pHpWebziner®
Manual
pHpWebziner® is a Content Management System suited for websites with rich content or content changed frequently.
A website built with pHpWebziner® has two areas:
- The "front office" area. This is what the website visitors browse.
- The Administration area, accessed by the website managers and by the editors in order to create content - news, articles and editorials.
The look of the "front office" is handled by a template system. A template is included in the pHpWebziner® distribution. It is called base template in this manual.
THIS manual describes pHpWebziner® installation and administration.
Contents:
- 2.1 First Steps
- 2.2 System Administration
- 2.3 Production of the website content
- 2.4 Communication with the visitors
- 2.5 Follow-up (statistics)
1 Installation
1.1 Requirements
- PHP 4.3.0+
- MySQL Database
You must have the following data:
- MySQL database connection information (supplied by your web hosting provider): database server address, database user's name and password, database name,
- your pHpWebziner® website domain name.
If you plan to publish a newsletter, please read the Newsletters Appendix to be able to fill in the Mailing Lists fields.
1.2 Installation
Unpack the distribution file. Then upload the items listed below to your server:
- the content of the www directory must be placed in a directory accessible via the Web. Let us call this directory my_dir,
- the pwz directory and its content must be placed in a directory named pwz on your server, in an area not http accessible via the Web, if possible. You must modify the www/pwz_path.php to include the pwz directory full path on your server.
Change the file permission of the pwz/data.php file to 777 on your server for the installation.
Browse http://www.site.com/my_dir/setup/. This will:
- build the pwz/data.php configuration file,
- create the pHpWebziner® MySQL tables.
When configuration is finished or, at the latest, before your pHpWebziner® website is on line, delete the setup directory and its content. Next change pwz/data.php and www/pwz_path.php file permission to 644.
Change pwz/tmp/newsletter.htm, pwz/tmp/*_newstype1.htm and pwz/tmp/*_newstype2.htm file permission to 777.
When you connect to the Administration area, other files of your installation will be checked. Please solve the problems reported (non existing files or bad file permissions) before bringing your pHpWebziner® website online.
2 Administration
The Administration area allows you to manage pHpWebziner® and to produce the website content.
Before producing content - news, articles, editorials - perform the actions described in the following chapter.
2.1 First steps
Browse http://www.site.com/my_dir/redaction/ to access the Administration area.
Two users are configured after pHpWebziner® is installed: admin et invite. Login as admin to initialize your website. admin has the highest privilege level (all the rights access). invite is used for the review of visitors' news.
2.1.1 Configure "Editing Options"
"Editing Options" are the actions you can perform in the Administration area, in other words, the pHpWebziner® commands - for example, "Manage Articles", "Add a News", "Review Articles". Refer to chapter 4.3, step 1 to help you determine the "Editing Options" you will use. Then configure them (see chapter 2.2.3).
2.1.2 Configure Editors
Read Appendix User rights management, especially chapter 4.3, steps 2, 3 et 4 to help you prepare the Editors configuration then configure the members of your editorial team (see chapters 2.2.1 and 2.2.2).
2.1.3 Configure the sections of your publication
After having listed the first sections of your publication, configure them using Add News Section and Add Article Section.
Before bringing your website online,
- Change the admin user's password
or
- Create a new user with privilege set to the maximum value (4). Activate this user. Finally deactivate the admin user.
2.2 System Administration
2.2.1 Add Editor
Creates a user / editor. The Username and the Password will allow the new user to connect to the Administration area. The Email field will be used by the system to send follow-up mails. During the First Steps phase, you have determined your rights management policy, hence each user's privilege.
You must activate the editor (see chapter 2.2.2) to allow him/her to access the Administration area.
Note: editors will be able to modify their profile data (except the privilege) via the "modify my profile" link at the top of the Administration area later.
2.2.2 Manage Editors
Allows users' data modification, and users activation / deactivation.
2.2.3 Manage Administration and Editing
Allows "Editing Options" management:
- "Editing Option" activation / deactivation (State field),
- Required Level configuration (this is the privilege level an editor must at least have to be allowed to access to the "Editing Option"),
- some "Editing Options" have a Follow-up mail field which determines whether a mail will be sent when the "Editing Option" is run. More information on follow-up mails.
2.2.4 Add an Editing Option
Creates an "Editing Option". The new "Editing Option" will be listed along with the pHpWebziner® "Editing Options".
