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    • HomePage configuration

    Posted by kbalk posts: 4

    I am trying to set up a tikiwiki website for a non-profit organization and I need to create a home page very different from the standard tikiwiki site, e.g., there will be no user login. I assumed that in order to do this I need a ))HomePage(( for the users to see which is separate from the standard tikiwiki page that I use to administer and develop the site.

    If that's the case, I have been unable to configure the ))HomePage(( to a different location and have been unable to find documentation to answer my questions. I've been so frustrated and would greatly appreciate the help.

    First, I am using Tikiwiki v1.7.8.

    1. From Admin->General, I tick the checkbox next to "Set URI as Home Page" and type http://sampleurl.com/httpdocs in the textbox. The directory httpdocs has full access permission.

    2. I click on "Update" to set this configuration option.

    3. I refresh the screen, then click on "home" located on the upper left-hand side of the standard tikiwiki screen. The URL http://sampleurl.com/httpdocs is retrieved, but I get the error message: "Not Found. The requested URL was not found on this server.".

    Questions:

    1. Should I put some file into the httpdocs directory or is a file supposed to be automatically put there when I configured a URI as the home page?

    2. If something is supposed to be put into the directory automatically and since that's not happening, do you know of any reason why this error is occuring?

    3. If I have to put something in this directory manually, such as index.html or index.php, is tikiwiki expecting any special content in that file?

    4. Once I can get past this issue of configuring ))HomePage((, I will want to set up a style for this home page that is different from my tikiwiki "administration" screen. I understand about themes and there seems to be plenty of examples regarding how to introduce a new theme. What I don't know is how to direct the new style at my configured home page and not at the tikiwiki page I'm using for configuration and developing the site.

    Thank you,
    Karri

    Reads: 1469
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    Posted by Gary Cunningham-Lee posts: 4656 Japan

    First of all, the home page you designate has to be a particular file, not just a directory. To keep things as simple as possible, though, I wouldn't create a new directory, but just use the one that Tiki is installed in. Also, to keep things simple, I would use a "Tiki" file for the homepage, that is, either create a wiki page to be your home page, or use your articles top page, forum listing page, a Tiki blog, etc., or a modification of one of these. The choice would depend on what you want your home page to look like and how you want it to function, of course.

    As for the style, I would think first about the style (theme) you want to use for the public pages. Are you planning to use one of the existing Tiki themes that are already installed? If so, why not just designate that as the site's theme? It'll also be used for your admin pages, but that shouldn't be a problem as all themes work fine for the admin pages. Keep in mind that you can "turn off" the right and/or left column and the top and/or bottom bar on a per-section basis, which gives you added flexibility in page layout, especially if you want to simplify things for visitors.

    To use more than one theme at your site, enable "Theme control" in the Features admin page (tiki-admin.php?page=features); then click on the Theme control menu item that appears in the Admin menu (tiki-theme_control.php). Here you can assign a theme either to a category or you can click on the "Control by Objects" link to assign a theme to specific pages, etc, or "Control by Sections" link to assign a theme to one or more sections of your site.

    I hope this helps.

    -- Gary (chibaguy)

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    Posted by kbalk posts: 4

    Gary,

    Thank you for responding. I hope this sort of info makes it into the 1.8 (or 1.9) documentation!

    When I first started working with the non-profit, I created a index.html page so we could work out the style and layout they wanted for the home page and subsequent pages. In the process I learned more about the features they required and realized I needed a CMS tool. It looks like tikiwiki will fit the bill if I can convert the index.html file into a "Tiki" page and apply the theme they desired.

    > ... I would use a "Tiki" file for the homepages, that is, either create a
    > wiki page to be your home page ...

    I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble understanding this. I know I can create another page linked from the ))HomePage, e.g.,PublicHomePage((, but I'm not sure how to assign that new page to a specific URL that I can then reference as the public site.

    I also understand that from the Admin->Wiki page, I can specify a different name for the HomePage, but I don't see how that solves my problem either.

    If I create a new file in the tiki directory, I'm not sure what that file should be called, what contents are expected, and how I associate it with the tikiwiki ))HomePage((.

