Custom Template using Front Page Help!

Hi,

Unfortunately, the PracticeBoard is DOWN. It's been down over a week now. Although you can display, it doesn't save tests. I eMailed the host, RanchoWeb, on the 18th about the problem, but still no response.

Was the template designed for use on Auctiva (their tag system), or just an ordinary eBay template?

Danno

Edit: Use this site: www.practicewriter.com

Hi Danno,
Thanks for your reply. The template was designed to use on eBay. I could have had it formatted for other venues, but at the time I wasn't sure.
I think I may have fixed the problem. I read a post you replied to about a similar problem and that helped me. I had alot of long  's. Then I noticed that a <center> tag was missing when I compared it to the original.
I deleted some of the  's and added the center tag. Then I removed the remaining unnecessary front page code (that I missed earlier).
That seemed to solve the problem here in Auctiva in the desription area,then when I click preview its not right. I tried this on the eBay SYI form just to test and its still not right.
I did go to practicewriter (never used this before). I copied and pasted the code,not sure how to view the results,or how to let you see it. This is quite a learning curve.
I tried displaying in FireFox and IE.The results were like this:Fire Fox-
Auctiva-display looks right
eBay- display is wrong
Internet Exployer-
Auctiva- displays right in the description box, but not in preview
eBay-displays right
What a mess still.Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.Thank You so much!

Deborah

Not sure if this will help in praticewriter .I am guest 719184.

Hi,

When you paste the code to practicewriter, use the Save button and it will provide you a link to copy, like the practiceboard. It's marked in green, "The View Link is". It will give you a link that looks like this for viewing:

"http.....practicewriter.com/vu/?12345"

Danno

Edit: Ok....I tracked down your post there by your Guest ID. Are you attempting to make an Auctiva template from this template? I see it's one of the In My Cedar Chest. I've converted theirs before....in fact working on one now for a PowerSeller friend. Interesting design....

I'd like to be able to use it in Auctivia.I've worked reaally hard on this not to.I did buy this from In My Cedar Chest. She does nice work I think. I am getting ready to sell as soon as I can get this fixed. What should I do?
What did you think about the design and the wording?


OH! by the way earlier you mentioned emailing the host of ranchoweb. If I'm not mistaken he is on the Photo/html discussion boards on eBay.His user ID is "bobal". I was over there the other night looking for some info and he had a post in there saying that he has been real sick. That may be why you haven't gotten a response...?

Deborah

Hi,

Sorry for the delay in posting back.

I looked over the template. You need to add some of the standard Auctiva tags for use as an Auctiva template, e.g. [DESCRIPTION] allows for text and formatting elements created in the one-page lister to be embedded for that tag for Preview and final post of a listing. The list of tags are in the Forum on a sticky thread, and are also on the template editor page.

I do see some limitations of that template. Obvisouly, it's very wiiiiiide because of the double central columns and that 700px wide image at the top. I put one of the code pieces you posted on my coder. I have old Frontpage too, but prefer MS Visual Web Developer 2008. I have some questions that might help me make recommendations.

1. Generally, how many photos of the item will you use for a listing, and are you normally using landscape or portrait type images to list. Also, are you familiar with all the various Auctiva methods for image display, e.g. the thumb viewer.

2. I noted the template has a Details box for Bust, Shoulders, etc. that would be unique to a specific item. That makes each attempt to create a listing difficult without modification of the template. I can suggest Java coding that you can use in the Description section of the one-page lister to Dynamically load that boxes values, or you might consider moving that code into the description section (out of the template and into the one-page lister).

3. The width of the template may cause you problems in new eBay IFRAME design. I love the design, but the limitations due to width might call for some reorganization. Is that a problem? FYI...thinking the pictures organized slightly different with one central column below that for what is now that right-side column.

4. Are any of the saves you did at practicewriter the original template? I'm seeing some coding errors on my tests, and am curious what's been changed/missing.

Don't panic. Nice template. Just needs some good ol' TLC.

Danno

Hi,
Thank you so much for your help.
1. I will probably use 5-9 photos.Portrait type images.
2. As far as the Details box for sizes.Whatever you think will be easier for me.( I'm not all that savvy with code stuff-I am learning and I am willing to learn more)
3. No prolem with reorganization.but I do like the way it is- pics on one side and description on the other. When I was experimenting adding pics in Front page I had to resize to no more than 400 px. wide. The larger width caused the page to scroll at the bottom,which I'm trying to avoid.
4. None of the saves are of the original.I will post that on practicewriter. Here's the link
http://PracticeWriter.com/?4C1E6
As far as inserting auctiva tags,like you suggested. I did go to the custom template page and followed the tutorial on the sticky thread earlier. I could only view the html. Is this where you enter the tags? I tried that and copied and pasted to practicwriter and the code for Title, and Image 1( those were the only ones I tried) to test if I knew what I was doing- evidently not b/c the tags were showing in the template.
I hope this helps you to help me.
Thanks again
Deborah

Edit: I went back and found in the custom template page what I did wrong as far as not being able to view the template. I can view it now. I'm learning.Its alot of trial and error.

