Introduction
Selecting a Page Type allows you to catagorize the page you are creating. For example, if you are creating a page for an English class, you would select the "Classes" page type (if avilable).
By catagorizing your Web pages with the appropriate Page Type, such as "class" pages, or "club" pages, you can display a list of the pages in a chosen catagory, using a Page Browser. This can be useful if you are creating a directory page that lists each of the clubs at your school, for example.
The tutorials below will explain how to select a Page Type, and create a Page Browser content element.
Note: This feature may not currently be available on all Digital Bell sites.
- Available Page Types
- How to Select a Page Type
- How to Create a New Page Type
- Add a Page Browser to your Page
- Page Browser Display Options
- Attaching Images to your Pages
- Available Page Types
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The following Page Types may be available to select from. However, not all schools use this feature, and the options will vary from school to school. If you are a Website Administrator, and your site includes this feature, you will also have the option of creating your own custom Page Types, as described in the "How to Create a New Page Type" section.
Website Page: This is the default Page Type. If your Web page does not fit any of the available options, use this Page Type.
Note: If your school uses the Profiles feature, this is the correct Page Type for your Profile page.
Teacher: If your school does not implement the Profiles feature, select this option when creating a page for a teacher. Note, this should only be selected for a teacher's "home page" or "introduction page."
Athletics: This option is for general pages related to your athletics program.
Sports: Select this option if you are creating a page for a specific sport, such as JV Football or Varsity Softball.
Classes: Select this option if you are creating a class page (Algebra I, English III Honors, etc.)
Acedemics: This option is for general pages related to your school's acedemics programs.
Clubs: Select this option if you are creating a page for a school club (Chess Club, NHS, etc.)
Courses: Select this option for pages related to courses your school offers.
Programs: Select this option for pages related to your school's programs.
Departments: Use this Page Type for pages related to a specific department, such as Math, Science, or Art.
Faculty: If your school does not implement the Profiles feature, use this option when creating a page for a faculty member.
Policies: Select this option for pages related to school policies.
Photo Galleries: This option is for photo gallery pages.
Quick Nav: Developer use only.
Return to Top - How to Select a Page Type
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Creating a New Page
After clicking the "Add a new page" link, you will be forwarded to the page creation form. The "Type" section will appear at the top of the form. Click the drop-down menu to select an appropriate Page Type from the available options. After selecting your Page Type, complete the remainder of the form.
Note, each school will have it's own set of available Page Types. If the available options do not apply to your new page, select the default "Website Page."
Adding a Page Type to an Existing Page
To edit an existing page, first click the "Pages" link, located in the menu at the top of your Digital Bell Dashboard. From the list of pages, locate the page you wish to modify, then click the Properties button (gear icon) to the left of the page title.
The "Type" section will appear at the top of the properties form. Click the drop-down menu to select an appropriate Page Type from the available options. If the available options do not apply, select the default "Website Page." Once you have selected a Page Type, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "Submit" button to complete the process.
Return to Top - How to Create a New Page Type
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If your site includes this functionality, you will also have the option of creating your own Page Types. For example, if you would like to create a directory for each of your school's sports teams, you would first create a new "Teams" page type.
Begin by clicking the "Pages" link, located in the menu at the top of any Digital Bell page. This will bring you to a list of the site's current pages. Here, click the "Manage Page Types" link, located in the right sidebar. Clicking this link will display a list of the existing Page Types. Next, click the "Add new Page Type" link, in the right sidebar.
This will bring you to the "Add Page Type" form. Here, enter the title of the Page Type, which will appear in the "Type" drop-down menu when creating or editing the properties of a page. The "Name" field will automatically be completed, based on the title, and does not need to be further modified. The "Singular" and "Plural" fields should match the title (ex. if the title is "Teams" - singular would be "Team" and plural would be "Teams"). Finally, ensure "Is Active?" is set to "Yes" (and optionally select a "weight"), then click the "Submit" button to complete the process.
