Plone Help

Basic guide to Plone

 

Logging In

• Go to www.western.edu OR the webpage that you are trying to edit, scroll to the bottom of the page and look for “Admin Login” click on that and type in your normal WSCU username/password
• Once logged in, you will see a red bar at the top of the page with your name on it.  If you have a green bar at the top, this means you have the ability to edit.  Depending on what department you are in and what you need access to will determine who can authorize you this access (ie. department head).  Once the access is authorized, IT Services can give you the proper permissions to see the edit buttons.

Organization within Plone

• Almost everything is stored in “Folders”
• Within “Folders” are things like “Pages,” “Files,” “Images,” “Surveys,” etc.

Creating a Folder

A folder is a place where you can store things like pictures, pages, and files.  It is recommended that you create a folder for everything you will be editing.  This helps with the organization especially if multiple people will be editing.

1)  Click on “Add new…” which is on the green bar

2)  You will want to add a new “Folder”

3)  You will now be taken to another screen where you have to type in a title.  This will show up as the name of the folder (in things such as the Navigation bar, at the top of the Folder, on the list on the top of the screen)

4)  You can type in a description if you want however it is not required (depending on how you have set it up this may or may not appear as bold text)

Creating a Page

Pages are where the actual content is within your folder, this is what people will see when they click on a link.

1)      Once you are in the folder you’ve created click on “Add new…” which is on the green bar

2)      You will want to add a new “Page”

3)      You will now be taken to another screen where you have to type in a title.  This will show up on the top of the actual visible page.

4)      You can type in a description if you want however it is not required (this will show up in bold text under the title and before the text you type in below).

Adding a Picture to the Folder

You must upload a picture before you can add it to your page.  If you try to copy/paste a picture from another location it probably will not show up when you are logged out of the website.  This means that others who go to your page will probably not be able to see your pictures.

1)      Go into your folder and click on “Contents” on the top of the screen, you should see a list of anything you have in the folder

2)      Click on “Add new…” and then click on “Image”

3)      Add a title to the picture, this will show up when you have your mouse over the picture when it is uploaded.

4)      You will need to have the picture already downloaded somewhere on your computer or on a thumb drive or somewhere that you can upload it from

5)      Click on the picture that you want uploaded then click on Save.

6)      Now your picture is in your folder, however at this point it will not automatically show up in your page you will need to add it to the page. 

Adding a Picture to the Page

1)      Go back to the page that you want to add the picture to

2)      Click on the page then click on Edit

3)      You will then click on the blue/green tree, this is the icon that you will use to choose your picture for this page.

4)      If the picture is in the folder that you just created it will probably just show up automatically.  However you can also search for it throughout the website if you are taking a picture from somewhere else.

5)      Click on the radio button next to the particular picture you will be using.

a.       Left will put your picture on the left of any text

b.      Inline will put your picture in the middle of your text

c.       Right will put your picture on the right of any text

6)      Do not resize the picture by dragging the picture once you are in the page view, you must use the size options when you are choosing your picture or you can change the size in another program and upload it again.

Adding a Link

This will add a link within your page to another page within the WSC site or to an external link

INTERNAL LINK

1)  Open the page you want to add the link onto

2)  Type in whatever text you want to show up (ex. Click here or the Department or page name)

3)  Highlight the text then click on the white link icon, if you move your mouse over it, there is text that says “insert internal link”

4)  You will now have to choose an internal link that you want this text to go to, if the page is somewhere else in the website you can either search for it or try to navigate to where the page is located

5)  Click Okay and then your text should turn blue and there should be a line under it.

EXTERNAL LINK

1)  Open the page you want to add the link onto

2)  Type in whatever text you want to show up (ex. Click here or the Department or page name)

3)  Highlight the text then click on the globe icon, if you move your mouse over it, there is text that says “insert external link”

4)  You will be prompted to type in the web address.  You can click on Preview to see what the page will look like.

5)  If you are linking to an external link you must have a note that says “Links on these pages to non-college sites do not represent endorsement by Western State College of Colorado”  HOWEVER please try not to do this too often.  Western could lose our “.edu” status if we use external links too much.

6)  Click Okay and then your text should turn blue and there should be a line under it.

