Setting Up Left-Hand Navigation for Subject Specialist Pages

These instructions are based on the MX view of Dreamweaver.

Before you start

Make sure you have Stanford Desktop Tools running and that you have set up your Dreamweaver site. Start Dreamweaver and click on the plug/connector icon to connect to the server. (If you are using the MX view of Dreamweaver, this will be on the right-hand side toward the top.)

Creating your left-hand navigation library

Go to the Remote View. The best way to view this is in the double windows. Use the icon that looks like a two column table to get there and back. (This is in the same toolbar as the connector icon.)

Be very careful what you select. Use the plus signs to open up folders.

Go to the "Library" folder, then the folder labeled "main." Inside this folder select: l3_mnav_subject_spec.lbi. (level three main navigation for subject specialist pages--lbi is for library which is a portion of code that you can use repeatedly.

Double click to open this in Dreamweaver on your machine. You may get the following message. Choose View.

Use Save As and replace the subject_spec part with your subject (for example l3_mnav_feminist.lbi.) Now comes the tricky part. You need to navigate to your directory/folder and create a new folder in it called Library. (There is a little icon that looks like the sun rising over a folder.) Be sure to start with a capital L. (This is one of a very few times when you can use a capital in the name of a folder.) Save to this new folder. **You need to create this Library folder within your directory, so you have access to it and can make changes. This is different from what Judith told us in her training sessions.

To create your navigation on your new library.

Replace the l2_nav at the top with your main page name. Do this by highlighting and typing in the name you want to appear there. Do not hit delete or back space. If you do, go to Edit and undo it. You remove all the formating associated with this link if you do not.
In the Properties window (at the bottom of your screen) click in the link box to select the contents there. To the right of the link box is little circle that resembles a clock or dial. Make sure your Local View is showing in the Site window (on the right hand side), then click on that circle and drag (you'll get a line) to your main page in the Site window. **Note: if you have the Remote View open instead of the Local View, it won't work.
Now the proper link should be showing in the Link box. continue to l3_nav (level three navigation) to list your first lower level page. Following the same procedures as above to link it.
You will probably need more l3_nav links. Click where you want to add a link. Then, go to Modify on the top menu bar and select Table from the dropdown menu. From the Table menu select Insert row. Then copy an existing l3_nav link into that new table cell. Rename and relink. Do as often as necessary.
To delete unneeded table cells, reverse the process. Select Modify>Table>Remove row.
Save. Now you have your left-hand navigation bar.

Next you need to pull over a copy of the template used in your page. Go back to the Remote View and select Templates. Double click on subj_spec.dwt to bring a copy to your Local View. Again you will be asked:

Choose View. You will not actually need the template open, so close it.

Using your left-hand navigation library

To put your new navigation on your pages, make sure you are working with the latest version. Download from the Remote site (instructions are on Using Your DreamWeaver Site). Open each page on which you want the navigation.

Your navigation library is considered to be an "Asset." Select the Assets tab (in the right-hand window) and go down to the book icon. Click to select. Select your new library from the list (l3_mnav...). Click and drag to the area on your page set aside for this navigation. There may be an extra space at the top that you will need to delete.

Now all you need to do is turn on the border to your navigation. Go back to Modify and select Template Properties. You will open a window that indicates that the border is set to 0. Select it, then change the number in the box at the bottom to 1.

After you have made your changes, use the blue arrow with the lock to check your pages back in. When asked

answer yes. This will move your new library over, as well.

Moving Files

After you have checked your files back in, look at them on the staging area at: http://library-stage.stanford.edu
When you are ready to move them into production, go to: http://library.stanford.edu/filemove

Last modified: June 18, 2008