layouts not changing

[mattc]

Hi all,

I'm gradually moving some of our products to a new layout. The problem is that sometimes when i choose a new layout (specifically for extended information) the layout shows up as changed in the preview, but this doesnt relfect on the real site after an upload. The old layout is still there.

I've tried updates, refresh and a full delete and upload of the site without success.

Note, after several restarts of actinic, it sometimes works.

Anyone seen this before?

[TraceyHand]

oh, how I know that feeling!
If you have stubborn layouts, have you tried compacting the database (which also restarts Actinic)
I find this usually 'fixes' it

[mattc]

thanks for your response tracy.

i hadn't tried that, but now i have, twice, but unfortunatly it still doesnt work.

i've followed it up with an update and a refresh but nothing.
I've never had this problem before. seems odd.

[TraceyHand]

so am I right in thinking it's a new 'extended info' layout that it's not changing?

[jont]

Have you tried a purge & refresh rather than just an update?

[mattc]

tracy - yep its an extended info layout.

jont - thanks, tried it but it didnt work

when you've had stubborn layouts in the past, did the new - intended layout show up in a preview?

[TraceyHand]

tracy - yep its an extended info layout.

jont - thanks, tried it but it didnt work

when you've had stubborn layouts in the past, did the new - intended layout show up in a preview?

sometimes yes, sometimes no (V9 and fragments are giving me HUGE problems with this issue!)

One thing that might help, as it's an extended info layout problem, is unchecking the 'use extended info' boxes, uploading, re-checking the boxes (assuming the layout has been changed correctly) and re-uploading.
A bit long-winded but might give Actinic the kickstart to upload the changes?

[cdicken]

Another thing to try is to open the ActinicCatalog.mdb file in Access and then delete all the content in the rows in the 'FileList' table (this is the table which tells Actinic what to upload). The downside of this is that the next upload will essentially be a refresh, but it should get everything working again.

Tracey - could you give me an example scenario of the problem you are experiencing. I'll see whether I can reproduce it and get it fixed.

[TraceyHand]

Tracey - could you give me an example scenario of the problem you are experiencing. I'll see whether I can reproduce it and get it fixed.

yeh..sorry, Chris
It's on my to-do list to log with support, honest LOL

Brochure homepage fragment layouts.
they get shuffled around a lot and I'm finding a lot of problems getting it to change when I say 'change'!
Example, I had a homepage layout with 5 images (coded into 5 'text only' fragments) and wanted to remove the fifth and add in text instead.
I moved the one I was removing to a hidden section (seeing as there is still no way to 'hide on website' for a fragment) and added a new fragment, using the same (text only) layout.

What Actinic actually showed me was a jumbled up 'mess' of the old image (twice!) and fragment title and text...seemingly randomly.

I've noticed it happens a lot. Mostly when re-doing the brochure homepage, removing the demo fragments and inserting my own. It ignores layouts..or the preview shows bizarre concoctions of old and new.

I'd be surprised if it isn't pretty easy to reproduce as it happens a lot.
[edit] Using 9.0.1 IDWA, just FTR

[mattc]

hi chris, thanks - I tried your suggestion but it didn't work either.

It turned out to be something to do with duplicates. Basically had to just delete and re-create the duplicates and it worked. any idea how to stop this happening in future. I don't really understand the relationship between products and duplicates - and how they update. Could i have stale duplicates or something simiar?

Thanks

[TraceyHand]

right..was it the extended info layout of the duplicates that wasn't updating?
Or were you changing the layout in the duplicate but not the original?

You have a few ways to tackle it, I guess.
If you want the extended info layouts to be the same on both original product and duplicate, then go to
Settings > Duplicate Field configuration
and ensure the box labelled Extended Info Layout is UNCHECKED.

then, when you change the original product's extended info layout, it *should* automatically change the duplicates (the duplicate layouts themselves will be uneditable)

This is a site-wide thing though (ie ALL duplicate extended info will be the same as originals) so, alternatively, if there will be cases where an original and duplicate require different extended info layouts, you will have to ensure that you change the correct one each time and, if there are originals with duplicates that you want to change at the same time, always ensure you press the 'reset duplicate' button on the original product after changing its layout, to make the change on its duplicates also.
Be warned though, this will change ALL of its duplicates.

No simple way round it. It's much easier using an 'all or nothing' approach but it's not always the way sites are set up!
I hope that made sense! LOL

[mattc]

thankyou! all done

Hopefully that will stop it happening again.

[cdicken]

Hi Tracey - thanks for the info about the brochure fragments. I'll have a play with it this afternoon and see how it goes.