Re: Tables - Cells - Preview Mode

From: David B. (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 02/14/04 

Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 19:58:06 -0800

So the preview tab is flawed? This feature is not
ready? After FP97, 98, 2000, and now 2002 Microsoft
still can't get it going? This is sad.

Having said this, I do use the Preview in Browser. I
Preview it in Netscape, Safari (for Mac) and MS for
Windows and Mac. This is what enabled me to discover the
problem. My tables don't work all the time.

I'm just trying now to find out why they don't work. As
the GUI in the page mode is the main feature of Front
Page, allowing a user to create their page, visualy,
while having an idea of the output expected in the
browser, it is very reasonable to expect it to work.

So when it doesn't work, I come to this great resource to
try to get a concreate answer.

Anyone got an idea excatly where the cookie is crubling
in my tables?

It is especialy frustrating that I can don't seem to get
predictable results as 3 out of 4 of the pages I make
seem fine, but that forth one ends up swallowing several
hours of moving cells around, trying diffrent
percentages, distributing cells around and ect.
Understanding of the problem is what I am hoping to
discover from this newsgroup. With this understanding, I
will them be able to create the web content on a periodic
basis in a timely fashion.

If I can't find the answers then I am going to have to
come to the conclusion front page the wrong product to be
using and switch to a competing prodcut.

I want to use Microsoft products, but I need a bit of
back up here.

And yes, I did agree with you, I must use nested tables
to get the stucture I want. The problem is there is
buggy behavior from Front Page using Nested Tables. I
just want a knowledge base article or something I can
read to help me fathom the phenomonon.

I've been trying to use 720 pixel based tables, but 750
is a nice number too.

I have done server sided ASP pages using access
databases, but the server I have to work with doens't
support ASP or have ODBC avaiable, and I would have to
learn pearl or something, which is a possiblity. I was
going more for some simple batch file or something to run
to suck in text from diffrent reports network drives or a
folder on one machine so that the page can remain the
same while the content changes....I guess that is one
that is gonna take some time. Thank you for the datbase
suggestion.

I'm still stuck and confused on why some of my tables go
beserk and would love some solid ideas.

Best regareds,

David B.

>-----Original Message-----
>1. Avoid using the Preview tab, always use Preview in
Browser, as you are
>looking at the page as will be seen on the internet,
plus you are using the
>full browser.
>
>2. If you are going to work with tables, then in many
cases you will have to
>also use nested tables to get the structure you want.
>
>3. Personally, I always use a base table with a fixed
width of 750 pixels
>(with the exception on my site below). Then in most
cases the inside cells
>of the base table are set a fixed width, then any nested
table are inserted
>using a %.
>
>4. If you have the option and willingness to learn a
server-side scripting
>language such as ASP, PHP, etc. then you could use a
database help manage
>content.
>
>--
>
>==============================================
>Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
>WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
>http://www.ycoln-resources.com
>FrontPage Resources, WebCircle,
>MS KB Quick Links, etc.
>==============================================
>To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage
support see:
>http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
>
>"David" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
>news:f71e01c3f27e$17f2b910$a101280a@phx.gbl...
>> Hello All,
>>
>> I have a annoying little problem understanding table
>> behavior in FP, (2000 or 2002).
>>
>> I have a table with cells and some tables inside those
>> cells. I can't seem to get the orginization I want
unless
>> I used these nested tables, but I am open to ideas.
>>
>> Often, what I see in page mode is what I get in preview
>> mode, (preview or preview in browser).
>>
>> But every once and awhile I get one that just looks
fine
>> in page mode, but goes nuts when previewed.
>>
>> I can't seem to find the culprit. It seems like it is
a
>> problem with either not specifing pixels or using
>> percentage or something. But I have tried various
>> combinations and can't fathom it.
>>
>> Here are some examples -----
>>
>> This page looks like I want:
>> http://www.virginiamountaineer.com/testsite/page2.html
>>
>> This page looks like I want in page mode, but not when
>> viewed in preview or in a browser:
>> http://www.virginiamountaineer.com/testsite/page4.html
>>
>> What's up?
>>
>> I have a few buttons and graphics that need retouched,
so
>> over look those ugly buggers.
>>
>> Also, any ideas on how to improve this little page I
>> wouldn't mind.. :) I am trying to come up with the
>> following:
>>
>> 1) Easy format that lends itself to weekly changes of
text
>> and photos. To this end I'me puting the header in a
>> header.htm file and using include page option so that I
>> can change it in one place, once I'ts all together.
I'm
>> searching for a way to place news articles in plain
text
>> in a location and have the page build around the text
>> automaticaly. Suggestions would be great. Same with
>> photos. AUTOMATION>>>I crave it.
>>
>> 2) Suggestions on tastefull yet effect placement of
>> advertisment, as we will be selling it hopefully.
>>
>> 3) Some easy method of auto archiving old content and
>> maintaining links.
>>
>>
>> The page
>> http://www.virginiamountaineer.com/testsite/index.html
>> will be replacing this page shortly, I hope:
>> http://www.virginiamountaineer.com/index.html
>>
>> Many thanks,
>>
>> David B.
>
>
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