Can Library items be user-editable?

[cmitchell]

I recommend using server side includes rather than library items and
yes, your users can update them with the proper permissions.

If you use library items, even when your users edit them it will NOT
update the pages with those library items, it will only change that one
library item. Library items must be updated in Dreamweaver, not in
Contribute. And to be effective, someone will need to synchronize an
entire local site, do the update and then republish the site. If you
have a large site, this will be a pain very quickly. Even with a
smaller site you'll need to make sure no files are checked out, etc.

By using server side includes you only have to update a single file and
any user can be given permission to do this.

Christine

[zu]

In my understanding it doesn't seem to be possible.
One of this facts that makes Contribute not fully usable as a replacement for
a Content Management System, in my opinion.
Sad really because it's based on DW it should be possible to implement.

[Murray *TMM*]

Contribute is not a CMS, and is not intended to be a replacement for one....

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
[url]http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com[/url] - Template Triage!
[url]http://www.projectseven.com/go[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.dwfaq.com[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/[/url] - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"zu" <chzumbrunnen@gmx.ch> wrote in message
news:d8pc51$hst$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> In my understanding it doesn't seem to be possible.
> One of this facts that makes Contribute not fully usable as a replacement
> for
> a Content Management System, in my opinion.
> Sad really because it's based on DW it should be possible to implement.
>

[Murray *TMM*]

Having said that, I'll now quote from "Design and Deploy web sites with
Marcromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 and Contribute 3" by Joseph Lowery - ISBN
#0-321-28884-X

"Through a feature called SHARED ASSETS, new in Contribute 3, any image,
Flash movie, or Dreamweaver library item can be jointly identified. To
qualify as a shared asset, a file must be present on the Web server....

"Dreamweaver library items can be inserted only via the Shared Assets
interface. A library item can be a simple text block, consistently
styled....

"To update a library item in Contribute, the user must delete the old
version of the item and reinsert a modified one published to the site."

Sounds like you can do it.

But honestly, I'd use SSI instead.

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
[url]http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com[/url] - Template Triage!
[url]http://www.projectseven.com/go[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.dwfaq.com[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/[/url] - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"zu" <chzumbrunnen@gmx.ch> wrote in message
news:d8pc51$hst$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> In my understanding it doesn't seem to be possible.
> One of this facts that makes Contribute not fully usable as a replacement
> for
> a Content Management System, in my opinion.
> Sad really because it's based on DW it should be possible to implement.
>

[zu]

Sounds like you can do it.


I wouldn't interpret this as "sounds like you can do it". Since you have to
update every single page wher the "shared asset" is used. So you could as well
copy and paste without the "shared asset" item.

[Murray *TMM*]

Why not just use SSI?

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
[url]http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com[/url] - Template Triage!
[url]http://www.projectseven.com/go[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.dwfaq.com[/url] - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/[/url] - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"zu" <chzumbrunnen@gmx.ch> wrote in message
news:d8tu0g$p53$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> Sounds like you can do it.
>
>
> I wouldn't interpret this as "sounds like you can do it". Since you have
> to
> update every single page wher the "shared asset" is used. So you could as
> well
> copy and paste without the "shared asset" item.
>
>
>
>

[hillaryT]

I'm in the same predicament and I'm exploring the SSI solution. But I'm worried
how my users will be able to find this SSI file. Does the link to the SSI file
show up in Contribute in Edit mode or do the contents of the SSI file show up
in Contribute Edit mode?

I want to make it as easy as possible for Contribute users to edit the SSI
file and I did notice that a user can browse to the SSI file and edit it. But
when the SSI file is in a page, how does the Contribute user know where that
SSI page resides?

[cbromley]

Does all of this apply to the Contribute CS3 as well. According to the CS3
help, "By default, library items are not locked, so that they are editable by
users. Select the check box if you don't want users to edit this library item"
but if there is a way to edit them I haven't found it. I can edit it in DW and
load it back into my Contribute page but then I have to connect the links
manually, unlike DW that lets me Modify/Library/Update Pages to make all
versions of the library item the same.

[aaronjstewart]

Webstruxure offers a solution for allowing users to edit menus, called siteNav.
The editing is easy, it shows up in Edit mode for the page being edited, and
only needs doing on that page. The menus can be as large as you wish.

SiteNav integrates with Dreamweaver templates and currently supports sites
running on a .Net server - but contact me (aaron at webstruxure.co.nz) if you
want support for other platforms.

siteNav demo: [url]http://www.webstruxure.co.nz/sitenav/demo/[/url]

[Marje]

Our firm has been successfully using SSIs in nearly all of our recent sites.

To allow your client to access the file, have them press the CHOOSE button on
the far right-side of the Contribute interface. This allows them to browse the
server and select the file SSI file.

[ThinkInk]

Or supply your client with the URL to the SSI and let them bookmark this URL in Contribute.