templates not working

[chedderslam777]

I am taking over a site for a client. The sites uses dreamweaver templates. I
am unable to get the templates to work. When I go to file > new > create from
template, the preview for the template shows correctly, however when I actually
create the file, it shows up without the layout or css styles applied. I tried
saving it, the file has the text from the editable regions showing, and all the
html from the template(it looks like), but the layout is missing on the
displayed page. It is missing both in design view and when I save the page and
open in a browser.

I tried re-saving the template as a new template and created the file from
that, but it is still broken.

What is going on with this?

Thanks for any help.

[Murray *ACE*]

Let's start with the code on the template page. Can you upload it and post
a link to it?
--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

Post by chedderslam777
I am taking over a site for a client. The sites uses dreamweaver templates. I
am unable to get the templates to work. When I go to file > new > create from
template, the preview for the template shows correctly, however when I actually
create the file, it shows up without the layout or css styles applied. I tried
saving it, the file has the text from the editable regions showing, and all the
html from the template(it looks like), but the layout is missing on the
displayed page. It is missing both in design view and when I save the page and
open in a browser.
I tried re-saving the template as a new template and created the file from
that, but it is still broken.
What is going on with this?
Thanks for any help.

[chedderslam777]

I couldn't link directly to the template file for some reason, so I zipped it.
http://barristertitlecompany.com/fullscreen.zip

Thanks for the help.

[Murray *ACE*]

Sure you can link to it. Upload it and give us the link where you uploaded
it.

I just don't do zips....
--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

Post by chedderslam777
I couldn't link directly to the template file for some reason, so I zipped it.
http://barristertitlecompany.com/fullscreen.zip
Thanks for the help.

[chedderslam777]

I get page cannot be displayed when linking to the .dwt. I saved it as a .txt.

http://barristertitlecompany.com/fullscreen.txt

[Murray *ACE*]

The problem is that this is a site that was done in FrontPage. Using that
application, templates do not have to be in any special location in the
site. Unfortunately, DW requires that templates be located in the
"Templates" folder that is at the root level of the site, e.g.,

/Templates/yourtemplate.dwt

Worse, the pages being created with FrontPage contain many FP includes which
you will have to somehow accommodate -

<!--info-->

<!--webbot bot="Include" U-Include="includes/info_box.htm"
TAG="BODY" --><p>&nbsp;</p>

(these will only work when the site is hosted on a host server running FP
Server extensions - in other words, they are not standard HTML includes)

So, before doing anything, please answer these questions:

1. Do you have access to the entire site?
2. Are you familiar with using Server-side includes?
3. Is this the only template file in the site?
4. Have you placed this template page within a folder named "Templates"
that is located at the root level of the site?
5. If so, did you use DW's file panel to move that file into the Templates
folder so that the links would be managed?
--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
==================

Post by chedderslam777
I get page cannot be displayed when linking to the .dwt. I saved it as a .txt.
http://barristertitlecompany.com/fullscreen.txt

[chedderslam777]

1. I do have access to the entire site.
2. I am a coldfusion programmer so I am familiar with cfinclude and such, I'm
not sure which kind of server side includes you mean. If I need to go to all
the frontpage includes and just cut and paste the text into the template I will
do that.
3. There are two template files. One for the main page, one for the other
pages of the site. I only need to mess with the one for the other pages of the
site, the front page is fine.
4. The template is in the folder "Templates"
5. I just ftped everything from the live site to my local box. The template
folder was already there in the live site.

So what's the best solution to this? Should I just cut and paste the include
code into the template? Will this solve the problem?

Thanks for the help.

[Murray *ACE*]

Post by chedderslam777
2. I am a coldfusion programmer so I am familiar with cfinclude and such, I'm
not sure which kind of server side includes you mean. If I need to go to all
the frontpage includes and just cut and paste the text into the template I will
do that.

Of course, defeating the value and utility of using an include. But that
would surely be one way to do it. I am referring to ordinary HTML includes
here, e.g., foo.shtml with -

<!--#include file="foo.html" -->

The oncoming problem would be how do you deal with triggering the server to
parse these files if they have already been named with only the *.html
extension? You could ask the host (I assume you are re-hosting - or are
you?) to parse all file extensions, which would work.

By the way, if you are NOT re-hosting the site, then using FTP to PUT
anything back to the hosted site will break the FP Server Extensions,
causing all functions on the site depending on those extensions to fail.
That would be bad news.

Post by chedderslam777
5. I just ftped everything from the live site to my local box. The template
folder was already there in the live site.

That's curious. Look at the links in the template file. They are made as
if all the linked files are at the same folder level as the template (which
was why I assumed that the template was NOT in the Templates folder). Are
those linked files actually also in the Templates folder?
--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
==================

Post by chedderslam777
1. I do have access to the entire site.
2. I am a coldfusion programmer so I am familiar with cfinclude and such, I'm
not sure which kind of server side includes you mean. If I need to go to all
the frontpage includes and just cut and paste the text into the template I will
do that.
3. There are two template files. One for the main page, one for the other
pages of the site. I only need to mess with the one for the other pages of the
site, the front page is fine.
4. The template is in the folder "Templates"
5. I just ftped everything from the live site to my local box. The template
folder was already there in the live site.
So what's the best solution to this? Should I just cut and paste the include
code into the template? Will this solve the problem?
Thanks for the help.

