newbie questions

[ferronni]

If I use a product such as DHTML Builder to create a navigational menu would
this be considered as 'bad practice' by users of this group?

Would using this product and/or creating a menu using this software have an
adverse effect the way that the search spiders index web pages?

TIA

 

[rf]

If I use a product such as DHTML Builder to create a navigational menu would
this be considered as 'bad practice' by users of this group?

Probably. If the builder does not build code that does not degrade
gracefully then the site will be unusable for those without javascript,
including those who use text to speach browsers.

Would using this product and/or creating a menu using this software have an
adverse effect the way that the search spiders index web pages?

The D DHTML is just javascript. Spiders do not follow javascript links. You
site will be largly invisible to a search engine.


Forget DHTML and forget DHTML builder. Build the site using HTML, presented
nicely with CSS. If you *really* need to add bells and whistles do so after
this. That way your site will be usable by everybody.


Cheers
Richard.

 

[Whitecrest]

If I use a product such as DHTML Builder to create a navigational menu would
this be considered as 'bad practice' by users of this group?

Yes it would be bad practice. You need to know what you are doing.
Learn DHTML then make it with DHTML Builder or anything else, because
you will be able to go into the code and make it better if you want.

If you don't know the code it produces, how will you know if it is good
or not?

 

[William Starr Moake]

If I use a product such as DHTML Builder to create a navigational menu would
this be considered as 'bad practice' by users of this group?

Would using this product and/or creating a menu using this software have an
adverse effect the way that the search spiders index web pages?

Don't listen to the purists. DHTML Builder and other menu software
programs are fine to use. So what if your site may not display to a
few people who turn off javascript out of paranoia? If they want to
see the real web, they should get over it.

 

[Whitecrest]

What difference does it make? I know how to get myself to work by
driving my car but I have no idea how it works (petrol in the back, it
gets eaten at the front, then gets spewed out of the back).

But you took the time to learn the rules of the road. Go ahead and use
DHTML builder, but learn the rules of the road. You will get there
safer.

 

[Hywel Jenkins]

If I use a product such as DHTML Builder to create a navigational menu would
this be considered as 'bad practice' by users of this group?

Probably, but I use the XFX software all the time, though the
Developer's Edition is far better than the standard version.

Would using this product and/or creating a menu using this software have an
adverse effect the way that the search spiders index web pages?

Yes. The links it creates don't exist as far as spiders are concerned -
they're all JavaScript-based.

 

[Hywel Jenkins]

Yes it would be bad practice. You need to know what you are doing.
Learn DHTML then make it with DHTML Builder or anything else, because
you will be able to go into the code and make it better if you want.

If you don't know the code it produces, how will you know if it is good
or not?

What difference does it make? I know how to get myself to work by
driving my car but I have no idea how it works (petrol in the back, it
gets eaten at the front, then gets spewed out of the back). I can
create dynamic menus in minutes - far faster than they can be done by
hand, so I don't have to pass a cost on to my clients.

DHTML Menu Builder creates thousands of lines of code that have never
caused me any trouble. I'm now using the beta version of the database-
driven developer's edition, which still has things to iron out, though.