Remove sub sections in V8 Business

[June]

Hi,

Trying out the Actinic V8 30 day trial before deciding whether to invest in the upgrade. So far it looks good, but quite different design wise to V 7. Where have the main primary and brochure templates gone?

2 questions -

I have imported a snapshot of the V7 site we have into the V8 trial, all the child (sub-sections) have reappeared. I originally got rid of them by removing part of the yahoo code in the main primary templates. How do I approach this in V8 (get rid of the child/ sub sections I mean, as the list is very long)

Also, the home brochure page in v 7 is an html page which was composed using dreamwever (not part of the home fragment, this is used instead). There dowes not seem to be a browse/ attach html page facility to fragments in v 8

Pleased if you can help

Thanks, June

www.mindmachine.co.uk

[leehack]

If you only want to show Top Level Sections, then there is a variable for just that and called that. Add that variable to your layout in the design view and you will see what i mean. Right click | insert variable, where you want it.

In which version(s) has there been the chance to browse/attach a html file? you can embed html into fragments as you always could, browsing and attaching is something i've never heard you can do, i think you might be a little confused.

Add your own html by embedding into a text only fragment - there is a tutorial on my site if you would like to understand brochure pages and fragments better.

[pinbrook]

don't forget all the navigation is documented in the advanced user guide, maybe read the getting started for a basic intro on v8 layouts (v7 templates=v8layouts and act-primary etc gone for ever)

[June]

Thanks for your responses, In answer to your question, Lee, I have Actinic Developer V 7.0.2, which has a select/ browse (insert html file) as an option within the brochure fragment layout (I don't think I'm confused, though I find Actinic V 8 fairly confusing at the moment! I hope it doesn't take too long to get to grips with...??!)

Our home page is an html file attachment which was compiled in dreamweaver using the fragment template to maintain the background smart theme

I will take your advice, Jo, and read the user guide

V 8 has just come as a bit of a shock to the system, however, I will grit my teeth and get to the learning curve (again)

Thanks again

June

[leehack]

June, if you want your own html into a page, normal procedure is to embed the html using the actinic markers into a 'text-only' fragment. I have never heard mentioned or seen an insert html option, until you said it. I am still lost on that option to be honest.

To learn V8 will be a struggle as you have V7 stuck in your head, newcomers to V8 will often fair better in the start. Best thing i can suggest is to try and forget about V7 and think of V8 as something new, it is radically different.

If you get stuck or confused, remember that it is now 12 months old and at least 98% of the questions you need an answer to, will have already been asked and answered - don't forget to use the SEARCH facility.

Good luck, you'll love it once you've got your head round it.

[June]

Thanks Lee, thanks for the advice.... forget about V7 and put my V8 hat on. I didn't realise it was so radically different in design. I think it will take a little while to learn...

Never mind, I hate to be defeated so will soldier on with it

Thanks again - much appreciated

[pinbrook]

forget about V7 and put my V8 hat on.

and don't be disheartened, it has taken us hardened developers the best part of the last year to get v8 under our belts.

Hard work. late nights, frayed tempers and alot of trashed sites later ..

just remember to take frequent snapshots ie just before you change something radical take a snapshot. and continually upload to test space as you often can get "coding errors" that prevent upload which are difficult to track down if you spent all day changing stuff before uploading.

[June]

Problem is - knowing where to start!! I suppose the thing to do is upgrade and work on minor issues/ changes as they arise.

Question: as it is quite expensive to upgrade to V8.5.1 from V7, and there is quite a lot to learn about the new product -

1. I am concerned we may experience a temporary dip in Google listings following upgrade - is this usual?

2. What are advantages of Actinic ( I know it looks good!!) over the relatively cheap open source software like OS commerce or Zen Cart, both require a learning investment, Actinic also costs a lot!

Thanks in anticipation

June

[pinbrook]

1. I am concerned we may experience a temporary dip in Google listings following upgrade - is this usual?

not necessarily, as long as your page names stay the same. The reverse has been the effect for several people who say their listings have improved. You could always add google ads for a short while if you were very concerned

2. What are advantages of Actinic ( I know it looks good!!) over the relatively cheap open source software like OS commerce or Zen Cart, both require a learning investment, Actinic also costs a lot!

The problem IMO of these other carts is the time you have to spend in adding contributions to get the equivilent functionality. ie there is no inbuilt order processing in osc, not are there any decent inbiult reports - what you save in up front costs to spend in developer time. You have to add contributions for shipping, components and so on. I've converted 3 sites back from osc to Actinic, and have several clients who have done the same (quite independantly) I helped a friend out a few years ago by setting up an osc site for him, since then i've passed him on to another developer as he was taking up too much time wanting extra features, he probably now has paid more to the developer than he would have spent on actinic in the first instance - granted he has live stock control and has had bestselers etc for the past 4 years.

so in my view, cheap upfront but more maintence costs

[June]

Thanks, Jo - I think you've put it into some sort of perspective. At least with Actinic ( I have looked at the 30 day trial from Actinic site), it looks good and is functional out of the box, without customising.

I was just trying to get my head round it

As for listings with Google - if the information within the site stays the same and the page names remain the same (am I right in assuming ll the info including the page names, page titles, etc. remain intact during the upgrade??) then there shouldn't be a problem post-upgrade?

[pinbrook]

if the information within the site stays the same and the page names remain the same (am I right in assuming ll the info including the page names, page titles, etc. remain intact during the upgrade??)

correct...