not ALL files in _derived dir on local drive published to web server

[Herman Mann]

I am using FP 2002 on a web server with FPE activated.

After publishing my web to my WSP's server I can not see all the top
banners and link buttons, there are blank spaces with only the text and
a box with a red X. Discussion with my WSP tech spt reveals that not
all the files in the _derived folder on my local drive have been
published to the web server. Specifically, the files for all the pages
where I can not see the proper top banner and link buttons.

Research in this newsgroup reveals this subject has been discussed back
in 2000 and 2002. The solutions (that I found) proposed where these:

1. Save the theme with a new name; reapply the theme; clear the browser
cache; recalculate the hyperlinks on the web server.

2. There may be a file name length limit on the WSP server, if so I
would have to shorten any file names over the limit.

3. Delete the contents of the _overlay dirs using Windows Explorer;
open FP, go to Nav view, add a page anywhere; go to Page view and
recalculate hyperlinks.

I spoke to the WSP tech spt and was told there wasn't a file name length
limit so I am ruling out #2.

That leaves 1 and 3. I'm ok on trying #1, however I have a question on
#3. I believe I've read that one should NOT delete files from an FP web
using Windows Explorer but rather they should be deleted in the Folders
view of FP. Can anyone confirm that it is ok to delete files from an FP
web using Windows Explorer?

Another thread in this newsgroup also suggested this problem could be
solved by deleting the files in the _derived dirs. My question is,
should one try deleting files in the _overlay dirs first, then if that
doesn't work delete files in _derived dirs? Or should one delete files
in both the _derived and _overlay dirs?

 

[Herman Mann]

I chose a new theme, applied it, published it to the web server,
recalculated the hyperlinks, and cleared the cache all to no avail. The
_overlay dir on the web server does not have all the files that are in
the _overlay dir on the hard drive. I can't see the _overlay dir on the
web server but if I use an ftp app to connect to the wbe server I can
see the _overlay dir and that's how I know it does not have all the files.

If I decide to try to delete all the files in the _overlay folder
(whether with windows explorer or not, I'm not sure) wouldn't that just
change the local drive files and not the files on the web server?

Why wouldn't I delete the files in _overlay on the web server? If FP
repopulates the _overlay dir after the file in it have been deleted,
wouldn't it be better to force the repopulation on the web server.

Does anyone know this stuff?

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

1. Have you selected to do a complete publish overwriting all content on the server, and then right
after that done another publish with Change Files Only?

2. Only the specific files that are needed in the web, will be published when using FP.

3. Make sure you do not have any Optimize HTML options selected.

4. Contact your web host and ask them to check the extensions to make sure you are allowed to use
Themes and Shared Borders under your web account. They have to check the FP extensions Roles/Users
for this configuration info.

5. If you delete content locally via FP, then when you publish FP will delete from the remote server
when you select Change Pages Only. You will create problem if you add or delete content from a web
managed by FP, if done outside of FP.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Herman Mann]

1. Have you selected to do a complete publish overwriting all content on the server, and then right
after that done another publish with Change Files Only?

I deleted all the files in the _overlay dir while in FP Folders view on
my local drive. I then published from my local drive to the web server
all pages. I then published only changed pages from my local drive to
the web server. I noticed that there were no files in the _overlay dir
on my local drive, so I recalculated hyperlinks, which repopulated the
_overlay dir, and then I published from the local drive to the web
server. All to no avail. The web server is still missing some of the
files that are in the _overlay dir on the local drive.

2. Only the specific files that are needed in the web, will be published when using FP.
OK

3. Make sure you do not have any Optimize HTML options selected.

I am unaware of having ever chosen any optimize html options, where
would I look to determine if it had been done?

4. Contact your web host and ask them to check the extensions to make sure you are allowed to use
Themes and Shared Borders under your web account. They have to check the FP extensions Roles/Users
for this configuration info.

I will do that next, however, since some of the pages on the web have
the complete theme and shared borders, I doubt that will turn out to be
the answer.

5. If you delete content locally via FP, then when you publish FP will delete from the remote server
when you select Change Pages Only. You will create problem if you add or delete content from a web
managed by FP, if done outside of FP.

Understood, I have been only deleting in the folders view of FP.

I am at a loss as to what is preventing some of the files in _overlay on
my local drive from being published to the web server. Is there any way
for me to analyze why this happening?

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

1. Can your provide a URL to a page with the problem?

2. The Optimize HTML option is only available in FP2003 and I think is on the Publishing tab.

3. The host could have made change to the configuration that on effect new/revised pages.
--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Herman Mann]

I've found that if I highlight all the files on the local drive in the
_overlay dir and then right click on them, it's possible to 'publish
selected files' and they are then published to the _overlay dir on the
web server.

That does not solve the problem because there are still two dirs on the
web server that do not have all the same files as the two equivalent
dirs on the local drive.

On the web server, _derived and a sub-dir under _derived, _vti_cnf, do
not have the same files as the equivalent dirs on the local drive.

What would be a safe way to put those files in those dirs?

Would it be safe to use FTP just to add the missing files to the two
dirs on the web server? It doesn't seem possible to see the _derived
dir on the local drive.

Any idea why these files are not making it from the local drive to the
web server via FP publish?

 

[Herman Mann]

I forgot to mention that after I published selected files from the local
drive to the _overlay dir on the web server I did try recalculating
hyperlinks on the web server, and I tried recalculating hyperlinks on
the local drive and then a publish of changed pages only.

Neither worked to solve the problem.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Do not use FTP.

Has anyone suggested that you check for missing </td>, </tr>, </table>, </body> or </html> tags from
the pages missing the items or the specfic shared border page, in the _borders folder?