    > Are you planning to use one of the existing Tiki themes that are already
    > installed?

    None of the standard themes apply, so I will create my own. I didn't think I could use the same theme for the admin and public pages as there won't be a login option from the public pages. Without a login, you can act on user preferences and display different themes or pages, so I think they have to be distinct. There is also interesting information of the admin pages that I wouldn't want on the public pages.

    Basically, I'm using the collaborative aspect of tikiwiki for the developers and maintainers of the site, but the users won't intereact with the site. The users will see the other features of tikiwiki, e.g., faqs, galleries, calendars, etc.

    > ... you can click on the "Control by Objects" link to assign a theme to
    > specific pages ...

    It looks like "Control by Objects" will solve my problem. But will it assign a theme only to the specific page listed as an object, or will it also assign the theme to all pages referenced by that page? In other words, am I going to have to manually assign a theme to all the public pages or will the control work hierarchically?

    Thanks again for all your help; it is much appreciated.
    Karri

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    Posted by Gary Cunningham-Lee posts: 4656 Japan

    >Thank you for responding.

    No problem. smile

    > >... I would use a "Tiki" file for the homepages, that is, either create a
    > wiki page to be your home page ...

    >I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble understanding this. I know I can create another page linked from the HomePage, e.g., PublicHomePage, but I'm not sure how to assign that new page to a specific URL that I can then reference as the public site.

    In General Preferences (tiki-admin.php?page=general), you can select "Use URI as homepage" and then indicate the address of the file. This will be your site's homepage. Or you can select a Tiki section for the home page. I'm not sure what the default list is that shows up for this item. On my site I see Wiki, Articles and Custom Homepage listed along with a blog and an image gallery. Anyway, you could choose one of these types to be the home page, as well.

    >I also understand that from the Admin->Wiki page, I can specify a different name for the HomePage, but I don't see how that solves my problem either.

    Right, you need to go up a level, so to speak, to decide even whether or not you want a wiki page as your home page.

    >If I create a new file in the tiki directory, I'm not sure what that file should be called, what contents are expected, and how I associate it with the tikiwiki HomePage.

    Well, you'd designate it as your home page in Admin General Preferences as I described above. Now, this file could be anything, so the question is what you want to offer to your visitors. What Tiki content features do you want to use?

    >None of the standard themes apply, so I will create my own.

    I assume you are familiar with the suggested procedure for making a new Tiki theme; i.e., start with an existing theme and modify it. But if it's function that you want to control rather than appearance, I think you should look more at the configuration possibilities for various user groups rather than at themes, which are really more for determining page layout than site functionality.

    >I didn't think I could use the same theme for the admin and public pages as there won't be a login option from the public pages.

    The log-in box is just a module, and it can be configured so that Anonymous visitors don't see it. (Check the Modules menu item under Admin (Click me!). You could enable the log-in module for your Admin and other member groups but not for public viewers. Of course this could be problematic if you or another "admin" person comes to the site without a cookie set or session active; then you'd be anonymous as well and would see no login box. In this case you'll want to remember this address: tiki-login_scr.php. But is a log-in form on the public index page really objectionable?

    > Without a login, you can act on user preferences and display different themes or pages, so I think they have to be distinct.

    I'm not sure what you mean here.

    >There is also interesting information of the admin pages that I wouldn't want on the public pages

    Right, but this is in the realm of permissions, not themes. Have you looked at Tiki's permissions system to see how this works? See "Groups" in the Admin menu. Public visitors don't see Tiki admin pages, by default. And anything you add to the site can be made inaccessible to the public. Again, the permissions system is the key here; are you clear on how to use it?

    -- Gary

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    Posted by kbalk posts: 4

    I’m sorry … I think we’re going in a circle here, so I think it would help if I tell you that I’m creating a web site for a local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. They’re a small, understaffed office and the website will be used to push information out to the world, but not to interact with the world via the website. I think perhaps in time, when they have the resources and the comfort level, they may want to do more with their website, but now is not that time.

    So I want a simple non-interactive web site, but it’ll have photo galleries of build sites, calendars for their build events, and a FAQ. There won’t be any distinctions at this time as to the kinds of possible viewers of this website, i.e., no groups should be needed.

