Bistro Web Content Management System
Table of Contents
Last updated April 10/09
1. Introduction
2. Installing and Configuring Bistro
3. Using Bistro
4. Using Bistro's add-on modules
5. Getting Help
6. Designing for Bistro
7. Using AutoStuff™
8. Developing New Modules
9. Appendices
10. Quick Tips and Some Common Tutorials
1. Introduction
1.1. What is Web Content Management?
1.2. Intro to Bistro
1.3 What You Need to Know About Editing Web-Based Content
2. Installing and Configuring Bistro
return to top
2.1. System Requirements
2.1.1. Minimum Hosting Server Requirements
2.1.2. Recommended Hosting Server Requirements
2.1.3. End User System Requirements
2.2. Installation
2.2.1. Creating an Empty Database
2.2.2. Uploading the Bistro Files
2.2.3. Running the Install Wizard
2.3. Configuration
2.3.1. System Setup
2.3.2. Using the config.local.inc.php File
3. Using Bistro
return to top
3.1. What is Included in the Base Install
3.2. How to Login
3.2.1 Bistro Homepage Overview
3.3. Changing your User Preferences
3.4. System Setup
3.4.1 Modify Your Site Settings
3.4.2 Adding and Editing Admin Users
3.4.3 Resetting the System Log Files
3.4.4 Resetting your Site Traffic Statistics
3.4.5 Checking for Uninstalled Updates
3.5. Monitoring Your Site
3.5.1 Viewing Site Statistics
3.5.2 Viewing Site Logs
3.6. Creating and Editing Content
3.7. Opening, Adding, and Deleting Folders
3.8. Adding and Deleting Pages
3.9.1. Using the WYSIWYG editing toolbar in Standard Mode
3.9.1.1. Cut, Copy and Paste Functions
3.9.1.1.1. Cut
3.9.1.1.2. Copy
3.9.1.1.3. Paste
3.9.1.1.4. Paste as Plain Text
3.9.1.1.5. Paste From Word
3.9.1.2. Adding and Removing Links
3.9.1.2.1. Add a hyperlink
3.9.1.2.2. Remove a hyperlink
3.9.1.3. Adding and Editing Images
3.9.1.4. Selecting Styles (CSS)
3.9.1.5. Formatting Text
3.9.1.5.1. Using predefined formats
3.9.1.5.2. Selecting fonts
3.9.1.5.3. Selecting font sizes
3.9.1.5.4. Adding Bold, Italics, Underline formats
3.9.1.5.5. Bulleted & Numbered lists
3.9.1.5.6. Changing the text colour
3.9.1.5.7. Changing the text background colour
3.9.1.6. Additional Functions
3.9.1.6.1. Undo
3.9.1.6.2. Redo
3.9.1.6.3. Clear Formatting
3.9.1.6.4. Show Invisible Items
3.9.1.6.5. Toggle Full Screen Editing
3.9.1.6.6. Toggle Advanced Toolbar
3.9.2. Using the WYSIWYG Editing Toolbar in Advanced Mode
3.9.2.1. Cut, Copy and Paste Functions
3.9.2.1.1. Cut
3.9.2.1.2. Copy
3.9.2.1.3. Paste
3.9.2.1.4. Paste as Plain Text
3.9.2.1.5. Paste From Word
3.9.2.2. Search Functions
3.9.2.2.1. Search
3.9.2.2.2. Search and Replace
3.9.2.3. Adding and Removing Links and Anchors
3.9.2.3.1. Adding Links
3.9.2.3.2. Removing Links
3.9.2.3.3. Adding Anchors
3.9.2.3.4. Removing Anchors
3.9.2.4. Adding and Editing Images and Media Files
3.9.2.4.1. Images
3.9.2.4.2. Media Files
3.9.2.5. Adding and Editing Tables
3.9.2.5.1. Insert/Modify Table
3.9.2.5.2. Edit Table Row Properties
3.9.2.5.3. Edit Table Cell Properties
3.9.2.5.4. Inserting and Deleting Rows
3.9.2.5.5. Inserting and Deleting Columns
3.9.2.5.6. Splitting and Merging Table Cells
3.9.2.6. Editing HTML Code Directly
3.9.2.6.1. Clean up Messy Code
3.9.2.6.2. Toggle HTML code view
3.9.2.7. Selecting Styles (CSS)
3.9.2.8. Editing CSS Attributes
3.9.2.9. Formatting Text
3.9.2.9.1. Using predefined formats
3.9.2.9.2. Selecting fonts
3.9.2.9.3. Selecting font sizes
3.9.2.9.4. Adding Bold, Italics, Underline & Strikethrough
3.9.2.9.5. Selecting Alignment
3.9.2.9.6. Bulleted & Numbered lists
3.9.2.9.7. Adding/Removing Indents and Block Quotes
3.9.2.9.8. Changing the text colour
3.9.2.9.9. Changing the text background colour
3.9.2.9.10. Adding Superscript and Subscripts formats
3.9.2.10. Additional Functions
3.9.2.10.1. Undo
3.9.2.10.2. Redo
3.9.2.10.3. Insert Horizontal Line
3.9.2.10.4. Clear Formatting
3.9.2.10.5. Show Invisible Items
3.9.2.10.6. Toggle Full Screen Editing
3.9.2.10.7 Insert/Edit Attributes
3.9.2.10.8. Toggle Advanced Toolbar
3.9.2.10.9. Insert Custom Characters
3.9.2.11 Working with Forms
3.9.2.11.1 Inserting and Editing a Form
3.9.2.11.2 Inserting and Editing Input Elements
3.9.2.11.3 Inserting and Editing Select Elements
3.9.2.11.4 Inserting and Editing Text Area Elements
