Menus

Menu Management allows content managers to manage the C-nav menu links (tabs, category links and whatnot) for the entire site (or sub/boutique site), from one centralized location. Any number of menus can be created, but only one can be activated at a time (unless you opt to use multiple menus to support subordinate or boutique sites). Each menu can support any number of links. Please keep in mind that design / layout requirements may result in limitations to the number of links that can be gracefully presented in a particular menu location.

The Menu Management Page

The menu management page contains four sections, three of which are contained in the menu management form.

1. Menu Listing: located to the left of the menu forms with links to each menu stored in the system and a link to create a new menu
2. Menu Settings: located at the top of the menu form with controls to set the name of the menu and select if it is the default menu
3. Menu Item Fields: located in the middle of the form with fields to control a new, or select, menu item
4. Menu Item Listings: located at the bottom of the menu form listing all the items contained in each of the four menu locations

The Menu Listing

The menu listing is located to the left of the menu form. All menus stored for the web site will be listed, each with the following information:

• Menu name: the name as set in the menu name field of the menu form
• The user whom created the menu
• The number of page templates currently assigned to the menu (note that this count includes only page templates directly assigned to a menu - the default menu would be utilized by all page templates that are set to used the default menu)
• A link to delete the menu (this link is not available to the default menu)

A link to create a new menu will be located at the bottom of the menu listing.

The Menu Form: Menu Settings

The menu settings are located at the top of the menu form. This area contains two fields:

• Menu Name: sets the name of the menu, as it appears in both the menu listing and in the menu selection field of Page Template Management
• Default Menu: selects if the current menu is the default menu or not. The default menu will be used by all Page Templates that have 'default menu' selected in the menu drop down field of the Template Management Form.

The Menu Form: Item Fields

The item fields control a single menu item. Selecting an item from the item listings would set the item fields to control the selected item. Otherwise the item fields would be set to create a new menu item. The following fields / controls are available in item fields:

• Item Text: Sets the text that displays as the menu item
• Item Link: Sets the URL link that the web page visitor is directed to when selecting the item text
• Test Button: Clicking this button will open a new window displaying the URL link that is in the Item Link field for testing
• Find Link Button: Opens a pop up window with a search tool to find a page on the web site to link to
• Location: Chooses which of the four menu locations (top, left, bottom, right) the menu item will be assigned to
• New Window: If selected, and the template is built to support this feature, selection of the item by a site visitor will open the item link in a new browser window
• Edit/Add button: submits the form and sets or adds the menu item in the menu item listing. Note if this button is displaying 'edit' than the form is set to CHANGE an existing menu item link, otherwise if the button displays 'add' it is set to add a new menu item to the bottom of the selected Location item list.
• Cancel button: clears the item fields. Also sets the form to 'add' mode (to add a new menu item) if the form was in 'edit' mode when the cancel button was selected.

The Menu Form: Menu Item Listings

The menu item listings display all current menu items set up for the menu being managed.

This area will contain up to four columns for each of four different menu locations: Left; Top; Bottom and; Right. Which menu locations are available are dependent on how the Page Template displaying the menu was designed and built - meaning if the Page Template(s) where not designed with a specific menu in option, the items assigned to that menu in this form will not display on the page. Occasionally menu locations could have alternate meanings - for instance if the top menu of the page contains a row of tabs and a row of links, the creator of the Page Template(s) could assign the right menu to the row of links - this information will be disclosed to the web site content manager upon completion of the Page Template(s).

The menu items are re-arrangeable via a drag-and-drop interface. Select any listed menu item box (anywhere except of a link inside of the box) and drag it to the desired location to move it. Each menu item will be equipped with the following links to manage the item:

• x: deletes the menu item
• <: promotes a menu item
• >: demotes a menu item
• Edit: by clicking the menu item name, the item fields will be set in 'edit' mode to edit the selected item.

Item promotion and demotion

Item promotion and demotion provides added controls to support tiered menus. If the Page Template(s) are designed and built with the intention of displaying tiered menus, the promotion < and demotion > links can be used to set the menu item on the appropriate tier. Demoting an item sets it to a lower tier while promoting the item sets it to an upper tier. If the web site is designed with tiered menu support, your integrator will provide you with directions on how to use these tiered menu tools and how they will effect the presentation of your web pages.

The Menu Form: Previewing and Saving Changed

At the bottom of the menu form are post menu and preview menu buttons. When you are completed changing your menu, select the post menu button to save the menu:

NOTE

NONE of your menu changes will be saved UNTIL you click the "post menu" button at the bottom of the menu

You may preview your menu before saving the changes by entering a pageId into the "pageId" field and selecting the "Preview" button.

Adding a New Menu

To add a new menu, select the "Add a new menu" link at the bottom of the menu listing to the left of the menu form. You will be presented with a clear menu form to begin creating your menu. When you are complete, be sure to select the 'post menu' button at the bottom of the form or your menu will not be saved.

Editing a Menu

To edit a menu, click the menu name in the menu listing to the left of the menu form. The menu form will populate with the selected menu. When you are complete, be sure to select the 'post menu' button at the bottom of the form or your menu will not be saved. Note that saving a menu you are editing will overwrite that menu.

Deleting a Menu

To delete a menu, click "DELETE" link under the menu name in the menu listing to the left of the menu form. Note that the default menu cannot be deleted - you must set another menu as the default to enable deletion for a default menu.