Search the Manual:

• Table of Contents
  • Introduction
    • What is Web Content Management?
    • Intro to Bistro
    • Editing Web-Based Content
  • Installing and Configuring
    • System Requirements
    • Installation
    • Configuration
  • Using Bistro
    • What is included
    • How to Login
      • The Bistro Homepage
    • Changing User Preferences
    • System Setup
      • Modify Your Settings
      • Adding and Editing Admin Users
      • Resetting System Log Files
      • Resetting Traffic Statistics
      • Checking for Updates
    • Monitoring Your Site
      • Viewing Site Statistics
      • Viewing Site Logs
    • Creating Content
    • Adding Folders
    • Adding Pages
    • Editing Pages
      • Standard Mode Editor
        • Cut, Copy and Paste Functions
        • Adding and Removing Links
        • Adding and Editing Images
        • Selecting Styles (CSS)
        • Formatting Text
        • Additional Functions
      • Advanced Mode Editor
        • Cut, Copy and Paste Functions
        • Search Functions
        • Adding and Removing Links and Anchors
        • Adding and Editing Images and Media Files
        • Adding and Editing Tables
        • Editing HTML Code Directly
        • Selecting Styles (CSS)
        • Editing CSS Attributes
        • Formatting Text
        • Additional Functions
        • Working with Forms
    • Managing Your Menu
      • Adding a Menu Item
      • Editing a Menu Item
      • Deleting a Menu Item
      • Moving a Menu Item
      • Adding a SubMenu Item
    • Cross Linking the Pages on Your Site
    • Uploading Documents to Your Site
      • Acceptable File Formats
      • Uploading Large Files Using FTP
      • Replacing Linked Documents & Files
    • Linking Thumbnail Images to Larger Images
  • Add-On Modules
    • Articles Manager
      • Set Up Articles Manager
      • Use Articles Manager
    • Blog Module
      • Set Up Blog Module
      • Use Blog Module
    • Contact Us Form
      • Set Up Contact Us Form
      • Use Contact Us Form
    • Member Access System
      • Set Up Member Access System
      • Use Member Access System
    • URL Manager
  • Getting Help
    • Helpdesk Support
    • FAQs & Documentation
    • Contact Your Designer
    • Video Tutorials
  • Designing for Bistro
    • Theme Design
    • Creating a Theme
    • Minimum Requirements
    • Best Practices
    • Potential Pitfalls
    • Tips & Tricks
    • More Tutorials
  • Using Autostuff™
  • Developing New Modules
    • Module Basics
      • The Module Skeleton
      • Install &Uninstall
      • Administration Screens
      • Public Output
      • AutoStuff & Hooks
    • Using Hooks
    • Global & Session Variables
• Appendices
  • Critical Reading for E-Commerce Sites
  • Additional PHP Statements
  • AutoStuff™ Entries
  • Migrating a Bistro Site to Another Host
    • Before You Start
    • Overview
    • Migrate the Database
    • Migrate the Files
    • Modify the Config File
  • Module-Specific Template Listing
  • List of Modules
• Quick Tips & Common Tutorials
  • Adding a Page of Links
  • Tables Within Tables
  • Uploading Documents
    • Acceptable File Formats
    • Uploading Large Files Using FTP
    • Replacing Linked Files
  • Linking Thumbnail Images to Larger Images
  • Cross Linking Pages

Bistro Web CMS - Introduction

Welcome to the Bistro web content management online manual.

Bistro is a web content management system that allows you to add, delete and edit the pages of your website as easily as writing a letter on your computer. You can upload files and link to them from one or more pages on your website. Basically, the Bistro web content management system helps you keep control of the content and messaging on your website with a wide variety of plug-in modules to meet the growing needs of your organization.

Every website powered by Bistro has the added advantage of being...

1. Simple - whether you are designing for Bistro or using it to manage the content on your own website, you'll find it simplifies your process because it's so easy to use.
   
2. Scalable - Bistro's modular design means that your website can easily grow with your needs with dozens of available modules that install in minutes with the simple click of a button.
   
3. Supported - and Bistro comes with unparalelled technical support and industry recognized end user support available by subscription.
   

This online manual will tell you how to configure, set-up and use the many features of Bistro, beginning with everything that is included in a basic Bistro installation and then providing details on each optional module. As new modules become available, sections will be added to this online manual so that you always have an up-to-date user guide for your web content management system.

For information about other help and support options, review the chapter called Getting Help.

The following are some terms used in this guide that you may be unfamiliar with.

Administrative interface: this is the area "behind" your website. Although it is web-based and is linked to your website, it is not publicly visible. The administrative interface is a work area that allows you to easily manage and update your website content.

Administrator: an administrator, or admin, is someone who has been given access through a secure password login to your Bistro administrative interface.

Button: a button is something you click on to select a certain activity or function. For example, a number of actions in Bistro require you to open something (such as a help request, a calendar, event, a page, or a folder). To do so, you would typically click on a button like this

Help Request: a help request is a notice submitted through the helpdesk regarding a problem that has occurred while using Bistro. Help requests submitted this way are automatically entered into the Helpdesk queue and are tracked until they have been resolved. This is the most efficient way of addressing problems encountered while using Bistro.

Icon: an icon is an image that is used consistently throughout a software application to represent a certain function or meaning. For example, Bistro uses a icon to represent help.

Module: in Bistro, a module is a functional element that can be easily added to or removed from your website through the Bistro platform with a simple click of a button. The modular structure of Bistro makes it easy to expand the functionality of your site as your needs evolve.

Super Administrator: a super administrator, or super admin, is someone who has been given access through a secure password login to your Bistro administrative interface. In addition to standard administrative access, a Super Administrator has access to certain restricted functions within Bistro (such as System Setup), to which regular administrators do not have access.

Theme: Bistro comes with a number of web design themes that can be used as a starting point for designing your site. It is important to note that some themes support submenus while others do not. Make sure your website designer understands your preferences regarding submenus before choosing the thematic direction for your site.

If you have Super Administrator access to your site, and your website designer has left the supplementary themes installed on your system, you will a dropdown list of themes in the System Setup area. Caution: Changing the selected theme will significantly change the appearance of your site and may "break" customization that has been built into your site design.