July 6, 2008 05:21pm pdt

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12. b1xml2 68,850
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03.12.2008 at 07:28PM PDT, ID: 23237393

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6.5

File Paths - Local Site/Remote Site

Zones: Extensible HTML (XHTML), Web Languages/Standards, WebApplications

Tags: Adobe, Dreamweaver, CS3

I hate being so baffled by this, but I can't seem to sort out how to specify file and link paths in my local site so they work there as well as when they are uploaded to the server. When creating source and link paths, DW generally creates the full path, i.e., "/ilca/racing/calendar/eventSelect.asp". Sometimes it's "racing/calendar/eventSelect.asp". And sometimes it's "..racing/calendar/eventSelect.asp." In order for it to run on the server, the /ilca/ can't be included. But when it's not, many of the pages won't work on my local site. I've got a main template where I've specified the paths for file that work well in the template but not in the child pages. I'm also using JavaScript to generate my navigation buttons, and I haven't figured out how the paths should be specified there. It looks something like this:
var MENU_ITEMS =[
      ["Membership", null, null,
            ["Find Nearby Fleet", "membership/districtsFleets/index.html", null,
                  ["North America", "../membership/districtsFleets/index.html"],
                  ["South America", "../membership/districtsFleets/southAmerica.html"],
                  ["Europe", "../membership/districtsFleets/europe.html"]
            ],
            ["District/Fleet Membership", "../membership/districtsFleets/index.html", null,
                  ["North America", "../membership/districtsFleets/index.html"],
                  ["South America", "../membership/districtsFleets/southAmerica.html"],
                  ["Europe", "../membership/districtsFleets/europe.html"]
            ],
            ["Join or Renew", "../membership/joinRenew/membershipOptions.html", null,
                  ["Membership Information", "../membership/joinRenew/membershipDescrip.html"],
                  ["Pay by Credit Card", "../membership/joinRenew/membershipOptions.html"],
                  ["Print Form-Mail w/Check", "../membership/joinRenew/membershipOptions.html"]
            ],
But that's not working properly either.

What are the rules for specifying the paths so that they work on both the local site and the remote server site?

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Question Stats

Zone: Web Development

Question Asked By: slegy

Solution Provided By: ritetek

Participating Experts: 1

Solution Grade: B

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03.12.2008 at 09:17PM PDT, ID: 21113303

ritetek:

The key, at least in my own experience, is to always use relative paths. The links should ultimately work on the web server, so if they are relative, then even when they are in a subfolder on your local drive (a subfolder of your htmlroot or wwwroot for example, assuming you work on other sites, etc.) they will still link to the proper files. What exactly are things linking to when they don't work properly?

If you have files in different folders on your web server then it is best to have some global variable that includes the root for your web folder (something like var rootPath = "http://www.yoursite.com/") so then in your navigation you would link to things absolutely (if you so choose) like this:

var rootPath = "http://www.yoursite.com/"
var MENU_ITEMS = [
['North America', rootPath + 'membership/districtsFleets/index.html'],
["South America", rootPath + "membership/districtsFleets/southAmerica.html"],
["Europe", rootPath + "membership/districtsFleets/europe.html"]
],
...etc.

The second method would be better if you have a lot of different files in a lot of different subfolders and you need to sort out where everything goes. You can even go so far as to include global variables for common subdirectories (maybe in your case a global for your membership directory, something like : var membershipPath = rootPath + 'membership'; You would use it in context like membershipPath + 'yourfile.html').

03.13.2008 at 07:33AM PDT, ID: 21116563

slegy:

I understand your global variable idea. I just did some research and according to DW help, you need to specify that links are relative to the site root (which has always been set) and specify the site URL in the site address (which previously has been set to my root). It also said that the change (if it makes any difference only affects new links).

I'm still frustrated/confused as to why some links work in the main template but not in the child pages. Here are two examples (one is a Flash movie and the other is a JavaScript slide show):


<script type="text/javascript">
AC_FL_RunContent( 'codebase','http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0','width','88','height','88','align','left','src','../assets/media/rotatingGlobe','quality','high','pluginspage','http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash','wmode','transparent','movie','../assets/media/rotatingGlobe' ); //end AC code
</script><noscript><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" width="88" height="88" align="left">
<param name="movie" value="../assets/media/rotatingGlobe.swf" />
<param name="quality" value="high" />
<param name="wmode" value="transparent" />
<embed src="../assets/media/rotatingGlobe.swf" width="88" height="88" align="left" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed>
</object>
</noscript>


<div id="sbar-sshow">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dod5s-yv0es"><img src="../assets/images/slideShow/1.jpg" name="slideShow" border="0" id="slideShow" /></a>
<script type="text/javascript">
RunSlideShow("slideShow","../assets/Images/slideShow/1.jpg;../assets/Images/slideShow/2.jpg;../assets/Images/slideShow/3.jpg;../assets/Images/slideShow/4.jpg;../assets/Images/slideShow/5.jpg",6);
</script>
</div>
Any more thoughts?

