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  • Michiel (NSC) 95 posts 115 karma points
    Sep 28, 2011 @ 23:14
    Michiel (NSC)
    0

    Reusable content, based on complex types, not stored in content tree, where do I start?

    I am thinking about a technically excellent solution to allow users to manage the content displayed in the typical carousel elements you find all over the internet. Think about introducing a product by presenting its 3 main unique selling points, each with an image, a pay-off, a singe paragraph and a call-to-action text and link.

    Clearly this requires a complex (document) type, but it's also clear (to me at least) that they should not be stored in the main content tree, since they don't need to be an endpoint in the site, and in my experience it confuses CMS users to have this stuff in the content tree. So document types and content tree is out.

    But I do want an optimal user experience, both for management of the nodes and for picking them either as page properties, or when configuring an editor macro. So they must be compatible with 3rd-party components, they must especially be 'pickable'.

    What is the best way to tackle this challenge? Where should I start, I have never gone beyond out-of-the-box Umbraco.

  • Richard 146 posts 168 karma points
    Sep 29, 2011 @ 12:29
    Richard
    1

    Michiel,

    I have put these items in the content tree. My solution has been to create a bespoke DocType for a "Slider Branch", whose only useful property is to have a true/false property of "umbracoNaviHide" to hide the node from the navigation and site map controls. Then create a "Slider Item" DocType, to hold each carousel element. This allows easy reordering of items and unpublishing of items to hide them.

    The next choice is where to put the "Slider Branch", for home page sliders, we usually put it at the same level as Home, but at the bottom of the content tree, and suitably named; like "Home Slider".

    If you think that your editors should not see the slider branch, you could look at removing permissions to this content from the editor user, right click on the tree and choose permission.

    Richard

  • Michiel (NSC) 95 posts 115 karma points
    Sep 29, 2011 @ 13:04
    Michiel (NSC)
    0

    Hi Richard,

    Thanks so much for your explanation. I think I will do it this way as well. Even though I think storing them all in the tree should not really be necessary. But to create a custom dashboard section i A) too much work and B) might just confuse editors. 

    I would like to see some kind of unstructed storage (doesn't have to be a tree always) for structured elements (same capabilities as document types or media types). Perhaps in v5 it will be easier to implement that.

     

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