Help please - template problems

Question

2 questions please - actually:
1.  Dreamweaver CS4... I think my template functionality has somehow become corrupted.  When I try to create new templates (regardless of which site I'm trying it within), they look ok.  But when I then try to create a new html page using the template, it garbles the format.  I tried it every way I can think of... I tried the 2 column fixed, the 3 column hybrid, etc. etc.  And I tried them as is in dreamweaver (without adding any formatting or anything... just create a new, save it, and then create a new page using the tempalte).  Still the same garbled end results. (it's keeping the spry menu bar, but loses the columnar format and places them on top of each other)
Interestingly, it's only happening with new templates. (what started this was that I have a 2 column template I'm using, and I want to switch to a 3 column).  As long as I keep using the existing format with the existing templates, the new pages are ok.
I tried re-installing dreamweaver, and that didn't fix it.  Any ideas?
2.  I noticed in another post, that there were comments about largers sites don't do well with templates.  My site's content based (www.howtogardenadvice.com) with no fancy bells or whistles... but am well over 50 pages, and still growing.  Does that mean I have to stop using a template?
Thanks so much for your help!

Answer 1

2.  I noticed in another post, that there were comments about largers sites don't do well with templates.  My site's content based (www.howtogardenadvice.com) with no fancy bells or whistles... but am well over 50 pages, and still growing.  Does that mean I have to stop using a template?
When you site becomes as large as yours sounds, the initial decision to use Templates becomes tedious, since each saved Template change requires that you upload ALL affected local files to reflect that change.  As the site becomes larger and larger, this requirement becomes more and more tedious.  It's not that the Templates don't work.
I still use Templates on nearly every site I build, but I also use server-side includes to minimize this need.  I use the following scheme....
First, I mentally separate the page layout into three sections:
1.  Stuff that will not change for the life of the site (i.e., the basic
structural elements)
2.  Stuff that *could* change from time to time (e.g., navigation elements,
burst advertisements, section-specific navigation, etc.)
3.  Stuff that *will* change from one page to the next
Then I create a Template containing all class1 elements.  Next I create
server-side include files containing all class 2 elements and place them on
the Template as needed.  Note - some of the class 2 elements may be
"section-specific elements", and their placement on the Template will be
subject to the next item.  Finally, I insert editable regions to cover the
class 3 items, INCLUDING the section-specific navigation.
This allows me to just cookie-cut the rest of the site.  I estimate that
even for fairly large sites, about 80% of my work goes into planning and
creating this Template file.
To say anything about your #1 problem, we'd need to start by looking at the code on your Template page, and comparing that to the 'garbled' code on your child pages.  Can you show us?