I think I've worked out what is happening.  I'm assuming that the index_html is written in ZPT; when edited TTW via the ZMI the "expand macros when editing" is checked, so I guess the various TAL features are being removed (hence it works until it is saved, and after that the dynamic parts are missing).  I've no idea if there is a way to switch off this expansion by default.  If there is, I would suggest that Zope is initially installed in that condition.  As it is currently, I would say the tutorial examples are quite confusing.  A real newbie would have little idea as to how it could be that the HTML was being constructed.  I at least have been lurking round Zope for some time, so I think I've been able to work it out.

bjd

On Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 7:56 AM, Bernard Devlin <bdrunrev@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi, I'm looking at the idea of using Zope again (a lot seems to have changed..)  I'm using Zope 2.11.1, and whilst trying to remind myself of the basic machinery of Zope, I  imported the Example apps, and started to fiddle around with the Guestbook example.   However, after saving the index_html object of the Guestbook, Zope would no longer find any entries to display.  To check it was simply the act of saving index_html that broke the Guestbook, I deleted the Examples folder and re-imported it.  With a fresh Examples folder Guestbook worked; simply saving it (without even typing in the textarea) would break the Guestbook.  On initial import it shows a single Guestbook entry by "Amos", but after saving index_html, it reports that the Guestbook is empty.  No changes were made to the 'getEntries' script, and the Entries folder still has the entry by "Amos".

I can't see any reason why that would be, and hoped someone else could explain what the problem is.