2.3 Production of the website content
2.3.1 News
2.3.1.1 Add News Section
Creates a news section.
2.3.1.2 Manage News Sections
Allows to modify / delete a news section.
2.3.1.3 Add a News
Creates a news.
The Link field may be filled with a webpage url or with an email address. The Image field is for the name of an image file that will be displayed in the news in the "front-office".
If the privilege level of the editor creating the news is maximum, the news may be assigned to another active editor. Otherwise, the author of the news is the editor who creates it.
2.3.1.4 Modify News
Modifies a news of yours. You may modify the news Section, its Title, the text of the News, the Link. If your privilege level is maximum, you may also modify the author of the news (Editor).
2.3.1.5 Manage News
Lists the news. If the privilege level of the editor listing the news is maximum, all the news are listed. Otherwise, only the editor's news are listed.
Through the news list, you can perform the following actions:
- modify a news,
- delete a news,
- delete comments on a news.
2.3.1.6 Check News Images
Lists the files in the directory storing the news images. For each image file, the news using the image file is (are) shown.
2.3.1.7 Rebuilt News Cache
Refreshes the syndication files.
2.3.2 Articles
2.3.2.1 Add Article Section
Creates an article section. The Short Title field is used to buils the URLs to access the articles of that section in the "front office".
The fields named Title, Description, Section Icon and Section Logo may be shown in the display of the section or in the display of the section articles in the "front office", depending on the template used.
2.3.2.2 Manage Article Sections
Allows to modify / delete an article section.
2.3.2.3 Add an Article
Creates an article.
The Lede field is a summary of the article.
The Keyword(s) field allows to build search URLs.
The fields named Artist - Author, Label - Editor, Editor URL may be shown in the display of the article in the "front office".
If the privilege level of the editor creating the article is maximum, the article may be assigned to another active editor. Otherwise, the author of the article is the editor who creates its.
A maximum of five images may be linked to the article with the "Add an Article" command. To add more than five images, use the Manage Articles "Editing Option".
Note: to insert one of the five main images in the article, insert //IMG1// (//IMG2// etc.) in the Article field, at the place you wish. Besides, the <%all_images%> template system tag allows you to insert all the images - the five main images, plus the images added using Manage Articles - (this will be documentated later).
An article must be reviewed to be online.
2.3.2.4 Modify Article
Modifies an article of yours.
Caution: an article that is online goes offline when you modify it. It must be reviewed again to be back online.
2.3.2.5 Review Articles
Puts articles online (displayed in the "front office").
Also, gives access to the "Modify Article" command.
2.3.2.6 Manage Articles
Lists the articles. If the privilege level of the editor listing the articles is maximum, all the articles are listed. Otherwise, only the editor's articles are listed.
Through the article list, you can perform the following actions:
- modify an article,
- delete an article,
- delete comments on an article,
- manage the images linked to an article: add images, delete images, add popup images (images linked to another image).
Note: Five main images and several complementary images may be linked to an article. Besides, a popup image may be linked to a main image or to a complementary image. The display of the popup images is controlled by the template system (<%define#add_popup:1%> tag - this will be documentated later).
2.3.2.7 Check Article Images
Lists the files in the directory storing the articles images.
If the file is linked to an article, 'ok' is displayed, plus, within parenthesis:
- the image rank if the image in the file is a main image,
- complementary if the image is a complementary image,
- popup if the image is a popup image
If the file is not linked to any article, 'Nok' is displayed.
2.3.3 Editorials
2.3.3.1 Add an Editorial
Adds an editorial.
If the privilege level of the editor creating the editorial is maximum, the editorial may be assigned to another active editor. Otherwise, the author of the editorial is the editor who creates it.
An editorial must be reviewed to be brought online.
2.3.3.2 Modify Editorial
Modifies an editorial of yours.
Caution: an editorial that is online goes offline when you modify it. It must be reviewed to be active again.
2.3.3.3 Manage Editorials
Lists the editorials. If the privilege level of the editor listing the editorials is maximum, all the editorials are listed. Otherwise, only the editor's editorials are listed.
Through the editorial list, you can perform the following actions:
- modify an editorial,
- delete an editorial,
- delete comments on an editorial,
2.3.3.4 Review Editorial
Sets an editorial status to active. Once active, the editorial may be displayed in the "front office".
Allows also to delete an editorial.
