Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 1, 2005, 01:00 PM

I am trying to think of a way to allow co-workers to update content via Contribute without having to touch the CSS or template page at all.

Here is a diagram of the concept:

My main concern is how do i get all of it to go together? PHP? I am trying to avoid mySQL.

I am fairly new to web design and the underlying theories, so be patient with me.

Thanks,

Millennium · Mar 1, 2005, 01:35 PM

This is not a design issue -not in the sense you're probably thinking, anyway- but a development issue. In any case, if you want to do this well, you are virtually guaranteed to have to use a database of some kind. Perhaps not MySQL, but something along those lines, and almost certainly something SQL-based.

Why is it that you want to avoid databases? Honest question.

genevish · Mar 1, 2005, 04:10 PM

I've never used Contribute, but this looks simple enough. Make a header file with the CSS in it (or linked) for the top of the final HTML, like this:

Code:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
   CSS stuff here, plus Javascript, whatever.
</HEAD>
<BODY>
   <TABLE>
       <TR>
          <TD colspan=2>Page Header Images, nav buttons, whatever.</TD>
       </TR>
       <TR>
          <TD>Left nav images or whatever</TD>
          <TD>

Name this header.inc or something. Make a similar page called footer.inc:

Code:
         </TD>
      </TR>
   </TABLE>
</BODY>
</HTML>

And lastly, make the template pages like this:

Code:
<?php
include("header.inc");
?>

PUT PAGE CONTENT HERE

<?php
include("footer.inc");
?>

Hopefully Contribute can use the template page as a template without breaking the PHP part (the FAQ says it can). You would then save a different template page for each page on your site. This is how I have this site set up:

http://www.woodstockmm.com/

And no, you don't need a database...

-Scott

AppleOptionFour · Mar 1, 2005, 08:13 PM

Originally posted by Millennium:
Why is it that you want to avoid databases? Honest question.

None of the people updating the page will know SQL. And I dont have the knowledge base to write my own CMS.

The boss man wants to use Contribute since hes already pitched it to senior staff. Maybe not the best move but Contrib. fits our needs the best since our users are most familiar with a Word type environment.

[edit] BTW: We are trying to make it so that the work load for updating content is distributed to each area. [/edit]

AppleOptionFour · Mar 1, 2005, 08:18 PM

Originally posted by genevish:
And no, you don't need a database...

-Scott

Scott, thanks bud. Ill give that a shot. I was running my head in the ground this morning trying to work out some solutions.

I think perhaps I just needed some caffeine and MacNN.

Macola · Mar 1, 2005, 08:37 PM

Just set up a group in Contribute with the appropriate permissions and restrict the users' formatting to only those supported by the style sheets. That way, they can edit the content but will be locked out of changing templates, style sheets, or whatever else you choose to deny them. Obviously, you have to be the admin user.

Synotic · Mar 1, 2005, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by Macola:
Just set up a group in Contribute with the appropriate permissions and restrict the users' formatting to only those supported by the style sheets. That way, they can edit the content but will be locked out of changing templates, style sheets, or whatever else you choose to deny them. Obviously, you have to be the admin user.

That's what I was thinking: Isn't all this exactly what Contribute is meant to do? Why do you need to use anything extra?

AppleOptionFour · Mar 1, 2005, 10:24 PM

Originally posted by Synotic:
That's what I was thinking: Isn't all this exactly what Contribute is meant to do? Why do you need to use anything extra?

w00t to not having extra stuff. I'll look at the lock down features too tomorrow.

Sarah31 · Mar 2, 2005, 03:48 PM

You do know there are alot of CMS out there that cost nothing and do what you want? Try looking on freshmeat.net. One that interested me at one time was, if i remember correctly, phpwebsite.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 3, 2005, 09:41 AM

Thanks Sarah.

Man, the WEbDev forum is hoppin.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 3, 2005, 09:59 AM

So I am looking at my page in the Contribute edit window...and yeah it looks like poo.

The menu lays over the content and acts as if it were 100%.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 3, 2005, 10:06 AM

Originally posted by AppleOptionFour:
So I am looking at my page in the Contribute edit window...and yeah it looks like poo.

The menu lays over the content and acts as if it were 100%.

n/m I got it. Its a z-index problem. That and the fact that Contrib cant interpret the CSS properly in edit mode.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 3, 2005, 10:27 AM

Scott! Thanks for the include tip. I think that is exactly what we need!

[excited ]HELL YEAH! [/excited]

AppleOptionFour · Mar 8, 2005, 04:39 PM

Soo...update for all those listening:

The boss man has decided that PHP is not portable enough and does not want to use it.

He would like to use Dreamweaver Templates instead. I tried setting it up that way, with editable and non-editable regions, and to me it just breaks too much.

Not all the templates update all the time.

Frustrating.

Anything yall can think of as to why we should use PHP? His main argument is that he can't just throw is on any server and have it run.

I guess the question is: what is more important? The PHP coolness or portability.

Thanks,

Simon Mundy · Mar 9, 2005, 08:40 AM

Originally posted by AppleOptionFour:
Soo...update for all those listening:

The boss man has decided that PHP is not portable enough and does not want to use it.

He would like to use Dreamweaver Templates instead. I tried setting it up that way, with editable and non-editable regions, and to me it just breaks too much.

Not all the templates update all the time.

Frustrating.

Anything yall can think of as to why we should use PHP? His main argument is that he can't just throw is on any server and have it run.

I guess the question is: what is more important? The PHP coolness or portability.

Thanks,

PHP runs on Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Mac OS X, Redhat Linux, OS/2, Novell, SGI, Solaris...

It's certainly not left wanting in the portability stakes

What is most important is neither coolness or portability. It's the ability of your boss to sustain that platform. He also needs to consider who can operate the damn thing if you decide to leave, who can he hire at a moments notice if he needs 5 developers, who he can call in to fix a broken box... In a lot of cases it's easier for Windows and IIS/ASP installations because they're pretty much out-of-the-box solutions that can be performed by any old Microsoft Monkey.

I'd be angling for a solution like RedHat where you can install the OS, have readily updateable packages and also have the safety net of a support program as well as a large network of RedHat-certified technicians who could help you out if necessary.

I can't give an informed answer for comparitive pricing, but you could certainly also use the reliability and security platform to base your argument. There's no question that a properly setup Linux box is infinitely better secured than a similarly equipped Windows server (unless someone really knows what they're doing) and that it will be a lot more reliable over a long period of time.

AppleOptionFour · Mar 10, 2005, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by AppleOptionFour:
Not all the templates update all the time.

How do you reesablish the linkages between a template and its daughter files?

Love Calm Quiet · Nov 23, 2005, 09:59 AM

?Re-establish?
I'm wondering what the problem was.
When you SAVE changes to a template you get a prompt whether to update all daughter pages.
That only updates them on YOUR machine, of course.
All the daughters need then to be uploaded to server.
Was that your stumbling block?