Adding an e-mail address

1)  Open the page you want to add the link onto

2)  Type in whatever text you want to show up (ex. Click here or the Department or page name)

3)  Highlight the text then click on the globe icon, if you move your mouse over it, there is text that says “insert external link”

4)  You will be prompted to type in a web address.  At this point you will delete http:// and type in “mailto: (e-mail address)”

Embed a YouTube Video

1)      Go to the You Tube Video and click on “Embed”

2)      Copy the HTML

3)      Go to the Plone page that you want to embed the video and click on Edit

4)      Click on HTML and paste the HTML code

Making a Page Externally Visible

This will make it so your page is visible to the world, otherwise you can’t see it if just browsing the website.

1)      On the page itself you can click on State: Internal Draft and go to Submit for Publication, it will change to “Pending Review” and will be orange

2)      Click on Pending Review and then click on Publish Externally

OR

1)      Go to the Folder level by clicking on the folder and go to Contents

2)      Click on the box(es) next to the item(s) then click on Change State

3)      At the bottom of the page click on Submit for Publication then Save

4)      The items will change to orange in color

5)      Click on the box(es) again next to the item(s) and click on Change State one more time

6)      At the bottom of the page click on “Publish externally”

How to add a link to a text document/PDF

1)      In a folder that you have created or have access to go to Contents

2)      Click on “Add new…” and then click on File, you will have to add a title

3)      Click on Browse to add your file

4)      Click on Save

In a page you’ve created you can link to that document or just leave it in the Navigation Bar on the left.   To add the text document/PDF to a page you’ve created follow the steps below:

1)      Go into the page that you want to add the text to and click on Edit

2)      Type in some text then go to the link icon (insert an internal link), if you do not type in text it will appear as the title that you gave the document.

3)      Choose the document/PDF file you want to link to and it will be added.  

4)      Click on Okay and you will have a link to your document/PDF

Adding a Slideshow in Plone

Slideshows are a great way to view many pictures.  However there are a few things to note with slideshows.  There are some hints below to be aware of, please read this entire document before beginning.  Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Jerri Puralewski
IT Services - Customer Support
(970) 943-3123

1)      Add a new folder

2)      Under “Actions” click on “Make Slideshow”

3)      An orange bar will show up saying “You must add images within this folder for them to show up in this slideshow”

4)      Add a new image (Click on “Add new…” then “Image”)

5)      Go back to your folder and continue

6)      Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all your pictures have been added to the folder

*You will need to wait for about an hour for the slideshow to begin working properly

*When you go back to the slideshow and you are logged in, typically only one picture will repeatedly show up and seem to loop in the slideshow.  However when you are logged out (and have made the slideshow external) it will appear properly.

*If you add pictures before you make the folder a slideshow it will not work properly

7)   Click on “Slideshow Settings” to change the size of images, timing, order etc.

*When you have finished making your slideshow you will have to link it to another page

*Please note that pictures should be approximately the same size as they are added into the slideshow. 

*It is best to work with jpeg format images 

*Remember to make the folder externally visible when you are done

Adding a Table of Contents

1)       Click on Edit

2)      Go to Settings (Default, Categorization, Dates, Ownership, Settings)

3)      Click on Table of Contents and click Save

Note:  The items that will show up in your Table of Contents are any item that is a Heading

Excluding from Navigation

1)      Click on the page or folder you want to “hide” from the navigation bar.

2)      Click on Edit

3)      Click on Settings (located right above the Title section: Default, Categorization, Dates, Ownership, Settings)

4)      Click on Exclude from navigation

5)      Click on Save

 

How do I change the reply to address in my Plone forms?

A means for overriding the default reply address in Plone Forms.

Purpose

If you are creating forms in Plone and need to change the reply to address from the default Western site address.

Step by step

1. In your form folder click the contents tab.
2. Click on your Mailer adapter.
3. Click the Edit tab
4. Click on Overrides
5. For the form field: Sender Expression enter the following: request/form/replyto
6. Go back to the Default and type in the Recipient's full name and e-mail address.

 

How to add weather to your Dashboard in Plone.

If you'd like to add local Gunnison weather to your dashboard in Plone.

Purpose

Explain the purpose of your how-to here. Why does someone want to read it?

Prerequisities

Explain what is needed to follow the how-to. Try to be specific about versions you are referring to.

