Frontpage web update to CSS based tips

[ggeoff]

Hi
I have a Frontpage 2002 website running since early 2008. There are over 60 pages. Some CSS has been used and PHP includes, for the page footer, for example. I am using Expression Web 2 as my editor. A lot of the code, although working, is highlighted as being invalid. I am thinking about updating the site and thought that the first edit should replace the Frontpage heading content and having an HTML Doctype statement. I would then start to build a CSS stylesheet. Has anyone some tips on updating my site from Frontpage?

Thanks Geoff

[LastMitch]

Has anyone some tips on updating my site from Frontpage?

I be honest with you. I mean not many people used Frontpage. I might have seen a few questions regarding about Frontpage but not updating a website.

Here is a link of some tutorial:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/expression/cc136522

[JorgeM]

I think the suggestions you already provided are valid. I would start a new project, get your new structure in place, then copy the code that will remain into the new pages. Copy sections at a time so it gives you the opportunity to fix a few items at a time rather than having a lot of code with a lot of fixing to do.

I had to do this for a customer not too long ago and I tried to fix the site in place. It was too difficult and took this approach and brought up the new site with the new features minus the junk that the customer wanted removed. During that time, I made sure that I coded with HTML5 in mind.

[ggeoff]

Thanks JorgeM. The trouble is that I have over 60 web pages. The client will not pay for this work. I didn't use Frontpage themes and other options peculiar to Frontpage. I note that Microsoft's website has an HTML5 doctype and has 515 errors and 487 warnings :) I was thinking of playing safe and at least use a doctype statement (transitional) on a few pages.

[JorgeM]

With regard to 60 pages, you need to implement a solution that allows you to reuse the same HTML code on each page. For example, in asp.net, there is the concept of the Master page. If you need to make a change, you do it in one place.

I am not familiar with PHP, but its my understanding that there is a similar process.

Or you'd have to use an IDE that keeps track of all of your pages and mark-up and allows you to edit multiple pages in one step.

[ggeoff]

Thanks JorgeM

I am also using CuteNews in three column layouts. The site splits into a few three column layouts achieved with tables. The rest of the pages many of which are identical in structure have a single column. At present I am working on a single column page with an associated CSS file. Once I am happy with that I'll consider ways to update the other pages later. I'll stick to PHP though.

[ansaripk]

In this case Wordpress is a better option. Using wordpress you can resue your page components like header, sidebar and footer in each new page with minimum changes. and best organized contents with CMS.

[ggeoff]

Thanks ansaripk. I didn't realist that Wordpress can create a three column layout with items placed anywhere within those columns. But to repeat I have a live website just over five years old. I am not being paid to create a new one. All I would like to do is clean up the code and improve the appearance of the site.