FAQ to handle SunFish/Easy CM
Do I have to login with user name and password to the system?
Yes, you have to login with a username and password. This login is part of the security. With the login the system checks, which privileges you have access to and will only grant those after the login.
What if I forgot my password?
Within the login window there is at the very top a link called “Forgot Password”. You click this link and will be asked to type in your user name and continue the process. As next step the system ask you to answer a hint and then continue. If the answer to the hint is correct the system goes back to the original login form and generated the password for you. Now you only need to click the Login button and will get access to the CMS. If the answer to the hint is wrong the system will give you a message. In case you forgot the answer, you contact us and we will give you the password and hint answer.
Briefly summarized: how do I exactly create a new website, which are the first steps in order?
There is more than one way to create a new website. In our experience the best start would be to firstly create the Main Template. The main template describes the page layout for most of your web pages. Typically it will contain a header, which is mostly a picture or graphic on top of the page, it will also include one or two navigations may be to the left or top and on the bottom, and it will contain one or more content areas. With the template you define this layout structure. It is probably necessary to use the table to separate the areas. Once you created the table you click in each cell and put there the component you want to have there. This can be easily done because the WYISWYG Editor helps you to insert all components such as Article, content, News, Navigation, pictures etc. via a Drop Down menu. If you cannot find a needed component, you create it new. This may at first sound difficult but it isn’t. There is a wizard integrated which assists you in creating new components and no programming knowledge is required. Once the layout structure is defined you set the template as index and save it. With the template being created we would recommend to create your articles and contents first before setting the navigation. This means you next you create all the content that is supposed to appear on you website. Again a WYSIWYG editor will help you to structure you content, arrange the text and pictures as well as font and colors. Once the article is created they will have to be saved and the content for the homepage must be set to default. They do not appear yet because they are not linked to the place where they should be shown yet. This will be done with the third step the navigation definition. Therefore you go to the navigation feature and start to type each navigation item and its subcategories and at last link the navigation to the specific article/ all in the same window. When this is done you only need to generate the website and then refresh your Domain URL and it will show up.
How do I create a new template?
Firstly you have to login into the system and wait for the menu to enfold. Then you see the blue horizontal menu on top of the page and the tree menu. To create a new template you can use either of these menus. If you use the blue top menu go to “Tasks” and then click the first sub menu item called “create new template”. With this shortcut you get directly to the template editor and can start to define your page structure. If you use the tree menu click the little + in front of “Website Authoring”. After the menu enfolded you see “Template editor” and again + which indicates there is a sub menu. Click the + in front of “Template editor” and then the first link called “Web pages”. After this you’ll be directed to page, which shows you a list of you existing templates, if you already have one. If not this will be empty. But on top you see the “NEW” button which you have to click, and the get to the same template editor as with shortcut under TASKs.
Can I take over existing websites / designs?
Yes. If you already have a website you again go first to the template management. Copy your existing Homepage and paste it in the template. Then you delete the pictures because they have to be inserted again from the system own library. Also delete the navigation and content because in the template you define only the structure with components but not the full text and menu items yet. And as described the components will be inserted with the drop down menus provided in the system. Easier is the take over of existing articles where you can just copy and paste the existing articles to the system.
If you don’t have a website yet only the design, then break up the design in several slices in you design editing tool such as dream weaver, illustrator etc. save the slices and upload the ones you need for the template such as the header to the library. In this case the following steps are the same as described under How To create a website.
How do pictures and graphics or other files get into the system?
The CMS contains a system own media library for the management of images, pictures, graphics, pdf files, movies, flash animation, scripts, documentation etc. Assuming all the files you need for the website are on your PC, you only need to upload them to the CMS. Therefore we have the library section. Here you find all the functions you need to make the upload. The buttons allow you to browse the files on you PC, open them and then finally upload to the system. You also have the option to upload many files (up to 50) at the same time. Once the files uploaded they are available in the system and can be inserted in the articles or templates anytime.
What types of templates are there?
There is no limitation to the layout structure of templates if you create it yourself. To save you time the system provides default templates which you can choose for your website layout. These templates have a pre-defined structure and you will have to see if they meet your website design. If one of the default templates is close to your layout you choose it and it becomes you main template. You are free to edit this default until you have your layout structure. Currently we provide 4 default templates you can choose. They don’t have special name they just differently arrange content, navigations, pictures etc.
