Setting up WebMerge to build pages can be challenging the first time. Once you make you first successful run, things get a lot easier, and you can concentrate on the smaller details. WebMerge WebMerge will do all the page building work for you once you have set up your detail template, index template and saved your WebMerge settings file.
Two-Tiered Hierarchy
To understand the concept of tiered site/navigation design, let's start with a the simplest design, a two-tiered hierarchy. With a two-tiered design we only build one index page. A two-tiered site utilizes detail pages for individual products, and an index page for category navigation. This single index page can serve as the main landing page for visitors, or be merchant specific and linked from your main landing page.
Figure 1 Two-Tiered Web Site Hierarchy
Where things go – planning your site
The following are important items, and should be well thought out prior to building anything:
- Site navigation for published pages.
- What directories (folders) at the web host will contain index and detail pages.
And on your local desktop computer, the locations of the following:
- data feed file (Received from the Merchant)
- index template
- detail template
- Settings file
- Detail pages
- Index pages
Once this is accomplished, you can use this scheme every time in order to be organized. This will become apparent after creating a couple of sites, as you’ll want to make the process as fast and smooth as possible. Being consistent will mean a faster and easier process for all additional builds.
Figure 2 Directory (Folder) examples for
storing settings, template, and completed files.
Data Feed File (Exported File)
After starting WebMerge, the first task to accomplish is selecting the data feed file. This is the file already formatted, cleaned up, and ready to use to build pages. In order to select the file click on “Exported File…” on the “Sources tab” in WebMerge.
TIP: In WebMerge, if you go to the directory where your file is located, and don’t see the file, it may be a good idea to click on the “Files of type…” selector, and select “All files…” This will bring up all files in the directory, and you’ll be able to more easily identify your file.
Settings File
The WebMerge settings file, is simply the file used to save the configuration for a single data feed in WebMerge. Things like the locations where WebMerge writes completed index and detail pages, the location of the data feed file, and other configuration information specific to a particular data feed. Some site designs like three and four-tier hierarchy's require more than one settings file. Conversely, a two-tiered site requires only one settings file.
After selecting the data feed file in WebMerge, the next step will be to name and save the settings file. This can be done from the “File” pull down menu. Some thought should be given to the name, as future names for a particular merchant’s data feed will be easier to track. Additionally, you may wish to make re-direct pages, or build a three or four-tiered site later with this merchant’s data feed file. As stated above, three and four-tiered and redirect designs will require separate settings files. The current file extension for WebMerge settings files is “.4WW” For example, naming settings files as “xyz-merchant_2tier.4ww” or “xyz-merchant_redirect.4ww” may be a good idea.
Again, when building (or updating) many data driven web sites, a well thought out scheme for naming and saving files is always a good idea. The settings files required for a particular merchant should all be saved in the same folder. For example, you can always use the same directory (folder) name in each merchant's main folder for the settings file - call it "settings," or put it in a folder with your templates, called "templates." You can use any name you like, but they should be consistent.
TIP: WebMerge has a feature called “favorites” in the “File” pull down menu. With the favorites menu, you can save settings files, so that they can be loaded by simply selecting them from the Favorites list, instead of hunting for them in different directories. Favorites need to be added manually through the menu, and are a real time saver.
Completing the information and configuration in WebMerge is the next step in building sites.
NEXT SECTION - WebMerge Sources Tab