floating check boxes on web pages

[K]

I have designed and uploaded a website in Publisher 2002,
but I have two problems:

1. I have two form pages. The check boxes do not appear
next to the text description on either one of them. They
are disembodied elsewhere on the page and I cannot figure
out how to correct this and the help menu isn't at all
helpful. I've tried grouping and ungrouping with no
success. All the other "fill-ins" appear correctly. Is
this a browser problem?

2. I want these two forms submitted via e-mail. In
testing this, I notice that I get lines such as "Text_1"
etc. so I have renamed these to correlate with the actual
data requested, i.e. Name, Address etc. so that when an e-
mail is sent, it will be sent with the corresponding
data, or at least I assume it will be.

I am going nuts trying to figure out these two issues:
1) the floating text boxes, and 2) whether I need to name
each line of text in the form pages so that when the
information is sent via e-mail is will appear in the
named order of the information requested. Am I making
sense?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am a novice,
but my boss expects me to figure this out -- soon!
Getting a little desperate here.

 

[David Bartosik - MS MVP]

I have designed and uploaded a website in Publisher 2002,
but I have two problems:

1. I have two form pages. The check boxes do not appear
next to the text description on either one of them. They
are disembodied elsewhere on the page and I cannot figure
out how to correct this and the help menu isn't at all
helpful. I've tried grouping and ungrouping with no
success. All the other "fill-ins" appear correctly. Is
this a browser problem?

If you are viewing in the latest IE it's not the browser. This is however a
known issue in version 2002 please refer to
http://www.davidbartosik.com/pub2002/pub2002_issues.htm

2. I want these two forms submitted via e-mail. In
testing this, I notice that I get lines such as "Text_1"
etc. so I have renamed these to correlate with the actual
data requested, i.e. Name, Address etc. so that when an e-
mail is sent, it will be sent with the corresponding
data, or at least I assume it will be.

I am going nuts trying to figure out these two issues:
1) the floating text boxes, and 2) whether I need to name
each line of text in the form pages so that when the
information is sent via e-mail is will appear in the
named order of the information requested. Am I making
sense?

not really understanding the second part. naming lines of text??
I'll tell you what I know though... when you insert a form control on the
page you right-click the control and under it's format properties you set
values for it's display name and for it's return. A text box control would
default to 'text_1', you can change it to anything. The tab order of form
controls on a web page and the ordering of form data returned are both done
in the order in which the form controls are inserted on the page. If you
entered a control for name and another for country and went back in the
middle and inserted one for city, the resulting order would be - name,
country, city despite the visual placement. To reorder controls you have to
start over.


--
David Bartosik - MS MVP
for Publisher help:
www.davidbartosik.com
enter to win Pub 2003:
www.davidbartosik.com/giveaway.aspx

 

[K.]

-----Original Message-----



If you are viewing in the latest IE it's not the browser. This is however a
known issue in version 2002 please refer to
http://www.davidbartosik.com/pub2002/pub2002_issues.htm




not really understanding the second part. naming lines of text??
I'll tell you what I know though... when you insert a form control on the
page you right-click the control and under it's format properties you set
values for it's display name and for it's return. A text box control would
default to 'text_1', you can change it to anything. The tab order of form
controls on a web page and the ordering of form data returned are both done
in the order in which the form controls are inserted on the page. If you
entered a control for name and another for country and went back in the
middle and inserted one for city, the resulting order would be - name,
country, city despite the visual placement. To reorder controls you have to
start over.


--
David Bartosik - MS MVP
for Publisher help:
www.davidbartosik.com
enter to win Pub 2003:
www.davidbartosik.com/giveaway.aspx

First of all, thank you for responding so quickly. I
read your response and checked the information on your
website. Here is my dilemma.

I don't mind starting over to reorder the placement on
the form controls to correct the problem with the form
controls, but I cannot resolve the issue with the
floating text boxes. I was aware of the group/ungroup
issue, but even ungrouping them doesn't resolve the check
box problem. The text associated with the check box
appears where it should, but the check boxes
appear "everywhere." I have heard that it may have
something to do with exporting in the web filtered
format. Do you know anything about this? Now that I have
done that (exported into filtered), I cannot export it
into any other format as that is the only option I am
given each time I try to export. Is that correctable?
Even though I have the saved publisher file, the web
filtered format is the only choice available.

Secondly, I have downloaded every patch and service pack
available for Windows XP and Publisher. I am still faced
with the same two problems: floating check boxes and
export into web filtered format only. Do I need to start
over with both "form" pages in the website? And to
correct the export problem (more selections than web
filtered), do I need to redo the entire website in a
separate publisher document. As it is, I cannot export as
anything but the "web page filtered."

Sorry for the long post. Just want to be clear. Thanks
for any input!

 

[David Bartosik - MS MVP]

well first off you really seem to be freaking out over the whole filter web
page option.

you should read the first 4 articles on my sites 2002 page to educate
yourself on this fully.

I'll give you a short nickel tour version now to try an calm you down.