How do I create navigation?
Also for the navigation creation we offer several ways. One way is already described in the steps of how to create a website. In this way you insert the navigation first as a component and after creating article go to the navigation and define the main categories and their sub categories if there are any.
Another way to get to the navigation and create or edit it is to use the blue menu on top of the CMS admin page or the tree menu. If you choose the top menu go to the navigation item “Element”. There you’ll find the last button called “Site navigation” and click it. You will be directed to the workspace for navigation and get a either list of already existing navigations or an empty workspace. If your list already contains navigation and you want to update this one; click on the navigation name link. There you get the details and can change colors, font etc. or if you want to edit the navigation item click “edit items” button and then proceed with you changes, using the editing pictures or + buttons to add new navigation items. Once you are done click “save all changes”. To the same window you get when you use the tree menu. Click here first the + in front of “Website Authoring” to see the sub categories. One of the sub categories is “Template editor”, click the + in front of it again to see the sub categories therefore. In this menu you have to open the link “Site navigation” which leads you to the same window for navigation workspace as mentioned above. Then reproduce the already described steps.
How many navigation types does SunFish/Easy CM offer?
With SunFish/Easy CM you can create different types of navigation. There are no limits as to where to place it. The navigation can be horizontal on the top or bottom of the page. It can be vertical to the left middle or right of each page, depending on your layout. As to the types we offer two standard different navigations currently, which are typically used on most websites. First there would be the tree menu and secondly the DHTML menu. If you have other navigation requests than the standard ones we can easily help you to set your concept up since the system is flexible to support all kinds of navigations.
How do I create and maintain content?
Is your website already implemented in the CMS you receive a website review after the login. The website preview is your basis for all changes. You can do everything from here also the article management. Therefore you change the website preview mode to editing mode. Your website only changes in a way that you can now see all components your viewed page consists of. Above each content you will find 2 buttons. A yellow one with blue arrow which is the one for creating new content, and a white button which is the editing button for the viewed existing content. With a click on the white button you will get into the details of the viewed article and can conduct your changes, then save them. If you want to create a new article click the yellow button and you get an empty article window WHERE you can write down or copy & paste your content. Then save this article. While the changes to an existing article appear promptly the new article doesn’t show up yet, because it isn’t linked. If you want to link your new article to a navigation item, you have to go to the navigation next (also in the main editing mode) and link the new article to the desired navigation section. If you want to link the new article with another article in the site, you have to go to the specific article and open it and insert the article link by using the hyperlink button. The other option for article editing and creation is the left tree menu. Here you click the + in front of Data Object first to enfold its submenu. Depending on your website structure you find here a list of different data object such as article, news, content, structured, unstructured etc. depending on the data object you want to maintain or create click the specific category and you get to a list of content for this category. Here you can whether click one of the existing content names to modify it or click new for the creation of a new content. The rest of the steps are the same as described above.
Is there a WYSISWYG Editor for content?
Yes, there is a WYSIWYG editor for content as well as for the template creation and management. Since the editor user surface might be familiar you to from MS word, you can easily handle the article and template management without previous programming knowledge.
Will link directories and index/ overview pages automatically be generated?
I assume yes, but how I don’t know
Can more than one person work with the system at the same time? And if yes, can nothing happen?
Tricky, I don’t know.
What do I do when I receive an error message or meet another question or problem?
In case you receive an error message or face another problem or question you just contact us. This can be done via the online forum, via email, yahoo and telephone. Best would be to make notes and describe us then the steps you have done before the error message or problem/question appeared. When we know what exactly you have done before the problem occurred we will be easily able to help you fixing it.
How do I make the website changes visible on my Homepage?
All additions or changes you have done in the template, for the navigation or the content will be immediately visible in the CMS website preview. But this doesn’t mean it already effects you website. To make the changes right away visible on your homepage you have to generate the website. This means after you are done with all your modifications you go in the main menu to “tasks” and there is a sub category called “generate website”. Click this button and once the process is finished you can refresh your homepage and see that all changes applied.
