WebPlus X5: Large websites - ?

[Ken]

Hello everyone, a bit of advice please, and please excuse the preamble

As regulars may know, I'm a (very) long term Serif user, but my main website building tool has always been Netobjects Fusion. I've always used Pageplus/Webplus to produce all the graphics, but most of the websites I've produced over the years have been in NOF, apart from a few sites with only a few pages.
Just my own preference - I became well used to the way large sites could be laid out in NOF (and learned to avoid its funny little ways which could easily result in disaster).
Overall I've been happy to stick with Netobjects, but now to my point.

Netobjects Fusion seems to be devoid of any future development (I may be wrong, but.... ), and also support has been virtually non-existent for quite a while, therefore I'm considering swapping some sites over to Webplus as they need updating.

Crux of the matter is, some sites are quite large - 150/200 pages. Photo galleries, guestbooks, forums etc I already keep outside of NOF, so they aren't a problem. It's simply the number of pages.

Anybody out there run largish sites in Webplus? - I'd appreciate any feedback on possible problems if a .wpp file gets too large. As stated, it's more or less straightforward html pages and navigation - anything else which would bloat a site file would be kept separate.

[mjh]

Originally Posted by Ken Hello everyone, a bit of advice please, and please excuse the preamble As regulars may know, I'm a (very) long term Serif user, but my main website building tool has always been Netobjects Fusion. I've always used Pageplus/Webplus to produce all the graphics, but most of the websites I've produced over the years have been in NOF, apart from a few sites with only a few pages. Just my own preference - I became well used to the way large sites could be laid out in NOF (and learned to avoid its funny little ways which could easily result in disaster). Overall I've been happy to stick with Netobjects, but now to my point. Netobjects Fusion seems to be devoid of any future development (I may be wrong, but.... ), and also support has been virtually non-existent for quite a while, therefore I'm considering swapping some sites over to Webplus as they need updating. Crux of the matter is, some sites are quite large - 150/200 pages. Photo galleries, guestbooks, forums etc I already keep outside of NOF, so they aren't a problem. It's simply the number of pages. Anybody out there run largish sites in Webplus? - I'd appreciate any feedback on possible problems if a .wpp file gets too large. As stated, it's more or less straightforward html pages and navigation - anything else which would bloat a site file would be kept separate.

Hi Ken

150 - 200 pages is not especially large so just go ahead and give it a try.

[Ken]

Thanks for the quick response, MJH,

I have a new project I might just try, which will run to about 200 pages with maybe a dozen or so photos embedded (no galleries). I was a little curious (worried?) how the Webplus navigation system would handle so many pages- probably four or five sub-sections

I suppose the only way to find out will be to try it on a new site before it needs to go live
Something to keep me busy for a few days......

[mjh]

Originally Posted by Ken Thanks for the quick response, MJH, I have a new project I might just try, which will run to about 200 pages with maybe a dozen or so photos embedded (no galleries). I was a little curious (worried?) how the Webplus navigation system would handle so many pages- probably four or five sub-sections I suppose the only way to find out will be to try it on a new site before it needs to go live Something to keep me busy for a few days......

No problem with navbars at all.

Maybe looking a Griff's site will give you some ideas.\

http://griffwason.com

[Ken]

Thanks again - that looks like a perfect example of Webplus's navigation abilities

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Stay with NetObjects Fusion for large sites. I am still using ver 7.5 NetObjects Essentials. ©2003

• My largest site in NOF = 3,875 pages
  Load time = 31 seconds to resume where I left off.
  Save time = 3 seconds
• My Software Reviews site in WPX5. 23 pages
  Load time = 35 seconds to load the home page, 15 more to find the page I was last working on.
  Save time = 3 seconds

WPX5 supports Unicode properly, and has a much nicer interface, plus more features, so its better for small sites, but I wouldn't want to use it for more than 50 pages.

[Ken]

Hi Bhikkhu, I have no problems at all with NOF (I started with 4 and now on version 12) and find it perfectly stable. As you say, the free version is still an excellent tool, and does 95% of what the paid version does!

My only worry with NOF is that it appears dead in the water - everyone else is moving on including the web itself, but Netobjects basic technology hasn't changed much at all and doesn't appear likely to anytime soon

I realise I can stay with it for probably quite a while yet, but don't want to get trapped in a tables-only timewarp when the rest of the web-world has moved on with pure css layout and HTML5 standards.

p.s. interesting web software site you have there

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Originally Posted by Ken I realise I can stay with it for probably quite a while yet, but don't want to get trapped in a tables-only timewarp when the rest of the web-world has moved on with pure css layout and HTML5 standards.

NOF already supports CSS, though it does seem to be stuck in a time-warp. I keep trying each version of WebPlus to edit my sites, but it looks like its never going to be suitable.

I know someone who is still using HotMetal Pro for His Web Site, and I suspect that is completely defunct now.

I am not a web designer, so it is better to ask others about the best program for large sites, but I don't see any reason to recommend WebPlus for large sites based on my experience.

BTW: Is it worth upgrading to NetObjects 12? My main problem is that I need to type and spell-check Latin Extended character for Pāli words like Satipaṭṭhāna — currently I have to cut and paste them from notepad, Opera, or PagePlus. My sites are mostly text.

[Ken]

Originally Posted by Bhikkhu Pesala BTW: Is it worth upgrading to NetObjects 12? My main problem is that I need to type and spell-check Latin Extended character for Pāli words like Satipaṭṭhāna — currently I have to cut and paste them from notepad, Opera, or PagePlus. My sites are mostly text.

The list of supported character sets isn't huge - Latin Extended isn't there - some Greek, Turkish and the usual UTF etc. If you want a full list let me know.
Other than that the NOF basics are much the same as 7.5, just bundled with lots of extra bits such as Flash galleries, animations etc, and better control of css properties. Text editing, tables and most other things are exactly as in 7.5

[tgindy]

My website for Financialife Planners (http://financialife.com) has 250+ webpages. The website's purpose is to promote "Holistic Risk Management." Cultivation is actually the goal without the need to make the "quick-sale" with a flash-website since that never occurs in risk management anyway.

It is based upon a WebPlus v10 template (business.wpp), although you would hardly recognize the original template with the WebPlus Theme changed to "Atlantis" to obtain shades of blue. WebPlus X4 is the current Serif version with apx. 15%-20% of the articles yet to complete plus webpage refinements to match-up with today's marketing directions. Women (i.e. executive secretary, insurance v.p., etc.) tell me they like how the pictures (80%+ from Serif) help tell the story of each webpage.