| User's Guide |
| How Your Newsletter Looks - Page Templates |
| Overview: Design the look and feel of the newsletter and how it operates. |
Steps for Designing the Page Template
Overview of the Layout
Editor
The Layout Editor gives you an opportunity
to customize the look-and-feel of your newsletter and change content display options. Each
page template contains one or more page elements. These templates and elements are used to
format each new issue of your newsletter. Ideally setup of your templates is only done
once when publishing your first newsletter. Subsequent issues will then use these
templates and elements, filling new content into the pages you have designed. Each time
you publish, you simply add articles to the content database, preview the result, and
click 'Post to the Web'.
NOTE: Changes you make in the Layout Editor will impact all unpublished issues of your newsletter. A newsletter issue that has previously been "Posted to the Web" will not be affected unless you re-post that issue. If you want to make changes only to articles and content without impacting the layout, go to the Articles area from the Main Menu.
Page Templates
Each page template represents a different kind of page. The template is comprised of
several layout sections (e.g., header, columns, footer) and each section can hold one or
more page elements.
When you create your newsletter for the first time, you can select one of three general layouts. Once the newsletter is created you can specify additional layout options.
There are 5 different built-in page templates. The most commonly used are: Cover Page, Topic Page, and Article Page:
Cover Page
Every newsletter has a Cover Page. This page usually contains a table of contents, a topic list, one or more article synopses, a survey area, and a subscription box. The cover page is viewed when a reader first sees your newsletter, either on the Web or in their email.Elements within specific regions of this page often appear as default elements within the regions of the other page templates. For example, the Page Header element appearing in the top region will automatically appear on all other pages in the newsletter. This is because the top region on each inside page defaults to the layout found on the cover page. See "How the Pages Work Together - Empty Regions and Default Pages" below for more details.
Topic Page
When a topic name on the Topic List is clicked, an associated topic page is displayed. If a custom layout for this specific topic is not defined, then the Topic Page template is used to determine the page layout. See "Custom Page Templates" below for more information.Article Page
When you click the [Full Story] link on an article synopsis, the complete text of the article is displayed on the Article Page. The Article Page layout is the same for all articles. You do not define a separate layout for each article - just one layout that will be applied to all articles.Additional Templates: Letter View, Login
These templates control the look and feel of pages that display letters associated with particular articles and the design of the login prompt (if your newsletter is password protected).
Custom Page Templates
While the layout for each full article is determined by the Article Page, the
layout of each topic section can be individually controlled through Custom Page Templates.
These templates are tied to the topic areas you have defined. There is one custom template
for each topic. If there are no page elements defined for a particular topic, the Topic
Page template will be used as the default.
Layout Regions
Each Page Template is divided into specific regions. The number and orientation of regions
depends on the page layout selected when the newsletter was first created or modified
through the Page Layout properties. The common regions are: header, footer, navigation
column, and content column. The header and footer regions are separated from the others
through a red separator line. The number of columns available depends on the type of
layout that you selected - one, two, or three columns.
How the Pages Work Together - Empty Regions and
Default Pages
In order to operate in the most automatic fashion and to reduce time spent configuring
layout options, this newsletter layout system uses several methods to determine page
design. One key principal to remember is that for any page template other than the Cover
Page, an empty region of the page template will display elements from the corresponding
region on a specific default page. For example, the header region on the Article Page is
empty and the default for this page is the Cover Page. So in this case, the system looks
at the header region of the Cover Page and displays the elements it contains on the
Article Page. In a sense, the header region on the Article page is transparent and lets
elements from the Cover Page show through.
Custom Template design can be a bit more complicated. The default page of a Custom Page Template is the Topic Page. In addition, the default page of the Topic Page is the Cover Page. So, an empty region on a Custom Page template will display elements on the corresponding region on the Topic Page. If that region on the topic page is also empty (i.e., does not contain any elements), then the elements from the Cover Page will show through.
Page Elements
There are many different page elements which can be embedded within a newsletter
page. These elements include: multiple article, single article, multiple survey, topic
list, article list, picture, subscription box, page header, page footer, and more.
Moving Elements - Elements can be moved from one location on the page to another by clicking the positioning tools at the bottom of each page element (
).
Adding New Page Elements - To add a new element, click the
button appearing within the layout section where the element should be located. If there are already elements in this section, you can place the new element either above or below existing elements by clicking the appropriate
Modifying Elements - The display and behavior of existing page elements can be changed by clicking the
button at the top of the element.
Deleting Elements - To remove a page element from the template, click the delete action (
) located at the bottom of the page element.
Page and Element Properties
The appearance and function of the page template and the page elements it contains is
determined by setting properties. For example, properties such as background color and
border width can be set. Along with the standard display properties, each page element has
its own set of unique properties. The properties of the page are modified by clicking
the 
button
at the top of the page in Layout mode. To change the properties of any page element, click
the button at the top of the element.
Page Layout Properties
To get to the Page Layout properties, from the Main Menu
select 
> (at the
top).
The Page Layout properties are separated into the following categories:
You have a choice of four general layout styles. All four come with a title banner on the top.
A three column layout typically contains content, surveys, links, and other short tidbits of information on the left and right sides with the middle containing the bulk of the content, the articles. The two column layouts contain the links and surveys in the smaller column with the content in the larger box. To select a layout, choose the radio button to the left of the icon.
