Questions & Answers

Inevitably, with the release of Fast Edit came usage questions from users. So, here's a list of questions I've been asked along with their useful responses, which I'm sure will help others too. More questions and answers will be added, as they are asked in the future.

Just click on a question to view its answer.

If you have a question that isn't answered here, please do not hesitate to contact me and I'll add it below along with a suitable answer.

Installation questions

• Q: How do I remove the login icon from all my web pages and move it to a dedicated admin login page?
  
  
  A: So you don't want to tempt visitors to click the Fast Edit login icon? OK, let's move the login form to its own special page. This method works for Fast Edit v1.0 and Fast Edit Mini/Micro, so it's an all-round fix.
  
  First, download the "site admin login page (zip | 2kb)" file, unzip it and upload it to the root of your website.
  
  Next, just remove the block of HMTL from the "includes/header.html" file that inserts the login panel.
  
  That's it for Fast Edit Mini - browse to http://yourwebsite.com/_site_admin.php, to see your new login page.
  
  If you're using Fast Edit v1.0 or later, you'll also need to make very small edits in two additional files, so let's open the "includes/menu.html" file first and make the highlighted change;

  if ( $file!='.' && $file!='..' && $file!='index.php' && $file!='page_preview.php' && $file!=$hidefile && $file!='_site_admin.php' )

  All I've done is add reference to the "_site_admin.php" page to be excluded from the menu with this syntax;

  && $file!='_site_admin.php'

  You'll need to do something similar to exclude the file from the Page Manager too so next, open "fast_edit/fast_edit.php" and make the following highlighted change;

  if ( ($page!='..') && ($page!='.') && ($page!='index.php') && ($page!='page_preview.php') && ($page!='_site_admin.php') ) // add .php files to exclude from page manager as required

  Now when you browse to http://yourwebsite.com/_site_admin.php, you'll get a dedicated login page!
   
• Q: How do I use "&" symbols on the menu buttons (they get removed during new page creation)?
  
  
  A: If you've tried to create a new page with an ampersand ("&") in the title, you've probably noticed that it gets removed. Similarly, if you want to use a lowercase "and", it gets capitalised along with all the other words once you hit "Create".
  
  You can change this behaviour though, and thankfully it's very easy; all you need to do is change one line of code in three files for Fast Edit v1.0 and only one line of code in one file for Fast Edit Mini.
  
  Here are the three files that you'll need to make changes to in Fast Edit v1.0.
  The asterisk denotes the file that you'll need to edit if you're using Fast Edit Mini (the 2nd file listed);
  
  

  1. "fast_edit/fast_edit.php" (for the Page Manager)
  2. * "fast_edit/fast_edit_config.php" (for the dynamic web page titles)
  3. "fast_edit/includes/menu.html" (for the menu buttons)

  
  Open these files in turn and replace this line of code...

  $title2 = str_replace('_', ' ', strtolower($title)); // convert name to lowercase and replace underscores...

  ...with these;

  $title1 = str_replace('_and_', ' & ', $title); // convert 'and' to '&'
  $title2 = str_replace('_', ' ', strtolower($title1)); // convert name to lowercase and replace underscores...

  Now when you create a new page title with "and" or "And" in it, it will be converted to an "&" symbol instead.
  
  Final tweek: OK, I said there were only three files to change for Fast Edit v1.0 and there are, but if you want to make the Page Manager's "preview backup" page pick up your "&" code changes then you'll need to make another small change to the "fast_edit/fast_edit_config.php" file.
  
  So, open the "fast_edit/fast_edit_config.php" file again and replace this line of code...

  $title_preview = str_replace('_', ' ', strtolower($basepage_preview)); // convert name to lowercase...

  ...with these;

  $basepage_preview = str_replace('_and_', ' & ', $basepage_preview); // convert 'and' to '&'
  $title_preview = str_replace('_', ' ', strtolower($basepage_preview)); // convert name to lowercase...

  
   
• Q: How do I find my website's root path for the "$rooturl" variable in the main config file?
  
