Preparing your Web for a DWT

FrontPage DWT Help > Preparing your Web for a DWT

Before you start.....

As with any major change to a website, we recommend that you back up your web prior to attaching a DWT (Dynamic Web Template) as a precautionary measure.  Backing up in FrontPage 2003 is much easier than in prior versions.  Simply select File, Publish Site, then click the radio button for the File System option.  Browse to a location on your hard drive, then type in an appropriate web directory name (such as backup_web) and press OK.  You will receive a prompt that the web does not exist, asking if you would like FrontPage to create one.  Select Yes, and publish as usual.

On with the tutorial!

If your existing web was not built with a template, or was not laid out with tables defining the design and layout, you will not need to follow these steps.   Your web, prior to attaching a DWT, should be free of all elements EXCEPT the actual page content.  Simply remove all menus, page banners, and shared borders prior to attaching a DWT.

If you currently use a web template, you will need to remove the template, link bars, etc., from your web pages (basically, you remove everything except for your content).  You may make the initial transition one of four ways (note - you only have to go through this once!):

1. Strip out the existing menus and design by selecting the content to be saved.  To do this, open a page.  With your mouse, highlight the body content to be preserved.  On the keyboard, press:
    
   • CTRL + C
   • CTRL + A
   • Delete (hit the delete key)
   • CTRL + V

   Save the page and repeat on remaining pages until the process is completed.  This is the preferred method, and will keep the page names and navigation structure of your existing web intact.  SEE OUR STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS METHOD HERE
    

2. Build a new, empty web without a design template, and add blank pages one by one, copying the content of your existing web pages into the pages of the new web.  You will, of course, have to rebuild the web navigation with this method, as well as rename the pages.  Afterward, you may attach the DWT.
    
3. Do it the same way you changed design templates in the past:  Build a new web, import the DWT folder into the root of the web, then open the DWT of your choice.  Select File, Save As, type in the new page name, navigate up to the web's root directory, and "Save as type" HTML Files.  You may then copy and paste your content from your existing web template into the Editable Regions of the page.  Repeat until your web is complete.
    
4. Remove the design manually (piece by piece) from the existing web, then attach the DWT.  This method will keep your navigation structure and page names intact.  If you aren't experienced with converting tables to text and deleting unwanted design elements, or if your existing design template is very complex, you may not want to try this.

 

Move to the Next Tutorial:  Getting the DWT into Your Web