Why not create a tree type navigation system. You create sections and subsections, then choose which your content goes into by simply selecting it from the tree.
> -----Original Message----- > From: Dave Phipps [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 14 January 2003 13:18 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [ cf-dev ] Digging for information > > > Thanks for the info. The unmanageable part is probably more > to do with the > database design which, I feel, does not allow very much > flexibility. The > confusing aspect of the whole thing is when the end-user gets > hold of it > and tries to add a page it is quite complicated for them as > to where the > page will be located in the menu system. > > They can add a page that will either become the first page > when a category > is chosen or the first page in a menu, submenu or page > underneath a submenu. > > Below is the db tables that I am currently using: > > circuit (hold the main categories - top level) contains > amongst other fields: > contentid > menus (holds the main menus of each category) also contains > amongst other > fields: > contentid > submenus (hold sub-sections of the menus) > contentid > content (holds the content) > submenuid (which may be 0 if the contentid is linked > directly to > one of the above tables.) > > Ideally I want a system that doesn't care how many levels > there are in the > system. > > Does anyone have any example db schema I could take a look at. > > I really want to make the current system simpler without > sacrificing the > functionality. > > Cheers > > Dave > > > > At 12:50 1/14/2003 +0000, you wrote: > >Dave, > > > > > I am about to begin the early stages of a new site > management system > > > which will supersede our current CMS. One of the major > problems we > > > have found is > > > that the product is very hard to port to different sites > > > because of the > > > menu systems that each site uses is slightly different and > > > our old system > > > generates menus, submenus and pages dynamically based upon > > > the content > > > which requires me to re-write the navigation code base for > > > each project. > > > > > > How do most CMSs handle the menu/navigation of > dynamically generated > > > content? > > > >Having had a quick look at a few of your sites, I'd say that > they are > >pretty much what most of us would do. In what way are they > >unmanageable? As far as I can see, they are very > manageable, assuming > >that you store each page (and therefore menu) in a database > properly, I > >don't see any problem. > > > >The difficult part of all of that is getting the database right (as > >with most things really). > > > >The only thing I would say is if you can store your "main" > navigation > >in a common format (for example XML) than you would be able > to create > >an settings file or something like that for each site, > meaning that you > >wouldn't have to mess around with the navigation code... > > > >Each site will need some customisation and settings files are very > >helpful with that. > > > > > Any suggestions or helpful pointers would be most appreciated. > > > > > > If you want to see an example of a site running our > system then take > > > a look at www.abingdon.org.uk. > > > The main categories at the top are the only fixed navigation. > > > All the > > > other menus are generated based on the content in the db. > > > > > > Is there a better way to do this? > > > >Yes there is (see above), BUT is it really worth doing? > Unless you are > >going to package the product up is it worth investing the time and > >energy into something much more complex? > > > >I dunno if I'm answering the question properly, but that's > just my two > >pence. > > > >Paul > > > > > > > > > >-- > >** Archive: > http://www.mail-archive.com/dev%> 40lists.cfdeveloper.co.uk/ > > > > >To unsubscribe, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >For additional commands, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] For > >human help, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ============================================ > Phipps CF Development > Oxford, Oxfordshire. > Telephone: +44(0)7718 896696 > http://www.phipps-cf.co.uk > ============================================ > > > -- > ** Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/dev%40lists.cfdeveloper.co.uk/ > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] For human help, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -- ** Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/dev%40lists.cfdeveloper.co.uk/ To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For human help, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