  
  A: In the "fast_edit/fast_edit_config.php" file, there is a setting which asks for the root path of your website (where Fast Edit is installed).
  
  If you are unsure of what your website's root path is, just upload the "web_server_info.php" file, that came in the Fast Edit download pack, to your main website folder and view it in a web browser. (The address you type into your web browser will look something like this: http://yourwebsite.com/web_server_info.php)
  The line at the top of the screen should be your root path and you can enter this as the "$rooturl" setting.
  
  If you are still having problems identifying your website's root path, please contact your web host for advice.
   
• Q: Why doesn't Fast Edit work (it doesn't load/just shows the "Home" button/shows errors)?
  
  
  A: Fast Edit won't work on servers that have PHP configured to run in "Safe Mode". This is because Fast Edit needs to run PHP functions such as fopen, fwrite, fread, opendir, readdir, closedir, etc., so if they are disabled, Fast Edit can't do what it needs to do.
  
  If you enable these function settings in your "php.ini" file and/or turn "Safe Mode" OFF (you may need to ask your web host to do this) this will hopefully fix things.
  
  A web host who is known to run PHP in "Safe Mode" by default (particularly on Windows shared hosting accounts) is GoDaddy. If you're account is running on Windows, please switch to the Linux Operating System (or choose Linux at sign-up so you're running with higher PHP functionality from the word go).
  
  

  How to switch from Windows to Linux on GoDaddy

  
  I'm only including brief instructions of how to do this here because I've recently had to get somebody out of a similar pickle! This information is correct as of December 2010.
  

  • Very important; please make a complete backup of your website and databases before you start.
  • Login via the Hosting Control Center >> choose "My Account" from the top right >> select "Web Hosting".
  • Under "Products > Web Hosting", click on the name of the hosting account whose operating system you want to change.
  • Select the "Edit Account Details" tab >> choose a Linux plan >> "Save Changes".

  For further guidance, please visit the GoDaddy Help Center.
  You could also refer to their "Should I choose a Windows or Linux hosting account?" help article.
   
• Q: Why won't Fast Edit save the changes I make to my web page/create new pages, etc.?
  
  
  A: Make sure you've CHMOD'd the "fast_edit/" folder, and all folders within, to 755. This gives the Fast Edit scripts permission to write (save) your edits in the appropriate files and create new pages on the server.
  You can also try CHMOD'ing to 777 if 755 doesn't work for you.
  
  Also make sure that Fast Edit is installed at the root of your website, that is, in the main folder.
  
  For more information on how to CHMOD, please read this very helpful article by PHPJunkyard.
   
• Q: How can Fast Edit v1.0's Page Manager be configured to handle sub-pages in sub-folders?
  
  
  A: Unfortunately the Page Manager in Fast Edit v1.0 can only see pages in the root folder of your website so if you have pages in sub-folders that need editing, etc. you should move them to the main folder.
  
  Of course, this will initially make the pages visible in the automatic menu but you can then toggle their menu visibility via the Page Manager and hide them from view. Don't worry, the pages still exist on the server (in the root folder) but the menu just doesn't include them if their visibility status is set to "hidden".
   
• Q: How can I make Fast Edit v1.0's File Manager (file upload)/WYSIWYG image/file browser work?
  
  
  A: If the default settings don't work for you, there may be some problems with the path and link settings in the "fast_edit/tinymce_3_3_7/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/tinybrowser/config_tinybrowser.php" file, so check there to make the changes suggested below.
  
  

  1. For file upload paths, try setting the file locations to '/userfiles/images/', '/userfiles/media/' and '/userfiles/files/' respectively. The '/' at the start of each of these strings tells the browser to start looking for each location from the root of your website.
      
  2. For file link paths, try reverting back to the three default settings that have been commented out ('//' at the start of a line of php code comments it out); uncomment thoses and comment out/delete the three lines below them instead. Alternatively, you can manually enter the full link paths to your userfiles folders, including the http:// part, like this, " 'http://www.mywebsite.com/userfiles/images/'; ", etc.

  
   
• Q: In Fast Edit v1.0, how can I hide pages from the menu if the Page Manager is in "basic" mode?
  
