Section Ordering and Indentation

The order in which your web site sections is listed on the main configuration page is very important. Here are some things you need to understand about section ordering as you manage your web site.

  • The first section is the site home page.
    • The home section cannot be deleted or hidden from navigation.
    • Single links, embedded sites, or embedded sections cannot be in the home position.
  • The navigation menu on your site will list the sections in the order they are set on the main configuration page.
  • New sections are automatically placed at the bottom of the list.

You can also set the indent level of the sections on your site. Here are some things you need to understand about section indentation as you manage your site.

  • Sections are not indented by default.
  • SiteMaker will support indenting sections several levels but the CSS coding of a style doesn't usually support more than four levels.
  • The CSS coding of a style can be written to suppress displaying links to indented sections when the parent section is not the active page.

This is difficult concept to explain, but it important to understand if you want to use SiteMaker to its fullest potential. To help you understand this please visit our Section Ordering Example site. Click on every page. Look at the screen shots on each page and compare that to the navigation menu on each page. This should help you to understand how section ordering and indentation works.

Sections: section-ordering.png

Changing the Section Ordering

The order that sections are listed on the main configuration page is the same order sections will be listed on your site's navigational menu. Changing this order is easy.

  1. Pick a section you want to relocate in the list of sections.
  2. Open its ordering menu.
  3. Chose a number to put the section in a new position.
  4. The section list will update itself.
Sections: section-ordering-menu.png

Note: The first position is called "Home" and any section in this position acts as the home page for the site.

Selecting a Different Section to Be the Site Home Page

The section that is listed in the first position on the main configuration page will act as the home page of your site. Setting a new home page is easy.

  1. Pick a section you want to be the new hame page.
  2. Open its ordering menu.
  3. Select "Home."
  4. The section list will update itself putting this section at the top of the list.

Note: Single Link or File, Embedded Section or Embedded Site section types cannot act as a home page for your site.

Changing the Section Indentation Level

SiteMaker allows you to indent one or more sections under a parent section. This indentation structure is reflected on your site's navigation menu, making your links take on an outline like structure. The style you choose for your site (in Overall Appearance) may or may not suppress indented sections when their parent section is not the currently view page. SiteMaker will support several levels of indentation. We recommend you restrict this to three or four levels deep so your site will be display properly.

Each section listed on the main configuration will have at least one arrow by its name (a left arrow, a right arrow, or both). Simply click a right arrow to indent a section, or click a left arrow to outdent an indented section.