Setting up Your Template

First steps

Unzip the "UCONN Template.zip"
- PC's: Right Click the zip file and select "Extract All".
- MAC's: Double Click on the zip, and it will extract for you.
Set up a Dreamweaver Site.
Decide if you want to use Simple Templates or Nested Templates.

If you choose Simple Templates

To conserve space, let's delete the files you're not going to use:

Delete these folders along with the files inside them:

about
resources
services

Delete this HTML file: homepage_nested.html, because you are using the "Simple" template.

Delete these .dwt files from the Templates folder:
- about.dwt
- master.dwt
- no_leftnav.dwt
- resources.dwt
- services.dwt

Rename homepage_simple.html to index.html

Before deleting these files open them up to get an idea of how the concept works. Afterwards, go ahead and delete them.
- about.html
- resources.html
- services.htm

Start making new pages for your website.

From the top menu, go to File < New
There will be 5 tabs on left side; select "page from template."
A compilation of the sites you have will appear in the left column. Choose the site you're currently working on.
The right column will show the possible templates for site; select simple.dwt
Click the "Create" button in the bottom right corner.
When the new page appears, make sure to File < Save the page.
- NOTE: To make your life (and the potential visitors of your site's, lives) name your files in all lower case, and use underscores (_) in place of spaces.
  - Example: site_page.
Repeat this process until you have all the pages you need for your website.

Now, open the file simple.dwt from the Templates folder
Add links to the navigation.
- First, highlight the text you wish to make a link.
- Then, in the properties bar, click the folder to the right of the "Link" field, and select that page that this link will navigate to.
- To create sub links, simply use the Text Indent/Outdent buttons on the property bar.
- Save your template, and let it update all the pages that use it.
- Open your homepage and test your site by going to the top menu: File < Preview.
- Test your site by making sure all the navigation links work, then upload the site and test it online by "putting" your site to the web.

If you choose Nested Templates

To conserve space, let's delete the files you're not going to use:
- about.html
- resources.html
- services.html
- homepage_simple.html
- simple.dwt (from the Templates folder)
Before deleting these files open them up to get an idea of how the concept works. Afterwards, go ahead and delete them.
- about
- services
- resources
Also delete these files from the Templates folder

resources.dwt
services.dwt

It is always good to have a basic concept of what the major sections of your website are going to be, seeing as these are going to be the links in the top navigation. Think of an easy (and more importantly: user-friendly) way of grouping multiple pages to file under one category.
- One way of doing this is by grouping the pages under one category ("About Us" Drops down to reveal "FAQ" and "Contact" pages.)
- Another is to merge a group of pages into one sound link (the "About Us" link on the top navigation has now turned into a single link with its' page containing both "FAQ" and "Contact" information without using separate pages.)
- Don't fuss over being 100% accurate about the content of your groups, as you are always able to go back and rearrange them to your liking with little to no difficulty.
Creating New Nested Templates

There should be two nested templates left in the Templates folder called about.dwt and no_leftnav.dwt.
Right click on about.dwt.
Choose Edit -> Duplicate.
Make a Duplicate for each major category of pages you planned for.
Rename the copies of about.dwt to match those categories.
- Example: about2.dwt changed to another_category.dwt.

Start making new pages for your site.
- From the top menu, go to File < New.
- There will be 5 tabs on left side; select "page from template."
- A compilation of the sites you have will appear in the left column. Choose the site you're currently working on.
- In the right column, the templates will show for your site, select the one that corresponds to the major section this page will belong to.
  - For example, say you're making a Mission Statement page that's going to be part of a top nav section "About Us." You'd want to choose a template that matches that section, like about.dwt
- Click the "Create" button in the bottom right corner.
- A new page will appear. From the top menu, select File < Save. Save the page into your site folder.
  - TIP: Organization is key, and will help you in the long run, so create sub folders within your website folder that mirrors your navigation structure. For example, have a Folder titled "About us" which then holds all the pages grouped under this category.
  - NOTE: To make your life (and the potential visitors of your site's lives) name your files in all lower case, and use underscores (_) in place of spaces.
    - Example: site_page.
- Repeat this process until you have all the pages you need for your website.
Now, we set the templates.
- Open the templates in your Templates folder and set up the navigation links to point at pages in your site
  - master.dwt will control the top navigation bar, and only the top navigation bar.
  - no_leftnav.dwt and the other nested templates will control the left-side navigation.
- NOTE: Make sure to enter your contact information into the footer, and add any links to the center part of the footer (see this footer as an example.)
Checking for Errors
- Open your homepage and test your site by choosing File < Preview from the top menu.
- Test your site by making sure all the navigation links work, then upload the site and test it online but "putting" your site to the web.