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Stefan B Rusynko]

If you delete the _overlay files in a FP web
- always do it in FP (not Windows)
- switch to Navigation view and change anything, then back to any other view and run a Tools Recalculate Hyperlinks
(this will cause FP to recreate the _overlay files needed for the _derived images)
Then publish All pages (when asked select the Overwrite/replace navigation option)

PS
Since you have had several bad publishes start by deleting all FP temp files and web cache files before opening FP
1) In Windows Explorer Find and delete all FP Temp Files
Usually in C:\WINDOWS\Temp and %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temp
- in FP 2003 you need to look in the super hidden folder
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\FrontPageTempDir
2) In Windows Explorer Find and delete all hidden *.web files
Usually in %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Web Server Extensions\Cache

--




|I forgot to mention that after I published selected files from the local
| drive to the _overlay dir on the web server I did try recalculating
| hyperlinks on the web server, and I tried recalculating hyperlinks on
| the local drive and then a publish of changed pages only.
|
| Neither worked to solve the problem.

 

[Herman Mann]

While analyzing the files on my local drive, I noticed if I highlight
all the files in the _overlay dir I could right click on the list of
files and then 'publish selected files' to the web server.

With all the files in _overlay synchronized via FP publish, that only
left the files on the web server that are not in sync with the files on
the local drive, i.e., the files in _derived and its sub-dir _vti_cnf.

I tried recalculate hyperlinks on both the local drive and the web
server, to no avail.

It seems that the reason there are certain pages in the web on the web
server that do not show the top banner and the proper link button in the
left side frame is because the files in the dirs, _derived and its
sub-dir _vti_cnf, are not the same as the same dirs on the local drive.

What is the process in FP that causes the files in _overlay, _derived
and its sub-dir _vti_cnf, to be created when one does a publish from
one's local drive?

If I understood the process perhaps I could look for a reason the
incorrect dirs are not being populated properly.

Why can I see the files in _overlay in the Files View of FP on my local
drive but I can not see the _derived dir and its sub-dir _vti_cnf in the
Files View of FP on my local drive?

 

[Stefan B Rusynko]

Open your local site in FP, change anything in the nav view and run a Tools Recalculate Hyperlinks, then publish changed pages

The _overlay folder files are just temporary files that are created by nav view, but need to be merged w/ your theme images to
create the _derived folder files
--




| While analyzing the files on my local drive, I noticed if I highlight
| all the files in the _overlay dir I could right click on the list of
| files and then 'publish selected files' to the web server.
|
| With all the files in _overlay synchronized via FP publish, that only
| left the files on the web server that are not in sync with the files on
| the local drive, i.e., the files in _derived and its sub-dir _vti_cnf.
|
| I tried recalculate hyperlinks on both the local drive and the web
| server, to no avail.
|
| It seems that the reason there are certain pages in the web on the web
| server that do not show the top banner and the proper link button in the
| left side frame is because the files in the dirs, _derived and its
| sub-dir _vti_cnf, are not the same as the same dirs on the local drive.
|
| What is the process in FP that causes the files in _overlay, _derived
| and its sub-dir _vti_cnf, to be created when one does a publish from
| one's local drive?
|
| If I understood the process perhaps I could look for a reason the
| incorrect dirs are not being populated properly.
|
| Why can I see the files in _overlay in the Files View of FP on my local
| drive but I can not see the _derived dir and its sub-dir _vti_cnf in the
| Files View of FP on my local drive?

 

[Herman Mann]

Open your local site in FP, change anything in the nav view and run a Tools Recalculate Hyperlinks, then publish changed pages

The _overlay folder files are just temporary files that are created by nav view, but need to be merged w/ your theme images to
create the _derived folder files

I did as you suggested and it did not work.

The _overlay folders on the local drive and on the web server are in
sync. However, the _derived folder and the sub-folder _vti_cnf under it
on the web server are not the same as the same folders on the local drive.

Something seems to be preventing the merging of the files in the
_overlay folder with the theme images. Some of the proper files wind up
on the web server and some of the top banners and left side buttons
appear as they should.

 

[Herman Mann]

After extensive research and analysis, and with the help of the ideas
suggested above in this thread. I discovered a solution for this
problem. In the interest of helping some future reader with the same
problem, I'll describe what I did to solve this as best I can.

The problem seemed to be in two parts.
First, the top banners did not all show on every page. Some showed and
some did not.

Second, the link buttons in the frame on the left side worked but the
graphic for the buttons did not show.

In effect, the web site was functional but did not look as nice as I wanted.

The problem seemed to be related to the fact that some files were named
in uppercase and some were named in lowercase. The web server
supporting my web used linux, thus requiring all files in lowercase on
my local drive be lowercase on the web server, and all files in
uppercase on my local drive be uppercase on the web server.

I spent a lot of time trying to synchronize the file names, but just
could not get them all worked out. Then, I hit on the idea of just
renaming all the uppercase files on the local drive (there were far
fewer of them) into lowercase, and then doing the same thing on the web
server - doing the renaming in the Folders View of FP. I had
experimented with renaming the files on the local drive and then
publishing that did not seem to work well.

Once all the files were renamed on both my local drive and the web
server, and WITHOUT recalulating hyperlinks, I published from the local
drive to the web server and all the left side link button graphics
appeared as they should.

That left the top banners still not showing properly on all pages.
I used the Format - Theme command in FP, chose a new theme, clicked on
Modify, then Save As, gave it a short 4 letter name, and saved it.
When I published again from my local drive to the web server the problem
was fixed and all pages looked as they should.

I hope this is of some assistance to anyone who has this type problem in
the future.