Page persistence indicator and Library item

Question

What is the best way to create page persistence indicators on
a
navigational array using div elements, in which the nav array
is stored
as a Library item and stretches across multiple Templates?
I am trying to follow the instructions as in this article:
http://www.communitymx.com/content/article.cfm?cid=F1394
However, this method uses template parameters wherein the
navigational
array is stored in the .DWT template file, and not in a
Library item
which stretches across Templates as in my situation. I am
looking for a
solution which will allow the Library to dynamically create
the
persistence indicators.
Oh, and also the nav array is made up of graphical elements
(not
text-based CSS) so the persistence needs to swap out
individual
graphical elements for each div.
Thanks, -CC

Answer 1

E Michael Brandt wrote:
>
>> Here's how you handle that - call the host and ask
them to server
>> parse ALL extensions on the site. Most will do this
(many are set
>> this way by default).
>
> Yep, I've done that in the past. But it may contribute
in part to what
> CC is referring to as lost time. Just trying to be
Solomonic.
>
Yes, this is exactly what I'm trying to say.
When I do a five page static site for a client who I know is
probably
going to make changes to universal elements once every year
(if that) it
really doesn't matter if I choose Library or SSI. Often I
will choose
Library items in this case, simply because they're easy to do
and I'm
used to doing things this way. And when I do have updates to
make?
Dreamweaver makes it a snap to update those Library items,
then compare
the changed files on the server. It can all be done in under
a minute.
SSI? Could have used that, too, but to preview the site I
either have to
set up a testing server environment or make the include live
before
showing the client. And I can't drag and drop the file from
the desktop
onto my browser, have to go through Dreamweaver. These may
not seem like
big deals (and may seem inefficient to some) but I manage
between 15-20
sites all through Dreamweaver, some requiring extensive
updates, many
requiring only a few tweaks quarterly, and I can tell you
that on the
sites I've built Libraries around, they take me maybe a few
additional
minutes longer to update than with the sites I've built with
SSI. It's
all about which sites make the most sense to build SSI or
Libraries around.
Of course the argument has been made: why not plan better in
advance to
use SSI in the first place when it may save you time in the
future? Good
point. However, again, the sites I choose to use Library
items versus
SSI were usually smaller sites, with no dynamic pages, etc.
And for
whatever reason I chose not to rename all my extensions to
SHTML ...
didn't want to jump through hoops setting up a testing server
environment ... or upload everything to FTP everytime I
changed the
include file just to preview the one pixel move I made on a
photo ...
and the client may see the include file live on his server
before I am
ready to demo the whole site, which is on version 4 at this
point ...
and now I have to change the path of the include on the
Template to a
new one so he doesn't see parts of version 3 ... and I don't
want to go
back to my client and ask for additional hours to call the
client's
dumb-*** hosting company to set up SSI that should already be
setup ...
don't have time to wait three hours for the webhosting
company to get
back to me with a "we're working on it" response ... and
we're already
overbudget due to that fancy CSS menu I already spent way too
much time
on and isn't looking quite right in IE6 still ... and I've
got to get
going on four other website updates before 6 PM ... it's now
5 PM ...
and I'm probably going to be up all night again.
Given all of that, I can't see why there appear to be so many
Library
hating comments on this thread. Reading through, it would
appear that
Library items are utterly useless -- which is just not the
case. I'm
surprised at the comments, actually, because the power in
Dreamweaver
lies in its ability to make the business of building websites
easier for
users with a wide range of skill levels, for almost any kind
of job.
Some of its tools (like Libraries) have overlap with SSI
perhaps to give
the user as many options as possible depending on
circumstance. Whether
one chooses to use Library items or SSI, the results are
often the same
in my experience, and I feel Libraries have even saved me
time in
situations where includes were simply not the wisest choice.
Who knows,
maybe it's because I've grown so used to them over the years
is why I
defend them so. But any rate, Libraries at least serve some
of us well.
-CC