Importing from FP

[murphybrown]

I am brand new at using Dreamweaver MX. Have a site that I did in FrontPage using a template and want to bring this site into Dreamweaver MX (which I plan to use from now on. How can I do this? Any idea how this will affect my original site (ie., will I need to make changes, corrections, etc.)? I saw the posting by Parallon on 09/19/03 about importing - wondering if the same answer that was given applies here.

Thanks!
MurphyBrown

 

[caines]

I would suggest using dreamweaver from now on to design your sites. Frontpage is renowned for a whole range of technical issues, including browser problems. Now you have dreamweaver mx, you can create much better sites than you can with frontpage. This isnt the answer to your problem I know but its a sound piece of advise. Redesign in dreamweaver and you cant go wrong. Frontpage is bad news.

 

[ChrisHirst]

I think the statement

Now you have dreamweaver mx, you can create much better sites than you can with frontpage

is a touch misleading. they may be better technically but DW is only a tool, Designing sites is more than the tool you are using and if DW users only use the WYSIWYG interface of DW that too can build a lot of redundant code, Also if you use the server behaviours and code wizards it can leave you with convoluted code that is difficult to understand and debug.

Personally speaking starting from scratch would be a better option. M$ FP templates are usually full of redundant code and effects etc that only work if you use FP to build the site and to publish to the server. It's not difficult to start from a idea of layout and create a clean HTML page that looks identical, but without the FP garbage code.
Changes to your site will depend on many things, difficult to answer without knowing how much of the FP webbot stuff you used.

BTW The answer that lebisol gave is for a tool to backup your DW configuration not something that imports FP stuff into DW


Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?

 

[murphybrown]

OK - I'm hearing you guys! But just out of curiosity, isn't there a way to import FP into DWMX?

MurphyBrown

 

[luds]

There's a DW extension that "cleans" up FP code.. well it sorta cleans it... a bit! lol

Personally, I'd have to say that DW DOES create better sites than FP... and you avoid that "This Site is Sponsored by Bill Gates" look!

However, as Chris rightly says, DW is only a tool...

Myself, I use DW, but do much of the work work (especially the finishing touches) in Code View.
If you don't get to grips with the HTML etc, then all DW will be is a glorified DTP package!

Don't worry... you'll find all the help that you'll ever want right here... isn't that right people!...people?? people????? ..is anyone there????? lol

luds

 

[spicybold]

No. There is no way to effectively import a FP page into DW. As a matter of fact you can't edit a FP webpage with notepad and not have it screw-up. Your best bet is to redesign it in DW. DW was originally a program that has a WYSIWYG and code interface (which is probably why Microsoft wants to buy them out!)

 

[murphybrown]

Thanks! I do know HTML so that's not an issue - well, not much of one anyway.

MurphyBrown