    >> Well, you'd designate it as your home page in Admin General Preferences as I
    >> described above. Now, this file could be anything, so the question is what you
    >> want to offer to your visitors. What Tiki content features do you want to use?

    Good! … This is what I was initially trying to find out. In my first posting I described my mistaken attempt to use an URL vs. a URI in the Admin General Preferences. Now I know it has to be a URI and I was thinking of making the URI refer to a Wiki page that looked like my originally proposed index.html file. And there would be no login (see below), so I’m looking at different home pages for developers vs. users.

    There are no special wiki features referenced in that home page. However, I would have buttons in the top bar that would lead to pages that use features such as a FAQ or photo gallery. The ))HowDidTheyDoIt(( pages show examples of similar menu buttons in the top bar.

    Now … Does this mean I need a .php file (e.g. hfh-index.php) that does the tiki-setup and then does the relevant things found in tiki-index.php? If so, would I create a wiki page linked from the standard ))HomePage(( and then refer to that new wiki page in my hfh-index.php file?

    And then I’m not sure how to handle the buttons in the top bar. If the buttons go to specific .php files, how can I refer to specific Wiki pages from the .php files? Is there a particular set of files that would show me how this is done?

    >> I assume you are familiar with the suggested procedure for making a new Tiki theme;
    >> i.e., start with an existing theme and modify it. But if it's function that you want to
    >> control rather than

    Yes. And it’ll be function and theme. I got a set of zipped theme files from mods.tikiwiki.org by contacting one of the submitters directly and I’ll take a look at that files as an example. BTW: all of the zip files for the themes appear to be corrupted and someone already noted it in a comment for one of the themes; that’s why I had to contact the person directly. I’m not sure just who to notify of the problem since all of them are bad.

    I’ve also seen the documentation on themes and the ))HowDidTheyDoIt(( page, so all of that information should help me.

    But again, I won’t be distinguishing the types of users; so all users will have the same functionality and will see the same theme.

    >> But is a log-in form on the public index page really objectionable?

    I think it would be visually distracting. Developers or maintainers would only use a login and they are not the key users of that site, so esthetically it seems wrong to include a login box. The affiliate office might have to deal with questions from people asking how they can obtain logins and that would be distraction for them.

    One of the “best Tiki sites??? is a commercial site for a salon and that doesn’t have a login box, so there must be a way to handle this.

    > Without a login, you can act on user preferences and display different themes or pages,
    > so I think they have to be distinct.
    >
    >> I'm not sure what you mean here.

    My apologies … I wanted to say you *cannot* act on user preferences if there is no way for a user to log in.

    I hope this makes it clearer. Thank you for your patience!
    Karri

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    Posted by Gary Cunningham-Lee posts: 4656 Japan

    Oh, I posted before reading/responding to your last paragraphs.

    >Basically, I'm using the collaborative aspect of tikiwiki for the developers and maintainers of the site, but the users won't intereact with the site. The users will see the other features of tikiwiki, e.g., faqs, galleries, calendars, etc.

    OK, this is the typical Tiki site arrangement. At a Tiki site I'm in charge of http://phinixi.com, we have public pages but also a number of working groups, each of which has private pages, file galleries, etc. An interesting quality of Tiki is that the typical black-and-white anonymous public vs. site insider arrangement is made much more flexible.

    >> ... you can click on the "Control by Objects" link to assign a theme to
    > specific pages ...

    > It looks like "Control by Objects" will solve my problem. But will it assign a theme only to the specific page listed as an object, or will it also assign the theme to all pages referenced by that page? In other words, am I going to have to manually assign a theme to all the public pages or will the control work hierarchically?

    I may not be up to speed on that question myself. As far as I know, the assignment is only for the specific page. You can also use Categories to group pages and other objects, and then assign a theme to a specificy Category (and Categories are very useful in themselves when you start getting a lot of content). But here again the issue may not be the need to assign a theme, but rather to assign a permission.

    > Thanks again for all your help; it is much appreciated.

    Well, I'm often the person asking questions, so I try to help when I can.

    -- Gary

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