Changing Existing Layouts
If you change the number of columns on an existing layout, it is likely you will need to fix the arrangement of several layout elements. Some elements may disappear from the layout and others may appear in the footer. To fix this you can move these elements around and add new ones. To avoid having certain elements disappear when reducing the number of columns, try moving them to the first column before changing the layout.Using Different Layout Styles in the Same Newsletter
It is possible to mix different layout styles. For example, you can have a three column style for the Cover Page and a two column style for the Article Page. When configuring this type of layout, note that the behavior of empty regions becomes more complex. In general, an empty region on the Article Page will inherit the page elements that appear in this same region on the Cover Page. Since, in this case, the number of regions within the Article Page and the Cover Page do not match, the Cover Page region used is determined by counting the number of regions starting at the top and moving across from left to right. The header is region 1, the first column is region 2, etc. To make it easier, simply add the appropriate elements to all regions on the Article Page and avoid using empty regions.
Column Properties
Once the general layout style has been selected you can modify it using the
Column Properties. This screen lets you modify the relative width of the columns in
relation to the page width and it allows the color of headings, columns, and column
dividers to be specified.
To access this screen, click the Column Properties button.
Colors
To select the color of a particular region, click the [CHOOSE COLOR...] link next to the corresponding input box. Or, if you know the hexadecimal color code, type it into the box. To see how the selected color will appear on the layout sample, click the Preview button.Using this method you can select the color of the Title region, columns, Footer region, and the Column Divider.
Adjusting Column Widths
To change the width of a column, enter a number between 1 and 99 which represents the relative width of that column in relation to the overall width of the page. The number is used as a percentage and it must be whole number with no decimal fractions. When you change the value in one column you will need to adjust the values in the other columns so that they all total 100%. Use the Preview button to check your work.The Column Divider
By default, a thin vertical line appears between each column in the layout. The color of this line can be changed or it can be removed entirely by unchecking the Show checkbox.
Page properties determine the width and positioning of the newsletter page and the page color. These settings can be applied to the current page template or they can be applied to all of the page templates at the same time when you click the Save button.
Setting the Page Width
The default width of all page templates is 650 pixels. This width was selected because it allows the page to fit well when it appears within most email programs and the most common screen resolution settings. However, different page designs may require the page width to be changed to accomodate the graphics and content being displayed. It is also possible to make the page width adjustable as a percentage of the window size. For example, to have the newsletter automatically fill the entire width of the browser or email window, set the width to 100 percent. To add spacing around the left and right side of the page, set the page width to 80 or 90 percent.Page Alignment
The page alignment allows you to adjust the general position of the newsletter page with respect to the window in which it is displayed. For example, to have the layout align itself with left edge, choose Left Alignment. To have the page display down from the center of the window, choose Center Alignment.
Page Color
To specify the page color, click the [CHOOSE COLOR...] link next to the color box. Or, if you know the hexadecimal color code, type it into the box. The page color is the color used within the borders of the newsletter. The default is #FFFFFF (white). To set the color outside the newsletter border, specify the Background Color (see below).Applying Settings to All Pages
By default, the page layout properties set here will be applied to only the page template you are currently editing. To have these setting apply to all of the template pages in your account, check the box next to "Apply these settings to all template pages" before you click the Save button.
Page Border and Background Colors
The newsletter page within the browser or email window can have a border to let it standout from the background. By default the newsletter page is outlined with a thin (1 pixel) black line. The thickness of this line and its color can be specified using the Border Width and Border Color settings. To specify the Border Color, click the [CHOOSE COLOR...] link next to the color box. Or, if you know the hexadecimal color code, type it into the box.
The background color is the color that surrounds the newsletter page and fills the window to its edges. The default background color is a light grey. To specify the Background Color, click the [CHOOSE COLOR...] link next to the color box. Or, if you know the hexadecimal color code, type it into the box.
TIP: If you leave both the page color and the border color empty, the background color will show through to the entire page.
Saving Your Changes When you are finished editing the Page Properties, click the Save button at the lower left of the window. This will take you back to the Layout Editor. Your changes will be applied to the page that is shown. If you are satisfied with your changes and would like to save them and publish them, click the
button at the top.
Page elements define what content appears on the page and
the location and style used to present it. Page elements are added, removed, and/or
modified using the Layout Editor. To get to the Layout Editor, select 
from the Main Menu. Your newsletter appears in the Layout
Editor much like it appears in preview mode, except small buttons and edge markers are
sprinkled throughout the page. Below is an example showing a simple Default Layout as it
would appear in the Layout Editor.
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Editing Element Properties
The edges (
) indicate the four
corners of each Page Element. Along the top of each element you will also find a text
label indicating the type of element you are looking at (e.g., Article List, Subscription, etc.) and an button
that let's you modify the element properties. Whenever
you need to change the look-and-feel or behavior of a page element, click on the button along its top
edge.
Moving Elements
Along the bottom edge of each page element you will find directional buttons (
) that allow the element to be moved around the page from region to
region and column to column. Press the up arrow to move up within a column. If you are at
the top of the column, press the up arrow to move the element into the Header region. The
down arrow operates in a similar manner and the left and right arrows let you move between
columns.
Deleting Elements
The bottom edge of the element also contains the delete button (). Click this button to remove
the element from the page.
Adding New Elements
To add a new page element, click the button that is closest to the location
where you would like it to appear. To insert a new page element between two elements,
click the
button that occurs between them. To add a new page element to the end of a column, click
the
button appearing at the end of the column.
