Website Help - Need a solution to a problem.

Desmo · 01-04-2008, 12:27

We're looking at offering some web hosting to our customers so they can have their menu put on their own website. Got a reseller pack in mind so that's fine.

What I need help with is their site design. What I want to offer is one simple'ish design that their info is put into. It's going to be just one HTML/CSS page. Obviously I can change a few pictures to match their printed menu for the shop name, logo, Chinese writing, etc. But what I then want to do is have a simple way of changing the actual menu text so that each time they update their menu, it's nice and quicke for me to update their website.

Can I make up something that simply reads from a text file? If so, I can take their menu copy straight from InDesign, save it as a text file and upload. This is then read into their webpage.

The only problem I can see with this is that I'd also want to be able to pick out the section headings in another style, so how would they need to be marked in the text file. Or can this be done automatically with paragraph breaks?

I think that all makes sense....so, any ideas you pro's?

Davey_Pitch · 01-04-2008, 13:48

Give Jasper a poke, as it sounds like you need a content management solution and I know he's pretty hot with that kind of stuff, out of my league unfortunately

Desmo · 01-04-2008, 13:50

Thing is Davey, I'm not sure I want something as complicated as that. I really wanted a simple one page solution. If I have to copy and paste the text into the HTML page it's no big problem, just would have been easier to upload a text file.

Mark · 01-04-2008, 23:45

PHP includes would certainly work for the basics. Something a little more fancy would involve knocking up a formatter (something like the forum has, though I'd actually suggest doing one tailored to your specific needs).

The absolute most basic you could do would read a text file looking something like this.

_Section_
Text
Text

_Section_
Text
More text

And convert it into basic HTML with some CSS backing to style the page however you want it. If you want more styles you just add more rules - e.g.

_Section_
*Subsection*
Text
Text

etc.

You'd probably want to have some additional files to 'wrap' around the text that changes for things like headings. That'd just be HTML that the formatter would copy in verbatim.

All of that could pretty easily be done in less than a day's PHP coding (a few hours probably, but that depends on the requirements and how well I 'got' them).

Jasper · 02-04-2008, 06:56

If it were me, I'd drive it with a database, so if you wanted to you could have multiple templates a little down the line. You could have it so that for each of your clients, you upload their html, which is then displayed depending on which client you're viewing.

Desmo · 02-04-2008, 08:02

I think this is probably going to get a touch more complicated than I first thought. As I'm using a reseller package, the customer essentially ends up with their own webspace and domain, so I want it to be fairly straight forward if they want to do something themselves. I was just looking for a quick way for me to update it after I've updated their menu. I think the easiest way may just be to drop the text straight into the html page and pop in some heading tags manually otherwise I think I may be over complicating it. Will give it some more thought

Mark · 02-04-2008, 10:42

Jasper - thought of a database and that'd work for putting them all on a single site but it's too heavyweight for the reseller situation.

Anyway, makes sense - if you want to allow the customer to update it themselves then best keep it as simple as possible. If they do decide to update it then make sure they know they should tell you.

Jasper · 02-04-2008, 12:17

right, I see where you're coming from now. Ignore me!

Do what Mark said - seems to be the best way!

Desmo · 02-04-2008, 13:04

Probably didn't make my first post as clear as it could have been

Mark, with regards to the customer updating it themselves, that's up to them. They have full control over their webspace and site in general. If they decide to make their own site then they're on their own. We will only update the page that we have done and that will be made clear to them

I just need to sort out a reasonable price for this service and then we can get started. It's not so much as a money making exercise, but more of an additional extra service we can supply which hopefully keeps customers coming back to us.

Desmo · 02-04-2008, 20:24

OK, got a nice simple site set up which I can easily offer up quite a few style choices with CSS which is nice. Means the customer can choose from a set of styles yet it's still nice and easy for me to set up their page.

All I need to do now is find a way of converting their menu text into something usable for the page. I'm thinking of a simple table so I'll either convert the text to a table using something automated or I might be able to get InDesign (which I use for DTP) to export straight to HTML. Need to fiddle with that for a bit.

