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Frequently asked questions for web authors

For other questions relating to information technology go to ISTS Help Desk FAQs.

 

New web authors

I have never authored a website before and I need to start. What do I need to do?
There are a few considerations, but these are outlined in Access to the development server.

 

Conversion

If you have links to Word documents do you have to convert them?
No, they can stay in Word. However by having documents on your website in Word format, you are assuming that users have the right software to access them, which may not be the case.

 

Editing a webpage

I want to edit a webpage but cannot open it even though I have access?
There is no direct access to the production web server (www.unisa.edu.au). Instead authors will develop their webpages in the development site only and publish to the production site using the publishing tool. See Understanding the authoring environment for details.

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FrontPage

I don't know how to use FrontPage, where can I learn it?
It is assumed you will have FrontPage knowledge before you obtain access to author a website. If you need training, see Training and support for suggestions about where to attend a course.

How do I open FrontPage?
Click on the Start menu of your computer, then All Programs. Microsoft FrontPage will be listed with other Microsoft products (eg Word).

How do I open my site in FrontPage
Open FrontPage as above, select File, Open Site and type in the full web address of your site, eg http://www.newdev.unisa.edu.au/yoursite (replace 'yoursite' with the name of your website.

I’ve lost the folder list!
It is a good idea to have the Views bar open in FrontPage. To open this bar go to View at the top of the screen, and select Views bar. There are two methods of opening your folder list

I created new folders and files but can't see them in the Folder List!
Refresh your FrontPage window by clicking on the Refresh icon in the Standard toolbar, and your folders and files should appear.

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Images

I've resized an image in FrontPage but it looks all funny. How do I fix it?
It is not a good idea to resize images in FrontPage. You will need separate image editing software like Photoshop to resize and save images. See Finding and editing an image for all the information you need about image editing software (including free software), and Image width and size for recommended image sizes for the corporate web.

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Navigation

Can I build the navigation menu first?
You can but it is not the best way to do it. It is better to have a good idea of your information architecture before you begin, and then create folders and files that reflect this structure.

Why doesn't my menu work?
You have to link your menu to files that exist. To make sure you do this, always select a file in the Folders and files in web box. It will then automatically appear in the Menu hierarchy box and the file name and path will appear in the Properties box. For more details on this process go to Building your navigation menu.

 

Publishing

Why can't I get into the live website to edit and publish my site?
 Websites are authored in the development site and from there you can published to the live site. See Publishing your website for details.

I've redeveloped my website and need to get it published, what do I do?
If you have redone your website, or built a new website using the corporate web templates, you first of all need to get it checked by MDU - contact the corporate web team. This requires at least four working days notice. MDU will check your website to make sure accessibility guidelines have been followed, you will do any changes required, then MDU will organise for ISTS to publish the new website. After that you will have access to publish your website yourself.

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Templates

When can I access the templates?
Contact your area manager in the first instance. See Access to the development server for details. Before accessing the templates and other authoring tools in your new site you will also need to

What folder do I save the template file in?
You will create folders and files according to your information architecture. Probably the first template you save will be default.asp, which will be a file introducing your area to the user. When a user clicks on your site link this will be the first page they view. You will probably create a folder for any topic/contents heading likely to contain more than one file. Remember to also call your first file within a folder default.asp.

What if I save a template to the wrong folder by mistake?
There are two methods for fixing this error

Is the screen a set width in the templates?
Yes. If you make the screen narrower than 600 pixels you will lose some of the screen information.

What does style mean?
Style in the templates is dictated by Cascading Style Sheets which determine what font, font size, headings and heading styles are used. For example the first heading on the page being red is a style specification.

What if the content on the right hand of the screen displays in the browser lower than it should be, yet appears to be OK when looking in the preview screen of the template?
This happens when an image is too wide for the screen (ie more than 550 pixels). Go to Inserting images in the section Constructing your site using the authoring tools for more details. This can also happen if a table is too wide for the screen.

I cannot get my form to work properly when I create it in the new templates using FrontPage.
Due to the way the corporate web environment is setup, FrontPage online form submission does not work. ISTS created a solution where the form is created in FrontPage then the form conversion tool is used to allow the form to be submitted electronically. See Creating forms for detailed instructions.

 

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