Topics

Topics

Topics are used to categorize stories, and are listed in the Topics Block. The Topics Block also includes a link to the home page, although the link is not a topic and can not be removed or changed from the Topic administration section.

Adding A Topic

1. Log into your site.
2. Click on the "Topics" link in the Admins Only block.
3. Click on the "Create New" link at the top.
4. Complete the fields in the form:
   • The Topic ID is a unique name, without spaces, for the topic. This ID is used by the system for internal reference.
   • The number of stories per page will default to 10 if left blank.
   • The Topic Name is what will show in the Topics Block and in the Topics drop-down in the story editor.
   • The Topic Image field can be used if you know the exact path to an existing image. You can remove the text from this field if you do not want an image.
   • If you want to upload a new image to use for the topic, click the "Browse" button, search for the image on your computer, and double-click on it to select it. The image will be uploaded when you save your changes.
   • Selecting the "Default" box will make the new topic the default topic for new story submissions. Only one topic is allowed to be the default.
   • Selecting the "Archive Topic" checkbox will make the new topic the default topic for archived stories. Only one topic can be made the archive topic.
   • The Group selected corresponds with the group permissions further down on the page. It is recommended to leave this set to "Topic Admin".
   • The possible permission options for the story are as follows. These settings will override the permissions settings at the story level:
     • Anonymous visitors (not logged-in) - read-access on or off
     • Members (logged-in) - read-access on or off
     • Group members (must be logged-in) - read-access on or off; edit-access on or off
     • Owner (must be logged-in) - read-access on or off; edit-access on or off
5. Click the "Save" button.

Changing A Topic

1. Log into your site.
2. Click on the "Topics" link in the Admins Only block.
3. Click on the topic you want to edit.
4. Make your changes (see Adding A Topic for a description of the fields).
5. Click the "Save" button.

Deleting A Topic

1. Log into your site.
2. If you want to move any of the existing stories in this topic into another topic, make the move before deleting the topic. To move a story simply follow the "Edit" link for the story, change the topic and save the changes.
3. Click on the "Topics" link in the Admins Only block.
4. Click on the topic you want to delete.
5. Click the "Delete" button. There is no confirmation page, so delete only when you're sure you're ready to delete!

Changing The Sort Method

1. Open your config.php file in a text editor.
2. Find $_CONF['sortmethod']
3. Change the value to either "sortnum" or "alpha".
   • If you use the "alpha" value, the Sort Order will show as "alphabetical".
   • If you use the "sortnum" value, the Sort Order will show as an editable field. You can then assign a number to each topic to indicate its order in the list of topics. The topic with the lowest number will show at the top of the list.
4. Save your changes.
5. Upload the file onto your server, overwritting the existing file.

Setting The "Show Topic" Default

1. Open your config.php file in a text editor.
2. Find $_CONF['show_topic_icon']
3. Change the value to either "0" or "1"
   • 0 will make the "Show Topic Icon" option for new stories default to unselected
   • 1 will make the "Show Topic Icon" option for new stories default to selected
4. Save your changes.
5. Upload the file onto your server, overwritting the existing file.