Hi, my name is Linda and I've just downloaded AW2000. I am trying desperately to avoid using eBay's SYI3. I think I really like this product, but I have run into something that I'm not sure I want to deal with right now. I am using Photobucket as a picture host and apparently they are not compatible with AW2000 even though they do offer FTP support.

What I want to do is embed the Photobucket-generated HTML for clickable links into the auction description and still use a template. It works fine if I just copy and paste the code, but AW2000 seems to be inserting line breaks after each thumbnail so they all wind up displaying in a vertical column, rather than 3 or 4 to a line as I'm used to seeing. Does anybody know a workaround for this or if I'm just doing something dumb or if support for Photobucket is forthcoming? I really didn't want to change photo hosts right now.
Thanks for any help.

As an aside, thanks for the robust help files and what appears to be a well-thought-out product.

HI,

Welcome!! Yep, AW2K is far better choice than SYI3. Or anything else for that matter.

AW2K is not compatible with photobucket. And if you want to use HTML in the description field, you might consider converting your Listing template to Pure HTML. Then you can code much easier and with greater accuracy.

If you do not convert the Listing template to HTML, you cannot write HTML in the description field. If you do write your descriptions with HTML, then you cannot use a Listing template and lose all the benefits of using a Listing template.

Try converting one template. Before you do, duplicate whatever Listing template you are wanting to edit and customize, then convert it. Then if you make a huge mistake, you still have the original to duplicate and start again.

Does that help?

Judy/blue

Hi Judy, thanks for the response. I did try pure HTML and it still reformatted the links as I described. When I Preview and view the source, the extraneous line breaks are there.

The doc says I can add HTML tags to the Description field within a template, just cautions not to insert line breaks I think.

The only way I could make it work as I want it to is to use no template and, like you say, that removes all the benefits of a template. I think the main problem is I haven't allowed enough time to convert to something new and I'm racing the clock against May 7 now. I will try to play around some more or look at changing photo hosts.

But does AW2000 image formatting support clickable thumbnails?

Hi,

You mentioned copying and pasting the code into AW2K. What are you copying from? You might want to paste the copied code into Notepad, then copy it from Notepad as that will strip out an extraneous text. Which is what the problem you have described reeks of. whatever you have copied the code from has extraneous text back behind the scenes. So give that a whirl.

You can remove the line breaks in the code. Just delete the line breaks and save the template. Then check the Preview again.

The other thing some of us do, write the code in DreamWeaver, copy and paste the code into a pure HTML listing template. Then you can tweak it from there. Dreamweaver doesn't add all the extra stuff that Front Pag does.

I understand completely. It is nerve racking when you have a deadline. You will really be well pleased with AW2K. Truly you will. Much much better piece of software than the SYI3.

The only way to do clickable images, is to code it in the pure HTML template. I am getting ready to change one of my Listing template around and use a clickable image logo instead of just my user id. The built in image editor does not convert images to a clickable form. It is simply an image editor.

If you need to change image hosting, several of us use pair.com. Garry uses another ISP he really likes. I can't remember who he uses right off the top of my head. Maybe he'll drop by and tell you. And some other AW2K users have other ISP services they use.


Something you might consider, while you are learning. Select a Listing template and do some simple customizing, editing. (be sure to duplicate before you start editing and edit the duplicated template instead of the original) After you get up and running, then try to get a Listing template with all the thumbnails, etc like you want. Changing Listing templates on Auction lots is easy. Only a couple of mouse clicks, literally.

Judy/blue

Thanks again, Judy. That is what I am doing is just trying things out with test templates. The copy and paste is from the HTML generated by Photobucket. Therere is nothing extraneous in there, it's very limited code really.

Maybe I'm missing something but the code is in the description, not saved with the template. When I view/edit the description, the line breaks aren't there, only in the preview source (which I assume will propogate to the actual listing). The template just has the tag for the description so I don't THINK I can remove the line breaks. I will keep trying tomorrow.

Linda,

If you put the code into the actual Listing template instead of on an Auction lot description field, you will have more control over it. From what you are saying, it sounds like to me anyway, you have pasetd the code in the actual description field on an Auction lot.

Another thing you might try doing is putting the image code in the footer area instead of the description. The footer area displays on each Auction lot, you just don't see it unless you have something in it. so you can put the code in the footer.

Judy/blue

Linda,

Allow me to correct a statement I made in a previous post.

In reply to:

---

If you do not convert the Listing template to HTML, you cannot write HTML in the description field. If you do write your descriptions with HTML, then you cannot use a Listing template and lose all the benefits of using a Listing template

---

That statement is not entirely true. You can use HTML in your descriptions at any time. It's just that how the code works is determined by whether or not you have a Listing template selected. There is a section in the help files on using HTML in your descriptions and the rules that apply when using HTML or Java in the description field.

It might help if I tell you where to look in the help file, huh????

"HTML code" in the help index will get you to the right spot for all the rules, etc.

Judy/blue

Edited by bluepennylady on 04/25/07 01:02 PM (server time).