[chedderslam777]

I'm not so much worried about losing the includes. Right now I just want the
site to work. I will be doing some of the new work in coldfusion so if i need
to include anything i can.

I'm not sure what you mean by "re-hosting" the site... The site is currently
hosted by a third party hosting company. We will be moving them to crystaltech
for their coldfusion hosting. Right now the priority is getting the site into
a state where I can work on it. Right now my local server is apache with
coldfusion. I do not have front page extensions, which is probably what is
going on.

[Q]By the way, if you are NOT re-hosting the site, then using FTP to PUT
anything back to the hosted site will break the FP Server Extensions,
causing all functions on the site depending on those extensions to fail.
That would be bad news.[/Q]

I really don't understand what I would be breaking or how/why... Perhaps when
you explain "re-hosting" it will be clear.

The linked files are not in the template file. It's as is the template file
was saved in the root and then moved into the templates directory or something.
I'm just guessing.

[Murray *ACE*]

Post by chedderslam777
I'm not sure what you mean by "re-hosting" the site...

I mean moving the site from its current FP/Server extension hosting location
to some new host. Using Crystaltech will be fine, but of course, the site
will lose all effects mediated by FP Server extensions. Looking at your
template file, the only one I saw was the include function.

Post by chedderslam777
I do not have front page extensions, which is probably what is
going on.

No. It's not. Those extensions are server only, not client extensions.
They only come into play after the site has been uploaded (or actually
during the http transfer process).

Post by chedderslam777
Right now the priority is getting the site into
a state where I can work on it. Right now my local server is apache with
coldfusion.

OK - that should be simple enough.

Post by chedderslam777
The linked files are not in the template file. It's as is the template file
was saved in the root and then moved into the templates directory or something.
I'm just guessing.

Yes, that's what I'm wondering too.

So, try this -

1. Make a backup of the entire site.
2. Then use EXPLORER/FINDER to move that template file out of the Templates
folder into the root of the site.
3. Now, use DW's file panel to move that template file BACK INTO THE
TEMPLATES FOLDER.

This will cause DW to manage all of those links, and may just solve your
problem in one pass....

I am assuming that the links to the files shown in your template *WOULD*
work, if the template file were in the root directory - is that correct?
--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
==================

Post by chedderslam777
I'm not so much worried about losing the includes. Right now I just want the
site to work. I will be doing some of the new work in coldfusion so if i need
to include anything i can.
I'm not sure what you mean by "re-hosting" the site... The site is currently
hosted by a third party hosting company. We will be moving them to crystaltech
for their coldfusion hosting. Right now the priority is getting the site into
a state where I can work on it. Right now my local server is apache with
coldfusion. I do not have front page extensions, which is probably what is
going on.
[Q]By the way, if you are NOT re-hosting the site, then using FTP to PUT
anything back to the hosted site will break the FP Server Extensions,
causing all functions on the site depending on those extensions to fail.
That would be bad news.[/Q]
I really don't understand what I would be breaking or how/why... Perhaps when
you explain "re-hosting" it will be clear.
The linked files are not in the template file. It's as is the template file
was saved in the root and then moved into the templates directory or something.
I'm just guessing.

[chedderslam777]

I have tried everything i can think of and cannot get this to work. I'm
starting to get a little frustrated.

I tried dragging the file as you suggested but no luck.

Here's the thing: The files like the style sheets and javascript are actually
under the "Templates" folder. If I open the template file, like the one I sent
you, the links to those assets are correct, as long as the file remains in the
template folder. For instance:
link href="styles/fullscreen.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"

fullscreen.css is actually in the /templates/styles/ folder.

When I create a new page from template and save it as /test.htm, the links in
that file are not being updated. So the link to the style sheet stays:
link href="styles/fullscreen.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"

rather than becoming:
link href="templates/styles/fullscreen.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"

Is there any way around this?

[Murray *ACE*]

Post by chedderslam777
Here's the thing: The files like the style sheets and javascript are actually
under the "Templates" folder.

<sigh> I asked you this.

So, leave the template where it is and drag all those other files OUT of the
Templates folder.
--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
==================

Post by chedderslam777
I have tried everything i can think of and cannot get this to work. I'm
starting to get a little frustrated.
I tried dragging the file as you suggested but no luck.
Here's the thing: The files like the style sheets and javascript are actually
under the "Templates" folder. If I open the template file, like the one I sent
you, the links to those assets are correct, as long as the file remains in the
link href="styles/fullscreen.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
fullscreen.css is actually in the /templates/styles/ folder.
When I create a new page from template and save it as /test.htm, the links in
link href="styles/fullscreen.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
link href="templates/styles/fullscreen.css" rel="stylesheet"
type="text/css"
Is there any way around this?