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2 - Tornado CMS - Special Features
2.1: Content Aliasing
The key to content separation comes from a system of aliasing the content, providing a link between the content and design elements. Each content element can be linked multiple times, each with a different template design assigned to it, thus giving several options for presenting the content data. When a new content element is created and needs to replace existing content, it can be changed in the alias link, thus any reference to the link remains the same but new content appears.
2.2: Content Construction
With a special code, it is possible to insert one content element into another. The insert code specifies the content element and a template to apply to that content (the alias link), which is then translated to the appropriate content when the page is requested by a user. This allows content to be constructed from smaller building blocks. (e.g. The main page template could have a menu section inserted via an insert code, with the appearance of the menu determined by one of several templates available.) Content within a page could be constructed from several content elements, or in some cases a list of items, each of which has a template applied (e.g. A list of products for sale, or the items placed in an e-commerce basket). All insert codes draw upon the Content Aliasing system so that changes to the source content does not alter the insert code, and content for any particular insert code can be globally set as required (e.g. A news page has an insert code for the latest article; rather than changing the insert code when a new article is published, the alias is changed to link to the new content instead).
2.3: Code Library
The code library that is part of the Tornado CMS allows for custom code, such as Javascript files, to be used on a site to increase its functionality. The library code in many cases has specific editors to set variables related to each script, which allows for the adjustments to be made as each use of the code requires. The advantage of using code library Javascript is it will be tested thoroughly before deployment and will reduce the possibility of problems on some browsers.
2.4: Administration Editors
Several content editors are available to allow for the provision of specific editing features related to the appropriate content. The tools available within each editor empower the authors by making the editing process as simple as possible.
Site Editor - The primary list of the site editor contains all the URL’s for a website, and also specifies what access level/group restrictions are required for each. One link alias can have multiple content and/or template settings, each of which has a different access restriction. (e.g. A login or permission denied page can be sent to users who don’t have the required access, or a special administrator template with extra menu options for high level users, or even specific content based upon group membership.) Each link contains a content element, and a HTML template that results in a full HTML compliant page.
The secondary lists contain the links for content inserts, grouped by content type. Some of these lists are generated dynamically from other editors (e.g. product links are created by the product editor), while others are set specifically by the authors. Javascript files, Style Sheets, Menus, and partial content elements all get listed in the secondary lists.
Content/Template Editor - The content editor lists all general document content elements. Documents consist of a name and a single text area field for content data. Style Sheets and Javascripts can be edited here also. Templates for both HTML pages, and insert elements are accessed here.
The HTML templates have a single special insert required to place the main body of the content element specified in the Site Editor. Secondary templates can call upon any variable or special display function of the content type they are to be applied to.
Content/Article Editor - The article editor lists all documents assigned to the editor. The Content/Article Editor is a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor that lets your non-technical users do the following:
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- Format text to be bold, italicized, or underlined.
- Change the face, size, style and colour.
- Left, centre, or right-justify paragraphs.
- Make bulleted or numbered lists.
- Indent or un-indent paragraphs.
- Insert a horizontal line.
- Insert hyperlinks and images.
- and much more...
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This feature is useful for creating newsletters and for editing areas of your website that require regular updates and can save a busy webmaster hours of tedious HTML edits. Once saved, articles are instantly published to the website.
Product/Catalogue Editor - Products, and the catalogues used to display them, are constructed with the product editor. The product editor contains all the fields required for the product listings, including name and price, which are required for the e-commerce components of the system. Images, text descriptions, and many other variables can be specified in the product editor.
The products are listed as they are grouped in catalogues and sub catalogues, allowing for the author to view and organise the products as they are displayed on the website. Each product can be placed within any number of catalogues, allowing for a single product to show up in all appropriate catalogue groupings. New products and catalogues can be created as required, with no limit on the total number of products that can be listed on a website.
Order Processor - E-commerce orders placed on a website will appear in the Order Processor. Each order, with the details of the products ordered, the delivery and payment details selected by the user, and any additional information entered, can be accessed here. The current orders can have the status set, which will allow users to view their accounts and check up on the processing of any orders they have placed. Processed orders are stored for reference purposes, with any credit card information removed from the database to reduce the possibility of hacking attempts being a problem. The prices of products ordered are stored with each order so that future changes to product pricing don’t alter the prices of past orders.
User/Groups Manager - Creating new accounts, changing access levels, creating/assigning groups, changing passwords, or changing the logged users details can all be achieved with the User Manager. Users are listed by access level and display member groups for easy identification of the rights granted to any user registered with the site. Administration accounts are listed separately and can only be viewed by those with webmaster status. The webmaster group users have the ability to grant other users administrator privileges.
Mailing List Manager - Managing lists of email addresses for users to join allows the list administrator to contact users as a group via email. Each uniquely named email list contains the addresses of people who have subscribed via the site’s subscription form, and should they decide to be removed later they can use the same form to unsubscribe. The manager allows for the adding and removing of email addresses by the list administrator, and to send emails via the email form provided in the manager.
* Search Manager - Coming Soon
* Forum Manager - Coming Soon
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