CMS Help Files

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Seminole State College
100 Weldon Boulevard
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407.708.4722

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Printable Manual

Home Page

• Location of this document: http://www.seminolestate.edu/cmshelp2/
• CMS Instructions

A content management system (or CMS) is used to organize and facilitate collaborative content creation. In this case, it is a program that allows Seminole State College to update, maintain and publish the content of its website.

The content is stored in an online database and then presented to the user via a system of pre-formatted templates. This concept allows us to easily change the design of the website, since the design is separate from the content. It also allows for the creation of multiple versions of the same content from the same data, such as for wireless users or users with disabilities.

Benefits of a CMS include:

• Streamlined authoring.
• Faster turnaround time for new pages.
• Greater site consistency.
• Support for decentralized authoring.
• Increased security.
• Support for multiple delivery platforms.

Logging in

The Content Management System can only be accessed by logging in to the system. Access to the system is accomplished via MySeminoleState and security must be in place before you will be granted access. Access to the CMS is only granted to users who have taken CMS training. Here are the steps to login to the system:

• Go to http://www.seminolestate.edu/applications/cms/
• Enter your MySeminoleState username and password (or your e-mail address and password for non-Seminole State users)
• This will log you into the CMS

Note: If, after logging in, you do not see anything - you do not have editing rights to the system. Please contact Seminole State WebSupport for assistance.

Overview

The Content Management System opens into a new window. Here are the components that make up the system:

(shown in Content Edit Mode)

Creating a new directory

Directories (also known as folders) are the main organizational element of the CMS. They are the containers that are used to "hold" Web pages. They are represented in a Web address as the name between forward slashes (/) such as: www.seminolestate.edu/directory_name/.

1. Choose the area of the website where  you would like to add a directory. 
2. Make sure you are at the correct directory/folder before creating a new directory or subdirectory. The directory you are working with will be highlighted.
   You will always see your current directory location at the top of the editor's box in the following format:
   
   /Main Directory Name/
   
   If you are deeper into the structure of the department's site you will see the path such as this:
   
   /Main Directory Name/Sub Directory Name/
   
   Note: You can always return to the home directory by clicking on the desired directory in the directory on the right side of the screen.
3. Click the "Create New" tab at the top of the editors window.
4. Fill in the following information:
   • File/Directory Name:  This is the name of the folder/directory. It should be all lowercase and should not include any spaces (hyphens and underscores are permissible). It should end in either .htm or .php, not .html.
   • Click Yes for a Directory.
5. The new directory will appear in the left navigation box and you will receive a confirmation that it has been created.
6. The editing screen will appear.
7. Fill in the following information:
   
   • Menu Name: This is the name of the link that will be associated with this folder/directory. This text will appear on the left navigation menu in bold and can be more then one word (and can include spaces). It cannot exceed 30 characters. The link should accurately describe the linked content. If you do not wish the directory to appear on the left navigation, leave this blank.
8. If you are ready for the directory to be published, click yes.
9. Add a note to explain what changes were made.
10. Click the "Save File" button.

Creating a new page

A Web page is a file on the World Wide Web usually created with hypertext links to enable navigation from one page or section to another. Creating new pages in the CMS is done via the following procedure:

1. Click on the folder in the right-side directory under which you would like to create the new page.
2. Click on the "Create New" tab.
3. Type the File Name, the name of the file such as "filename.htm". Don't forget to add the ".htm" extension to the name. File names may not contain spaces. They may contain hyphens (-) or underscores (_).
4. Click No where it asks if you are creating a directory.
5. Click "Save File."
6. You will receive a confirmation that the file has been created.
7. The new file will appear in the left navigation box.
8. Click on the file name. 
9. The editing screen will appear.
10. In the boxes at the top type:
    1. Menu Name: This is the name of the link that will automatically appear on the left navigation menu of the website. It can be more then one word. It cannot exceed 30 characters and should accurately describe the linked content. If you do not wish for the page to be listed on the left-hand menu, leave this blank.
    2. Page Title: Enter the title of the page. The title should describe the page content. The title shows at the top of the browser and is also seen as the link title in many search engines.
       
       Note: You do not need to put "Seminole State - Department/Area Name" in the title. This is done automatically by the CMS.  For the first page in any directory, simple title it "Home Page".
    3. Select the desired template from the drop-down menu. The templates determine the "look" of the page. Templates for your area will be listed first in the listing under "Local Templates."
    4. Click "Save File" to update the new page.
11. Select the desired template from the drop-down menu. The templates determine the "look" of the page. Templates for your area will be listed first in the listing under "Local Templates."
12. Click on the "Meta Data" tab. In the "Description" field enter the description of the page. The description must be a complete sentence and reflect the content of the page. In the "Keyword" box, type the keywords by which the page can be found using a search engine. Do not put commas in between the keywords and do not repeat words. 
13. Type or paste the page content into the "content" field. All page formatting must match Seminole State style and usability standards. Please see the "Style and Formatting" instructions for more information.
14. Click "Save File" to save the page edits.

