Site Structure Question

I originally created a web site using FW 4.something Pro. The project
for that web site has css, Media, Resources, and “Site Folder” folders
at the same level as the FW document (the one with the FW icon) for
the first web site. I am redoing the web site with FW 5.1.2 Pro and
CSS menus as an entirely new project. In the separate folder for this
new project, after publishing and previewing multiple times, the only
objects are the FW file (with the FW icon) and the backup icon, with
no other subfolders labeled css, Media, Resources, and “Site Folder.”
Why don’t the latter folders exist yet?

Must I use Freeway to “upload” the web site the first time, in order
to create the various folders that are seemingly missing? Is it from
that point on that I can use Transmit to upload files that FW skips?

I’m a little confused because an important step in creating the new
site is importing a folder that contains externally created java files
and externally created and maintained text files (i.e. chess games
in .pgn format). I have already inserted the objects – tiny! –
that use the java stuff. so that is not a problem. For the old site,
the java/text folder is located within the “Site Folder” folder.
However, since the latter folder does not exist yet, I am unclear
where I should put the java/text folder and whether I should wait
until uploading the new site without the java/text folder, and then
fix the problems caused by the latter missing folder. How should I
handle this?

Jim


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On Jul 29, 2008, at 12:02 AM, James F. Marshall wrote:

Why don’t the latter folders exist yet?

The new site was being published into the Site Folder for the old
site!!! This appears to be a bug, or bad default design. When I
created a new project, FW should have created a new Site Folder in the
new project folder and published to that new Site Folder. At the very
least, I should have been prompted for a new publication destination.
Using the Site Folder for the last project (in my case, the only prior
project in FW) as the default publication destination for the new
project strikes me as a horrible idea – so bad as to be a bug.

Jim


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When you opened this project with 5 FW assumed that you were just continuing where you left off and so used the same settings as were stored in the 4 document.

To start again it would be wise to open with 5 and do a Save As myproject5.freeway for example and then set new site folders etc.

So not a bug just a workflow issue.

David


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Another point you should realize – Freeway only uploads what is needed by your site. If you upload other files that it skips (the Media folder, the Freeway folder itself, etc.) you are just wasting space on your server.

Oh, and if you are in the habit of publishing your site into the same folder as your Freeway file – please stop! Really! Among other things, this will break a number of Actions, and it will confuse you.

You should have a separate folder somewhere that you publish each site into. Sometimes you will need to delete all the contents of this folder to force a “fresh” publish of your site, and if you keep things commingled, you will end up deleting something important in that case.

Walter


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On Jul 29, 2008, at 4:03 AM, DeltaDave wrote:

When you opened this project with 5 FW assumed that you were just
continuing where you left off and so used the same settings as were
stored in the 4 document.

That is a very bad assumption. FW5 should assume that a “new project”
is a new project and automatically avoid confusion with any old project.

To start again it would be wise to open with 5 and do a Save As
myproject5.freeway for example and then set new site folders etc.

I did create the new project (Edit/New…/New Document, template
selection) and save it with a new name, but FW5 continued to use the
Site Folder for a different, pre-existing project. That is a very bad
design. Upon the creation of a new project, FW5 should take
appropriate steps to prevent intermingling of the new and old
projects. Either make the default the creation of a new Site Folder
connected to the new project, or ask whether I want to use and delete
the contents of the existing Site Folder connected to an old project
or used by all projects. Or create one top-level Site Folder, with
separate subfolders named after, linked to, and used by each separate
project.

Jim


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On Jul 29, 2008, at 6:07 AM, waltd wrote:

Oh, and if you are in the habit of publishing your site into the
same folder as your Freeway file – please stop! Really! Among other
things, this will break a number of Actions, and it will confuse you.

I’m not in such a habit and would never knowingly do such a thing.
However, that is what FW5 Pro did automatically, without telling me,
when I created my most recent “new project” – only the second one I
have ever created in FW. When I saw FW do this, I, too, felt, “please
stop! Really!”

You should have a separate folder somewhere that you publish each
site into. Sometimes you will need to delete all the contents of
this folder to force a “fresh” publish of your site, and if you keep
things commingled, you will end up deleting something important in
that case.

I would like to see FW handle this stuff automatically. Remember,
this software is marketed as usable by non-professionals. The company
has been offering a senior citizen discount. Keeping the publication
folders separate and non-commingled is surely a good idea for such end
users.

Jim


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