Upper Columbia Conference Content Management System

As an administrator, visit the /Playground for interactive examples to help clarify Modules, Placeholders, and Wrappers.

In 2005 a visionary team set forth to extend the tools available to the ministries of UCC with respect to the web. IF your ministry is interested in adopting this solution, talk with the ITS department.

Key reasons this web-based application was constructed:

• previous website dated look, users reporting frustration maintaining content
• friendly URLs
• hierarchical data giving each department it's own space, both in the CMS and on the server
• subscriber side / permissions
• security wrapped dynamic content
• quickly built forms that optionally handle secure cc transactions into centralized location
• corporate themed page's presentation easily changed
• 'destination' of collective resources for our audience
• GUI edited web pages and easy uploads, file managements
• easy attachment to news lists
• easy attachment to powerful calendar - managed from friendly outlook.
• 'need' driven design through Web Design Committee

Any web page in the CMS is really a collection of pieces.

The global layout, colors, and style can be controlled individually in each instance of the CMS and effect the entire site.

The Masthead is shown on each page.

The Manageable Page is editable, and can include images, tables, stylized text, and placeholders. Content in the manageable page can be placed inside a wrapper in the editor to be conditionally available.

The Footer is shown on each page.

The style, layout and content of the Masthead are configurable in the css files and webpage_layout.asp.

The Pictures can rotate through a list of pictures, or randomly present pictures from a pool.

The manager tasks can be customized depending on who is logged in.

Breadcrumbs are hierarchical and show where you're at in the website.

The style, layout and content of the Footer are configurable in the css files and webpage_layout.asp.

The RSS menu is automatically created based on context, but can be customized in webpage_layout.asp

Global Layout in webpage_layout.asp

Global CMS settings in engine_configuration.asp

CSS Folder instructs CMS how to look (colors, spaces, background images, forms style, messageboard style, etc)

Sitegraphics folder hold preconfigured icons, masthead images often referenced by the core CMS code or webpage_layout.asp

xstandard folder is where to put the license.txt file, and where to configure what CSS styles and wrappers are available in the xStandard editor.

The CMS can mix with preexisting files, and those take priority.

Using redirection and processing for CMS directives as described in engine_redirector.asp the CMS can serve files with deep paths as short URLS and respond to directives that are easy to read.

Any webpage that is a child of the /home page, can be addressed as just /childname if it does not conflict with other /services - and the request is expanded to be */home*/childname

Pages that are 'pending' status may only be viewed by people that have Admin rights in at least one service.

if /pagenum is requested, return an HTTP 301 redirector to full webpage. this allows very short urls to pages deep on the website if character count is a priority.

if a requested page does not exist by direct URL request OR exist in the CMS as the request is interpreted or expanded, then a 404 page is sent to the client. this page may include additional information as defined in engine_configuration.asp uCustom404Error variable.

Documentation overview:

/Playground demonstrates live examples to help clarify Modules, Placeholders, and Wrappers

Modules extend foundation functionality of the CMS site wide

Placeholders extend functionality and content at specific locations. Wrappers conditionally exclude content at specific locations

Usage Examples demonstrate combining modules, placeholders, and wrappers to achieve content that cannot be individually created with only a module, placeholder, or wrapper. Playground demonstrates most Placeholders and Wrappers.

Advanced documentation is geared for CMS Administrators and Programmers in the event they need to install a new instance of the CMS, extend functionality, or debug.