on the master?

Perhaps as your get rid of the masters, and you might have to copy and paste
in a new instance of Publisher to do that, you might also consider replacing
the wizard generated navbars with one you build yourself using absolute
links. Usually the vertical wizard navbar works in FireFox, the horizontal
never. I would suggest that you download and install FireFox just for
testing purposes. Then you can Publish to the Web, to a folder on your
computer, open FireFox, browse to the folder and open the index.htm file. I
figure that if I can get a Publisher website to work in IE and FireFox, I
have most users covered...not much you can do about a MAC.

DavidF

 

[KLo]

Hi David!! Thanks again for your quick response!! Yes, I have the nav bar
in the master page. So, I should just create absolute links that look the
same way on each actual page...right? Would you suggest doing that in a
table (one column)? ...or would separate text boxes be better? Can I create
it once and then copy/paste on each subsequent page?

Do you think that grouping the vertical lines to the text box would prevent
them from displaying over the text when people open it with other IE versions
or resolutions?

Thanks so much!!!!!

 

[DavidF]

KLo,

As per the navbar question, that's up to you. As I said, I have found that
in most cases the vertical navbars that are produced by the navbar wizard
seem to work pretty well in FireFox. However, a recent poster's site did
not. Once you get everything off the master pages, then test it in FireFox,
and if it doesn't work, then you will need a workaround. It seems that when
Publisher produces the HTML code, it converts the navbar into an image, and
I suspect that is what FireFox chokes on...that it breaks the relative
links. I have also found that gradient fills can also result in text boxes
with hyperlinks being converted into images, even in IE...

You can build a pretty nice looking manual navbar with absolute links. I
wouldn't use a table...that is also converted into an image. I don't think
you have to use separate text boxes either, but there is no reason you
couldn't. I had a navbar designed once where I put little gradient filled
text boxes beside another text box that had no fill, with the hyperlink and
it looked pretty good. And yes, you could just copy and paste to each page.
You can also use small image icons and insert them with hyperlinks...lots of
ways to design a navbar, including the method that David Bartosik described.
I use that one now for my bottom navbar, as it seems to always work. You can
also spiff things up a bit by inserting another bit of code:

<style>
a:hover {color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;}
</style>

Just copy and paste this into a code fragment box and put it on each page
where it isn't in the way. Do a web preview, and mouse over your links. You
can choose different colors...and not choose bold if you don't want it. And
sometimes people use that snippet with this one:

<style>
a{text-decoration:none}
</style>

which will remove the underline of hyperlinks. Personally, I like having the
underlines as it tells the viewer without a mouseover that it is a
hyperlink. Tis all up to you....use the wizard navbars if they work for you,
or get creative. Welcome to web building...;-)

As to the vertical lines, hopefully that will take care of itself when you
do away with the master pages. If not, then you may have to do away with
them, and find a different design element that does work. Did you run the
Design Checker? That will help identify design problems...

Hope that helps...DavidF