Publishing with FrontPage 2000

[mshacter]

I recently solved a problem publishing my web site with FrontPage 2000, the solution to which may be useful to others.[nbsp][nbsp]I hope this does not repeat something everyone already knows.

The problem:[nbsp][nbsp]When publishing with FrontPage, the program will compare the files on your web site with the files on your hard drive.[nbsp][nbsp]It will kindly offer to remove any files on the web site that are not on the hard drive.[nbsp][nbsp]This can be extremely annoying; for example, telling FrontPage leave all the files in the /stats subdirectory alone.

The solution:[nbsp][nbsp]Create a dummy subweb on your hard drive.[nbsp][nbsp]When you publish the web, tell FrontPage not to publish any subwebs.[nbsp][nbsp]The details for instructing FrontPage to ignore files in the /stats subdirectory are as follows:

1. Open your web.[nbsp][nbsp]Make sure the 'Folder List' is visible.[nbsp][nbsp](From the View menu, select Folder List)
2. Right click a blank space in the Folder List and select 'New Folder'.[nbsp][nbsp]Name the new folder 'stats' (without the quotes and all lower case).
3. Right click on the new stats folder you just created and select 'Convert to Web').[nbsp][nbsp]Click 'Yes' in response to the question 'Are you sure you want to do this?'[nbsp][nbsp]Aside from a few maintenance folders and files created by FrontPage, the stats folder on your hard drive will be empty and will stay empty, i.e. you do not need to import any files from your web site.
4. When you are ready to publish your web, select 'Publish' from the 'File' menu.
5. In the 'Publish Web' dialog, make sure the 'Include subwebs' checkbox is clear (i.e. unchecked).[nbsp][nbsp]If you don't see the 'Include subwebs' checkbox, click on the 'Options' button.
6. Click 'Publish'.[nbsp][nbsp]You're done.

The same procedure can be used to cause FrontPage to ignore any other subdirectories you have in your /www subdirectory; for example any IRMs that are maintained separately.[nbsp][nbsp]In the case of IRMs, you could also make real subwebs on your hard drive, in which case you could might decide you want to 'Include subwebs' when you publish.

Note:[nbsp][nbsp]For the odd page on your web--like 404.html and robots.txt--it is easiest to import it into your web on your hard drive, to prevent FrontPage from offering to delete them.

Hope this helps. Mike

[This message has been edited by mshacter (edited 01-16-01@4:06 pm)]

[frankc]

Mike, thanks for your tip.[nbsp][nbsp]I'm just starting to learn FP after using HotDog for years, and am anquishing about how best to do it since the websites already exist, and I don't want FP to nuke the files.

Wha' hoppens if the file times are off by a few minutes (ie, the FQ servers are micro-accurate, and the PC's clock I might be using at the moment may be mondo-inaccurate)?

Thanks!

[nbsp][nbsp]Frank

[mshacter]

Hi, Frank.[nbsp][nbsp]I don't know the answer to your question, so I can only share my observations and speculations.[nbsp][nbsp]Perhaps some better-informed person will chime in.

Presumably, FP2000 creates a database of files on the web and associates them with files on your hard drive in order to synchronize files when it publishes.[nbsp][nbsp]To make this database, I assume that it must publish the web at least once.

I suspect that the only safe way to preserve the sanctity of the pages already on your web site is to import them from the web site into FP2000.[nbsp][nbsp]The alternative would be to import them from Hotdog (i.e. from one location on your hard drive to another).[nbsp][nbsp]In the latter case (the Hotdog import), I don't know how FP would be able to determine which files were new and which old the first time it published.[nbsp][nbsp]I expect it would try and overwrite the files on the web with the files on the hard drive.

One way to find out is to experiment.[nbsp][nbsp]Try publishing your web with FP.[nbsp][nbsp](There is an AOTA tutorial on this subject.)[nbsp][nbsp]If FP starts asking for permission to overwrite existing pages, click on 'Cancel'.[nbsp][nbsp]In my experience, FP will abort the transfer.

Bear in mind that you can publish your pages with conventional FTP.[nbsp][nbsp]I think publishing with FP is more convenient.

Hope this helps. Mike