  
  A: This might seem tricky - with the Page Manager running in "basic" mode there's no obvious way to hide pages from the menu - but there are actually a few things you can do;
  
  

  1. Code your own static HTML menu
     This might sound obvious but if you don't intend to use the Page Manager in "advanced" mode (where new pages can easily be created) then you don't really need an automatic menu to dynamically add pages from your website's root folder.
      
  2. Mimic what the menu visibility toggle switch does
     You can mimic what the menu visibility toggle switch does and manually create a .txt file in the "fast_edit/_menu_status/" folder with the word "hidden" typed into it. The name of the file should match the name of the page to be hidden. So, for example, if you want to hide a page called "my_pet_cat.php", the file that you manually create should be called "my_pet_cat.txt".
      
  3. Edit the "includes/menu.html" file to hide select pages
     Look for the following array in the "includes/menu.html" file...

     if ( $file!='.' && $file!='..' && $file!='index.php' && $file!='page_preview.php' && $file!=$hidefile )

     ...and add a " && $file!='my_pet_cat.php' " inside the brackets for every page you need to hide.
      
• Q: In Fast Edit v1.0, how can I hide pages from the dynamic menu and from the Page Manager?
  
  
  A: So you have pages at the root of your site that you don't want to include in the automatic menu or the Page Manager, where the end-user might delete them? Here's what you need to do;
  
  First, look for the following array in the "includes/menu.html" file...

  if ( $file!='.' && $file!='..' && $file!='index.php' && $file!='page_preview.php' && $file!=$hidefile )

  ...and add a " && $file!='my_pet_cat.php' " inside the brackets for every page you need to hide.
  
  Secondly, look for the following array in the "fast_edit/fast_edit.php" file...

  if ( ($page!='..') && ($page!='.') && ($page!='index.php') && ($page!='page_preview.php') )

  ...and add a " && ($page!='my_pet_cat.php') " inside the outer brackets for every page you need to hide.
   
• Q: How do I add a "change font-colour of selected text" button to the WYSIWYG editor's toolbar?
  
  
  A: The actual editor used for Fast Edit's WYSIWYG toolbar is a free Javascript editor called TinyMCE.
  It is totally customisable, so you can chop and change what buttons appear on the toolbar or even make your own using your own functions.
  
  Fast Edit v1.0 and Fast Edit Mini have all default plugins already included and installed in the download pack so just take a look at the TinyMCE examples page and enable your favourites.
  
  Specifically, if you want to enable the "forecolor" option, which is the button that provides a quick and easy way to change highlighted text colour, all you need to do is open the "fast_edit/js/fast_edit_toolbar.js" file and make the highlighted change;
  
  
  click the image to view a larger version gives you...
  
  
   

Usage questions

• Q: How do I change the font size and colour through the Template Manager?
  
  
  A: You can use standard CSS in the Template Manager to alter the look of existing elements or to define a brand new look for custom elements.
  
  To alter the font in the editable region (assuming you've kept the default ".editable" class in the "includes/header.html" file) you can use the code below and substitute in your own preferences;

  .editable {
  font-family: Arial;
  font-size: 12pt;
  color: red;
  }

  
  Please note, the success of the Template Manager depends on the placement of the "fast_edit/editable_site_styles.css" link in the your "includes/header.html" file. If the default/master stylesheet for your site falls AFTER the "fast_edit/editable_site_styles.css" link, then custom CSS entered into the Template Manager may be over-ridden by default site styling. This method can be employed as a basic safety precaution, meaning the default styles for your site cannot be messed-up accidentally by the end-user.
  
  If you're new to CSS and would like to learn more, please read the W3School CSS Tutorial and work through the examples.
   
• Q: The editor's WYSIWYG toolbar doesn't load on my Windows XP computer. How can I fix this?
  
  
  A: It's most likely that you're still running on Service Pack 2 so please upgrade to Service Pack 3 (and upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 while you're at it), and then everything should be fine.
  
  To arm yourself, please read this "How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack" article from Microsoft.
   

