The Contribute Environment


The Contribute environment is geared toward nontechnical users, so it is straightforward and simple to use. The environment is based on the web browser concept and enables users to navigate through the pages of their sites by clicking on hyperlinks, as well as using the traditional buttons and toolbars found in the most popular browsers. In addition, Contribute adds a set of panels that provide supplemental information for navigating pages and using Contribute.

The Contribute Start Page

On startup, Contribute displays the start page shown in Figure 31.1. The start page provides quick links to sites you have configured and to tutorials for assistance in using Contribute.

Figure 31.1. The Contribute start page gives you access to your configured sites.


Just as you can with the start pages in the other Studio applications, you can disable the start page by checking the Don't Show Again check box.

Menu Bar

Similar to the other Studio applications, the Contribute menu bar offers access to all the various tools and functions that can be used to configure Contribute or manage your web pages. In addition to containing some items that are common to the other Studio applications, Contribute's menu bar also includes a couple of items that are unique to Contribute. The menu categories in Contribute 3.1 are as follows:

  • File Menu Enables you to perform document-related actions such as save, publish, preview in browser, and print.

  • Edit Menu Enables you to perform common editing tasks such as cut, copy, and paste, as well as create connections to Contribute websites and set program preferences.

  • View Menu Enables you to choose which page elements are visible in the workspace, as well as perform browser-related functionality such as back and forward.

  • Bookmarks Menu Enables you to bookmark pages within your site for quick access and editing.

  • Insert Menu Enables you to insert elements such as tables, hyperlinks, images, and rich media content. Also provides access to eCommerce tools via PayPal.

  • Format Menu Provides access to editing tools for text, images, and page properties.

  • Table Menu Enables you to insert and adjust tables placed in your web pages.

  • Help Menu Provides access to common help functionality as well as the Contribute Support Center.

Sidebar

The Contribute sidebar, shown in Figure 31.2, provides access to two different panels, each of which can be minimized individually.

Figure 31.2. The sidebar provides access to the Pages and How Do I panels.


The following panels are located in the sidebar:

  • Pages panel Provides access to page information as well as one-click access to recently edited pages.

  • How Do I panel Provides quick access to help topics and step-by-step instructions for common tasks.

Although the sidebar provides easy access to help topics for novice users, it also takes up valuable real estate. To close the sidebar, choose View, Sidebar from the menu bar. This command toggles the sidebar on and off.

Browse/Edit Workspace

The majority of the Contribute environment is dominated by the Browser/Edit workspace (see Figure 31.3), which enables you to navigate the pages in your configured sites and edit their content in a single, easy-to-use interface.

Figure 31.3. The Browser/Edit workspace is where most of the work is done in Contribute.


Contribute Toolbar

The Contribute toolbar, located at the top of the workspace, contains task-oriented buttons that enable you to either browse or edit the pages in the site. When a page is not being edited, the Contribute toolbar displays buttons that focus on the navigation of the pages, such as Back, Forward, Stop, and Refresh. In addition, the address of the current page is displayed in the Address bar (see Figure 31.4).

Figure 31.4. The Contribute toolbar displays browser buttons when in browser mode.


When the Edit Page button is clicked, the Contribute bar changes to display buttons that assist with the various editing and save functions (see Figure 31.5).

Figure 31.5. When a page is being edited, the Contribute toolbar changes to display common editing tasks.


Switching between browsing and editing mode is done with a single click of a button. When in browsing mode, clicking the Edit Page button switches the workspace to editing mode. When in editing mode, clicking the Cancel button switches you back to browsing mode, after first confirming that any changes made to the draft will be lost unless saved.

Contribute Workspace

The Contribute workspace serves as both a browser and inline editor to make editing pages as simple as possible. Content editors can use the browser mode to find the page they want to edit and then switch to edit mode to make adjustments to that page. When in browser mode, the workspace renders the page just as the most popular browsers do (see Figure 31.6).

Figure 31.6. When in browser mode, the workspace renders the web page just as a browser would.


When the content editor switches to edit mode, however, the page becomes an editable document. If the page is based on a Dreamweaver template, the editable regions are indicated and the template regions remain locked, as shown in Figure 31.7.

Figure 31.7. The Contribute workspace adjusts based on whether a document is being viewed or edited.


Note

If you open a page that is located in a site that is not configured for use in Contribute, the page is displayed in the workspace and you can make edits to it, but Contribute allows you to save it as only a draft. Until the site is configured for use in Contribute, you cannot publish the changes.


Status Bar

Located at the bottom of the workspace, the status bar behaves exactly like a browser status bar. It displays the status of the page loading process, the hyperlink targets when a link is rolled over, and the results of any JavaScript behaviors that modify the status bar.



Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
ISBN: 0789733854
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 337

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