Master Problems and another ?

Freeway
1

Q1. I’m embarrassed to even ask this question…but I’m having real problems with master pages. I’m doing a bunch of new sites lately and I’m having problems getting any changes done to master pages to take place on the rest of the site. There must be some simple thing that I’ve forgot to do to make changes done to the master apply site wide. Any ideas? I’ve sifted through postings here but most of them seem to be just discussions on the concept of masters.

Q2. When nesting graphic and html items inside other html items (based loosely on the box model) is there a way to lock said graphic and html items? A slight mis-movement of a mouse and top and bottom items switch place or some other foul up happens (when undoing the oops it notes it as “un-do drag line”).

Here is a link to a site in progress that is giving be problems with both of the these,

http://frontrangeweb.com/dtj/index.html

I’m using 5Pro

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2

No need for any embarrassment whatsoever. Everybody starts from scratch, and you are doing the astute and sensible thing, in trying to shorten the learning process by asking.

Q1 answer: If you are using master pages that are also built on the box model, then there is a problem. As you seem to have discovered, they don’t work.

You can always construct a series of actual non-master pages and just duplicate these to get some of the functionality you need.

Q2 answer: Again, as you seem to have discovered, it’s all too easy to find that html boxes have mysteriously shifted for no apparent reason, usually just after selecting them and slightly moving the mouse. I’ve now got a ‘Command-Z’ nervous tick from this!

I hadn’t actually thought about locking any items, but it appears after a quick go, that selecting an item and going ‘Item > Lock’, it now can’t be moved accidentally in this manner. You might have hit on an answer here.

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3

Thanks Ian,
That is a problem with the box model…ouch! I’m I wrong in thinking that the box model is the only way to ensure that html items and graphic items stay put in browsers? For example when someone increases text size in a browser window, is the box model the only way to ensure that text won’t run over graphics, or run out side of html borders? Or is just as safe to sketch and html item on a page and un-highlight the height in the inspector? I guess I’m going to start comparing the two methods to find out.

Also thanks for the tip on locking an item…I will try that.
Rich

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4

There are three basic methods of construction in Freeway - tables, absolute/relative CSS positioning and inline CSS positioning, otherwise known as the box model.

I started with just drawing out html items on a page as you would with a page layout task. By allowing some expansion room within the CSS boxes, you can cope with text sizes differing from most browsers/operating systems. However, deliberate enlargement of the type beyond a fraction increase, breaks the design. Yes, text runs over graphics etc!

Tables would solve this, but the current advice is to avoid tables, unless the data is of a tabular nature. I actually prefer the box model over tables, as I can predict with greater certainty how the design will flex. This is just me - not all think as I do, and tables avoid some of the Freeway tyranny of the box model! Did someone just whisper ‘Master Pages’?

By carefully planning up front, it’s possible to construct a series of ordinary pages with all the elements required, and then duplicate them to create your working pages. Of course, if you suddenly need to completely rewrite the menuing system for example… you’re stuffed. A bit of copying and pasting will ensue! I can live with this. Not all can.

I live in hope that a future version of Freeway will nail Master Pages and box model working, and indeed make box model working in general smoother and more intuitive. (I must send my ideas to Softpress).

The ability to arbitrarily move elements freely around within a parent box would be nice, and then to lock them when happy. At the moment it’s a bit like old-fashioned word processing, with cutting, pasting and inserting things according to where a flashing cursor is positioned.

As it stands, even a small change to a box model layout can be a major headache. There is a perverse degree of satisfaction at completing a site this way though!

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5

Thanks Ian,
I’ve just started trying to use the box model method as I can see that in the end it will be cleaner, but I will have to take greater care about making sure my navigational structure is the way I want it.
Again, many thanks!

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