How do I publish with .dwt's?

[Beverly-Texas]

Hello,

First, I have just created my homepage for a new website and I want to keep
the left menu and top header info on each page the same. And if I want to
change something in one of these areas, I want it to change it on all pages.
Pls confirm I should be using DWT for this.

Assuming the answer is yes to the first question, if the homepage has to be
index.html for my web hosting provider but it will be named index.dwt, will I
have issues? If so, can I change it from index.dwt to index.html and not
have any issues?

Thanks,
Beverly

 

[Windsun]

Your DWT file should not be named index. It should have it's own name, and
it must have a .dwt extension.

 

[somebody]

Hello,

First, I have just created my homepage for a new website and I want to keep
the left menu and top header info on each page the same. And if I want to
change something in one of these areas, I want it to change it on all pages.
Pls confirm I should be using DWT for this.
Yes

Assuming the answer is yes to the first question, if the homepage has to be
index.html for my web hosting provider but it will be named index.dwt, will I
have issues? If so, can I change it from index.dwt to index.html and not
have any issues?

Your pages will be html or htm, whatever your hosting service
requires. The dwt file is the template for generating the html files.
The files that your visitors will be requesting should have the dwt
extension.

As you have already designed a page that you like to use as template,
here are the steps to follow: For more details see, for example:
http://www.sitesoutlet.com/dynamic-web-templates.asp#1

1) make a copy of your existing html file for safekeeping
2) save your existing file as template, dwt extension
3) in the newly created dwt file, remove all content you do NOT want
to show up in all the pages. (leave the top header and menu, as per
your description above)
4) create editable regions in the dwt template where you want to have
page specific content
5) save the dwt file
6) create a new page and apply the template to it
7) fill in the page specific content, save as .htm or html

Repeat steps 6 and 7 for every page

You can have several templates, for example 3 columns, 4 columns, etc,
and then select the one that works best for a given page. Note that
the nested template feature (updating one template based on another
template) is not part FP2003. It was included in some pre-release
descriptions and books, but it is not there.

Good luck

Roger

 

[somebody]

The files that your visitors will be requesting should have the dwt
extension.

Ooops. That should read: should NOT have the dwt extension.

Roger

 

[Windsun]

See here: http://www.outfront.net/tutorials_02/fp_techniques/dwt-1.htm

 

[Teri Carnright]

Hi, Beverly~

Actually, you don't have to use DWTs to accomplish this - you can use
included content pages. Both will accomplish the same end goal.

Teri

 

[Beverly-Texas]

Thanks Teri. Is that the easier route? I guess I don't understand the major
differences between DWT and included content. Thanks.

 

[Beverly-Texas]

Thanks. I'm just wondering if I should be using included content vs. DWT's.
I'm the only person who will be working on this site so I don't need to
"protect" certain areas from others editing, for example. What do you think?

 

[Windsun]

Personally I find DWT's easier, as it is easy to make site wide changes on
all pages on any part of the pages, but a DWT acts similar to a large
include file.

 

[somebody]

Same here; I prefer DWT's for easy and quick site wide changes. It's
is a very convenient feature to have, irrespective of whether there
are editing protection requirements or not.

Think of the DWT as a wrap-around include file that accepts your
content and then FP creates a complete page and publishes it. Rather
than the includes being referenced in your pages, and the pages then
being assembled at the server.

Roger

 

[Stefan B Rusynko]

A DWT is a template (that can but does not have to use include pages) which is applied to pages in your site to use common content
- all noneditable regions will be automatically applied to the pages

Include pages must be individually applied to sections of your pages



| Thanks Teri. Is that the easier route? I guess I don't understand the major
| differences between DWT and included content. Thanks.
|
| "Teri Carnright" wrote:
|
| > Hi, Beverly~
| >
| > Actually, you don't have to use DWTs to accomplish this - you can use
| > included content pages. Both will accomplish the same end goal.
| >
| > Teri
| >
| >
| >
| > "Beverly-Texas" wrote:
| >
| > > Hello,
| > >
| > > First, I have just created my homepage for a new website and I want to keep
| > > the left menu and top header info on each page the same. And if I want to
| > > change something in one of these areas, I want it to change it on all pages.
| > > Pls confirm I should be using DWT for this.
| > >
| > > Assuming the answer is yes to the first question, if the homepage has to be
| > > index.html for my web hosting provider but it will be named index.dwt, will I
| > > have issues? If so, can I change it from index.dwt to index.html and not
| > > have any issues?
| > >
| > > Thanks,
| > > Beverly