Dynamically Change Tables/Pages

M

marty

I want to change some tables or pages on our Web without having to upload a
new page (and allk the trouble associated with that) everytime I want to
change something. Is there a way to do that with FP 2003 using Javascript,
ASP or calling the new table or page from a db? Thanks!
 
M

marty

Thanks for your reply. I'm not clear on this, but can't a db of (tables,
graphics or whatever) be uploaded to the server and then queried from there
based on a schedule? I thought that was what ASP did.
 
J

Jim Buyens

-----Original Message-----
I want to change some tables or pages on our Web without
having to upload a new page (and allk the trouble
associated with that) everytime I want to change
something. Is there a way to do that with FP 2003 using
Javascript, ASP or calling the new table or page from a
db? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes:

o The Save Results component can store form input in a
database
o The Database Results Wizard can display information
pulled from a database.
o The Database Interface Wizard can create the two types
of pages mentioned above, plus a so-called Database
Editor that's useful for administratively maintaining
a database.

There are also Schedule Include and Scheduled Picture
components that display different content based on the
date. But these are less interesting because you have to
open and save the page (or recalculate hyperlinks) in
order for the time-sensitive change to take effect.

If you want to get very deeply onto this sort of thing,
you'll need to learn some JavaScript and/or ASP
programming. Variable content is hard for WYSIWYG editors
to handle, because what you get can vary depending on
conditions outside the eidtor.

Jim Buyens
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*----------------------------------------------------
|\---------------------------------------------------
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||---------------------------------------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
M

marty

Thanks! I'm learning a lot here. Let's say I have a Products page with ten
products, each with a photo and text description. If I want to change a
product and/or the text that goes with it from time to time, how would I do
that?

For example, for product 2 & 4 I want to run a special every weekend for a
month at 25% off and then have those two products return to regular price
when the month ended.
 
T

Thomas A. Rowe

Have you considered a shopping cart application?

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
M

marty

No I haven't thought about it. Thanks for chipping in, but unless that makes
the process a whole lot easier, I would prefer to stay within FP. Would a
shopping cart allow the same flexibility that a db connection (once I learn
how to use a db) would?
 
T

Thomas A. Rowe

Most shopping cart application are database driven, and are written in
either ASP, PHP or CGI-Perl, and offer full admin function for managing the
content.

Depending on what is supported by your host, in IE address bar do a search
as:

? ASP Shopping cart application

If you want to stay in FP, then visit:
http://www.bcentral.com/products/cm/default.asp?LID=33832
--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
M

marty

I did a search, and I looked at bcentral. I guess all of them (I Never
dreamed there could be so many) have their plusses & minus but after looking
around, I want to build a db with FP 2003.

Were you suggestion a shopping cart because to design & build a db is so
difficult? Will it require coding on my part?
 
T

Thomas A. Rowe

In FP you can create a database, but then you will need the time and skills
to code the functionality necessary for a true e-commerce application, so
why re-invent the wheel, when you can most likely find one already written
that can handle most of the features you want, plus handle the security
issues with accepting credit cards, etc.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
M

marty

I don't think we need anything complex. For instance, we don't actually sell
anything over the Web, we just use it to display pages of products to get
customers interested in what we have to offer. They have to come into our
store to buy something. That's why the 25% off offer on weekends.
 
T

Thomas A. Rowe

Ok, then you can use FP database component, but you will still need to learn
ASP/VBScript and your site must be hosted on a Windows IIS server with FP
extensions, not a Unix/Linux server, with FP extensions.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
M

marty

That's somewhat encouraging. We are on a Windows IIS server with FP 2002
extensions installed. Is there a tutorial, a book or something that I could
do, maybe over a weekend, where I could learn how to use the FP db component
to set up the db and then modify it when I need to?
 
T

Thomas A. Rowe

Can't help you with actually using the FP database component, other then to
say check help and post here, as I prefer to hand code my ASP/VBScript.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
M

marty

Do you know if the FP database component will do the job, or will most of
the pages have to be hand coded?
 
J

Jim Buyens

marty said:
Thanks! I'm learning a lot here. Let's say I have a Products page with ten
products, each with a photo and text description. If I want to change a
product and/or the text that goes with it from time to time, how would I do
that?

For example, for product 2 & 4 I want to run a special every weekend for a
month at 25% off and then have those two products return to regular price
when the month ended.
Click to expand...

I would set up:

o A database table named products, with one record for each product.
This record would contain a product id, a description, the standard
price, and whatever else I wanted to remember about it.

ProductId Description Price
--------- --------------- -----
24 2x4, 8' 5.00
37 Hammer, Claw 15.00
43 Nails, 12p, 1# 3.00

o A second table named specials, which would contain at minimum
a product id, a start date, an end date, and a discount percent
or price. Here's an example

ProductId Start Date End Date Discount
--------- ----------- ----------- --------
24 7-Feb-2004 8-Feb-2004 25%
24 14-Feb-2004 25-Feb-2004 25%
24 21-Feb-2004 22-Feb-2004 25%
24 28-Feb-2004 29-Feb-2004 25%

where ProductId 24 identifies 2x4's.

Then, I would write some program code that took the temporary
discounts into effect when displaying price lists, and perhaps listed
items currently on sale on the home page.

Unfortunately, this sort of thing really exceeds what the built-in
FrontPage database features can do. You would have to write your own
program code in ASP, ASP.NET, or some other Web-server-based
programming environment. Particularly if, as often happens, you want
to start pulling the product and price information from your existing
inventory or point-of-sale system.

Jim Buyens
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*----------------------------------------------------
|\---------------------------------------------------
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||---------------------------------------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
M

marty

Thanks to both Thomas and Jim. Last question (promise), I can now see that
this isn't something I will understand in a weekend. Is there ONE book of
some sort that, with patience on my part, would allow me to do what I want
to do, or does this require the services of a professional programmer?
Thanks again for the help!
 
J

Jim Buyens

marty said:
Thanks to both Thomas and Jim. Last question (promise), I can now see that
this isn't something I will understand in a weekend. Is there ONE book of
some sort that, with patience on my part, would allow me to do what I want
to do, or does this require the services of a professional programmer?
Thanks again for the help!
Click to expand...

This depends a lot on how much you already know, how elaborate a
system you want, and what payback the finished systemn could possibly
produce.

However, if you've never done any programming and don't feel you have
the talent, you're probably better off spending your time running the
business and getting some programming assistance.

Jim Buyens
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*----------------------------------------------------
|\---------------------------------------------------
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||---------------------------------------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
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