A page consists of regions that may contain one or more page elements. As previously stated, the default left column contains Home Link, Topic List, and Article List. An empty section with nothing in it will display the same information in the same location on the default layout. For example, if the Article Page's left column is empty, then it will show the same information found on the Cover Page's left column. If you prefer nothing to show in the left column of the Article Page, then select Empty Region from the Page Element list.
There are many different Page Elements that can be
inserted into a newsletter page. These elements include: multiple article, single article,
multiple survey, topic list, article list, picture, subscription box, page header, page
footer, and more. Whenever you click to insert a new item,
you'll get the following list of Page Elements:
NEW PAGE ELEMENT
Choose a Page Element
Here are the different types of page elements that can be placed within sections of your layout. Each element is designed to display certain types of information and/or add a specific type of functionality to your newsletter. The display and behavior of each element is determined by its settings. You can specify an element's settings at the time it is created and can always edit these settings later through the layout editor. The behavior of some of these elements will vary depending upon the type of page on which they are placed. Click an element name to select it.
Single Article
Use this element to display the contents of a single article. This element is found by default on the Article Page where it is configured to display the full body of the current article. You can also use this element to locate a specific article at a specific location on a page. NOTE: If you use this element to display a specific article that is part of a specific issue, the article will not appear in subsequent issues but the page element will still be in your layout. It is often better to use the Single Article layout to show articles configured to appear in All Issues and use the Multiple Article element to show and hide articles automatically from one issue to the next.
Multiple Article
This element automatically displays one or more articles on the page. It uses its settings to determine what articles to show. For example, you can specify the minimum position rating needed, the display order, and you can restrict the selection by topic.
Single Survey
Multiple Survey
Use these elements to display one or more surveys. Choose different formatting options and specify the order, number, and topic of the surveys displayed.Topic List
This allows articles and other material to be selected by topic area.Article List
This provides a table of contents for your newsletter.Home Link
The Home Link allows readers to easily return to the cover page from any page within your newsletter.Letter Summary
Letter View
Letter Entry
These elements provide a feedback mechanism. Use them to collect and display letters that are submitted by readers in response to a particular article.
Picture
Display only the picture that is associated with a particular article.Subscription Box
Allow readers to easily subscribe and unsubscribe to your newsletter by supplying their email address to this element. Optionally allow them to specify the email format that they prefer (plain text or HTML).Issue Archive
The issue archive displays a list of previously published newsletter issues and allows the reader to access them.Page Header
This element usually appears at the top of the newsletter and contains your logo, title, sub-title, and other information.Page Footer
This element usually appears at the bottom of the newsletter and contains publisher and copyright information, an archive link, and the "Tell a Friend" feature.Custom HTML (Empty Element)
Use the Empty Region element to leave a column or section of your newsletter blank. This will prevent default elements from the cover page and other default pages from appearing within a section of your layout. This element can also be used to place any HTML within your newsletter layout without including the functionality found in all of the other page elements.Flash Animation
Add a Macromedia Flash movie to your newsletter. This element will play any flash movie that has been uploaded to your account.CANCEL
Element Properties
When you select a Page Element, the next step is
to complete the Element Properties screen. Each element has property settings that are
unique to it and other properties that it shares in common with other elements. Element
Properties control both the behavior of the element and how it looks. Each element is
designed to display certain types of information and/or add a specific type of
functionality to your newsletter. You can specify an element's properties at the time it
is created and can always edit these settings later through the Layout Editor. The
behavior of some of page elements will vary depending upon the type of page on which they
are placed.
Here is the list of Common Properties (applicable to all Page Elements):
Text Styles - This area lets you define the font styles for any portion of text appearing within the page element. The actual number of items represented here varies from one element to the next depending upon the number of different text prompts within the element. To change the font for an item, click the EDIT button that appears to the right on each row. This will open the Style Editor. For more information, see the "Style Editor" section below.
Heading Text - This text appears at the top of the page element. By default, this is white text within a black bar. Using the Style Editor you can change this bar to another color and change the text color as well.
Border and Colors - An element can be surrounded by a border. To display the border, select a page width of 1 or greater. By default the color of the border will be black. To change the border color, click the [CHOOSE COLOR...] link or enter the hexadecimal representation of the number in the edit box.
Background Color - To add color to your page element, select a background color. This will fill the entire element with the color you select.
Foreground Color - The foreground color is used when a page element displays two or more items. In these cases the foreground and background colors will alternate creating a striped pattern. This makes it easier to distinguish where one item begins and the other ends. If both the foreground color and background color match, no alternating pattern will be visible.
Advanced Settings - The Advanced section provides a way to introduce any text or HTML formatting around the page element. The HTML formatting can be placed Before or After the element (in the Before or After edit boxes), and will appear outside the border and heading bar. Some page elements also include an Inbetween box that will show any text or HTML formatting inbetween each item shown by the page element. To help create the content that appears in these boxes a link to the online HTML editor is provided. To open the editor, click Use Editor... underneath the box containing the text you want to modify.
Display Rule - The Display Rule within a page element allows you to use specific criteria to determine if the page element is shown to a particular subscriber. Clicking the Edit Display Rule... button opens the Rule Editor window. The Display Rule is a TRUE/FALSE statement that determines whether or not this page element is displayed for a particular subscriber. The statement compares the values of one or more fields in the subscriber record. If the complete statement is TRUE, the element is displayed. For example, if the statement is 'STATE EQUAL TO MA AND CITY EQUAL TO BOSTON', then only subscribers who are from Boston, Massachusetts will see the contents of this element.
