[Zope] Am I getting the idea correctly?

Andy McKay AndyM@ActiveState.com
Sat, 8 Jul 2000 15:26:46 -0700


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You still have to write dtml by hand, but you could say Dreamweaver to
connect via FTP to Zope. You can then edit the documents in html. Or use you
favorite WSYIWYG and ftp / cut and paste them in.

For a tool that includes all the dtml check out the one day it might be
ready - Zope Studio.

----- Original Message -----
From: Frank Isaacs
To: zope@zope.org
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2000 2:37 PM
Subject: [Zope] Am I getting the idea correctly?


I'm so new to Zope that I can barely even spell it. But I'm about to spend
some time and effort getting proficient with something that enables dynamic,
database-connected (and database-updateable) content on web sites so I can
sell it to clients, and the appeal of Zope is overwhelming in this arena.

I am a very proficient PowerBuilder programmer, but Sybase's offerings are
cumbersome and somewhat expensive. I am well versed in many of Microsoft's
products, particularly VBA for its Office products, but I worry greatly
about using anything from Microsoft because it's hard to know when I'll run
into a "gotcha" that I'll curse myself for later on. Cold Fusion and other
products seem a happy medium but the CF server piece is about $5k, and some
others are more expensive.

But here's what worries me about Zope: it looks I will do a whole lot of
typing and get caught up in the syntax and repetitive nature of things like
<dtml-var ------> and <dtml-this -----> and <dtml-that ----- >. OK, so it's
not made for the faint-of-heart at this point - I can handle that. But I
also am not an HTML maven, and it looks like I need to have full HTML
expertise to make this work also. GUI tools take the drudge out of <a
href="something">something and <h2>this is a heading</h2> pretty well, but I
don't see how to get out of this stuff with Zope, especially since it looks
like everything is stored internally in a data file that I can't access from
the outside.

Am I correct? Or is there help on the horizon for those of us who have no
graphic design skills and <shudder> actually believe there's a place for
GUI-based tools?

Thanks for any light you might shed on this subject for me -

-Frank

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>You still have to write dtml by hand, =
but you could=20
say Dreamweaver to connect via FTP to Zope. You can then edit the =
documents in=20
html. Or use you favorite WSYIWYG and ftp / cut and paste them =
in.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For a tool that includes all the dtml =
check out the=20
one day it might be ready - Zope Studio.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:frank@dolphintechnology.com"=20
title=3Dfrank@dolphintechnology.com>Frank Isaacs</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A href=3D"mailto:zope@zope.org"=20
title=3Dzope@zope.org>zope@zope.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, July 08, 2000 2:37 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [Zope] Am I getting the idea correctly?</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'm so new to Zope that I can barely =
even spell it.=20
But I'm about to spend some time and effort getting proficient with =
something=20
that enables dynamic, database-connected (and database-updateable) =
content on=20
web sites so I can sell it to clients, and the appeal of Zope is =
overwhelming in=20
this arena. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am a very proficient PowerBuilder =
programmer, but=20
Sybase's offerings are cumbersome and somewhat expensive. I am well =
versed in=20
many of Microsoft's products, particularly VBA for its Office products, =
but I=20
worry greatly about using anything from Microsoft because it's hard to =
know when=20
I'll run into a "gotcha" that I'll curse myself for later on. Cold =
Fusion and=20
other products seem a happy medium but the CF server piece is about $5k, =
and=20
some others are more expensive.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But here's what worries me about Zope: =
it looks I=20
will do a whole lot of typing and get caught up in the syntax and =
repetitive=20
nature of things like &lt;dtml-var ------&gt; and &lt;dtml-this =
-----&gt; and=20
&lt;dtml-that ----- &gt;. OK, so it's not made for the faint-of-heart at =
this=20
point - I can handle that. But I also am not an HTML maven, and it looks =
like I=20
need to have full HTML expertise to make this work also. GUI tools take =
the=20
drudge out of &lt;a href=3D"something"&gt;something and &lt;h2&gt;this =
is a=20
heading&lt;/h2&gt; pretty well, but I don't see how to get out of this =
stuff=20
with Zope, especially since it looks like everything is stored =
internally in a=20
data file that I can't access from the outside.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Am I correct? Or is there help on the =
horizon for=20
those of us who have no graphic design skills and &lt;shudder&gt; =
actually=20
believe there's a place for GUI-based tools?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thanks for any light you might shed on =
this subject=20
for me -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Frank</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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