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Anonymous
Aug 9, 2006 3:09 PM UTC
Answered

Update Navigation From External File

How would I go about having a navigation pop-up menu to reflect changes dynamically from an external file provided by a client?

For instance, the left nav bar includes 5 links to other pages and each nav button expands to display sub-menus to the other links within. The links change on a weekly basis, and I am assuming there would be a way my client can upload a file and the links would be updated automatically, also having the nav bar sub contents update as well. Would this be possible, and how? Any other recommendations for doing something like this would be greatly appreciated.

example: "reference" part of menu would expand to display links for "Florida State info", "Delaware State Info", California State Info", and "Tutorial".

Help me, please!
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Newsgroup_UserCorrect answer
Inspiring
Aug 10, 2006 5:33 PM UTC
A bit, but probably not as much as an ASP expert. I would recommend posting
another post under the subject ""Create Databased pop-up menu in ASP that
client can edit"

Some things to think about:
1. Databasing will be harder on you and more expensive to the client, but
will allow them to enter/edit new menu items through forms (in a word-like
process).
2. You can allow the client to change links, but thye would need to know the
formatting the file would require - this could easily produce unwanted
errors

For some resources

http://4guysfromRolla.com is the site I learned most of my ASP on
http://projectseven.com has pop-up menu options - you might double check
they don't have a database fed one already in a package

What you'll need to do:

1. Create a database either in MySQL or Access
2. Create a table "menu"
3. Populate it with fields for your menu items. This might be:
menuID, menuTitle, menuLocation, menuParent, menuGroup, menuRank

4. Create another table for your menu groups
5. Populate with fields
groupID, groupName, groupParent

6. Enter your 'groups' of items, this will also be the top level links
1 Home 0
2 Products 0
3 Services 0

7. The '0' designates this is a parent group. When you want to make a
subgroup, like for Products, you simply put
4 Shoes 2

That way, when you go to display your group, you sipmly pull in other
records with the same sub-group. Parent groups will be put into an array for
top-level, and all others will be arranged in arrays according to their
sub-groups.

Next, (and this will probably be a week and ahalf down the road, post back
and i'll help you with it if you dont' find another soution) you will want
to step through all of those arrays printing out menu options for the
associated 'parent' group.

Finally, you'll want to construct an editing process for your menu, which
will allow your users to add/edit and delete menu options. This can be done
by stettin up forms that fit your tables, and then using DW's built in
Server Behaviors for record manipulation.

Make sense?

Jon

"IntricateFool" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ebfq2b$7cm$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I am a beginner as a developer, but have a good technical background. I
>would most preferably learn how to do this with ASP but I am open to
>various options. Could you point me in a general direction?
>
>


View reply

5 replies

Newsgroup_UserCorrect answer
Inspiring
Aug 10, 2006 5:33 PM UTC
A bit, but probably not as much as an ASP expert. I would recommend posting
another post under the subject ""Create Databased pop-up menu in ASP that
client can edit"

Some things to think about:
1. Databasing will be harder on you and more expensive to the client, but
will allow them to enter/edit new menu items through forms (in a word-like
process).
2. You can allow the client to change links, but thye would need to know the
formatting the file would require - this could easily produce unwanted
errors

For some resources

http://4guysfromRolla.com is the site I learned most of my ASP on
http://projectseven.com has pop-up menu options - you might double check
they don't have a database fed one already in a package

What you'll need to do:

1. Create a database either in MySQL or Access
2. Create a table "menu"
3. Populate it with fields for your menu items. This might be:
menuID, menuTitle, menuLocation, menuParent, menuGroup, menuRank

4. Create another table for your menu groups
5. Populate with fields
groupID, groupName, groupParent

6. Enter your 'groups' of items, this will also be the top level links
1 Home 0
2 Products 0
3 Services 0

7. The '0' designates this is a parent group. When you want to make a
subgroup, like for Products, you simply put
4 Shoes 2

That way, when you go to display your group, you sipmly pull in other
records with the same sub-group. Parent groups will be put into an array for
top-level, and all others will be arranged in arrays according to their
sub-groups.

Next, (and this will probably be a week and ahalf down the road, post back
and i'll help you with it if you dont' find another soution) you will want
to step through all of those arrays printing out menu options for the
associated 'parent' group.

Finally, you'll want to construct an editing process for your menu, which
will allow your users to add/edit and delete menu options. This can be done
by stettin up forms that fit your tables, and then using DW's built in
Server Behaviors for record manipulation.

Make sense?

Jon

"IntricateFool" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ebfq2b$7cm$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I am a beginner as a developer, but have a good technical background. I
>would most preferably learn how to do this with ASP but I am open to
>various options. Could you point me in a general direction?
>
>


Translate
Anonymous
Aug 10, 2006 5:23 PM UTC
I am a beginner as a developer, but have a good technical background. I would most preferably learn how to do this with ASP but I am open to various options. Could you point me in a general direction?

Translate
Newsgroup_User
Inspiring
Aug 10, 2006 4:10 PM UTC
What's your development level? Do you know any server side languages?

"IntricateFool" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ebffrc$ob9$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Could you point me to any tutorials that show how to do this?
>
> I need a pop-up navigation menu to reflect changes made in a database. How
> will the menu be able to reflect a users requests easily / efficiently?
>
> I will be setting up the interface in Dreamweaver.
>


Translate
Anonymous
Aug 10, 2006 2:29 PM UTC
Could you point me to any tutorials that show how to do this?

I need a pop-up navigation menu to reflect changes made in a database. How will the menu be able to reflect a users requests easily / efficiently?

I will be setting up the interface in Dreamweaver.
Translate
Newsgroup_User
Inspiring
Aug 9, 2006 3:26 PM UTC
Setup a database to control your menu, setup a control panel to
add/edit/remove links.


"IntricateFool" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ebctrg$j36$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> How would I go about having a navigation pop-up menu to reflect changes
> dynamically from an external file provided by a client?
>
> For instance, the left nav bar includes 5 links to other pages and each
> nav
> button expands to display sub-menus to the other links within. The links
> change
> on a weekly basis, and I am assuming there would be a way my client can
> upload
> a file and the links would be updated automatically, also having the nav
> bar
> sub contents update as well. Would this be possible, and how? Any other
> recommendations for doing something like this would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> example: "reference" part of menu would expand to display links for
> "Florida
> State info", "Delaware State Info", California State Info", and
> "Tutorial".
>
> Help me, please!
>


Translate
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