Question on templates and updating linked files

Question

OK I have a master template file. Let's say it is named
a.dwt. I used a.dwt to create another template (b.dwt) that had
more content on it than a.dwt. I would use b.dwt to create a group
of similar looking pages which still had all the elements of a.dwt
but also the additional content of b.dwt.
Now if I make a change to the a.dwt template, all pages
created from a.dwt change except b.dwt. So either I forgot to
create the b.dwt by going to file->new->page from
template->and then save it as a .dwt OR maybe it's not possible
to have a secondary template that gets updated when the first
template gets updated thus causing all pages from the secondary
template to get updated?
Is there any way to go back and make b.dwt update
automatically whenever a.dwt gets updated? The scenario I have
right now is that I have to make certain site changes on both a.dwt
and b.dwt instead of just making the change on a.dwt and that
change flowing into b.dwt and its spawned pages.

Answer 1

>I think what possibly happened is that I opened a.dwt and
then made the
> addition of the form element to a.dwt but then simply
saved as b.dwt
> instead of
> FILE | New From Template
Yes, I think that's a possible scenario.
> There will be about 15 pages that will look the same
(have the
> same form) except that at the top it will say "Send mail
to Person X"
> where
> Person X will change.
I see. Are you using "mailto:" on each of those forms? This
method of
sending form data is notioriously unreliable, you know? It
depends on a)
your visitor's browser knowing what to do with such a link,
and b) your
visitor's email client knowing what to do with such a link,
and c) your
visitor not being put off by the security alert message that
may pop up when
they click. Nevermind the fact that it fails completely in
public locations
that do not have an email client installed.
Why not do this the right way with server scripting? In that
case you could
have a single page with a single form, and let the visitor
select a name as
the recipient from a list/menu field.
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
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"Johnny the boy" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
news:[email protected]...
>I think what possibly happened is that I opened a.dwt and
then made the
> addition of the form element to a.dwt but then simply
saved as b.dwt
> instead of
> FILE | New From Template
>
> Thus when I made changes to a.dwt, they did not
propagate to pages created
> from b.dwt
>
> I am asking you what I should do. Should I create a new
page from a.dwt
> and
> then paste in the form code (which is the additional
code that
> differentiates
> it from a.dwt)? There will be about 15 pages that will
look the same
> (have the
> same form) except that at the top it will say "Send mail
to Person X"
> where
> Person X will change.
>
> Or should I nest the templates by doing your steps:
> 1. Create a.dwt.
> 2. Spawn a child from a.dwt with FILE | New From
Template..., and select
> a.dwt
> 3. Edit this child, as needed, and then SAVE IT AS A
TEMPLATE, e.g., FILE
> |
> Save as Template....
>
> I do not understand how there will be a complex
maintenance price. The
> behavior that I would be looking for is that if I had to
make an addition
> or
> edit of the navigation using a.dwt, the change would
carry over to the
> b.dwt
> template and it's pages.
>
> I am kind of leaning towards copying the code that is
already present for
> the
> forms spawned from b.dwt and then pasting it into a
brand new page that is
> spawned from a.dwt but I don't know if that's the best
way to do it or if
> there
> would be consequences.
>