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4.2. Articles Manager

The purpose of this module is to make it easy for users to manage a database of articles. An Article is not so much a "newspaper" article as it is a "magazine" article. Most users of the articles manager use it to maintain useful references and resources for their site visitors such as white papers or reference articles.

The attributes which can be defined for each article are described in the table below:

Attribuite	Description
author	The name of the author, maximum 100 characters
title	The title of the article, maximum 100 characters. This title also displays as the title of the page when viewing an article on the website.
body	HTML content, no character limit. This attribute is edited in a WYSIWYG editor.
publishedDate	The date the article is published. If an article is post-dated, it will not be visible on the website until that date.
teaser	A text-only short summary of the article, maximum 255 characters. This is shown on pages that display a list of articles, along with "read more" links.
keywords	Keywords for the article, to be used in Meta Tags and for the site-wide search.
description	Description for the article, to be used in Meta Tags and for the site-wide search.

There are two types of pages automatically created by the Articles Manager. They are

The Articles Listing Page, which displays a list of all articles including the title, and optionally any of the author, published date and teaser.
Article View Pages, which are generated when a site visitor views a full article. Each article is is visible on a page of it's own that includes the author's name and the date the article was published if those attributes have been defined for the article.

Module Specific AutoStuff Tags

There are two AutoStuff tags specific to the Articles Manager - a description of each follows

When you insert this tag on any page on your site, and substitute the # sign in the tag with a number, the tag will pull in and display a listing of the indicated number of the most recently added articles in your Articles Manager database. The listing will be automatically sorted with the most recent articles at the top.

When you insert this tag into any page on your site, it displays a link to one article, randomly selected from the Articles Manager database.

Displaying Articles on Your Site

When incorporating the Articles Manager into your site, one of two approaches are typically used.

You can either

include a link to the Articles Listing Page anywhere on the site, or
create a new page in the Page Manager, and use theAutoStuff tag to include the list of articles on the page.

The approach that you choose is dependent on the design of your site and will likely have already been determined by your web designer. With the first approach, you'll have more control over way the articles are sorted. With the second approach, however, you have more control over the layout and page content that surrounds the articles. For example, if you want to have a custom block of text above your articles describing how they were selected, then you should take the approach of adding a page, and using the AutoStuff tag.

4.2.1. Setting up the Articles Manager

Your Articles Manager installs with a default configuration or set-up and can be used immediately. You can change the configuration set-up of your module at any time as follows:

Click on the Site Content Icon on the main menu toolbar in Bistro and the Site Content Screen will open
From this screen, click on the Articles Manager link to open the main Articles Manager Screen

From the main screen of the Articles Manager click on the blue [Configure] button just below the main menu toolbar to open the Configuration Screen.

From the Configuration Screen (below) you can change a number of settings for your Articles Manager

You can change the following settings for your Articles Manager:

4.2.1.1 Title

Enter the title you would like to have for your module - for example, you may be using it to manage a series of White Papers, and want to call it Current White Papers so that administrators of the site are clear about where this type of content should be added to your site. The title you enter here is for internal purposes. It will appear in your Site Content area, but you can choose a different public title in the next setting.

4.2.1.2 Public Title

The title you enter as the Public Title is what will appear at the top of your articles listing page. If we follow the example above, the Public Title of this area might be White Papers, but it could just as easily be Free Resources or Technical Data. The Public Title should be chosen to be as relevant as possible to your target site visitor.

4.2.1.3 Article Sorting

Here you can select how you would like the items in your Articles Manager database to be sorted for public viewing. Select one of the following options from the drop down list provided:

Alphabetical by title
Aphabetical by author
Newest at bottom
Newest at top

4.2.1.4 Author Display

You can choose to hide or display the name of the author when the articles are viewed on your site. Select one of the following options by clicking the radio button to the left of your prefered format.

Yes, show the Author
No, do not show the Author

4.2.1.5 Date Display

You can choose whether or not to display the published date of your articles. Select one of the following options by clicking the radio button to the left of your prefered format.

Yes, show the date of publishing
No, do not show date of publishing

4.2.1.6 Teaser Display

You can choose whether or not to display the teaser associated with each of your articles. Select one of the following options by clicking the radio button to the left of your prefered format.

