Site News - November 2002

November 17, 2002

Announcement: Do you find yourself wanting to get more in-depth information about templates than our book offers? Might we suggest the book entitled "Beyond Dreamweaver" by Joseph Lowery, ISBN: 0735712778. This book provides more advanced techniques as related to templates in chapters 4 through 6 such as advanced uses of the Import and Export XML commands, navigational alternatives using templates and building static web sites from dynamic content with templates. Visit the books support site here for more information on this excellent companion book to ours.

November 13, 2002

New: On page xxiii, there is a reference to a downloadable PDF file containing a printable detailed list of the Snippets in the Snippet extension. This file is now available as a PDF and a ZIP on the Register/Downloads page.

TO: Those that FEAR Macromedia Contribute... There are those naysayers out there who feel that Macromedia Contribute has the potential to steal their business or to empower the end user with too many capabilities to modify their own web sites. For those of you that fear this, read about the product and download the trial to see what it is all about. In fact, you, as the webmaster (if chosen to be the site administrator by the client) will have ultimate control of what gets edited and where.

TO: Those that EMBRACE Macromedia Contribute... There are also those out there (us included) that embrace the new technology that Macromedia is touting with wide open arms. It'll let us develop in Dreamweaver MX using Templates, with static or dynamic pages, and thereby allow us to control what the end user can actually edit. No more will one or the other of us be leaving for vacation and have to do a text or image change on a client's product page at the last minute (which is when most mistakes happen) because they can now do it themselves! This, in turn, allows us the flexibility to do other things, like build new web sites for other clients (and stay in business as a result!). Not all our clients will use it or even want to be informed about it, but for those clients that want input and control, this gives it to them - somewhat. But what else? We can resell the product to the client on behalf of Macromedia and we can also bill for training... Hmm.. this is a bad thing how?

November 11, 2002

Announcement: Macromedia Contribute - Finally Macromedia has provided our clients with a way to manage and manipulate their own web site content. Very Cool! Check out their web site here for more information on Macromedia Contribute.

Updated: Stylesheet to give darker text due to concerns that the content was difficult to read.

Updated/Added: Ability to register your copy of our book with us and New Riders at the same time.

November 8, 2002

Added: Tutorial - Static to Template. This tutorial provides notes and methodologies for converting your static site to be Template controlled.

November 7, 2002

Updated: SectionI.zip - Exercise 5.2 references a file named play.xml. During the creation of the archive, we inadvertently neglected to rename the file named: DMX_Templates_XML.xml to the required name of play.xml.

Added: Site News page - You're viewing it :)

Added: Tutorial - Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks. This tutorial provides tips and tricks for troubleshooting Templates, Libraries, Includes and general page troubleshooting. This file will be updated regularly with new content and be converted to a db driven faq area in a couple of weeks.

Added: Tutorial - Create & Distribute Stationary. This tutorial is incomplete at present, but it can still be used somewhat to obtain the desired objective for those that can read between the lines.

Updated: Menu system

November 6, 2002

Changed: Site structure and template

Added: Tutorial - Template Parameters

November 5, 2002

Updated: HotCoolToys.zip on the Register page

Added: Tutorial - Buttons as Crumbs