Templates & Features

Templates

There are a variety of page and module templates available in the CMS. However, as indicated in training, the majority of pages on the site will use one of two basic page templates: Content or Content - Slim. Both of these basic templates provide the layout options and features listed below. The following templates in the CMS may be used for special purposes, while all others are typically only used by the administrator.

  • Content - Full
    This template should only be used for special cases such as when your data must be displayed in a table that is too wide to fit the regular Content template. You should not use this template just because you have a page that has a lot of text and you want it to be a shorter page. The line width on the Content template is optimized for easier reading, so that template is better for text heavy pages. The Content - Full template, using the full width of the content area, would make it much more difficult for users to read the page and keep their place line to line.
  • Photo Gallery
    This template should be used when you want a page devoted to being a photo gallery, as opposed to the photo gallery feature, which allows you to display more than one photo within a page of content. The Photo Gallery template automatically tiles your images as seen at www.pugetsound.edu/about/campus--the-northwest/photo-gallery. 
  • Content with MachForm
    If you need an online form that submits an e-mail message, you would contact the Web Manager. When that form is complete, the Web Manager will direct you in using the Content with MachForm template to add the new form to your site.
  • I-frame
    There are several versions of the i-frame template, and these should not be used without consulting the Web Manager. These template allow you to pull content from an outside source and display it inside the framework of a regular CMS page.

Most users will never have to use a module template. If you think you need to use one of the module templates, please contact the Web Manager for assistance.

 

Page Layout

Page Content
The main content of your page appears on the left side of the page. The width varies depending on which of the two basic templates you've selected:

  • Content
    The content appears takes approximately two-thirds of the white space on the page. This is preferred for pages with an average to large amount of content, as the line length of this template is better suited for reading long passages than a wider template. The right column on this template displays site navigation in two columns, and the photo gallery, related pages, contact information, and any other callouts are automatically sized for this smaller space.
  • Content - Slim
    The content takes approximately one-third of the white space on the page. This is preferred for pages with a small amount of content. The right column on this template displays site navigation in three columns, and the photo gallery, related pages, contact information, and any other callouts are automatically sized for this larger space.

Features
These two basic templates, as well as several others, give the user the ability to include any of the following features on the right side of their page:

  • Photo Gallery
    CMS users can upload one or more images to this feature directly from their computer. Uploading a single image will display that image on the right side of the page. Uploading multiple images will display the first image with a photo gallery option to view the rest within the page. If you upload images that are larger than the photo area, you will be prompted to crop these images when you Save and Publish the page. Medium to large horizontal images work best. If you upload an image an it looks fuzzy, the image is too small. You should remove or replace it. It is preferred to have a caption entered for each image for accessibility purposes.
    Note: The smallest size for the photos in this feature in the Content template is 351x234 pixels. The smallest size for the photos in this feature in the Content - Slim template is 524x349 pixels.
  • Contact Information
    The landing page for any given department or program should include basic contact information in the Contact Information box. Contact information may be desired on other pages, as well, and can be easily added using the Contact Information box on any page using the two basic templates. See the Contact Information page for formatting details.
  • Related Pages
    Use this feature to add links to other areas of the site related to the content in your section or to external sites. Check the box to open the link in a new window for external links (or other links you want to open a separate browser). Note that these links can be reordererd and edited after they've been entered, and as they are manually entered, they may not be updated automatically the way other links in the site are if the link has been changed. For instance, if you're linking to www.pugetsound.edu/admission and the Admission department changes that URL to www.pugetsound.edu/admissions, your Related Pages link will break. Be aware that these will need to be reviewed periodically to make sure they are still valid.
  • Feature Box
    The feature box appears at the top of the content area if information has been entered into the Feature 1, Feature 2, or Feature 3 boxes available on the two basic templates (as well as several others). If there's no information in these boxes, the system is smart enough not to display the empty feature box on the page. You must enter photos for this feature to work right, especially with more than one feature. Medium to large horizontal images work best for this space. If your image is too large, the CMS will prompt you to crop the image when you Save and Publish the page. If you publish the page and the image doesn't fill the space or seems fuzzy or grainy, you need a larger image. If you need assistance sizing an image for this space, contact the Web Manager.
  • Sidelets
    You can also add sidelets to any page using these basic templates. There are two kinds of sidelets: pre-set sidelets and custom sidelets. If you choose a pre-set sidelet, content will be added to the right sidebar of your page, but you will have no ability to customize or edit it. The pre-set sidelets in the CMS include:
    • Random Profile
      Allows you to choose if you want a department, student, alumni, faculty member, donor, staff member, or program profile to be selected at random and displayed on your page. You can add more than one random profile to your page, so you could have a Featured Student and a Featured Alumni, for example. These collections are maintained by the Office of Communications. You cannot create a custom pool for your random profile sidelet to draw from. If you want to recommend a faculty member, student, alumni, etc., for the Office of Communication to consider adding to the pool, please contact the Web Manager.
    • Did You Know?
      Developed for use on the Admission landing page, this sidelet pairs photos with facts about Puget Sound and selects one from the set at random.
    • Virtual Tour
      Basically an ad for the virtual tour, including links to allow the user to jump into it.
    • Common Application
      Developed for use on the Admission site to drive prospective students to the Common Application Web site used for applying to the university.
    • Request Information
      Developed for use on the Admission site to drive prospective students to the e-mail form they can use to request information about the university.
    • Students Speak Out
      Developed for use on the Admission site to highlight quotes from recent students about why they chose Puget Sound and other similar questions.
    • Popular Resources
      Developed for use on the Students and Faculty & Staff portal pages. Includes academic calendars, Blackboard, bookstore, calendar, campus news, Cascade, library, Moodle, and Webmail.
    • In the Blog
      Allows you to choose any one of the Voices writers featured on the university home page and Voices page to stream their posts directly onto your page. Photos are not included.
    • Express Yourself
      Basically an ad for the Express Yourself page, featuring various forms of student expression.
    • Selected News
      Allows you to choose from several categories of campus news and stream current headlines in that category onto your page. Categories include the arts at Puget Sound, lectures, ASUPS events, general, alumni, athletics, and academics.
    • Link List
      Allows you to choose a specific link list that has been developed in the system. Currently there are only two that probably aren't useful for the majority of users. If you have a need for a recurring list of links to appear on multiple pages in your section, contact the Web Manager. We may be able to create a Link List you could select in this sidelet to accommodate your needs.

    In addition, there are three sidelets that let you control the content a little bit more:
    • Blog Streaming
      Allows you to stream content from a blog onto your page in the sidelet.
    • Custom Callout
      Allows you to create your own feature box with a title, optional photo, text area, and link to more information. Note that photos used in this callout must have already been sized and optimized before being uploaded (130 pixels wide). You could have more than one custom callout on your page at one time.
    • Programmer Callout
      This special-use callout should be coordinated with the Web Manager as it allows you to include special code.