Sidebar Shows Despite Generate HTML Without Sidebar


#1

I’ve exported my prototype Without Sidebar and the initial file set appears properly in the URL but after a refresh or click-throughs, the sidebar appears. The files are on my web host (not AxShare).

I need the prototype to appear in a URL without a sidebar, what am I missing?


#2

When you choose to “Generate HTML” and choose options under “Open With” that only applies to the first instance of viewing your prototype–you are actually generating the HTML and then opening one of those HTML files in a browser, based on the options you choose.

Axure is simply selecting which of the several HTML files to load. It’s default (Sidebar: With Pages Open) is to open the “start.html” file, which is a frameset including the sidebar in the left frame and your page(s) in the right frame.

If you choose “Without Sidebar” then Axure will open a new browser window or tab with your topmost page loaded (probably home.html). That will likely be on your local drive (unless you generated the HTML directly to your web server.)

When you upload your HTML files to your web host, be sure to include the actual HTML page in your URL, e.g., “myWebDomain.com/myPrototype/home.html” and not “start.html” or “index.html” or a directory with no html file, e.g., "myWebDomain.com/myPrototype/ --which most web servers will interpret as “load the index.html file in that directory”. It turns out that Axure automatically generates an index.html file which is a duplicate of start.html which means the sidebar will be shown. My guess is that is what’s happening in your case, but hard to tell for sure unless you can post a link to your pages.

The good news is you can easily control this. You can click on the little “get links” icon in the sidebar to copy the exact URLs you need for any page after you post your files on your server. It looks like this:


Also, if for any reason you end up with a sidebar, you can get rid of it right away by clicking the “CLOSE” button at the bottom left. Then, have a look at your URL field. That will be the full URL you really want.

Hope this helps! If not, send a quick email to Axure Support (Help > Submit Feedback) --in my experience they have been awesome.


#3

Worked like a charm, thank you! Feel like I should have known that… that’s what these forums are for, right? :stuck_out_tongue:


#4

Is there a way to generate the HTML so that the sidebar is not created at all? I wanted to develop my design and export my HTML, but I need to be able to publish the website without any reference or sign of Axure now. Surely that’s possible, right?

I asked Axure to generate the HTML with no sidebar. The original showing of the site worked, but when I connected to Microsoft’s Visual Studio, uploaded the HTML into there, and then published it, the sidebar appeared again. I see that the start.html and the index.html are identical. Is there a way even inside my HTML that I can delete all the code for the sidebar?


#5

Inside Visual Studio, I deleted both the start.html page and the index.html page and then renamed my home.html page to index.html. That deleted the sidebar. But shouldn’t I be able to do that inside Axure?


#6

Hi SandyGraham,

There currently isn’t a way to automatically exclude the sidebar content from the generated HTML, although it can be removed from the “Open With” options in the editor. And I’ll be happy to log a feature request on your behalf. As you found, changing the main page name “home.html” to “index.html” can be a good way forward for the meantime.


#7

Hi @Alex_Axure

Is that any update for the feature request? I experienced the same problem as @SandyGraham did , I searched the forum then I found this thread. There was an update yesterday but I can’t see any new feature for this. I know most people use Axure just for prototype purpose, but for me I sometime use it to build static website too. So, it will be really helpful if you can add the feature to Axure. Thanks!


#8

Hi Johnsh,

Are you still seeing the sidebar even when referencing the page name .html files, rather than the start or index .html files? There still isn’t a way to completely remove the HTML sidebar from the generated HTML, but I’ll submit another request about this on your behalf, so hopefully this helps a bit!


#9

Hi Jane,

The sidebar disappear only when I delete the index and start files… Thank you for that!


unlisted #10