Yes, show the Teaser
No, do not show the Teaser

4.2.1.7 Saving Your Changes

Once you have finished making changes to your configuration settings, click the blue [Save Changes] button at the lower left of the Configuration Screen and you will be taken to the Module Configuration Exit Screen shown below.

From here you can

Begin using your Articles Manager by clicking on the Use Your Module link a the bottom left of your screen or the blue [Use] button on the top right, or
Configure another module on your site by clicking on the Configure a Different Module link also at the bottom left of this screen.

4.2.2. Using the Articles Manager

Access the Articles Manager by clicking on the Site Content icon in the main menu toolbar, and then clicking on the Articles Manager Link.

The Articles Manager main page follows the standard Bistro format used in the Page Manager and many other modules, so it will likely look quite familiar the first time you use it.

4.2.2.1 Opening, Adding and Deleting Categories

If you expect to be managing many articles that fall into a variety of categories, it is a good idea to determine your category structure in advance. Bistro allows you to develop a compehensive category structure for organizing your articles most effectively. This category structure will also determine how your articles are organized in the drop down list associated with linking to other pages within your site.

Categories behave much like folders in your Page Manager and are opened for editing, added, and removed through the Articles Manager main page.

4.2.2.1.1 Opening an Existing Category

To open an existing category, check the box to the far left of the category you want to open on the Articles Manager main screen, and click the blue [Open] button.

You can also open a category by clicking on its hyperlinked name, or by clicking on the folder shaped icon directly to the left of the category name.

When you open a category, you will see a list of all articles in that category, as well as any subcategories that may exist within the category you have opened (below).

If you wish to edit the category itself (to change the name of the category or place it in a different parent cetegory) click on the blue [Edit Category] button above and to the left of your list of articles.

Note: you can move through your categories by clicking the [Up one Level] button, or by selecting the desired category from the breadcrumbs trail which is labeled Current Location:

4.2.2.1.2. Adding a Category

To add a new category, simply click on the blue [Add Category] button near the top of your Articles Manager main screen.

The Create New Category screen will open

Enter the title of your new category in the Category Title: text box
Select the parent category you would like it to be placed in from the Parent Category: drop down list.
Click [Save Category] to save your new category or
Click [Cancel] to return to the main Articles Manager screen without saving.
Your action will be confirmed and you can continue editing your categories and articles or use a different Bistro module by clicking on the appropriate option.

4.2.2.1.3. Deleting a Category

You can also delete existing categories from your Articles Manager main screen.

To delete a category, check the box to the left of the category or categories you want to delete and click on the blue [Delete] button.

To prevent accidental deletion of articles or categories, you will be prompted to confirm your action.
You may delete multiple articles or categories at one time by selecting multiple choices before clicking the [Delete] button.
Once you OK your action, the deletion will be confirmed and you can continue editing your categories and articles or use a different Bistro module by clicking on the appropriate option.

When you have finished working with your Articles Manager, you can return to the Site Content screen by clicking the Return to Site Content link in the bottom left corner of your screen, or by clicking the Site Content icon in your menu bar.

4.2.2.2 Opening, Adding and Deleting Articles

From the Articles Manager you can open, add, delete and edit articles, as well as organizing them into various categories as described above.

Access the Articles Manager by clicking on the Site Content icon on the main menu bar, then clicking the Articles Manager link to open the module's main page (see below).

4.2.2.2.1 Deleting an Existing Article

From this main page, you can delete any existing article on your site as follows:

Select the article you wish to delete by checking the box to the left of the article name
Click [Delete], the button furthest to the right above your list of articles.
To prevent accidental deletion of articles, you will be prompted to confirm your action.
You may also delete multiple articles at once by selecting them all before clicking [Delete].
Once you OK your action, the deletion will be confirmed and you can continue editing your articles or use a different Bistro module by clicking on the appropriate option.

4.2.2.2.2. Opening an Existing Article (to view or edit)

To open an existing article for editing, you have a few options.

check the box to the left of the item you wish to open and then click [Open];
click on the page-like icon in between the checkbox and the name of the article, or
click on the hyperlinked name of the article itself.

With any of these methods, your article will open into the standard WYSIWYG editing screen where you can edit it as described in the Add an Article section which follows.

4.2.2.2.3. Adding a New Article

To add an article to your Articles Manager click the blue [New] button from your Articles Manager main screen. This will open the article editing screen where you will create your article.

