Introduction
- Select your Page and Add a Text Block Group
- Adding Individual Text Blocks to the Group
- Optional - The Properties Section
- Optional - The Permissions Section
- Optional - Text Block Settings
- Select your Page and Add a Text Block Group
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First, select the page you will be adding your Text Block Group to.
- If you are creating a new page, see "Create a new Page" for more information. Once you have completed the "Add Page" form, you will be taken to your new page's content editor.
- If you are editing an existing page, begin by clicking the "Pages" tab, located in the menu at the top of any Digital Bell page. This will bring you to a list of pages. Here, locate the page where you will be adding the Text Block, then click the Edit button (pencil icon) to the left of the title. This will bring you to the page's content editor.
Once you are viewing the content editor, click the "Text Blocks" link - located under the "Add Content" section in the right sidebar. Clicking this link will add a new Text Block Group to the page.
Return to Top - If you are creating a new page, see "Create a new Page" for more information. Once you have completed the "Add Page" form, you will be taken to your new page's content editor.
- Adding Individual Text Blocks to the Group
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Once the Text Block Group has been added to the page, a "Group Title" can be entered by clicking "Click to add a Group Title." This title is optional, and will appear above the group, which may contain multiple individual Text Blocks.
1. Adding a New Text Block
At the bottom of the Text Block Group, click the "+New Text Block" button. This will add a Text Block to your group, and automatically open the editor.
Using the Text Block editor, you have the option of adding a title in the "Title Information" section. Individual titles will appear directly above the content. If a title is entered, the "name" field will auto-complete. Both "Title" and "Name" fields are optional.
Below the "Title Information" section, you will find the "Content" section. This section includes the WYSIWYG Toolbar, and the field where you will enter your main body of content. Using the toolbar, you can add text, images, links, and more to the Text Block.
2. Adding an Existing Text Block
All of the site's previously created Text Blocks are stored in the Warehouse and can be added to any page (unless explicitly deleted from the Warehouse section). Click the "+Existing Text Block" button at the bottom of the group to open the search panel.
Use the search bar to locate a Text Block by title or name (Note: if a Text Block has a title, it will supersede the name in the search panel). Once the appropriate Text Block has been located, click the arrow icon to the right of the name/title to select it. Multiple Text Blocks can be searched for/selected, if needed.
Finally, click the "Submit" button to add the selected Text Block(s) to the group.
Note: If an existing Text Block has been added to more than one page, changes made to the content on one page will be reflected on the other page(s) where the Text Block is present.
Return to Top - Optional - The Properties Section
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In the properties section, you have the option of attaching an image, and linking it to a specified URL. This section is used only in conjunction with non-default layouts, such as "Image Blocks."
To attach a new image, click the "Upload Image" button, then select your image file from the pop-up file browser. To attach an image that has already been uploaded, click the "Choose from Warehouse" button, then select the appropriate image from the pop-up image list. To remove an image, click "No Image."
To link your attached image to a webpage, enter the address in the "URL" field.
Return to Top - Optional - The Permissions Section
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Here, you can provide access to additional Digital Bell users and User Groups. Use the "Add People or Groups" field to type in a user or group name, then make the appropriate selection from the list of results that pops up.
If additional users or groups will need to access or edit the Text Block, they must be explicitly added in this section, even if they have already been given access to the page it is on.
This is due to page permissions and content permissions being kept separate. All of your content is stored in your Warehouse, and a single Text Block can potentially be added to multiple pages. When this is the case, changes to a Text Block on one page will then be reflected on each of the others. By keeping these permissions separate, you can prevent a user from inadvertantly making a change to a page that they do not have permission to access.
Return to Top - Optional - Text Block Settings
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Once you have added a Text Block to your page, you can customize its look by clicking the "Settings" link, located on the right side of your Text Block Group's blue heading. Clicking this link will display a list of options, which are detailed below.
If your website is using Digital Bell version 4.3.0 or higher, some "Settings" options will be hidden, and do not appear unless one of the already visible options is changed. For example, the "Sort Order" option will remain hidden unless you have changed the "Sort By" setting from it's default. Once the default "Sort By" setting has been changed, the "Sort Order" option will become available. This feature keeps your "Settings" window from becoming cluttered with unnecessary options.
Note, to display an image attached in the Properties section, the "Display Image" option must be manually set to "Yes."
Template Placement
Main Body: This is the default option, and displays your Text Block in the main body of your page.
Sidebar: Select this option if you want to display your Text Block in the left or right sidebar of your page, offset from the main body of content.
Sort By
Drag Order: This is the default option, and allows you to choose the order in which your Text Blocks are displayed, by clicking and dragging them within the Text Block Group.
Date Updated: This automatiicaly displays your Text Blocks in the order they were created/updated.
The default setting will display your text, and any images inserted into the "Content" section of your Text Block, without any special formatting. The remaining options are intended to be used with an image inserted into the "Properties" section of your text block. These settings each display the "Properties" image in a different manner, and may add special formatting to the text, as described below.
Default: This is the standard layout, with no special formatting applied.
Table of Contents: This setting adds a horizontal rule beneath your Text Block's title, and any image attached in the properties section will be displayed to the left of the title.
Profile: This option creates a light gray background behind the Text Block, with a thin dark gray border. An image attached in the properties section will be displayed to the left of the title.
Image Blocks: This setting is used in conjunction with an image attached in the properties section, and the "featured" image size option. When combined, these settings will produce a narrow column of text, with an image above and centered with the text. For an in-depth tutorial on using this layout, see Creating Image Blocks.
Sort Order (Note: For Digital Bell version 4.3.0+, this option will not appear unless "Date Updated" has already been selected as the "Sort By" option.)
This option is used in conjunction with the "Date Updated" sorting option in "Sort By."
Ascending: This will display your Text Blocks in newest-oldest order.
Descending: This will display your Text Blocks in oldest-newest order.
Display Image
Yes: If you have attached an image in the properties section, it will be displayed according to your chosen layout.
No: Choosing this option will hide any image attached in the properties section.
Image Size
These options determine the size/resolution of an image attached in the properties section. Standard resolutions are listed below.
Thumbnail: 100 x 50
Profile: 150 x 150
Medium Square: 200 x 200
Featured: 600 x 400
Display: 325 x 162
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