Managing Sections in SiteMaker

SiteMaker allows you to create several types of web pages or sections on your web site. When you log in to configure your site the tools for managing all the sections on your site are found at the top of the Main Configuration Page (see screen shot below). These tools allow you to create, edit, and delete the sections on your site.

Creating a new section

To create a new section click the “Add a New Section” button found above the table listing all the sections on your site. This will load a page where you name the new section and define what type of section it should be (text/image, list of links/files, etc.). The next step is to edit the contents of the new section.

Managing existing sections

The main part of the Website Sections area is a table listing all the existing sections on your site. This table has five columns allowing you to see and do several things in managing the sections on your site.

Ordering sections

The first column allows you to reorder your sections. To place a section in a new position simply open the popup menu for that section and select a new number. The ordering of your sections shown on the Main Configuration Page affects their ordering in the navigation menu visitors see on the front end of your site.

Section name and type

The second column displays the name and type of section. The name of each section is a link which will open the section in a new browser window or tab allowing you to preview the section as if you were a visitor. Also listed is the section type and whether it is hidden from navigation or not.

Access permissions

Sections by default are available for all visitors to see. You can, however, restrict access to a section to a certain group of people as defined in your site’s access groups. You can also define who has editing access to a section which is handy if you have a team of people editing a site, especially if that team includes students. A section’s access permissions are summarized in the third column.

Modify a section

The fourth column contains at least two links for each section allowing you to further manipulate the section.

• Contents — Click this to edit the contents of a section (i.e. what the visitor will see when they view the section). For data access sections you will not be editing the contents of the data table, rather you will be defining the parameters of how that data is presented to the visitor.
• Properties — Each section has properties. These properties include the section name, whether it is hidden from navigation, who can access it, etc. Click this link to change these properties. As a matter of fact, the section type is the only property that cannot be changed.
• Versions (Text and or Image sections only) — If you have created multiple versions of a section you can click this link to allow you to manage those versions.
• Notification (Data Access sections only) — You can require edits to a data table  to send an email notification to you or someone else. Click this link to manage email notifications.

Delete

The last column allows you to delete a section. You will be asked to confirm this action.