I guess I'm just pretty dense. What little documentation I can find is not really helping me much. Maybe XOOPS is not what I need.

I already have a web site running, but using frames, which the search engines apparently don't like. I could easily switch to a table form, but then I have to add the navigation to each and every page, then update every page when I add to the menu. I don't think so!

So I'm looking at CMS solutions to get around all this stupid stuff.

While I agree that I should eventually read all the docs, what I really need is a book that says, add this page this way, update the menu that way, code your title bar like this... I don't want to add any functionality at the moment, and I will live with a basic template for the moment.

Is that asking too much? Just a simple "Converting Your Current Site Guide."

Here are three examples of what I'm trying to convert:
My Resume
My Informational Site
A group website that I maintain

this is not easy if you want to change your already static contents to dynamic.
you have to install XOOPS with a content module like smartsection or tinyd and add your contents one by one.create your blocks with multimenu. it should be done manually.

otherwise, you can keep your static html contents with your new install XOOPS site.
see this faq for this purpose:
https://xoops.org/modules/smartfaq/faq.php?faqid=253

No nanwich, you're not dense. I mean if you can create a site, find XOOPS and install it - you're doing quite well

Not to push you away from XOOPS but if your reason for moving to XOOPS is "only" becasue of your updating your menu on several pages, then I'd say using XOOPS is like killing a fly with a canon.

A common way of getting around this is creating a single file which only contains your menu, then call that file from all your pages. That way when you need to update your menu, it'll be just one file to update.

Having submenus can make it a little more tricky, but still managable.

Hope this helps. Lemme know if you dont quite understand seperating the menu in another file concept. Good luck.

The menu/search engine problem is the driving force. However, I see other features that may make using a CMS a nicety.

The only way I know to "call a file from a page" is with PHP. I am currently in the process of converting my Info site to that form. In the next stage, I will change it from tables to positioned divisons. But it would be nice to not re-invent the wheel every time I need to web changes.

-- Nancy

Well, I guess XOOPS was not to be for me. However, I have now completely set up my site with Drupal.