The Style Editor
The Style Editor defines the font and color
properties of the various text prompts within the page element. Next to the description of
each prompt there is an EDIT button. Clicking this button will open a new
window containing the Style Editor.
There are two major parts to the Style Editor window: color properties and font properties.
Color Properties
This is mainly the color of the font and in some cases defines the color of the
background.
Font Color - Enter the hexadecimal code representing the color you would like to use or click [CHOOSE COLOR...] to open the Color Picker window.
Background Color - Enter the hexadecimal code representing the color you would like to use or click [CHOOSE COLOR...] to open the Color Picker window. This color will appear behind the text like the way the default Heading Bar appears.
Font Properties
The typeface and size of the text is determined through the font properties. The following
font properties can be specified:
Font - this is the name of the typeface used to display the text: Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Verdana, Tahoma
Font Size - this is the size of the text in points.
Bold, Italic - Use bold and italic formatting to highlight text and make it more readible.
Decoration - Additional text formatting such as "underline".
Alignment - this is the alignment of the text within the default heading bar: left, center, right
Summary of Page Elements and
Properties
In addition to the common properties, there are
many additional properties and settings which apply to each page element. Below you will
find a listing of each page element and its properties.
List of Page Elements
Single Article
Use this element to display the contents of a single article. This element
is found by default on the Article Page where it is configured to display the full body of
the current article. You can also use this element to locate a specific article at a
specific location on a page. Before adding a Single Article element to the page template,
first consider whether it would be better to use a Multiple Article element instead.
Generally, a Single Article element is good for placing a specific article at a specific
location in every issue of your newsletter. If you need to change the article, you would
need to edit this setting and do so every time you publish a new issue. If you plan to
have the same type of content, but different articles appearing within a region of the
page it is best to use the Multiple Article element.
NOTE: If you use this element to display a specific article that is part of a specific issue, the article will not appear in subsequent issues but the page element will still be in your layout. It is often better to use the Single Article layout to show articles configured to appear in ALL ISSUES and use the Multiple Article element to show and hide articles automatically from one issue to the next.
Single Article Properties:
Article Assignment - select the Article to which this element is to be assigned. Select [AUTO] only if this element is on the Article Page template. The [AUTO] setting is a special feature that causes the content of the Single Article element to be determined by the link from which the reader originates.
Display Attributes - check the boxes of the items you wish to display with the article: date, title, sub-title, author name, and Web address. From the Article Display Mode drop-down list, indicate how you want the article displayed on the page: Synopsis, Full Article, or Title Only.
Date Format - If you have chosen to display the article date, the Date Format prompt lets you determine how the date information will appear. There are several pre-defined date formats to choose from. Each format is illustrated by using today's date (however this is not the actual date that will be shown). If none of the pre-defined formats fit your needs, you can create a custom format of your own. To define a custom format, select the "Custom Format:" option from the Date Format list. To the right of this list a new edit box will appear to allow for the entry of a date format string. The date format string is a series of special character codes that represent day, month, and year information. A summary of valid format codes is shown below:
Format Code Displays d Day of the month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit days. dd Day of the month as digits with a leading zero for single-digit days. ddd Day of the week as a three-letter abbreviation. dddd Day of the week as its full name. m Month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit months. mm Month as digits with a leading zero for single-digit months. mmm Month as a three-letter abbreviation. mmmm Month as its full name. y Year as last two digits with no leading zero for years less than 2010. yy Year as last two digits with a leading zero for years less than 2010. yyyy Year represented by four digits. Linking Information - This section determines what happens with the hyperlinks that are generated for this article. There are two types of links which can be configured here: Full Story and Printer Friendly Version. The Full Story link has adjustable text and can be configured to point to the Article Page (the default), to another template page, to another location on the same page, or to the Web address assigned to the article. To prevent the Full Story link from appearing, set the Text Label to blank. To place the hyperlink on the article title instead of or in addition to the Full Story link, select YES next to the "Hyperlink on article title?" prompt.
Picture Display Options - select the checkbox if you wish to display any picture associated with the article and enter the width and/or height the picture should be scaled to fit. You can determine the original dimensions of the image by opening the picture in your Web browser and viewing its properties. The "Position picture at:" prompt gives you choices of where you want to place the picture relative to the article text. NOTE: Specify only one dimension to allow the picture to be re-sized proportionally and prevent distortion.
Multiple Article
This is the most commonly used and most powerful
page element. The Multiple Article element uses the Order and Filter settings you provide
to determine what articles will be shown. The articles are drawn automatically from your
content database each time you publish the newsletter.
Multiple Article Properties:
Display Attributes - check the boxes of the items you wish to display with the article: date, title, sub-title, author name, and Web address. From the Article Display Mode drop-down list, indicate how you want the article displayed on the page: Synopsis, Full Article, or Title Only.