Hi,

The "best" method to play with template creation, is to concurrently use the template editor to make changes and use the Auctiva one-page lister to display the changes as they would appear in an active listing. That's a simple matter of using two windows: one for the template editor and one for the listing editor.

5 to 9 photos probably would fill the empty space for the left column. Again, the only concern might be the width of the resulting listing in meeting width restrictions and/or a scroll-bar that may appear in the New Design for listing that's currently under beta. The code is already exceeding 1100pix width (700px for that large pic at top plus about 200px on either side), when 930 is probably close to a good limit for width. ebay has narrowed the view page in the new design. If you are a Seller with active listings, you probably have the ability to view your current listings in the new design for reference.

Because the images the template has precoded have a nice double-gold border, I'd use the URL tags at 400x300. In your case, the resulting pics should show at about 225W x 300H (height being the image restriction). The URL tag to use is [IMAGE_URL400x300]. The drop-down list at lower-left on the template editor has the ability to select the image tag type. You'll see that tag listed as "400x300Image URLs". The template has documentation for adding the pics with comment code ( <!--ADD PICTURE blah blah --> ). Here's a sample before and after of your code vs. an image tag replacement.

<img src="http://....sample-pic1.gif" style="border: double 3px; border-color: #f3e9d1">

<img src="[IMAGE_URL400x300]" style="border: double 3px; border-color: #f3e9d1>

The Auctiva one-page lister will substitute that tag for the URL of an Auctiva or any server (like photobucket) stored image. You use the tags from 1 to 24 for each image you'd want. I'd suggest using 1 to 10 for your requirement. I see that the design already has 4 pics in that left column, so you could easily start with those 4 for tag subsitition and use real images in the one-page lister for testing. Hope that makes sense.

I'm recommending that URL tag to keep the design of the template intact and that specific tag is for a stored image that should meet the size restrictions. Again, hope that makes sense.

If you want to post the changes to the practicewriter, I'll try to feedback tips and suggestions. I'll see if I can work code for a dynamic box loader (seems I recently developed that for another Auctiva member).

I will look at the original template you posted for any reasons the current posts might be missing code or having problems. I know I saw a missing "Class" definition on one of yesterday's.

Ask questions if I'm going to fast or you don't understand. This isn't necessariliy simple stuff. Keep going. You're making good progress.

BTW...which version of Frontpage are you using?

Dan

Hey Dan,
I really appreciate all your help! I will work on these changes tomarrow.I will post back to let you see my progress and I'm sure I'll have questions. Thank you for being there to help. I hope that one day I will be able to do the same for someone else.
One ? before I go for tonight- When I'm relacing the tags for image,title and etc.do I erase the comment code for the tags that are already there( that came with the template)?
Also one more? Would it make a difference if I could take the image for the main header and resize it to keep it from being so wide? And maybe resize the border on the outside of the template.
The frontpage version I have is 2003.
Thanks again.
Deborah

Hi Deborah,

The comment code won't cause a problem. You can leave it or delete it, your choice. The HTML comments look like this: <!-- comment -->

I'd actually thought about testing the template with single center column and a narrower top picture. You can see the following code on the picture:

width=700 height=500

try:

width=490 height=350

I didn't check the actual size of the lower picture (wide one), but that's pretty close. However, the very bottom 4 pictures might also need resizing or regrouping, as they are each 200 wide (total 800pix across).

Resizing the border strips would probably not look so great.

Danno

Hi Dan,
I will resize the top one. Can that be done on the auctiva editor? Or do I need to do it in a photo editor? I have been using iranview. Its easy for me to use. I do have others.

The grahics that I made in the template are hosted on photobucket is there anything I need to change as far as the image tags for them? Do you understand what I'm asking ? The ones I'm talking about are 1- the lady w/the measurement guides and 2- the one w/ the tree and text written across Go Green.
I will keep trying to figure this out. In the mean time I may use one of auctvas' premade templates just so I can start listing something. I have been working on this stuff for a while. I thought that once the template was made it was ready to launch (just make sure I delete all of Front page stuff) Boy have my eyes been open to more work.But thats o.k. I'm learning.
I really appeciate all of your input.
I will be back.

