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| Question ID: |
Q1015 |
| Question: |
Can SiteXpert automatically update a menu / site map / search engine when new files are added to the web site? |
| Product: |
Sitexpert |
Yes, there are two methods which you can use to automatically update a site map. Both methods require Professional Edition of SiteXpert and both methods are based on the same logic: every certain period of time (e.g. once per day or every hour) your web site will be rescanned for changes using one of 3 available modes of Layout Wizard (please note that your custom changes to the structure don't have to be lost -- this is determined by the 'erase old layout before starting Layout Wizard' option in Layout Wizard). Then, the updated site map (or menu or search engine etc.) will be saved on a local disk or uploaded to an FTP server.
Method 1 -- using Web Site Navigation Manager
This method doesn't require an external scheduling program. All you need to do is set up a Web Site Navigation Manager document and choose 'Scheduled Generation' from the Generate menu (you can find out how to set up Web Site Navigation Manager from program help or tutorials). In the 'Scheduled Generation' window you should specify:
how often you want the site map to be updated
which data sources and output pages should be updated (please note that you should add a data source as well as an output page in this window for proper update)
Web Site Navigation Manager will now automatically update specified output pages (please make sure you don't exit the program but leave it running).
Method 2 -- using an external scheduling program
This method is preferred if you don't wish to set up a Web Site Navigation Manager document. The automatic generation is performed by first setting up the configuration manually in SiteXpert (that is, you need to run Layout Wizard to map your site and set all your options--graphical, output and layout wizard options). Once you map your website and create output files (either by saving to a local/network disk or uploading to an FTP server) you need to save your SiteXpert document (an .sx file).
Then, you can use Windows scheduler (Control Panel/Scheduled Tasks) or any other scheduling program, to run SiteXpert as often as you like (e.g. every night) by executing the program with the following command (of course, SiteXpert as well as your saved .sx file can be located in a different directory):
c:\program files\SiteXpert\SiteXpert.exe /g c:\www\MySavedFile.sx
You can try to execute this command without a scheduler (from the command prompt) to check if everything is set up correctly. You can also choose process priority (in case you don't want SiteXpert to take up too much CPU power) -- this is described below.
Below is a fragment from SiteXpert's Help describing the automated genertion feature that you may find useful:
"There is a possibility of updating a site map automatically, without user input (Note: this option is only available in Professional edition of SiteXpert). To do this, use the command line argument /g (or -g), eg. SiteXpert.exe /g c:\WWW\WebSites\MediaMania.sx This will update site map whose settings are saved in file c:\WWW\WebSites\MediaMania.sx (of course first you have to create and save this file). Remember that the 'Erase old layout before starting Layout Wizard' option from the Layout Wizard determines whether your old site map layout is deleted or not. It does not matter which scanning mode you chose in Layout Wizard. Using this command line argument will excecute Layout Wizard in the same mode you chose before saving the file.
Note: you can also use an additional command line argument /s[execution speed] (or -s[execution speed]) where [execution speed] determines execution priority of SiteXpert (in range 1--lowest to 3--highest). For example, SiteXpert.exe /s1 will start SiteXpert with idle priority (it will only execute in the background so it doesn't slow down other programs). Default priority is 2 (normal). " |
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