Date Format - If you have chosen to display the article date, the Date Format prompt lets you determine how the date information will appear. There are several pre-defined date formats to choose from. Each format is illustrated by using today's date (however this is not the actual date that will be shown). If none of the pre-defined formats fit your needs, you can create a custom format of your own. To define a custom format, select the "Custom Format:" option from the Date Format list. To the right of this list a new edit box will appear to allow for the entry of a date format string. The date format string is a series of special character codes that represent day, month, and year information. A summary of valid format codes is shown below:
Format Code Displays d Day of the month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit days. dd Day of the month as digits with a leading zero for single-digit days. ddd Day of the week as a three-letter abbreviation. dddd Day of the week as its full name. m Month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit months. mm Month as digits with a leading zero for single-digit months. mmm Month as a three-letter abbreviation. mmmm Month as its full name. y Year as last two digits with no leading zero for years less than 2010. yy Year as last two digits with a leading zero for years less than 2010. yyyy Year represented by four digits. Linking Information - This section determines what happens with the hyperlinks that are generated for this article. There are two types of links which can be configured here: Full Story and Printer Friendly Version. The Full Story link has adjustable text and can be configured to point to the Article Page (the default), to another template page, to another location on the same page, or to the Web address assigned to the article. To prevent the Full Story link from appearing, set the Text Label to blank. To place the hyperlink on the article title instead of or in addition to the Full Story link, select YES next to the "Hyperlink on article title?" prompt.
Picture Display Options - select the checkbox if you wish to display any picture associated with the article and enter the width and/or height the picture should be scaled to fit. You can determine the original dimensions of the image by opening the picture in your Web browser and viewing its properties. The "Position picture at:" prompt gives you choices of where you want to place the picture relative to the article text. NOTE: Specify only one dimension to allow the picture to be re-sized proportionally and prevent distortion.
Order and Filter - Use these settings to control what articles appear within this element. The criteria you specify can include: a limit to the number of articles displayed, a minimum rating for article position, and the restriction to articles assigned to a particular topic.
Sidebar - Use this setting to turn this element into a 'Side Bar'. A Side Bar restricts the display of this element to show only those items which are connected to the selected article through a Side Bar link. Select [AUTO] if you are on an inside page (e.g., the Article Page) and want to use the article most recently selected. Select [NO SIDE BAR] to turn off the Side Bar functionality.
Single Survey
Use this element to display a single survey at a specific
location on the template page. Before adding a Single Survey element to the page template,
first consider whether it would be better to use a Multiple Survey element instead.
Generally, a Single Survey element is good for placing a specific survey at a specific
location in every issue of your newsletter. If you need to change the survey, you would
need to edit this setting and do so every time you publish a new issue. If you plan to
have the same type of content, but different surveys appearing within a region of the page
it is best to use the Multiple Survey element.
Single Survey Properties:
Select the survey to which this element should be assigned - a collection of available surveys are listed at this prompt.
Thank you message - this is the message that appears after the user completes the survey (quick poll or questionnaire).
Display Options: Show Results - this setting determines whether or not you want readers to see the results after completing the survey. In some cases, you may want to collect the data and share the results in a future newsletter issue, or keep the results completely private. If you select YES at this prompt (show results), you can then choose whether or not you would like to share the actual number of votes or just the percentages.
Multiple Survey
The Multiple Survey element uses the Order and
Filter settings you provide to determine what surveys will be shown. The surveys are drawn
automatically from your content database each time you publish the newsletter.
Multiple Survey Properties:
Order and Filter - Use these settings to control what surveys appear within this element. The criteria you specify can include: a limit to the number of surveys displayed and a restriction to surveys assigned to a particular topic.
Sidebar - Use this setting to turn this element into a 'Side Bar'. A Side Bar restricts the display of this element to show only those items which are connected to the selected article through a Side Bar link. Select [AUTO] if you are on an inside page (e.g., the Article Page) and want to use the article most recently selected to determine what survey is displayed. Select [NO SIDE BAR] to turn off the Side Bar functionality.
Thank you message - this is the message that appears after the user completes the survey (quick poll or questionnaire).
Display Options: Show Results - this setting determines whether or not you want readers to see the results after completing the survey. In some cases, you may want to collect the data and share the results in a future newsletter issue, or keep the results completely private. If you select YES at this prompt (show results), you can then choose whether or not you would like to share the actual number of votes or just the percentages.
Survey Display Order - If you have multiple surveys, use this setting to determine the order in which you want them to appear.
Topic List
This element displays the topics of your
newsletter to which one or more articles have been assigned. This establishes an easy way
to navigate through your articles. Each link in the topic list leads to the Topic page
template. This template shows only the articles assigned to the selected topic.
NOTE: If there are no articles assigned to a particular topic, the topic will not appear. Clicking the hyperlink on any topic name will display the Topic page. By default, this page will display only the articles assigned to that topic.
Topic List Properties:
Picture Display Options - select the checkbox if you wish to display the image associated with the topic. Then, enter the width and/or height in pixels that the picture should be scaled to fit. You can determine the original dimensions of the image by opening the picture in your Web browser and viewing its properties. The "Position picture at:" prompt gives you choices of where you want to place the picture relative to the article titles. NOTE: Specify only one dimension to allow the picture to be re-sized proportionally and prevent distortion.
Order and Filter - Use these settings to control what articles appear within this element. The criteria you specify includes the ability to restrict the display of topics to only those topics related to the current one.
Article List
The Article List is also known as a Table of Contents. This element provides an
overview of the articles, listing them by title. By default this element shows articles
with a position rating of 51. This is more inclusive than the default rating of the
Multiple Article element so on the default template the table of contents will include
articles on the cover page and other articles set to appear on topic pages.
Article List Properties:
Hyperlink on article title leads to - select the destination to use when the article title is clicked. The link options include: the Article page template, the location of the article on the same page, the Web address assigned to the article.
Order and Filter - Use these settings to control what articles appear within this element. The criteria you specify can include: a limit to the number of articles displayed, a minimum rating for article position, and a limitation to content on a particular topic.