Your new Page Type will now be available for selection in the "Type" drop-down when creating or editing pages, and can also be added to a Page Browser element. Once you have assigned the new Page Type to the appropriate pages, you can create add a Page Browser element, which will display each of those pages. The section below explains how to create an configure a Page Browser.
Return to Top - Add a Page Browser to your Page
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A Page Browser, or Page List, displays a list that includes each page of your selected Page Type. For example, a Page Browser set to display the "Teacher" Page Type will display a list of each teacher's page, as shown in the example image.
Begin by editing the content of the you wish to add the Page Browser to. Next, click the "Page Types" link, located under the "Add Content" heading in the right margin. Clicking the link will add a new "Page Type Group" to your page.
After adding the "Page Type Group," click the "+Existing Page Types" button, located at the bottom of the group. Clicking this button will allow you to select any of the site's existing Page Types. Click on a Page Type to select it (holding the "Ctrl" key will allow you to select multiple Page Types), then click the "Submit" button to add the Page Type(s) to your Page Type Group.
Once you have added your Page Types, a Page Browser will appear on the public page, listing each page of the selected type(s). Clicking the "View on Website" button, located in the right margin, will allow you to view your new Page Browser.
Return to Top - Page Browser Display Options
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Once you have added a Page Browser, you can select from three display formats that change the way your Page Browser appears on your public Web page. To select an alternate display format, click the "Settings" link, located in the blue header of your Page Type Group.
Layout
List: This is the default view, which creates a vertical list, with the title of each Web page of your selected Page Type(s). The titles function as a link to their respective pages. The list of pages includes a light blue background, with a simple border seperating the page titles.
Sidebar: This option creates a bulleted, more compact version of the "List" display option, without the background color or border. When combined with the "Sidebar" template placement, this will create a useful navigation menu, offset from your main body of content.
Grid: Use this layout option only if directed.
Template Placement
Main Body: This places your page browser within the main body of your page.
Sidebar: This places your page browser in your page's right (or left, depending on your particular page layout) margin, offset from the main body. Use this setting in conjuction with the "Sidebar" layout.
Grid: Use this template placement only if directed.
Sort By
Title: This sorts your pages by title, alphabetically.
Grid: Use only if directed.
Sort Order
Ascending: This sorts your pages in A-Z order.
Descending: This sorts your pages in Z-A order.
Grid: Use only if directed.
Display Abstract?
Yes: If you have added an abstract to your page, choosing this option will display it below the title.
No: This option will hide any abstracts in the Page Browser.
Grid: Use only if directed.
Display Image?
Yes: If you have added an image to your page, selecting this option will display it to the left of the title.
No: Selecting this option will hide any images you have attached.
Grid: Use only if directed.
Image Size
Thumbnail: This option will display a small 150 x 150 pixel image.
Featured: This option displays the largest image size, at 600 x 400 pixels.
Display: This option displays a medium-size 325 x 162 pixel image.
Grid: Use only if directed.
Return to Top - Attaching Images to your Pages
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If you are implementing a Page Browser, you have the option of displaying an associated image with each page that is listed (See: Display Image? and Image Size settings above). To attach an image to a new page, locate the "Image" section on the "Add Page" form. Here, you will be able to upload a new image, or select an existing image from the Warehouse.
Existing pages can also have images attached by first clicking the "Pages" link (located in the menu at the top of any Digital Bell page) to view the list of pages. Here, locate the page you would like to attach an image to, and click the Properties button (gear icon) to the left of the page title. In the properties editor, locate the "Image" section and upload a new image, or select an existing image from the Warehouse. Once the image has been attached, click the "Submit" button to save your changes.
Note, the image attached to a page will only be displayed in the Page Browser element, and will not be shown on the page itself. The options selected when implementing the Page Browser (shown in the previous section) will determine how the image is displayed.
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