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You can get your free CMS and website online in 30 seconds(3 steps). Start with choosing the name for your website.
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Step 1 from 3
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DOCUMENTATION AREA
Post-Installation configuration
We know, if we say README you wont read, well... try to read in order...
The CMS will be automatically installed based on a template, to show you a demo of "how can be your site". The only hard part of this CMS is to understand how content is generated, so we will try to explain in few words and make it simple.
CMS is using a LAYOUT and MODULES. (we know you love fancy technical names)
- The LAYOUT is the design of your page. The layout is made from lines and collumns. Imagine a table with few lines and collumns. You can define how many lines and collumns you want, and add your modules in the table cells anywhere you want. That is generating the page design/order.
- The MODULES, generate the content automatically. For example there is a module which will show you the administration area, you can put it anywhere you want on your site. Everything on your site is a Module. Briefly: you add on your layout the modules. Modules can be anything, a forum, an image gallery, articles. You add them anywhere you want on your layout.
Once you understand this, the rest is kids play.
Lets take some example. You want a blog. Usual blogs have an area where are your posts, and another area where are links to your posts. For example on your left side of your site to be what you write(the articles) and on your right side a menu with links to your posts. For this you need to make 1 line split in 2 collumns in your layout. In first collumn on the left are the articles, on the right collumn on your right is the module which will generate automatically your last 10 added articles links.
Lets get more complex on this example if you understood till now. We want to add tomorow a logo on the top of your site. So, we go in the layout and add one more line with one collumn on the top of the line where are your articles/links. You can name the lines and collumns and define their size and position in the layout manager. After you added the line and the collumn add the Logo module inside. Really... takes 10 seconds after you get the ideea.
More complex? Sure! You want now to add on your left side of your articles/links another collumn where you want to put some advertising or some Google Adsense? Simply go to your layout manager and add one collumn on the left of your articles area. Put inside the module with Google Adsense, put your Adsense copy/paste code from Google and there you have an advertising box on all your pages.
You don't like the design anymore? Want to move the Links box from right to left? Delete from right collumn and put on the left one. No danger, wont be deleted the content because is 100% generated on the fly. If you want you can even have one links box on the left and one on the right. Is completly up to you!
What about the database? Well some modules require their own dedicated tables in the database. Like for example the "Forum" module. So, keep in mind after you add a module to check in the "SQLDb" module if will require or not a database installed. To install it is simple, just click on "Install DB" for that specific module.
What is good to have installed all the time?
Some modules are required to be installed, because like we said, 100% your CMS is module based generated. So, is good to keep those modules installed somewhere:
- "Admin" is the module which will show you the administration buttons
- "Config" is the module which will let you configure your site
- "Maincontent" is the module where the "important" output is generated. For example administration results, or configuration results
- "Login" is the module where you can log into your site. You can disable in the "Config" module to show or not the Login box, but you need to have it installed, otherwise simple you can't login anymore
- SQLDB this module will create the databases needed for some CMS modules
Your own content, how to add or manage?
Any webpage needs to have content right? So, in order to put this content online, you need to know where to put it right? Is very simple. First of all keep in mind the content can be added to modules usual. Ok, sounds hard to understand probably because is concept, so lets take an example is easier. Lets say, we have a blog again. You want to add your ideeas on your left side, and links to be generated to your posts on the right side. So, you made for this a line, with two collumns. On the right collumn lets say you add "Last10" to show your last posts. Now comes the important part. To put your text online, you need to add to a module. Usual, people use the "Articles" modules, because has a full html editor. So, you add the Articles module on the left collumn. Be sure you have the "Admin", "Maincontent", "Config" modules added too anywhere you want. after you add the "Articles" module, a new button will show up "New Article". Click on it and write your article. Once you submit your new article, you can see it in the administration area.
Whats the trick here and why is like that? Because the CMS was made for smart people. Well, lets say you want to add just one small picture, on the right side of the "Articles" area. For example under your "Last10" links. You had that picture until now like a normal article, but you don't want to re-write again. So, to add it under the Last10 module, just add any box module, like Minibox for example. Go into the articles management area, and update the article with your small picture changing the module from "Articles" to "Minibox". And instantly your picture will showup in the Minibox module area.
So, the whole point is that we want anytime to move content anywhere on the site. From one module to another, without re-writing the content.
This is nice, so if I understand right, I can have a forum in 20 seconds?
Yes. Here is step-by-step:
1. Go to "Layout", add a line with a collumn. Any size you want... any name you want... you can change after anyway.
2. Go to "Modules", add "Forum" module to your CMS, and after is added to the CMS, add into your line/collumn you just made at step 1.
3. Done. You have a new button on the Administration box area now. Manage your forum and enjoy.
So, I can add anytime or remove modules from my site?
Yes, if you don't use modules, has no sense to load your site with unused modules and content. Has no sense to add a "Forum" on your CMS if you don't want one. If you want, you can add all of them, but usual is good to have installed just what you need, and add anytime more. Otherwise, specially at start you will get lost in so many things at once.
Other configuration and tweaks?
We want to give you the possibility to change and design your site how you want as much possible. Thats why, the "Config" module will let you change how many articles on the index page you want, or how many links on the "Last added" articles, how many pictures you want per page in your "Gallery" module and so on.
There are few tricks which can improve your site a lot. Thats why, you can change your .css file if you want, where you can add a background to your site, change colors and so on. This is however for advanced users usual.
MODULES INFORMATIONS / DOCUMENTATION
Gallery
Once you install the Gallery module, a new icon will show up in your Administration area. There you can see the Gallery. The Gallery will generate thumbnails automatically from your images(if is possible). To upload your pictures to your Gallery, lets get the way thru "Articles" module. Create a folder "Gallery" in your "Image" ressource directory, usual you get directly there if you try to upload a picture using your Articles html browser based editor. In the directory "Gallery" you can upload or create subfolders. The images will be seen instantly on your Gallery. So, full path in rest is: http://yoursite/UserFiles/Image/Gallery/ there you should upload the pictures.
Forum
Once you install the Forum module, a new icon will show up in your Administration area, click it. If you are administrator you can setup the "Groups" and "Categories". "Groups" are usual the main structure of the forum, the main categories. "Categories" are the forums where users can post their topics and reside usual under a "Group".
Categories
"Articles" are organised usual by "Categories". You can setup categories and sub-categories, how many you want. The same you can upload your icons for "Categories". The files will be placed in http://yoursite/UserFiles/Categories/ folder of your site.
SQL Manager
This module is used for database administration. Some modules require a database to store the data. No, you don't need to create crazy technical SQLs. Just click on "Create DB" if you need the table created, "Flush SQLDB" if you want all data of that module deleted, "Delete SQLDB" if you want to delete the database.
File Manager
This module is using 2 modules in fact. One for managing the files called "FileUpload" and another one "FileDirectory" to show up the files on your site. Your uploaded files will reside in http://yoursite/UserFiles/File/ and thru the "FileUpload" module you can upload your files or create subdirectories and so on. The same you can add description for each file, a title, an icon if you want to be fancy and a preview image.
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