Templates - The opposite way?

This may sound backwards... but is it possible?

A site has a page as a template layout, with editable areas such as <h1> etc.
What I need to do is give the option to insert new pieces of code (in this
case div blocks) within the page.
So like I said it may sound backward, but the I need to be able to do the
following:

Within an editable area (ie a container div), give the option to insert one of
a choice of four div blocks:

Image (floated left) and text
Image (floated right) and text
Text only
List items

I know this falls neatly into Snippets, but I wondered, has anyone done this
kind of thing with templates?

I guess I don't understand the question. Can you elaborate?

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver MX
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
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"matt@designuk" <webforumsuser (AT) macromedia (DOT) com> wrote

This may sound backwards... but is it possible?

A site has a page as a template layout, with editable areas such as <h1
etc.
What I need to do is give the option to insert new pieces of code (in
this
case div blocks) within the page.
So like I said it may sound backward, but the I need to be able to do the
following:

Within an editable area (ie a container div), give the option to insert
one of
a choice of four div blocks:

Image (floated left) and text
Image (floated right) and text
Text only
List items

I know this falls neatly into Snippets, but I wondered, has anyone done
this
kind of thing with templates?

Sorry, I guess that was a bit hazy!

Imagine if you will a template page with an editable div ready for content:

<div id="main">
<!-- insert main content within this div -->

</div>

The content-adding user would position their cursor within this div and say...
'I want to add some content'
Now here's the fun bit:
The kind of content they can add is split into different formats! So they need
to be able to choose (for example) between a paragraph with an image which is
floated left:

<div class="template_left_image">
<div class="left_image_area">
<img src="../images/warehouse_exterior.jpg" width="177" height="139"
alt="B&amp;Q Warehouse exterior" class="image_bordered" />
<p class="image_caption_left">Description area for picture is right here
buddy<span class="price_caption"><br />Price</span></p>
</div>
<h3><a name="1" class="h3_anchor">image on left</a></h3>
<p>Sed diamam nonummy nibh euismoi tation ullad tincidunt ut laoreet dolore
magna aliquam erat volutpat.</p>
<div class="clearing"></div>
</div>

or one with an image floated right (same codeblock, different css classes
applied), or a set of buttons (different codeblock entirely)

What I have then is a set of self contained blocks of code which slot in
nicely within the container <div>.
So what the user needs is a way of choosing which block of code they want to
apply.
So this does sound a lot like Snippets of code, but I'd like to be able to
provide this kind of choice without resorting to code.

Any ideas? I'm pretty much stuck on this one... :-(

I know of no way to do this in Dreamweaver, or HTML for that matter. Sorry.

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver MX
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
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ANSWERS
==================
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==================

"matt@designuk" <webforumsuser (AT) macromedia (DOT) com> wrote

Sorry, I guess that was a bit hazy!

Imagine if you will a template page with an editable div ready for
content:

div id="main"
!-- insert main content within this div --

/div

The content-adding user would position their cursor within this div and
say...
'I want to add some content'
Now here's the fun bit:
The kind of content they can add is split into different formats! So they
need
to be able to choose (for example) between a paragraph with an image which
is
floated left:

div class="template_left_image"
div class="left_image_area"
img src="../images/warehouse_exterior.jpg" width="177" height="139"
alt="B&amp;Q Warehouse exterior" class="image_bordered" /
p class="image_caption_left">Description area for picture is right
here
buddy<span class="price_caption"><br />Price</span></p
/div
h3><a name="1" class="h3_anchor">image on left</a></h3
p>Sed diamam nonummy nibh euismoi tation ullad tincidunt ut laoreet
dolore
magna aliquam erat volutpat.</p
div class="clearing"></div
/div

or one with an image floated right (same codeblock, different css classes
applied), or a set of buttons (different codeblock entirely)

What I have then is a set of self contained blocks of code which slot in
nicely within the container <div>.
So what the user needs is a way of choosing which block of code they want
to
apply.
So this does sound a lot like Snippets of code, but I'd like to be able
to
provide this kind of choice without resorting to code.

Any ideas? I'm pretty much stuck on this one... :-(

Instead of a single editable region, you could try using 3 optional regions,
each with the code/structure you want to offer, and assign appropriate
editable region(s) inside each of the optional regions. Then your
content-adding users would simply choose, from Template properties, which
optional region they want to use, and drop in their content.

I've never done this, but I *think* it would work.

--
Sonjay

On 7/15/04 5:32 AM, in article cd5iv5$h3h$1 (AT) forums (DOT) macromedia.com,
"matt@designuk" <webforumsuser (AT) macromedia (DOT) com> wrote:

Sorry, I guess that was a bit hazy!