Notes:
- only one editorial can be processed by this command even if more than one editorial are pending review.
- only one editorial is displayed in the "front office": the most fresh of the editorials reviewed.
2.3.4 Editing Options common to News and Articles
2.3.4.1 Check Image Files
Detects whether article image files or news image files are missing based on what is stored in the database.
2.4 Communication with the visitors
2.4.1 Create Newsletter
Before using this command, please read Appendix: Newsletters to know the requirements.
The command allows you to set the variable items of a newsletter:
- The Title field will be the subject of the mail.
- The Text and the Signature fields will be used in the body of the newsletter. The formatting of the body of the newsletter will also use template files: newsletter.htm for Html newsletters and newslettertxt.htm for Text newsletters. More details on these template files.
2.4.2 Review Visitors' News
Allows visitors' news review and deletion. (Visitor's news are information posted by the visitors of your pHpWebziner® website).
When you review a visitor's news, you may approve it or reject it. If you approve it, you tell pHpWebziner® to use that visitor's news to build either an article or a news (editorial staff news). If the visitor's news is accepted as an article, the resulting article will be like a new article, i.e. it will need article review to be brought online.
A visitor's news can only be deleted if it has been reviewed - approved or rejected.
2.5 Follow-up (statistics)
2.5.1 Statistics - summary
Displays global statistics for the content of your pHpWebziner® website (number of news and number of articles) and popularity figures (articles most read and editors most read).
2.5.2 Top 10
Displays popularity statistics:
- Articles most read and editors most read.
- Your articles most read and the least read.
2.5.3 Top News
Displays the news most read. News are grouped by referal.
3 Template System
The template system allows customization of a pHpWebziner® website look. It consists of an engine and of the files in the pwz/template directory. These files contain html code and tags. These tags make the pHpWebziner® template language and are interpreted by the template engine.
The pHpWebziner® template language syntax will be documented later.
Note: stylesheet customization allows a first level of customization of a pHpWebziner® website look.
4 Appendix: User rights management
4.1 Introduction
"Editing Options" are the actions you can perform in the Administration area. There are "Editing Options" relative to content publishing (e.g. : add an article, modify it, review it) and "Editing Options" relative to the Administration area management (e.g. : add an editor, modify an editor).
Each "Editing Option" has a Required Level, a Max Level and a State.
Each editor has a Privilege.
The maximum value of Privilege is defined in the configuration file. Its default value is 4.
4.2 User rights management
An editor has the right to access an "Editing Option" if his/her privilege is at least equal to the "Editing Option" Required Level.
Note: for editors whose Privilege is not maximum, the items they want to access are also checked. For example, even if the editor's privilege is high enough to access the 'Modify Article' "Editing Option", he/she will not be allowed to modify an article he/she is not the author of. Only the editors whose Privilege is maximum are allowed to modify another editor's articles.
The default value of the "Editing Options" Required Level is maximum. This implies that if you do not modify the default configuration, an editor whose privilege is not maximum cannot access any "Editing Option".
The State of an "Editing Option" is Active or Inactive. When State is Inactive, the "Editing Option" is not displayed to editors whose privilege is not maximum, even if the editor is allowed to access this "Editing Option" according to the rights system (privilege >= Required Level).
4.3 Configuring user rights, step by step
pHpWebziner® requires that you think about the organization of your editorial team first.
Here are our suggestions for you to start:
- Step 1: study the "Editing Options", then list the "Editing Options" for content production that you wish to use. Add the "Editing Options" for pHpWebziner® system management to that list. With the pHpWebziner® Manage Administration and Editing command, set the State to Active for all these "Editing Options". Set the State of the other "Editing Options" to Inactive.
- Step 2: regroup the members of your editorial team according to their tasks. Try to deduce user profiles keeping in mind that a profile with a given privilege has the same rights as the profile with a lower privilege, plus additional rights.
- Step 3: for each active "Editing Option", determine how wide its access must be open depending on criteria like the orgnization of your team and the content of your pHpWebziner® website. This will help you determine the Required Level. Some advices on that point below. With the Manage Administration and Editing command, configure the Required Level field of each "Editing Option" that you have activated during Step 1.
- Step 4: Determine the privilege of each user profile. Then set each editor's privilege to the privilege of his/her profile with the Manage Editors command.
You will probably do step 3 and step 4 at the same time or go back to step 3 to open or to limit access.
