How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
DoctorWatsOn 42
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1 Re: How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
DoctorWatsOn
OP
42
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You are using the categories block for the content module. There is one for the articles module as well.
/articles_categories/testing_articles.html should work
D'oh, I hadn't noticed there were different categories blocks.
I need to get my head around how the modules all operate separately, another lesson learnt, thanks.
1 Re: How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
Philipp
From: Vienna, Austria
Administrator
1340From: Vienna, Austria
You are using the categories block for the content module. There is one for the articles module as well.
/articles_categories/testing_articles.html should work
/articles_categories/testing_articles.html should work
1 Re: How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
DoctorWatsOn
OP
42
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How about using article categories for these sections?
Hi Philipp & Happy New Year.
It looks like categories could be the solution, however I am a little confused here:
1 - I set-up a category in the 'content module' and that popped-up as a link in the category block on the right, and I managed to vary the blocks appearing on that category, which is great, however the article previews don't include any images.
I get this:
Whereas I would something like this:
2 - So, I set-up a category in the 'articles module' and that gives you the option to include images in the article preview and change blocks, which is great, but no link appeared in the category block on the right - so I am lost as to where to find that category.
The URL for the category in the 'content module' ends: /index.php?/content_overview/testing.html
So, I tried to find the category in the 'article module' with these two URLs, but no luck:
/index.php?/articles_overview/testing_articles.html - gives me a blank page and
/index.php?/articles/testing_articles.html - displays the same page as index.php?/articles/index.html
- despite the fact the I changed blocks for the 'testing_articles' category.
So, basically how can I get the category in the 'content module' to display a link in the category block, or, failing that, what URL format would I need to find this category?
I hope that lot makes sense.
1 Re: How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
DoctorWatsOn
OP
42
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How about using article categories for these sections?
Oh, there's a thought, that's one thing I haven't looked at yet.
*goes off for a play*
1 Re: How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
Philipp
From: Vienna, Austria
Administrator
1340From: Vienna, Austria
2 - At the moment I am using the ‘content’ module for the main home page, so I can fix just one article to display on that page with the various blocks. Then I am using the ‘article’ module for the ‘What’s On & Events’ section, which would pull in recently added articles for that section, but I can’t see how to override the block set-up, so I can have different blocks to the home-page on this ‘section home-page’. Is there some way to do that?
3 - Now if there’s some way of changing blocks as per (2) above that would be great, but I would then need duplicates of the ‘article’ module for additional sections like the ‘Restaurants & Eating Out Guide’ and others planned. Is that possible?
How about using article categories for these sections?
1 Re: How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
Philipp
From: Vienna, Austria
Administrator
1340From: Vienna, Austria
So, is it actually possible to have different slideshows?
That's tricky but not impossible.
To add two additional slideshows you need to do the following:
1) Run the following SQL queries in phpMyAdmin:
INSERT INTO esselbach_ct_preferences VALUES (NULL, '1', '0', '5', '851', 'WEBSITE_SLIDESHOW2', '', '5', 'slideshow2.php', '', '', '', '::1');
INSERT INTO esselbach_ct_preferences VALUES (NULL, '1', '0', '5', '852', 'WEBSITE_SLIDESHOW3', '', '5', 'slideshow3.php', '', '', '', '::1');
If you are still using the cont1 prefix you need to add it before esselbach_ct_preferences. For example, cont1esselbach_ct_preferences.
2) Copy /blocks/slideshow.php to /blocks/slideshow2.php and /blocks/slideshow3.php
3) Edit /blocks/slideshow2.php in an editor and replace:
$input_block_options = $system -> decode_array( $preferences[ 'website_slideshow'] );
with:
$input_block_options = $system -> decode_array( $preferences[ 'website_slideshow2'] );
Then edit /blocks/slideshow3.php and replace the same line with:
$input_block_options = $system -> decode_array( $preferences[ 'website_slideshow3'] );
4) Copy /blocks/conf/slideshow.php to /blocks/conf/slideshow2.php and /blocks/conf/slideshow3.php
5) Edit /blocks/conf/slideshow2.php in an editor and replace:
$input_block_options = $system -> decode_array( $preferences[ 'website_slideshow'] );
with:
$input_block_options = $system -> decode_array( $preferences[ 'website_slideshow2'] );
and then replace it in /blocks/conf/slideshow3.php with:
$input_block_options = $system -> decode_array( $preferences[ 'website_slideshow3'] );
6) Add the two new slideshow scripts with Blocks => Add new Block
I guess I should add an option to clone existing blocks in one of the next updates
1 Re: How best to structure a site with ‘section home pages’/different blocks.
DoctorWatsOn
OP
42
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4 – Slideshows:
OK, I think I’ve found a problem to my idea of having different slideshows on different sections of the site. I’ve just tried to create a second slideshow with different content, but it seemed to override what I had in the first slideshow. So, is it actually possible to have different slideshows?
OK, I think I’ve found a problem to my idea of having different slideshows on different sections of the site. I’ve just tried to create a second slideshow with different content, but it seemed to override what I had in the first slideshow. So, is it actually possible to have different slideshows?
I need to get this right and working as well as possible from the start, because to start changing it around later will be a right pain.
So, this is what I would like to ideally achieve, as a local what’s on and leisure site, any tips or suggestions from Philipp or anyone else as to how best to do it would be great.
Home Page > (a) slideshow of local views from along the coast & across the county, (b) short intro article and (c) Main Menu with links to the main sections within the site each of which need to have their own ‘home page’, e.g.:
What’s On & Events Guide > (a) slideshow of major up & coming events (b) BBC weather maps, (c) previews of most recently added articles for this section, (d) Main Menu and (e) Section Menu with links to sub-sections covering, for example, car-boot sales, cinema listings, live music events, etc.
Restaurants & Eating Out Guide > (a) slideshow of featured restaurants, (b) previews of most recently added articles for this section, (c) Main Menu and (d) Section Menu with links to sub-sections covering different types of restaurants, for example, seafood, French, Spanish, etc.
- other sections planned like those two would also require different blocks & articles.
Now here’s my problem at the moment –
1 - Whilst I can see how to create new pages, where you can override the blocks set-up for the overall site, and therefore add my section menus and change slideshows, etc. These could act as ‘section home pages’, but I don’t think/see a way that you could pull in previews of recently added articles for that section onto these individual pages.
2 - At the moment I am using the ‘content’ module for the main home page, so I can fix just one article to display on that page with the various blocks. Then I am using the ‘article’ module for the ‘What’s On & Events’ section, which would pull in recently added articles for that section, but I can’t see how to override the block set-up, so I can have different blocks to the home-page on this ‘section home-page’. Is there some way to do that?
3 - Now if there’s some way of changing blocks as per (2) above that would be great, but I would then need duplicates of the ‘article’ module for additional sections like the ‘Restaurants & Eating Out Guide’ and others planned. Is that possible?
I hope that all makes sense, sorry it’s long-winded, I suppose taking a look at the current structure of my site using vB4 could make it clearer – HERE. Now I don’t expect to necessarily be able to make the new site work exactly the same way, but I do want to use the best options available to get something near to that structure, so any tips would be great.