The release of 2002 introduced a drastic change in how it did web sites. The
File, Save as web page operation generated html files that were a blend of
complex xml and xhtml. There was so much code in the web page that a simple
minimum textual page could be 400 kb. (compared to maybe 20 kb in version
2000) All the extra code was mainly there to allow 2002 to open these html
files for modification. MS called this "round-tripping", whereby instead of
having a .pub file and making modifications to the .pub file (as in all
previous versions) and then generating new html files after every change you
now no longer used a .pub file. You directly opened and modified the html
files and keep using the same ones.
The size of such a web page and it's impact vastly outweighed the
resourcefulness of this and MS wrote a patch to stop this behavior and
return to the design of a .pub file and therefore strip most of the bulky
code from the html pages.
This patch (now known as SP1) converts File, Save as web to File, Export as
web.
This is to distinguish it from the previous design which they retained, if
you know where to look (keep reading).
They then termed this as "filtered" web pages.
So File, Export as web generates one time use html files written in a
simpler xhtml format, that, though still a larger file size than it's
younger sister, is at least usable online.
The other design they then termed as "rich-output". It is still available if
you desire elephant size files rather than cat size files (ideally they'd be
mouse size). Simply do not use Export as, instead use Save as and then
select 'web page' from the file type menu. (this paragraph applies to
version 2003 as well though 'export' now reads 'publish').
Unfortunately it was discovered after the patch release that it didn't
properly code the form controls. However the work-around for this issue is
better than the alternative (of using MB gobbling web pages).

Since the release of the patch I have not encountered a single customer that
had this form control issue, be unsuccessful with the work-around. That said
my only option to offer you is that you send me your pub file for my review.
Then grab a beer an chill awhile

--
David Bartosik - MS MVP
for Publisher help:
www.davidbartosik.com
enter to win Pub 2003:
www.davidbartosik.com/giveaway.aspx

 

[K.]

Thanks for the mini tour! I will throughly read the
first four articles on your web site (2002) so I can come
up to speed. I am a novice at this.

Although I sound like I am freaking out, I am more
frustrated than anything. I knew Publisher from a
publications point of view, but my boss wanted a website
(now!), so he asked me to put something together using
what software we had. I think I did okay with the first
version I did. The form control check boxes looked fine
on my web page preview, but I downloaded a patch so that
my version of Publisher 2002 had the export command.
That seemed to change things the check boxes, etc.

I will be happy to download the SP1 patch, but when I
search on MS downloads, I come up with multiple listings,
so if you could tell me the date of the patch, whether it
is a Publisher-only patch or an Office patch or other
specifics, I would appreciate that.

I will redo the two form pages, since the text ordering
as previously described in my other complaints is not
ordered correctly. If none of this corrects the problem,
short of becoming prematurely bald through hair plucking,
I will send you either all 14 pages of the publisher
website file or just the two form control pages -- the
only ones I am having problems with -- whichever you
prefer. And though I don't drink, I will buy YOU a beer
if you can help me out.

You can check out the website as it currently exists
(uploaded with all the checkbox problems) at
www.diamondbacktechnology.com There are still glitches
throughout, but the form pages are pages 10 and 11 (not
numbered) On the home page, upper right, click on "Ask a
question" for page 10 and "Request a quote" for page 11.
The e-mail form I want to receive these in is still not
working, but that's a problem for another day.

Another long e-mail. Sorry, I write like I talk --too
much information.

 

[David Bartosik - MS MVP]

Might re-read my post, the patch IS sp1.

I'd suggest sending me your file for me to make some suggestions after I
review it. I noticed on the testing page if the mouse is over the test for
success paragraph the whole text box pops up in a tooltip. I have only seen
one other customer do that and at the moment I don't recall what they did
wrong to get that. I just remember that I fixed it after I got the file. I'd
have to review your file to recall what that issue was.

--
David Bartosik - MS MVP
for Publisher help:
www.davidbartosik.com
enter to win Pub 2003:
www.davidbartosik.com/giveaway.aspx

 

[K.]

I will redo the two form pages tomorrow or possibly
Wednesday and then send you the entire file and would
welcome your input and suggestions. As for the SP1
patch, I realize that is what it is called, but when I
searched under that name on the MS downloads site
yesterday, I come up with several hits. I finally found
the patch this morning and am downloading it. Where do
you want me to send the Publisher file for you to review -
- which, by the way, I really appreciate.

 

[David Bartosik - MS MVP]

(shaking my head)
you already installed SP1.
SP1 is what puts the export as web on your menu.
you have nothing to install.

send file to (e-mail address removed)

--
David Bartosik - MS MVP
for Publisher help:
www.davidbartosik.com
enter to win Pub 2003:
www.davidbartosik.com/giveaway.aspx

 

[K]

Yeah, so I discovered. Sorry. You are dealing with
someone(me)who is always in a rush (overload) and still
learning. Not stupid, but sometimes just "duh." Thanks
for your patience. I will send the file when I've made
changes. Where do you want me to send the beer?