Web Variants - how to edit text one and leave others alone

[Frolin]

Have created a test site to play with variants, with three variants (PC, Tablet, Phone screen sizes).
When I edit the text in one variant it alters text in others.
I checked in Help... and found nothing to clearly says how to do the steps.

So my main heading line, when I go to the 3rd variant and edit it, to take one long line and change to 3 smaller short lines, to fit smaller screens, it seems to both drop text, change colors and change the font and style.
Here are three screens, what it looks like on the three variants before edits, the edit screen, and the results...

First I went to the variant, selected the text, clicked the 'Update normal text in this variant', made changes and found the messed up results.
Second I fixed, started over, went to the variant, selected the text, made changes, then clicked the 'Update normal...' and again found the messed up results.

Can someone please advise, in simple form, step by step what I should be doing...

If there is a help page that clearly says in simple plain English (as we say), how to do this, please advise what you did to 'search help' to find it.

Thanks!
Frolin

[bwood]

Frolin. I’m not sure what version of Xara you’re using. In your larger variant, click on an element and turn off sharing. It’s explained fully here .. https://helpandsupport.xara.com/xara...search=Sharing.

Once turned off, you can design your variants to your hearts content. Also pick your text styles prior to starting your design …
https://helpandsupport.xara.com/xara...=Text%20styles

From the above links you’ll find the entire on line help manual.

[gwpriester]

Or right click on what you do not want to share across variants and select Variants > Stop Sharing.

[Frolin]

Bill, those links took me to material that really did not answer the question
...one implies you have to turn on and off sharing
...the other talks about Fonts and Styles and such

[Frolin]

Gary,
I do not want to stop sharing across variants, I want to change words in a text field and not have the fonts or formats changed in other variants.

An example, a page has a text field that contains a summary of the next months meeting agenda.
"In the May meeting, Bill will talk about the benefits of..."
and then next month I simply change the words in the paragraph to say "In our June meeting, Frank will share pictures from..."
in the main page and it updates the variants, without effecting the fonts, pitch, position, etc.

I found this seems to work in the 'Active Fitness' sample site, so am looking for the setting that lets me edit the works on one variant, and the system changes the words on the next variant, words only...

[Chris M]

Format one section in any variant to how you want it to look
Using the Text Tool, click anywhere in the Text Box as if you were going to type
In the drop-down Text Style box, choose Create Style and call it whatever you want...say Info Text
Using the Text Tool, click anywhere in another section you want in the Info Text format
In the drop-down Text Style box, choose Info Text
Repeat on all the Text Boxes you want

In another variant
Using the Text Tool, click anywhere in an Info Text format
Edit to how you want
In the drop-down Text Style box, choose Update Info Text in this variant

[Egg Bramhill]

Frolin, within your example you are creating a text block that contain both Normal text & Normal text+ (i.e. Normal text+ = Normal text but altered)

Avoid this. Instead make your text block containing a mixture of Normal Text then Heading3 for example.

So in the example below the red text is Normal text. The black text is Heading3 and is larger italicized text.

Welcome to the home page for Marek Mountain a collection of websites by Florin Marek


Welcome to the home page for
Marek Mountain
a collection of websites by Florin Marek

The having done this avoid selecting the whole text line (it will show Many Styles) as you do in your example but just select a portion of the Normal text only, adjust as required and then select 'update Normal text in this variant'. Do the same by selecting just the Heading3 text and adjust and then select 'update Heading3 text in this variant'

I'd also go along with Chris's method of creating a new text style. This way you're only changing the text style within this block of text not the Normal text throughout the document. It's even worth considering creating standalone web site for this regularly edited content and loading it into your main website via a placeholder.

[Frolin]

Folks,
this is still not working as I thought or expected, or as easy or whatever, for me...
...some life distractions over last month, so been away, and have tried several times with above info, to no use.


Maybe a Euro or modern twist on what 'style' means in Xara but in general I do not play with 'style' feature, I simply change fonts, pitch and colors, on text. Then again, that's what style means to me.
So is screwing with 'custom styles' mean something else and the only way to trick this process ?

Starting over, what I have here is a new clean sample page. I created a main page for PC Monitor size, and a variant for Mobile.

I created a simple text box, a heading saying Home Page - Monitor and it cloned to the variant.
Found I had to select the text box on variant and select 'Stop sharing with variants' to edit the title to say " - Mobile" without it changing the words on the Monitor page.

Then I created a new text box on Monitor page, used basic normal text and pasted in a sample paragraph.
Found it cloned this to the Mobile page = ok.

When I was on the Mobile page, if I changed the text box 'layout' or format or shape, pick your words, it changed it on the Monitor page also.
So I had to 'Stop sharing with variants' to edit the text on each page's, text box shape = ok

So this disconnected editing the words only... as I tried to add works on the Monitor page and it did not add on the Mobile page.
...see where I added 'the year' in the first words to read "In the year 2000" and it remained "In 2000"


Let's make this easy (read this as one sentence completely please)...
Is it possible to setup a basic simple 'text box' and have it copied to all variants,
then edit the text box shape and position and font size, on each variant, without effecting other variants,
and be able to edit the 'wording' (the text itself) on one page and have it update all variants,
without playing with 'styles' or turning on and off 'sharing' every couple steps ?

If so, is there a simple set of instructions, step by step in basic layman English ?
(not some complicated worded company formatted left face techno Euro confusion, as found in Xara help area)

....this should not be that dang hard, but so far but doing this seems perfectly clear to those who know how to do it

[Acorn]

Frolin, to answer your 'complete' sentence, simply copy & paste your Text Area (which is not shared) from one variant to another and alter all and anything as you choose.

Acorn

[Frolin]

ALSO to quote from above...
"I found this seems to work in the 'Active Fitness' sample site, so am looking for the setting that lets me edit the works on one variant, and the system changes the words on the next variant, words only..."

While looking at options in the sample material, I found it is under Websites, Website Themes, and called "Activate Theme" there, but when open the tables are labeled "Activate website" (someone can't stick with same name?).

This sample has a Main and Mobile variant. And is setup with text fields, photos, menus and such. But not wanting to back-engineer a sample, wanting to build new clean.

Here I find I can simply go in to a text field and edit the wording (change the words) and it updates in the variant, without extra clicks, tricks, steps.
It appears maybe, the site was designed on the main, then the variant was created, then sharing turned off to avoid place movements and such in the variant from effecting the Main. Yet the text edits work, share and carry back and forth.


Acorn, this means I should not have to 'copy and paste' text every time I tweak words or update the monthly news or calendar fields.


So it seems it is possible and simple without having to click other settings with each change. But how?