Dear Graham,
I see what you are asking. I have run into more than a few problems
moving a Database Interface Wizard-built website, almost all of them
because of the proprietary way the FrontPage makes database
connections. It is one of the main reasons why I stopped using it (the
DIW) altogether and learned to write asp code myself. FrontPage is not
fond - at all - of moving a DIW website. It has real issues re-writing
the connections on every database results and editor page, and may
never sort itself out.
You can create a sub-web, using the "Import Web Site" option, call the
subweb, say, data - make sure that the "add to current web" box is
unchecked - and point to the folder where the DIW web is sitting. I
think that will keep the connections intact, but the problem is that a
subweb is a completely discreet entity from the root web; all themes,
shared borders, images, content, navigation bars, etc. etc. are lost to
the subweb, even though they are only one folder away. If you can
handle losing those things, and don't mind writing the links from the
subweb to the root web, and vice-versa, out by hand, I believe that
will work. FrontPage cannot even open the subweb in the same instance
(window) as the root web. This is because a subweb has a completely
independent set of FrontPage extensions from the root web; this it why
it is a 'subweb', and not a 'subfolder'.
If you can, just create a new DIW-based website using the same
parameters (data fields, data types, etc.) with the New... Subsite...
command, and use the "Add to current website" option. When asked if you
want the DIW page to be the home page, select no. Then, assuming you
have Microsoft Access installed, you can double-click the new database
- do it from inside FrontPage - it will open the database in Access,
and you can import your existing data from the old database into the
new one.
Better yet, lose the Database Interface Wizard idea altogether. In a
very short time, you will see how limited it is. It was not meant to
build entire web applications; it is only a very simple included
template to get you started. Many good free-standing, single-page,
all-in-one MS Access database editors are out there for free, or you
can try the good example at:
http://home.att.net/~codeLibrary/FrontPage/drw.htm - keep me updated,
Graham. Good Luck.
Nicholas Savalas -
http://savalas.tv
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