Step by step

1. Log into Plone.
2. Click on your name in the Red Personal toolbar.
3. Click on the Edit tab.
4. Select to add a Static HTML portlet.
5. Give the portlet a title.
6. In the Content Toolbar click on HTML.
7. Paste the following into there:

 

<p> <a href="http://www.findlocalweather.com/forecast/co/gunnison.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.findlocalweather.net/forecast.php?forecast=zandh&amp;pands=gunnison+co&amp;config=png&amp;alt=hwivzone&amp;hwvbg=green&amp;hwvtc=white" alt="Click for the latest Gunnison weather forecast." /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.findlocalweather.com/forecast/co/gunnison.html" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.findlocalweather.net/forecast.php?forecast=hourly&amp;pands=gunnison+co&amp;config=png&amp;alt=hwixzone&amp;hwvbg=green&amp;hwvtc=white" alt="Click for the latest Gunnison weather forecast." /></a></p>

 

 

Further information

If there is anywhere else the reader can go for more information on this topic, include some links or pointers here.

How do I add a link that's an email address?

Adding an email address in Plone.

Step by step

1. Highlight the word or name you want to be linked
2. Click on the "External Link" icon (the globe)
3. When it prompts you for a link, put in the following (no spaces!), replacing the italics text with the email address.

4. mailto:somebody@somewhere.com

Editing the Body Text of a Page

Learn how to use the visual editor to create and edit webpages

A short video tutorial covering page creation.

http://learnplone.org/documentation/video/editing-the-body-text-of-a-page/view

Instructional Videos

All of these videos were produced and hosted on the learnplone.org site

Editing the Body Text of a Page

Learn how to use the visual editor to create and edit webpages

Creating Hyperlinks

How to create both an internal and external hyperlink

Adding a File

How to add (upload) a file such as a pdf, word document or excel spreadsheet from your computer into Plone

Adding Images to Your Site

Learn how to upload an image from your hard drive into Plone

Adding New Folders and Pages

This video teaches you how to create a folder and a page for your Plone site - one of the most fundamental skills.

Choosing a Default Page

Here's how to pick the landing page for a section of your website

Cutting, Pasting, Copying and Reordering Content

Make use of the content view to rearrange your content items

Placing Uploaded Images

Learn how to place an image into a webpage and how to get around the Internet Explorer bug that causes poor word wrap.

Creating Email Links

This video will teach you how to create a link that sends an email

Forms Part One

An overview of what forms are, how to use and set them up

Forms Part Two

Learn how to create your first, simple form

Forms Part Three

How to modify and customize a form mailer

Adding a New User

How to add and permission a user at manager level

Changing Your Password

Changing your password is easy!

Creating a News Item

Learn the steps to create, customize and display news items

Understanding Publishing States

Publishing states control how and to whom your content will be accessible. Learn the basics in this video.

Creating a News Smart Folder

Learn the background on smart folders and watch how to create one for news items.

Sizing Images for the Web: Part 1

part one of three - explains good practices for images sizes and how to use photoshop to manipulate images

Sizing Images for the Web: Part 2

Part 2 of 3: Due to the nature of how this video was captured, we were forced to render it at low quality for a smaller file size. It is still 15mb, so be patient!

Plone 2.1 Overview

A short overview of the new functions of Plone 2.1

Sizing Images for the Web: Part 3

part 3 of 3: seeing it all come together

Using Live Search to Find Content Quickly

This video gives you a quick introduction to how live search looks and works

Visual Editor Features

Here's an overview of what the newest visual editor has to offer

Creating Events

Learn how to create and publish events on your Plone site

Creating and Using Smart Folders

Smart folders are a very versatile content type. Learn about how to create and customize your own in this video.

PressRoom

PressRoom is an add-on Plone product that allows you to create a professional looking press room complete with press releases, press clips, and press contacts.

Maps

A brief video of the Maps add-on product for Plone. Create an interactive map on your website!

Slideshow Folder

A demo video for the Plone add-on product, Slideshow Folder. Slideshow Folder makes it easy to create an animated slideshow and comes packed with many display options.

PloneFormGen Overview

A brief overview of the web form generator for Plone.

PloneFormGen in Depth

A more in-depth look at the PloneFormGen product. This video is about 10 minutes long, so it may load slowly.

Demo of Plone Form Gen and Salesforce

A quick demo of what's possible with Plone Form Gen and Salesforce

Demo of Plone Form Gen and Salesforce, Part 2

A quick demo of what's possible with Plone Form Gen and Salesforce, Part 2

Adding A Collection - Plone 3

How to add a collection to a Plone 3 site.

Publishing States - Plone 3

Understanding Publishing States in Plone 3

Adding New Folder's and Page's - Plone 3

How to add a new folder and page to a Plone 3 site

Formating A Page - Plone 3

How to format a page in Plone 3

Uploading an Image - Plone 3

Upload an image to your site in Plone 3.