03.13.2008 at 09:19AM PDT, ID: 21117796

slegy:

I've just verified all the links in the main template and insured that they are all relative. The main template works perfectly when it's directly tested. When I bring up a child page all images are showing as they should. But when I view the page in the browser the globe and slideshow do not display. All other images using the exact same type of relative path are displaying. I'm mystified!

03.13.2008 at 09:21AM PDT, ID: 21117828

ritetek:

Well it's hard for me to diagnose the problem when I don't know your structure or where these files are located. I can try and give you general ideas but I'm afraid that's all I can do. For instance, you have links to an assets folder which is presumably a sibling directory to the one the file is located, or I assume so based on your links, but I don't know where the file is, so I can't tell you if the links look right or not. Also, which of these links is messing up, you told me what they were but not what the problem is.

03.13.2008 at 09:36AM PDT, ID: 21118015

slegy:

Here's the structure:
Root
assets
images
slideShow
1.jpg
2.jpg
...
media
rotatingGlobe.swf
...
templates
mainLayout.dwt

I'm testing with index.asp in the root.

The link to the Flash movie (rotatingGlobe.swf) and the slideshow (with images from assets/images/slideShow/1.jpp. . .) are the ones not working. They work in the templace used to create the pages but not in the pages themselves. In index.asp and other pages I viewed the images show in design mode - just not in the browser.

03.13.2008 at 09:47AM PDT, ID: 21118138

ritetek:

Okay, I don't think you need the .. in your links, just link to assets/... See if that works.

03.13.2008 at 10:23AM PDT, ID: 21118534

slegy:

I've tested all combinations. Here is what works in the template:
Globe:

<script type="text/javascript">
AC_FL_RunContent( 'codebase','http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0','width','88','height','88','align','left','src','assets/media/rotatingGlobe','quality','high','pluginspage','http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash','wmode','transparent','movie','../assets/media/rotatingGlobe' ); //end AC code
</script><noscript><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" width="88" height="88" align="left">
<param name="movie" value="assets/media/rotatingGlobe.swf" />
<param name="quality" value="high" />
<param name="wmode" value="transparent" />
<embed src="assets/media/rotatingGlobe.swf" width="88" height="88" align="left" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed>
</object>
</noscript>

Slideshow:

<div id="sbar-sshow">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dod5s-yv0es"><img src="../assets/images/slideShow/1.jpg" name="slideShow" border="0" id="slideShow" /></a>
<script type="text/javascript">RunSlideShow("slideShow","../assets/images/slideShow/1.jpg;../assets/images/slideShow/2.jpg;../assets/images/slideShow/3.jpg;../assets/images/slideShow/4.jpg;../assets/images/slideShow/5.jpg",6);</script>
</div>

Still neither is working in the child pages.

Your suggestion is one of the reasons for my initial question. I can't seem to sort out when you need the ../ and when you don't. In some of the pages it needs ../../

I suppose after I'm at this long enough I'll figure it out. It seems it should be more intuitive.

03.13.2008 at 10:32AM PDT, ID: 21118637

ritetek:

Are the scripts inline on your pages? If then are then the relative links you provided should work, it is confusing that it's not working, but due to the large amount of subdirectories and files you have, without using global variables, things can get a little hairy.

03.13.2008 at 10:51AM PDT, ID: 21118843

slegy:

Now you have me really worried. The site as it is today is a mere shadow of what it will eventually be, and I won't be handling daily updates and maintenance. Are you saying that Dreamwever CS3 can't build a site structure that is workable and functional without having to do some finagling that a nontechnical personal could never understand?

03.13.2008 at 02:07PM PDT, ID: 21120886

ritetek:

Honestly, I always custom code my navigation because of problems like this. I personally have not used Dreamweaver very much in the sense of building navigation with it; I have used it as a site manager, but I do most of the coding myself along with the other members of my team. Of course we ARE technical people so to speak, so I don't know much about using Dreamweaver as a method of building a complete site with built-in navigation. I do know if you use the "browse" function when linking urls it will try to use relative links, if you move stuff around you can update links, but I think that if you are linking to things outside the site or folder then it will use direct links which are bad as far as when you upload it to the site. I'm sorry I can't offer more information on it.

Accepted Solution

ritetek

03.14.2008 at 12:55PM PDT, ID: 21128896

I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance to you, but I'm glad you've worked it out at least to some degree.

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