Can someone please help!!!!! My husband's getting in a right state and typically... he doesn't like to ask for help! I'm NOT a web developer/designer but as I understand it, this is the problem:

 

Background: He's creating a content managed site. Someone else has created the PHP Progamme (which he is assured is working on the server) and he's doing the design. He's created layouts using CSS (SPRI menus - which he's new to) and they look good and work well when he previews them in the brower. However, when he uploads the site to the server it doesn't work! He thinks it's something to do with uploading them with PHP (which he hasn't done before). Can anyone possibly help with any advice in anyway before he has a breakdown!!! (from his loving, neurotic wife

Hi there!

 

Firstly, it might not be a PHP error - it might be that some files aren't uploaded with teh right permissions, or that they are in the wrong directories, or that they are in the right directory but cant be found because of a mistake in the css file (relative (./) and absolute (/) directory naming for example).

 

If your husband is 100% sure its not something like above (and isn't just blaming PHP for the errors because of its foreignness), could you ask your husband if the server is PHP enabled?

 

If he doesn't know, he can find out by copying and pasting the following:

<?php
print "PHP works!";
?>

into a file named "test.php", uploading it to the server, and running it in his web browser (eg http://mysite.co.uk/test.php)

 

If PHP is enabled, the problem may well be that his desktop server runs PHP version 5, and the server runs PHP version 4. If this is the case he could either:

- try and convince the server tech guys to upgrade it to PHP5

- try and figure out the errors that the php script(s) are giving him and fix them himself

- pay (!) someone else to fix it.

What error codes do you get when trying to look at it "live"?

 

Like said it's almost certainly something not pointing to where it should be. If it works local has the php code got a conditional statement changing the links between localhost and live?

 

Unlikely all you have to do is upload it to get it to work AND get it to work properly local.

i recommend that your hubby installs this firefox plugin https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60

 

its called the web developer bar and has some very usfull tools to stop you getting in a state... the tool he needs to see if the style sheets are being included is in css >> view css... there's a load of other things it does which im sure your hubby will find useful

How isn't it working? Any error logs? Or is the layout messed up? Can we have a screenshot or some more info about the errors?

more than likley a directory problem, use:

<?php
ini_set('display_errors', 1);
?>

to find out more (it'll print whaterver problems it's having to screen.)

 

I can't realy help without any source.

Hi

 

Hubby here. First, Thank you for all the responses to my wife's plea for help. I thought I should clarify my problem as there are so many bits of advice coming back and a number of different levels.

 

Secondly: I am a Mac person - I'm not that familiar with PCs - I am a designer, not a coder - I rely heavily on wysiwyg and previews to know whether code changes are working.

 

I have created templated files in DW using a css layout based on a DW starter layout (not a DW html starter page). This is the first time I have used a css layout based on divs rather than html tables.

 

My coder is a php person whom has kindly set up a simple database driven cms which we have seen working fine on the server. I.E. you can access the various pages through the cms and upload changes. So we got that far!

 

The problems started to occur when I looked at the pages online for the first time and noticed a number of what I would describe as design positioning errors on all the pages, suggesting that the template needed to be tweaked. Given that I had had the design as I wanted it locally before uploading my files to the server, I assumed this was something he (the coder) had done. Sure enough, he confirmed that he'd set up a new 'master' css. His attitude was: well, if it's not right, then change it in the template. A bit of a pain as I thought I'd done all that!

 

What has followed is a disastrous sequence of confused attempts on my part to 'learn' css and to try to gain the same level of control of the div system as I am used to with html tables. It seems that however good the layout looks in firefox or safari, it stinks in IE. Get it looking right in IE and the elements are all over the place in DW and it looks lousy in other browsers.

 

The position now is that I have completely redone the template as simply and cleanly as I can, and applied it to the pages of the site. I have made sure that the php call in the code is where it should be, although it will need to be redefined for each page so that it calls the relevant content (currently a fatal error).

 

The current major issue is that the navigation doesn't properly work in IE. I'm using a spry menu in DW with drop-down submenus which don't drop down in IE but do drop down in firefox when tested locally, and don't drop down at all when on the server. This worked when we began, but for some reason has ceased. My coder is losing patience because he's done his bit. I just need him to 'reconnect' the php database with the new files. He can't do anything without the menus working correctly.

 

So I need urgent help with the spry menu and general advice about css positioning. Thank you all, so much, again.

 

Here is a link to the site:

 

http://www.1-2-3-4-5.com

Hi

 

Hello

Hi

 

I have taken a look at your site, if you check this page

 

http://www.1-2-3-4-5.com/Menus/wines/index.php

 

your nav is working correctly in ie7 and ff3

 

check the code on this page against the code on the pages not working.

The below script is included in the <body> tag on the pages your menu works on and missing from the pages where it doesnt work.

<script type="text/javascript">

<!--

var MenuBar1 = new Spry.Widget.MenuBar("MenuBar1", {imgDown:"../SpryAssets/SpryMenuBarDownHover.gif", imgRight:"../SpryAssets/SpryMenuBarRightHover.gif"});

//-->

</script>

 

 

hope this helps

 

Pat

 

EDIT: Also your footer and closing </body> and </html> tags are missing from the problem pages.

A great example of why not to use wysiwyg "editors" and get hands on with the code yourself. IE is always a pain.

Hi

 

I have taken a look at your site, if you check this page

 

http://www.1-2-3-4-5.com/Menus/wines/index.php

 

your nav is working correctly in ie7 and ff3

 

check the code on this page against the code on the pages not working.

The below script is included in the <body> tag on the pages your menu works on and missing from the pages where it doesnt work.

<script type="text/javascript">

<!--

var MenuBar1 = new Spry.Widget.MenuBar("MenuBar1", {imgDown:"../SpryAssets/SpryMenuBarDownHover.gif", imgRight:"../SpryAssets/SpryMenuBarRightHover.gif"});

//-->

</script>

 

 

hope this helps

 

Pat

 

EDIT: Also your footer and closing </body> and </html> tags are missing from the problem pages.

 

Thanks Pat. This is really helpful with the menu issue. I had no idea that templates don't always re-impose code on all dependent pages. I will check and report back. Thanks again.