Order Articles - from the drop-down box, select the order in which you want the articles to be listed. By default, the article order is set to "Rating" in descending order from top to bottom.
Home Link
The Home Link element provides a link that takes the reader back to the home (or Cover
Page) of the newsletter from any other page. This element is smart enough to hide itself
when it appears on the Cover Page itself.
Home Link Properties:
Text label - enter the label to use for the link. The default label is "Home".
Letter Summary
The Letter Summary element provides a top level overview of the letters that have been
approved for viewing with a particular article (either the current article or the assigned
article). The Letter Summary shows just the title of the letter and the sender name and it
provides a link for posting new letters. This element will disappear if the current or
assigned article does not allow letters. If no new letters can be posted, the New Letter
link will be hidden.
Letter Summary Properties:
Article Assignment - The default for this setting is [AUTO]. This makes the currently displayed article (on the Article Page) the article determining which letters are displayed. To use the Letter Summary in a different way, select the article to which this letter summary should be assigned. Only the letters assigned to this particular article will be shown.
Linking Information - Text label: This input box indicates the text for the link to the Letter Entry page. The default is [ POST LETTER ].
Instructions when no letters are present - This is the text that is displayed when there are no letters posted for the current article. The default for this prompt is: "There are no letters available."
How many letters should be displayed on the same page? - Use this setting to determine how many letters will be shown on the same page. If you set this value to 0, no letters will ever be shown (even if they are approved) but the POST LETTER link will still appear.
Letter View
The Letter View element is used to display the complete text of one or more letters that
are assigned to a particular article.
Letter View Properties:
Article Assignment - The default for this setting is [AUTO]. This makes the currently displayed article (on the Letter Page) the article determining which letters are displayed. To use the Letter View in a different way, select the article to which this letter summary should be assigned. Only the letters assigned to this particular article will be shown.
Linking Information - Text label: This input box indicates the text for the link to the Letter Entry page. The default is [ POST LETTER ].
Limit display to [ ] items - Use this setting to determine how many letters will be shown at once on the page.
Letter order - This setting determines the order in which the letters will be displayed: from oldest to newest, from newest to oldest, or by state.
Letter Entry
The Letter Entry element allows a letter to be posted and assigned to a particular
article.
Letter Entry Properties:
Article Assignment - The default for this setting is [AUTO]. This makes the currently displayed article (on the Letter Page) the article to which the new letter will be assigned. To use the Letter Entry in a different way, select the article to which this letter summary should be assigned. New letters entered through this form will be assigned to this particular article.
Thank you message - This is the message the reader will receive online immediately after writing the letter.
Notification - Enter one or more email addresses (separated by commas) that will automatically receive a copy of any letter that is posted. Leave this setting blank if you do not want to send a notification email.
Picture
The Picture element is used to display the picture assigned to a specific article. Use
this element to display a banner on your Cover Page and to display images next to your
articles on the Article Page.
NOTE: The Single Article and Multiple Article elements can also be used to display the pictures associated with your articles. However, unlike these elements, the Picture element is specifically designed to only display pictures and to display captions underneath.
Picture Properties:
Article Assignment - select the Article to which this element is to be assigned. Select [AUTO] only if this element is on the Article Page template. The [AUTO] setting is a special feature that causes the article used by the Picture element to be determined by the link from which the reader originates.
Linking Information - This section determines what happens with the hyperlinks that are generated for this picture. It can be configured to point to the Article Page (the default), to another template page, to another location on the same page, or to the Web address assigned to the article.
Picture Display Options - Use these settings to determine the size and position of the picture. Specify the width and/or height that the picture should be scaled to fit. You can determine the original dimensions of the image by opening the picture in your Web browser and viewing its properties. The "Position picture at:" prompt lets you determine where to place the picture relative to the column the element is in. NOTE: Specify only one dimension to allow the picture to be re-sized proportionally and prevent distortion.
Subscription Box
This element displays an input form that is used to collect subscriber information and
manage the subscription process. This form can either be a standard input box or a custom
subscribe box that you design in the Subscribe Box editor. You can use the properties of
this element to design the look-and-feel of the form, to determine the type of information
collected, and to define how this information is stored and used:
Subscription Box Properties:
Standard Subscription Box
- Standard Description - These are the instructions provided to the reader that appear above the email address input box. The default statement is: "Enter your email address in the box below to receive an email each time we post a new issue of our newsletter:"
- Ask reader for preferred email format (Plain text or HTML)? - Select YES to this prompt to display a check box underneath the email address input box that allows the subscriber to select which email format they prefer: Plain Text or HTML. By default, this checkbox will be checked. When the newsletter is delivered, the subscriber's format preference will be honored. If the subscriber has no preference, they will receive the format they are most capable of reading.
- Button Labels - Add, Remove, Submit - The input boxes below the format preference are used to modify the text of the remaining prompts on the Standard subscribe box interface. You can specify the Format Preference Label, the Add label, the Remove label, and the text on the Submit button.
Custom Subscription Box
- Open Editor - Click this button to open the Subscribe Box editor. This editor lets you customize the look and feel of the Subscribe Box which will appear within your newsletter and can be copied onto your Web site.
HTML Source Code - View Current Source - Click this button to display the HTML code used to generate the subscribe box (standard or custom) that you have defined. The pop-up window that appears will contain HTML code in a text area that can be easily copied to your clipboard and pasted into any Web page.
