Dialogs Framework Basic Concepts
Dialogs Control Panel Interface
Updated: 21 Apr 2023
The Dialogs "back-end" is the control panel the developer uses to configure, customize, and skin the website. The content maintainer uses it to enter and update site content.
Navigation
The developer configures each user with access to specific back-end pages. The primary, left-sidebar navigation column expands to reveal each of the pages a user may access. The Pages List as well as the unique Lists for a Dialogs website are typically found in the "Content" section.
Any of these pages may be added to your Favorites, which will simplify your access to the areas you edit most.
Adding Favorites - v.8
In Dialogs 8, Favorites is in top header of the control panel, and is a dropdown menu. Navigate to the page you want to add, click on Favorites, and then click on Add this Page.
Adding Favorites - v.7
In Dialogs 7, the Favorites bar sits across the top of the page just below the header. Navigate to the page you want to add, and click on the + button, which will add that page to your Favorites.
Tabular View
The list of pages and each defined List within dialogs is presented in a tabular view showing the items on the List. Each list is configured to specify the columns to display and the order of the columns.
- There are common elements to each Dialogs tabular listing:
- Search and Advanced Search facilitate finding content in Lists with large numbers of items: type a word or words in the search field and click "Search"; click the "Clear" button to remove your search criteria and display the entire table of data.
- Add button allows the addition of new content.
- Column headers are clickable to toggle sorting by that column first ascending then descending.
- Each item of content is shown on an individual row with Edit (open the Detail View for an item), Copy (create an editable copy of an item).
- Some rows may have a clickable reveal icon that toggles showing or hiding subordinate content.
- Clickable Status icons indicate and can change the active/inactive state of an item.
- The following features are unique to the Pages List:
- Page Group selector filters the listing by page group, defaulting to the default page group, (which is set in the Settings). Site content can be organized in one or more page group; Dialogs administration pages are contained in "/a/". (Note: The developer may add additional filters to any tabular listing.)
- Status icons control three possible states for each page - Not Available, Available but not in Menu, and Available. These buttons control where the page is displayed. Green means the item is live to the public and is included in dynamically generated navigation. Yellow means the page is not included in the generated navigation, but the public can see the page if they know or are linked to the exact URL of the page. Red means the page is inaccessible.
Content Entry (Detail) View
Each item on a list (or page on the Pages List) is entered and edited from the Content Entry (Detail) View. Each list is configured to define the appropriate fields of data to be collected for each item. Detail views differ for each List depending on the defined fields for that List, but all Detail Views share elements common with the Pages List:
Detail View - v.8
- Control buttons:
- Cancel returns you to the Tabular View without saving changes.
- Previous / Next takes you to the previous or next item without saving changes.
- Save & Previous / Save & Next submits changes to Dialogs and steps back or forward through the List.
- Save submits changes to Dialogs and reloads the same detail view. The arrow on the right side of the Save button provides additional options:
- Save & Go Back submits your changes and returns you to the Tabular View.
- Save & New submits your changes and creates a new, blank list entry to fill out.
- Delete will prompt with a confirmation before deleting the entry from Dialogs.
- Entry fields (configured by developer):
- Single Line Text fields are the standard field type and can be configured to be any width.
- Multi-Line Text fields enable text entry and can be configured with specific width and height. Clicking the EXPAND button will enlarge the field for entering large amounts of text, clicking SHRINK will contract the field.
- Multi-Line Text WYSIWYG fields are displayed with familiar editor controls for a simi-What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get or WYSIWYG experience and can be configured for width and height.
- Pull Down Menu fields allow easy, consistent selection of pre-defined options. The actual options are configured by a conpanion list configured by the developer.
- Checkbox fields allow binary content entry and are configured to store a particular value when checked and an alternative value when unchecked.
- Image/File upload fields allow the user to select a local file for submittal to Dialogs.
- Revisions allow the content maintaner to either Go Back To previous content or simply view the Differences between the current content and a previous state.
- Advanced (Permissions) present a Left Right Picker allowing the user to select which user groups may read the item and which user groups may write (edit) the item.
Detail View - v.7
- Control buttons:
- Save submits changes to Dialogs and returns to the Tabular View.
- Save & Previous / Save & Next submits changes to Dialogs and steps back or forward through the List.
- Delete will prompt with a confirmation before deleting the entry from Dialogs.
- Entry fields (configured by developer):
- Single Line Text fields are the standard field type and can be configured to be any width.
- Multi-Line Text fields enable text entry and can be configured with specific width and height. Clicking the EXPAND button will enlarge the field for entering large amounts of text, clicking SHRINK will contract the field.
- Multi-Line Text WYSIWYG fields are displayed with familiar editor controls for a simi-What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get or WYSIWYG experience and can be configured for width and height.
- Pull Down Menu fields allow easy, consistent selection of pre-defined options. The actual options are configured by a conpanion list configured by the developer.
- Checkbox fields allow binary content entry and are configured to store a particular value when checked and an alternative value when unchecked.
- Image/File upload fields allow the user to select a local file for submittal to Dialogs.
- Revisions allow the content maintaner to either Go Back To previous content or simply view the Differences between the current content and a previous state.
- Advanced (Permissions) present a Left Right Picker allowing the user to select which user groups may read the item and which user groups may write (edit) the item.
Next: Dialogs Pages