BTW when you said the best method to play with the template creation is to use the template editer- are you talking about on here or in front page ? Sorry if i'm asking too many ?'s

Hi Deborah,

You don't actually need to "resize" the picture for testing. It appears all the images are currently stored at inmycedarchestdesigns for loading. You can let the code do the resize for display (per my width and height substition code). If you finally get the redesign locked and want to resize the template picture(s) to decrease the amount of data to load (and time) for the page, that's probably a better approach.

Any permanent (to template) images should be done as you have them coded. The unique pictures for each item for the listing should use the Auctiva tags, i.e. give you the flexibility to swap images for each listing. Hope that makes sense.

On "best method" question, the Auctiva template editor is used to build or customize templates for use on Auctiva. Look at the lower right on the Listing tab page for "Custom Template". The "Create your own Template" is where you'd start creation for a new Template based on this design. You can also look at the "Customize an Auctiva Template" for ideas on how Auctiva creates those stock templates and great examples of how the tag system they've created works.

Danno

Hey Dan,
I did do the resize in the code like you suggested and it did make the graphic smaller.
Also I noticed something that may have been a problem and that was the STAR graphics that I had inserted in the top right column. They were being hosted on photobucket(and for some reason they were not displaying-saying they had been moved or deleted)Any way I got rid of them for now. When I did that, it shrunk the column back to the way it should be. Also some of the text I used was copied and pasted from Word pad to Front Pg. I've since then learned that is a no/no.
I was wondering if I took my original copy of my code( w/out any changes) pasted it into the template editor( create custom template page) if I could recreate what I had in there. Before I added any of my changes I would go ahead and add the tags that are needed and then proceed from there. What do you think?
Did you get a chance to look at the original code?
Would you mind if I sent something to you in the mail as my way of thanking you for your time?
I'll catcha later.Thanks again!
Deborah

P.S. I feel like I'm in school.I am so glad that I have found someone that I can get answers from. You have been great!

Hi,

Original code looks clean and typical of what I've previoulsy seen for IMCC. They don't 100% match-up with the Auctiva tags for the Seller Details, but it's close. I'd use the [TITLE] [DESCRIPTION] and the [IMAGE...] type tags.

I don't think it's wrong to continue to develop the code with Frontpage. However, you might have created some bad code with that copy from Word.

You don't need to send me anything. I volunteer my time to help Auctiva in the Forum. It's my way of payback for the years of great service.

I've ditched my ideas for "collectible" stores and/or a book for the moment and have put-on my "coders hat" from a decade of mothballs. hehe I've been coding since the late 60's. I'm rusty, but still pretty damn feisty in my old age. I think the first few tiers of PowerSellers are in real trouble with all these changes and XMas season looming. I am seriously considering a venture for code support (maybe to assist Auctiva members), given the really ugly mess eBay is creating with the New Design and the openings with the new Fixed Priced and Choice Policies. That's a "If you can bet them, make money on the chaos." decision.

For the moment, helping in the Forum keeps me abreast of current issues.

Danno

Hi Danno,
Thanks for the reply.
Wow ! You've been coding since the 60's. Thats amazing. I have just started learning. Mostly from the internet on different websites.

I am glad that I have Front Page, so I can work in the design view. I am not well versed with the code part.That will be a continuing learning process.

Do you think I should start over in Front Page, only b/c I really don't know what I'm doing as far as the code goes. The only thing that I will paste in there will be my permanent grahics hosted on photobucket. Then when I'm done I'll get you to look at it for me to see what you think.
So far I have been working with the template in Auctiva's create a template pg. then I copy and paste it to the listng page and hit preview and it is doing better. I have tried this on firefox and IE. In IE the New star grahic I created is not displaying. It's a photobucket box thats says its been moved or deleted. What does that mean? The template is doing fine now on firefox. I am still wondering if I should start over to get rid of anything bad. I don't know what I would be looking for to get rid of bad code.

I hope you won't get tired of me.

Thanks Danno!!!

Deborah

Hmmm....I saw the gold stars in IE7, FireFox 3 and on my coder.

I did notice the stars stacked vertically on one version of the template when viewed with FireFox 3.

Usually, problem code will give you warnings or errors during display, e.g. IE7 gives them on the lower frame under the brower window. Same place you see links and load status type messages appear while browsing). Usually, it will be something like a "! with yellow background and Done". If you double-clik on that !Done, it normally gives a pop-up window with the errors (and code line references). I'd expect Frontpage to also give you warnings during Preview tests.

If I recall, the errors I saw were for a missing "Class" definition and some errors in the Java code section at the front of the code. The Java at the front is the typical Right-Mouse click protection that most code use by Maximus with the pop-up message. It might be simplier to locate the bugs in the new code and compare to the original code.

Danno

Hey Danno,
Would you mind if I emailed you sometime with an off topic question?
Thanks
Deborah

Hi,

Sure...

Dan