ADD/REMOVE/UPDATE Operations
- Sub-List and Source Code Assignment - Specify the sub-list and/or source code that should be automatically assigned to new subscribers.
- Removal Operation - Determine what happens when someone requests removal from the subscriber list. Choices include: No removal option, remove and remember, remove and forget.
- Update Operation - Turn on this setting to allow the subscriber to modify their own information. This will add an extra hyperlink to the bottom footer of every outgoing message that leads to a special version of the Subscription Box (Standard or Custom). When the Subscription Box displays it will show the current data associated with the subscriber record. This information can then be edited and saved.
Notifications
Thank you message - This is the message the reader will see online immediately after subscribing. This is usually simple text such as "Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter".
Administrator Alerts - Enter your email address or the email address of the account administrator to have the system automatically send alerts when a subscriber is added, removed, and/or updated. Leave any of the three email alert boxes empty to prevent the alert email from being sent.
Welcome Message - When someone subscribes to your newsletter, the system can automatically send an email to the subscriber with a welcome message, the latest issue, a specific issue, or no message. The possible Welcome Message settings are as follows:
- Default Welcome - This sends a plain text welcome message that can be customized. When this option is selected an EDIT button appears. Click the EDIT button to open the Welcome Message Editor. The default welcome message includes links that allow the subscriber to instantly unsubscribe or change their email format preference.
- Current Issue - Use this setting to automatically send the most current issue of the newsletter to the new subscriber. The contents of this email will match the contents that were delivered during the last email delivery. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you use this option, remember to send at least one test email of the current newsletter. The Welcome Message feature needs to use this completed email message to deliver the current issue.
- Specific Issue - All of the past issues of your newsletter are also listed here. Select one of these issues if you have set aside a specific issue to be the Welcome issue or inaugural issue.
- Text File - Upload any text file through the File Manager and it can be used as the contents of your Welcome Message email.
- Subject Line - This is the subject line used by the Welcome Message email.
Subscription Confirmation - In order to do your very best to ensure the opt-in nature of your mailing list, you can use the Subscription Confirmation feature. Select this check box to have the system deliver a confirmation email every time a new person asks to be subscribed to your newsletter. The subscriber will need to click the special link provided in this email in order to confirm that they indeed want to be added to your list. If the subscriber has supplied a bad email address or does not click the link in this email, they will not be subscribed to your newsletter. This two step process ensures the email address being supplied is a correct address and that the person who uses this email address is indeed giving you permission to send them email.
Subscriber Sharing (Advanced) - Even though the subscription box may appear on one newsletter, the actual subscription can be passed along to another. This feature is available if you have linked several newsletter accounts together. In this case, the other accounts linked to this one will be shown in the drop down list appearing here. All additions and removals will be applied to the account you select.
Issue Archive
This element displays a list of previously published issues. As new issues are created,
this list automatically grows. You specify how many issues are to be displayed at one
time. Additional issues can be viewed by clicking the [MORE] link at the bottom.
Issue Archive Properties:
Limit Display to [ ] Items - This determines the number of past issues that will be shown and linked from the newsletter. When the number of issues in the archive exceeds the number displayed, a [MORE] link will be shown. Clicking the [MORE] link opens the complete Archive page for the newsletter.
Order and Filter - Show issues in order by - This determines the order in which the issues will be displayed: Newest to oldest, oldest to newest, by title, or by volume and issue number.
Display Options - The information displayed by the Issue Archive can also be customized and re-labeled. The display options include the ability to show or hide the issue date and to customize the date format. You can also choose whether or not the volume and issue number will be displayed and what text labels should be used.
Page Header
This element is usually placed at the top of your newsletter in the Header region. It
displays your newsletter's title and/or logo banner, sub-title (if specified), issue name,
volume and issue number, and issue date. Usually the Page Header appears at the top of the
Cover Page and shows through into the Header region of all the other page templates.
However, you can place the Page Header elsewhere if it better suits your design.
Page Header Properties:
Display - Use this list to select the combination of things you would like to appear in this element: Logo with Sub-title, Logo with Title/Sub-title, Logo only, Title only, No Logo or Title. Select the "No Logo" setting to show the issue information without the title or logo banner
Picture Size and Position - Use these settings to enter the width and/or height the logo banner should be scaled to fit. You can determine the original dimensions of the image by opening the picture in your Web browser and viewing its properties. The Position picture at: prompt gives you choices of where you want to place the picture relative to the page heading. NOTE: Specify only one dimension to allow the logo banner to be re-sized proportionally and prevent distortion.
Divider Line - Use this drop-down list to specify the wudth of the line that separates the newsletter title/logo banner from the issue information and the rest of the newsletter. To remove this divider line, select "No Line".
Heading Arrangement - This section determines what information about the current issue will be included after the Logo/Title and where this information will be located. There are three locations where issue information can appear: on the left side, in the center, and at the right side. To determine what information is displayed at these locations, there are three drop down lists with four items each. Each list contains the following options:
- Date - Show issue date or current date (see Date options below).
- Issue Name - The name of the issue.
- Volume, Number - The volume and issue number.
- Leave Blank - Do not show any information at this location.
Date Options - There are two ways the date at the top of your newsletter can function: Use Current Date OR Use Issue Start Date. The most common (and default) method is to use the Issue Start Date. This places a fixed date on the published newsletter that will never change and will appear this way in the archive. This is ideal for traditional publications that have historical context. The Use Current Date option is less commonly used. It makes the date shown on the published newsletter always be today's date. This method is usually good for publications that are timeless in nature.
