Export and Import

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Building A Page - Import and Export

You can export one or more WebBuild Express applications to a file that can be imported into any installation of WebBuild Express.

There are several important reasons for using the Import and Export functions:

When you export one or more applications, you create a compressed file containing all of the text and graphics for that application and all information about where elements appear on the page, font sizes, styles and colors, and other important properties. When you import an exported application into WebBuild Express, you will have an exact copy of the work as it existed on the PC that was used to create the export file.

To create an Export data file, click on "File" on the main menu. Then choose "Export" from the dropdown menu:

You'll see a screen listing all WebBuild Express applications (or sites) on your computer. You can select one or more by clicking on the checkbox at the left of each site name:

When you have selected the applications that you want to include in the Export file, click the "Export" button. You will be prompted to enter a file name and folder for the export file (see sidebar at left).

Within a few seconds you should begin to see status messages at the foot of the Export window:

When the export is completed, you will see a message like the following:

Your export file has been created.

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Export File Locations

When you create export files to backup your work, you should keep them physically separate from the computer that you used to create the data. If your computer crashes or is stolen, you can always restore the data to another PC.

Export files will usually be too big for floppy disks. Consider backing your work up on a Zip drive, a CD-ROM, or on a network drive.

Importing data that you have exported is pretty much the reverse of the export process.

Start by selecting "Import" from the File menu:

You'll see the following window:

Click on the "Browse" button and navigate to the export file you wish to import:

Click "Save" to select the file.

You'll now see a list of all the applications in the Export file. Select one or more by clicking on the checkbox to the left of the application name:

Now, click the "Import" button. If you try to import an application that you currently have on your PC, you will receive a warning message:

Otherwise, the application will be imported from the file, and you will receive the following message when processing is completed:

Export File Names

It's a good idea to give an export file a name that identifies the date it was created, and/or the applications in the file for example: Export040102.wbe or SemDemo040106.wbe.

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It's good practice to backup your data on a regular basis. If you perform regular backups, it's easy to restore an application if your computer should crash or if your data is inadvertantly changed or deleted.

If you're a developer who is building a Web site for a customer, you may want to give the customer a copy of the WebBuild files for the completed site so that the customer can maintain the site and make changes in the future.

In a large organization, different people may have responsibility for maintaining portions of a large Web site. By exporting the data, each person can give the current version of his/her work to the Webmaster who maintains the entire site.

Similarly, in a small organization, responsibility for maintaining a website may rotate from one worker to another. Using Export and Import, it's very easy to hand off the application to another staff member.

Importing Data from an Export File

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