Remember you do not have to export to the same location each time. If I want to add a page down the line (Say a year after I designed the layout) All that needs to be done is open your .rlmp file, add the page, lay it out and export your project. Just make sure to export it to a different location then your existing project.

Then take the CSS files, and only the page you added and move them over to your current website. See, easy.

For me I find it easier to leave everything in the myrlmprojectname_exported and remove the _exported from the folder name. The next time I export I can export to the same location without overwriting anything.

Thanks Adam. Great tip! So adding a new page is easy peasy sounds like. My original question however, was really about updating, growing, etc., an existing page or pages. My content changes regularly, so it would nice to be able to manage the content without having to do a total redo. But it looks like that's mostly what has to happen. I guess I'm spoiled from working with non-sponsive pages in the Coffecup HTML Editor. I can go in, just make a change anywhere I need, but I don't have to touch the rest of the layout at all or redo anything.

Don't get me wrong. I see the power that RLMP has and all it's advantages. It is an amazing tool. Just trying to get a sense of how much work I'm realistically in for, with a site that is not static, but updated regularly.

Thanks!

Linux (and Windows, too, I would imagine) has tools that highlight differences between files, line by line. If you impose the self-disclipline of retaining all versions of output from RLM, you can use file-differencing tools to show you exactly where to apply incremental changes in your Web site.

You can use a version-management application such as Git (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_%28software%29) to retain, name and usefully describe each version.

Hiya Michael,

I am not sure why you cannot do exactly what you have been doing with your updating. Remember, when you're updating your content, if you're not wanting to totally restructure a page and are just updating text or images then you can edit it in the HTML Editor same as you always have been. Where RLM will come in later is when you want to add new pages, maybe you want to adjust the CSS only (change colors of text, sizes of text, etc.) where you can go into RLM and just adjust those things in the layout and when you export it you just take the CSS files and replace your current ones.

TIP: Always backup your current files before replacing them until you know that the new ones are what you wanted.

TIP2: My method of saving the files is different than the others, I tend to just rename the file. This way it can never overwrite anything and this can also help create a series of backups as you go along. I typically append each file that I want to save specifically with a -1 or -2 and increment as I go. Just another option for file saving when you're exporting your files and not wanting to overwrite the others.

Hope that helps

Eric. . . forgot to thank you for that great tip! Thanks!

Halfnium..... thanks! I'll have to chew on that one for a little bit. Sometimes it takes me awhile, but I am the perpetual student.

Hi Jo Ann,

Sorry for the late reply (forgot to subscribe to the thread for one). Got distracted, looking into Wordpress for a few days, got a headache from all that and came to the conclusion that I could hand code things faster than I could make changes in a Wordpress Theme. Just found it too frustrating. Okay enough of a rant on that. But it actually helped steer me back to RLMP, so that's good.

Thanks for the suggestions and tips! I have done tip #2 a lot with files in the past, and that has worked well for the most part. Yeah, I guess I'm over thinking things a little. If I have the structure of my site laid and is consistent, I can take some snippets of code and add to the content that way.

I just wish the trial of RLMP had been longer so I could test things out properly (things came up and I didn't get to work with it really). I'm pretty well convinced I want to buy it, but will have to wait for the next payday. Hope the introductory price holds out till then!

Thanks!

I create a website in RLM and export it to my desktop in the myfiles_exported folder. I add custom.css file link in layouts/manage project box for all pages -- can get this

I open it in Web editor as new project - no problem and add a custom.css file. I m ok up to here

I add amendments to the index.html, about.html and contact.html pages in web editor. I also carry out css adjustments in custom.css. Got this bit

He is where i get confused. A client says they don't like something on each of three pages and I need to go back into RLM to make the adjustments which I do.

I now have to re-export the files to myfiles_exported. Now I understand that custom.css and any images added to the img file are protected but it appears the changes I made to index, about and contact in web editor would be lost. Is this my correct reading of the situation and if so this is a pretty fundamental flaw is it not. i.e. there is now way I can make changes without losing my earlier work. Am I reading this correctly.

Hi Tony,

I would make all your content changes within the rlm application. Then when you re export it will keep your changes. The only thing you should have to add outside of rlm is menus, sliders, and any other custom code. All other changes make within the app.

Also, the best way to be sure your client likes the way the site is setup, is to first provide them with either screenshots or links to the site as it is with how it is exported when RLM exports it ... "before" ... you do any changes to the code at all.

Create yourself a custom.css file and put it in a separate folder. I found doing the separate folder for the custom css helps so it doesn't get deleted when you replace with the new RLM code as many times I like to just delete all the files outright and put the new ones in rather than overwriting them. I named that folder custom-css , classy right? hahaha.

Anyways, make your changes in a custom.css file that you need to make to the main code by copying that code you need into the custom.css file. This way you won't have to lose those changes upon re-exporting as Steve mentioned.

Then show the site as you're editing the custom css file, don't make major changes to the actual files until your client says they are satisfied with the Layout (how things are positioned and sized for the most part) first. This way, the only thing you're changing is the content and since most of that is done within RLM as well (textually anyways), there won't be much they will want to change later that will make you have to start over in RLM with the layout without the changes done.

Be sure to link your custom.css file within RLM as well. It gives you that ability and that makes it much easier to see your changes as you go as well without having to wait for export.