Begin by entering the title of your article in the Title: text field.
Enter the author of your article in the Author: text field.
Enter the desired publishing date for your article in the Publish: text field. (future dated articles will not be visible on your site until the published date)
Enter a teaser for your article in the Teaser: text field (this teaser will appear as the summary of your article when it is presented in a list of articles)
Enter the content of your article in the large white editing box in the centre of the screen.
Use the various editing buttons across the top of the editing area to format your article. As you hold your cursor over each button a text box will appear with a brief description of the function of that button. These various function buttons allow you to insert images, media files, and hyperlinks as well as to format your text for size, colour and font.
Complete your article by using any desired shortcuts and additional information fields which are described below.

Note: A more detailed description of the editing functions in Bistro can be found in sections 3.9.1. Using the WYSIWYG editing toolbar in Standard Mode and 3.9.2. Using the WYSIWYG Editing Toolbar in Advanced Mode.

4.2.2.2.4. Shortcuts and Additional Information

As you become more familiar with Bistro, you will find that the platform has a few useful shortcuts built in to help you make the most of your website.

Linking to Other Pages on Your Site

A quick way to insert hyperlinks to other pages within your site is to use the Insert a link: drop down list directly below the main editing area. Every page on your site is automatically added to this drop down list (once it is saved), offering a quick and easy way to add internal page links on your site. To do so,

highlight the text you would like to link within your editing area
select the page you would like to link it to from the Insert a Link drop down list below the editing area.
Once you have selected the page, click the [Insert Link] button to the right of the drop down list.

For more information about cross-linking the pages within your website, review Section 3.9.5 - Cross Linking the Pages on Your Site

Adding AutoStuff^TM

Another powerful shortcut that is built into Bistro is called Autostuff. When you use the Insert AutoStuff feature, you are actually inserting a tag that will be automatically replaced with certain specified information, when your website loads.

For example, if your Bistro installation includes an Event Calendar Module and you want the page you are creating to include a reference to the next three calendar events; you can insert the AutoStuff statement [SUMMARIES OF NEXT 3 EVENTS] anywhere you want within the content of your page. When a site visitor views that page, they will see links to the next three upcoming events. As events are added to the calendar, the page will update automatically to display the next three chronological events.

This means that you can add content in many places on your site that only has to be updated or changed in one location. The drop down list of available AutoStuff is updated automatically based on the modules currently installed on your site and is accessible from all modules that include content editing capability.

To enter an AutoStuff tag:

click where you would like it inserted within the editing area,
select the appropriate AutoStuff tag from the drop down list to the right of the AutoStuff field,
click the [Insert Tag] button to the right of the AutoStuff drop down list.

You will find a list with explanations of all module related AutoStuff tags in section 9.3. AutoStuff Entries

For more information about how AutoStuff works, review Section 7 - Using AutoStuff

Creating Custom URLs

The typical URLs that websites generate automatically are not user friendly. In many cases, they make it more difficult for search engines to properly index your website pages. Bistro allows you to add an easy to recognize, custom URL for each article (or page) on your site, to do so simply type your custom URL into the Create a custom URL: text field just below the Insert AutoStuff drop down list.

Previewing Your Page

Once you have finished creating and formatting the content of your new article, you will want to preview it to make sure the HTML is rendering it the way you want it to appear. To preview your article, click the [Preview] button on the right side of your screen, just below the main (white) content editing area

Entering Additional Information about Your Article

There is one final area that you can edit when adding an article to your Articles Manager. At the very bottom the page editing screen is a blue bar entitled, Additional Information. When you click on this bar it opens up a hidden area where you can add some extra information about your article.

In this area you can

Select which category your article belongs in.
You can also assign keywords and a customized description in this area. The MetaTag Keywords and MetaTag Description you enter in this area will describe the content of this specific article more clearly for visiting search engines. If you leave these areas blank, the default keywords/description for your website will be used. Customizing them for each article you add, however, increases the chances that search engines will link to your website for relevant information.

Saving Your Page

When you are finished creating or editing your article, remember to click [Save] to capture it and save it to your Articles Manager or click [Cancel] to exit without saving. Your action will be confirmed and you can continue editing your articles or use a different module by clicking on the appropriate option.