Export website to disk does not export updates in linked files 
Author: C. M.Goodmorning to all.
I am using WebsiteX5 pro v12.
When I "Export the website to disk" for further development and testing on a WAMP server, all files are exported properly and the site is functional. The web site heavily uses HTML custom objects with linked ".js" files (linked through the "Expert" tab of the object, with the "link the file" option checked).
However, I am faced with a problem when I do the following:
Step 1: Export website to server.
Step 2: Test, debug and make changes to the linked .js files. The changes are made on the linked files that are referenced in the pathname in the "linked file to upload to server" box of the "upload linked file" dialog box.
Step 3: Repeat step 1 and test again.
THE PROBLEM: Any changes made to the linked files are not uploaded through the export on the server. It could be that WSX5 is storing somewhere a copy of the old files and is not checking if the original file is being changed, not sure.
Any ideas how to fix this?
...perhaps you need to clean Cache both on your Browser and on the program; for the second need, click on Control+F5, or, much better, open the Website stored in your folder in C:, e cancel the folder "Upload" and "preview" (during next exportation they will be reconstitute without old files)...
Author
Thanks Gabriele. Not a browser cache issue for sure. Regarding your second guess for the app cache, can you please be a bit more specific:
(a) open what Website, the exported files on the server or the WSX5 files?
(b) How do you cancel Upload and Preview? I am not using ftp upload to but export to disk.
...dont'you save your project as file .iwzip? I think is the first operation after export online. So, in the folder with this extension, you can find the folder "upload" and "preview"; open that folder with a program like "winrar" ,or similar, and when the folder is opened cancel that two folders; that's it. Probably the program has stored old and unwanted files. Upload in your project what you want and save, this two folder will be reconstitute "virgin". It's simple.
Author
Thanks for your replies Gabriele. I guess what you are suggesting works.
However, I am not exporting the project, I am exporting the website to the server directly. Of course, I am already using a workaround that "patches" the problem, ie. I am directly copying the updated .js files onto the WSX5 destination directory on the server, after export, overwriting the old versions. I have even automated the task with macro commands. This is not the issue for me.
As mentioned before, this is a "patch" solution that introduces another factor for potential errors, even though it allows me to continue working for the moment. I am looking for this to be done by the software itself. Therefore, I am kindof looking for a reply based on WSX5 settings or WSX5 process, not "hacks".
I will be mostly welcoming a reply along these lines.
Hi C.M.
Please try and remove the linked file from the software, and then reselect the new file for upload together with the new exporting you're gonna wanna be doing.
WebSite stores its linked files and reuses them later, so it is not gonna notice an update the other way.
Try this out and let me know if it works.
Author
Thanks Stefano for your clear answer.
This solution indeed works, but to be honest, it is not practical for large projects. I am including the .js files in several locations in the web site in different html pages, therefore no possibility to reduce the includes.
Why not workable:
(a) in every debug cycle, I need to go through all web pages in the web site and manually update the linked files. This renders the debug cycle x2 in complexity and time consuming and disrupting.
(b) error prone: forgetting one update generates hard to spot bugs in websites, either while developing or maintaining the website.
I am sure there must be another way to configure WSX5 to always reload the linked files (weather changed or not) prior to exporting the web site to disk (maybe settings in config files of WSX5 or otherwise)?
Looking forward to your reply.
Hi C. M.
Unfortunately as of now, there isn't.
Because WebSite moves files to a precise location in order for it to be able to then generate the .IWZIP file and also correctly simulate the final website without risking to get wrong paths during the preview, these files are then saved in specific places by it.
The only way to notify it of changes is to directly remove them and reinsert them.
Sorry I couldn't be of any more use.
I will keep this as suggestion for the developers
Author
Thanks Stefano. Sorry to hear that this cannot work.
As a workaround, I am presently directly copying the .js files to the server destination directory, which is a bit of a hussle but I can live with it.
It is fair that this suggestion is made to the developers, as any workarounds introduce margin for error.