Duration: minutes

 

 

General Plone How Tos

Adding a News Item

How to add a news item to your site

Adding New Pages

learn how to add a new webpage

Adding Raw HTML From External Sources

Learn how to add code from other websites that allow you to imbed videos, pictures, or other media on your website.

Allowing Commenting on a Page

This explains the discussion options for a page's content.

Changing the list of Event Types you can choose from

Need to change the default list of event types? Read this brief how-to.

Collection Portlets

How to create a Collection Portlet

Controlling User's Editing Capabilities for Pages and Folders

This describes how to give a user of your site editing privileges of particular folders or pages.

Creating a Bookmark, or Anchor Link

Find out how to link down to a specific part of a page, using a little HTML

Creating a Horizontal Line on Your Webpage

A very simple how-to that uses a tiny bit of HTML

Creating a Simple Photo Gallery

This how-to will show you a very simple way to create a photo gallery of your images. You can create multiple galleries to show off all of your great photography!

Creating An Event

This explains how to add a new event to your Plone site.

How can I change a content item to a private, published, or public draft state?

Instructions for changing the publishing state of a content item in one of two ways.

How to Copy Content from Microsoft Word into Plone

There are a few things to know about copying and pasting content from Word into Plone to get the best results.

How to Create Captions for Images

Learn how to automatically create captions for your images! This long waited functionality is now available to users of Kupu 1.4 and up.

How to Create New Sections of Your Site

This how-to explains methods for creating new sections for your Plone-powered website. Building new sections is integral to developing the site over time, and is essential knowledge for general management of the website.

How to Embed a YouTube Video

Want a video on your website? Read this how-to and learn the basics of embedding video.

How to Make Links Open in a New Window

When you're linking to a page on a separate website, it's nice to have it open in a new window so you don't lose people to that site. Learn how to control that with a touch of HTML.

How to Resize Images

Some versions of Plone come with an image resize function accessible when you insert an image on a page. Learn how to use this simple, but powerful feature.

Search Tips

This Howto describes more in depth the search features in a Plone site. It includes information about the syntax you can use in a site for more advanced features (available from the basic search window).

Set Up and Manage Content in Private Folder

This describes how to set up a Private Folder in a Plone web site, and how to manage the content of the private folder.

Setting a Default, or Landing Page

Here's how you select a content item as the default document in a folder

Static Text Portlets

How to use a Static Portlet

Uploading an Image into Plone

Learn how to get images from your computer into Plone

Using Anchors

Let's say you have a page that needs to be very long. You've got lots of content and you want to display it all on one page. To make things easier for your site visitors, you want to create links that will take them directly to the various sections of the page instead of having to scroll up and down manually. This is where anchors come in. This how-to relates only to Kupu version 1.4.

Using Flickr Slideshows in Plone

Flickr is a great tool for organizing and managing your photos. Learn how to insert a Flickr slideshow into your Plone site.

Using Live Search to Find Content Quickly

Learn all about what live search is and how to use it

Using the Display Tab

Learn all about the different folder views, and how to choose a default page for a folder.

Using Titles and Short Names Properly

This How-to gives you a guideline for naming pages or other content types

Using Undo

This explains how to use Plone's Undo feature, in the Kupu editor as well as globally.

How do I change ownership of page/folders in Plone?

1. Go to the page/folder you want to change.
2. Click on the Edit tab.
3. Click the white Ownership button above the title field.
4. Input the user account there.
   

How do I create forms in Plone?

Looking to create online forms for feedback, registrations, contact info, etc?

Plone uses a product called PloneFormGen for creating forms.  If you are comfortable adding pages , folders, images etc. then you create professional looking online forms!  The forms can email results to people or be saved in a csv file and downloaded to Excel.  The people over at OneNorthwest have put together a very helpful tutorial covering the basics of form creation with PloneFormGen:

http://www.onenw.org/support/plone-form-gen

Workflow definitions

Confused about what state your page/folder needs to be in? Here are some definitions to help out.

Internal Draft 

This state is the initial state most content types are in when they are created.  In this state only the owner (creator) and editors/reviewers for the page have access. 

Pending Review 

The item has been submitted for review.  Access to the page is limited to those with Reviewer status for the item.

Externally Visible 

The item is viewable  by anyone and requires no authentication to access.  This is the extranet and most pages will be in this state. 

Internally Published 

Viewable by only those that have VIEW access in the sharing tab.  Along with all editors and reviewers for the item.