Entering Webspace Items
Adding and editing pages
To create a new webspace page, you click Add item on the webspace`s admin page. To edit a page you can either click the edit link on the admin page, or you can just click the blob on the page itself. Pages have three names (under page options):
- page label: used in the url
- page heading: used for field and for nav labels.
- page title: used in browser title bar, and in nav title popups.
As no punctuation is allowed in the page label, initially a page name of say: Who is Fred's dog? will be assigned a page label of who-is-freds-dog. You can and should also add a succinct description and some keywords for SEO.
Entering material
Text is entered in plain text. There is no graphic WSIWYG editor (yet). You can type it or copy and paste material from other kinds of documents. You can add some easy formatting effects like bold and italic via the `worlds simplest markup (tm)` codes. These codes are taken from everyday computing, so theres not much to learn. Heres an example: the markup shown here:
-----------------------
The quick *brown fox* jumped over the *lazy dog*.
? the quick fox
? a brown dog
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Will look like this:
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.
- the quick fox
- a brown dog
Inserting images
You do this in two steps:
1. Upload your image to the server (click Upload File on the webspace`s admin page.
2. Insert the image into the page usiing the following markup:
[mtcook.jpg]
Will render as:
Sidebars
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants
-- Sir Isaac Newton, 1676
Each page sas two sidebar fields, which you can access via Admin | (Page) sidebars. When a page is first created these fields are filled automatically from the contents of Admin | Space sidebars. If you want a sitewide sidebar, then instead of repeating content (even default content) insert just the phrase
(--Item not found--)
where my-left-sidebar is a webspaces page name. The content from that page will be inserted into the sidebar and providing a ine stop shop to maintain it. Webspace pages have two additional 'auxilary' fields ( under page options). Theses can be used for small layout differences between pages, for instance a different header image on each page. Use the same markup language on all four fields. However the content will only take effect if your template contains fields for them.
Content
Publishing online is so quick and easy that you will find yourself writing the odd thing in spare moments, rather than setting aside a whole week to produce a traditional publication. The open source spirit of sharing information will soon be with you.
The odd typo is sometimes OK (depending on your audience), it being better to publish imperfecttly than not at all. Nonetheless you should try to follow web writing guidelines: 3 sentences, 3 pareagraphs. Headings and bullet points are good for busy readers. Watch what you say--your audience is the entire planet.
