[thelist] MM Contribute viability?

Tue Aug 3 11:30:33 CDT 2004

>
>I have had trouble with Dreamweaver MMX Studio latest version, and
>include files.  Has anyone else?  Nothing will show in Design Mode after
>the placement of the include file. I have to use code mode only.  If
>Dreamweaver has trouble, then Contribute will also have trouble.
>
>

This is what I am doing, and it appears to be working.....

I am creating the main template file in BBedit first.

The various sections that are to be added as includes are separated 
out, and saved as stand-alone files, with .html extension, but 
WITHOUT the <html><head><body> etc, tags.

These include files are linked in the main file via a virtual include:

<!--#include virtual="/leftnav/about-nav.html" -->

(This will, of course, vary somewhat depending on your server setup)

I've then taken that template file,  opened it in Dreamweaver, and 
saved it as a DW template, setting the various regions that the 
"users" will be able to edit.

DW sees the includes, as does Contribute.

Note: I am working directly on the server. I am NOT saving a local 
copy in DW, but just keep the version on the server.

I think the key is to create a clean file with the includes outside 
of DW.  DW likes to do things it's own way, and that creates problems.

>
>I have also been trying to get my college to switch from FrontPage to
>Contribute.  Contribute with its limitations seems far better to
>separate content from form.  Most of the individuals updating content no
>nothing about html, and I am constantly fixing the html that some
>webpublisher unknowingly changed.  
>

FP is EVIL!!!!!!

>
>
>Trying to use CSS2 and web standards with FrontPage is a nightmare, and
>no matter how much I tell the user not to use font feature in Frontpage,
>they go ahead and use the font feature.  I think Contribute will be a
>better tool for us, negating the entire idea of consistency of look and
>feel.  They use unreadable fonts and fonts that may not be on every
>computer.  So far they haven't ruined a div tag,  I'm just waiting
>though.
>

If you set your editable fields correctly in DW, it is hard for 
Contribute users to muck up much. You can hide all the CSS tags from 
the users, and force styles on them, by assigning styles to the html 
elements based on the <div> that contains them.  That works really 
sweet.

>
>
>One question I had is that my publishers also have the ability to create
>their own .pdf files and publishing them.  Can they do that using
>Contribute?
>

They can certainly upload a pdf.