Redesign website - ideas?

[nrastogi]

Hello everyone,

We are thinking about redesign of our company website. I am looking for your input as you guys are the best to give me some great ideas.

Here is what I am looking for:

1) Best tools and technology to develop the website. There will be sections on our website, and include both programming and static pages.

2) How can XHTML play role in redesign? We are excited to use something that we can take advantage of in future.

3) We are using Dreamveaver as a tool to maintain pages. If we go for XHTML, what are the drawback of using such tool. What other software we can use that has bells and whistles for XHTML support.

4) Frame based or non-frame based. I would like to separate out the static pages and menu system from the programming pages. Currently, if there is a change in menu template, the same change manually needs to be put in programming pages.

5) Any good websites or books to get more information

Thanks a lot.
NRastogi

 

[deecee]

1) DW is a great tool to use. the more you use it you will get used to hand coding as well -- dont get wrapped up with just using DW try and teach yourself some of the manual methods too. I personally like PHP and mysql for most web stuff. Advantages they are free and easy to set up on a home pc to test.

2) XHTML is just a structured version of html

http://www.w3schools.com/xhtml/default.asp

3) No drawbacks to XHTML as it is moving forward the standard for web development

4) NO FRAMES -- USE INCLUDES IF YOU HAVE TO (the most simple way) -- what server language are you using?

5) ANY O'Reilly Book is great (they are the ones with the animals on the cover)

<signature>
sometime you just gotta say &quot;WHAT THE @#*% !!&quot;
</signature>

 

[lebisol]

LOL @ no. 4
Frames are for windows and doors.... ;-)

> need more info?
:: don't click HERE ::

 

[nrastogi]

Hi Deecee.

Thanks for the quick response.

Here are two things going on,(a) marketing department - responsible for layout, applying/creating templates, adding sub-menus to navigation menu (b) IT - resposible for maintainig pages that uses database. In our old site static and programming pages are so mixed up so as both departments. Going forward I would like to avoid such situation with the redesign of this website.

Using Progress database (RDBMS) and its language for web development.

With the existing layout of dreamweaver sometimes when they add menus and apply updated templates, dreamweaver just wipes off the code and also in IT we have to add those menus in the includes and recompile all programs.

so, I was thinking to use three frames, top one to display search or something, left for navigation, and major area (right) for displaying programming / static pages. This way any changes in menu or templates, would not affect rest of programming pages.

But. i hear from you that use includes instead frames. What type of includes you are referring to?

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This is the design I was thinking about.

How about the XML stylesheets? Any advantages over using CSS?

Please let me know more of your thoughts on this.

Thanks,
NRastogi

 

[deecee]

navigation includes -- so you design your navigation in one file and call it into the pages

via php <? include 'filename.htm' ?>
SSI and asp <#-- include virtual=&quot;filename.htm&quot; --#>
but in SSI your page extenstions must end .shtml

XML check this link

http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp

when dealing with frames my understanding is it gets a bit tricky when dealing with dynamic pages. not to say it cant be done just that it seems that more problems arise.

<signature>
sometime you just gotta say &quot;WHAT THE @#*% !!&quot;
</signature>

 

[MrBelfry]

To keep program logic seperate from design why not look at some kind of template system like smarty.

That way the IT guys can program the logic and the marketing guys can create the pages.

MrBelfry

 

[cian]

Hi,

Personally I would stay away from Dreamweaver, even though it is one of the best tools (for what it does) I think you'd be better off coding by hand in a basic editor such as

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/

XHTML is just clean HTML. But it does bring advantages such as faster loading time and more consistency in different browsers.

You could build you're site using CSS for layout which will give you majour benefits in site maintenance as you can easily change layout by editing one file.

IF you go for table-layouts (nothing wrong with that) you should use some sort of template system.
As mentioned SSI will do the job (you don't need .shtml extension if it's your own server as you can change this easily).
BUT since you need to work with a database then you're better off using ASP or PHP.
You can also use SSI in both PHP and ASP as far as I know. SSI is great for things such as menus etc.

I don't know anything about Progress database but PHP with MySQL are probably the number 1 combination on the web.


Frames:
Personally I wouldn't p*ss on frames if they were on fire...


Just my 2 shillings...








- É -

http://www.ssi-developer.net/

 

[ChrisHunt]

If you want to find out more, the first two FAQs on this forum are about SSIs.

The way I've done it on one of my sites (mostly static with some perl-generated pages) is to write a couple of library procedures to return standard headers and footers. Page-generating programs can call the procedures, static pages use SSIs to run little programs which call the procedures and output the results. Thus I get the same content into both static and dynamic pages.



-- Chris Hunt

http://www.extracon.com

http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk

http://www.napitalia.org.uk

http://www.leicesteryha.org.uk

 

[nrastogi]

Hello all,

Thanks for the answers.

Chris, In our current design we are using the progress includes that we created for the templates, so static and dynamic contents stays same.

Problem comes when they have to change the template, add menu or something, we have to recreate a few new includes and compile all progress programs. We have many progress applications running and it becomes tedious when there is such type of change.

Also, sometimes, those includes doesnt work the same way as in the static pages.

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Thanks again guys,

NRastogi

 

[martinchivers]

deecee should be ignored, his information is incorrect

 

[ChrisHunt]

Which information are you talking about, Martin? Most of what deecee says looks right to me.

cian's already pointed out that you don't need the .shtml extension on SSI pages if you can configure your server to make it unnecessary.

I'd add that there's no particular problem serving dynamic pages in frames, frames are rubbish for other reasons.

What would the &quot;correct&quot; information be?

-- Chris Hunt

http://www.extracon.com

http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk

http://www.napitalia.org.uk

http://www.leicesteryha.org.uk

 

[deecee]

looool looks like i have a a&quot;hata&quot;

thread253-646669

dude get a life

<signature>
sometime you just gotta say &quot;WHAT THE @#*% !!&quot;
</signature>

 

[ChrisHunt]

I guess (IS/IT--Management) says it all. Who told their pointy haired boss where to find this site?

-- Chris Hunt

http://www.extracon.com

http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk

http://www.napitalia.org.uk

http://www.leicesteryha.org.uk

 

[nrastogi]

Hi Chris,

what do you mean? I use this site as a developer and as a manager. This site has a variety of forums that could serve many interests.

Well, I am thinking to work with some consulting to show us some mockups and I'll see what design is better for our both departments.

Thanks,
NRastogi

 

[imstillatwork]

&quot; Who told their pointy haired boss where to find this site?
&quot;

No offense, nrastogi, I do not know you, but in general, that is a GREAT quote! I am keeping it!

 

[cian]

NRastogi i'm sure Chris definitly didnt mean any offence, it was directed at martinchivers interesting contribution to this thread

martinchivers, deecee is a valuable member of this communtiy and never posts wrong information.





- É -

http://www.ssi-developer.net/