Note: New pages that have not yet been published may be viewed by clicking on the preview icon located above the content editing area.

Editing a directory

There are times when it may become necessary to edit or change an existing directory (or directory name). To edit a directory:

1. Select the directory you wish to make changes to. 
2. Make changes as needed to the directory attributes.
3. Remember to leave the menu name blank if you do not want the directory to show.
4. Add a note to show what changes were made.
5. Click "Save File".

Editing a page

To edit or update an existing page, follow these steps:

1. Open the directory where the page is located.
2. Click on the name of the page you wish to edit.
3. Make changes as needed.
4. Click "Save File".

Special editing features:

1. If you need to check the HTML code, click the HTML button in the content editing area. This will open a new window containing the HTML code for the page. Make your changes and click Update. The changes should appear in the page view.
2. Use the Insert Photo button to insert a photo. Make sure you have uploaded it in the correct media folder first.
3. There are several tools to insert special characters. If you need to sub- or super-script, click on either the X² icon or the X₂ icon. If you need to insert a character such as trademark or Greek letter, click on the Omega symbol and choose the correct character.
4. The "Toggle fullscreen mode" button is used to make the content editing window full screen. Using this function will make it easier to edit large pages.
5. The "Spellcheck" button can be used to review for common spelling errors.
6. If there are several links on a page, use the Links tab to make sure all the links are correct.

Creating Links

A link is a reference in a Web document to another document or page. To create a link, use the following procedure:

1. Select (highlight) the text that you would like to appear as the hyperlink.
2. Click on the "hyperlink" icon (looks like a little chain link). Note: This icon will be grayed out until text has been selected.
3. Type or paste the Web address in the Link IRL field of the pop-up window.
   
   
   • For links outside the college website, place the entire URL into this file (i.e. http://www.somewhere.com/)
   • For internal links, only the folder path and file name are needed (i.e. /about/filename.htm). Don't forget the beginning slash (/). Using the complete Seminole State Web address will cause your previews to not function correctly (as your links will not point to the preview area - but to the live website).
4. Add a title for the link for accessibility purposes. This is usually the same as the selected text.
5. Click "Insert."
6. Repeat for all links that are needed.
7. Click "Save File" when finished.

Creating Page Targets/Anchors

It is also possible to create links to a spot on a particular page. These type of links are known as "targets" or "anchors." To create a target/anchor link use the following procedure:

Create the target/anchor

1. Determine the location of the target/anchor on the page.
2. Click your mouse to move your cursor to the location.
3. Click the target/anchor icon (looks like an anchor).
4. Give the target/anchor a name, single word, no spaces.

Link to the target/anchor

1. Select the text that you would like to appear as the hyperlink.
2. Click on the "hyperlink" icon.
3. Choose "Place in this document" from the menu to the left of the new window.
4. Select the target/anchor desired from your list of previously created targets/anchors.
5. Click "OK".

Working with Tables

Tables are used to organize data on Web pages into rows and columns.

• To Insert New Table Select the "Insert Table" button ( ).  Enter the specifications of the table (number of rows and columns, width and height, border size, etc.), click "OK" when done. The table will now appear in the editing window.
• If you need to make changes to the style/properties of the table click the "Table Properties" button ( ). This option will allow you to edit individual cells, rows or the entire table.
• To add a new row to the existing table, place your cursor inside the column where the new row is to be added (below/above) and then click the "Add Row" button ().
• To delete a row from an existing table, place the cursor inside the column of the row that you would like to delete and then click the "Delete Row" button ().
• To add a column to an existing table, place your cursor inside the column where a new column is desired and then click the "Insert Column" button ().
• To delete a column from an existing table, place the cursor inside the column you would like to delete and then click the "Delete Column" button ().
• To merge cells, select the main cell you would like to merge and click the "Merge cell with Another Cell" button (). A window will appear asking if you wish to "merge with the cell below" or "merge with the cell to the right." Make your choice and click "Ok."
• To split merged cells select the cell and click "Unmerge Cells" button ().

