Post deployment content editing

J

Jim Mac

I am totally new to FP2003 and am trying to figure out what my options are for post deployment content editing by clients. If i build a FP2003 site what are the options for the client to edit content later. I have a general idea that there are three ways:
1. make them get fP200
2. make a data driven site that they edit data on forms on a password protected web interfac
2. Ive heard that there is a way to create a wysiwyg editor for clients to work on content directly on the page on a password protected section
Please let me know what is available, and where I might find more info on this
thanks
 
J

Jim Buyens

Your option #1 is a possibility, but may be too difficult
for some clients. They'll either mess up the site or go
catatonic.

Your first #2 is fine for fielded data like membership
lists and product catalogs. It works less well for things
like newsletters, announcements, and press releases.

Your second #2 works something like the first one, except
that you use a "rich text" form control. This is like a
text area box that supports WYSIWYG HTML editing.
Typically, you would store this HTML in a database or in a
separate subweb, and then write ASP or ASP.NET pages to
merge (on the fly) it into the body of a template page.

The combination of both your #2's begins to look like a
Content Management System (CMS). This is a specialized
text database that stores variable content for insertion
(on the fly) into Web pages (or, in some cases, into other
documents).

Generally, I would try to convince most clients they
*shouldn't* mess with the site I deliver, especially if
the site uses custom programming. They're much too likely
to screw up the custom programming.

On the other hand, if the client needs to update certain
kinds of content on an ongoing basis, then it's your job
to realize that up front and include the necessary
features in the original estimate.

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)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
J

Jim Mac

Thanks jim
Since I am rather new to this, my question is how I

"use a "rich text" form control. This is like a
text area box that supports WYSIWYG HTML editing.

does this happen in fp or in the database?
I have some experience with access, but have never worked with that function

thank
 
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