In this post I will be focussing on the fundamentals of content management in BB2 using the content system provided with the publishing module.
It is important when editing and publishing content to have access to two different web browsers. This will allow you to login to the Bluebox content management system (CMS) and make changes to content using one browser, whilst simultaneously previewing those changes by viewing and refreshing the correlating pages on the site you are editing with the other browser. Using only one browser would require you to log out of the CMS before being able to preview your changes on the 'front-end'/ live site, and that you log back in again each time before making any additional changes. This is highly counter-productive, and editing and adjusting content in this way soon becomes a rather painful exercise. The necessity for having two browsers hinges upon the circumstance that both the front and back end are generally accessed via the same URL, and that a web browser is designed to remember a user's login (user session). In other words, it is impossible for you to be both logged in and logged out at the same time in the same browser. Many will already be very familiar with this basic premise of content management, but it is essential that we take nothing for granted at this early stage.
The Tree View
The tree view is used throughout BB2 to display data items that have a category or group linking of some sort. A tree view displays these categories or groups as folders and their linked items as files underneath their respective folders. In the context of the content system the tree view folders represent content categories (e.g. the news page), and the files linked to these categories are content items that correspond with various editable content areas on the website (e.g. each of the various news articles displayed on the news page).
It is critical to familiarise yourself with the layout and navigation of the tree view since much of your content management will be done via the Content/Categories Tree section, found on the Content Dashboard.
If a content category has one or more content items linked to it, then a '+' is displayed on the content folder. To reveal the content items linked to the content category, simply expand it by clicking the '+' folder icon. If a content category folder is plain (without the '+' icon) it means that the tree has already been expanded to its full extent, or that there is no further data to drill down into.
The three icons to the immediate right of each content category name allow you to perform the following functions: the 'E' icon allows you to edit the category, the 'X' icon allows you to delete the category, and the '+' icon allows you to add a sub-category underneath that category.
In addition to this, two more icons are displayed between square brackets directly after the above three. The page icon allows the ability to create a new content item and automatically links it to the content category so that it displays underneath that category. The second '+' icon allows you to link an already existing content item to that category so that it is listed underneath that category (one content item can be linked to multiple content categories).
All content items linked to a content category are then listed below that category (once the category folder is expanded) and denoted by a page icon. To the immediate right of each content item name and between a pair of square brackets is displayed the text “Link:” along with two icons. The 'X' icon allows the ability to delete the link joining that content item to the content category under which it is listed. The 'E' icon allows the ability to edit same link by changing either or both the content category and content item it joins together.
The Missing Link
One of the most common mistakes made by users is incorrectly deleting the link that joins a content item to a content category when intending to delete the content item itself. Removing the link merely undoes the bond between the content item and the content category but does not delete the content item. The thing to remember here is that one content item can be linked to multiple content categories. That is why there is the necessity in the CMS to differentiate between 1) the content category, 2) the link that joins a content category and a content item, and 3) the content item. Although it may be tempting to assume that clicking the 'X' delete icon to the right of a content item will delete that content item it is important to recognise that this icon refers to the link (and thus appears within brackets and next to the word “Link:”).
In order to correctly delete a content item, click on the name or page icon denoting that content item. Then, click the 'DELETE' button below the read only Content Item summary page that appears.
Spring Cleaning
It should also be noted that deleting a content item will not remove the links that exist between that content item and one or more content categories. The content item will still appear listed beneath the content category but will show the text “*DELETED*” after the content item name. Therefore, in the interests of keeping your content & categories tree tidy, it is advised that these residual links be removed afterwards. In order to delete a link to a deleted content item, simply click the delete 'X' icon to the right of the content item name, and between the “Link:” brackets.
Keeping Tabs
Whenever you browse away from the content & categories tree page by clicking on a content item to edit it, or by clicking on any other link found on this page, the tree defaults back to its original contracted state, where only the top-level content categories are shown. It then becomes a rather time consuming and laborious process to re-expand each of the content folders and drill back down to the level of content you were viewing and managing before.
The trick here is to navigate and expand the tree down to the level(s) you require, and then, instead of left clicking links or icons to perform any functions, right clicking the links/icons and selecting 'Open in a New Tab' from the browser menu that appears. So, for instance, instead of left clicking on a content item to edit it, right click on it and open it in a new tab. This way your original content and categories tree tab remains unaltered, allowing you to perform all functions related to the tree view in new tabs and to return to the original content tree view once completed. Simply close each of the additional tabs you open once you have finished working with them (e.g. after editing and saving changes to a content item).
Dude, where's my content?
There are two characteristic cases in which content added to and visible within the content and categories tree is not published to (and thus not visible on) the live site/ front-end. The first is related to the Boolean (yes/no) 'Authorised' option that is set on a content item. A content item will not be published if the 'Authorised' drop down is set to 'No'. To check this, edit the content item and check the status of this setting. It can also come in handy when you wish to hide a content item from the live site until a particular publishing date and time. In this case you would simply change this setting to 'No' until you are ready for it to be published.
The second setting that may prevent your content from being displayed on the web page(s) correlating to that content item is the 'Show from' and 'Show to' date range specified on the content item. Content will only remain published for the time period defined by this date range. Once the 'Show to' date is reached the content is no longer shown on the front-end. To correct this change the date range to the period you wish the content to be visible for, or remove the dates altogether if you would like the content to never expire.