Checking for Broken Links

Broken links in a website are a common problem on the Internet today. They inconvenience visitors, inhibit proper navigation of a site and prohibit access to website content. Broken links occur when a link points to a file that can not be accessed. The most common reasons broken links occur are the moving or renaming of linked files or the misspelling of the path name in the link itself.

Formatting Options

Use the following instructions to create each of the desired styles.

Page Heading

• Select the text you wish to make a page heading.
• Choose "heading 1" from the  "Format" drop-down box
• Choose "pageheading" from the "Styles" drop-down box

Section Heading

• Select the text you wish to make a section heading.
• Choose "heading 2" from the  "Format" drop-down box
• Choose "sectionheading" from the "Styles" drop-down box

Bold Text

• Select the text you wish to make bold.
• Choose "Bold" from the "Styles" drop-down box

Center Text

• Select the text you wish to center.
• Click on the Center paragraph style button or select "Center Object (center)" from the "Styles" drop-down box.
  Note: Centering text should be done sparingly and should never be done to blocks of text, page titles or section titles.

Italicized Text

• Select the text you wish to italicize.
• Select "Italics (italics)" from the "Styles" drop-down box. 

Align text to the right

• Select the text you wish to align to the right.
• Click on the Align Right paragraph style button

Highlight/Shade Text

• Select the text you want to highlight.
• Select "Shade" from the "Styles" drop-down box.
  Note: The highlight color is dependent on the theme of the given site and can not be controlled by the editor.

Unordered List

Note: An unordered list is a list that uses bullets

• Select the text you want to turn into unordered list.
• Click the "unordered list button" ( ) in the editors menu.

Ordered List

Note: An ordered list is a list that is numbered.

• Select the text you want to turn into an unordered list.
• Click the "ordered list button" ( ) in the editors menu.

Insert Special Character

• Move your cursor to the point where you want the special character inserted.
• Click the insert character button (looks like the Omega symbol) on the menu.
• Select the character you want to insert and click OK.
  
  Note: Special characters include such symbols as ©, ®, ½, etc...

Paragraph

• To separate text into several paragraphs simply press the "Enter" button on your keyboard at the end of each section of text.
  
  To go to a new line without creating a new paragraph (and the resulting blank space) hold down the shift key while pressing "Enter."

Indent

• Select the text you wish to indent.
• Click on the "indent text" button ( ).
• To remove indentation, select the text and click on the "remove indent" button ( ).

Uploading Files

In order for files such as Word documents, PDF files, Excel documents, images, etc. to be available on the Web, they need to be uploaded into the CMS system. Uploading means transferring the file from your computer to the Seminole State website. Once the file has been uploaded, then you are able to link to it in your document. To upload files into the CMS:

1. Files may only be uploaded to the "media" folder in your directory structure. Navigate and open this folder.
2. Once inside the media folder you will see an area to upload files, as well as a listing of all of the existing files (and folders) in this directory.
3. To upload a new file, click the "browse" button, locate the file on your local file system and click "Open."
4. You may continue to load additional files in the same manner.
   Note: Files over 2mg can not be uploaded via the Web and must be sent to WebSupport via a TIM request and delivery of the files.
5. To delete an existing file, click "Remove" next to the file name.

Notes:

• In order to work best on the Web, files to be uploaded should not have spaces in the file names.
• Deleted files cannot be recovered once deleted.
• Uploaded files will be named with all lowercase letters as per Seminole State naming conventions.

Moving a Page or Directory

Pages or directories may not be moved by CMS users. Please contact WebSupport if you need to have your area reorganized or files/directories moved.

Understanding Security

There are two levels of security used in the CMS:

• Login security: This is implemented via MySeminoleState and is used to determine valid users of the system.
• CMS security: This security is used to determine which folders (areas of the website) that you will be able to edit.
  
  If you do not have the correct permissions to edit a folder, you will not see the folder. You can only see folders that you have permission to edit.

Using Workflow

Workflow is used in the CMS to ensure that all pages meet the design and content standards of the college. All pages must be approved by the Publications department and WebSupport before they will be published to the campus website.

Change log

You may also go to the "History" tab and see what changes have been made and the dates when they were made.

Use of change log notes is highly encouraged!

Style Guide Information

• For information regarding approved spelling, titles, grammar and general style of written documents for Seminole State, please visit the CRM Style Guide.
• Complete technical guidelines and website page specifications can be found in the Web Guidelines Technical Specifications.

General Guidelines 

• All main page titles should use heading 1 with style class "pagetitle".
• All secondary titles should use heading 2 with style class "sectiontitle".
• Do not use heading styles for blocks of text. They are used for titles only.
• Do not use all capital letters. They present accessibility and usability issues (and are ugly!)