Opening htm pages from an FTP Server in Publisher alters the forma

[Tracy]

Hi I am very new to website development and to Publisher as well so please
excuse my questions if they seem a bit stupid! My website was published by a
friend as a favour and I need to regularly make changes to publish new
vacancies. When I open the page using FTP the format that is published on the
web is lost. In particular text boxes are merged and do not stay where they
should be. In addition hyperlinks become underlined and change colour. I have
figured out how to change the colour back to the original through colour
scheme but cannot remove the underlining, it is very frustrating. Can anyone
give me tips please? My website is www.campbellsizanani.co.za. If you have a
look at the Vacancies page you will notice how it has changed from all the
other pages. I don't want to have to keep asking my friend to fix up what I
mess up all the time and he doesn't use Publisher in any event. I am using
Publisher 2003.

 

[Rob Giordano [MS MVP]]

Your friend is using a html editor to create your website you cannot edit
it, or add to it with Publisher without wanking it. In addition you have
FPSE (FrontPage Server Extensions) installed on there so every time you use
ftp you will break the extensions. Your friend may be using FP but I'm not
sure.

You'll need to find another solution to editing your website - Publisher is
not an html editor so you can't use Publisher.
You can use Notepad if you know html & CSS?
You can use FrontPage if you have it, or Dreamweaver Expression Web, etc.

 

[Tracy]

Hi Rob
Thanks for your speedy response. Your information was very useful. I guess
that will teach me not to do my homework first! Before I go and buy
FrontPage, is it as easy to use as Publisher? Or would Dreamweaver be better?

 

[Spike]

If you are ambitious:
This works with publisher 2007 (I have not tried it with 2003)
Got to each of your pages on line and select view source using notepad
Save each notepad file as an HTM rather than a TXT
Open the HTM file with your publisher 2003 program
This gives you about 80 - 90 percent of the information in publisher format
With some cutting and pasting and added graphics you will have your site in
publisher format.

Spike

 

[Rob Giordano [MS MVP]]

FrontPage is fairly easy, but may not be available any longer as it has been
replaced by Expression Web. Going from FP to Expression Web has a little
learning curve, going from Publisher to EW (or any html editor) will take
some getting used to (same going to Dreamweaver).

You are going to have to do some learnin' .

I would discourage you messin' with your current web with Publisher or
Notepad until you know the basics or you will lose a friend



--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rob Giordano
Microsoft MVP Expression

 

[Tammy]

Great suggestion - but a couple of questions. I accidentally overwrote my
newest updated Publisher 2003 web page with an older version. Using
Filezilla, I have now downloaded the html file from my web host. How can I
open that in Publisher 2003? I appreciate any suggestions anyone has.

 

[Spike]

Start Publisher 2003
Select > File > Open
Go to the folder where you downloaded the htm files
Select one of them and see if Publisher 2003 will display the page
If so, work on it until you are satisfied with the outcome and save it as a
..pub
Publish to the hard drive
With Filezilla FTP to the server

I suggested this method to capture as much as possible of the existing web
site and not have to start all over from scratch.

Spike

 

[Rob Giordano [MS MVP]]

I think you may be able to open a web *page* that way but not a site...

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rob Giordano
Microsoft MVP Expression

 

[Spike]

TRUE

One page only
That is part of "If you are ambitious:"

Spike

I think you may be able to open a web *page* that way but not a site...

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rob Giordano
Microsoft MVP Expression

 

[Rob Giordano [MS MVP]]

Very patient and ambitious...and probably would require tons o'fixin' to put
it all back together.

I may have tried this for someone once and it was taking so long it was
easier/quicker to just redo the site.


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rob Giordano
Microsoft MVP Expression