Menu customisation questions

• Q: How do I make a horizontal menu with buttons all the same size (with/without button image)?
  
  
  A: The menu can easily be styled with CSS. The CSS that comes with the download pack of Fast Edit
  (see the "includes/default_site_styles.css" file) is very basic so you should build on that existing code to customise your menu into something prettier.
  
  The CSS below should give you a starting point and is commented for your convenience;
  

  ul.menu {
  list-style: none; /* remove default bullet points from menu list */
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  height: 100%;
  }
  
  li.menu {
  float:left; /* remove "float:left;" to make the menu buttons sit vertically */
  margin: 1px 0; /* gap between buttons - "margin: 0 1px;" is the gap above and below buttons if vertical */
  padding: 0;
  text-align: center; /* alignment of text on button */
  width: 150px; /* overall width of menu button */
  }
  
  li.menu a, li.menu a:visited {
  display: block; /* makes the whole button a link instead of just the text on it */
  text-decoration: none; /* remove the underline from text hyperlinks */
  color: white; /* color of text on button */
  font-size: 12px; /* size of text on button */
  line-height: 25px; /* height of each button */
  width: 150px;  /* overall width of menu button (must be set here and i "li.menu" above) */
  }
  
  li.menu a {
  background: url("path/to/image/button.gif") repeat 0 0; /* optional image for button at rest */
  padding: 5px 0px;
  }
  
  li.menu a:hover, li.menu a:active {
  background: url("path/to/image/button-hover.gif") repeat 0 0; /* optional image for button on hover */
  }

  
   
• Q: How do I make a vertical menu with buttons all the same size (with/without button image)?
  
  
  A: You can use CSS to style the menu and make it fit in better with your website. The CSS that comes with the download pack of Fast Edit (see the "includes/default_site_styles.css" file) is very basic so you should build on the code provided to customise the menu to your liking.
  
  The CSS below is very similar to that used on this very website (to create the main menu on your upper left) and should help you get started. It's also commented for your convenience;
  

  ul.menu {
  list-style: none; /* remove default bullet points from menu list */
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  height: 100%;
  }
  
  li.menu { /* add "float:left;" below to make the menu buttons sit horizontally */
  margin: 0 1px; /* gap above and below buttons - "margin: 1px 0;" is the gap between buttons if horizontal */
  padding: 0;
  text-align: center; /* alignment of text on button */
  width: 150px; /* overall width of menu button */
  }
  
  li.menu a, li.menu a:visited {
  display: block; /* makes the whole button a link instead of just the text on it */
  text-decoration: none; /* remove the underline from text hyperlinks */
  color: white; /* color of text on button */
  font-size: 12px; /* size of text on button */
  line-height: 25px; /* height of each button */
  width: 150px;  /* overall width of menu button (must be set here and in "li.menu" above) */
  }
  
  li.menu a {         
  background: url("path/to/image/button.gif") repeat 0 0; /* optional image for button at rest */
  padding: 5px 0px;
  }
  
  li.menu a:hover, li.menu a:active {
  background: url("path/to/image/button-hover.gif") repeat 0 0; /* optional image for button on hover */
  }

  
   
• Q: How do I preload a "on hover" button image for my menu?
  
  
  A: You can preload a button image very easily with CSS. First of all, you need to add reference to your hover button image in your HTML markup - don't worry, it won't be visible to anyone viewing your website.
  
  The HTML you should add to your "include/header.html" file is below - you should insert it right below the opening <body> tag to make sure it loads quickly, before everything else;
  

  <div id="hover-button"></div>

  
  Now for the CSS. Add the following lines of code to your "includes/default_site_styles.css" stylesheet file;

  div#hover-button { /* preload the hover button without showing it on-screen */
  position: absolute;
  top: 0px;
  left: 0px;
  width: 0px;
  height: 0px;
  background: url("path/to/image/hover-button.gif") 0 0 no-repeat;
  }

  
  Notice how all the values for position and size are set to zero? That's to hide it from view but because it exists in the HTML, regardless of its "nothing" size elsewhere in the CSS, it will load "silently" in the background and be ready and waiting for your website visitor to navigate the menu.
   

