Sections and their items are the fundamental structural units of the website. All information on the website is presented within a section.
Each section consists of a set of web pages that present pieces of information (items) in a structured format. Think of these section types as being analogous to sections in a newspaper: they are used to group pieces of information by content (i.e. news stories in Local News and National News sections) and by structure (i.e, want ads in the Classified section or forecasts in the Weather sections).
Because different kinds of information require different forms of presentation on your website, UrbanPlanet has created a number of standard Section Types in order to meet this need. These section types provide templates that allow you present information on your website in the form most appropriate to its content and purpose.
The most important standard section types are listed below. Just click each link for more information on that section type.
For information that doesn't fit within these standard types, UrbanPlanet may be able to develop additional custom forms.
Section Structure
All sections contain two general parts: an introduction and items. The section introduction provides information to orient the user and introduces the section topic. It explains what the section is all about. The structure of introductions are fairly consistent across the section types. Generally they contain a title and space for a block of text to contain the introductory information.
- For a directory, the section introduction will state what it is a directory of;
- For a news section, it will tell the user that this section covers what's new in the organization;
- For an event section, it will say that these are upcoming events, etc.
Items, on the other hand, are discrete pieces of information that pertain to the section topic. They vary depending on the section type.
- For a directory, items are the individual entries in the directory;
- For a news section, they are individual pieces of news;
- For an event section, they may be individual entries in a calendar, etc.
Section Creation
Sections are always created as a child of some other section. When you begin to add information to a brand new website, Urban Planet will have already created the space for a home page. You simply begin by creating child sections beneath the home page. In fact, every section that you create on this site will be a child or further descendant of this home page.
This parent-child hierarchy is automatically generated as you create your web site and creates the overall structure of the website. It can be checked visually at any time by clicking on the "Sitemap" link on the navigation bar in the website. Note, however, the sitemap will only show sections that have been activated.
For instruction on how to create a section, go to "Create a New Section" in the Step by Step Instructions (or click here).
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