how can users edit shared assets?

[8900200]

Hello - I have a site deployed at a custerom site and we are trying to
determine how much shared assets can assist us in modifying a short UL menu in
a panel on some pages.

Can a user edit the master copy of a shared asset? I need something like
Library items in DW but in Contribute

If this is not possible, how do others deal with items that may need to be
duplicated on say 10 pages? I could do it with includes(ASP, CFM, etc) somehow
I guess.... any ideas?

Rich

[Alan Musselman]

Hey 8900200,

Yep, you use Library items as shared assets like in Dreamweaver. For more
information on Shared Assets, check out the LiveDocs:

[url]http://livedocs.macromedia.com/contribute/31/using_admin_en/00000336.htm[/url]

Thanks,

Alan

[8900200]

Hi Alan -

Thanks for the link. This article apears to have confirmed my suspicion that I
can edit the shared asset in DW and have it updates the dependent pages, but
the user in Contribute can't.. I really need them to be able to edit the master
shared asset and update everything else. Got any ideas?

Thanks
Rich

[Alan Musselman]

Thats a good question. Whats in the Master Library item that you wish for them
to edit. Is it just text, or text and images?

The best workaround that I have found is to wrap it into a server side include
(CF, PHP, ASP) and let the Contribute user edit the include which will
effectively update it across the site.

//Alan

[8900200]

yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Not sure I have the energy to change them all to php at this point. Have a great weekend. And get away from that computer soon!

Rich

[Alan Musselman]

Hehe, you too Rich,

I feel the computer is another extension of my body, oh well. ;)

//;Alan

[hottoddy]

So to clarify... a Contribute user can edit the contents of a php-include file,
such as a navbar?
Would it be in wysiwyg mode? since there isn't a CodeView mode in Contribute,
right?
And how do they navigate to and select the file to edit? I thought they have
to literally browse the website to find the page they want to edit. Wouldn't a
server include not be accessible this way? only via a dreamweaver-style
FileManager ui

Any clarification on this would be great. Thanks!
todd

[Alan Musselman]

Hey hottoddy,

A Contribute user can edit the contents of a php-include file, such as a
navbar?
//Yes, not sure on how deep you can go with letting the user edit, but it
works for me in CT3

Would it be in wysiwyg mode?
//Yes, if I understand you correctly, within the CT3 Design View.

since there isn't a CodeView mode in Contribute, right?
//Thats right, but you can specify external code editors.

how do they navigate to and select the file to edit? I thought they have to
literally browse the website to find the page they want to edit. Wouldn't a
server include not be accessible this way?
//IN CT3, SSIs are editable this way. A server-side include is a block of
content. As long as the user is not restricted to edit this block, they can
change text and add content to it till their hearts content. :D

This should sum it up for you. Thank goodness for the LiveDocs:

Editing static content in dynamic pages
[url]http://livedocs.macromedia.com/contribute/31/using_admin_en/00000470.htm[/url]

Hope this helps you!

[aliencosmo]

since there isn't a CodeView mode in Contribute, right?
//Thats right, but you can specify external code editors.

To clarify. They can't edit code in Contribute -- they have to open another
application.