Common Website Issues

[JJ]

Hi,

We have two websites that are almost identical except for the
frontend. The business rules and the databases are the same. We want to
basically use one website for our different clients but the look of the
website would be different for each client. How can we design the
frontend to address having multiple clients see different frontends
based on the client? What kind of design approach can we use?

Thanks,

J

 

[Robbe Morris [C# MVP]]

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/articles/aspnet_how_to_create_object_oriented_applications.asp

I'm not sure what "different" means in this context. Is it just
different from a color perspective or different with entire
screen layouts, different menu options, etc...?

 

[Remy]

Really depends on how much you wanna achive...

Here are some options:
- build the webpage content in XML and then apply different XSLT files
to format the content in different ways.
- Use different CSS stylesheets to change formating, color, etc.
http://www.csszengarden.com/ is a very good example of this.
- Use Master Pages (supported in ASP 2.0 or via the Wilson Master Pages
control).

This is the 5 sec overview...

I would recommend using Master Pages and CSS together. At least this is
what I do for most of my pages anyway.

Remy Blaettler
http://www.collaboral.com

 

[JJ]

The Feel is the same. We have navigation on left and the rest of the
page contains the form. We built the two sites at different times. The
second site(newer) has used alot of user controls where the first one
doesn't. So we want to consolidate the two into one and be able to
rollout site for a new potential client but just need to plugin
different look for client.

Thanks,
J

 

[Remy]

CSS it is.

 

[clintonG]

If you use 2.0 all of your objectives are rather easy to accomplish using
MasterPages, Themes, and Membership, Roles and Profiles which allow various
presentation requirements to change on demand or change depending on context
as well as allowing content to appear, not appear or become context aware
based on the use of roles.

<%= Clinton Gallagher
METROmilwaukee (sm) "A Regional Information Service"
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://metromilwaukee.com/
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/