Date Format - If you have chosen to display the date in the Heading Arrangement, the Date Format prompt lets you determine how the date information will appear. There are several pre-defined date formats to choose from. Each format is illustrated by using today's date (however this is not the actual date that will be placed in the Page Header). If none of the pre-defined formats fit your needs, you can create a custom format of your own. To define a custom format, select the "Custom Format:" option from the Date Format list. To the right of this list a new edit box will appear to allow for the entry of a date format string. The date format string is a series of special character codes that represent day, month, and year information. A summary of valid format codes is shown below:
Format Code Displays d Day of the month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit days. dd Day of the month as digits with a leading zero for single-digit days. ddd Day of the week as a three-letter abbreviation. dddd Day of the week as its full name. m Month as digits with no leading zero for single-digit months. mm Month as digits with a leading zero for single-digit months. mmm Month as a three-letter abbreviation. mmmm Month as its full name. y Year as last two digits with no leading zero for years less than 2010. yy Year as last two digits with a leading zero for years less than 2010. yyyy Year represented by four digits. Volume and Issue Labels - Use these settings to determine how the volume and issue number information is labeled. For example, instead of indicating an edition of the newsletter as: Volume 1, Issue 5, you could change the labels to read: Quarter 1, Week 5. It is also helpful to change these labels when creating publications in languages other than English.
Page Footer
The Page Footer element usually appears at the bottom
of your newsletter page, in the Footer region. It displays publisher and copyright
information and other credits and disclaimers that typically might appear in the masthead
of a publication. Usually the Page Footer appears at the bottom of the Cover Page and
shows through into the Footer region of all the other page templates. However, you can
place the Page Footer elsewhere if it better suits your design. For example, one common
use of the Page Footer element is to place a 'Tell a Friend' link at the top of the page.
This is done by adding another Page Footer element to the Header region of the page and
then disabling all of the other settings so that only the 'Tell a Friend' link is shown.
Page Footer Properties:
Show Publisher Information - This displays the name of the publisher, as defined in the Title/Headings area (accessible from the Main Menu). The default format for the publisher information is "Published by [publisher name]". This text can be changed by modifying the contents of the Publisher Label edit box.
Show Copyright Information - This displays the name of the copyright holder, as defined in the Title/Headings area (accessible from the Main Menu). The default format for the display of copyright is "Copyright [year], [copyright holder]. All rights reserved." This text can be changed by modifying the contents of the Copyright Prefix and Copyright Suffix edit boxes.
Show Footer / Disclaimer Text - This displays the Footer/Disclaimer, as defined in the Title/Headings area (accessible from the Main Menu).
Show 'Archive' Link - The Archive link is displayed at the right side of the Page Footer element. This link leads to the Archive page for the newsletter. This page shows a list of previously published issues. The default text label for this link is "Show Archive". This text can be modified through the Archive Label edit box.
Tell A Friend - This section lets you specify the appearance and behavior of the 'Tell a Friend' referral feature. This feature adds a link (on the right side of the Page Footer) that lets anyone reading the newsletter quickly refer the page (or article) being viewed to someone else via email. They will be asked to fill out a form that prompts for their name and email address, their friend's email address, and any additional comments.
- Show 'Tell A Friend' Link - Use this settings to show/hide the 'Tell a Friend' link.
- Label for 'Tell A Friend' Link - The default text prompt for the 'Tell a Friend' link is "TELL A FRIEND". This text can be changed to suit the style and language of your publication. For example, "Forward Article", "Pass it on...", etc.
- 'Tell a Friend' Message - The email that is sent contains the address (URL) of the page within the newsletter that has been referred. The email can also contain comments from the person making the referral and any other text that you would like to include. The default message simply contains the page address, any comments, and the name of the person sending the message. To modify this message, click the Edit Message button. This will display the Tell a Friend Message Editor. Using this editor you can add any text around 3 special tokens that display information that originates from the Tell a Friend form. The special tokens are: %notes% - the reader's comments, %page_address% - the URL of the page being referenced, and %from_name% - the name of the person making the referral.
- 'Tell a Friend' Subject - This is the text that appears on the Subject line of the email. This text can be modified to best fit the style and language of your publication. One special token that can be used is [[TITLE]]. When the email is sent, the [[TITLE]] token is replaced with the title of your newsletter, as defined in the Title/Headings area (accessible from the Main Menu).
- 'Tell a Friend' Thank You Message - When the person making the referral has completed the 'Tell a Friend' input form, this is the message they will see on their screen.
Custom HTML (Empty
Element)
This is a special element that is essentially an empty Page Element. It is ideal for
placing any custom HTML into your page layout. There are no special properties for this
element other than the heading text and the Before and After input boxes. You can copy and
paste any valid HTML into these edit boxes, or click the Use Editor
button to create formatted HTML through the online HTML editor.
This element can also be used to create empty regions within inside page templates (i.e., Article Page, Topic Page, etc.). For example, if you would like the right column of a 3 column Article Page layout to be blank, place the Custom HTML element in this column, leaving the contents of the Before and After boxes empty. This "empty" element will then override the page elements that would otherwise show through from the Cover Page, and the column would appear empty.
Save Your Work
After editing element properties, remember to click the SAVE button at the bottom.
This will take you back to the Layout page. All of your changes must then be saved by
clicking the button at the top right.
