Internet Strategy and Web Services Monthly e-Newsletter
March 2006
To All Content Management System Users:
Welcome to the first edition of The CMS Insider – a special newsletter for content management system users.
With this newsletter, we’ll be delivering information to help you as you update, maintain and develop content for your sites. We’ll be sending this newsletter on a regular basis to relay to you some of the latest news, tips and tools for maximizing the benefits of Site Executive.
In this Issue:
- Internet Strategy and Web Services News
3.5.5 Upgrade and the “Page Not Found” error
Web Accessibility and How It Affects You
- Tips, Tricks, and Reminders
The Importance of Alt Tags and Titles
Adding DHTML Menu Items, Also Known as Submenus
- FAQ
Does the first page I create in a folder have to be
called index.html?
Internet Strategy and Web Services News
Internet Strategy and Web Services staff worked with Enterprise Services, our IT server administration team, to complete this upgrade. Although most of it took place painlessly, we did run into one bug which many of you have experienced – “Page not found” error. What does that mean? Spaces in names of folders, pages, images, word docs, pdfs, etc. that were not represented with an underscore created a page not found error.
Many of you have addressed the errors after receiving the detailed email from the Web Center about how to remedy the situation. In facing these types of circumstances one must go to the root of the problem. Although the content management system previously allowed for these spaces, it isn’t really technically sound. Anyone creating folders, pages, documents, etc. with a space should, as a best practice, note the space with an underscore. A look at the URL of one of these “page not found” sites shows these spaces represented by the code “%20”. When you see this, you know that your page has a space that should be replaced with an underscore.
Other than the obvious interface appearance change with the 3.5.5 upgrade, there are also new features that you may find helpful. Most importantly, you now have access at all times to the training manual when logged in. If you click on “Help” you can open the full training manual and search the PDF for specific topics.
There are also enhanced editor tools including an improved dictionary and spell check, multi-language support and “find and replace”. We will highlight some of these and others in upcoming issues.
Web Accessibility
Internet Services and Web Services staff recently attended a conference on Web Accessibility. The purpose of the conference was to inform the audience of the importance of creating accessible Web sites. In terms of Web accessibility, we often think of visual impairment, but in reality it includes all impairments such as cognitive, physical, and many more.
Certain features within Site Executive help ensure that your site is meeting minimum standards for Web accessibility. Visually challenged or blind site visitors rely on “browser readers” to navigate Web sites. Alt tags and links titles are just one way they are able to “see” your site as well as the non-visually challenged visitor. We’ll be relaying more information on this important topic in future newsletter.
Tips, Tricks, and Reminders
Alt Tags & Titles
In your aim to create accessible Web sites you must make use of Alt Tags and Link Titles. When creating an image always remember to fill in the “Alt Tag” information. This will give a title to your image that will appear once the mouse runs over your image and it will be read by a browser reader. Make this as specific as possible. If the image is a “call to action” such as a submit button or a “click for more information” image be sure to note that in the Alt Tag. Someone using a screen reader will not be able to see this image but will hear the Alt Tag information read out loud.
The same is true for Link Titles. When creating links you are asked to fill in an optional title. Please make use of this feature as it is imperative for one with a screen reader to be able to understand what the link is about.
Creating DHTML Menu Items (Submenus)
Many of our users are now able to add submenu items to the left hand navigation menus without having to rely on Web Center staff for those changes. It may seem like a lot of steps, but once you get the hang of it it’s very easy. Whether you are creating a submenu from scratch or adding to an existing list you follow the same basic steps:
- Open the Folder called “Nav” or “Navigation”
- Open the nav.html page in the edit window (this is where your navigation exists)
- Right click on the navigation item that you’d like to add a submenu to
- Click on the top option “DHTML Link Menu Properties (This is where the submenus are managed)
To add a new link, click on the chain link icon.
TITLE = Words as they will appear in the drop-down menu, choose a link that is within your site or type in an external link (Hover over the icons for explanation.)
You can reorder the links using the arrows found at the bottom.
Click on "Save" when you are done with all of your links.
You must publish this page in order for your changes to be seen on the live site.
Remember, if you are adding to a submenu list that already exists the formatting will be in place for you. However if you are adding the very first submenu item you will have to set that up. Here is what we recommend for your settings:
Menu Width-170 (about)
Menu Outline- not checked
Font Style- Subhead non bold
Outline Color - CBCBCB
Outline Width – 1
Item Color – F8F5E6 (beige)
Highlight Color – FFFFFF (white)
Orientation – Right
FAQ
Q: Does the first page I create in a folder have to be called index.html?
A: Yes. This is a best practice for Web site creation/maintenance. This is the directory page for your folder. Think of it as the default homepage for the folder. Every folder should have an “index.html” page. Once you apply this best practice it will become second nature for you.
We hope you have enjoyed this first issue and found it useful. Please email topics that you would like to see addressed in future issues to webcenter@jhmi.edu
You can find the Internet Strategy and Web Services online at www.hopkinsmedicine.org/webcenter