Imagine if you will a template page with an editable div ready for content:

div id="main"
!-- insert main content within this div --

/div

The content-adding user would position their cursor within this div and say...
'I want to add some content'
Now here's the fun bit:
The kind of content they can add is split into different formats! So they need
to be able to choose (for example) between a paragraph with an image which is
floated left:

div class="template_left_image"
div class="left_image_area"
img src="../images/warehouse_exterior.jpg" width="177" height="139"
alt="B&amp;Q Warehouse exterior" class="image_bordered" /
p class="image_caption_left">Description area for picture is right here
buddy<span class="price_caption"><br />Price</span></p
/div
h3><a name="1" class="h3_anchor">image on left</a></h3
p>Sed diamam nonummy nibh euismoi tation ullad tincidunt ut laoreet dolore
magna aliquam erat volutpat.</p
div class="clearing"></div
/div

or one with an image floated right (same codeblock, different css classes
applied), or a set of buttons (different codeblock entirely)

What I have then is a set of self contained blocks of code which slot in
nicely within the container <div>.
So what the user needs is a way of choosing which block of code they want to
apply.
So this does sound a lot like Snippets of code, but I'd like to be able to
provide this kind of choice without resorting to code.

Any ideas? I'm pretty much stuck on this one... :-(

This might work, but if there are multiple options, in multiple places, it
would get very complex in a hurry.

I frankly dont think it would be worth the effort to maintain.

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver MX
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
news://forums.macromedia.com/macromedia.dreamweaver - THE BEST WAY TO GET
ANSWERS
==================
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==================

"Sonjay" <my-name (AT) mindspring (DOT) com> wrote

Instead of a single editable region, you could try using 3 optional
regions,
each with the code/structure you want to offer, and assign appropriate
editable region(s) inside each of the optional regions. Then your
content-adding users would simply choose, from Template properties, which
optional region they want to use, and drop in their content.

I've never done this, but I *think* it would work.

--
Sonjay

On 7/15/04 5:32 AM, in article cd5iv5$h3h$1 (AT) forums (DOT) macromedia.com,
"matt@designuk" <webforumsuser (AT) macromedia (DOT) com> wrote:

Sorry, I guess that was a bit hazy!

Imagine if you will a template page with an editable div ready for
content:

div id="main"
!-- insert main content within this div --

/div

The content-adding user would position their cursor within this div and
say...
'I want to add some content'
Now here's the fun bit:
The kind of content they can add is split into different formats! So
they need
to be able to choose (for example) between a paragraph with an image
which is
floated left:

div class="template_left_image"
div class="left_image_area"
img src="../images/warehouse_exterior.jpg" width="177" height="139"
alt="B&amp;Q Warehouse exterior" class="image_bordered" /
p class="image_caption_left">Description area for picture is right
here
buddy<span class="price_caption"><br />Price</span></p
/div
h3><a name="1" class="h3_anchor">image on left</a></h3
p>Sed diamam nonummy nibh euismoi tation ullad tincidunt ut laoreet
dolore
magna aliquam erat volutpat.</p
div class="clearing"></div
/div

or one with an image floated right (same codeblock, different css
classes
applied), or a set of buttons (different codeblock entirely)

What I have then is a set of self contained blocks of code which slot in
nicely within the container <div>.
So what the user needs is a way of choosing which block of code they
want to
apply.
So this does sound a lot like Snippets of code, but I'd like to be able
to
provide this kind of choice without resorting to code.

Any ideas? I'm pretty much stuck on this one... :-(

Well, it may or may not be suitable for the OP's intended purpose -- but I
don't think it's all that complex. Four optional regions, each containing
one or two editable regions (image region and text, or text only). The user
picks one to display from the Template properties menu, drops in their
image, enters their text, and they're done.

What's so complex about that?

--
Sonjay

On 7/15/04 9:09 AM, in article cd5vmd$4ep$1 (AT) forums (DOT) macromedia.com, "Murray
*TMM*" <forums (AT) HAHAgreat-web-sights (DOT) com> wrote:

This might work, but if there are multiple options, in multiple places, it
would get very complex in a hurry.

I frankly dont think it would be worth the effort to maintain.

The instance you describe is not so complicated, although the template page
becomes quite cluttered as the optional regions are all displayed. I often
use a similar technique with image-based menus for selecting the down button
state. I guess my use of complex was more directed at 'visually complex'
than at 'intellectually complex'. Nevertheless, I think it's a solution
worth investigating....

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver MX
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
news://forums.macromedia.com/macromedia.dreamweaver - THE BEST WAY TO GET
ANSWERS
==================
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http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
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==================

"Sonjay" <my-name (AT) mindspring (DOT) com> wrote

Well, it may or may not be suitable for the OP's intended purpose -- but I
don't think it's all that complex. Four optional regions, each containing
one or two editable regions (image region and text, or text only). The
user
picks one to display from the Template properties menu, drops in their
image, enters their text, and they're done.

What's so complex about that?

--
Sonjay

On 7/15/04 9:09 AM, in article cd5vmd$4ep$1 (AT) forums (DOT) macromedia.com, "Murray
*TMM*" <forums (AT) HAHAgreat-web-sights (DOT) com> wrote:

This might work, but if there are multiple options, in multiple places,
it
would get very complex in a hurry.

I frankly dont think it would be worth the effort to maintain.