Miscellaneous questions

• Q: Do I need to credit you/Fast Edit on my website or advertise Fast Edit in any way?
  
  
  A: There is no need to credit me or Fast Edit on your website because nobody really knows it's there.
  
  The logic behind this statement is that since Fast Edit only comes into play once the admin has logged-in, only the admin knows of it's existence, so why would you plug Fast Edit to yourself? And even if you've built a website using Fast Edit for a client, there's not a requirement to advertise it to them since they probably don't have the need, capacity or capability to download and install it themselves. They wouldn't have asked you to build their website for them otherwise, would they?!
  
  The only stipulation is that the copyright notices inside all component scripts of Fast Edit remain intact and should not be deleted under any circumstances.
  
  However, if you're so taken with Fast Edit that you want to sing its praises elsewhere on the internet, feel free to post a link to the Fast Edit website in your Blog, MySpace, FaceBook, LiveJournal, or similar.
  That would be absolutely smashing and much appreciated indeed!
   
• Q: Will future versions of Fast Edit include a choice of starter-template/template library?
  
  
  A: Unfortunately not. The concept of Fast Edit was to provide the end-user with a quick and non-destructive way of editing and managing basic website content on YOUR pre-designed site.
  
  Fast Edit is a "back-end" tool. It is meant to be plugged into a website of your own design, giving you the freedom and control to create the base, while giving the end-user a simple and non-technical way of managing their content.
  
  Fast Edit is not meant to be a one-size-fits solution to getting a pre-made website.
   
• Q: Will you be making plugins for Fast Edit (RSS feeds/image galleries/blogs/news managers)?
  
  
  A: Not at this time. Referring back to the concept of Fast Edit (which was as a "back-end" tool, to provide the end-user with a quick and non-destructive way of editing and managing basic website content on YOUR pre-designed site), it is up to the webmaster of each site to decide which website features are necessary and to source and include them as they see fit.
  
  To help you on your quest, many scripts which do all manner of things can be sourced freely at Hot Scripts.
   
• Q: Why doesn't the Fast Edit template in the download pack look like your demo (I feel cheated)?
  
  
  A: I'm sorry you feel that way but the demo template is actually the template for MY website.
  Am I being unreasonable to ask you to design your own?
  
  The concept of Fast Edit is as a "back-end" tool, to provide the end-user with a quick and non-destructive way of editing and managing basic website content on YOUR pre-designed site. So, basically, you design a website and Fast Edit can offer the means of editing it.
  
  The onsite demo simply looks like the rest of this site to illustrates how Fast Edit can be plugged into an existing design.
   
• Q: My web designer charged extra for installing Fast Edit, but it's free. How do I get my money back?
  
  
  A: Sorry, but that's between you and your web designer. As you can see, I do not charge for the download and use of Fast Edit and I do not hold usage agreements with anybody who chooses to install it, be it for their own use or for their client.
  
  That being said, there is some restructural work involved in getting Fast Edit installed on an existing site so the charge of an administration fee seems like a reasonable requirement. Hopefully it wasn't excessive!
   
• Q: Can you please explain what the purpose of a header and footer file is?
  
  
  A: Fast Edit uses header and footer files (see the "includes/" folder in the download pack) to standardise the look of your website. Through the magic of PHP, common files, containing common blocks of code, are included on every page of your website using the PHP "include" command.
  
  This concept is not a new thing written especially for Fast Edit, and many other people have already published some excellent tutorials online, so it seems counter-productive for me to cover old ground here. That's not to say I won't put you on the right track though, and a very simple tutorial about the use of php includes for headers, footers and menus can be found at tizag.com.
   
• Q: I made my website with FrontPage so I don't "do" code - will you remake/do it for me?
  
  
  A: In short, No. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to recode your website for you and if you don't have at least a basic understanding of HTML code, and how to manipulate it, maybe Fast Edit isn't the tool for you.
  
  Unless you can get a friend to sit down and recode/divide content off for you, and install Fast Edit on your behalf, you'd probably be better off sticking with the software you do know how to use to edit your website.