Google website help please

[kia027]

I was asked to see if I could build a website to be used by the school library. There is another website used by the PTA that was created using googlesites. It has most of the features I want on library website.

What I would like to do is 'copy' the PTA site to my google site and then customize it

Is there a simple way to do this?


Please and thank you tech guys

[SandiF]

Re: Google website help please

Have you tried the customized googlesites templates Kia? I think the ones they have are easy to use for customizing your own site.

[kia027]

Re: Google website help please

Yes I have looked at those but kinda wanted to copy what the other site had in terms of colours background images, etc.. basically wanted quick & dirty but can also just look at the other site & edit in same fashion

[LinSkinny]

Re: Google website help please

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yes I have looked at those but kinda wanted to copy what the other site had in terms of colours background images, etc.. basically wanted quick &amp; dirty but can also just look at the other site &amp; edit in same fashion </div></div>

It depends on how the other site was constructed. There are many many different ways to create a website. Things to consider that do not show in the source are style sheets, locations to image files, logins/passwords, Javascript programming, etc.

To test, on the page you want to copy. Right click and one of the options should be view source code. You can cut and paste that into an editor and edit the URLs and pointers to the various sections that start with http: or https. It is a lot of work and the find and replace option in the editor is a good tool. If there are lines with ASP, this usually relates to something called Active Server Pages and you're screwed there, because you will not have access to the files that are called by these lines.

For simple pages, in my experience it is easier to start from scratch and with a second monitor use the page you like as a guide. I haven't even mentioned tables yet which are used to line up the page properly. Unless you have access to the original pages and files, and have some experience with JavaScript, it's not that easy. Some pages are created with Flash and Dreamweaver and sometimes you can find the links to the compiled files of those products in the source code. You can get the files manually and occasionally UNcompile them with the proper products and other times you cant. It depends on the skill of the person who originally created them.

Sorry to be the bearer or bad news.

[Xavier]

Re: Google website help please

Kia, I would recommend you look at Word Press as it has many great FREE templates and is quite flexible. Anyone can update the website from anywhere. It would relieve you of being stuck with maintaining the website. Most web hosting company have Word Press as an option you can install. Let me know if you have any questions.

[kia027]

Re: Google website help please

Thank you Linskinny &amp; Xavier

wordpress I like that idea.. and a friend of mine is teaching himself that so I have a local resource to help me where I get stuck

[kia027]

Re: Google website help please

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LinSkinny</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yes I have looked at those but kinda wanted to copy what the other site had in terms of colours background images, etc.. basically wanted quick &amp; dirty but can also just look at the other site &amp; edit in same fashion </div></div>

It depends on how the other site was constructed. There are many many different ways to create a website. Things to consider that do not show in the source are style sheets, locations to image files, logins/passwords, Javascript programming, etc.

To test, on the page you want to copy. Right click and one of the options should be view source code. You can cut and paste that into an editor and edit the URLs and pointers to the various sections that start with http: or https. It is a lot of work and the find and replace option in the editor is a good tool. If there are lines with ASP, this usually relates to something called Active Server Pages and you're screwed there, because you will not have access to the files that are called by these lines.

For simple pages, in my experience it is easier to start from scratch and with a second monitor use the page you like as a guide. I haven't even mentioned tables yet which are used to line up the page properly. Unless you have access to the original pages and files, and have some experience with JavaScript, it's not that easy. Some pages are created with Flash and Dreamweaver and sometimes you can find the links to the compiled files of those products in the source code. You can get the files manually and occasionally UNcompile them with the proper products and other times you cant. It depends on the skill of the person who originally created them.

Sorry to be the bearer or bad news. </div></div>

The 'other site' is also a google site so i thought I could easily copy the colours &amp; link format and customise the data for the library site not so easy..

can I import code into a google sites?

[LinSkinny]

Re: Google website help please

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
The 'other site' is also a google site so i thought I could easily copy the colours &amp; link format and customise the data for the library site not so easy..

can I import code into a google sites? </div></div>

It depends on the person who created the original page, but generic HTML code, the answer is yes. Generic Java code...yes. Modified code to any of the above, yes. Normally you will not be able to use the copied code as is, unless you do some tweaking because there is almost always something hidden that you can't see. Consider that if the public can view the source, anything that is in there could be displayed.

You will find the more skilled the creator, the less you'll find out by viewing the source code. Try looking at the source of some of your favorite websites. I think you'll find either short simple pages that take sometime to figure out and lead you nowhere, and other sites will show pages and pages of javascript with enough variables to make your head spin.