Editing a Web Page with Contribute
Until the release of Macromedia Contribute, putting information on the web has been left to the webmasters: the designers, developers, and programmers who code in HTML, JavaScript, and a host of other software languages.
Contribute is an easy-to-use program that lets you update, modify, and expand the pages on your Internet or intranet. If you can use a word processor and a browser, you'll be comfortable with Contribute.
In this article, you'll see how to get into and out of Edit mode and find out what to do if you can't modify a particular page.
NOTE
Getting Your Hands on Contribute
If you don't have Contribute but want to see if the program is for you, Macromedia has a fully functional online trial available at http://www.macromedia.com/software/contribute/download.
Start Editing
Editing existing web pages is Contribute's reason for existence. With Contribute, you can begin editing after a connection is made—and, even better, Contribute adapts to the way you work.
Entering Edit Mode
When you browse to a page on a connected site, Contribute gets ready to edit. If the page is one that you have permission to modify, the toolbar displays the Edit Page button prominently in the upper-left corner (see Figure 1). When you select Edit Page, Contribute goes to work and enters Edit mode.
The Edit Page button becomes active whenever you have browsed to an available page.The file on the web server is locked to prevent other Contribute users from editing it.
The HTML file is copied from the web server onto your machine as a working draft.
Any associated files—such as images, style sheets, or external code—are also copied.
The draft file in Contribute is opened for editing, and the toolbar changes to Edit mode.
TIP
If you prefer to use menus, you can also choose File > Edit Page to begin the process.
When you're finished editing, you can publish the file, save it as a draft, or cancel the edit and lose your changes.
(c)Troubleshooting Editing Problems
It's safe to say that sometimes you won't be able edit a particular page. If that happens to you, check the following:
Are you in a site that you have established a connection to? Contribute displays a note in the message bar and the Create Connection button in the toolbar if that's the case.
Is the page in a folder that you don't have access to? Every Contribute user belongs to a particular group; the site administrator can limit a group to work only in particular folders. If you know you have established a connection to the site but can't access a page in a particular folder, contact the site administrator.
Is someone else modifying the page? Contribute not only tells you that someone else is currently editing the page, but it also tells you who it is and provides a link to e-mail that person. Click the link to send an e-mail and let the person know you also need to work on the page.