Topic: Custom content pages.

[homer09001]

Does anyone know if there is a way to add more pages like the Welcome Block, as i ideally need a couple of individual pages, without actually showing the forum?

Basically i need the Custom PHP to load on an url request instead of the welcome block?

[Nathaniel]

SimplePortal 2.3 has this feature inbuilt, they are called 'Pages'.

[homer09001]

ahhh i have come up with the same thing by adding a Custom HTML page to the top block, but your way is easer 

how can i get my normal portal side bar blocks to show with the custom pages?

Thanks

[Nathaniel]

You will need to change the 'Display options' for each block.

Either change the Display option from 'Portal' to a general setting that includes your page, or check the 'Advanced Options' checkbox and then setup the block to show on the 'Portal' and the relevent page.

[homer09001]

Thanks for the help Nathaniel, got it all sorted now thanks

[Chas]

I've wanted to do a similar thing, have a page on the portal, under the Welcome block. I have created a page and then added a custom HTML block (the HTML box is empty) and placed this in the TOP blocks area.
In Advanced Display options dialog for the block I have:
Show on block PORTAL
Select Actions - PORTAL is checked
Select Boards - None are checked
Select Pages - The page I created is checked.
In Custom Display Options I entered "Portal"
Now on the portal page, underneath the Welcome block I see the title bar for the custom HTML block but it appear empty.
So am I doing something wrong in trying to get a page to display as a block on the portal?

[homer09001]

why don't you instead of trying to include the page in the block just make the block the page?

put the content of your page in the block?

[Chas]

why don't you instead of trying to include the page in the block just make the block the page?

put the content of your page in the block?

Yeah, I could do that but then what's the point of having the ability to show pages? I might just as well make pages with blocks? I do use the pages elsewhere and connect to them with hyperlinks but I thought this topic was to show how to use blocks to display a page, or am I mistaken?

[homer09001]

Pages i think were designed as literally that, a full page not for inclusion with another page, but to used on its own with the blocks

[Nathaniel]

The term Page does not refer to the blocks, they are separate things.

If you want to add Custom PHP/HTML/BBC to an existing action/page use a Block.

If you want to add a new Custom PHP/HTML/BBC action/page to your site, then use a Page. They are basically the same as the Custom PHP/HTML/BBC block, but they create new page on your website.

You cannot use Pages as blocks, because blocks are added to existing parts of your site, while pages create a new part of your site.

You can use blocks on empty pages to create the effect of an inbuilt SimplePortal page, it just creates unnecessary work though.

[Chas]

Ah, my apologies. I thought your original answer to Homer was that he needs to use a block to display a page under the original welcome block by using the Advanced - Display- Page option of a block.

Is there any documentation for the Advanced features of blocks as the Help file is not that intuitive.

[Nathaniel]

Well, the help popups are meant to be as useful as possible, if you think that any particular part is unclear, then I would be happy to review it.

Currently we don't have any good user documentation except for the inbuilt help popups, this is something we have been meaning to look at for a while, but finding the time to set it up, and getting people to work on it hasn't happened yet.

[Chas]

I write technical training manuals as part of my job and have done a fair few to supplement manufacturers documentation for training purposes. I'd be happy to help out with this and have already made quite a few notes and "How To's" along the way.

Let me know if I can help.

Hal

[Eliana Tamerin]

You certainly can help. If you're interested in writing documentation, you're welcome to send me a PM.