Components
Folder Items
User Items
Extensions
Theme Cell Optional Item Menus
Resources
A "component" is a portion of the content area of the page. There are 4 types of components you can edit: the top level view, folder view, message view, and the toolbar. In the initial site setup process, after you've chosen a Theme, you will be prompted to choose page components from a number of screenshot thumbnail graphics. If you click one of the screenshot thumbnails, a larger image will pop up, with annotations regarding that particular component. A ReadMe link will reveal more details.
Just as with Themes, you can choose components at the folder level too. Component choices will inherit to objects within the folder unless you choose another one in a folder further down the hierarchy.
If you have chosen something other than the Classic View for a component on the some level, you won't be able to use the Classic View for any folders inside that location. However, in all other cases, any components can be used anywhere, at any level.
After initial site setup, you can reach the top level Component Manager's "Choose a Component" form by going to the Control Panel > Component Manager menu > Choose a Component.
To reach the Component Manager in a folder, first click on Edit Folder, and then you will see the Component Manager menu.
A "Folder Item" is something you can add inside a folder, which has a button or link like "Add Weblog," etc. You can have as many folder items as you want. You won't be prompted to install folder items during the initial site setup process, but you can do it at any time after setup by finding the Folder Item Manager in the control panel. On the "Choose Folder Items" page, you will be prompted to add folder items from a number of screenshot thumbnail graphics. If you click one of the screenshot thumbnails, a larger image will pop up, with annotations regarding that particular component. A ReadMe link will reveal more details.
Folder Items must first be enabled at the site level, and then they can be enabled inside any folder. Once a folder item is enabled for the site, hosts, Operations and Sysop can use the "Add ..." commands anywhere in the site. However, for regular users to add folder items, you need to enable them at the folder level with the "Choose Folder Items for this Folder" menu, also in the Folder Item Manager popup menu. Some folder items have special permissions so that only certain user groups, hosts, etc. can use them even if they are enabled at the folder level. Folder Item choices for a folder will inherit to objects within the folder, but can be turned off in subfolders.
Once you enable some folder items, you can sort them to determine which order they appear in the user interface where there are buttons, etc. to show. The sort form is found via the Folder Item Manager popup menu.
Be sure to read the ReadMe links associated with the Folder Items you're considering.
After initial site setup, you can reach the top level Folder Item Manager's forms by going to the Control Panel > Folder Item Manager menu > Choose a Folder Item.
To reach the Folder Item Manager in a folder, first click on Edit Folder, and then you will see the Folder Item Manager menu.
A "User Item" is something which adds features for an individual user, like a personal calendar or a subscriptions manager, etc. You can have as many user items as you want. You won't be prompted to install user items during the initial site setup process, but you can do it at any time after setup by finding the User Item Manager in the control panel. On the "Choose User Items" page, you will be prompted to add user items from a number of screenshot thumbnail graphics. If you click one of the screenshot thumbnails, a larger image will pop up, with annotations regarding that particular component. A ReadMe link will reveal more details.
User Items must first be enabled at the site level, and then they can be enabled inside any folder with the "Choose User Items for this Folder" menu, also in the User Item Manager popup menu. User Items will inherit to objects within the folder, but can be turned off in subfolders.
Depending on the individual User Item, sometimes a new button or link will appear in your toolbar, and sometimes a link to the new function will appear in one of the Theme cells.
Be sure to read the ReadMe links associated with the User Items you're considering.
After initial site setup, you can reach the top level User Item Manager's forms by going to the Control Panel > User Item Manager menu > Choose a User Item.
To reach the User Item Manager in a folder, first click on Edit Folder, and then you will see the User Item Manager menu.
An "Extension" is an extension of the feature set that falls neither into the folder item or user item categories, for example the LiveX live messaging system or special sysop utilities. You can have as many extensions as you want. You won't be prompted to install extensions during the initial site setup process, but you can do it at any time after setup by finding the Extension Manager in the control panel. On the "Choose Extensions" page, you will be prompted to add extensions from a number of screenshot thumbnail graphics. If you click one of the screenshot thumbnails, a larger image will pop up, with annotations regarding that particular component. A ReadMe link will reveal more details.
Just as with Themes and components, you can choose extensions at the folder level too. Extension choices will always inherit to objects within the folder, to any depth, and cannot be turned off in subfolders.
Be sure to read the ReadMe links associated with the Extensions you're considering. Rarely, extensions will be incompatible with each other or with other plugins, so always check the ReadMe, which have complete instructions on any incompatibilities or other recommendations from the developer.
After initial site setup, you can reach the top level Extension Manager's "Choose an Extension" form by going to the Control Panel > Extension Manager menu > Choose an Extension.
To reach the Extension Manager in a folder, first click on Edit Folder, and then you will see the Extension Manager menu.
Theme Cell Optional Item Menus
Themes have 5 editable table cells: Top cell, nav cell, content cell, multi-purpose cell, and bottom cell. All these except the content cell have an "optional items" menu where you can turn on various links and elements (a search blank, a user counter, a login link, etc.). To turn these on and off for each cell, use the "Optional Items" menus in each cell.
Extensions, Folder, and User Items sometimes need to place elements into the user interface in page wrapper areas controlled by the Theme. This is done by enabling Optional Items. A plugin may merely put itself into the popup Optional Item menu as a choice, or it may actually enable itself. For example, when you install the LiveX Extension, it automatically places itself in the top cell of the Theme by placing itself into the Top Cell Optional Item menu and selecting itself. If you would rather have the LiveX in the nav, multi-purpose, or bottom cell, you can go into the Edit Theme Settings menu and deselect it from the top cell, and select it in the cell in which you want it to appear.
If you change Themes after you've done this, and chosen "Start from scratch," you will need to go into the Edit Theme menu and manually reselect the Optional Items you want enabled. If you choose to attempt to preserve existing settings, these should be preserved.
Note: If, during your Theme editing, the items disappear entirely from the Optional Items menus, you can always go to the "Choose a..." menu and deselect the plugin, submit the form, then return to the menu and reselect it. This should replace any the missing Optional Items and reselect the default ones.
Sysop Control Panel
Sysop Documentation