4.4 Suggestions
- The "Editing Options" for pHpWebziner® system management should normally have the highest Required Level. These "Editing Options" are:
- Add an Editing Option
- Manage Administration and Editing
- Add Editor
- Manage Editors
- All the editors should normally be allowed to access the "Editing Options" for article writing. Required Level of these "Editing Options" should be relatively low. These "Editing Options" are:
- Add an Article
- Modify Article
- Required Level of the "Editing Options" for viewing statistics may be relatively low . These "Editing Options" are:
- Statistics - summary
- Top 10
- Top News
- Required Level of the "Editing Options" for article and editorial review should normally be relatively high. These "Editing Options" are:
- Review Articles
- Review Editorial
- If you wish to publish news, please note that they go directly online, without review. Therefore, access to the "Editing Options" for news production should be more limited than access to the "Editing Options" for articles writing. These "Editing Options" are:
- Add a News
- Modify News
- The "Editing Options" for section management are not often used (you do not add / delete a section every day). Therefore their Required Level should be relatively high;. These "Editing Options" are:
- Manage Article Sections
- Manage News Sections
- Add Article Section
- Add News Section
- Try not to give editors rights higher than they need to carry out their task.
4.5 Example
A webzine publishes news and articles.
The maximum privilege level is the default (4).
Rights configuration is:
- User profiles and privilege:
- article writer: privilege = 0
- article and news writer: privilege = 2
- Admin / chief editor: privilege = 4
- Required Level of the "Editing Option" for producing content:
- 0 for:
- Add an Article
- Modify Article
- Manage Articles
- 2 for:
- Add a News
- Modify News
- Manage News
- 4 for:
- Review Articles
- 0 for:
A article writer will be allowed to write articles and manage/modify his/her articles.
An article and news writer will be allowed to write articles, publish news and manage/modify his/her articles and news.
Admin / chief editor will be allowed to review articles, in addition to writing articles, publishing news, managing/modifying his/her articles and news. Since he/she has privilege maximum, he/she will be allowed to manage/modify other editors' articles and news.
4.6 Last suggestion
If you want a quick start and refine configuration step by step later, begin with Required Level = 4 for all the "Editing Options" except 'Add an Article' and 'Modify Article'. Those "Editing Options" must have access open enough so that the members of your team are able to begin producing articles. If members of your team are very hindered and appeal to you continually because they cannot access such and such function, 'open' access to "Editing Options" little by little.
5 Appendix: Follow-up Mails
Follow-up mails inform members of the editorial team of events relating to content production. These events result from an action in the Administration area or visitors' comment posts or news post. Follow-up mails may be deactivated on a per event basis.
| Event | Follow-up mail recipient |
|---|---|
| ... in the Administration area | |
| Modify Article | Admin* |
| Modify Editorial | Admin* |
| Modify News | Admin* |
| Add an Article | Admin* |
| Add an Editorial | Admin* |
| Add a News | Admin* |
| Review Articles | The article Editor-author |
| Review Visitors' News | Admin* (and the visitor) |
| ... in the "front office" | |
| Comment post | Admin* |
| Visitors' news post | Admin* |
*: Admin is the website manager / webmaster whose email address has been configured during setup and has been stored in the pwz/data.php configuration file.
6 Appendix: Newsletters
Before writing a pHpWebziner® newsletter, you must have created two mailing lists email addresses (one for each newsletter type - text and html), possibly using a distribution list service.
You must have configured the recipients' email addresses of the newsletters during pHpWebziner® installation, using the mailing lists email adresses.
Newsletters are handled in two areas:
- Subscription in the "front office". This allows visitors to subscribe to - unsubscribe from - your website newsletter.
- "Create Newsletter" in the Administration area. This enables the Editorial team to write a newsletter.
When you run the "Create Newsletter" command, pHpWebziner® uses the content of the fields you enter (Title, Text and Signature) and template files (newsletter.htm and newslettertxt.htm) to build the newsletter:
- the content of the Title field becomes the newsletter mail subject
- the content of the Text field replaces the
<%<%HEADER%>%>tag of the template file - the content of the Signature field replaces the
<%<%FOOTER%>%>tag of the template file
pHpWebziner® also replaces the <%<%NEWS%>%> and <%<%ARTS%>%> tags of the template file with the most recent news and the most recent articles.
Finally pHpWebziner® sends the mail to the email addresses defined during setup.