3.9.3. Managing Your Menu
3.9.3.1 Adding a Menu Item
3.9.3.2 Opening a Menu Item (to review or edit)
3.9.3.3 Deleting a Menu Item
3.9.3.4 Moving a Menu Item
3.9.3.5 Adding a Sub Menu
3.9.4 Understanding the URL Manager
3.9.5 Cross Linking the Pages on Your site
3.9.6 Uploading and Linking to Files and Documents
3.9.6.1 Acceptable File Formats (PDF, DOC, SWF, etc.)
3.9.6.2 Uploading Large Files Using FTP
3.9.6.3 Replacing Linked Files or Documents
3.9.7 Linking Thumbnail Images to Larger Images
4. Using Bistro's Add-on Modules (This section of the manual is in progress)
return to top
4.1 Installing and Uninstalling Modules
4.2. Articles Manager
4.2.1. Setting up the Articles Manager
4.2.2. Using the Articles Manager
4.3. Blog Module
4.3.1. Setting up the Blog Module
4.3.2. Using the Blog Module
4.4. Contact Us Form
4.4.1. Setting up the Contact Us Form
4.4.2. Using the Contact Us Form
4.5. Discussion Forum Bridge
4.5.1. Setting up the Discussion Forum Bridge
4.5.2. Using the Discussion Forum Bridge
4.6. Events Manager (listing/calendar)
4.6.1. Setting up the Events Manager
4.6.2. Using the Events Manager
4.7. Links Manager
4.7.1. Setting up the Links Manager
4.7.2. Using the Links Manager
4.8. Login Access System
4.8.1. Setting up the Login Access System
4.8.2. Using the Login Access System
4.9. Member Access System
4.9.1. Setting up the Member Access System
4.9.2. Using the Member Access System
4.10. News Manager
4.10.1. Setting up the News Manager
4.10.2. Using the News Manager
4.11. Newsletter Manager
4.11.1. Setting up the Newsletter Manager
4.11.2. Using the Newsletter Manager
4.12. Online Store
4.12.1. Setting up the Online Store
4.12.2. Using the Online Store
4.13. Password Protector
4.13.1. Setting up the Password Protector
4.13.2. Using the Password Protector
4.14. Product Catalog
4.14.1. Setting up the Product Catalog
4.14.2. Using the Product Catalog
4.15 URL Manager
4.15. Profile Manager
4.15.1. Setting up the Profile Manager
4.15.2. Using the Profile Manager
4.16. Real Estate Listing Manager
4.16.1. Setting up the Real Estate Listing Manager
4.16.2. Using the Real Estate Listing Manager
4.17. Searchable Database
4.17.1. Setting up the Searchable Database
4.17.2. Using the Searchable Database
4.18. Simple Image Gallery
4.18.1. Setting up the Simple Image Gallery
4.18.2. Using the Simple Image Gallery
4.19. Sponsors Manager
4.19.1. Setting up the Sponsors Manager
4.19.2. Using the Sponsors Manager
4.20. Testimonials Manager
4.20.1. Setting up the Testimonials Manager
4.20.2. Using the Testimonials Manager
5. Getting Help
return to top
5.1. Helpdesk Support
5.1.2 Open an Existing Help Request
5.1.3 Submit a New Help Request
5.1.4 Delete Help Request (s)
5.2. FAQs & Documentation
5.3. Contact Your Web Designer
5.3. Video Tutorials
6. Designing for Bistro
return to top
6.1. Theme Design
6.4. Recommended Best Practices
6.5. Potential Pitfalls
6.6. Tips & Tricks
6.7. Additional How-To Design Tutorials
7. Using AutoStuff™
return to top
7.1. What is Autostuff?
7.3. Why Use AutoStuff?
7.3.1 Simplify Design
7.3.2 Simplify Site Updates
7.3.3 Reduce Broken Links
7.3.4 Because it's So Cool!
8. Developing New Modules
return to top
8.1. Module Basics
8.1.1 The Module Skeleton
8.1.2 Installation & Uninstall
8.1.3 Administration Screens
8.1.4 Public Output
8.1.5 AutoStuff and Responding to Hooks
8.2. Using Hooks
8.3. Global & Session Variables
9. Appendices
return to top
9.1. Critical Reading for E-Commerce Sites: Accepting, Storing, and Transmitting Credit Card Information
9.2. Additional PHP Statements
9.3. AutoStuff™ Entries
9.4. Moving a Bistro Website From one Host to Another
9.4.1 Before You Start
9.4.2 Overview
9.4.3 Migrate the Database
9.4.4 Migrate the Files
9.4.5 Modify the Config File
9.5. Module-Specific Template Listing
9.6. List of Modules
10. Quick Tips and Some Common Tutorials
return to top
10.1 Adding a Page of Links to Your Site
10.2 Tables Within Tables
10.3 Uploading and Linking to Files and Documents
10.3.1 Acceptable File Formats (PDF, DOC, SWF, etc.)
10.3.2 Uploading Large Files Using FTP
10.3.3 Replacing Linked Files or Documents