Hi,

Can someone explain the behaviour/purpose of the add files feature on the menu bar under edit, please?

Edit | Add Files (opens a dialog where i can add folders and files)

Select 'add folder' and name it.

Select the folder and then add an htm file to it.

Repeat.

Close dialog.

Click save (and VSD generates files to the outputfolder from the source files).

Check the output folder abc_website and see that VSD has created the the new folder and added the htm pages to it.... However - the original htm pages have actually been duplicated in the output folder; so now I have:

abc_website folder containing:

index.htm
test1.htm
test2.htm
explore (the new folder I created) which contains:

test1.htm
test2.htm

Thought it was for folder and file organisation, but now I'm thinking that this feature is just a method of adding associated files like 'baggage files' (i.e. images, pdfs, media etc).

How do you people make best use of this feature?

Thanks.

VSD handles the site structure and pages, you don't need to manually do anything there.

The Add Files is for things outside of VSD's basic functions. If I create a Javascript slideshow for example, there will be some code that needs to get added to the site as well as the series of images associated with it. There's also an Edit Header option for snippets of custom code.

So, use the Edit options when you want to add features to your site that aren't part of VSD. This ensures that the code and files get sent to the root folder and will be saved as part of your VSD site.

Call it the "Baggage Department"

Thanks.



Yeah, that's what i started to think it was.



I think that would be fine for a small site, but for something that is going to develop with multiple subject areas, there is no way i want all source content stored in a single 'files' folder. Add in multiple authors needing access to source files and it gets tricky. Whilst the SDrive may allow for multiple contributors, I do not want to tie myself to a single hosting platform.

Also, if it is not possible to organise htm files into subfolders, that gives a major headache.

I'm starting to wonder if the best thing to do is to use VSD for creating fast layouts and then take the generated output content and manage it using an html editor. Only thing with that - I'm sure i read that the wysiwyg feature has been removed from the html editor which would mean whilst I could preview, i wouldn't be able to do any wysiwyg editing in the html editor and changes made in html editor would not be reflected back in the vnu...

uhhmmmm looks like I'm a bit stuffed on what I'd hoped to do - a great shame because the layered design features of VSD would have made it great for the non-technical people who want to add content to the site (i.e. ask them what OS they are running and the answer is MS Word).

If there was some way of importing the folder structure i want into VSD it would be great, I could set up the organisation for them and then let them use VSD.

Maybe possible to organise some sort of hybrid - create site structure in html editor, then set up various vnu projects to allow them to populate the site... I need to think some more!

Thank you for your feedback - it helps a lot.

Wonder if CC are going to release a new product along the lines of VSD to support html5 and varying output options (like mobile devices)? That would be great, and worth paying more it for too!

It may be time to consider a content management system (Joomla, Wordpress).

The closest VSD could come to having what you want (without being a confusing mess) would be to have multiple 'mini sites' on SDrive. Something like:
oursite.org
oursite-galleries.org
oursite-news.org (Stream or blog here)
oursite-mobile.org (smartphone site version)

If you're dealing with people who think MS Word is an OS... wait 'til you try to teach them the ins and outs of FTPing files I guess that's one of the main reasons for pushing SDrive. One username/password and everything goes where it's supposed to. If someone knows how to post to their Facebook page, they have all the skill necessary to maintain their section of a site hosted on SDrive

I hope you'll let us know what solution you come up with for this (You could also go to the Suggestions for New Programs forum and say you'd like to see a CoffeeCup CMS ....one never knows what the CC developers might be working on!).

Paintbrush you had me at :: MS Word is an OS, and ask Scott 3 years ago it took him a phone call to get my first site live.

VSD all about simplicity of design not complicated structure, if it had of been i would still be using Cubecart.

Yeah, tell me about it!

Not keen on Wordpress really - it calling itself a CMS is stretching things in my view, and no experience of Joomla - maybe something like Help and Manual, but there is no way they'd have a hope in hell with any of those.

I've just been trying to help them out and because they have the idea that they want to add content to their own website, well... you get the picture.

Coupling lack of technical awareness with a desire to publish themselves on a shoestring means to my mind that they are living in fantasy land for a project that could be very extensive over time.

VSD looks like really good value for a very low price and there is no way anyone can expect everything at such a low entry cost.

I'm just trying to get them going but don't want to leave them in the lurch if the initial set-up has to be completely re-done when they move on from the initial basic website.... should have just kept my mouth shut and sold them a full design development and maintenance program into perpetuity! :-)

CMS
Certain Mental Stress.

You've hit the nail on the head there!

K G This might be a daft idea But what the heck

Every copy of VSD you buy can be on its own CC account with its own FREE hosting and SDRIVE

How about buying multiple copies on separate accounts

Acct 1 :: pictures@domainname.com :: log in and password
Acc 2 :: content@domainname.com :: log in password
Acc 3 :: newsleter@domainname.com :: log in password

Theres no way of overwriting anything, they go and log into the relevant CC account, type in password and click publish site

If all the category tabs use www.domainname.com/aboutme.html the webpages will link in to one and other seamlessly

Or am i totally barmy