01-04-2008, 12:27	#1
Desmo The Last Airbender Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pigmopad Posts: 11,915	Website Help - Need a solution to a problem. We're looking at offering some web hosting to our customers so they can have their menu put on their own website. Got a reseller pack in mind so that's fine. What I need help with is their site design. What I want to offer is one simple'ish design that their info is put into. It's going to be just one HTML/CSS page. Obviously I can change a few pictures to match their printed menu for the shop name, logo, Chinese writing, etc. But what I then want to do is have a simple way of changing the actual menu text so that each time they update their menu, it's nice and quicke for me to update their website. Can I make up something that simply reads from a text file? If so, I can take their menu copy straight from InDesign, save it as a text file and upload. This is then read into their webpage. The only problem I can see with this is that I'd also want to be able to pick out the section headings in another style, so how would they need to be marked in the text file. Or can this be done automatically with paragraph breaks? I think that all makes sense....so, any ideas you pro's? __________________

01-04-2008, 13:48	#2
Davey_Pitch I iz speshul Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Liverpool Posts: 6,296	Give Jasper a poke, as it sounds like you need a content management solution and I know he's pretty hot with that kind of stuff, out of my league unfortunately __________________ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

01-04-2008, 13:50	#3
Desmo The Last Airbender Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pigmopad Posts: 11,915	Thing is Davey, I'm not sure I want something as complicated as that. I really wanted a simple one page solution. If I have to copy and paste the text into the HTML page it's no big problem, just would have been easier to upload a text file. __________________

01-04-2008, 23:45	#4
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	PHP includes would certainly work for the basics. Something a little more fancy would involve knocking up a formatter (something like the forum has, though I'd actually suggest doing one tailored to your specific needs). The absolute most basic you could do would read a text file looking something like this. _Section_ Text Text _Section_ Text More text And convert it into basic HTML with some CSS backing to style the page however you want it. If you want more styles you just add more rules - e.g. _Section_ Subsection Text Text etc. You'd probably want to have some additional files to 'wrap' around the text that changes for things like headings. That'd just be HTML that the formatter would copy in verbatim. All of that could pretty easily be done in less than a day's PHP coding (a few hours probably, but that depends on the requirements and how well I 'got' them). Last edited by Mark; 01-04-2008 at 23:47.

02-04-2008, 08:02	#6
Desmo The Last Airbender Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pigmopad Posts: 11,915	I think this is probably going to get a touch more complicated than I first thought. As I'm using a reseller package, the customer essentially ends up with their own webspace and domain, so I want it to be fairly straight forward if they want to do something themselves. I was just looking for a quick way for me to update it after I've updated their menu. I think the easiest way may just be to drop the text straight into the html page and pop in some heading tags manually otherwise I think I may be over complicating it. Will give it some more thought __________________

02-04-2008, 06:56	#5
Jasper Simple & Red Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 535	If it were me, I'd drive it with a database, so if you wanted to you could have multiple templates a little down the line. You could have it so that for each of your clients, you upload their html, which is then displayed depending on which client you're viewing.

02-04-2008, 10:42	#7
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Jasper - thought of a database and that'd work for putting them all on a single site but it's too heavyweight for the reseller situation. Anyway, makes sense - if you want to allow the customer to update it themselves then best keep it as simple as possible. If they do decide to update it then make sure they know they should tell you.

02-04-2008, 12:17	#8
Jasper Simple & Red Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 535	right, I see where you're coming from now. Ignore me! Do what Mark said - seems to be the best way!

02-04-2008, 13:04	#9
Desmo The Last Airbender Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pigmopad Posts: 11,915	Probably didn't make my first post as clear as it could have been Mark, with regards to the customer updating it themselves, that's up to them. They have full control over their webspace and site in general. If they decide to make their own site then they're on their own. We will only update the page that we have done and that will be made clear to them I just need to sort out a reasonable price for this service and then we can get started. It's not so much as a money making exercise, but more of an additional extra service we can supply which hopefully keeps customers coming back to us. __________________

02-04-2008, 20:24	#10
Desmo The Last Airbender Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pigmopad Posts: 11,915	OK, got a nice simple site set up which I can easily offer up quite a few style choices with CSS which is nice. Means the customer can choose from a set of styles yet it's still nice and easy for me to set up their page. All I need to do now is find a way of converting their menu text into something usable for the page. I'm thinking of a simple table so I'll either convert the text to a table using something automated or I might be able to get InDesign (which I use for DTP) to export straight to HTML. Need to fiddle with that for a bit. __________________